The county policy regarding marijuana cultivation over the years has been clear and consistent: first, ignore problems for as long as possible, then overreact to them in a way that makes things worse.

Measure N is the latest example of this, as the latest flurry of lawsuits has shown.

Measure N is what happens when several dozen people spend hours telling our Board of Supervisors how to make a workable ordinance, and not one single change is made in the document – the primary stakeholders were completely ignored at every step of the process!

No other group is ever treated with so little regard or respect by our Board of Supervisors, because when when scoring points with your base is the goal, the facts, reason and logic just don't matter.

The whole issue could have been settled long ago, but Supervisor Farrington walked out of the negotiations because he claimed he didn't have the time to attend one more meeting.

Oddly enough he did have time to defend a marijuana grower as an attorney in an out-of-county criminal court case at about the same time, so apparently there is a positive economic impact from the pot business – for some.

Now the people who knew it would be a disaster to close the dispensaries, and who have always been willing to negotiate a fair and workable ordinance, are asking voters to support Measure O.

Measure O has the same limit for collective growers as we have today (48 plants), but also allows grows in RL and RR zoning just like other crops.

Measure N says if you live on less than an acre you have to grow indoors, Measure O lets you have four plants outdoors.

The opposition to Measure O is making some pretty wild claims about how all kinds of devastation will occur if Measure O passes, but it's hard to see how moving four plants from in your house to outside would cause that.

As it stands, because of the strict Measure N rules there are so few legal collectives we can't even supply the three dispensaries in the city of Clearlake with legally grown local marijuana. This is an absurd situation.

In 2016 recreational marijuana use is certain to be legalized in California, and is also certain to become a multibillion dollar industry, what Lake County needs today is a bridge to 2016.

Measure O is that bridge. It makes illegal growing less profitable by increasing competition, it helps create another economic engine for our local economy, and it evens pays for itself with fees paid by the growers to fund enforcement.

Don't let hysterical people with a record of being wrong and self-serving politicians fool you, Measure O is the best cultivation ordinance we could ask for. Please support it with your vote.

Phil Murphy lives in Lakeport, Calif.