Medi-pot rules finalized, maybe

In a unanimous vote, the Butte County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday (Feb. 11) approved an amendment to the county’s medical-marijuana ordinance that reduces the allowable number of plants significantly.

The panel has recently considered arguments from medi-pot advocates who call the new rules prohibitively restrictive, as well as those who support the amendments as a means of addressing environmental degradation caused by grading work, a perceived increase in criminal activity, and general nuisances such as the plant’s strong odor.

The regulations are based on a marijuana garden’s square footage rather than number of plants and also include new guidelines for setback distances and the required number of doctor’s recommendations.

Though the rules are set to go into effect 30 days after Tuesday’s vote, the political action group Butte County Citizens Against Irresponsible Government has already begun a petition drive, intending to bring the issue to voters on the November ballot.