The Civil War Of Cannabis Is Starting In California
Cannabis entrepreneurs around the world have until recently had one clear enemy. Law enforcement officers from all countries, states, counties, and cities have been waging the war on drugs against these peaceful people. Now a new foe, an unfamiliar adversary comes against them. With “legalization” comes the massive hoards of government agencies and their armies of code enforcers, all ultimately doing the bidding of the giant corporate powers who aim to monopolize the industry.
California’s Humboldt County officials (Sonoma and LA too)have been contracting with a private satellite company to locate unlicensed cannabis farms and businesses. Using satellite imagery officials are quickly able to identify unpermitted structures and farms. They then mail notices to the land/business owners telling them that they have 10 days to destroy their crops/shut down their businesses. Immediate compliance will get them leniency and they will only be fined the minimum $10,000. After the ten days if they haven’t complied they will be fined$10,000 per day for up to 90 days or $900,000! Then their home/property will be seized via lien.
I’m sure it’s very difficult to bail on an investment that you believe so strongly in. One that you’ve dedicated so much of your life to, and one that has been so profitable. This is a perfect example of how overzealous, uninformed, government agencies can use regulations to destroy otherwise sound businesses. As people consider cannabis investments (like crypto investments) they have to take into account that the chaotic and constantly changing regulatory framework bankrupting businesses and stifling growth in these two industries can take their investments down too.
Unlike criminal cases
where the accused has rights and must be proven guilty, shutting down businesses and seizing property via codes and fines can be done very quickly with little recourse for land owners and their attorneys. Big business knows this technique and how to avoid its traps through years of experience, but cannabis farms and businesses that are new to this regulatory shell game are getting REKT!Joe Rogoway has worked criminal cases in 16 counties for almost two decades. “I never saw this type of zealous enforcement that is happening,” he says. “There was enforcement, but this sort of systemic way of addressing cultivation is just much more pernicious and harmful to cannabis cultivators than prohibition was.”
“The irony is now that it’s legal, it’s more illegal than ever, because more agencies have legal authorization to come after you,” says Swami Chaitanya, licensed grower of Swami Select located in Mendocino.
This is setting a dangerous precedent
These methods of unlawful search, if allowed to move forward unchallenged, will only spread from here. Our right to privacy is essential for freedom to exist and it’s being chipped away at from all directions. Governments and the powerful are the only ones allowed to have secrets in this new paradigm. If we look the other way while people are having their life’s work stolen from them by government code enforcers, it’s just a matter of time before they come knocking on our door. They will be demanding that we pay fines for this new code and that new statute, if we refuse to comply they take our home or business.
This dynamic—swift, punitive civil fines replacing lengthy criminal trials—constitutes a new phase in the 80-year-old war on marijuana. Scofflaws don’t face trial and prison. Instead, county officials bankrupt them and confiscate their properties.
Read the rest of this article here and tell me what you think.
https://www.leafly.com/news/politics/in-californias-cannabis-war-civil-is-the-new-criminal
Fuck authority
Posted using Partiko Android
Yep great piece here in something all cannabis people must be hyper aware of.. I've seen it first hand in Nevada County in California.. Also in Cali besides the satellite imagery they're using water table data which I do understand to some degree with water scarcity.. But definitely it's welcome to the machine and I never cheered for legalization myself..
Posted using Partiko Android
Welcome to the machine~ very well said. I’ll be remembering that quote and using it in the future (crediting you of course)
Thanks, better give credit to Pink Floyd, my name is mud here 😂 I haven't been a good lil steemian
Posted using Partiko Android
Floyd wasn’t saying it about the machine from hell that is governmental interference in the cannabis industry though. Your use of the phrase to describe the feeling of an OG grower in this current environment is poetic.
All of your writing here is greatly appreciated by me. You’ve got a talent with words, no doubt. I’m sorry to hear you’re fed up with steem, but I understand. So many quality content producers are leaving. I’m not sure what can be done about it really. Steem seems like a microcosm of the world. Same problems out there as in here.
Maybe, if we could figure out how to solve the great distribution of wealth and power problem here in our tiny version of the world, we could somehow scale it up.
I hope you stick around.
Humbled over here 🙏 I sincerely appreciate your support and kind words..
It is indeed a microcosm and while it frustrates me I'm not going to give up and abandon project make the world more tolerable. I still believe steem can be a catalyst for positive change and has a ton of potential.
I am just drastically changing my approach and removing any silly filters I was imposing on myself.. I enjoy your contributions and would be a fool to run away from such cool,clever,like minded people because of some greedy wankers..
Thanks again
Posted using Partiko Android
trying to send you coffee token lol
!COFFEEA 5
Thanks. It looks like it works! Now could you tell me what it is. please🤔 so many tokens 😂
right? i cant keep up lol 😂i'm just having fun with it lol
@choosefreedom, In my opinion, in almost every industry we are seeing Monopoly and Domination and it's the bitter truth and so much unfortunate aspect. Stay blessed.
Posted using Partiko Android
Such a shame! To much government interference. Just let people have their medicine!
Yeah it is so crazy how all this worked out. I’m so surprised the feds don’t go ahead and legalize it so they can do the same thing nation wide.
Hello
Interesting article, thank you.
LOVE your drawing, lol and post , So True and well done! Freedom for all I say!!
upped and resteemed! #weedcash #palnet #steemleo
Not my drawing 😂 I found it on a discord server. I thought it was funny and at the same time communicated how governments and global corporations think of the rest of us. Thank you for commenting. ✌️
That's cool, I think it's funny too and very fitting for your post! Your very welcome 😀🙋😎
Posted using Partiko Android
Congratulations @choosefreedom! You have completed the following achievement on the Steem blockchain and have been rewarded with new badge(s) :
You can view your badges on your Steem Board and compare to others on the Steem Ranking
If you no longer want to receive notifications, reply to this comment with the word
STOPCongratulations @choosefreedom! You received a personal award!
You can view your badges on your Steem Board and compare to others on the Steem Ranking
are you having any issue claiming tokens? on steem engine it is working fine for all others? but i have attempted several times with weedcash and still not working? i wonder if it is a weedcash prob or a S.E. issue?
I have been unable to claim tokens today. Haven’t tried in a couple hours.
Posted using Partiko iOS
i saw something posted in discord mentioning the same so i figured it was an issue for others too, thanks for your reply! hope you're having a good weekend✌
Good. Ya, it seems fine now. Weekend is good. Rainy season has started, so it’s been cooler. Thank goodness. 😅 Hope your weekend has been good, the countdown to fall weather is on for you guys in the northwest. Only 5 or 6 weekends left on the summer season. Growing up in Oregon, that was always on my mind this time of year. ✌️
testing.. !COFFEA 5
Not sure why @choosefreedom chooses to vote for @coffeebuds / @richardcrill, she chooses the wrong kind of freedom if you ask me! lol that "faqua" (sorry for my bad language) blocked me anyway, he always wanted to, I just speak the truth. now everyone should know how centralized and wrong WCN is, lol IDK, just saying! Just sell that WEED back for STEEM, SMOKE, or best yet BTC, that's what I do, works great for that!
No need respond! I'm all good!