KHTS Radio Santa Clarita Radio – Santa Clarita News
During their March 27 meeting, the Santa Clarita City Council is expected to push for approval of a second reading for the ordinance to ban commercial land use for cannabis businesses as well as placing restrictions on growing in residential units.
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Soon after California residents voted to pass Proposition 64 in 2016, legalizing recreational use and sale of weed, council members moved to prevent such businesses from sprouting up within city limits.
The city council originally passed a moratorium on commercial cannabis-related land use in December of 2016 in order to give themselves time to conduct research and decide how to proceed. They then extended it in early 2017.
The city council meeting agenda acknowledges that Proposition 64 does not allow cities to infringe on an individual’s abilities to grow a maximum of six plants within their home, but it allows cities to reasonably regulate cannabis growth.
On Tuesday, the City Council would vote to give the ordinance a public hearing and then a second reading at a later date, after which the city council would then likely approve the restrictions.
The ordinance serves to establish some of those regulations such as power consumption and safety measures, according to the agenda.
One of the most significant aspects is the move to add cannabis related businesses to a list of industries unable to acquire a home occupation permit.
Residents who choose to grow from home must do so inside of an enclosed, secure structure and may not grow on balconies, in garages, courtyards or other outdoor areas according to the city council agenda.
“This is a public health and safety issue,” said Dave Peterson, associate planner of community development for the city of Santa Clarita. “Individuals could try to steal or remove the plants, and that’s easier if they are outdoors. It also has to do with the odor.”
The ordinance also addresses the odor issue, which Peterson claims is a primary complaint.
Among a list of cultivation standards within the ordinance is a rule that “Cannabis cultivation and storage shall not produce odors that are readily detectable beyond the boundaries of the residential property where the cannabis cultivation and storage is located.”
In regards to apartments or condos, the ordinance states that, “cannabis cultivation and storage within multi-family residential units shall not produce odors that are readily detectable in an adjacent unit.”
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How will this be enforced? What is the annual budget? What does six plants smell like? Does this affect the dozens of home delivery dispensaries now serving the SCV? Are liquor stores really any less offensive? We know ethanol kills thousands. But they have good lobbyists. The world is upside-down.
There is no odor to non-burning cannabis. And if you want to talk about “odor,” the odor of regular burning tobacco is not only offensive, the smoke has been proven to be cancerous if not deadly. This clearly is discriminatory.
So let me get this straight…you’re not allowed to grow a plant with free abundant California sunshine, you’re only allowed to grow inside which requires tons of expensive and high energy consuming equipment including High Voltage High Intensity lights that require a ballast, which when installed in a faulty matter; are by far the leading (only) cause of Grow House Fires. But even when they are installed correctly they draw ALOT of electricity..oh, and they produce a tremendous amount of heat so you’ll also be running an AC unit 24/7….thats alot of power consumption, and Money on your Edison bill… So how is forcing everyone to grow inside helping? If my pot plants get robbed from within my gated backyard, it should be dealt with the same as someone stealing bikes, BBQ’s, patio furniture or any of the many things that are valuable that we all leave outside. in our backyards.
As far as the Odor concern goes….no one has the same size yard, or proximity to their neighbors, so you cant make one blanket rule for everyone on that matter….and BTW Im deathly allergic to pollen, and thus I hate the smell of certain plants/flowers, as they cause me severe physical discomfort….and if my neighbor starts growing an entire field of these “kryptonite flowers” which make me have a severe allergy attack 20 times a day then that’s totally legal…. …..who decreed that as a society we find the odor of that particular cannabis plant to be so offensive that its forbidden to be grown outside?
Great reply ! Treat it like alcohol people and let it be.
I am not impacted one way or the other on this topic…but I believe in California, city’s have the right to regulate based upon what was recently passed in the recent elections. At the same time, as it relates to what did pass, I believe the city’s are also allowed to pick the level in what they allow and approve because the in the eyes of the Federal Government, its all very much illegal and the city’s are protected and backed by the Federal Government. There is always going to be controversy on this issue regardless what side of the pipe you are on. Good luck enforcing the odor though…My neighbors enjoy an occasional hit and as much as they try to contain it, the wind says NO and shares it with everyone down the street…Oh and those people that are bothered by it, should never ever attend another concert indoors or outdoors. 🙂
If you don’t like this backwards, lame attempt to jam a cat back into a bag or if you think that local government needs to worry more about safe driving conditions on roads after the recent storms, I’d suggest you take that irritation to the ballot.
The Sun Valley highway to LA are currently covered in mud and rocks because there are no fences or mesh to keep the exposed, recently burned hillsides from sloughing into the road. Instead of policing for six fragrant plants which can just as easily be handled by an HOA, the local government should just get with the program, tax cannabis and use the money to fix the damn highway.
These Volstead Act wannabe laws will keep being enacted and keep being over turned because they are foolish. The government in Santa Clarita hasn’t kept up with changes in society and represents its constituency less and less. If you read the headlines and wonder why someone would do something so stupid, look at your own two hands and know you can change it, June 5, 2018.
Vote out Steve Knight. We don’t need these backwards regulations. Vote Katie Hill for Congress in 25th DISTRICT on June 5th.
SCV is known for their DUIs,we are also known as a valley with a heroin problem and now we have Dave Peterson who wants to smell my yard. Hey Dave we don’t have to live in a fishbowl, we can go to Sylmar or Van Nuys to get cannibus. They can improve their streets with this revenue. So many problems in SCV that can be looked at and you’re worried about a smell that’s all in your mind. Take the revenue and put in speed bumps so drivers don’t fly down in our neighborhoods going 60. Priorities Dave Peterson, get your priorities straight. Hey Dave what about these people who need their pet 24 hours a day. They bring them in the store, in the library and they say they are my emotional rescue pet. Mommie didn’t hug me enough. Dave Dave the love slave, do something about that.
As someone who is highly allergic to marijuana in any form, plant, smoke, etc., I want this offensive weed contained within the boundaries of the users residence so that I can open my windows and breathe. Encouraging growing, dispensing, and using marijuana is a huge mistake and I support the City’s effort to protect my rights too, the right to breathe freely without becoming physically ill from marijuana users weed habit.
I HIGHLY doubt the validity of this… how were you tested for this allergy?
The city is definitely trying to stick its head in the sand with this one. First point: we need to vote out Bob Kellar; his highly out-dated viewpoints are not in line with modern scientific studies and consensus. And when I approached him, he was not open to hearing anything on the subject or even taking the time to have a meeting with me. This is the definition of closed-minded.
I just love that the will of the people is of no concern to our elected officials. A great lesssion in the Democratic process
Berta, how are you with skunk grass. My neighbor has it all around her house. Yep it smells like skunk and Dave I don’t think you or Berta can smell cannibus with skunk grass around. Also Bertha, Bernadette, Birdbrain, whatever, for to know and be diagnosed with a marijuana allergy, you would have be around it. You would have to bring some in your doctor’s office to b diagnosed. So I think you’re either lying about this condition you have or your just wasted from smoking a lot of good smelling weed.