CA - Organic Veggies, Wine - Why Not Pot?

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Mendocino County Asking State For Permission To Place Label On Medical Marijuana Crop

Mendocino County, known for its organic wine and beer, may soon add marijuana to its list of certified organic products, a sign cannabis has become a mainstream crop.

County agriculture officials are asking the state if they can legally certify medical marijuana as an organic product and regulate local pot farms, as they do pear orchards, vineyards and other crops.

"Only in Mendocino County," laughed Carre Brown, administrator of the county Farm Bureau, which represents farmers.

"We're going to be groundbreakers again. Maybe," said county Assistant Agricultural Commissioner Tony Linegar.

Breaking ground is nothing new in Mendocino County, which last year became the first county in the nation to ban genetically modified crops. It's only natural that marijuana would become the next frontier to regulate in the county, long known for its tolerance of the pot culture by local law enforcement.

Since California voters legalized medical marijuana in 1996, Mendocino pot farmers have started openly cultivating their plants in suburban backyards.

Now, they are seeking government guidance with their pest and pesticide problems.

Last year, 12 people brought in plants or buds to the agriculture commissioner's office to have their pests diagnosed, Linegar said.

"I was a little nervous sitting at my desk with a 6-foot pot plant," he said.

Two medical marijuana caregivers - people who legally grow pot for patients - - have requested organic certification from the agriculture department, Linegar said.

Canada certifies organically-grown medical marijuana, but Mendocino County would be the first government agency in the United States to provide an organic seal of authenticity, said Dane Wilkins, director of the Northern California chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws.

"I think it's a great idea because people who are sick or in pain using it medicinally deserve access to pot grown without toxic chemicals," he said.

In addition to asking the state if the county can certify organic pot, Agricultural Commissioner Dave Bengston wants to know if he should be inspecting marijuana "nurseries" for pests and ensuring cannabis club scales are accurate - duties his department performs for legitimate businesses.

He also wants to know if it is appropriate to advise medical marijuana growers on pests and pesticide use, something the department has been doing in a limited fashion with approval from local law enforcement.

Although Proposition 215 legalized medical pot, Linegar and Bengston are worried the federal government, which still considers it illegal, may take issue with the county's policy of helping growers.

"The legal waters are murky," Bengston wrote in a Jan. 21 letter to state Department of Food and Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura.

But the need is clear, Linegar said.

It's the county agriculture department's job to monitor pests and pesticide use to ensure public safety, he said. There have been reported cases of pot-related pesticide illness in other counties, Linegar said.

"We're trying to avoid that situation in our county," he said.

But it is difficult to give pesticide advice to medical pot growers.

Because marijuana is considered illegal under federal law, chemical companies have not developed pesticides to safely treat its pests, Linegar said.

Getting a pesticide studied and registered "costs millions of dollars," he said.

"If it's not a legal crop and they don't see a market for it, they don't want to spend the money," Linegar said.

As a result, medical marijuana growers - particularly those in it for the money alone - sometimes use dangerous pesticides to save their valuable plants, he said.

In Mendocino County, plants can produce upwards of three pounds worth $2,000 to $4,000 a pound on average.

"There's so much money involved, people don't care" which pesticides they use, Linegar said.

Indoor medical marijuana is particularly prone to mite infestations, Linegar said.

But last year, the big problem in all gardens was corn earworm, he said.

The worm burrows deep into marijuana buds and leaves bug feces, or frass, inside.

"It makes a horrible mess. It really ruins the product," Linegar said.

Linegar said he's discussed his department's predicament with a state pesticide official, who saw no problem with assisting medical marijuana growers.

But the county wants clear direction from the state - in writing - before ag officials begin regulating medical marijuana growers.

The county has not yet received a reply from the state, Linegar said.

"I know it's being discussed in smoke-filled rooms," he quipped.



Source: Press Democrat, The (Santa Rosa, CA)
Copyright: 2005 The Press Democrat
Contact: letters@pressdemo.com
Website: http://www.pressdemo.com/