I applaud Napa Supervisors for their recent decision to acquire more data prior to considering any ordinances surrounding the legalization of cultivating and processing cannabis in Napa County. There are already ample suppliers to cannabis cultivation nearby. Facts researched (below) signals the very real considerations and complexity to introducing cannabis cultivation within Napa County.
Legalizing pot was supposed to reduce crime, or so the advocates argue. However, the authorities in our neighboring counties, Humboldt, Mendocino, and Trinity counties, which grow over 60 percent of the U.S. marijuana state otherwise. Ben Filippini, Deputy Sheriff in Humboldt County, states that ever since California’s 1996 medical marijuana initiative, violent crime in his jurisdiction has increased: „People are getting shot over this plant. All legalization did here was to create a safe haven for criminals.” Trinity County’s Undersheriff, Christopher Compton said: „We haven’t seen any drop in crime whatsoever. In fact, we’ve seen a pretty steady increase.” Compton’s counterpart in Mendocino, Matthew Kendall, agreed: „We’re seeing more robberies and more gun violence.”
As crime and thefts grow more brazen, many growers are employing new security measures with potent firearms. Some use a company called Hardcar Distribution to transport their cash and harvest in armored vehicles operated by teams of armed military veterans. Imagine that for Napa.
Fires and explosions have been happening in cannabis grow houses and in processing places for decades. THC hash oil is extracted from the cannabis plant using butane as a solvent. Evaporated butane fumes are extremely flammable and explosive and causes explosions if done incorrectly. Those vapors can be ignited from common items including a refrigerator motor, a wall outlet, or even static electricity, triggering an instant explosion.
The Denver area has seen more fires from hash-oil explosions since Colorado’s Amendment 64 passed. „It is not much different from a meth lab as far as the fire danger,” said Montezuma County undersheriff Lynda Carter. For that reason, hash oil production has been banned within city limits.
A lesser-known risk for growing marijuana indoors is exposure to our children, which is a violation of child endangerment laws and social services regulations. From Dr. Barbara Reisman (noted Napa psychiatrist) „medical research has consistently demonstrated a negative impact of marijuana on the developing brain.” It’s illegal to expose children to marijuana, and is comparable to an adult charged with a DUI, plus child endangerment, because kids are in the car.
Marijuana use can also lead to the development of addiction, known as marijuana use disorder. Recent data suggest that 30% of those who use marijuana have some degree of use disorder. People who use marijuana before the age of 18 are 4 to 7 times more likely to develop a marijuana use disorder than adults.
Marijuana potency, as detected in confiscated samples, has steadily increased over the past few decades. In the early 1990s, the average THC content in confiscated marijuana samples was less than 4%. In 2018, it was more than 15%. Marijuana concentrates can have much higher levels of THC (see Marijuana Concentrates, DrugFacts). „Definitely, yes, cannabis is addictive,” says Ruben Baler, a health scientist at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
Development of drugs from the marijuana plant poses numerous challenges. Marijuana plants may contain hundreds of unknown, active chemicals, and it can be difficult to develop a product with accurate and consistent doses of these chemicals. Use of marijuana as medicine also poses other problems such as the adverse health effects of smoking and THC-induced cognitive impairment.
Addiction to marijuana is real, addiction is addiction and the psychopathology of marijuana amid the drumbeat for full cultivation legalization is tantamount to malpractice.
Lastly, a recent report cites cannabis cultivation’s water demand estimates at one acre of cannabis using 1.1 million gallons per year, compared to 65,000-162,000 gallons per acre of wine grapes. We need to conserve water use, not expand its use.
Personally, I see cannabis cultivation as a significant threat to Napa’s tourism, health, crime, water use, while significantly altering Napa’s image. I appreciate your assessment of the science and facts surrounding introducing cannabis growing and open retail sales in Napa. The lasting impact is considerable.
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