PLACERVILLE, Calif. — Those wanting to grow cannabis commercially in El Dorado County will have to wait three more months to fill out their applications.

Citing a need to analyze data collected on best practices for the application process, permitting process and operations, staff asked the El Dorado County Board of Supervisors to extend the deadline to have applications available to Sept. 30.

The original date set by county’s cannabis measures that a majority of voters passed last year was July 1.

Staff is in the process of looking at other jurisdictions’ successes and what they might have done better, according to Creighton Avila with the Chief Administrative Office.

Another aspect of the cannabis discussion was the request to release two requests for proposals — one for satellite services to map and track illegal marijuana grows and the other for project management services to oversee the commercial growing application process.

“We want to make sure when we create this legal market (the growers) aren’t getting undercut,” Avila said.

Speakers at the late-June meeting supported the application extension.

Rod Miller with the El Dorado County Growers Alliance called the extension “reasonable” considering the amount of work staff has in the coming months. What’s important, he stressed, is that the county implements commercial cannabis policies that positively impact the county and the growers.

Kelly Chiusano with the Pure Life Collective in Diamond Springs also encouraged the board to make the anticipated taxes and fees associated with commercial cannabis as low as possible “so we have a fair chance” to compete with neighboring markets in Sacramento and Placer counties.

Supervisors unanimously approved the application extension and releasing the two RFPs.