Amador County – Drawing revision ideas from Mendocino County and other medical marijuana regulatory agencies, Amador County Board of Supervisors directed staff to make some changes to its draft ordinance on Tuesday, with the big reduction cutting down the number of pot plants to be allowed on one parcel to 24 total.

A draft ordinance, recommended by Amador County Planning Commission, would allow 12 plants per patient and allow six recommendations per parcel, for a total of 72 plants. The change was made because growers said that more than one patient could live in the same home.

Supervisor Brian Oneto said a property owner in his district had a large grow more than 100 feet away that had an overpowering odor. He said he was not opposed to medical marijuana, because it does help people. What he did oppose was having too many plants. “It’s just an invitation for criminal activity.” He said at $1,000 per plant, someone could have $100,000 in their field. He said: “Personally, I think 72 plants on one property is too many.”

Supervisor John Plasse said he has friends who live near Ione where an attempted robbery last year at a major pot plantation led to a murder. He said now the county is prosecuting five defendants and also paying for their public defenders, “and the $2 million to $3 million cost is being foisted on the taxpayers.”

Plasse said until now, the Land Use Committee and staff have only been addressing the concerns of the marijuana growers. But he wanted to worry about the people we don’t see here, and that’s the 37,000 people here in Amador County that don’t have needs for medical marijuana.

Plasse said he thought the ordinance was “woefully inadequate” and they should “see to it that it addresses people who are not respectful of their neighbors.” He said large pot plantations are an “attractive nuisance” and should be limited.

Supervisor Vice Chairman Richard Forster said the draft ordinance was too open-ended with the “commune style” allowance for 72 plants in one location, and liked Mendocino’s approach, which reduced the pot plants allowed from 99 to 25 on one plot. Forster said they should try to avoid another situation like Fiddletown and require reduced visibility of medical weed. He also agreed with its proximity limits, as Mendocino had, in keeping pot grows away from youth-oriented facilities, churches and schools.

Supervisor Ted Novelli also was concerned with those issues, along with fencing, acreage, view-sheds, the “security of the location” and lighting. He said: “I feel we will be getting some calls on those.”

Supervisor Chairman Louis Boitano said “that’s what got us here in the first place was a large amount of plants on one parcel.” Supervisors directed staff to change the number of plants, and other changes, for adoption at its next meeting, March 27.

Story by Jim Reece This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.