Even though fines, under the new medical marijuana growing ordinance, don’t go into effect until January, lots of abatement citations, that still include fines, are still being issued by the Nevada County Sheriff’s Department. Lieutenant Bill Smethers says they sometimes get 15 citizen complaints a day, similar to when the old ordinance was in effect. He says it’s mainly for having too many plants on existing outdoor gardens that were banned, up until when the new ordinance went into effect…

click to listen to Lt. Smethers

Meanwhile, Smethers says a number of longtime growers are leaving the area…

click to listen to Lt. Smethers

The new, interim, urgency ordinance, which was approved July 26th, allows no more than 25 plants to be grown on 20 or more acres, 16 on 10- to-20-acre parcels.