By Joe G. Welz
Cannabis a federal issue?
Recently it was printed in the newspaper that a Lake County Supervisor was quoted as saying cannabis is a federal issue.
I believe an idea starts with a person, then a city, county, state and country. For an elected representative to say cannabis is a federal issue is a cop-out. With that kind of thinking we would still be under British rule?
I attended and spoke at the Board of Supervisors meetings regarding my opinion of cannabis cultivation in Lake County. When the ordinance passed, I didn’t like it.
I liked it less when I heard the same supervisor tell those people if they didn’t like it they could move to Mendocino County.
At this time, I would like to point out the importance of registering to vote. If your elected representative does not represent your views, remember to replace the supervisor in the next election.
Medical marijuana brought the old Lake County grower out of the back country and onto private property where cannabis can be better cared for.
Stopping cannabis cultivation will only send the gorilla grower back up into the back country to their old grow sites, which in some cases means right into direct conflict with drug trafficking organizations. The difference is where the old Lake County grower grew 15 or 20 plants, the drug trafficking organizations grow thousands of plants from the same water source.
So after growing in the backyard for a few years, the supervisors say no
more and if you do, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department will be stopping by. A misdemeanor means a $1,000 fine, six months in county jail and probation. No matter what, you are in trouble and the court system does not care.
The six-plant grower is pushed out by the supervisors, the gorilla grower can’t go back into the hills because of the water conflict with the drug trafficking organizations and for the drug trafficking organizations it is business as usual, ever expanding in our most precious public lands.
Taking cannabis away from the little guy will only burden the legal system, law enforcement, the county jail and the probation department, all at a cost to the county. At what cost to the grandparents, parents and children of Lake County?
Remember, register to vote. Vote for representatives supportive of your views. The future of cannabis is most certainly political.
Joe G. Welz
Spring Valley
http://www.record-bee.com/ci_19217405