April 30 – The California Assembly has approved a bill by Assemblyman Wes Chesbro (D-Eureka) to impose additional civil penalties for cultivating marijuana on public lands, parks and forests.
In addition to assessing civil penalties of $10K-$40K on violators, the bill would authorize a member of the California Highway Patrol or the sheriff or a deputy sheriff to stop a vehicle transporting agricultural irrigation supplies, as defined, that are in plain view within the boundaries of a state park, state forest, or federal forest, or on timberland, and inspect the bills of lading, shipping, or delivery papers,
The bill, AB 2284, has been approved 13-0 by the Committee on Water, Parks and Wildlife. As usual, the legislature has been quicker to impose new penalties & crimes than to eliminate those now on the book. Mendocino Supervisor Dan Hamburg expresses misgivings about the proposal in this article.