Robert Celt
New Member
Here on the Central Coast, we're surrounded by fields of green. From artichokes to lettuce fields, Monterey County is an agriculture giant.
But tucked away in the valley, hidden from neighbors, is a different crop — marijuana.
"I'm just a farmer. It's either flowers or it's cannabis. I'm still just a farmer," said the owner of Golden Coast Garden, a medical marijuana growing operation in North Monterey County.
Because of security and the stigma associated with pot, he didn't want to go on camera, but he did give us a tour of his state-of-the-art operation. "It's all ag. It's no different than a strawberry plant, no different than an artichoke plant."
His site is one of hundreds already growing medical marijuana in the county. All growing operations set up before July 7, 2015, are exempt from the urgency ordinance passed last year — at least for now, while county planners are busy working on a new local law.
Representing dozens of growers in the county is attorney Aaron Johnson.
"They've been in the dark for so long, some of them, that it's just not in their nature to trust the government, trust the legal environment," said Johnson.
Johnson isn't just a lawyer, he's also the founder of the Coastal Growers Association. It's a marijuana advocacy group made up of people from all sides of the industry.
He started the organization after suffering a traumatic injury.
"I was playing baseball about six or seven years ago and flew into the left field wall head-first after I caught a ball going over my head, and broke my neck," said Johnson.
It was a 4 1/2-hour surgery. Doctors screwed a titanium plate into his neck. He spent three months in a hospital bed, but the pain, he said, he lives with every day.
"I took hydrocodone, Valium and Vicodin for over four years and I was really getting worried about what that was doing to my body," said Johnson.
But one night that all changed.
"As I was watching CNN and Sanjay Gupta give his special on weed about two and half years ago, I heard him talk about cannabinoids," said Johnson.
That's when Johnson decided to pitch the pills for pot.
"It's something I will do last thing in the evening. So I'm not on it right now," Johnson said. "It's really funny, every time I'm talking to people about this they start looking into my eyes, like, you know, 'Are you high?'"
All joking aside, Johnson said marijuana has changed his life.
"It really helps with my spasms, it helps with pain relief and it helps me sleep through the night, to be honest with you, and wake up the next day ready to go," said Johnson.
That's why Johnson would like to see county leaders pass a law allowing more medical marijuana operations.
"Right now there's an interim urgency ordinance in effect that prohibits new collective or cooperative operations," said Craig Spencer, associate county planner.
Spencer said right now, planners have created a rough draft that includes a pilot program.
"It includes dispensaries, cultivation, manufacturing, distribution and testing," said Spencer.
If passed, permits would be issued for the following operations:
- Dispensaries and manufacturing — 15 permits each
- Distribution — 5 permits
- Testing — 2 permits
- Cultivation — 100 permits
The rough draft also said pot can only be grown in existing greenhouses like the one in North Monterey County. The grower said marijuana is the future of the agriculture industry: "My hope is to open the eyes of people and let them realize that this is just ag."
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: CA: The Push For Medical Marijuana Operations In Monterey County
Author: Monica Jacquez
Photo Credit: USFWS
Website: KION
But tucked away in the valley, hidden from neighbors, is a different crop — marijuana.
"I'm just a farmer. It's either flowers or it's cannabis. I'm still just a farmer," said the owner of Golden Coast Garden, a medical marijuana growing operation in North Monterey County.
Because of security and the stigma associated with pot, he didn't want to go on camera, but he did give us a tour of his state-of-the-art operation. "It's all ag. It's no different than a strawberry plant, no different than an artichoke plant."
His site is one of hundreds already growing medical marijuana in the county. All growing operations set up before July 7, 2015, are exempt from the urgency ordinance passed last year — at least for now, while county planners are busy working on a new local law.
Representing dozens of growers in the county is attorney Aaron Johnson.
"They've been in the dark for so long, some of them, that it's just not in their nature to trust the government, trust the legal environment," said Johnson.
Johnson isn't just a lawyer, he's also the founder of the Coastal Growers Association. It's a marijuana advocacy group made up of people from all sides of the industry.
He started the organization after suffering a traumatic injury.
"I was playing baseball about six or seven years ago and flew into the left field wall head-first after I caught a ball going over my head, and broke my neck," said Johnson.
It was a 4 1/2-hour surgery. Doctors screwed a titanium plate into his neck. He spent three months in a hospital bed, but the pain, he said, he lives with every day.
"I took hydrocodone, Valium and Vicodin for over four years and I was really getting worried about what that was doing to my body," said Johnson.
But one night that all changed.
"As I was watching CNN and Sanjay Gupta give his special on weed about two and half years ago, I heard him talk about cannabinoids," said Johnson.
That's when Johnson decided to pitch the pills for pot.
"It's something I will do last thing in the evening. So I'm not on it right now," Johnson said. "It's really funny, every time I'm talking to people about this they start looking into my eyes, like, you know, 'Are you high?'"
All joking aside, Johnson said marijuana has changed his life.
"It really helps with my spasms, it helps with pain relief and it helps me sleep through the night, to be honest with you, and wake up the next day ready to go," said Johnson.
That's why Johnson would like to see county leaders pass a law allowing more medical marijuana operations.
"Right now there's an interim urgency ordinance in effect that prohibits new collective or cooperative operations," said Craig Spencer, associate county planner.
Spencer said right now, planners have created a rough draft that includes a pilot program.
"It includes dispensaries, cultivation, manufacturing, distribution and testing," said Spencer.
If passed, permits would be issued for the following operations:
- Dispensaries and manufacturing — 15 permits each
- Distribution — 5 permits
- Testing — 2 permits
- Cultivation — 100 permits
The rough draft also said pot can only be grown in existing greenhouses like the one in North Monterey County. The grower said marijuana is the future of the agriculture industry: "My hope is to open the eyes of people and let them realize that this is just ag."
News Moderator: Robert Celt 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: CA: The Push For Medical Marijuana Operations In Monterey County
Author: Monica Jacquez
Photo Credit: USFWS
Website: KION
