Trinity County MMJ grower faces federal charges

 Cultivation
Feb 032012
 

A federal grand jury in Sacramento has indicted a Trinity County man on marijuana conspiracy and cultivation charges, months after a series of raids resulted in the seizure of more than 2,700 pot plants. According to a criminal complaint, William Robert Barsanti, 26, who was indicted Thursday, bragged to local sheriff’s deputies that he could beat any charges against him because he was protected under California’s medical marijuana laws, the Sacramento Bee reports. Redding Record Searchlight coverage Trinity County authorities referred the case to federal prosecutors after 2,769 marijuana plants and five pounds of pot [...]

Live Oak’s cultivation ban tests Prop. 215 limits

 Cultivation
Jan 302012
 

Live Oak trail-blazed through thickets of medical marijuana law last month where few, if any, cities have journeyed. The city of 8,600 residents became one of, if not the first city in California to ban growing medical marijuana — both indoor and outdoor — but it’s one of hundreds struggling to protect residents, allow sick people their medicine and navigate state law. James Maral, a Live Oak resident who grows marijuana for himself and his mother, is already testing the ban and state law, Jonathan Edwards reports in the Appeal-Democrat. Maral filed a lawsuit last [...]

Mendocino County uproots pot-growing permits

 Cultivation
Jan 252012
 

Faced with legal threats from Uncle Sam, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday gutted its innovative, revenue-generating medical marijuana permitting program that allowed cooperatives to grow up to 99 plants. “The mistake was made when we pushed the envelope,” said Supervisor Kendall Smith. Rather than issuing permits — a process that was recently suspended — the county now limits the number of plants to 25, well within the limits set in other counties and less likely to raise a red flag for federal authorities who consider pot for any purpose to be illegal. [...]

Mendocino County may freeze growing permits

 Cultivation
Jan 122012
 

Mendocino County’s one-of-a-kind, income-generating medical marijuana cultivation permit process has been suspended pending the outcome of a Southern California court case that challenges the legality of issuing permits for activities that are illegal under federal law. “We’re waiting to hear something,” said Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman. The popular permits allowed medical marijuana collectives to as many as 99 plants under a fee structure that includes inspections and zip-tie identification markers for each plant, Glenda Anderson reports in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. Ukiah Daily Journal: County pot permits not suspended The annual permit application [...]

Cannabis growers boost Sonoma hydro shops

 Cultivation
Jan 082012
 

As plastic bottles shuttle along humming conveyor belts in General Hydroponics’ vast Sebastopol factory, a row of nozzles fills the bottles with a bright pink liquid. The production of this proprietary mixture of phosphates, sulfates and potassium is being fueled by the popularity of growing plants indoors. Once an industry focused on orchids, roses and tomatoes, hydroponics is now being propelled into mainstream business by marijuana, Julie Johnson reports in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat. “I used to be put off by seeing the work I did always show up in marijuana-focused stores,” said General [...]

Pack ruling threatens Mendocino cultivation law

 Cultivation
Jan 082012
 

The one-of-a-kind cooperation between medical marijuana growers and the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department — which legitimized cannabis cultivation in the eyes of the law and saved the jobs of deputies facing layoffs — is at risk, pending the outcome of a court case. Since 2010, Mendocino County marijuana growers with a doctor’s recommendation have been permitted to license plants with Sheriff Tom Allman’s department, Chris Roberts reports in S.F. Weekly. Growers wishing to cultivate up to 99 plants must pay the Sheriff’s Department an inspection fee and a $50 per-plant permit fee under chapter 9.31 [...]

Kubby proposes South Lake Tahoe cultivation law

 Cultivation
Dec 302011
 

A citywide voter initiative to control marijuana odor and set rules for cultivation was filed Dec. 29 with the city clerk. The city attorney has 15 days to issue a Title and Summary so the signature gathering process can begin. The new initiative requires 856 valid voter signatures to qualify for the Nov. 6 ballot, Steve Kubby writes in a Lake Tahoe News opinion column. (Bud’s note: Kubby is co-author of the Regulate Marijuana Like Wine initiative in circulation.) When people come to South Lake Tahoe, they expect to smell pine trees and fresh air. [...]

Cannabis growing ban spurs recall talk in Live Oak

 Cultivation
Dec 292011
 

The fight over farming marijuana as medicine is growing in Live Oak. Growers are thinking about launching a campaign to recall the five Live Oak City Council members who voted to ban growing medical marijuana. The council voted for the ban Dec. 20, which takes effect Jan. 20. “This town is disgusted with these people,” said James Maral, who started the Live Oak Patients, Caregivers and Supporters Association. “This town is disgusted with what they’re doing.” Council member Diane Hodges isn’t getting the same reaction, Jonathan Edwards reports in the Appeal-Democrat. About 20 people approached [...]

Live Oak passes medical cannabis growing ban

 Cultivation
Dec 222011
 

Patients, partyers and profiteers have a month to chop down their marijuana if they want to stay on the right side of the law in Live Oak. The City Council on Wednesday night finalized a ban on growing marijuana for medical use, which will now take effect Jan. 20. Council members first approved the ban at their Dec. 7 meeting, saying marijuana grows stunk up neighborhoods and threatened people’s safety as criminals tried to steal plants and growers tried to protect them, sometimes with razor wire and guard dogs. “They’re taking our medicines away,” said [...]

Yuba County supervisors to address cultivation rules

 Cultivation
Dec 152011
 

When marijuana growers suggested ordinances Yuba County could use to regulate medical marijuana, and anti-pot Supervisor Andy Vasquez said he appreciated the input on an issue here to stay, it could be taken as a sign of progress in the Yuba-Sutter area’s weed wars. With supervisors holding a workshop Tuesday to discuss a possible medical marijuana ordinance, the prevailing theory among both the board and more than a dozen speakers seemed to be: Mend it, don’t end it. “We want to work with you. We want to get an ordinance drafted,” said Eric Salerno, spokesman [...]

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