Pubdate: Wed, 15 Oct 2014
Source: Fresno Bee, The (CA)
Copyright: 2014 The Fresno Bee
Contact:  http://www.fresnobee.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/161
Note: Does not publish letters from outside their circulation area.
Author: Carmen George, The Fresno Bee
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?115 (Marijuana - California)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mmj.htm (Marijuana - Medicinal)

FRESNO COUNTY SHERIFF: VIOLENCE HAS DECREASED SINCE MARIJUANA 
ORDINANCE INTRODUCED

Violence related to marijuana growing is "down considerably" since
cultivation was banned in Fresno County's unincorporated areas early
this year, the Fresno County Sheriff's Office said at Tuesday's
supervisors' meeting.

"These grow sites are not peaceful," said Capt. Robert Kandarian of
the sheriff's detectives bureau. "We have violence associated with
them all the time, and we don't even gauge the fear that it causes to
our residents out in the community. People are afraid, and this
ordinance is helping us combat it."

Kandarian said there were 47 incidents of crime related to marijuana
growing in 2013, but only 16 incidents so far this year. He stressed
the associated violence has been extreme, including murder and home
invasion robbery.

In 2013, the Sheriff's Office identified 553 marijuana gardens in
Fresno County, he said. This year, that number dropped to about 350.

"If you do the math, that's roughly about a 36% reduction this year in
grows since we enacted the ordinance," Kandarian said.

Marijuana-related arrests are also up this year -- 74 compared to 31
in 2013 -- largely because law enforcement is now working more with
the state, instead of the federal government, which didn't always
yield "immediate results," Kandarian said.

And the Sheriff's Office has removed more marijuana gardens this year:
250 eradicated compared to 95 last year, Kandarian said.

But one medical marijuana user at Tuesday's session said people who
were legally using the plant should not be penalized for the actions
of those "gaming the system."

"Unfortunately, you are praising the application of a zero-tolerance
ban that has probably taken down some bad people with it -- and more
power to you -- but I don't applaud the tools you are using to do it,"
said Michael Green, a medical marijuana advocate who runs
fresnocannabis.org.

Fresno County's ban has sparked protest among many medical marijuana
patients and led to a slew of pending lawsuits.

Board Chairman Andreas Borgeas said Fresno County's $1,000 fine per
marijuana plant is not too extreme when put "in context" with the
street value of marijuana.

Sheriff's Sgt. Homer Montalvo, who accompanied Kandarian, said "one
plant can potentially exceed $10,000 (in marijuana profits)."

And while a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration study states plants
on average yield about 0.9 pounds of marijuana, most plants in Fresno
County "easily" produce more than that: between two and three pounds,
Montalvo said.

Green said the perception that marijuana growing is diminishing is a
"pipe dream" -- growers are just moving north.

But at least in Fresno County, law enforcement says the new rules are
helping keep more people safe.
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MAP posted-by: Richard