Tehama County Supervisors Tuesday approved a $40 registration fee required for medical marijuana gardens.
As part of the county's new medical marijuana policy, which takes effect Thursday, anyone with a cannabis garden in the unincorporated county is asked to contact the Health Services Agency to submit evidence of a Prop. 215 recommendation and to prove that the person either owns the land used to grow or has permission of the owner.
Only Supervisor Charles Willard, who has long fought the county's approach to medical marijuana, voted against the fee.
At $40, the fee is just less than enough to pay for staff expenses and overhead, according to county studies conducted, with the assumption 100 people will register within the first year of the program.
The fee only applies to garden owners, not individual medical marijuana patients who may be using someone else's garden.
Anyone found out of compliance could be contacted by the Tehama County Sheriff, who has the authority to address the situation as a violation of county code, which is not in itself cause for arrest.
The registration policy is part of a larger, more controversial ordinance. Citing public safety fears and crimes stemming from medical marijuana theft, the county has issued requirements tying the number of medical marijuana plants grown to property size and is asking that all gardens be protected by a six-foot fence.
As a complaint-driven ordinance, the
county is not expected to enforce the ordinance everywhere, but only in cases where a violation is reported.
Sheriff Clay Parker has previously stated he intends to handle all complaints personally and plans to work with individual growers to find solutions.
The ordinance remains unpopular with Tehama County's medical marijuana community. Patients and advocates have repeatedly stated their intentions to sue the county, which they say is in violation state medical marijuana laws.
News Hawk: Warbux 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Red Bluff Daily News
Author: Geoff Johnson
Contact: gjohnson@redbluffdailynews.com
Copyright: 2010 The Red Bluff Daily News
Website: Tehama County approves pot garden fee - Red Bluff Daily News Online
As part of the county's new medical marijuana policy, which takes effect Thursday, anyone with a cannabis garden in the unincorporated county is asked to contact the Health Services Agency to submit evidence of a Prop. 215 recommendation and to prove that the person either owns the land used to grow or has permission of the owner.
Only Supervisor Charles Willard, who has long fought the county's approach to medical marijuana, voted against the fee.
At $40, the fee is just less than enough to pay for staff expenses and overhead, according to county studies conducted, with the assumption 100 people will register within the first year of the program.
The fee only applies to garden owners, not individual medical marijuana patients who may be using someone else's garden.
Anyone found out of compliance could be contacted by the Tehama County Sheriff, who has the authority to address the situation as a violation of county code, which is not in itself cause for arrest.
The registration policy is part of a larger, more controversial ordinance. Citing public safety fears and crimes stemming from medical marijuana theft, the county has issued requirements tying the number of medical marijuana plants grown to property size and is asking that all gardens be protected by a six-foot fence.
As a complaint-driven ordinance, the
county is not expected to enforce the ordinance everywhere, but only in cases where a violation is reported.
Sheriff Clay Parker has previously stated he intends to handle all complaints personally and plans to work with individual growers to find solutions.
The ordinance remains unpopular with Tehama County's medical marijuana community. Patients and advocates have repeatedly stated their intentions to sue the county, which they say is in violation state medical marijuana laws.
News Hawk: Warbux 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Red Bluff Daily News
Author: Geoff Johnson
Contact: gjohnson@redbluffdailynews.com
Copyright: 2010 The Red Bluff Daily News
Website: Tehama County approves pot garden fee - Red Bluff Daily News Online
