LAKEPORT — The Lake County Board of Supervisors (BOS) listened to more than three hours of public input Tuesday afternoon while considering for the first time a recommended ordinance to establish regulations on medical marijuana cultivation.
In total, the BOS discussed issues related to the proposed ordinance for almost four hours during Tuesday”s regular meeting at the Lake County Courthouse. The supervisors ultimately took no action on the ordinance, instead continuing the discussion until mid-September.
The proposed ordinance attempts to create regulations that respects the rights of the qualified grows while also mitigating the types of “environmental degradation” currently seen in some unregulated large grow sites in the county, Community Development Director Rick Coel said.
The draft ordinance, recommended by the Lake County Planning Commission, would set limits on the numbers of marijuana plants qualified individuals could grow in the unincorporated areas of the county.
The ordinance proposes a three-tiered system of allowable plant amounts.
An individual patient or primary caregiver could cultivate a maximum of six mature or 12 immature plants on his or her parcel in seven specific zoning districts, including R1 (single-family residential) and RR (rural residential), under the proposed ordinance.
“Six (mature) plants have the potential to yield a lot of medicine,” Coel said.
However, a majority of the people who spoke to the BOS Tuesday disagreed with limiting the number of plants qualified individuals could grow to six mature or 12 immature plants.
Two or three qualifying people sharing a residence on a parcel of one acre or more outside a community growth boundary could grow a maximum of 18 mature or 36 immature plants on the property in certain zoning districts.
Both of those groups of growers would not be required to obtain permits from the county in order to cultivate medical marijuana.
The third tier in the ordinance pertains to grow sites of collective or cooperative organizations. Those groups could grow no more than 36 mature and 72 immature marijuana plants on certain parcels of five acres or more in size.
Collective or cooperative organizations would need to obtain a minor use permit for those large grow sites.
Annual compliance monitoring conducted jointly by the Community Development Department and the Lake County Sheriff”s Office would be an aspect of the minor use permit.
Sheriff Frank Rivero asked the BOS to create the local regulations in “a timely manner.” “My office needs your guidance and your direction,” he said.
Ron Green, a Lower Lake attorney, said the minor use permit process would be unfair for the collectives or cooperatives and that the BOS needs to develop “fair and reasonable regulations.”
“Yes there are people that come here and do the bad things, but they”re in the minority,” Green said.
A majority of the speakers, including medical marijuana users, dispensary operators and doctors, expressed similar concerns about the regulations proposed for residential or collective grows.
Still, a smaller group voiced support of the proposed regulations, citing nuisance issues they”ve experienced with neighboring growers.
The proposed ordinance would establish a number of provisions for the smaller and larger grow sites, including setbacks from neighboring properties and schools.
Limited indoor cultivation could occur inside houses and larger amounts of plants could be grown in accessory buildings, such as greenhouses.
Cultivation could not occur in houses where children reside and minors could not assist in the growing.
Renters would have to get written authorization from the property owner in order to cultivate medical marijuana on the site.
The discussion ended at 5:40 p.m., and the supervisors indicated additional time would be needed before making a final decision on the proposed regulations.
The BOS will continue its consideration of the proposed ordinance during the Sept. 20 regular meeting at 1:30 p.m.
Contact Jeremy Walsh at jwalsh@record-bee.com or call him at 263-5636, ext. 37.
