The right to grow medical marijuana is something that California medical marijuana patients have relied upon for years. Growing ones own medical marijuana is cheaper than purchasing marijuana from dispensaries, and gives the patient more control over the medicine that they rely on for relief. Plus growing marijuana is fun and rewarding, and if you grow enough, you can help out other patients in need. Taking the right to home cultivation away is damaging to patients.
More and more California cities and counties are pursuing growing bans. One of those cities is the City of Fresno. The City of Fresno passed an ordinance banning all marijuana cultivation within city limits. The city cited public safety concerns for the reason behind the ban. The ban has resulted in a lawsuit being filed against the city. Per CBS:
The American Civil Liberties Union is suing the City of Fresno and Fresno County over their decision to ban marijuana cultivation.
The ACLU says the laws run counter to state law, which allows marijuana cultivation for medical purposes.
The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday on behalf of two Fresno residents who say they use marijuana to treat pain.
A cultivation ban was passed in the City of Live Oak in Northern California too. That ban was challenged, and the court overseeing the challenge ruled in favor of the city. Only time will tell if the same thing happens in Fresno. California is a cluster F when it comes to marijuana laws. State law says one thing, local ordinances say another thing, and case law sometimes says something even different still. I can’t wait until California legalizes marijuana for recreational purposes, although, bans and ordinances are likely to pop up against recreational grows as well.
