1. Why Was The Notice Issued?
2. What Is This Lawsuit About?
3. What Is A Class Action?
4. Has The Court Decided Who Is Right?
5. Is There Any Money Available Now?
6. Am I Part Of This Class?
7. Do I have to do anything? What happens if I do nothing at all?
8. Do I Have To Stay In The Class?
9. How Do I Opt Out Of The Lawsuit?
10. Do I Have A Lawyer In This Case?
11. Should I Get My Own Lawyer?
12. How Will Class Counsel Be Paid?
13. How Will The Court Decide Who Is Right?
14. Do I Have To Come To The Trial?
15. Will I Get Money Or Other Benefits After The Trial?
16. How Do I Get More Information?
The Superior Court of Santa Barbara County, California, authorized the Notice. The court has “certified” a class, which means that the neighbors who brought this lawsuit can sue on behalf of everyone in the same position as a class. The Notice explains the lawsuit and what rights class members have.
The lawsuit is captioned Santa Barbara County Coalition for Responsible Cannabis, et al. v. Ceres Farms LLC, et al., Case No. 23CV03885, pending in the Superior Court of Santa Barbara County, California. The people that filed this lawsuit are called the “Plaintiffs” (or “Class Representatives”) and the company they sued, Valley Crest Farms, LLC, is called the “Defendant.”
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Neighbors within a one-mile radius of Valley Crest Farms' cannabis operation in Carpinteria, California, are suing the farm because they believe that its strong marijuana smell lowers their property values and makes living nearby unpleasant. A judge's ruling on March 5, 2025, allows these neighbors to join together in a class-action lawsuit.
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In a class action, one or more individuals sue on behalf of other people with similar claims. These individuals are called the “Plaintiffs” or “Class Representatives.” Together, the people included in the class action are called a “Class” or “Class Members.” One court resolves the lawsuit for all Class Members, except for those who opt out. In this lawsuit, the Class Representatives are William Hahn, Danielle Dall’Armi, and Chonnie Bliss Jacobson, and everyone included in this Action are the Class Members.
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No. The Court did not decide whether the Plaintiffs or the Defendants are right. By certifying the class and issuing the Notice the Court is not determining that the Plaintiffs will win or lose the case. To win, the Plaintiffs must prove their claims at an upcoming trial. More information about the trial is in FAQ 13, below.
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No. Because the Court has not decided that Valley Crest did anything wrong, and the sides have not settled the lawsuit, there is no money available now. There is no guarantee that money will be available later, but if the Plaintiffs win the case or the sides settle, you will receive another Notice with those details.
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The court has defined the Class this way: “All owner-occupiers of real property located within one mile of Valley Crest's cannabis operations who purchased their property prior to January 19, 2016.” Valley Crest is located at 5980 Casitas Pass Road, Carpinteria, California.
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No, you do not have to do anything at all to stay in the class action, and staying in the class action is the only way to receive any potential money or other benefits from this case.
If you are a class member and do nothing, then you will stay a class member and you will be notified if you are later entitled to receive any money or benefits from this case.
Keep in mind that unless you opt out of the lawsuit, regardless of whether Plaintiff wins or loses at trial you will not be able to sue or continue to sue Valley Crest about the same issues that are in this class action.
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No. If you don’t want to be part of this lawsuit or would like to sue Valley Crest yourself about the same issues that are in this lawsuit, you can remove yourself from the class. Removing yourself is also called “opting out.” If you opt out, you will not receive money or benefits from this lawsuit, but you will keep any rights you may have to sue Valley Crest on your own about the legal issues in this case.
If you exclude yourself, you are telling the Court that you do not want to be part of the lawsuit. You will not be eligible to receive any money or benefits from this case.
The deadline to exclude yourself from this lawsuit is November 28, 2025.
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If you do not want to be part of the lawsuit, you must send a letter called a “Request for Exclusion.”
To be valid, your Request for Exclusion must have the following information:
the name of the Action: Santa Barbara County Coalition for Responsible Cannabis, et al. v. Ceres Farms LLC, et al., Case No. 23CV03885, pending in the Superior Court of Santa Barbara County, California;
your full name, mailing address, email address, and telephone number;
personal signature; and
the words “Request for Exclusion” or a clear and similar statement that you do not want to participate in the lawsuit.
You may only exclude yourself—not any other person.
Mail your Request for Exclusion to the Notice Administrator at:
Santa Barbara Cannabis Coalition Class Action
ATTN: Exclusion Request
P.O. Box 25226
Santa Ana, CA 92799
Your Request for Exclusion must be postmarked by November 28, 2025.
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Yes, the Court appointed attorneys Robert A. Curtis and Aaron L. Arndt of Foley Bezek Behle & Curtis LLP, to represent you and other Class Members (“Class Counsel”).
Robert A. Curtis
Aaron L. Arndt
Foley Bezek Behle & Curtis LLP
15 West Carrillo Street
Santa Barbara, California 93101
Telephone: (805) 962-9495
Email Address: rcurtis@foleybezek.com
Email Address: aarndt@foleybezek.com
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You will not be charged for Class Counsel’s services. If you want your own lawyer, you may hire one at your expense.
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If Class Counsel recovers money or benefits for the class, they will ask the Court for fees and expenses. You won’t have to pay these fees and expenses out of your own pocket. Rather, if the Court grants Class Counsel’s request, the fees and expenses would be either deducted from any money obtained for the class or paid separately by Valley Crest.
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The Court will schedule a trial to decide who is right in this case. Information about the date and location of the trial will be posted on this website.
If a trial goes forward, Class Counsel will have to prove Plaintiffs’ claims at a trial. During the trial, a jury will hear all the evidence to help them reach a decision about whether Plaintiffs or Valley Crest are right about the claims in the lawsuit. There is no guarantee that Plaintiffs will win or that they will get any money for the class.
The date of the trial may change, so please check this website for updates about the trial schedule.
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No. Unless you are called as a witness, you do not have to come to the trial. Class Counsel will present the case for class, and the results will be posted on this website.
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If Plaintiff obtains money or benefits as a result of the trial or a settlement, you will be notified about how to obtain the money or benefits. We do not know how long this will take
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You can review the important legal documents under the Important Documents page of this website. You may also ask to speak to Class Counsel; their contact information is listed in FAQ 10, above.
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