LAKE COUNTY BALLOT INITIATIVE WOULD ALLOW SOME POT GROWING

Lake County law-enforcement and government officials fear property
values and public safety will be threatened by a proposed ballot
initiative that would allow up to 12 budding marijuana plants in
residential backyards and 84 on parcels of seven acres or more.

On rural parcels, "right to farm regulations" would apply,
prohibiting the county or neighboring property owners from
complaining the pot gardens are nuisances.

"It would just nuke people's property rights up here. Just nuke 'em,"
Lake County Community Development Director Rick Coel said.

The Lake County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday will decide whether
to adopt the proposed initiative as an ordinance or place it on the
June ballot, following a successful signature petition drive by its backers.

The initiative's proponents, the Lake County Green Farmers
Association and Citizens for Responsible Regulations, also obtained
sufficient signatures to overturn a county marijuana ordinance that
would have banned outdoor marijuana cultivation in residential neighborhoods.

Supervisors rescinded that ordinance rather than place the issue on
the ballot. Last year, a separate referendum drive resulted in the
board rescinding its ordinance regulating marijuana dispensaries.

Proponents of the Lake County Medical Marijuana Cultivation Act of
2012 say their initiative is aimed at providing medicinal marijuana
users safe access to pot. They said the county's plan to ban outdoor
growing in residential neighborhoods was too restrictive.

"We're looking for responsible regulations," said Don Merrill, a
former hog farmer and spokesman for the initiative effort. "People
need to be encouraged to grow a little bit for themselves."

He said the 84 plant maximum on rural properties is not high,
compared with other Northern California counties.

Local officials are more concerned with the 12 plants that could be
grown in residential backyards, regardless of size.

"Twelve plants residentially is too many. It really infringes on the
rights of their neighbors," said Lake County Sheriff Frank Rivero.

Some cities, including Lakeport and Ukiah, allow only indoor growing,
an effort aimed at reducing both the strong odor of ripe marijuana
buds and crime associated with marijuana production.

Last week there were at least two armed home invasion robberies in
Lake County associated with marijuana, Rivero said.

Merrill said people in residential neighborhoods could complain if
the pot their neighbors grow constitutes a nuisance, so there is
recourse. The group's attorney, Ron Green, said there also are
varieties of marijuana that produce less of an odor than others.

Rivero also questioned why someone would need 12 plants for personal
medicinal use. With each plant capable of producing up to 5 pounds,
that's 60 pounds of marijuana, he said.

At $2,000 a pound, conservatively, that's a valuable product that is
likely to attract crime, Rivero said.

Supervisor Rob Brown said he believes most of the growers are
cultivating pot for profit, not for medicine.

The intiative is scheduled to be considered by supervisors at 10:15
a.m. Tuesday.