Farmers in San Diego County want the freedom to be able to grow cannabis or hemp on their residential and commercial agricultural property spaces. But the Board of Supervisors for the county is likely going to ban local farmers from any cultivation efforts or regulate it too heavily for the average farmer to be able to get into the market. This leaves independent farmers unfairly out of the market and instead gives preference to already well-established corporate producers and others.
Although recent changes have tried to pave the way for small/personal cultivation efforts at home (6 plants for personal use) and for commercial production to be authorized for hemp and cannabis, many areas are still reluctant to make the changes.
Concerned farmers in the region have recently established the Southern California Responsible Growers Council and the mission of their member-based association is to advocate for common-sense land policies in regard to cannabis cultivation across the area.
California is expected to start issuing growing licenses for cannabis growers by January of 2018. And under these rules, any farms that do have zoning approval are said to be able to apply for a state license. But not everyone is going to be approved. Other areas across the US, not just in California, are also struggling with trying to implement their own changes to farming in his multi-billion dollar industry.
It's estimated that California's cannabis sales will grow to roughly $6.4 billion by 2020.
Proposition 64 just recently passed in the state of California, which legalized recreational marijuana, but it was a change that was widely opposed by many pro-cannabis supporters in the community. A number of cannabis growers, sellers, and other marijuana advocates, asserted that the Prop 64 changes were more for the benefit of big business and the state, rather than for the benefit of the people.
When it comes to organizing the cannabis market and implementing new changes via legalization efforts, we're left with the option of having the decisions made by individuals who have proven consistently that they don't even possess the intellect to effectively balance a budget. But we are supposed to believe that these individuals will do what's best for the market and the people, as far as implementing cannabis changes. . .
If this market is going to grow then it needs the freedom to be able to do so and when it's choked by too much central authority/decision making, then that limits the potential of the market.
When it comes to the transition of moving from prohibition to legalization of cannabis, many pro-cannabis supporters see a trade occurring in the way of swapping a criminal injustice for an economic injustice. They see the “freedom” being afforded only in a way that benefits big business and stifles competition and independent growers. And this isn't what many had in mind when they asked for the freedom to be able to grow a plant in peace.
Pics:
Pixabay
Sources:
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/opinion/commentary/sd-utbg-cannabis-farming-legal-20170111-story.html
https://ballotpedia.org/California_Proposition_64,Marijuana_Legalization(2016)
http://www.recorderonline.com/features/council-discusses-proposition/article_7ec15388-c80b-11e6-a823-778479dd0fd5.html
http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/business/sd-fi-prop64-hemp-20161213-story.html