LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Supporters and opponents of two marijuana cultivation measures on the fall ballot are stepping up the rhetoric and the donations with the general election set to take place next week.
Measures O and P are two competing ballot measures that, if enacted, would nullify Measure N, passed by voters in June to prevent outdoor grows in neighborhoods and offer stronger enforcement options.
As required by law, the committee supporting the effort to pass Measure O as well as the group trying to defeat both have submitted their latest campaign finance reports.
The reports, available from the Lake County Registrar of Voters Office, show that the “Vote Yes on Measure O Committee,” has raised the largest amount of funds to date.
One individual in particular – Michael Horner, who has been one of the spokesmen in the effort to establish new marijuana rules in the county – contributing $3,000 in cash and more than $5,000 in nonmonetary contributions, as well as giving the committee a $5,000 loan last week
According to the documents from the registrar's office filed to date, the pro-Measure O effort has raised about $15,000 above what has been gathered by the group trying to defeat the measure, which has more overall donors.
Measure O, the Medical Marijuana Control Act, was put forward by the Emerald Unity Coalition.
It would allow four marijuana plants per parcel on properties of under an acre, limit collective gardens to 48 plants on rural properties of five acres or more, require fully fenced and locked garden areas, create a medical marijuana enforcement division in the Community Development Department and establish a medical marijuana enforcement officer position, the hiring of which must be ratified by a majority vote of the Board of Supervisors following a public hearing.
The measure has been criticized because it would once again allow marijuana grows in neighborhoods, limit nuisance complaints to residents within 600 feet of grows and requires two complaints within 15 days to warrant a response.
While the measure says that anonymity may be requested, at the same time it requires that complaints must be in writing and include the complainants name and address. Only complaints alleging health and safety threats would be immediately investigated.
It also would prevent the county from receiving federal assistance in enforcing or investigating federal controlled substance laws “to the extent that they are inconsistent with California medical marijuana laws.”
Measure P, The Freedom To Garden Human Rights Restoration Act Of 2014, does not specifically name marijuana, but author Ron Kiczenski of Lucerne is a longtime marijuana advocate who has a history of litigating against legal limits.
Measure P would essentially allow any plant to be grown, in any amount, in Lake County.
Opponents have questioned it constitutionality and whether federal authorities would challenge it because of its direct clash with federal law and essentially no recourse for nuisance complaints.
The public dialog over the measures has been heated, and in recent days has escalated with opponents reporting stolen “no on O and P” campaign signs in the Lakeport area.
A number of local organizations have come out against both measures O and P, among them, the Kelseyville Business Association, Lake County Deputy Sheriff’s Association, Lake County Chamber of Commerce and a number of homeowner associations.
The Lake County Farm Bureau Board of Directors also voted to endorse the effort to defeat both marijuana measures.
While the Farm Bureau said it supports the rights of patients to have access to medicinal marijuana as provided by Proposition 215, it does not support Measure O, which repeals any existing county regulations on marijuana and seeks to allow marijuana cultivation within communities in the unincorporated areas of Lake County.
“The new regulations under Measure O will have significant impacts to community infrastructure, water systems, and health and safety. This measure limits law enforcement's ability to protect Lake County residents and communities,” the group said in a statement this month.
Regarding Measure P, the Lake County Farm Bureau statement went on to note, “This measure has no limits and no regulations and fails to offer legal protection, community standards or environmental safeguards for the county of Lake and its residents.”
On the other side of the issue, the Lake County Democratic Party and the Lake County Democratic Club has endorsed Measure O.
The groups also have voted against supporting Measure P, saying it’s “poorly worded, will not accomplish its intended goal, provides no funding for enforcement, provides no enforceable process for complaints, and is unbalanced and unconstitutional.”
The Democratic Party said it supports Measure O because it believes the measure offers effective enforcement, has fee collection to fund enforcement addresses nuisances and abatement, and won't hinder law enforcement.
Measure O, according to the Democratic Party, “provides the necessary regulatory framework in anticipation for upcoming full legalization in 2016,” which is supported by the California Democratic Party's 2014 platform.
The following financial information was reported to the Registrar of Voters Office by the respective committees. No committee reporting information was provided for a committee supporting Measure P.
PROTECT OUR LAKE COUNTY, NO ON MEASURE O AND P
Monetary contributions: $8,168
Nonmonetary contributions: $0
Expenditures reported: $4,266
Monetary contributions detail:
Kaj Ahlmann, Lower Lake, Six Sigma Ranch LLC, $1,000
Jeanette Bartley, Lakeport, president of Bob Bartley Pump Inc., $100
Jerry Brassfield, Los Gatos, JG Brassfield Enterprises, $500
Bernard and Lynne Butcher, San Francisco, owners of Tallman Hotel and Blue Wing Saloon, $200
Jane Marie Cauley, Middletown, retired, $100
Richard Coel, Lower Lake, Community Development Department director, $900 ($999 year to date)
Myron Holdenried, Kelseyville, Holdenried Farms and Wildhurst Nursery, $200
Bruce Hollander, Kelseyville, self-employed computer Electronics United, $800
Patrick McMahon, Middletown, law enforcement, $250
Ken Porter, Santa Rosa, Valley Oaks Land Development, $250
Monica Rosenthal, Middletown, R Vineyards, $1,200
James Scholz, Clearlake, retired, $200
Rian Sommerfield, Lakeport, Nest Egg Investments owner, $150
Deborah Wallace, Middletown, county of Lake program administrator, $500
Simon Whetzel, Clearlake Oaks, manager at Brassfield Estate Winery
Expenditures detail:
G&G Printing Services, Lakeport, fliers and postcards, $398
Hareline Graphics Inc., West Sacramento, Web site development and hosting, $1,200
Middletown Area Press, Hidden Valley Lake, print advertising, $504
Monica Rosenthal, Middletown, $2,114; subvendor, Build A Sign.com, Austin, Texas, campaign signs and cards
YES ON MEASURE O COMMITTEE
Monetary contributions: $23,799
Loans: $5,000
Nonmonetary contributions: $5,242.80
Expenditures reported: $7,530.55
Monetary contributions detail:
John Brosnan, Upper Lake, home improvement services, $2,000
Shalom Cohn, Middletown, www.iam-ced.org vice president, $2,000
Kathy Gamber, Lakeport, Transformations, $1,000
Tino Gamber, Lakeport, real estate investor, $1,000
Ron Green, Lower Lake, attorney, $3,900
Michael Horner, Cobb, MHCI Inc., $3,000
Armon Ketchum, Upper Lake, retired, $400
Lake County Democratic Club, $500
Lovie's Garden Supply, Middletown, $4,999
Loans:
Michael Horner, Cobb, MHCI Inc., $5,000
Nonmonetary contributions detail:
Michael Horner, Cobb, MHCI Inc.: $1,268, political signs; $1,629.35, food and beverages; $2,345.45, political signs
Expenditures detail:
Craig Litwin/Litwin Consulting, Sebastopol, consulting services, $1,000
J's Quality Printing, Sacramento, literature, $1,604.27
Melo Mail, Santa Rosa, literature, $4,891.28
Unitemized payments, $35
Editor's note: On Friday, the Registrar of Voter's Office provided information about additional contributions from Lovie's Garden Supply totaling $4,999. The story above has been updated to reflect those additional contributions.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.