Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Montecito in uproar over cannabis farm
Residents in Meghan and Harry's neighbourhood are “alarmed” by a proposal to let Valley Crest Farms run cannabis cultivation
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s otherwise tranquil Montecito bubble is facing a pungent new problem.
Residents in nearby Carpinteria Valley, just eight miles from the Sussexes’ £11m California home, are “alarmed” by a proposal to let Valley Crest Farms run cannabis cultivation and processing 24/7, per local outlet Siteline.
Santa Barbara County has logged 2,500+ odor complaints since 2020, and officials are already moving to crack down on excessive cannabis smells, reports the Montecito Journal.
But Siteline says the county Planning & Development director approved extended hours for Valley Crest, a nine-acre grow at 5890 Casitas Pass Road, and that decision is now under appeal by residents pushing back hard.
The farm is already facing a class-action lawsuit filed in 2023 by the Santa Barbara Coalition for Responsible Cannabis, accusing Valley Crest of producing an “intolerable” stench.
One fed-up local told the Daily Mail they thought “something had died in the basement” before remembering they didn’t even have one.
Valley Crest has allegedly harvested weekly for over five years, and critics warn around-the-clock operations could make the smell, and traffic, even worse.
Activists are urging locals to email objections and show up for the appeal, hoping to block the 24/7 plan before it becomes the new normal.
RELATED: Prince Harry, Meghan Markle's one Netflix move could worsen royal rift
