In a decision that illustrates how just how far marijuana has moved into the mainstream, California’s largest public utility said it would now offer pot growers the same discounts on energy that it provides other farmers.
The decision by PG&E comes four months after California voters passed Proposition 64, which legalized recreational use of marijuana, and two decades after voters approved medical use of cannabis.
“Cannabis is a legal crop in our state like almonds and tomatoes,” Deborah Affonsa, vice president of customer service at PG&E, said in a statement released Wednesday.
Sonoma Clean Power, a public agency that purchases and supplies electricity to most Sonoma County homes and businesses, said it would follow suit and offer agricultural rates to marijuana growers in the region. It expects to expand services to Mendocino County in June.
