Supervisor Barger’s Motion to Enhance Water Theft Enforcement and Illegal Cannabis Grows Approved by Board

LOS ANGELES COUNTY – During today’s meeting, the Board of Supervisors approved a motion by Supervisor Kathryn Barger and co-authored by Supervisor Shelia Kuehl to curb the significant negative impacts of illegal large-scale cannabis grows which includes water theft, trespass, use of dangerous pesticides and chemicals, and littered debris.

“While the national and local media reports on this issue, have focused on the Antelope Valley and surrounding desert communities, illegal marijuana grows will impact the entire County of Los Angeles,” said Supervisor Kathryn Barger. “As the State enters another potential drought emergency, we need to ensure that this new activity does not further exacerbate water scarcity. In addition, I am very concerned that illegal growers are using unregulated chemicals to process marijuana and selling these products to both legal and illegal dispensaries throughout the LA basin endangering cannabis users, contributing to contamination and pollution, and threatening water quality and safety.”

The motion asks the Chief Executive Office (Legislative Affairs and Intergovernmental Relations Branch) to coordinate with relevant County departments to support or pursue legislation at the State level that will:  provide standing to County Counsel to civilly prosecute and enjoin water theft; provide additional enforcement authority for water theft and/or misuse in declared drought emergencies; authorize County Counsel to civilly prosecute and enjoin water pollution from cannabis cultivation; address potential loopholes or exploitation by illegal cannabis growers and pursue increasing local government controls over illegal cannabis and unregistered hemp crops; and authorize an alternative means of service of process for commercial cannabis businesses when their business entity status is form unknown.

The motion also asked County Counsel to work with relevant departments and agencies to report back to the Board in 90 days with a proposed administrative nuisance abatement ordinance for unpermitted cannabis activity including illegal cannabis cultivation and dispensaries; and, asked Regional Planning to study a future ordinance to regulate hemp and report back to the board in 180 days with recommendations.

“The whack-a-mole problem of illegal cannabis dispensaries and now illegal cannabis grows popping up throughout the County has been exacerbated by the lack of a regulating ordinance,” said Supervisor Barger.

As part of this effort, Supervisor Barger allocated $250,000 to finance the Sheriff’s Department’s continued targeted enforcement and patrols of the areas impacted by the massive illegal grows and water theft in the Antelope Valley and has asked the CEO to report back on potential funding sources for the County to sustain eradication of this serious environmental and quality of life nuisance.

“Finally, when examining the true impact of illegal grows outside of environmental impacts, public safety and consumer health, we cannot overlook the fact that the cartels and growers are engaging in human trafficking and coercion to provide the manual labor in the fields,” Supervisor Barger continued.