Summary: Friday, February 26, 2016 / 7:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Pot farming in rural areas is a big issue around the Bay! Last Friday, I told listeners that there would be a special meeting of the Monterey County Board of Supervisors today, Friday, February 26th, to consider an interim ordinance relating to the cultivation of medical marijuana. The hearing is set for 9:00 a.m., and if you are hearing this on the “morning edition,” then there may still be time for you to get over to Salinas for the special meeting. Those who would like to have Monterey County permit the cultivation of medical marijuana in Carmel Valley and Big Sur will be speaking out at the hearing this morning. As it turns out, there is a comparable group in Santa Cruz County, calling itself Santa Cruz Mountains for Sustainable Cannabis Medicine, or SCM2. I have a link to that group’s online survey at kusp.org/landuse. SCM2 is trying to gather information from those currently cultivating marijuana in the mountains of Santa Cruz County. If you happen to be in that category, you will undoubtedly be interested in the survey. Maybe even if you are not! There are significant environmental and community impacts involved in the cultivation of marijuana, and coming up with good rules is going to be critical. I know that the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors is already deeply engaged, and is hearing from people with divergent views. More Information: Land Use Links Gary Patton’s Two Worlds Blog February 19, 2016 Land Use Report on Pot Farming in Carmel Valley Monterey County Board of Supervisors Agenda Website Santa Cruz Mountains for Sustainable Cannabis Medicine Survey SCM2 Website Persons interested in being part of a group to support outdoor marijuana cultivation in Carmel Valley and/or Big Sur should contact westoncall@gmail.com or bigsurlaw@gmail.com.
