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Cannabis Industry Gains a Foothold in Parched Cuyama Valley
Hundreds of acres of cannabis cultivation are proposed for the community, which has a critically over-drafted groundwater basin
More than 740 acres of outdoor cannabis cultivation is proposed for the Cuyama Valley; Essa and Jawad have submitted applications for 133 acres at three locations, including this property at 2225 Foothill Road. The growers say cannabis will use half the water needed for alfalfa and carrots, the crops that have mined the groundwater basin to historical lows. (Courtesy photo) By Melinda Burns
| 12:48 p.m.
The county’s most depleted water basin, the Cuyama Valley, is fast becoming the latest battleground in the fight over how – and whether – to address the negative impacts of the cannabis industry on farming and residential communities.