Cannabis Ban in Calaveras County

The Green Rush exploded in Calaveras County in 2016, but it was on January 10, 2018 that county supervisors made the attempt to kill this flourishing concept, which has been making headways in mining camps back in the 1850s. Yes, supervisors of Calaveras County Board voted 3 to 2, declaring every commercial marijuana farms as being illegal. This cannabis ban has stunned the state and the county into a realization, which was not expected.

The Impact

The planning department of this county has estimated that more than 1,600 commercial marijuana growers had an operation in the region. Many of these marijuana growers had a license to sell weed. However, now that the cannabis ban is in effect, many marijuana dispensaries, medical cannabis patients and marijuana growers will suffer huge losses. Business operations have to close down by the first day of May 2018. The county will lose millions in tax dollars and revenue.

After The Vote

In the aftermath of this vote, many have taken to the streets to protest. Many of the 45,000 residents fear the loss of job as the marijuana industry opened up many job opportunities for them. It appears now that there will be guaranteed lawsuits and a lot of chaos. Calaveras County is known for the dysfunction of its politics. So, this should not be a surprise.

Even prior to this cannabis ban declaration, the county had frictions with the hippie culture. They even had issues with the older ranchers and their groups. And for that reason, this move for regulation for the production of commercial marijuana would definitely hit a nerve for sure. It is as if you have to enter a war zone in Calaveras County to reach any consensus. That has been the trend for years inside the political arena of this location.

The Devastation

Many cannabis farmers are in their last growth cycle because of this cannabis ban. This has been quite frustrating for the residents, especially farmers who had to endure a devastating fire in 2015, which destroyed most of their crops. The fire caused marijuana speculators to snatch up the properties that were devalued because of the fire. The fire caused employment layoffs and loss of farm families from the community. And so the cannabis ban comes as a huge blow to many residents who have experienced the fire.

The Rules

In the most recent past, the cannabis industry was locally regulated with strict licensing rules. Commercial marijuana farmers were allowed to grow weed on small parcels of land from half acre to five acres or more. The county did profit from marijuana cultivation. In fact, in 2016, Calaveras County collected revenue in the amount of $3.7 million from farmer licensing fees. The Measure C initiative was passed in 2016 to charge outdoor farmers $2 per square footage and indoor farmers paid $5 per square footage in fees.

Final Thoughts

After the 2017 election, it was obvious that some residents did not like marijuana legalization and liberation. Measure D initiative was defeated in the legislation as a way for residents to show their disapproval. Proposition 64 was one of the marijuana legislation that passed quite easily across the state. However, there were 53 percent of voters in Calaveras County that voted against it. Two of the five supervisors that voted for the marijuana cultivation ordinance are set to go into retirement and so, it seems that the cannabis ban will remain into effect. There just doesn't seem that there is any way around this. Calaveras County has failed the cannabis growers immensely.

If you want to know more about the cannabis ban in Calaveras County, visit the Cannabis Training University's marijuana courses online.