During Tuesday’s meeting, the Board of Supervisors approved a motion by Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents Santa Clarita, co-authored by Supervisor Shelia Kuehl to curb the “significant” negative impacts of illegal large-scale marijuana grows in Los Angeles County.
Not only are these large-scale marijuana grows illegal, but are resulting in water theft, trespassing and use of dangerous pesticides and chemicals, and littered debris, according to Barger.
“While the national and local media reports on this issue have focused on the Antelope Valley and surrounding desert communities, illegal marijuana grows will impact the entire County of Los Angeles,” Barger said. “As the state enters another potential drought emergency, we need to ensure that this new activity does not further exacerbate water scarcity.”
See Related: Locals Threatened, Natural Resources Drained: Antelope Valley Illegal Marijuana Grows Discussed By Garcia, Villanueva
The motion asks the Chief Executive Office, Legislative Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations Branch to coordinate with relevant County departments to support or pursue legislation at the State level that is expected to:
- Provide standing to County Counsel to civilly prosecute and enjoin water theft
- Provide additional enforcement authority for water theft and/or misuse in declared drought emergencies
- Authorize County Counsel to civilly prosecute and enjoin water pollution from cannabis cultivation
- Address potential loopholes or exploitation by illegal cannabis growers and pursue increasing local government controls over illegal cannabis and unregistered hemp crops; and authorize an alternative means of service of process for commercial cannabis businesses when their business entity status is unknown.
“In addition, I am very concerned that illegal growers are using unregulated chemicals to process marijuana and selling these products to both legal and illegal dispensaries throughout the LA basin endangering cannabis users, contributing to contamination and pollution, and threatening water quality and safety,” Barger said.
The motion also asked County Counsel to work with relevant departments and agencies to report back to the Board in 90 days with a proposed administrative nuisance abatement ordinance for unpermitted cannabis activity including illegal marijuana cultivation and dispensaries; and, asked Regional Planning to study a future ordinance to regulate hemp and report back to the board in 180 days with recommendations, according to officials.
“The whack-a-mole problem of illegal cannabis dispensaries and now illegal cannabis grows popping up throughout the County has been exacerbated by the lack of a regulating ordinance,” Barger said.
As part of this effort, Barger allocated $250,000 to finance the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department’s continued targeted enforcement and patrols of the areas impacted by the massive illegal grows and water theft in the Antelope Valley and has asked the CEO to report back on potential funding sources for the County to sustain eradication of this serious environmental and quality of life nuisance, according to officials.
“Finally, when examining the true impact of illegal grows outside of environmental impacts, public safety and consumer health, we cannot overlook the fact that the cartels and growers are engaging in human trafficking and coercion to provide the manual labor in the fields,” Barger said.
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