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Deadline to obtain personal use marijuana cultivation permit in Clearlake is April 30
Under the Personal Marijuana Cultivation Ordinance No. 197-2017, a permit through the city is required to legally cultivate marijuana for personal use outdoors within the city limits.
Permit applications are available at City Hall and are downloadable from the city’s Web site.
Residents have until April 30 to submit the application to City Hall in order to legally cultivate marijuana for personal use. There also is a $250 registration fee required to help offset the city’s cost to administer the program.
Selling marijuana cultivated for personal use is illegal and commercial cannabis cultivation requires additional state and local permits.
Currently, California Law allows for up to six plants to legally be grown indoors. Under the City’s ordinance, no more than six plants total are allowed to be grown on a property, whether indoors or outdoors. A permit is required to cultivate marijuana outdoors for personal use only.
Growing more than six plants is illegal in the City of Clearlake. Citizens are encouraged to contact Code Enforcement if they see or suspect more than six plants are being cultivated on any property.
Those found to be illegally cultivating marijuana will be subject to significant penalties as well as an order to abate and / or criminal prosecution. “While the city of Clearlake wants to work with those who wish to legally cultivate marijuana, it will continue to crack down on those who do not abide by the laws,” said City Manager Greg Folsom.
“Since the city began its crackdown on illegal marijuana grows, the city has experienced an 85 percent drop in the homicide rate,” said interim Police Chief Tim Celli. “The police department will be continuing to work closely with Code Enforcement to eradicate illegal marijuana and those found to be violating marijuana state laws are also subject to arrest and criminal prosecution. The department has sent personnel to the most up to date training to investigate illegal marijuana grows, which may also include environmental crimes.”