Siskiyou voters should head off large illegal marijuana grows

by Brandon Criss, Herald and News 5/18/16.

Brandon Criss is the Siskiyou County Supervisor  from District 1, which includes the Butte Valley and Tulelake areas of Siskiyou County. The election is June 7. Additional invormation is available and the Siskiyou County Clerk's office: https://www.co.siskiyou.ca.us/content/current-election-information

I strongly urge all Siskiyou County voters to vote yes June 7 on Measures T and U. I cannot emphasize enough the importance of your vote on these measures.

The county is being overrun by people moving from down south with the purpose of purchasing lots in rural neighborhoods for the sole intent of growing marijuana.

They are not following existing county ordinances. They have no wells, no approved livable structure and no septic whatsoever. They just camp on the property leaving behind trash and waste, bring in wild dogs and use illegal pesticides.

We have retirees and young families in the county who purchased a small lot in rural neighborhoods to enjoy the beauties of the county. These areas are not zoned for mass farming or industry. These folks have to deal each day with the smell from these numerous lots around them growing 100 plants or more.

Measures T and U have two intents. One, to protect the rights of those complying with California’s Proposition 215 Laws, which says that citizens have a right to grow medical marijuana. It was the intent of the voters that those suffering from cancer and other ailments can benefit from medical marijuana usage.

Secondly, we confirm under Measures T and U that Proposition 215 was never intended that residents living in rural neighborhoods would be overrun by large unregulated marijuana production.

Frustratingly, existing ordinances which most people respected only have small fines when compared to the incredible profit these growers are making. They just pay the fine and keep harming their neighbors’ standard of living.

Even medical marijuana users’ intent on following the rules are upset about these flagrant violations. I have a constituent who illegally smoked marijuana in the 1980s for cancer. This person is very upset that these large marijuana industry grows are harming her once peaceful neighborhood.

In short, Measure T puts teeth behind enforcement moving us past small fines to actually allowing us to pull the plants, (the large profit) much earlier. Measure U ensures that grows must be limited to 12 plants per property and must be grown indoors in a structure outside of the residence in order to reduce strong odors in the neighborhood.

With a Yes vote on Measures T and U, the county will continue to respect medical marijuana users while also being able to enforce land-use laws respecting the private property rights of homeowners in these rural neighborhoods.
 

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