Oakland Approves 4 Large cannabis farms

[DavidBriggs]

July 21, 2010
"Oakland City Council has voted to allow and license four large marijuana cannabis farms to supply the four Medical Marijuana Dispensaries. Although the council said that they would revisit the policies to consider smaller and medium sized growth operations, many are afraid that it will be too late as the large farms put the small growers out of work.

The farms are expected to open in January when the licenses are awarded. It is expected that commercial growers will flood the market with inexpensive, high yield, and fast growing strains in order to gain the largest profit margin possible. With the connoisseur spirit pushed aside for big business we may be in store for some crappy pot.

There are some great reasons for this to pass including a rash of recent home fires, robberies and even 2 murders related to the cultivation of cannabis. The new facility grow system would eliminate much of this concern as we move towards a "big-box, big-money [...] with deep pockets and political connections" type of system. (Burt, Oakland Tribune)

Council member Larry Reid, co-author of the cultivation ordinance said "aid there is nothing to prevent the small growers or collectives from banding together to apply for one of the four cultivation permits, but he thinks they would rather keep doing things the way they want, without regulations to cut into their profits."

Many are wondering how the feds will respond. " (PapaKief, Blogger)

DavidBriggs Reviewed by DavidBriggs on 07-26-2010. Oakland Approves 4 Large cannabis farms July 21, 2010 "Oakland City Council has voted to allow and license four large marijuana cannabis farms to supply the four Medical Marijuana Dispensaries. Although the council said that they would revisit the policies to consider smaller and medium sized growth operations, many are afraid that it will be too late as the large farms put the small growers out of work. The farms are expected to open in January when the licenses are awarded. It is expected that commercial growers will flood the Rating: 5

[disoBAYish]

July 21, 2010
"Oakland City Council has voted to allow and license four large marijuana cannabis farms to supply the four Medical Marijuana Dispensaries. Although the council said that they would revisit the policies to consider smaller and medium sized growth operations, many are afraid that it will be too late as the large farms put the small growers out of work.

The farms are expected to open in January when the licenses are awarded. It is expected that commercial growers will flood the market with inexpensive, high yield, and fast growing strains in order to gain the largest profit margin possible. With the connoisseur spirit pushed aside for big business we may be in store for some crappy pot.

There are some great reasons for this to pass including a rash of recent home fires, robberies and even 2 murders related to the cultivation of cannabis. The new facility grow system would eliminate much of this concern as we move towards a "big-box, big-money [...] with deep pockets and political connections" type of system. (Burt, Oakland Tribune)

Council member Larry Reid, co-author of the cultivation ordinance said "aid there is nothing to prevent the small growers or collectives from banding together to apply for one of the four cultivation permits, but he thinks they would rather keep doing things the way they want, without regulations to cut into their profits."

Many are wondering how the feds will respond. " (PapaKief, Blogger)

Right in my own back yard.... *Sighs*

[VapedG13]

I grow my own have for years...doesnt effect me one way or the other

Want to put a end to this shit...grow your own:hippy:

No demand ...No supply needed

Lets stop making the rich richer

Have you actually been to the stores?? I have and I have not been empressed with the buds I have seen... You get better quality buds buying on the street... lower prices too

Feds are starting to bend... they are now allowing Veterans to take MMJ without loosing thier benefits

[Dutch Pimp]

The Cannabis Perfect Storm is coming.

[boaz]

The Cannabis Perfect Storm is coming.

yeah, looks like it, don't it? :smokin:

these crops won't be ready until January, at best, and the law will take effect the day after the election in Nov, if it passes. . . . soo . . if your a grower out there, think of the huge demand that will need to be met for that two months period. imp: $$$$$ :stoned:

[moody420]

The Cannabis Perfect Storm is coming.

As much as I am excited to have it legalized, I know it's going to get f*&ked up somehow! I'm a medical patient and am glad to still have that avenue....:jointsmile:

But I do wonder if the dispensaries will be medical only if it's legalized for all....hmmm

[personified]

The main part of Fed enforcement seems to be that 99 plant maximum then at 100 plants wham bam thank you mam you be busted.

I am curious to see how a large grow operation will work when it will be necessary to have thousands of plants to meet the demand.

[VapedG13]

I colordao a man was caught growing over 1000 plants .... NO FED got involved at all....At the grand jury trail he won... proved all what he was growing was for medical patients...they had to give it all back:thumbsup:

In Grand Junction, Colorado, a strange odor in the Government census office resulted in a search warrant being executed next door and the discovery and seizure of 1,000 marijuana plants. Sid Squirrel, who owns the building and is a realtor, says the plants are his, and he's growing them in compliance with state law. Also found: 300 file folders containing cards of medical marijuana patients.

Colorado law allows patients to possess up to two ounces of marijuana or six plants. Patients can also designate a caregiver. So for each patient who designated Mr. Squirrel as his or her caregiver, Squirrel can grow 6 plants. If 300 patients designated him as a caregiver, he could grow 1,800 plants and be in compliance with state law.

Font Size: Complaints about a strange odor coming from a local office complex leads to police executing a search warrant. Inside they found more than a thousand marijuana plants.

The warrant was issued for a building on Crete Circle after police came to check things out and smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming ten feet from the back door of the building. According to a search warrant, a kâ??9 unit confirmed their suspicions.

The owner of the building, Sid Squirrel, was contacted and informed about the warrant. Court documents say that during a phone call with police, Squirrel confirmed that this location is his personal business and he grows marijuana for Naturals, a local dispensary. Police say while executing their search warrant they found a lot of weed. "Members of the Western Colorado Joint Drug Task Force executed the search warrant on Tuesday and found approximately 1000 marijuana plants growing inside the building," says Kate Porras of The Grand Junction Police Department.

Police confiscated medical records found on site and are currently checking to see if the business is working within the regulations of amendment 20. 11 news did some digging to find out what it takes to be a medical marijuana grower. We found outâ?? not much. All you have to do is be listed as a caregiver in the state of Colorado is to be listed as a caregiver by a patient when they register for their medical marijuana license.

Under amendment 20, a caregiver can grow six plants per patient. The search warrant says 1,084 plants were found and 308 patient files. Some of those files were duplicated patients though. Police say so far charges haven't been filed and they are still checking to see if the plantâ??to-patient ratio is correct. So far no arrests have been made.

Of course, under federal law, growing or possessing marijuana is illegal. We talked to the feds today and they told us they are staying out of this

[VapedG13]

See no charges at all......................:thumbsup::hippy: Over 1000 plants...NO FEDs....So I dont think the feds are going to touch Cali

GRAND JUNCTION â?? A grand jury has declined to bring charges against three Western Colorado marijuana growers, months after the operation was raided following a neighbor's complaint.

Prosecutors asked for charges, including felony marijuana cultivation, against three owners of a medical- marijuana dispensary called Naturals, A Wellness Center.

The growing operation was raided March 9. Officers from the Western Colorado Drug Task Force found 1,080 marijuana plants and asked for patient registry cards to justify that amount of marijuana.

The three owners â?? Cristin Groves, Brian Groves and Sid Squirrell â?? insisted they were following state law and are legal caregivers entitled to grow pot for medical-marijuana patients. The owners shared marijuana registry cards.

A Mesa County grand jury declined to bring charges against three people investigated for a medical marijuana grow operation that was targeted by authorities in March, according to court files made public Friday.

The grand jury returned no indictments when presented with an opportunity Thursday night to level felony counts of cultivation of marijuana, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and distribution of marijuana, against Cristin Groves, Brian Groves and Sid Squirrell, all owners of a medical marijuana dispensary, Naturals, A Wellness Center, 624 Rae Lynn Drive.

Squirrell, also a commercial Realtor with Bray & Co., leases a building at 573 W. Crete Circle, where Western Colorado Drug Task Force officers in March found 1,080 marijuana plants. Authorities said they sought a search warrant to determine whether that volume could be justified by the 308 medical-marijuana-registry cards found at the facility. The warrant also allowed Task Force officers to copy all of the registry cards.

â??My client has always intended to stay within the law, and he was advised by his (prior) attorney he was operating within the law,â?� said Stephen Laiche, who represents Squirrell.

â??(Law enforcement) has known about this since March, and they continued to let Mr. Squirrell maintain his business,â?� Laiche said.

Laiche declined comment when asked if Squirrell or Naturalsâ?? other owners agreed to change any practices as a result of the investigation. Squirrell testified before the grand jury on June 17, Laiche said.

Cristin Groves, who along with her husband, Brian, opened Naturals in October 2009, declined to answer questions.

â??We are extremely happy that the community, the Grand Jury, was able to weigh the evidence and agree that we are operating within Colorado state law,â?� Cristin Groves wrote in an e-mail

[personified]

I honestly think that is GRRRREAT!! Unfortunately I still do not have faith it will apply to everyone.

If it was me I would be singing the Folsom Prison Blues!!

I bet the smell was the best the neighborhood has ever smelled :thumbsup: