This year Humboldt County and California touted new programs to legitimize medical marijuana growers who have long operated in the dark, but the line between compliance and criminality still remains somewhat blurred.
In Humboldt County, those seeking to operate a medical marijuana business have until the end of the year to submit their applications for business licenses with the Planning and Building Department, but that hasn’t stopped state and local law enforcement from carrying out their duties to uphold existing cultivation and environmental laws.
With the new rules and the possibility of a recreational industry becoming legal, Humboldt County Sheriff Mike Downey said the regulatory landscape is in a “very confusing time at all levels.”
“It is a new procedure and there is still a lot of discretionary ability left to the deputy in the field,” he said. “We have to be aware of that. As we hit these areas and we find these areas of disagreement, then we work with (the county Planning and Building Department) on how we can clear this area of disagreement up so we don’t have a negative outcome.
“This is a long-term process and I don’t want to deter anyone from registering and going forward with the application process,” Downey continued.
About 2,300 people have registered their intent with the county to apply for a medical marijuana business license, but merely registering is not enough to turn law enforcement away from a farm or prevent a crop from being cut down.
