Legal Cannabis Farming & Stewardship

Resource Conservation Districts are California's trusted, boots-on-the-ground partners for legal cannabis cultivators by helping growers protect watersheds, build healthy soils, and create thriving wildlife habitat on working lands.

Conservation-first Cannabis Cultivation

As California's legal cannabis industry has matured, so has the opportunity to get cultivation right; not just for compliance, but for the land and the communities that depend on it. Cannabis operations often sit in the same watersheds that support salmon habitat, municipal water supplies, and neighboring farms. How those operations manage water, soil, and waste matters.

With support from the Resources Legacy Fund and partners like Emerald Grown, RCDs across the state have worked directly with licensed cultivators to adopt practices that protect California's natural resources. Through on-farm technical assistance, community workshops, and tools like the GRASS-C certification, RCDs serve as nonregulatory advisors by helping producers navigate compliance while raising the bar for environmental stewardship.

This resource hub brings together the best available guides, tools, and best management practices developed by RCDs and their partner organizations. Whether you're a cultivator looking to improve your operation or a conservation professional supporting growers in your region, these resources are here to help.

Participating RCDs

Get GRASS-C Certified

Growing Responsible and Socially Sustainable Cannabis (GRASS-C) is a tiered, market-incentive certification program developed by RCDs for environmentally responsible cannabis production in California. GRASS-C recognizes cultivators who go beyond regulatory compliance to demonstrate genuine land stewardship and gives them a market advantage for doing so.

Start with a free self-assessment, connect with your local RCD, and work toward a certification that tells retailers and consumers your product was grown right.

Learn more at GRASS-C.com

Download free self-assessment

GRASS-C Certified

A partnership of CARCD, RCDs & Emerald Grown

Practice area 1

Water Conservation

Water is the lifeblood of California agriculture — and cannabis cultivation is no exception. Farms in the state's cannabis-growing regions often draw from the same streams and aquifers that support salmon habitat, municipal water supplies, and neighboring communities. Thoughtful water management is both a regulatory requirement and a core expression of stewardship. RCDs have developed practical resources covering the full water cycle — from rainwater capture and greywater reuse, to sediment control and irrigation efficiency.

When producers choose to implement water conservation practices, they are choosing to not just sustain agriculture, but also to protect wildlife, support habitats, and recharge aquifers that serve millions.
Darron Gaus, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist

Cannabis Watershed BMP Guide ENES

The first peer-reviewed watershed protection guide for cannabis growers produced by a public agency in California. Developed by the Mendocino County RCD with funding from the State Water Resources Control Board — covering water use and capture, erosion control, soil health, fertilizer and pest management, and a self-assessment checklist.

Download at MCRCD.org

Harvesting & reuse

Rainwater Harvesting Resources Greywater Action

Rainwater catchment O&M guidance Sonoma RCD

Greywater reuse Greywater Action

Slow it, spread it, sink it Water storage — Sonoma RCD

Monitoring & Erosion Control

Water quality field guide for greenhouses UC ANRHillside runoff management guide RCD of Monterey County

Groundwork: small-scale erosion control Marin RCD

On-farm water stewardship practices Agricultural Water Stewards — Irrigation BMPs

Practice area 2

Insect & Wildlife Habitat

California's farms are embedded in one of the world's most biodiverse regions. Legal cannabis operations can either fragment or support that biodiversity depending on how they're managed. Hedgerows, pollinator plantings, raptor perches, and nest boxes are low-cost, high-impact investments that benefit the farm while giving something back to the landscape.

There are many ways to support 'the little things that run the world
Xerces Society

Farm Habitat Structures

Hedgerows UC ANR — Statewide IPM Program

Hedgerows & farmscaping Community Alliance with Family Farmers

Birds of Prey Stands Rodent control — Oregon State University

Songbird & Owl Boxes Wild Farm Alliance

Pollinators

Monarch butterflies UC ANR

Planting for Pollinators Xerces Society

Ground-Nesting Bees Xerces Society

100 plants to feed the bees Xerces Society

Ecoregional Pollinator Planting Guides Pollinator Partnership

Oak Woodlands & Forest Health

Rx Fire Field Guide Placer RCD

Forest Health Guidebook Butte County RCD

Practice area 3

Soil & Plant Health

Healthy soil is the foundation of a resilient farm. Practices that build soil organic matter, minimize compaction, and reduce reliance on synthetic inputs improve yields while sequestering carbon and filtering water. For cannabis cultivators operating near sensitive natural areas, choosing the right inputs matters for both plant performance and regulatory compliance.

Integrated Pest Management

IPM for Water Quality Protection Napa RCD

Cannabis Pesticide use Guidelines Regulatory CA Dept. of Pesticide Regulation

Organic Inputs & Materials Databases

Tip: Use the keyword search on OMRI.org, or press Ctrl/Cmd + F in your browser to search by brand name in the PDF databases below.

OMRI database Organic Materials Review Institute. Search by generic material or brand name to check organic system allowance.

Registered OIM products CA Dept. of Food & Agriculture. Organic Fertility Materials. Search by brand name.WSDA Organic Input Materials Washington State Dept. of Agriculture. Organic Fertility Materials List. Search by brand name.

Practice area 4

Waste Management

On-farm waste, from plant material to processing byproducts, represents both a disposal challenge and a soil-building opportunity. Composting and biochar production keep organic matter on the farm, build soil carbon, and reduce reliance on external inputs, closing the loop on the cultivation cycle.

Composting RCD of Monterey County

Learn to Make Biochar, not Smoke TCI Magazine

Practice area 5

Social Equity & Labor Management

A truly resilient operation takes care of its people as well as its land. For cannabis cultivators navigating California's evolving regulatory landscape, understanding employer responsibilities, from workplace safety to labor law; is essential for operating legally, ethically, and sustainably.

Job hazard analysis OSHA

California Employer Resources Employment Development Department

Grievance guidance & resources CA Office of Human Resources

Connect with your local RCD

California's 99 Resource Conservation Districts are ready to help. If you're a cultivator looking for technical assistance, on-farm planning support, or information about cost-share programs in your area, find your local RCD today.

Find your local RCD, by visiting the Interactive RCD Map page.

Start GRASS-C self-assessment

Program Partners & Resource Providers