Pubdate: Sat, 08 Aug 2015
Source: Press Democrat, The (Santa Rosa, CA)
Copyright: 2015 The Press Democrat
Contact:  http://www.pressdemocrat.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/348
Author: Paul Payne

SANTA ROSA WOMAN OUTS NEIGHBORS GROWING MARIJUANA

Mary Quinn wants to make one thing perfectly clear - she does not grow pot.

The southwest Santa Rosa woman emphasized the point this week when 
she erected three large white-and-yellow banners in her pasture 
identifying two neighbors as growers.

Quinn said pot gardens near her home off Stony Point Road emit strong 
odors and attract thieves who have cut her fences to get to them, 
causing injury to her horses.

After living with the smell and the trespassing for more than four 
years, she said, she got fed up and decided to out her neighbors with 
the signs.

Hers is the latest clash between residents and what appears to be an 
increasing number of suburban pot farmers in Sonoma County.

"People think we grow," said Quinn, who runs a nonprofit animal 
rescue center on her leased land. "We don't grow. We just have horses."

Her banners say just that - and more. Quinn listed the addresses of 
the properties where the pot is being grown along with the names and 
phone numbers of the people she said are responsible.

Among them is Sebastopol City Councilman Robert Jacob, who is 
executive director of two Peace and Medicine marijuana dispensaries 
in Sonoma County. Jacob runs a nearby cultivation facility called RPC 
Nursery that Quinn said is creating a public nuisance.

It features large greenhouses lit around the clock that Quinn calls 
"glow worms." She said they beckon robbers who trample across her 
property in the middle of the night in the hopes of stealing weed, as 
well as people who are just curious.

The banners also name Jonathan Cohen, a neighbor Quinn said also is 
growing pot for a collective in his yard. Cohen's landlord, who owns 
a Larkfield hardware store, also is identified, along with his wife 
and a phone number to their business.

Quinn said she has refused requests to take the signs down and is 
standing up for others who "fear this is going to happen to them" 
with the proliferation of marijuana.

"I'm not going to tolerate it anymore," Quinn said. "I'm at the end 
of my rope."

Jacob and Cohen both said they were in compliance with state laws 
allowing them to grow cannabis for medical purposes. They accused 
Quinn of trying to soak them for cash.

Jacob maintains no one has ever broken into his nursery, which has 
its own security system, and he's had no complaints from other neighbors.

Nevertheless, he said he offered Quinn financial assistance to pay 
for the upkeep of rescued horses when she voiced concerns. But 
earlier this year, when Quinn demanded an "exorbitant" amount of 
money, he refused.

"I'm saying, 'Let me help with your horses,' " Jacob said. "She's 
saying, 'No, write me a big check.' "

Cohen also said Quinn has made financial demands. He said he paid for 
a $14,000 fence after thieves crossed her land to break into his yard 
a few years ago. But recently, she sued him for another $10,000 to 
build another fence, he said.

The signs went up after he and Quinn failed to reach an out-of-court 
settlement, he said. "She just wants cash," Cohen said. "And we're 
not going to give her cash. Period."

A Sheriff's Office spokesman said only one neighbor besides Quinn has 
complained about marijuana in the immediate area in the past six 
months. However, Lt. Steve Brown said there have been numerous 
reports of trespassing or vandalism that may have been 
marijuana-related. In general, he said the department receives 
frequent calls from people countywide who are concerned about indoor 
and outdoor pot gardens and associated crimes.

"The problem is rampant," Brown said.

Supervisor Efren Carrillo, whose district includes southwest Santa 
Rosa, said the Board of Supervisors has received a complaint from 
Quinn. She was advised to report any suspicious activity to the 
Sheriff's Office, he said.

Carrillo said a board committee comprised of Supervisors Susan Gorin 
and David Rabbitt now is looking into revisions to the county's 
cultivation policy that would seek to limit impacts on residents, 
possibly by restricting quantities. Just when the proposal would go 
before the full board was not known.

"This is part of a broader issue that we're seeing countywide," 
Carrillo said. "The rules around marijuana are in need of revision to 
protect neighborhoods and the residential component."

Meanwhile, Quinn denied any attempt to extort money. She said she is 
entitled to it for damages, including emotional stress, and to cover 
the cost of building her own security system.

She said she's asked Jacob for a hefty sum - $350,000 - and claims 
Cohen owes her a better fence. "I need to create my own compound to 
protect myself and my horses," she said.

Quinn said she's contacted lawmakers, including North Coast state 
Sen. Mike McGuire. But so far, she said nothing has been done. 
Passers-by continue to walk by her house, sniff the air and wonder if 
she has a big pot garden on her property, she said.

Quinn said she has no intention of leaving her home of the past 22 
years or removing the signs.

"If everybody just packs up and moves, it's not ever going to get 
dealt with," she said.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom