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Calaveras County Has Screwed Over Every Legal Grower
- Thread starter krunchbubble
- Start date
Update on the calaveras county scene.Everything is in a state of flux with much uncertainty as to the future of commercial marijuana here. Ballots go out in April to give voters the opportunity to decide the fate of local farmers on May 2. The anti-ban folks are seemingly well funded and are putting out lots of signs on the roadside. Some of the big growers are sitting out the spring not wanting to make the investment without some assurance they will be able to finish their crop. The local big time soil dealer has not restocked the small mountain of soil he had last year. Some dirt trucks are rolling but far fewer than last year.
The county has still approved a abysmally small number of applicants . The sheriff reported on the high number of counterfeit 100 dollar bills flooding the county recently. The sheriff wants legalized growers so he can keep tabs on them and hire more employees with the influx of tax money. A recent report claims Calaveras marijuana is a 250 million dollar industry. Growers have recently received new tax bills for their operations at $2.00 square foot which equals a $44,000 bill for the large half acre grow sites. With application fees and other bogus state fees( Grow on a slope $5-9k extra for water board, or maybe a native american lost a arrowhead 300 years ago, =8k for a archaeological study which will consist of someone with a clean orange vest and clipboard walking around for 10 minutes.)It is too bad the issue was not put to the voters last year but decided by 5 supervisors. If the ban is put in place I'm sure the county will be flooded with lawsuits by farmers who invested a lot of money last year. One home owners association has already spent $10,000 fighting one farmer who bought land and set up a 100 plant grow. The farmers have a lot of money for lawyers. The homeless camp look of lots of high-visibility operations does not help their cause.
The triple murder trial of a guy who shot dead 3 rippers ended with acquittal on 2 counts and a hung jury on one count. The hung jury was about the ripper who was hit with the shotgun first then finished off with a derringer shot to the back of his head. One other guy had his brain ejected from his skull from the shotgun blast. Life on the frontlines .
The county has still approved a abysmally small number of applicants . The sheriff reported on the high number of counterfeit 100 dollar bills flooding the county recently. The sheriff wants legalized growers so he can keep tabs on them and hire more employees with the influx of tax money. A recent report claims Calaveras marijuana is a 250 million dollar industry. Growers have recently received new tax bills for their operations at $2.00 square foot which equals a $44,000 bill for the large half acre grow sites. With application fees and other bogus state fees( Grow on a slope $5-9k extra for water board, or maybe a native american lost a arrowhead 300 years ago, =8k for a archaeological study which will consist of someone with a clean orange vest and clipboard walking around for 10 minutes.)It is too bad the issue was not put to the voters last year but decided by 5 supervisors. If the ban is put in place I'm sure the county will be flooded with lawsuits by farmers who invested a lot of money last year. One home owners association has already spent $10,000 fighting one farmer who bought land and set up a 100 plant grow. The farmers have a lot of money for lawyers. The homeless camp look of lots of high-visibility operations does not help their cause.
The triple murder trial of a guy who shot dead 3 rippers ended with acquittal on 2 counts and a hung jury on one count. The hung jury was about the ripper who was hit with the shotgun first then finished off with a derringer shot to the back of his head. One other guy had his brain ejected from his skull from the shotgun blast. Life on the frontlines .
Calaveras late winter update. Lots of roadside signs are up both for and against the ban on commercial grows. Both sides use the argument of saving our county. The pro -grow people's argument is it gives 11 million for law enforcement ( sounds like a lot of new cop hires ). A few questions about wording on the ballot measure arguments seem to have been worked out. Big growers are out there but definitely keeping a lower profile than last year. Local grocery and hardware stores are still 2-3x busier than 2 years ago. The local big time dirt seller has got shipments of bagged soil but the hills and totes of pricey dirt are not present. I think word has gotten out to many farmers that if you don't fit in with long time locals they will vote you out of business
“(The supervisors said) ‘We don’t give a crap. We’ll ban anyway,’ ” Wilson said. “It makes no difference what we do to vote with the three (Tofanelli, Clapp and Mills, who he characterized as the anti-regulation camp).”
http://www.uniondemocrat.com/localn...re-b?referrer=carousel3#.WMlKMf5F4EU.facebook
http://www.uniondemocrat.com/localn...re-b?referrer=carousel3#.WMlKMf5F4EU.facebook
Calaveras supervisors are working on ban regulations even with a public vote coming in may.Pro-commercial growers are trying to shut down the vote with technicalities about the ballot wording. Many times in Californias past ballot measures approved by a majority of voters have been shot down in court by a handful of activists over some technicality. I say to those pro and anti big grow people: Let the people speak and go with the ruling.It is too much of a life changing move to allow only a handful of people decide the future of a county
Calaveras grow scene update: A local dispensary owner filed suit to prevent the ban vote from taking place. This was done on the grounds that the wording on the ballot was incorrect. A judge ruled in favor of the dispensary. As happens so many times in California one person with deep pockets and a lawyer can totally shut down the ability of the people to democratically express the opinion of the majority.
Ban proponents after devoting hundreds of hours collecting signatures don't seem to be able to hire competent legal counsel that can write and word documents correctly [idiots]
County supervisors hoped the voters would settle this so they would not have to make any unpopular decisions but the ball is back in their court now and the majority of them were elected on a anti-commercial grow platform.
One local group recently formed to discuss whether they want to leave the county or stay because of 2 reasons, aftermath of the Butte fire or big weed.
They really need to let the people vote
Ban proponents after devoting hundreds of hours collecting signatures don't seem to be able to hire competent legal counsel that can write and word documents correctly [idiots]
County supervisors hoped the voters would settle this so they would not have to make any unpopular decisions but the ball is back in their court now and the majority of them were elected on a anti-commercial grow platform.
One local group recently formed to discuss whether they want to leave the county or stay because of 2 reasons, aftermath of the Butte fire or big weed.
They really need to let the people vote
http://www.calaverasenterprise.com/news/article_959ef40e-13f4-11e7-a774-17e186425709.html
the shit show continues
the shit show continues
One weeks cannabis news from Calaveras county:
Sheriff busted unpermitted 950 plant grow that was denied a commercial permit.
Pot deal gone bad at local park , one person stabbed.
3 armed men strong arm home invasion who stole 100 lbs. and a car from grow operation that was denied a commercial permit.
Somebody dumps 45 empty butane cans by local high school
This was all just last week.
This stuff was not happening before big weed moved into Calaveras county Just a occasional meth lab bust or Mex. cartel grow
Sheriff busted unpermitted 950 plant grow that was denied a commercial permit.
Pot deal gone bad at local park , one person stabbed.
3 armed men strong arm home invasion who stole 100 lbs. and a car from grow operation that was denied a commercial permit.
Somebody dumps 45 empty butane cans by local high school
This was all just last week.
This stuff was not happening before big weed moved into Calaveras county Just a occasional meth lab bust or Mex. cartel grow
That's fuckin' unfortunate.
Things are not looking good for big time weed in Calaveras county. County supervisors are leaning toward a ban which allows for only 3 plants per person grown indoors. What a joke.
The main topic of conservation locally continues to be big weed and its impact on lifestyle here. Stories keep being told of personal experiences with the "new people".
Example #1 - The entire state is in a drought and all residents are requested to conserve water. The local water company is selling multiple tanker trucks daily of water to farmers trucking to grow sites at inflated prices while others can't water their petunias.
Example #2- Nice senior couple passes away. They have the cutest house in the area on some land. White picket fence, english garden , you get the idea. Growers buy the place. Fence and flower garden are gone. Fabric 6 foot fence and barb wire with no trespassing signs are the new look. Lots of long time residents drive by daily.
Big weed needs to get a clue , your image is important. Get along with your neighbors or go underground again or go away
The main topic of conservation locally continues to be big weed and its impact on lifestyle here. Stories keep being told of personal experiences with the "new people".
Example #1 - The entire state is in a drought and all residents are requested to conserve water. The local water company is selling multiple tanker trucks daily of water to farmers trucking to grow sites at inflated prices while others can't water their petunias.
Example #2- Nice senior couple passes away. They have the cutest house in the area on some land. White picket fence, english garden , you get the idea. Growers buy the place. Fence and flower garden are gone. Fabric 6 foot fence and barb wire with no trespassing signs are the new look. Lots of long time residents drive by daily.
Big weed needs to get a clue , your image is important. Get along with your neighbors or go underground again or go away
Calaveras chronicles #10- County supervisors finally received their long awaited environmental impact report. The best I can tell is it says that commercial marijuana has a impact on the environment, not necessarily a bad one but some impact. I wonder how much this bit of brilliance cost.
I believe commercial pot growers should be required to take a course in public relations before receiving a license. So many of them just don't get it, how to fit in with long time locals.
For example: A couple of weeks ago I hear a car about a half mile away honking it's horn every second or two heading my direction. My first thought is brake problems as it is going downhill. I see that the vehicle is a large flatbed truck carrying 5-6 pallets of ocean forest soil. The truck hits the uphill and the honking continues until out of earshot. Apparently the honking was to warn oncoming traffic as to his poor driving ability keeping the truck between the lines.The truck comes by 2 hours later with another load and the horn was still working.
Most commercial growers are doing a crop even as a possible ban looms as evidenced by a fairly large volume of large dirt trucks hauling many yards of soil to grow sites. If the ban goes into place most guys figure they will be able to pull down a crop before the cops visit.
I believe commercial pot growers should be required to take a course in public relations before receiving a license. So many of them just don't get it, how to fit in with long time locals.
For example: A couple of weeks ago I hear a car about a half mile away honking it's horn every second or two heading my direction. My first thought is brake problems as it is going downhill. I see that the vehicle is a large flatbed truck carrying 5-6 pallets of ocean forest soil. The truck hits the uphill and the honking continues until out of earshot. Apparently the honking was to warn oncoming traffic as to his poor driving ability keeping the truck between the lines.The truck comes by 2 hours later with another load and the horn was still working.
Most commercial growers are doing a crop even as a possible ban looms as evidenced by a fairly large volume of large dirt trucks hauling many yards of soil to grow sites. If the ban goes into place most guys figure they will be able to pull down a crop before the cops visit.
Calaveras chronicles #11= The local growers group has donated a vehicle to seniors group which is being used for some meals on wheels deliveries and other senior help services. They also attempted to donate to a local high school but people are worried about accepting "tainted" money. Anti- growers can always fall back on feds. laws to back up their argument.
Dirt truck volume remains heavy on country roads even this late in the season. This year has had a cool spring and things are picking up now with the warm weather.
Recently I was at the mega-grow store that opened last year. One new item that caught my eye. Stacked up at the front counter was 3-4 dozen money counting machines for sale. Some people are apparently doing quite well. The local businesses regularly check for counterfeit bills which is a new thing this year.
Dirt truck volume remains heavy on country roads even this late in the season. This year has had a cool spring and things are picking up now with the warm weather.
Recently I was at the mega-grow store that opened last year. One new item that caught my eye. Stacked up at the front counter was 3-4 dozen money counting machines for sale. Some people are apparently doing quite well. The local businesses regularly check for counterfeit bills which is a new thing this year.
Calaveras chronicles #12= It is amazing how many people are still growing illegally big time even with semi-legalization. In one week a 1500 plant bust with growers stealing water from neighbors and yesterday a 7500 plant bust [plants were already 2-3 feet tall] + 300 lbs. processed flowers. As usual nobody caught on the property. Makes me wonder if some insider is tipping off people. Dirt trucks have really ramped up activity, it seems a little late to be building planting mounds and filling planting beds . This work should usually be done in winter/spring but who knows what is going on. Lots of tomatoes being grown I guess. Tomatoes like $150.00 per yard topsoil too
Calaveras chronicles #13= The sheriff continues to bust illegal unregistered grows. Yesterday they removed a 900 plant outdoor grow with a bonus of fighting roosters. The sheriff stated that they have 3X the problems with illegal grows vs. registered grow sites.
It seems the expected slowdown of farm expansion with the threat of a shutdown from county supervisors isn't happening. Double transfer semi-trucks continue hauling massive amounts of premium soil to sites. The local mega-grow store has a incredible amount of business and has shut down competition. New greenhouses are popping up everywhere.
Ban people speak up at the board of supervisors meeting and act like uninformed idiots.
I just wish you growers would shut off the generators at night
It seems the expected slowdown of farm expansion with the threat of a shutdown from county supervisors isn't happening. Double transfer semi-trucks continue hauling massive amounts of premium soil to sites. The local mega-grow store has a incredible amount of business and has shut down competition. New greenhouses are popping up everywhere.
Ban people speak up at the board of supervisors meeting and act like uninformed idiots.
I just wish you growers would shut off the generators at night
Calaveras chronicles #14= One big change in the scene up here this spring is the number of large 100' greenhouses appearing in the woods. Many unseen grows, hidden in the woods are now easily seen. It is fairly easy to visibly hide a good sized grow close to the road if you are in the forest but as soon as that greenhouse goes up it is like a spotlight on the garden.
A recent supervisors meeting had a resident complaining about driving their kids to school and having to drive by a highway billboard advertising some weed business with a leaf on the sign. No mention was made of them driving by pro-ban marijuana signs with a 2'leaf on that sign.
The roads up here are definitely in way worse shape since the increase in traffic started but I believe the majority of wear and tear is caused from fire recovery crews whose numbers dwarfs commercial farmers and they bring heavy logging equipment with them.
A big hailstorm last sunday shredded a few greenhouses and it was 32 degrees at the ranch yesterday morning. My little patch was a bit battered but survived. 105 degrees predicted for this weekend. Climate change = spring and summer
A recent supervisors meeting had a resident complaining about driving their kids to school and having to drive by a highway billboard advertising some weed business with a leaf on the sign. No mention was made of them driving by pro-ban marijuana signs with a 2'leaf on that sign.
The roads up here are definitely in way worse shape since the increase in traffic started but I believe the majority of wear and tear is caused from fire recovery crews whose numbers dwarfs commercial farmers and they bring heavy logging equipment with them.
A big hailstorm last sunday shredded a few greenhouses and it was 32 degrees at the ranch yesterday morning. My little patch was a bit battered but survived. 105 degrees predicted for this weekend. Climate change = spring and summer
there was another article saying they proposed to only allow 250 farms and increase acreage requirements and etc... too bad the bos can't do that because they bit off more than they could chew with inspections, they have still not visited 478 farms. so how would they give out 250 spots? there is not even 250 approved yet, and there is no way to dole out 250 spots fairly if 478 havent even gotten inspected yet. they would have to finish all the inspections and do some kind of lottery afterwords with all of those that got permits. they got to about 30% of the applicants at this point so at that rate it would take another 2 years to finish inspections.
pretty sure bos is just playing nice and making it look like theyre considering compromise when the only real choice they got is to ban because of how poorly it was handled/executed
pretty sure bos is just playing nice and making it look like theyre considering compromise when the only real choice they got is to ban because of how poorly it was handled/executed
