Pot Factories Coming To Your Town?

[Ganjarden]

California is going through some serious growing pains when it comes to medicinal marijuana. While cities like Los Angeles are cracking down on dispensaries and shutting down many storefronts supplied by weed trucked down from Mendocino and Humboldt counties, Oakland is gaining a head start in supplying major amounts of medicinal herb. According to the Oakland Tribune, the Oakland City Council voted on Tuesday to grant licenses for up to four large-scale marijuana farms in industrial zones within city limits to supply Oaktown's four medical marijuana dispensaries.

The city will not enforce the new ordinance until the cultivation permits are issued in January, and the new law paves the way for possible smaller scale farms in the future as well. The move to include more modest farms came after criticism from small growers and patient collectives who risked arrest in their efforts to supply the $28 million worth of medical marijuana sold at dispensaries last year complained that the new cultivation ordinance could put them out of business in favor of big-money, large scale operations with political connections. The boutique growers also worry that the new commercial pot farms could flood the market with inexpensive, fast-growing strains that would diminish the quality of herb available for patients.

The co-author of the ordinance said the new regulations would ensure that patients receive high-quality product grown in a safe, regulated facility and, hopefully, cut down on the number of fires, robberies and shootings associated with bootleg growers who set up in residential homes and small warehouses.


NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: SodaHead.com
Author: SodaHead News
Contact: SodaHead.com
Copyright: 2010 SodaHead.com
Website: Pot Factories Coming To Your Town?

* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article

 

[RandyL]

I think this is a good idea, but it will not stop any small scale growers. Not one. I don't smoke, but the money I make from my little grow helps pay my bills, that's all it has ever been about to me.

When the first crops from these large factories become available, supply and demand will go to work. There is X demand, and then there will be X+ supply, thereby driving prices down.

Small growers will have to grow more to get the same money they were getting before.

 

[Bonehead]

The orinance, the way it is written, will not allow grows that are bigger than 96 sq. ft. This would make grows that big illegal. A great deal of discussion about small growers. Hopefully this doesn't end the conversation. I would like to see everyone involved. One person trying to get one of these Industrial Grow permit stated at the meeting that he wanted small growers to collaborate with his company. He wanted everyone to take part in this new idea. That was encouraging