Code Enforcement Targets Cannabis with Minimum $10k a day Fines

Google satellite image of a property with potential abatement issues.

Since August of 2017, Humboldt County Code Enforcement, which is now part of the Humboldt County Planning and Building Department, has sent out about 250 Notices to Abate a Nuisance (NTA).

In a phone interview late on Friday the 13th of July, Humboldt County Planning and Building Department Director John Ford explained that the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors has given him direction to “focus [Code Enforcement] on unpermitted cannabis cultivation.”

Ford described the purpose in two parts: protecting the environment and providing a fair business environment for those cultivators who have gone through the process of becoming permitted.

Ford says unpermitted cultivation now carries a minimum penalty of $10,000 a day after 10 days.  Ford says these large fines will drive unpermitted growers out of business.  When asked if it might simply drive cultivation back underground, Ford said, “People are going to do what they are going to do, but the heart of this is to bring cannabis into the light.” He continued saying, it’s an “effort to allow legal cultivators freedom from competition with illegal growers ….to protect them ….provide them with a level playing field.”  He explained, “It costs money to become legal, and the black market undercuts them.”

And Ford named the big environmental problems his department sees as “tree removal, grading, stream sedimentation and water diversion.”

Ford explained that landowners may get their property into compliance within 10 days and avoid an Abatement fee altogether.  He acknowledges that sometimes, especially when grading is involved, meeting a 10-day deadline may not be possible.  Ford said that if landowners enter into a Compliance Agreement the fees are capped at one day per violation.

Director Ford said that as of Friday the 13th, the County has billed over $600,000 in Abatement Fees.  And that his Department collects the fees, but that most of the money goes into the County’s General Fund with some reserved for the costs of ‘correcting or abating’ sites when necessary.  Ford said he is not aware of any properties that have been forfeited by the property owner’s inability or unwillingness to cooperate with an NTA.  He said that “well over 200” property owners have corrected their violations or entered into a compliance agreement.  Compliance Agreements give landowners a year to correct the violations.

As a result of a Public Records Act request, Humboldt County released a PDF version of a spreadsheet containing about 217 records of Notices sent as of June 29th, 2018.  There have subsequently been about 50 more published in the Public Notices section of the Times Standard.

Nonetheless, as of June 29th, 100% of the orders included in the spreadsheet had violations of County Ordinance 314-55.4 (Cannabis) and County Ordinance 331-28 (Structures).  85% of them also had a violation of County Ordinance 331-14 (Grading).  Ford affirmed that the structures in question are almost always unpermitted greenhouses or hoop houses.

18 NTAs also included solid waste disposal violations and 19 included citations for inadequate sewage disposal.  And two records had citations for “sewage creating a nuisance.”

Fifteen addressed illegal subdivisions (MPA), three were noticed for using their properties outside of zoning allowances,  and seven were cited for using an RV as a residence.

Owners of six parcels were notified they were in violation of Humboldt County Ordinance 354-1 (junk vehicles) and two of them were considered to be operating a junkyard without a permit (371-2)

The Notice to Abate Nuisance (NTA) says, “You are Hereby Ordered to Abate said nuisance within ten (10) calendar days after service of this Notice to Abate….” Unless Code Enforcement determines that the condition causing the nuisance is “imminently dangerous to human life or limb or is detrimental to the public health or safety,” and then the Code Enforcement Unit may “order the affected property be vacated pending the correction or abatement….”

Landowners who receive an NTA have ten calendar days after service of the Notice to appeal.  To appeal, one must use the “Code Enforcement Appeal Hearing Request Form.” which will be Attachment C on the Notice.   It is a legal requirement that the hearing date be at least 15 days after the appeal is received.

The Notice says that if the problem is not corrected either after receipt of the Notice or after a judge’s order in the case of an appeal, “the Code Enforcement Unit may correct or abate the condition…causing the nuisance.”

If the County has the problems abated, the landowner will then receive a “special assessment” against the property’s land taxes.  That assessment “will be collected at the same time, in the same manner, and subject to the same penalties, interest and procedures of foreclosure and sale in the case of delinquency, as is provided for ordinary property taxes.”  And if the property is sold by its owner, the assessment stands as a lien on the property.

And NTAs also state, “[P]ersonal property collected by the Code Enforcement Unit during the correction or abatement of the condition…may be sold in the same manner as surplus personal property of the County of Humboldt, and the proceeds…shall be paid into the revolving fund….”

Of the 217 records detailed in the spreadsheet,  197 records indicate where the properties are located by zip code:

95 are in areas generally regarded as Southern Humboldt, however, none were in Bell Springs Road communities such as Harris or Island Mountain; 40 were east of Bridgeville on Hwy 36; 2 were in Hyampom, 24 in the Willow Creek, Hoopa and Orleans areas, only 2 were in Northern Humboldt, and 25 were in the Honeydew and Petrolia region.

60, about 27%, of the parcels show the owner’s mailing address as outside of Humboldt County. And 43 (20%) on the list are owned by an LLC or a trust.

Ford said Code Enforcement is “randomly going to different areas. We intentionally have no sequence so people don’t know when to expect things.”  He said they look for most egregious examples in an area.

Google satellite image of a Highway 36 neighborhood where multiple notices were sent.

Ford did say, however, that Code Enforcement does focus on neighborhoods “in concentric circles” around properties that have been identified as being in violation of the County Codes for cannabis cultivation. However, according to Ford,  Code Enforcement does “not use a magnifying glass to find a few plants.”

Google satellite image of another neighborhood where multiple NTAs were sent.

When asked why some get a Notice and some get “raided,” he said his department does not initiate the raids but accompanies other agencies such as the Drug Task Force or the Department of Fish and Wildlife on enforcement actions.

Author’s note: because the NTA records came in a PDF and not a spreadsheet, all the counting and calculations were done by hand.  Errors may exist.

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JD
Guest
JD
5 years ago

A link to the PDF would be nice

Mariahgirl
Guest
Mariahgirl
5 years ago
Reply to  JD

That’s what I thought.

Kym Kemp
Admin
5 years ago
Reply to  JD

We won’t be releasing the individual names or parcels.

JD
Guest
JD
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Isnt it public record? Otherwise who would we contact?

Kym Kemp
Admin
5 years ago
Reply to  JD

You can contact the Humboldt County Planning Department.

stuber
Guest
stuber
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Hi. Sunday night I was told that a drone was seen near Kettenpom. It flew high, and was very quiet. It was looked at through a small telescope. It was a ball like shape, with stuff hanging from it. It flew for a long time, and was slowly making it’s way to Garberville. BOLO

big balls in the sky magee
Guest
big balls in the sky magee
5 years ago
Reply to  stuber

flying sasquatch!

Mr. Bear
Guest
Mr. Bear
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Why not?

Mark McKenna
Guest
Mark McKenna
5 years ago
Reply to  Mr. Bear

It could do more harm than good. Publishing it could allow potential thieves easy access to these people.

Kym Kemp
Admin
5 years ago
Reply to  Mr. Bear

Honestly? A great part of my heart is sympathetic to people struggling to deal with the end of a way of life. If they are egregious environmental violators, then not so much sympathy.

But some receiving letters are smallish black market growers whose largest problem is they didn’t trust the government enough to offer information about themselves and go legal. Their farms impact the environment less than other people’s large vegie gardens.

Currently, there is no path for them to become immediately legal. And they are going to have to pay large fines. I see no reason to add to their problems.

Sprowel Creeker
Guest
Sprowel Creeker
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

…….Ford said he is not aware of any properties that have been forfeited by the property owner’s inability or unwillingness to cooperate with an NTA.
Of the 217 notices sent out, He said that “well over 200” property owners have corrected their violations or entered into a compliance agreement. Compliance Agreements give landowners a year to correct the violations. ……

The notices are going to people that are growing illegally for “commercial purposes“.
My family went through the arduous process and financial requirements to get a legal permit to legally grow 5000 ft.² of cannabis on our land . I would consider us “mom and pop“
But most of these abatement notices seem to be going to people claiming to be “mom and pop“ but 10,000 ft.² or more is not “mom and pop “.
It is unfair business practices for people to continue profiting from their large illegal grows and I’m glad the county is giving out these notices and trying to protect the farmers trying to make a legal living. We have to comply with strict environmental parameters but the illegal grower doesn’t have to.
(People can still grow 200 sq. Ft. without any permits or anything.)

Kym Kemp
Admin
5 years ago

I’ve been here too long to count black market growers as the enemy. If they are environmentally sound, I’m willing to live and let live and count them as good neighbors if they act that way.

Emily
Guest
Emily
5 years ago

I’m sorry you did that, but don’t fall into the easily laid trap of “us vs. them”. I know some very conscientious, clean and respectable growers in my area who chose not to go the legal route.
You will be forced to sell on a safe, legal market, and the black market growers will be forced to fight increased headwinds and sell out of state (like always). So it’s a different maker you are working in. And different dynamics. Don’t feel threatened by the people who came here first and don’t believe in the ‘regulation state’ and would rather exist outside the laws and still do things right!

Farce
Guest
Farce
5 years ago
Reply to  Emily

Thanks, Emily! Also I know many of us who were never allowed to enter the permit process. Back roads , class K houses, other things which made our properties unable to weather the legal hoops. So we were yet again criminals and outlaws. Ironically the greediest and dirtiest- those who pumped directly out of creeks during the historic drought and greenrushers who blew up mega-grows….they had enough cash to get permitted. They are now turning around and prosecuting us. It’s a sick state of affairs.

Cazz
Guest
Cazz
5 years ago

Stop snitching and whinin to the lady whose family paid to be permitted . U didnt have to do it , snitching and whning about those that don’t trust the gov because of how they’ve acted prior to legalization and also now how the gov acts now.

Joe dirt
Guest
Joe dirt
5 years ago

The Rumor Mill says that people that are going to Forfeit their properties will take awhile through the tax forfeiture process the question would probably be how many people did not respond by paying the $10,000 fines or communicate with the county to make some kind of agreement

Sleepy Alligator
Guest
Sleepy Alligator
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

That’s very righteous of you Kym. If we all practiced being more considerate of each other the world would be a much better place to reside.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

These “independent growers” could have grown vegetables or cultunary herbs or ornamental plants for sale. They chose something illegal because the return was so high for the labor involved. Their income was not depleted by taxes or regulations. Just the Russian roulette of raids.

You may see it through the mist of time as warm and fuzzy but the reality that it was always violent and always parasitic. https://www.huffingtonpost.com/high-times/murder-mayhem-marijuana_b_4228303.html Even If a grower didn’t engage in destructive practices, which he’d be a fool to talk about if he did, they certainly had and have a code of silence and tolerance for those who do. Sort of the same highly edited nostalgia for the Wild West days.

Kym Kemp
Admin
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

I think of it as the De-corporatization model where money from the black market funded everything from a community credit union, a hospice, a clinic, a community center, a radio station, several print sources, and environmental organizations.

Kym Kemp
Admin
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

If laws are unjust, why should people obey them?

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Because gutting the law creates a free for all with the ugly results we have in front of us now. Where every Tom, Dick and Harry gets to make a personal decision as to what is just.

Laws should be changed, not ignored. The only time ignoring laws can safely be considered a rebellion is when they are so egregiously damaging that no moral person can allow it to stand. Pot is so far below that standard as to be a ridiculous idea. It simply is not up there with slavery, genocide or racism to risk chaos over.

Kym Kemp
Admin
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

What about when the government is using it to create a war on a race and on a political point of view? https://www.cnn.com/2016/03/23/politics/john-ehrlichman-richard-nixon-drug-war-blacks-hippie/index.html If people don’t fight back against unjust laws, they stay on the books. Now the marijuana laws are slowly being repealed.

Only individuals can decide what laws they feel are unjust enough to break. Society of course, has to try to control the rule breakers or else society falls apart. But that tension doesn’t mean that those who break rules are always wrong. It is part of what creates a healthy society. That said, part of what creates an unhealthy society is people choosing to break laws because it pleases them to do so.

One of the major ways government can create a society that sustains itself is to have just laws. If that happens the rulebreaking is obviously unhealthy. Unfortunately, when unjust laws exist, then people who mostly work to benefit society will break them (and yes the fact there is financial gain in breaking the laws will lure people to do break laws also.) But if there is only financial gain, say in robbery laws, then the rulebreakers are outside society. If there are just reasons for breaking the laws, then society has muddied the water and makes all rules that much more likely to be broken.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

The idea that anyone can pick and choose which laws simply defeats the existence of laws at all. I doubt that one in a thousand pot growers did it because of a principled stand, even as a life style. Why then not grow poppies for opium or log all the trees or anything else? No, they did it to sell and make money. Beside the fact that indivdual choosing of laws inevitably results in constant conflicts of interpretation. Whose limits prevail?

A misuse of a law by government is not a real issue. Disingenuous. Would you advocate for murder because a government official misuses the law to convict and execute an opponent or would you say the crime is the malfeasance of the official?

Bruce
Guest
Bruce
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

My favorite graffiti: “Be a model citizen. Obey all laws.”
I’ve never grown pot and have never been inclined to do so. But I’m aware that
I’m breaking a law every morning when I wake up. So was every landlord I ever had, most of my bosses including the corporations, government bureaucracies and independent business people I worked for.
My seat belts are frayed and out of compliance with the law. I am more concerned about the safety issues involved. I am far more concern with keeping my sanity and personal integrity.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

There is incidental law breaking involved in an overregulated society and then there is organized lawbreaking for profit. A major difference in intent.

Bruce
Guest
Bruce
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Exactly, and every for-profit corporate entity that violates the law and every real estate investor that does so, meets your second criterion. The rest of us may or may not be breaking the law for subsistence or personal need. Neither you nor I know as much about that as we pretend to.

47
Guest
47
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Why can we not respond to guest? I just read some of the most ignorant garbage I’ve ever read and tried to reply with no luck.

Kym Kemp
Admin
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

,

No one is saying that breaking the rules is without risk. Society needs to step forward and deal with rulebreakers. That said, sometimes rulebreakers are a part of a healthy society.

Of course, there are the big rulebreakers that mainstream society in the US values now–Harriet Tubman, Rosa Parks refusing to sit in the back of the bus, Tank Man in China, every gay person having sex, Susan B. Anthony, Gandhi challenging the salt tax, those dang patriots breaking onto a ship and throwing some poor merchant’s tea into the Boston Harbor come to mind. In their own place and time, they were considered criminals. Why didn’t they just follow the rules and work within the laws to change them?

And there are the controversial ones who break laws like Angela Davis, Julian Assange, women who kill abusive husbands.

But there are the small rulebreakers, too. The first woman to wear pants, the people who teach the Macarena without getting copyright permission first, people who play poker for money at home, people who pee outside, etc.

Laws are followed most strictly when they follow the norms of culture (sometimes there are subcultures within larger cultures that have different norms which leads to the breaking of the larger culture’s laws).

I know this is a weird concept but society is healthiest when some people break the rules. I think it will be healthiest of all when the rules are sensible and rarely broken.

Kym Kemp
Admin
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

@47, My software only allows so many responses before it shuts down the thread as unwieldy. You can circumvent it by responding to the last commenter that has a reply button and putting the @ symbol followed by the commenter’s name you would like to reply to.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Kym, all those examples are of people who had a principle in mind, although some of those principles were pretty shaky as examples. The difference between growers and those are that growers do not take a stand by publicly engaging in an activity- they made money big time by breaking the law. In fact all the problems they create are due to greed and nothing more. If there had been no large profit, do you really think that 100 foot long hoop houses would dot the landscape? This makes them more akin to the mafia than the suffragettes. And why they cover the landscape like smallpox.

Beside I do not think that adding to the legions of already dysfunctional impaired people is a cause worth assigning such heroic attributes. It is simply more damaging to society than any idealization, no matter real or not, would benefit it. Homesteading is not equivalent to pot growing as a way of living independently. No one needs that kind of money and still can claim to be self sufficent. It’s simply parasitic.

Kym Kemp
Admin
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

The problem is that you are conflating all marijuana growers. There are people who are contributing members of society who use a portion of the money they receive to create and support things like our local credit unions and hospice. And there are those who come to get whatever money they can and move on. And there are the ones in between.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

No, Kym, I can admit that there is a spectrum of caring among pot growers. But even if the best give money to good causes, it’s because they have much more discretionary income because they don’t spend thousands of dollars on taxes and it does not confer sainthood. People who pay and have paid such a large proportion of their income in taxes get no say in where that money goes and they have to pay more to cover those who do not pay yet merrily vote for more spending that doesn’t come out of their own pockets. And that disregards the costs to society of their illegality too.

No, I will not buy into the “protitute with a heart of gold” ethics that can only be appealing if the reality of the misery and crimes around prostitution are ignored. Illegal is illegal for a reason. Now that the crop has become legal, just listen to the anger and rationalizations going on here. Damn little rejoicing on being allowed to become fully contributing members of society when it’s their finances now caught in the government wringer. They really believe that they are being picked on. Ha! They have just scratched the surface of the regulations that California imposes. They better toughen up because there are layers and layers of regulations shortly followed by hungry lawyers looking to milk them for more. Reminds me of that song “Every move you make, every breath you take, I’ll be watching you.”

Jeffersonian
Guest
Jeffersonian
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Please stop trolling Kym. Your self righteous babble is irritating beyond belief; a comment or two is cool but dominating the whole conversation is rude. As you hide behind the ‘guest’ name, it could be theres more than one of you but…it all has the same holier than thou whiney-ass tone. [edit]

Try farming sometime!
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Most veggies and herbs don’t pay. Third party. Organic certification costs $1200 out of the $5000 gross threshhold mandating certification. Growing weed is a more rational decision.

In effect
Guest
In effect
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

This is a legitimate veiw on the situation . Many small timers don’t get greedy enough to have the fat amounts of cash it takes to comply . It’s a rich gets richer situation . The changes have been showing it’s dark side and complete defiling of this potentail amazing herb . Some of us were raised in it and stayed humble producing with a very active concous ..I too wish there was a bit more exception to those whom just wanna make a humble living producing clean in impactive product ..

curlybill
Guest
curlybill
5 years ago
Reply to  In effect

I am not judging you for how you were raised, your parents were responsible for setting an example. They did fail because the example was an outlaw one, teaching you to distrust authority and to not further a education that would render a legal income of substance.
See where we are today.
Luck to you.

hmm
Guest
hmm
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Many of those who stayed small and committed the least environmental offenses, do not have the money required to go legal. And they would face competition from massive legal farms.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  hmm

But at best- and a large number were not the best anyway- they still crippled the forces that would have prevented the green rush from happening. You can’t take advantage of a free for all then not expect the most aggressive person not to take more and more advantage.

hmm
Guest
hmm
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Im not sure Im following you. My point is that it should not be a free for all. The size limit on farms should be much lower. Also should the tax rate and cost of permitting.

Joe dirt
Guest
Joe dirt
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Blue Lake area and titlow Hill just received a slew of the so-called abatement letters and I hear rumor that Salmon Creek is getting a whole bunch in the moment the next on the list

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Joe dirt

So called? Are they not actually abatement letters?

Joe dirt
Guest
Joe dirt
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

NTA notices to Abate a nuisance kind of like the kattle calling the pot black no name calling on the redheaded Blackbelt comment section great article Kim and Kelly keep up the good work

Joe dirt
Guest
Joe dirt
5 years ago
Reply to  JD

Has anybody notice the weird swings in real estate and what is going to happen to the economy most people used to know what is driving our economy do you think that the new legit permitted by the county and State are going to drive our economy and keep people employed in the next few years you will probably see the trimmigrants go away no more giant labor force maybe they will keep a few local people employed and those of you who are permitted legit well probably find the track and Trace almost impossible and have to deal with the black market a few that have dispensaries will be able to sell their product most of which is poisoned through pesticides they might say Omari organic but it is still poison when you buy indoor or Depo weed is very hard to get around using only real organic products with no poisonous side effects most marijuana used to be good for your health I would not recommend buying anything from a dispensary there is enough cancer going around in Humboldt County and surrounding areas stop the bleeding of the people can you Tax Nature for the love of GOD !!!

Life is Good
Guest
Life is Good
5 years ago

I’m suspecting a resurrection of the large indoor grows.

I like stars
Guest
I like stars
5 years ago
Reply to  Life is Good

This is happening already.

hmm
Guest
hmm
5 years ago
Reply to  Life is Good

They will pass an ordinance just like Arcata did,

I like stars
Guest
I like stars
5 years ago
Reply to  hmm

Many supply their own power.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  I like stars

I actually would find that better if it helps to contain the problems. But not if they do midnight dumps of contaminated soil along the road.

hmm
Guest
hmm
5 years ago
Reply to  I like stars

I kinda forgot about diesel grows. Essentially no private residences have a solar array capable of powering an indoor of significant size.

Anon
Guest
Anon
5 years ago
Reply to  hmm

Using LEDs which draw considerably less power u can do a moderate one tho…

What up!
Guest
What up!
5 years ago

How about the bust in Carlotta this A.M. right on hwy36 across from Martin and Shirleys old store???

Kym Kemp
Admin
5 years ago
Reply to  What up!

Trying to get info.

THC
Guest
THC
5 years ago

I’m not a fan of large destructive grows, but this is a slippery slope. Being able to levy these kinds of fines with little evidence is kind of scary. I hope they stick with going after big pot growers however I already know this is not the case. Not to mention it’s setting a precedent for absolutely no privacy in your own backyard, when the government can spy on you from satellites and use a couple pictures to get a warrant.

In my 1911 I trust
Guest
In my 1911 I trust
5 years ago
Reply to  THC

The law needs to be applied equally to everyone. If hoophouses qualify as unpermitted structures, there are plenty of people all over the county with unpermitted carports. There are many people all over the county who have unpermitted buildings. I can point to a few people down the road from my house who could be considered as operating a junk yard without a permit. Besides, the whole part about the black market competing with the legal market is a farce. The clubs won’t be able to buy any pot that isn’t tracked and traced. Seems to me it would make more sense to be busting “legal” grows that are still leaking pot to the black market. Once they run out of black market grows to bust with their fancy satellite they will be looking to levy fines against that tool shed you built last year.

Brian
Guest
Brian
5 years ago
Reply to  THC

Could not agree more.

And it should be complaint driven, but that encourages spy vs spy mentality.

It’s nice to see shit (literally and figuratively) get clean but I hate the Google map police state.

Mr. Bear
Guest
Mr. Bear
5 years ago
Reply to  Brian

It should definitely not be complaint driven. People would use this as a weapon

Christian Barrett
Guest
5 years ago

I’ve been involved in a few of these as an engineering consultant, and even have been at the county with an attorney for a clients for meetings. I’ve yet to see anyone get out of this fines, other than a minimum of one day worth, even with the help of an attorney. On top of the fines, there can be attorney and engineering fees, especially when there has been grading without a permit. County will ask that all plants be cut immediately. Now as of July 1st, any county permitted farms without a temp. a state permit is also considered out of compliance with the county.

fuckwalterwhite.com
Guest
fuckwalterwhite.com
5 years ago

Have you seen any completed payments or just the 600k in fees?

Christian Barrett
Guest
5 years ago

Yes, I know people who have paid their fines, others worked out payment plans.

I like stars too!
Guest
I like stars too!
5 years ago

I want to see this pushed to its logical conclusion, which is restoring cited properties to their original condition, grading replaced, un-permitted structures removed, and all traces of pot farming removed, and trees replanted.

THEN allow continued pot farming and force the property owner to apply for any and all permits to develop!

I want all non-compliant properties to be seized, if the fines are not paid, and, I want the properties sold at auction.

Put it back, start over, pay your fines! Act like civilized folk for a change, and then grow weed, if you can afford to.

Nice going Humboldt County, you are only 40 years late to the process of governing this mess…

future land auction bidder
Guest
future land auction bidder
5 years ago

post-prohibition eras are a bitch for the ‘bootleggers’.

Emily
Guest
Emily
5 years ago

Problem is, we (the growers of humboldt) have always sent our product out of state. Forcing it to be sold in state is going to be a huge problem, because the demand doesn’t match the amount being grown. And now who is going to provide weed for St. Paul Minnesota or where ever? I see the black market making a strong comeback.

groba dude trustafarian osnt
Guest
groba dude trustafarian osnt
5 years ago
Reply to  Emily

No.

Soon it will be grown in every state. Already is, probably…

There is no law saying that every person is allowed to grow commercial weed. If you want to grow Black Market, you are going to be under surveillance.

future land auction bidder
Guest
future land auction bidder
5 years ago

Count on it. The legal growers will insist on enforcement to protect their legal investments.

Emily
Guest
Emily
5 years ago

No.. you can’t grow good outside product in most states actually. Yes you can grow indoor anywhere but the overhead (electricity, soil, space etc) makes it a more expensive product. Anywhere but the west coast gets wet humid summers, which makes for crappy buds.
There’s your lesson for the day 😉

I like stars too!
Guest
I like stars too!
5 years ago
Reply to  Emily

Thanks for the lesson, Em… I actually don’t grow magical weed, and don’t care about the problems involved…

I feel certain that Marijuana can be grown anywhere that any other crop can be grown. It may not be Humboldt Paralysis quality, but it will probably work.

Emily
Guest
Emily
5 years ago

Well you would be wrong.. I thought you might know a little more since you comment so frequently.

I like stars too!
Guest
I like stars too!
5 years ago
Reply to  Emily

Well, it’s fun! Have a beautiful day, Em.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Emily

I suspect anywhere that can grow tomatoes can grow pot.

spc up on the hill
Guest
spc up on the hill
5 years ago
Reply to  Emily

You are completely wrong! One of the best strains comes from the matanuska valley in alaska , google it youll know the strain. Just because your husband is a grower doesnt mean you have a clue what your talkin about.

Kym Kemp
Admin
5 years ago

Jesus, you didn’t just assume that a person with a feminine name couldn’t be a grower, did you? Some of the best grows I know are headed by women.

Mr. Bear
Guest
Mr. Bear
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

I believe “he” did

Emily
Guest
Emily
5 years ago

Lots wrong w your statement, starting w the fact that Alaska IS on the west coast..

47
Guest
47
5 years ago

Matanuska?!?! One of the best strains? Bwahahahaaaa bwahahahaaaa bwahahahaaaa bwahahahaaaa bwahahahaaaa… try again lmao

boxcars
Guest
boxcars
5 years ago
Reply to  Emily

vegas has some kick-the-fuck-ass weed for cheap. it is very hard to grow weed outdoors that can pass quality tests. indoor grown medical weed is selling for cheap in most states.

CB
Guest
CB
5 years ago
Reply to  Emily

I’m from GA, lived in NC,SC, AR, and AL, and the wet summers don’t cause any issues you’d expect from humidity. I’ve seen a lot more mold in parts Humboldt myself. It’s a good theory, and maybe strains can play into this, but in general, you can cultivate anywhere, and there isn’t much difference in quality.

Sleepy Alligator
Guest
Sleepy Alligator
5 years ago
Reply to  CB

Yeah right! You must be talking about hemp.

Christian Barrett
Guest
5 years ago

No, I’m not, I’m
Specifically talking about cannabis. First hand experience.

Emily
Guest
Emily
5 years ago

I respectfully think you are totally wrong. It’s not just the mold, which can be fixed with chemicals, but lack of hot direct dry sunlight. We are in a sweet spot with long enough days and enough water and enough heat but not too much heat (in the right spots) to produce world class product outside (with less overhead than indoor). Not saying we are the only sweet spot, and I do t think cannabis is nearly as particular as grapes for producing a high quality product, but we are in ‘a’ sweet spot.
Btw I don’t buy the notion that you can’t grow good cannabis in the valley on a large scale, because of pollen. That’s pretty ignorant.

Christian Barrett
Guest
5 years ago

No worries Emily, I get it, and understand why you may think I’m wrong.

Lilithx
Guest
Lilithx
5 years ago
Reply to  Emily

Please do not comment if you haven’t a clue what you are talking about stars. This is an issue which jeprodizes about 85% of local economy (nc journal reported), grower or not. The ripple effect of the degradation of our local economy will be enormous and widespread if it continues on the path off a cliff that our county currently has us on. If it weren’t for monkies on the sidelines with no experience, data or dog in the race, supporting the propaganda, maybe we’d be more able to organize a much needed resistance. Emily is entirely correct in ca, specifically Humboldt County, it is ideal for growing because of our super hot days days and cold nights. Kevin jodrey of wonderland nursery explained the scientific evidence backing this on Kerry Reynolds Cannabis consciousness Show a couple years ago. The rare contrast in temperature is most ideal for the potency Of the medicine, something about the terps if I recall correctly. Not to mention there are so many incredible Organic outdoor farmers here with vast knowledge and developed rare strains, most of whom refuse to participate with government corruption and greed as it contradicts all they stand for, true Permaculturists if you ask me (&Indeed MANY women- get a clue!).

I like stars too!
Guest
I like stars too!
5 years ago
Reply to  Lilithx

Obviously it is you who has no clue. We were talking about permitting.

I don’t care about “terps”, potency, great “strains” or award winning drugs. I don’t care about the economy.

I do care about growers continuing to divert water, spray poisons, bulldoze trees, and generally act as if there is no price to pay for their pollution and degradation.

I do have a clue about the filthy pigs who rape and run, trash everything for profit from their toxic Cannabis and Hash Oil.

We don’t care if you grow, just grow legal, permitted, and clean product. Easy!

If you can’t do that, then, as they say in Garberville, just leave!

local observer
Guest
local observer
5 years ago

you have no idea what you are trolling about. who is we? if you care about those things you should be against all logging. the only different between grading related to logging and all other grading projects is the use of a silt fence. I have been to the worse of both and the damage related to all grows is not even comparable, the grows will heal and revegetate. I recommend you visit rural x mill town Maine. we have a lot in common, especially the part about not being on the way from A to B and methed out locals. one gallon of herbicide is 6.5 pounds, timber property owners spray 1,000s of gallons in one application to kill oak and madrone, so that’s 6,500 pounds of chemicals discharged to the environment. and you wonder about cancer clusters related to grows.

47
Guest
47
5 years ago

So you only care about MJ growers which compared to the rest of the entire world is an amazingly small footprint in comparison. You don’t care about huge corporations along side mountain ranges and rivers around the world? Something tells me there’s a much bigger fight out there for you so by all means go fight it.

Pharmstheproblem
Guest
Pharmstheproblem
5 years ago

I want? Who are you! I want sounds pretty selfish, I want ,who cares what you want! I want you to go away I want…….

I like stars too!
Guest
I like stars too!
5 years ago

Gee….

Raving much?

Sleepy Alligator
Guest
Sleepy Alligator
5 years ago

If that’s what you want then don’t just want it from pot growers, want it from every citizen of this county who has anything unpermitted or uncompliant whatever on their property. Let’s see how that works out for you. You don’t get to want to punish just one group of people who you don’t agree with. This is not a one way street.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

That is the self righteousness of the apprehended criminal, never minding about all the things he did but focused on the things that others get away with as much more congenial. It is hard to live life in totally compliance with the all law but it is not so hard to avoiding criminality as a way of life.

Sleepy Alligator
Guest
Sleepy Alligator
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

The way some properties look around this county, and I mean non-grower properties, is way more criminal to me than growing pot ever will be. We just have different views on what we consider criminal. Criminal to you is whatever the laws say is criminal and criminal to me is not always something illegal and everything illegal to me is not criminal necessarily.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

Then it is a definition of convenience because a crime is a legal definition. Anything not codified can only be called a crime as only a metaphor. What you mean is that it ought to be a crime but isn’t.

47
Guest
47
5 years ago

We would like to see the same thing with the entire of the US, put ALL the crooked politicians, judges, LE, lobbyists, corporations etc. in prison and hit the reset button. “Nice try but you screwed it up so you’re going to have to try again.” Start there and once that’s all taken care of we’ll worry about the pot farmers in NorCal. Wow…

local observer
Guest
local observer
5 years ago
Reply to  47

the 47 days in 1918 are the reason why we have such a huge opiate problem today. and why we are in Afghanistan. but hell lets worry about a drug that won’t remove the pain like opiates but allows you to live a longer and more fruitful life managing the pain at a lower level.

Bruce
Guest
Bruce
5 years ago

One of the logical conclusions that this process is headed for is for the County of Humboldt to perfect liens on a few hundred or even a thousand properties for fines that can’t be paid by the use of the property. No one will bid on these properties at lien sales or they will be bought for a song. Soon the neighbors will take this evidence to tax hearings and prove that their property assessments are excessive and have their taxes lowered. At this point, after the fools that have developed this strategy have moved on to some other planning department, the hole in our own foot will cause the county to bleed enough to collapse.
The other logical conclusion involves much posturing, much more hiding of who is actually responsible for and profiting from a particular operation and much “selective” enforcement, again while the community slowly bleeds to death. No logical conclusion that I have been able to imagine, from the actions of the counties or the regulators results in environmentally appropriate behavior and clean up.
Not because people don’t care. Most do.

local observer
Guest
local observer
5 years ago
Reply to  Bruce

the problem the County or State has is that they can’t knowingly sell contaminated property at an auction. by collecting samples to prove its contaminated for extortion purposes falls under “Knowing”. so basically they can’t take these properties under lien for the purpose of selling.

Bruce
Guest
Bruce
5 years ago
Reply to  local observer

Thanks, local observer, for pointing this out. It’ll be a useful idea as we encounter denial and willful circumvention of these principles.

Lefty 4 life
Guest
Lefty 4 life
5 years ago

Too bad the same grading standards did not apply to 70 years of rapacious logging practices, eh?

Giuest
Guest
Giuest
5 years ago
Reply to  Lefty 4 life

Oh the instant return to shifting responsibility. But to answer the question that you did not mean to be answered- yes it is a shame that such standards were not imposed in the times of wide scale logging. Are you really suggesting it was not and therefore such standards should not be currently applied?

rollin21
Guest
rollin21
5 years ago

Ahhh yes, we’re fining you to save the environment….and to help the children…..and baby seals and stuff. I’m from the government and I’m here to help.
With 1000’s of years of history repeating itself, it never ceases to amaze me how people vote for their own enslavement, particularly democrats.

Amendment VIII
Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.

Melinda
Guest
Melinda
5 years ago
Reply to  rollin21

👆☝️✊

Lefty 4 life
Guest
Lefty 4 life
5 years ago
Reply to  rollin21

I love you

Lilithx
Guest
Lilithx
5 years ago
Reply to  rollin21

Brilliant rollin

It's A Farce
Guest
It's A Farce
5 years ago

Hoophouses need to be permitted?! We are already sliding down the slippery slope. They cannot see if there is cannabis in your greenhouse but they are hitting you w a civil fine of $10,000/day. By the time you add lawyer fees you are $20,000 deep. For a greenhouse full of food…They are finding people for old grading done by logging outfits 40 years ago. You cleared out a pre-existing flat on your land? BOOM! You have a grading violation! John Ford told us it was about the most eggregiius violators and to save the environment. SURPRISE! Now it’s really about protecting the huge permitted grows! Gotcha!! Yes they are now hitting up small mom n pops. We all need to push this guy Ford out of our county. He is a devious liar. We pretty much all wanted something done about mega-greenrushers- For a decade!- but this guy wants to shut down everybody and he will say anything to get there. Zero trust for him. Zero accountability for that department. Shut them down!

Christian Barrett
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  It's A Farce

I know of one that is exactly like you are talking about. There was no cannabis, maybe a little personal but that was it at the most. They were fined for hoop houses and grading, and the cannabis violation was dropped, but not the other violations.

Concerned citizen
Guest
Concerned citizen
5 years ago

Thankyou Christian Barrett. There would be gigantic numbers in other fines for outhouses and greywater systems that are harmless as long as the water is directed properly.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

Who gets to decide what is proper? Guaranteed no two opinions would be the same.

local observer
Guest
local observer
5 years ago
Reply to  It's A Farce

Ford will most likely come to the same end as Hendry. in the early 2000s code enforcement was using a suspected MJ grow to get warrants to go after non MJ sites and rack up the fines, but it was found not to be random. I witnessed extortion and couldn’t believe what I was seeing, even the attorney said we witnessed extortion. it didn’t last long, and Hendry had to flee to Florida to avoid civil lawsuits from multiple land owners. does anyone remember the $12,000 fine for the Costco carport on Myrtle? I can’t wait until someone gets the server data on their searches during discovery and proves it was in fact not random. one step forward is always two steps back in Humboldt.

47
Guest
47
5 years ago
Reply to  It's A Farce

Any structure over a specific size must be permitted, so just construct a million hoop houses that are no longer than 15’ L x 15’ W x 10’ H, build them all 1’ apart from each other lol. Trust you can grow plenty of MJ in that space, I had a cold frame greenhouse years ago that was 96’ L x 12’ W x 8’ H that we depped and pulled 100# of extremely high quality product out of.

Also my landlord has a stable structure that is much larger than the minimum required to be permitted except that there’s a clause that “temporary” or “non-permanent” structures of a specific size do not have to be permitted as is the case with the stable structure

Anon
Guest
Anon
5 years ago

Besides, …”the whole part about the black market competing with the legal market is a farce. .. ”

That /\

Imo Estelle threw everyone under the bus. Permitted, or not, we have no representation . The supes are answering to higher entity. Who is that?

Get a grip Humboldt county!!! … or we will all need EBT benefits ..

IMO this is one fucking sorry and heavy handed double speak from our “representatives”. 10k /day ? Where did that number even come from? And ZERO BURDEN OF PROOF!?! A greeny/hoop house? Every homestead has at least 1 or 3!! Just because. Long cold spring .. to assume every greeny is filled with herb is bull. These “penalties” are not applied uniformly ..Humboldt county is huuuge. That is concerning . Is this even legal??

Estelle needs to reign this bullshit in until there is some logic and uniform consequences.

Hunt and Peck…Hope everyone is safe from the eye in the sky.

I like stars
Guest
I like stars
5 years ago

The group before the ones currently posted included 10 that listed light pollution violations. As far as I know, they are the first light pollution violations levied. Since I like stars, I was happy to see them.

Christian Barrett
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  I like stars

Made me think they are getting nighttime satellite images to determine the light pollution violations.

WillSmith
Guest
WillSmith
5 years ago

Pretty sure by “hoop house” they mean big engineered greenhouses. Not carport sized greenhouses. Pretty sure they are looking in subdivisions known for large scale commercial farming and going after people that cut into the hill and threw up large greenhouses not going after the homesteader type with a few carport sized greenhouses and some outdoor plants. 25×100 foot green houses look huge from sat imaging. I’m not for the Orwellian police state or for any type of governmental control or invasion of privacy, but it’s the direction we are heading in with the internet and smart phones, smart televisions, smart cars ect… there is no privacy anymore. My friend works for a company called cigital which does contracting with the Department of Defense, NSA ect… and he makes bank but will not drive a newer car because of his knowledge of how easy it is to hack into almost every brand of every modern car and remotely take control of it. Turning on a smartphone microphone remotely is actually something that is not very hard to do. California will hopefully pass more laws and lead the way to protecting folks privacy and their data/ data profile. As of now even in rural America where more folks are off grid and dont have public utilities we still live without privacy even hidden deep in the hills and woods……

Christian Barrett
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  WillSmith

They are looking for any structure over 120 sq ft, 10’x12′. Unless you’re on Ag zoned land, that qualifies for an exemption of hoop houses, but TPZ is getting pooped for any house. Even a shipping container can require a permit.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

TPZ land was valued at a lower rate and therefore taxed at a lower rate because it not residential or agricultural. .http://www.times-standard.com/article/zz/20071124/NEWS/711249735

Pinkasso
Guest
Pinkasso
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

and Trinity is allowing coversion from TPZ, letting the clear cut land from spi turn into 10k sf grows no grading needed

Farce
Guest
Farce
5 years ago

Costco carports are 10×20. So yes even that needs a permit. And they will fine you $10,000 for having one. I have seen a letter sent for grading violation to somebody who had zero plants. Guess they just hit him up while they were lettering his neighbors? They have all the power to do this now… Don’t believe they won’t use it! Ford has already changed his explanations for the civil fines which means he is a….duplicitous lying scammer. Do not trust another word out of his rotten mouth.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Farce

Aren’t temporary or moveable structures an exception?

farce
Guest
farce
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

I believe they should be. However, seen from satellite every structure is noted. If you see Christian Barrett’s comment above you can see that the county makes note of a Costco carport. I suppose you can argue it is “temporary”after they serve you with the $10,000/day fine. But since that is a civil, not criminal charge your land is assumed guilty until you prove innocence. Proving the innocence will cost you time and money. But it will be on you to do so. Yes- this fine was approved to deal with terribly damaging mega-grows. But now they are spreading it out “in concentric circles” as John Ford is quoted…to pick up on whoever is around growing whatever under their greenhouse cover. To protect the economic interests of permitted mega-grows!

local observer
Guest
local observer
5 years ago
Reply to  farce

the guy on Myrtle that made the news in 2005 received a $12,000 fine for his Costco carport because he anchor bolted it to the driveway. he didn’t pay the fine, the carport is still there (probably a new one) and the head of the Code enforcement office resigned. this repeat in history should be interesting.

In my 1911 I trust
Guest
In my 1911 I trust
5 years ago
Reply to  WillSmith

Oh yes, leave it to California to pass MORE laws to protect you. 😆

Concerned citizen
Guest
Concerned citizen
5 years ago

Will someone clarify this for me. When they send an abatement letter giving 10 days to tear down or comply….is there a one day /one time….fine of 10k even after one cleans up or complies or is there no fine at all…in other words…if one gets the letter is that an automatic fine?

Also…they did this in the Santa Cruz mts years ago….part of the reason was the county needed money and just the fines on unpermitted structures were what they were looking for and that concerns me

Christian Barrett
Guest
5 years ago

Yes, at the absolute minimum, it’s one day worth of fines, based on how many violations there are, 10k for one at a minimum, but most letters are for more than 1 violation. It’s not just correct the violations and the fines stop, you have to go and sign an agreement with the county and show you are correcting the issues to get the fines to stop. It also doesn’t stop at 10 days of fines, after 10 days it moves to a 90 day period, and that 90 day period can be restarted at the end of the 90 days.

On top of that, you are likely going to have to apply for permits, even to fix some of the issues, and pay extra permit fees for it being after the fact, can be 3 times the normal permit fee.

47
Guest
47
5 years ago

Good ol’ fashioned Ca bureaucracy at it’s finest huh… you have to get a permit in order to fix the problems we found on/at your property/business. Lmao

Lefty 4 life
Guest
Lefty 4 life
5 years ago

No. If the violation is corrected there is no fine

Christian Barrett
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Lefty 4 life

Is this from first hand experience?

Emily
Guest
Emily
5 years ago

Have any of the lawsuits against the county had any success? I’ve heard quite a few indignant growers talking to Mark Harris or other local attorneys about unfair fines etc… I heard at least one lawsuit was determined in favor of the county.

Sleepy Alligator
Guest
Sleepy Alligator
5 years ago

Buy and sell Black Market Only! Support your local mom-n-pops. The “elite” do not deserve this one. Mom-n-pops have earned the right to live comfortably. Buy and sell Black Market Only!

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

You write as if that is going to be some sort of widely available choice. There are still moonshiners but there are few enough of them that they do not draw the taxman’s attention. There will be outlaw pot growers when the dust settles. Just much fewer of them.

Sleepy Alligator
Guest
Sleepy Alligator
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

It will be a widely available choice for many years to come. Always has been, still is today, and will continue to be.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

Money money money. If pot provides are low enough, being an outlaw for pennies will eliminate all but most tenacious. Others will have a couple of seasons of little return then will look to better ways to chase the dollar.

Regulations will probably be eased but that will not save growers’ money machines. It is not only expensive regulations eating into their formerly obscene profits but competition too, along with limited water.

Emily
Guest
Emily
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Yes, people need money to live. What’s your point? When a group of people have become dependent on a source of money and then it gets pulled out from under them, they get pissed off.

sam walton
Guest
sam walton
5 years ago
Reply to  Emily

Adapt…..or work at Wallmart. People should have saved for the rainy days that have come. Most people pay tax, huge taxes, on what they earn. Yall been beating the system for decades and not that it is legal yall bitchin about it. Shhhhhhsh.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Emily

Yes. There is the bottom line. Growers were not burdened with the same miseries of government regulation and taxation. Now they are in spades and they are pissed.

That statement has the virtue of honesty. Finally, after so much self aggrandizing posturing that “we pay taxes” when they only thought they did, and the delusional ” we behave responsibility” when they did not, and bashing those with legitimate businesses complaining about spending, regulation and taxation, you are now pissed that you have come under the same whip.

The only excuse that I can find for the harshness of the level of taxation at all is that it is an industry still riddled with unscrupulous people who were motivated solely by selfishness and thus will take huge resources to drag into compliance. As evidenced by the screams in the comments section. Otherwise I am prone to object to government treating people as cash cows. Which apparently was ok with many growers until they found themselves in that group.

Emily
Guest
Emily
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Well it’s nice to think you are not the one being punished, but from what I can see, in this county, and surrounding counties, something like 85% of the economy is based on this illegal product.
Just like when the logging industry collapsed, a lot of shops closed and the suffering is felt far and wide.
So, you say we haven’t paid taxes. Well, if you mean income taxes, then yes you are somewhat correct, although many pay them under other guises like selling firewood or whatever, otherwise they wouldn’t be able to spend the money they make (it would be ‘mattress money’)
That’s just one tax though buddy. We pay every single other tax you all pay, whether it’s gas tax, sales tax (more than most nongrowers I would say), hotel tax what have you.
Yes we don’t have burdensome regulations like many official businesses do but, give me one business owner who wouldn’t want less regulation and paperwork. You can’t fault people for that, really. Is it really just sour grapes? And maybe in a different scenario you wouldn’t do the exact same thing as many of your neighbors in this county have been doing for a long time?
I’m not trying to excuse these messy idiots running around here lately, I can’t stand them and I hope they disappear. There is an element that’s been here a long time, the honest outlaw, that’s who I’m talking about. There weren’t problems like this 20 years ago. It’s pretty much ruined now.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Emily

No, I wouldn’t grow pot even as a legal crop because I don’t think intoxicants are good for anyone as recreation. I also do not want to associate with people who do. But then I’m a tee totaler, resist taking medications even for illnesses and worry about ever injuring someone when I drive. I’m concerned about how much resource I waste. I compost. I carry reusable bags to buy in bulk at the grocery. And I tried being a vegetarian due to respecting animals but was sick for 6 months straight and couldn’t make it work. I still feel bad about it. My real bad indulgence is in arguing as a recreation.

I don’t expect everyone to subscribe to my personal philosophies but self justification does irritate. You may say that good growers are not the problem but I would not agree. Any law breaking that becomes so pervasive creates general lawlessness. One person may see a reason for following a strict good practise out of altruism but I can guarantee that 99.9% of his compatriots do not. The camel’s nose is in and the camel is soon pooping in the tent. Because people get used to it does not make it alright.

That is one reason that it should be incumbent on legislators to restrain their rule making. People should not be so overburdened by regulations that they become used to law breaking as a necessary way of life. But finding such people who will act with restraint, whether motivated by do-gooding,greed or both is hard.

Once an outlaw always an outlaw
Guest
Once an outlaw always an outlaw
5 years ago

Ironically, those seeking “compliance” like SPROWEL CREEKER whose “family went through the arduous process and financial requirements to get a legal permit to legally grow 5000 ft.² of cannabis on (their) land .” Are largely still dependent on the black mkt to move product to pay current fees and allow them to have been able to afford to go thru that “arduous process!!” Duuuh. Or did they all raise ” vegetables or cultunary herbs or ornamental plants ” to provide the income necessary for the expense of that 5kft² permit? By my observation those in the legal process appear to have nowhere to go with their product yet ! The channels are clogged and what channels exist are poorly designed. Who HASN’T been asked if they can unload any P’s? My hunch? Rare is the “legal farmer” who isn’t slipping in extra, and flipping a few (a lot) on the side for $$ flow. Let’s be real. Get off your indignant high horse, drop the charade, and remember where u came from.

Emily
Guest
Emily
5 years ago

Very true. Most growers I know who are ‘in the process’ have said to me they plan on playing both sides of the fence. Which seems crazy! I mean, you have given all your personal info, and it’s not like you are the first one to come up with this idea! Government agencies regularly audit alcohol producers for records, it will be no different here, and likely more strict considering the novelty and the federal illegal-ness.

I’d say, go totally legal or stay underground.

Sleepy Alligator
Guest
Sleepy Alligator
5 years ago
Reply to  Emily

So you believe that every alcohol retailer is 100% by the book? Even in places like NYC? There’s a Black Market for every consumer product that exists. Pharmaceuticals are the best example of that. Even many of our doctors are a little bit criminal.

Emily
Guest
Emily
5 years ago

True but I’m saying the govt knows how to spot cheaters. Just like the insurance industry. These people are acting like they are geniuses for thinking that they can play both sides of the fence, not considering that the govt is going to be up their ass with audits and surveillance etc…
Esp. The first few years of ‘legalization’

47
Guest
47
5 years ago
Reply to  Emily

And how does the gov know how to spot cheaters so well? They’re biggest cheaters of all

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

Sleepy Alligator,

Thumbs up!

Local farmer
Guest
Local farmer
5 years ago

Thats about 2% of the illegal farms that have received notices. In 50 more years they’ll have sent notices to all the illegal farms. Who knows how many new illegal farms are popping up. Id bet more than have received notices. What a joke !

I like stars too!
Guest
I like stars too!
5 years ago

It is interesting to read everything in which growers claim that everyone else is a bigger lawbreaker, or everyone else is somehow worse, or that it’s some other drug that causes all the problems!

We are just talking about obeying laws, getting permits, and not running amok!

No other business is allowed to operate like pot growers, and, ordinary law states that you have to comply with government regulations!

Why should you be different? Why should you be allowed to do whatever you want, make money off the books, pay no taxes etc? You want to use roads, get welfare, be able to access services, but you don’t want to participate in legal commerce or organized society?

As far as I know, there are no ares of the country which operate like Humboldt used to. The economy will adjust, and commerce will level out. No one is going to die without Black Market Weed.

Obey the law! If you want to operate like an outlaw, move to Oregon! Nevada! Alabama! Alaska! Canada!

That’s not food in that greenhouse, and Pot is not medicine!

47
Guest
47
5 years ago

Pay taxes? To our own government? Noooo!!!! Lol
Read “The Creature From Jekyll Island… A Second Look at the Federal Reserve”
By G. Edward Griffin

Lilithx
Guest
Lilithx
5 years ago
Reply to  47

Well said 47. it’s as if these cultivator haters forget what those ‘glorious’ taxes are primarily used for- war on people and planet worldwide.When did funding corruption, slavery and the slaughter of spirit, the sacred, people and planet become admirable? I am proud to say I have never filed taxes in my entire life and never intend to, among many reasons some involving the torcher and killing of children Etc., I like to sleep at night. I do however volunteer constantly, donate to local, legal and free speech media groups, Etc. fighting for the rights of Mother Earth, holding power accountable, working to change this bs system and organize around solutions. People will always tax themselves energeticcally, monetarily, etc. bc it’s apart of our nature to care about the world as a whole. If you don’t tax yourself, your not participating or realizing your purpose as a member of the micro and macroeconomic Community, which makes you entirely out of balance, bc it’s simply unnatural. People need To stop with the blanketed character attacks on cultivators. There will always be greedy people everywhere you look bc this system rewards that very behavior hello- look at this administration and other leaders today. Many people who cultivate medicine here (yes it cures cancer and many more ailments duh!) they resist this very government corruption and violence, many are resistors of war, war vets, others fleeing war in many capacities. Have some respect, even for those you may never understand. We all have different life experiences and last I checked that wasn’t a crime.

Local farmer
Guest
Local farmer
5 years ago

The county has collected well over 1,000,000$ from the farmers who are getting compliant in the same time period as they levied 600,000 in fines to illegal farms.
Kym Kemp I am asking you to do a story on the fact that the compliant farmer has been taxed and payed fees that are making people drop out broke, while illegal farmers pay on average 10,000 in fines when busted.
My taxes to the county alone exceed $14,000 a year for a grow smaller than 9000 square feet. Just the county cultivation tax.
Who is really getting punished?

Emily
Guest
Emily
5 years ago
Reply to  Local farmer

You made the choice.. don’t go crying.

Sleepy Alligator
Guest
Sleepy Alligator
5 years ago
Reply to  Emily

😂😩😩😩😂

big balls in the sky magee
Guest
big balls in the sky magee
5 years ago
Reply to  Local farmer

How much can your 9000 sqft produce in legal sales to a dispensary?

47
Guest
47
5 years ago

I can produce approximately 600lbs give or take with a canopy space of 9,000 sqft

CoveTroll
Guest
CoveTroll
5 years ago

Level the playing field. Finally. This only means black market will get stronger….

Local farmer
Guest
Local farmer
5 years ago

Mr. I like stars too.
You’re wrong. Cannabis is medicine. Educate yourself before making insulting remarks about local culture. Maybe you’re the one who should move.
All the herb on my farm is organic and has 20% CBD and 1% THC and is made into tincture using organic ethanol extraction. Thousands of people experience life changing relief from serious diseases from the tinctures.
Please tell me how you lump organic farmers with chemi farmers.
People with light pollution from their farms with responsible ones who cover.
People who take from the watershed all summer with people who store water from the rain off their roofs.
People who spray pesticides with organic farmers.
There’s a huge difference between people doing it right and people doing it wrong.
Please educate yourself.

fuckwalterwhite.com
Guest
fuckwalterwhite.com
5 years ago
Reply to  Local farmer

“There’s a huge difference between people doing it right and people doing it wrong.”

Which group has more members?
Police yourselves

I like stars too!
Guest
I like stars too!
5 years ago
Reply to  Local farmer

There is no peer-reviewed or dose-measured documented medical effect. Almost all evidence presented for medical pot is dependent on reports from users.

In my mind, an intoxicating substance may have any effect at all.

I have a degree in Psychology, have studied altered states of consciousness, and had a long career in healthcare, and, I smoked weed for a long time.

Cannabis makes me agitated, and pretty uncomfortable. I used to like it for when I had mundane tasks to perform. That is all it is good for!

High CBD cannabis has helped people sleep better, and there are reports of relief from symptoms and many other effects.

I am talking about dose-related, measurable effects.

Believe me, if pot were useful as medicine, only pharmaceutical companies would be producing it!

My opinion is: colloquial evidence is not reliable. Reports from intoxicated persons are unreliable. AND: You are defensive and delusional. Best of luck!

BTW, comments are just opinions, and they are not directed at you personally!

47
Guest
47
5 years ago

So I’m guessing that the FDA approved pharmaceutical product made from cannabis doesn’t count eh?

I like stars too!
Guest
I like stars too!
5 years ago
Reply to  47

The FDA approves many chemicals which are generally useless, and possibly harmful. The trouble with Cannabis is it makes you think you are OK, or somehow better, without any real medical effect. Many many drugs approved for use in this country have no value, and may hurt you!

Consume medication carefully, and be your own advocate. Nobody can stop you from smoking pot, since it is legal now, but, that does not make it medicinal or assign it some kind of pure medical effect.

No-one argues against the use of Marijuana for medicine more than Doctors. If you want to be qualified to speak on this subject, go to Medical School.

Lots of Doctors smoke dope, too…

47
Guest
47
5 years ago

So because you have a degree in psychology and were a nurse for a long time your say is final eh? There are peer reviewed studies, do you honestly think not one person has footed the bill to research the medicinal properties of MJ? That’s rich… [edit]

In my 1911 I trust
Guest
In my 1911 I trust
5 years ago
Reply to  Local farmer

Ethanol isn’t organic. Maybe you need some education. There is no organic solvent. Haha

47
Guest
47
5 years ago

And while I agree with this comment I do agree with you other comments much more but referring to this comment, define organic. I’m honestly not trying to be a smartass but are there not organic chemicals? Again I’m sure it depends on whose definition of organic we’re going by as many corrupt corps along with politicians have changed the definition time and time again to suit their needs

In my 1911 I trust
Guest
In my 1911 I trust
5 years ago
Reply to  47

Nothing created in a lab. Sourced from the earth in its raw form. Unrefined. Not chemical in composition.

Rooster
Guest
Rooster
5 years ago

Ethanol made from organic corn can be certified as organic. Likewise 198 proof distilled from organic sugar is certified and on the market.

You can buy 55 gallon drums of the stuff.

WOW
Guest
WOW
5 years ago

Sorry you are wrong alcohols of all types are organic molecules. I’m assuming the post meant derived from organic sources.

In my 1911 I trust
Guest
In my 1911 I trust
5 years ago
Reply to  WOW

Its not organic since it must undergo a process to become ethanol. Ethanol is a chemical compound

Bruce
Guest
Bruce
5 years ago

Sugars+ Water+ Yeast (and a little heat)= alcohol + CO2 in a water solution
Cook it (distillation) and you have alcohol

Cooking is allowed in “Organic” law, as is fermentation. Before the USDA nonsense both were commonly accepted.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

So many bootlickers in here. The founders must be rolling over in their graves.

John Ford, another Oath-less wonder, needs to return to San Diego where he came from 18 months ago. These paper terrorists are gasbags – w/pretend Sheriff Billy’s military SWAT back up.

Watch Revelation Dawn of Global Government for free until the 22nd, with G. Edward Griffin, Charlie Daniels, Gen Wm Boykin and more.. Also, The Red Pill Expo is now online too.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

I WILL NOT COMPLY
TO UNLICENSED, OATH-LESS, BOND-LESS, PRIVATELY
HELD CORPORATIONS POSING AS GOV’T., OR LIARS

16 Am Jur 2d, Sec 177 late 2d, Sec 256:
The general misconception is that any statute passed by legislators bearing the appearance of law constitutes the law of the land. The United States Constitution is the supreme law of the land, and any statute to be valid must be In agreement. It is impossible for both the Constitution and a law violating it to be valid; one must prevail. This is succinctly stated as follows:
The General rule is that an unconstitutional statute, though having the form and name of law is in reality no law, but is wholly void, and ineffective for any purpose; since unconstitutionality dates from the time of it’s enactment and not merely from the date of the decision so branding it. An unconstitutional law, in legal contemplation, is as inoperative as if it had never been passed. Such a statute leaves the question that it purports to settle just as it would have the statute not been enacted.
Since an unconstitutional law is void, the general principles follow that it imposes no duties, confers no rights, creates no office, bestows no power or authority on anyone, affords no protection, and justifies no acts performed under it . . .
A void act cannot be legally consistent with a valid one. An unconstitutional law cannot operate to supersede any existing valid law. Indeed, insofar as a statute runs counter to the fundamental law of the land, it is superseded thereby.
No one is bound to obey an unconstitutional law and no courts are bound to enforce it.

AS SELF-APPOINTED RULERS . . .YOU WILL PASS WHATEVER IT IS YOU ARE GOING TO PASS. I FOR ONE WILL REFUSE TO COMPLY.

I have the constitution both state and federal on my side. I am on the right side of history with this. You are on the wrong side.

Just because you beLIEve you can make a felon out of the citizenry with the stroke of a pen, does not mean that the people will comply.

Respectively submitted,

from Carlotta ~the heart of Humboldt

Anon
Guest
Anon
5 years ago

Helpful would be maybe a link to prior discussion when JohnFORD said this :

Ford said, “Our objective is not to levy huge fines. We want to bring sites that are not in compliance into compliance.” Ford said that the growers receiving the letters won’t necessarily face fines right away if they reach out to the Planning Department. “Our objective is to get them into a dialogue about how to resolve it within that 10 days,” he explained.

https://kymkemp.com/2017/10/27/10000-per-day-fines-face-marijuana-growers-not-in-the-permit-process-notices-began-to-be-sent-out-this-month/

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Anon

We’re dealing with criminals and thieves or they wouldn’t be doing what they’re doing.

Ask what form of payment they’ll accept – privately printed ‘money’ (FRNs) are ‘Legal” tender, and the California Constitution says taxes must be paid in lawful dollars. You can’t pay a debt with debt notes.

Maxim of law – Once a fraud, always a fraud.

Threats and coercion void all contracts:

Redwood Times July 25, 2017
[UNELECTED/PRETEND] Sheriff Billy Honsal said Friday, “but we understand that there is a lot of people that are still on the black market and they have no intent of coming into legitimacy with the law. Those people will need to realize that we’re coming after them, and that it may not be tomorrow, it may not be the next day, but we will get to all of them.”

Lefty 4 life
Guest
Lefty 4 life
5 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

You are talking about the government, right?
Criminals & thieves….

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Lefty 4 life

Yes, corporate governmental criminal parasites impersonating public servants.

A person to fill a term of office is not permitted to assume the duties of the office until he files a bond and oath of office, which must be done before the commencement of the term, or the office shall be deemed vacant. People v. Quimby, 152 Colo. 231, 381 P.2d 275 (1963).

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Lefty 4 life

Lefty 4 life? Lefties are defined as lefties because they believe that government is the very best tool to enforce change. Welcome to your own personal change.

Emily
Guest
Emily
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

That’s not true. Their is a correlation between big govt /more taxes and the left but that’s not what it’s all about. Just like there is a correlation between sexism and rascism on the right, but that’s not what it’s all about.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Emily

Show me one left wing government that doesn’t use its government power to change social conditions. Frankly it’s all left wing government does, period, and why it creates failure most of the time sooner or later. People tend to resist being force marched into a theoretical social order. It’s a tricky business for government to mandate social policies and not screw it up. As for sexism and racism, the more dictatorial the government the more of both those things exist whether right or left.

Now the right has its problems with being true to its philosophy but it is called conservative because it does not want change. It’s the very definition- not gun rights or sexism or whatever the left tends to want to stick it with. It simply upholds what exists and if Ancient Chinese Confusianism was what existed, for example, then conservative found to keep it even though it was a very rational system for good government at one time. Certainly it does not want to legislate social change. Since it tends go promote already existing values, it is less prone to failure as what exists actually- well- has been working more or less, even if lefties hate it. That is of course for good or bad depending on whether what exists is good or bad.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/conservative

I think you confuse some current groups as representing conservatives through the ages, which is an ignoring of history, groups being fearful of changing values with only the bad things that exist already. But there is an larger part of good things that exist too. Shouldn’t ignore those to idolize the left, whose past “successes” have been the Soviet Union, the Pol Pot regime and Mao tze Tung with many millions of victims. Leftist change always tend to sink to massive “correcting” of the revisionist view of their own people, usually by mass murder and imprisoning opponents. A frightful slaughter usually.

Of course Nazis and military rule in South America reflect the right’s “successes” too. But even those uglinesses pall beside the death toll of leftist regimes, who tend to see every complaint as reason to eliminate the non progressive.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

This recent Jury Nullification opens the Full Faith and Credit clause from one sister state to another.

https://thefreethoughtproject.com/jury-nullifies-georgia-weed-law-finds-man-not-guilty-despite-admittedly-growing-marijuana/

Concerned
Guest
Concerned
5 years ago

This seems horribly unjust. It is without any due process. And taxation without representation. Estell fennel is a awful supervisor. I really hope people vote her out of office as soon as possible. These fees are exorbitant.. and the timeline to ‘Comply’ is unjust. The county is exploiting their loop holes and are abusing the people, and the trust of the people.

Lilithx
Guest
Lilithx
5 years ago
Reply to  Concerned

Why don’t we recall Estelle already? This is super urgent and she is clearly not acting for the good of the community. Turns out it’s not so difficult to recall a supervisor … Any legal experts out there who can craft an effective petition? I’m happy to do the leg work otherwise. http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/recalls/procedure-recalling-state-and-local-officials/

rudolph's mom
Guest
rudolph's mom
5 years ago

Thanks for supporting the economy for 40 years. Now give us your property and get the fuck out.

456
Guest
456
5 years ago
Reply to  rudolph's mom

no sh#t…

hmm
Guest
hmm
5 years ago

So has anyone created a petition to stop this levying of excessive fines, and violation of privacy?

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  hmm

Petition fiction? The @System@ is decayed and destined for failure. Being in fraud up to their glowing red eyeballs, no surety company will issue a bond to cover their lie-ability. The offices are all vacant.

What happens in the HumCo Commercial Administration rooms, called court, is, they set-up a phony hearing date and don’t inform the claimant, then bring in the two newest judicial ______ – Gregory Kreis who claims it would be in the best interest of justice to recuse himself. And three days later, cuz you didn’t show up for one of their try-alls, Kelly Neel signs a Dismissal – mailed by a US Citizen resident of Humboldt, and signed under penalties of perjury!!

No body you know is a US Citizen. Not you, your uncle, brother or Mother. And unless you were born and/or live in the District of Criminals (DC), you are Not a “resident.” American state national, non-resident is our correct status. California along with the other states of the union (Not Illinois), makes up the united states, not visa versa.

We’re stuck in Hegelian Dialectic. The only way to stop the privacy invasions, expanding domestic police powers, land grabs, wars against inanimate objects, covert actions, and outright assaults on individual liberty, is to step outside the dialectic and shift consciousness.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

Heady days in Humboldt, huh? All this protesting against government instead of complaints about not enough government. Too bad it is so based on same old values of what people think they are owed rather than a philosophy of the virtue of self reliance. As soon as the personal pain fades, they will return to the old litany of what government owes them. No balance to maintain their positions. They will topple back toward the side of least resistance- that government should make happen what they want.

Emily
Guest
Emily
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

You don’t have a very good grasp on what’s going on here.

Tit for tat
Guest
Tit for tat
5 years ago
Reply to  hmm

Petition ? Civil litigation right back at them is what is being called for.

From here forward perhaps this john fellow’s new moniker is Lord Ford

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Tit for tat

“Civil” litigation for criminals? R. U. Cerius?

In my 1911 I trust
Guest
In my 1911 I trust
5 years ago

And so the county repeats history once again. Lets allow canneries to line the banks of the salmon rich Mattole and Eel Rivers, taking as much as they can. Oh no there aren’t many salmon left, instead of healthily regulating the industry, lets shut it down! Lets allow loggers to log as many old growth logs as they can! We’ll never run out of trees. Oh crap we’re out of trees, overregulate and kill the industry. Ah the weed industry is bringing money into our county, a lot of money, but its not regulated. County says lets regulate and tax the shit out of it while prices plummet! Great idea, lets kill yet another industry! Who can blame the county for what they are doing, its the same thing that its been doing for a century. Insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over again yet expecting a different result. Our stupidvisors have a mental illness, its called greed

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

“Allows” fisheries to line banks? “Allows” loggers to cut every tree? Complaining about a government full of stupid people “allowing” these things to happen in the same paragraph that proceeds to complain about them not allowing pot growers to the same thing is short on consistency among other things.

Either greedy people abusing the environment should stopped or they shouldn’t be.

In my 1911 I trust
Guest
In my 1911 I trust
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Never said anything about not allowing or allowing, said that they are doing what they do best, destroy industries instead of regulating them the right way, from the beginning. Instead you let your hatred of pot blind you to what what actually being said. Let me simplify for you and speak more slowly. The government of Humboldt County consistently does not regulate an industry until it is out of control. Once the shit has spiraled out of control, they overregulate to regain control. But instead of regaining control of said industry, the regulations kill it. And yes, they did allow it.

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

You can speak as slowly as you want, it comes out the same. County regulation ended neither the fisheries or logging. That came from the Feds or State. Or nature. And as for regulating pot: until the State started legalizing, the county could do nothing but participate in raids. They couldn’t have regulated a totally illegal business before that.

Geez Louise aka Perry Mason
Guest
Geez Louise aka Perry Mason
5 years ago

Thanks for the article! Crazy Times in Humboldt! Some Great Comments! I was asked review and comment. Apparently the BOS directed Mr. Ford to “focus [Code Enforcement] on unpermitted cannabis cultivation.” Mr. Ford points out two reasons: 1. Protecting the Environment; and 2. Fair business environment for those who have gone through the process. The Board directed that the most egregious violations would be priorities. I understand Supervisor Finell recently stated the same thing on a local radio station. It was supposed to be the worst of the worst.

As far as protecting the environment, I’m all in! Who’s not? Those farmers who are creating adverse impacts to our streams and resource lands should be held accountable. This is true for dairymen, ranchers, timber companies and of course homeowner’s. If there are no adverse conditions, they should not be on the County’s radar.

However, it’s tough to tell if the County is going after the worst of the worst. Most if not all the NTA’s published Saturday’s paper in the Myers Flat and Phillipsville areas probably had no environmental impacts. They are/were in people’s backyards.

In regards to fair business practices, as already stated, its two different markets. Black market farms can’t sell to dispensaries. It’s likely easier to divert legal cannabis to the black market.

Mr. Ford states the minimum fine is $10,000 a day. That’s not what he said on October 27th of last year. Check it out! https://kymkemp.com/2017/10/27/10000-per-day-fines-face-marijuana-growers-not-in-the-permit-process-notices-began-to-be-sent-out-this-month/. Actually, the fines for Category 4 Violations range from $6,000 to $10,000 a day or allowed by applicable State law which is ever higher. Check it out!

Sections 25132, 36900 and 53069.4 of the California Government Code limits the amount Counties can levy for fines. Nothing close to $10,000. Although I’m not an attorney, I did play an attorney on tv (Perry Mason). I believe the $10,000 a day for each violation may not be allowed. Hence the reason for the language or allowed by applicable State law which is ever higher? Maybe. Check it out!

In addition, I doubt that most of the violations warrant the $10,000 a day fine (Category 4 Violations) because they do not “…have a significant and/or substantial impact on the health, safety, comfort and/or general welfare of the public.” See below.

Category 4 Violations. Violations that are committed intentionally or through inexcusable neglect and have a significant and/or substantial impact on the health, safety, comfort and/or general welfare of the public. Category 4 Violations shall include, but not be limited to, the commercial cultivation of marijuana in Violation of any applicable local or state laws, regulations, policies, procedures, permits and agreements.

Apparently the County considers hoop-houses (a pvc pipe slid over a piece of rebar) structures requiring Building Permits. Really! Section 331-11(4)(8) of the County Code exempts Agricultural Structures. In addition, Section 105.2.10 of the California Building Code exempts “Shade cloth structures constructed for nursery and agricultural purposes, not including service systems.” Check it out!

Again, I’m not an attorney, I just played an attorney on tv. Of course that was years ago and I’ve been dead for almost 25 years, but I still can’t stop thinking of my secretary Della Street and that know it all District Attorney Hamilton Burger. As Hamilton Burger once said, “Be careful what you ask for?”

Blue Slide
Guest
Blue Slide
5 years ago

Basically there’s a bunch of people with planning, biology, law enforcement, and engineering degrees who think they are going to have these high paying jobs regulating and consulting for the cannabis industry for years to come.

My guess is in a few years most of the legal farms will be out of business. In the black market only really good growers with really really good connections will survive. And all those consulting/regulating jobs will be gone.

At that point all these abatement notices and legal ordinances will have been a big waste of time because pot was on its way out anyway. If the county really wanted to save the environment or whatever excuse they’re using at the moment, all you need is a few crews of guys with pick up trucks, chainsaws/machetes, and and a sheriff escort. Problem solved.

Emily
Guest
Emily
5 years ago
Reply to  Blue Slide

Yep I agree, and I’d ask anyone who is blowing all their hard earned savings, what is your end goal? What’s the 5 year plan? When it’s legal nationally? You think you will have a prayer? Might as well grow rutabagas!

CoveTroll
Guest
CoveTroll
5 years ago
Reply to  Emily

The system is designed to fail. Plain n simple. Everyone is falling for it. “They” are geniuses who sat at a table with a bunch of stratigists to end the weed game in humboldt once n for all. Deplete them of all there illegal cash, tax and regulate the little bit of legal money they have left, if they don’t comply…. take there property. Brilliant!

Bastion of Faith
Guest
Bastion of Faith
5 years ago
Reply to  Emily

Rutabagas are so delicious!

Shawnee
Guest
Shawnee
5 years ago

This this county is run by idiots greedy people we need to stand together like an uprising anybody who received a ticket fine don’t go to court don’t pay the fines don’t show up what do they going to do come after all of you we have the Constitution of the United States of America that’s a lot get him out of office they’re all Crooks all of them

I like stars too!
Guest
I like stars too!
5 years ago
Reply to  Shawnee

If you don’t like the government, feel free to change it…

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Shawnee

This is a country of greedy people who created the very government they complain about. Pot growers are as busy as anyone else they find offensive wringing what money they can out of everyone else. Too bad they didn’t stand with others who complained about unfair and excessive taxation when they were busy not paying it themselves. As long as it did not seem to touch them, they didn’t care. Now the taxman comes for them too but finding friends to stand with them are hard to find, having not made any in decades.

It’s a painful process. There will be relief from regulation sooner or later. But there will not be from competition, which will be the killer. There is no product of superior quality or, if there is, Humboldt does not make it, to have enough value to make what grows here worth enough more to sustain cottage industry of such volume.

I like stars too!
Guest
I like stars too!
5 years ago
Reply to  Guest

AND: Not everyone is supposed to commercially farm Cannabis! Nobody guaranteed you a living.

Lots of other ways to survive. It’s Amerika!

If you can’t do the time, or pay the fine, don’t do the crime!

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago
Reply to  Shawnee

Shawnee, <3

If we get 2/3 of all Counties operating back Lawfully and in the Private, opposed to the PUBLIC, we can take back the state to the Lawful way it was intended. It takes 25 families per county, minimum, to turn this sinking, stinking commercial ship of state around and return to the common law land jurisdiction (innocent until proven guilty).

The law of the order is the vehicle that gets us there -and it hasn’t changed since it was written in 1893. We will have to learn how to facilitate a lawful public meeting, such as: no 4-colored flags, no “Consent Calendar,” no “Summary” Minutes, no bribes/grants, debate is open-ended and goes back and forth between the affirmative and the negative until a logic-before-authority conclusion is reached.

Bribe Grants are suicidal and if you look at the Financial Statements (they didn’t even do an audit for 2016-2017), it becomes obvious that the fake free-flowing Bribe-Grants are merely for Corporate investment purposes (Not on gov’t job description).

The original Constitution for the united States of America has thirteen Bill of Rights’ Amendments. The Thirteenth Amendment forbids Titles of Nobility – “Woe to Attorneys and their enablers.” The Brits burned the White House to the ground in their futile effort to find and destroy the original.

“If you examined the 16th Amendment carefully, you would find that a sufficient number of states never ratified that amendment.” U.S. District Court Judge James C. Fox (2003). —Ditto the 14th — including the status label “U.S. citizen” for the then released slaves.

“Income taxes are entirely voluntary.” Flora vs US 362 U.S. 145 (1960).

Concerned for the future.
Guest
Concerned for the future.
5 years ago

So I think it is time to break out the pitchforks. If large groups of growers make their unhappiness with this poicy known, the county will have no choice but to change. It is so rediculous it has even come to this.. the old timers fought diligently so this would not happen. They fought the codes and other trivial bombardments. This generation doesn’t really care about anything but partying. That is the problem.
All the hard work from the civil liberties union was just thrown down the drain, and our property rights and freedoms were traded in for dollars for the few. I left humboldt because I saw the writing on the wall. I tried to warn people.. nobody cared or listened. Sad. There are other counties were their cannabis codes are not as complicated or corrupt. That is probably what they want. The powers that be have been trying to get rid of us ma and pa.. since the beginning.
But.. I beilive it is not to late to prevail. I am not a lawyer.. but consider pulling resources and start suing the county! Sue Sue Sue. Speak up.. in mass, organize.
Property Rights and Civil rights are important! The environment is also important.
Nobody wants big enviro.. disaster superfund sites in the woods.. but I am not seeing the county really target those people. Don’t let truth and rights go extinct!

Emily
Guest
Emily
5 years ago

I would happily sign onto a lawsuit. Tell me where to go. I’ll bring some pitchforks too

whiner detector
Guest
whiner detector
5 years ago
Reply to  Emily

Go get a job Emily. Or learn how to be legal. Or waste your money getting attorneys fat. Should have held onto some of that tax free money to use to get legal.

Concerned for the future
Guest
Concerned for the future
5 years ago
Reply to  Emily

😊. Definitely time for some pitch fork! 🤗 .I am shocked there hasn’t been a lawsuit yet. I know the county fears one! I would love to see one. I left Humboldt.. on to greener pastures. But it pains me to see The county destroying the livelihoods of hardworking families. Sure there are some bad apples in the mix.. but the majority are hard working families.
I also hope people get their act together and Vote out Estell Fennel. She has failed to protect the livelihoods of the people of southern Humboldt. What a disgrace and a disappointment. I beilive a recall would be in order. That would be a serious pitchfork right there! It is not that hard to file for a recall!

Guest
Guest
Guest
5 years ago

Only if the judge in the case refuses to allow questions about past practices in the industry. For which plaintiffs would withstand scrutiny regarding, say, labor laws, past taxes, permitting, etc.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

Concerned for the future, and Emily,

Scythes and pitchforks . . . now we’re talkin. If we do not seize this unique moment in our constitutional history to reform our judicial legislative and executive branches, we are all going to live to regret it.

What’s the scheduled date when the bio-borgs descend upon us from Sacramento?

You shall not bow down yourself to them, nor worship them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces. Exodus 20:5

farce
Guest
farce
5 years ago

An ironic yet important piece of the puzzle s that the County Planning Dept. did away with Class K just before all this started heating up. We fought long and hard for our Class K exceptions. Now if you get caught up in the letter campaign they will fine you $10,000/day for violations that could have been resolved under Class K. But not now! Everybody got slack about private property rights and now they got us on the run! Yeah- pitchforks and torches time…ok hold the torches it’s fire season

Anon
Guest
Anon
5 years ago
Reply to  farce

By what power?
And who are these guys?

Moving the “code enforcement” division of humblt govt under the planning dept umbrella was another SNEAKY and uncontested -no comment period for that– maneuver they did recently. Interestingly , to secure a planning dept position u just “apply ” for it / or are “appointed” to it. (By whom? The board of supes OF COURSE)

Wthell Sounds nepotistic to me, and a bit flimflammy to be honest …

From planning commission page:
Applications
To serve on the Planning Commission, please fill out an application Opens a New Window. and submit it to the Clerk of the Board [email protected] . Citizens from any district in Humboldt County are welcome to apply, though some appointments are district-specific.
You can also mail applications to:
Humboldt County Clerk of the Board
825 5th Street, Room 111
Eureka, CA 95501

Members
Alan Bongio, District 1
Reappointed: January 10, 2017
Expires: January 31, 2021
Robert Morris, District 2
Reappointed: January 10, 2017
Expires: January 31, 2021
Noah Levy, District 3
Appointed: January 10, 2017
Expires: January 31, 2021
Kevin McKenny, District 4
Reappointed: February 10, 2015
Expires: January 31, 2019
Ben Shepherd, District 5
Reappointed: January 27, 2015
Expires: January 31, 2019
David Edmonds, At-Large
Reappointed: January 27, 2015
Expires: January 31, 2019
Brian Mitchell, At-Large
Appointed: January 24, 2017
Expires: January 31, 2021
Authority
Ordinance Numbers: 2214, 1472, 1350, 1080, 932, 597, 436, 330, and 166
Appointing Power: Board of Supervisors
Members: 7 members (1 member from each district and 2 members at-large)
Qualifications: Must live within District represented for District 1-5 categories
Term: 4 Years
Function: Make decisions on planning and zoning matters

Johnny Rotten
Guest
Johnny Rotten
5 years ago

Shovel handles might work better although most of them would probably like it then where would we be in another weird situation

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

I like stars too!,

Don’t confuse the fraudulent commercial system with lawful government. There is no “middle ground” here you’re either in or out of Babylon. You are either master or slave, mortal or immortal, on the land or lost at sea.

The United States Congress represents our states in some strictly delegated arenas of international jurisdiction—-and it only controls “commerce”—-not “trade.”

Commerce is business conducted between incorporated entities— think GM, the Public Broadcasting System, and SEARS. Trade is conducted between living people and unincorporated businesses—think me and you and the Mom and Pop Grocery Store and Jones and Sons, Lumber Company.

We are told that human activity is threatening the Earth. The ‘green’ response is to sacrifice freedom, living standards, and property rights. This is not a sustainable solution because it ends in human servitude. The real agenda is not about an illegal “Commercial Ordinance” or “Medical Marijuana,” but [political] control over people.

Evidence of a “crime” is a corpus delicti, literally “The Body of the Crime.” Otherwise, no jurisdiction.

It must be hard for those who choose authority over truth.

Central HumCo
Guest
5 years ago

Guest,

There have not been any Judges in America since 1789. There have just been Administrators. (FRC v. GE 281 US 464, Keller v. PE 261 US 428 1Stat. 138-178)

James Madison – “There can be no liberty where the legislative and executive powers are united in the same person, or body of magistrates’ . . . .”
The Federalist No. 47, p. 325 (J. Cooke ed. 1961).

And generally:

“The government of the United States is a foreign corporation with respect to a state.”
In re Merriam, 36 N.E. 505, 141 N Y. 479, affirmed 16 S.Ct. 1073, 163.

The FCC, CIA, FBI, NASA and all of the other alphabet gangs were never part of the United States government. Even though the “US Government” held shares of stock in the various Agencies. (U.S. V. Strang , 254 US 491, Lewis v. US, 680 F.2d, 1239).

Commingling law forms are a trespass on the public side and are dangerous.


1795 U.S. Supreme Court decision which states in part: “In as much as every government is an artificial [manmade] person, an abstraction, and a creature of the mind only; a government can interface only with other artificial persons. The imaginary [invented], having neither actuality nor substance, is foreclosed [barred] from creating and attaining parity [equality] with the tangible [physical]. The legal manifestation of this is that no government, as well as any law, agency, aspect, court, etc. can concern itself with anything other than corporate, artificial persons and the contracts between them.”
Penhallow v. Doane’s Administrators S.C.R. 1795, (3 U.S. 54; 1 L.Ed. 57; 3 Dall. 54)

See also: CRUDEN v. NEALE 2N.C. (1796) 2 SE 70 “Every man is independent of all laws, except those prescribed by nature. He is not bound by any institutions formed by his fellowmen without his consent.”

The NAME game -the creation of incorporated “personas” to entrap and enslave living people together with the practice of personage and barratry that goes with it, is the rankest kind of substitution fraud known to man.

Homer $
Guest
Homer $
5 years ago

Anyone hear anything about paying large bills at PG&E? I heard you now have to sign IRS forms?

Hum broseph
Guest
5 years ago

^^^looks like the final nail in the coffin for the California indoor black market commercial grower. It’s been real humboldt….

Mickey
Guest
Mickey
5 years ago

It is a frightening time for all of us. Legal or not. I hope we can limit environmental harm and keep our communities solid. This will be a hard task. Government on any level does not have this agenda. It will be up to us to band together and create a group that has political clout and stability.

Ed Voice
Guest
Ed Voice
5 years ago
Reply to  Mickey

That group your talking about was already created, e.g. HumCPR (Humboldt Coalition for Property Rights) They are still County Supervisors and Planning Commissioners. And they had an agenda in the same way Trump did. They were good at “alternative facts”…

If your not doing anything wrong, why is it a “frightening time for all of us”?

horrible person
Guest
horrible person
5 years ago

Wonder how they missed the folks at the end of driver rd in westhaven///??

K
Guest
K
5 years ago

Kym, do you have stats as far as how many plats some of these places had? I am hearing alot of talk about small farms being fined, and people with no weed receiving letters and now having to go through the courts over their outhouse or unpermitted house.

Kym Kemp
Admin
5 years ago
Reply to  K

No, we don’t. But we are continuing to work on this.

k
Guest
k
5 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

thanks, Kym!