Butte County

Measure H Ordinance - Majority Approval Required

Smells –  Traffic –  Nuisance –  Crime –  All these are associated with Marijuana Cultivation.  Vote Yes on H to ensure marijuana cultivation limits are respected and enforced.

Measure H streamlines the enforcement process, stopping violations sooner

Measure H closes loopholes growers use to skirt the law. Clarified language eliminates “wiggle room.”

Measure H ends stalling tactics used by growers to complete their pot harvest and evade fines. Many growers only came into “compliance” after being cited, because they harvested before their hearings occurred. With Measure H, violations only have to be proven to exist at the time of citation, not at the time of the hearing.

Measure H ensures more fines are collected.  Fines are the best tool to stop non-compliant growers. In 2015, $2.9M in citations were issued, but only 6% (about $171,000) were collected due to loopholes, stalling tactics and other dodges.   Measure H stops the “free pass.”

Measure H doesn’t change the growing limits. People can still grow from 50 to 150 square feet of plants for medical use.

In 2014, voters approved Measure A by wide margins. This created reasonable rules limiting the cultivation of Medical Marijuana, adequate for patients but not for commercial profiteers. Measure A was very successful in 2015 by reducing the for-profit grows. However, many growers still flaunt the law and violate the rules. Measure H stops the scofflaws.

In 2015, Code Enforcement eradicated over 34,000 plants and wrote over 894 citations. Illegal activities discovered by Code Enforcement resulted in 11 arrests by law enforcement, helping rid our area of criminals. Three Honey Oil labs were eradicated. Many neighborhoods were restored to their former tranquility.

Measure A cleaned up neighborhoods. Measure H means better enforcement of Measure A.

Vote Yes on H to ensure marijuana Cultivation limits are obeyed.

s/ Michael L. Ramsey, Butte County District Attorney 

s/ Jerry W. Smith, Retired Sheriff  

s/ David Daley, Vice President – California Cattlemen’s Association 

s/ Sean P. Early, President, Butte County Cattlemen’s Association 

s/ Kory L. Honea, Butte County Sheriff-Coroner

Whether you are an advocate, an ally, an adversary or a neutral bystander as it relates to cannabis and its evolving place in our communities and our economy, what we can and should all agree on is that each and every one of us is entitled to fair and equitable treatment by our government and its agencies.

Measure A is a flawed ordinance. It remains flawed, even with the proposed amendments. These amendments were submitted and requested by one of the constituencies affected by Measure A — but only one. Enforcement. And while enforcement, and the agencies that are tasked with it, are entitled to their say in how well something is working and how it might be improved, they are only one voice. One perspective. And no regulation, rule, ordinance, law, or statute should be developed, amended or revoked based only on one perspective.

Enforcement of Measure A has been documented as inconsistent, ineffective, expensive, unevenly applied, and in some cases may even have violated the personal and property rights of your neighbors. It is our firm belief that unless and until the County solicits and considers input from all the stakeholders affected by this Ordinance — farmers, law enforcement, patients, business owners, landlords — and addresses the unequal and inconsistent application and claims of abuse, we should all have to live with the voter-backed version currently in place.

We recommend a NO vote and encourage a broader re-evaluation of Measure A.

s/Jessica MacKenzie

Vote No on H — defend due process. Defend fair and equitable treatment for Butte County citizens.

Measure H is no knight on a white horse riding in to "stop violations sooner", "stop the scofflaws", and "ensure cannabis cultivation limits are obeyed." It is an incomplete attempt to address a flawed  ordinance that has never been properly implemented.

Supporters of a yes vote criticize the lack of revenue generated while calling cannabis farmers "profiteers" - as though making a living is only okay if it doesn't come from cannabis.

Revenue-driven enforcement is a slippery slope that sets a dangerous precedent. And if Butte County wants to earn revenue from cannabis farmers. then we should figure out how to regulateIT.

Supporters of a yes vote say fines weren't collected because Code Enforcement didn't have the tools they needed.

They did. Fines were tossed for improper procedures, lack of training for temporary hires, as the County recently confirmed, and yes, fines were tossed because people were innocentT.

Supporters of a yes vote overlook the fact that a more appropriate allocation of resources could increase the eradication of dangerous honey oil labs and mitigate the 40 meth labs that led to Oroville's #2 ranking for methamphetamines.

Conflating cannabis cultivation with these illegal activities is simply a way to characterize our farmers as criminals, and does a disservice to our community.

Don't be fooled. Pretend this is about your rights, your due process, your presumption of fair and equitable treatment.

Vote for fairness. Vote No on H.

s/Jessica MacKenzie

Don't be fooled by the opponent's dishonest and misleading statements.

The opponent says that the only voice in crafting the Measure H Amendments to our County Marijuana Cultivation Ordinance was Enforcement. This is untrue. The County heard input from growers and those representing family and neighborhood interests. Citizens who filed complaints against non-compliant Marijuana grows expressed dismay that many large commercial marijuana grows continue to use the harvest loophole to avoid paying fines. Marijuana growers expressed their objections as well. All perspectives were considered, not just one.

We do agree that Butte County's Marijuana Cultivation Ordinance needs stronger enforcement teeth. That's why we support Measure H.

The amendments in Measure H will make much-needed improvements to County enforcement of our Marijuana Cultivation Ordinance rules. Measure H will close the enforcement loopholes that are enabling law-breaking marijuana operators to escape punishment. Measure H will ensure that pot growers who violate the law are required to pay fines in a timely manner. It will level the playing field to stop the scofflaws and make sure that all marijuana growers follow the same rules.

The voters of Butte County already approved our County Marijuana Ordinance by a wide margin in November 2014. Voters expect it to be enforced. Measure H will accomplish this.

Vote Yes on Measure H — give law enforcement the tools needed to protect the people of Butte County by properly enforcing our voter-approved Marijuana Cultivation Ordinance.

s/Joan C. Townsend, Retired Medical Clinic Director, Del Norte Clinics

s/Lawrence C. Grundmann, Jr., Retired Entergy Utility Executive

s/Sean P. Earley, President, Butte County Cattlemen's Association

s/David Daley, Vice-President, California Cattlemen's Association

s/Ed McLaughlin, Farmer - Retired Butte County Supervisor