URL: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v16/n551/a10.html
Newshawk: http://www.drugsense.org/donate.htm
Votes: 0
Pubdate: Mon, 15 Aug 2016
Source: Porterville Recorder (CA)
Copyright: 2016 Freedom Communications Inc.
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Website: http://www.recorderonline.com
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2887
EXTENDING MARIJUANA ORDINANCE CONSIDERED
County Looking at Continued Enforcement
County supervisors are being asked on Tuesday to extend the county ordinance prohibiting medical marijuana collectives, cooperatives or businesses.
Extending that ordinance, which was first passed in 2013 then extended in 2015, will be the subject of a public hearing at 9:30 a.m. Tuesday in the board chambers in Visalia.
The recommendation before the supervisors is to once again extend the ban, a decision sure to come under fire from those medical marijuana proponents.
In the staff report it notes several legislative and regulatory changes to marijuana laws and the pending ballot measures which will ask statewide voters to legalize marijuana for recreational use.
However, the report also points out the dangers the growing and selling of marijuana still poses to public safety.
“The Tulare County Sheriff’s Department has continued to see an increase in the illegal cultivation of marijuana and crimes associated with marijuana,” notes the staff report. It states that during fiscal 2015-16, the sheriff’s office investigated 208 marijuana grow sites, made 186 arrests, eradicated 255,176 plants and seized more than $500,000 in marijuana-related assets.
In addition, the staff reports notes an increase interest from people seeking information about commercial cannabis licenses and they have uncovered two attempts to set up cooperatives or indoor grow sites in violation of the county’s ordinance.
Also, the county said the Ag Commissioner’s office has been contacted by two sets of investors inquiring about using ag property for the growing of marijuana. “The illegal and unregulated cultivation of marijuana in the County currently threatens the welfare of County residents because of the strain on natural and public resources,” states the staff report.
In another matter, supervisors will be asked to approve a contract to begin work on the newly dug municipal water well on West Olive Avenue at the Tule River which will enable the city to supply water to East Porterville residents.
The well was drilled a year ago and its connection to the city’s water system has been delayed for months. Supervisors will be asked to award a contract for $1.1 million to finish the well project which includes running a new water line from the well site to the city’s water line at Westwood Street.
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom