Pot farmers and property owners who lease their land for cannabis cultivation – be warned. The county board of supervisors passed a game-changing urgency ordinance yesterday (August 10) that significantly increased the fines and penalties for pot growers and those who lease them land. Reporter Mike Lipsitz is here with details…
Those on the front lines of the war on reefer got approval for major reinforcements from county supervisors yesterday. At this very moment a major offensive is being put in place. It includes significant increases in fines and penalties, a five-fold increase in dedicated enforcement personnel, and a messaging campaign targeting growers and those who abet them. With passage of the ordinance, a pot farm still operating after a first citation could see fines north of $100,000 accumulate in a matter of weeks. For residents of unincorporated communities throughout the hi-desert, the need for such bold action is apparent based on the devastating environmental costs like ground water contamination from quote, “millions of gallons of illegal pesticides spread across these operations,” plus the blight of litter and land grading, as well as increased crime and including theft of water and other utilities. The ordinance does not impact personal pot use.
