Katelyn Baker
Well-Known Member
Coming on the heels of a marijuana lab explosion in the city, the American Canyon City Council on Tuesday night approved an emergency ordinance banning the outdoor cultivation and other activities related to marijuana.
The 45-day temporary moratorium was adopted in response to Prop. 64, the initiative legalizing recreational marijuana use that California voters approved last week.
The council's action was not related to an incident last Friday, when a two-story home in southeast American Canyon was damaged by a marijuana lab exploding inside a garage, according to police.
City officials said the emergency moratorium was necessary if the council wanted to prevent the outdoor cultivation, processing, manufacture, distribution, testing and sale of marijuana in light of Prop. 64, also known as the Control, Regulate, and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act.
Mayor Leon Garcia and other council members agreed local prohibition was needed, adopting it by unanimous vote.
Garcia said he has concerns with the new law.
"Now that the horse is out of the barn," said Garcia, referring to Prop. 64's passage by voters, "it's a question of how to keep it better corralled."
Councilmember Joan Bennett said her biggest concern was keeping marijuana away from children. She wants to prevent kids from being "enthralled with it," adding "that would be a good thing."
Community Development Director Brent Cooper told the council that the 45-day moratorium would give his office more time to research the impacts of Prop. 64 and come back to the council at a late date with permanent recommendations.
Cooper said the emergency ordinance would also limit indoor cultivation to a maximum of six marijuana plants per residence -- a provision already provided under the new state law.
But the primary intent of the ordinance would be to immediately ban outdoor growing of marijuana plants, something local jurisdictions can prevent under Prop. 64, said City Manager Dana Shigley.
Shigley decided the day after Election Day to bring up the emergency moratorium at the council's next meeting, once it became apparent Prop. 64 was going to pass. The measure was approved by 56 percent of voters statewide.
Two days after Shigley's decision, on Nov. 11, a house on Starling Court had its roll-up garage door blown partially off its tracks and a window blown out of the garage after the marijuana lab inside exploded, according to the Napa Special Investigations Bureau.
American Canyon Police and Fire responded to the explosion at 2 Starling Court just before midnight. Marijuana debris was strewn about the front of the home and black plastic trash bags had melted onto the hoods of two cars parked in the driveway. Investigators believe that the trash bags had been full of marijuana, said NSIB.
Although neighbors reported seeing a man picking up the debris shortly after the explosion, NSIB said that the man was gone when police arrived.
More than 100 pounds of processed marijuana was seized from the home along with several pounds of "honey oil" (concentrated cannabis), a commercial THC extraction lab, metal propane cylinders, and metal refrigerant cylinders, said investigators. The estimated value of the seized honey oil is more than $100,000, according to NSIB.
Detectives are investigating the marijuana lab and manufacturing as a felony because of the use of chemical synthesis.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: American Canyon Bans Marijuana Growing Outdoors
Author: Noel Brinkerhoff
Contact: 707-226-3711
Photo Credit: Noel Brinkerhoff
Website: Napa Valley Register
The 45-day temporary moratorium was adopted in response to Prop. 64, the initiative legalizing recreational marijuana use that California voters approved last week.
The council's action was not related to an incident last Friday, when a two-story home in southeast American Canyon was damaged by a marijuana lab exploding inside a garage, according to police.
City officials said the emergency moratorium was necessary if the council wanted to prevent the outdoor cultivation, processing, manufacture, distribution, testing and sale of marijuana in light of Prop. 64, also known as the Control, Regulate, and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act.
Mayor Leon Garcia and other council members agreed local prohibition was needed, adopting it by unanimous vote.
Garcia said he has concerns with the new law.
"Now that the horse is out of the barn," said Garcia, referring to Prop. 64's passage by voters, "it's a question of how to keep it better corralled."
Councilmember Joan Bennett said her biggest concern was keeping marijuana away from children. She wants to prevent kids from being "enthralled with it," adding "that would be a good thing."
Community Development Director Brent Cooper told the council that the 45-day moratorium would give his office more time to research the impacts of Prop. 64 and come back to the council at a late date with permanent recommendations.
Cooper said the emergency ordinance would also limit indoor cultivation to a maximum of six marijuana plants per residence -- a provision already provided under the new state law.
But the primary intent of the ordinance would be to immediately ban outdoor growing of marijuana plants, something local jurisdictions can prevent under Prop. 64, said City Manager Dana Shigley.
Shigley decided the day after Election Day to bring up the emergency moratorium at the council's next meeting, once it became apparent Prop. 64 was going to pass. The measure was approved by 56 percent of voters statewide.
Two days after Shigley's decision, on Nov. 11, a house on Starling Court had its roll-up garage door blown partially off its tracks and a window blown out of the garage after the marijuana lab inside exploded, according to the Napa Special Investigations Bureau.
American Canyon Police and Fire responded to the explosion at 2 Starling Court just before midnight. Marijuana debris was strewn about the front of the home and black plastic trash bags had melted onto the hoods of two cars parked in the driveway. Investigators believe that the trash bags had been full of marijuana, said NSIB.
Although neighbors reported seeing a man picking up the debris shortly after the explosion, NSIB said that the man was gone when police arrived.
More than 100 pounds of processed marijuana was seized from the home along with several pounds of "honey oil" (concentrated cannabis), a commercial THC extraction lab, metal propane cylinders, and metal refrigerant cylinders, said investigators. The estimated value of the seized honey oil is more than $100,000, according to NSIB.
Detectives are investigating the marijuana lab and manufacturing as a felony because of the use of chemical synthesis.
News Moderator: Katelyn Baker 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: American Canyon Bans Marijuana Growing Outdoors
Author: Noel Brinkerhoff
Contact: 707-226-3711
Photo Credit: Noel Brinkerhoff
Website: Napa Valley Register
