Cannabis
Oh, weed legality. You and your crazy, lucrative ways. In dozens upon dozens of greenhouses that once grew flowers – a once-thriving Salinas Valley industry decimated by the North American Free Trade Agreement – cannabis now grows instead. And, get this, it’s TOTALLY LEGAL. Sure, Monterey County is still trying to figure out what growing legally looks like (no outdoor grows? For reals? Tell it to the Big Sur cowboys who show no sign of backing down), cities including Salinas have figured out their rules and are capitalizing on the biggest thing to hit California since, well, illegal weed. No more hiding. Ironically, the Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office has no plans to add cannabis to its annual crop report, because it’s not categorized as an agricultural commodity. We may be stoned, but we think that’s short-sighted.