LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A new citizens committee has formed to defeat two marijuana-related measures on the November ballot.
The “Protect Our Lake County Committee” has emerged to oppose measures O and P on the November election ballot.
Former Lake County Planning Commissioner Monica Rosenthal of Middletown, who led the effort to get Measure N passed in June, and Lakeport resident Lynn Hollenback are serving as officers of the committee.
The new group credits “commercial marijuana growers” with placing measures O and P on the ballot in an effort “to repeal our voter-approved protections against their abusive practices which are jeopardizing the quality of life for Lake County residents.”
Representatives of the Protect Our Lake County Committee said the group was formed to defeat these two ballot measures and maintain the county's protection against large-scale commercial marijuana grows.
If one of the measures passes it would supplant Measure N, which voters passed in June and which went into effect in July.
Measure N prevents outdoor marijuana grows in community growth boundaries that primarily include residential neighborhoods; limits indoor grows to 100 square feet or less; limits plant numbers on parcels larger than one acre outside of community growth boundaries to six mature or 12 immature plants; prevents grows on vacant parcels; keeps outdoor cultivation 1,000 feet from schools, parks or other facilities serving children, and 100 feet from water bodies; allows collective grows not exceeding 48 mature plants or 72 immature plants on agriculture-zoned parcels of 20 acres or more; and makes the Lake County Sheriff's Office responsible for enforcement.
The Board of Supervisors has passed it as Ordinance No. 2997 last December but it went on the ballot due to a referendum. Measure N passed by a 51.6 percent to 48.4 percent margin.
Ahead of the June election, the Emerald Unity Coalition in May submitted to the Registrar of Voters Office signatures to place the Medical Marijuana Control Act – or Measure O – on the November ballot.
Measure O would allow four marijuana plants per parcel on properties of under an acre, limits collective gardens to 48 plants on rural properties of five acres or more, requires fully fenced and locked garden areas, creates a medical marijuana enforcement division in the Community Development Department and establishes a medical marijuana enforcement officer position, the hiring of which must be ratified by a majority vote of the Board of Supervisors following a public hearing.
It also includes criminal infraction penalties, rather than misdemeanors, for violations in residential areas, and would require collective grows with 13 or more plants to register with the county's medical marijuana enforcement division and pay a per-plant fee of up to $50, with the Board of Supervisors responsible for setting the fee amount.
At the same time, Lucerne residents Ron Kiczenski and his son Conrad put forward “The Freedom to Garden Human Rights Restoration Act of 2014,” or Measure P.
While Measure P does not specifically mention marijuana, the Kiczenskis are known marijuana advocates who previously tried unsuccessfully to use the courts to prevent marijuana-related enforcement at the local and federal levels.
Measure P exempts “an individual's home gardening efforts or abilities” from any limiting county permits or county ordinances, and would allow for an unlimited number of plants of any type to be grown, with little recourse for neighbors who have complaints.
The Emerald Unity Coalition has said that Measure P conflicts with its Measure O.
The new citizens committee wants to prevent both O and P from becoming the law in Lake County.
“We urge the people of Lake County to take action against the negative impacts of commercial marijuana growers, many of whom don’t live here, by voting NO on both Measure O and Measure P,” said Rosenthal.
Other committee supporters include Fifth District County Supervisor Rob Brown, First District County Supervisor Jim Comstock, self-employed Riviera resident Bruce Hollander, retired Deputy Sheriff Gary Schurdell and local vineyard owner Beau Moore.
The committee has launched a new Web site, www.ProtectOurLakeCounty.com , to educate the public about the two ballot measures. Committee members encourage all interested voters to visit this Web site.
The committee has retained the services of professional campaign consultant Chris Jones to quarterback the campaign against Measures O and P.
Jones recently led two successful ballot measure campaigns that defeated the commercial marijuana lobby in Lake County – Measure N in June of 2014 and Measure D in 2012.
“Measures O and P have nothing to do with medical marijuana,” said Jones. “The county’s voter-approved ordinance permits the cultivation of marijuana for medical and personal use.”
Jones added, “The real purpose behind measures O and P is to put profits ahead of people. Commercial marijuana growers want to eliminate effective law enforcement oversight of their activities so they can pollute the environment, divert water from streams and profiteer at the expense of Lake County’s quality of life.”
Anyone interested in getting a yard sign or volunteering to help with the campaign is encouraged to contact Monica Rosenthal at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Donations should be made payable to “Protect Our Lake County” and mailed to the Committee at P.O. Box 1105, Middletown, CA 95461.