Some cannabis growers will harvest their crops this year before county employees are even able to review their applications to register the farms as required by county code, Calaveras County Planning Director Peter Maurer reported Tuesday.
That is because the number of applications 740 just for commercial cannabis farms far exceeded what county officials expected. And though those applicants provided almost $4 million to cover the costs of the regulatory program, officials are still trying to hire all 29 of the employees needed.
What we got totally overwhelmed us and surprised us all, Maurer said.
Still, many officials and some members of the public present for the report by Maurer and other county officials Tuesday evening say the program is making gains. Maurer reported that his staff have now approved two commercial farm registrations and expect to make rapid progress on others soon now that they have in hand documents submitted in September for the farms business licenses, sellers permits and compliance with state water pollution rules.
Sheriffs Capt. Jim Macedo reported that his agency has eradicated more than 61,000 plants from illegal cannabis farms so far this year, has fielded 213 complaints related to marijuana and has identified another 35 unregistered cannabis farms.
Ethan Turner, a deputy county counsel, is among the new county employees hired this year to enforce the cannabis regulations. You are going to see a lot more approvals soon and also a lot more abatements, Turner told the board of supervisors.
Some county residents remain fearful that the decision to regulate the industry has made matters worse. They blame the supervisors May 10 approval of an urgency ordinance regulating cannabis for stimulating more farmers to come here.
Why is our county hiring all of these personnel just to regulate marijuana growing in our county? said Vicky Reinke of Angels Camp. How can the county take cash from a drug business and put it into a bank?
Calaveras County Counsel Megan Stedtfeld told Reinke that the county government is set up to accept cash or checks when business owners or others pay fees.
Board of Supervisors Chairman Cliff Edson objected that Maurers report said that the board decided to allow cannabis farming when it adopted the urgency ordinance.
Its been here for a long time. We didnt allow anything, Edson said.
Instead, Edson said the appropriate word is regulate.
Marijuana farms here, like everywhere, were once simply illegal. Since the passage of the Proposition 215 medical marijuana initiative in 1996, however, many farms in Calaveras County have operated in a quasi-legal limbo. Most that stayed small, caused no trouble and could show some connection to medical marijuana patients were able to operate with minimum scrutiny.
Last years Butte Fire destroyed trees that once hid many of those farms, making them more visible about the same time that new state laws establishing a system to regulate medical marijuana and bans in other counties prompted additional growers to look for properties here.
The urgency ordinance was designed to end the marijuana land rush by barring the creation of any new farms after May 10. Farmers had until June 30 to submit lengthy applications. The county has leverage because the state government will issue licenses beginning in 2018, but only to farms that can show they comply with county rules. Those that dont comply get locked out of the lucrative legal medical marijuana market.
The urgency ordinance sets rules for things such as fencing, setbacks from property lines and the total area of marijuana that can be grown.
It is a new process for everybody, Edson said of the challenges of reining in an industry that was once completely underground. Next year it will probably be a little bit better.
Code Enforcement Officer Todd Barr, too, said workers in his office have been busy measuring the size of cannabis gardens and checking for other code violations at the properties with farms.
I think we have made some very positive strides, Barr said.
Caslin Tomaszewski, the executive director of the Calaveras Cannabis Alliance, a trade group for growers, agreed.
Code compliance and the Sheriffs Department are treating our people with respect, as human beings, Tomaszewski said of the dozens of site inspections of cannabis farms now taking place.
Tomaszewski said news that the Sheriffs Office had arrested a man on charges of robbing a cannabis farm near San Andreas also made waves, encouraging growers to feel more trust and respect for authorites.
The response of our community has been massive, Tomaszewski said.
Bill Wilson of the Diamond XX subdivision near Copperopolis said he expects it to take time to fully enforce the new regulations.
After 80 years of prohibition (of cannabis), weve had only four months of regulation. Wilson said. There are still moonshiners out there making illegal alcohol 80 years after (alcohol) Prohibition was repealed.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker
Full Article: Calaveras County Cannabis Regulations Making Slow Gains
Author: Dana Nichols
Contact: 209.754.3861
Photo Credit: Calaveras County Planning Department
Website: Calaveras Enterprise
