Pot farms: Coming soon to your backyard?
Medical marijuana growers deem themselves as an agricultural endeavor. However, the process requires indoor cultivation, intense use of energy, water, controls for temperature, humidity and CO2. It operates 24/7. It produces light, heat, odor, plant and water waste. Marijuana — cannabis — does not have agricultural codes for either the state or the federal government. It is a schedule 1 drug and is illegal at the federal level. Growing marijuana in the state of New Mexico is nonprofit business and does not pay any gross receipt taxes to the local governments.
Twenty-four-hour security is required. As Tom Murray, Southwest Organic Producers (SWOP) stated at a Corrales work study meeting of the Corrales Council and the Planning and Zoning Commission Oct. 12, the best way to prevent intrusion, “is to have people not know we’re there.”
Little comfort for residents who then become vulnerable and part of the grower’s security system.
Murray addressed objections by residents to the proposed Verdes Foundation Corrales location — in addition to his own — that Corrales would soon be overrun by a “cannabis tsunami” as future growers snapped up tracts here to supply the ever-increasing demand for cannabis.
He stated, “The tsunami will not hit anytime soon. But the demand is growing exponentially.” By the growers’ proud boast and the Department of Health’s own admission, this industry cannot keep up with the demand. Again, little comfort (to) the residents who have worked to maintain their homes and agricultural land relying on zoning ordinances to keep neighborhoods free from industrial commercial businesses.
The state Department of Health Medical Marijuana program director explained to me that growers must conform to local zoning ordinances. This leaves it up to each local entity to determine zoning rules that could prohibit marijuana businesses from locating in A1-A2 ResidentialAgricultural zones.
Don’t imagine this could not affect you if your local governments gives in to the marijuana industrial complex. Just ask the folks in the Alameda and Fourth Street neighborhood where the county government determined that growing marijuana is agricultural and permitted the business in the neighborhood.
The very reason for zoning is to maintain and protect our neighborhoods. Wikipedia defines zoning: “The primary purpose of zoning is to segregate uses that are thought to be incompatible. In practice, zoning also is used to prevent new development from interfering with existing uses and/or to preserve the ‘character’ of a community.” Hopefully you live in an area where your local government will do that for you. I certainly hope that I do.