HomeMy WebLinkAboutEmail from Chris Sommers - Commercial Marijuana Menchaca, Clarissa
From: Bennett, Robin
Sent: Wednesday, February 21, 2018 12:58 PM
To: Menchaca, Clarissa
Cc: McCracken, Shari
Subject: BOS Correspondence
Attachments: As Oroville Falls, so falls Butte County
Please see the attached email letter from Chris Sommers,for your record.
Thank you,
H(Ain Bennett.
E'Xeculi've Asst'stant
(530), 872-6304
Mau ("I ottti�y Sttperi4sor"s Offixe
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11oard q 'Sit )er,visors, Distric't 5
747 Elliou Road
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Pa.radis A 9,,5969
Menchaca, Clarissa
From: Chris@mwaranch.com
Sent: Tuesday, February 20, 2018 4:05 PM
To: Linda Draper; Idahlmeier@cityoforoville.org; ahatley@cityoforoville.org;
mdeirosario@cityoforoville.org; Scott Thomson
Cc: Connelly, Bill;Teeter, Doug; Wahl, Larry; Maureen Kirk; Steve Lambert
Subject: As Oroville Falls, so falls Butte County
Dear Mayor Dahlmeier, Vice-Mayor Goodson, esteemed councilmembers and others,
I wanted to weigh in on this matter because it is so important not only to Oroville but to all of Butte
County, and neighboring counties as well. This has nothing to do with my personal views on marijuana
usage, it has to do with the actual, documented history as well as the easily projected future behavior of
those in the pot trade. I am relieved that some among you have shown good sense in opposing
commercial MI in Oroville. So this letter is to the rest of you.
I'll get to the point. I have a big stake in whether Oroville allows commercial marijuana. I do all my
shopping there - $15K/year at Raley's alone. Five vehicles to maintain. Supplies for my cattle and sheep
ranch. I am already loathe to shop in Oroville during the day. If it gets much worse I may shop elsewhere.
The pot industry will attract loads of dirtbags, sorry to be frank. Trimmigrants already make a seasonal
showing and they are neither savory nor stable residents. I can only imaginee their numbers multiplying.
I live in the unincorporated town of Bangor which is Ground Zero for so much illegal pot farming and
trafficking you wouldn't believe it. Since we live on an artery road connecting to parts of Yuba County we
get that fallout as well. The summer of 2013 was so bad it prompted my wife and I to get seriously
engaged in the battle to restore law and order to our county. Grower dogs attacked our cows. At one point
we had cartel-types driving in convoys and an armed thug even cased our house because we had cameras
on the road and we might have witnessed a "deal" occurrig on our frontage. Our town was invaded by out-
of-towners. Long story short, I got involved in helping to pass Measures A, G and H, and to defeat
Measures B and L. You might fondly (or not) recall the "L No" signs in Oroville? I probably installed them.
Butte County citizens fought hard to repel the pot industry from taking over - Measure B failed despite the
pro-pot side spending over 3x what we spent. Likewise Measure G and H passed and L failed, despite a
huge financial disadvantage on our side. Why? Because the good folks of this county banded together.
Look at the ballot arguments and see who signed each one. Our side: we had the Sheriff, the District
Attorney, leading farmers and ranchers, and other prominent citizens. Who signed "their" arguments?"
People of ill repute, cranks, or in some cases just Jessica Mackenzie. No one of any stature or good repute
would publicly get behind those measures. What does that say about those Oroville councilmembers who
suddenly see green?
I am very concerned that Oroville will become a pot mecca, bring in lots of outsiders with financial muscle,
and take over the politics. This will have a ripple effect to the county level, eventually resulting in the
entire cultural makeup of this area being upended, not in a good way. It may take 5 years or more but it
will irreparably damage the social fabric and undermine the strong, traditional agricultural roots of this
county. Solid folks who've been a part of the community will be turned off and begin to disengage. Good
people will move out of here; many already did in 2013-2014 due to their noxious neighboring pot
growers. Small businesses will move because their commercial zones become pot-heavy, business rents
may rise due to gentrification and entire areas will become transformed to the detriment of long-time
residents and business owners. Just read the news in Sacramento to see it already
happening. http://www.sacbee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/erika-d-smith/article200992049,htmi. You
will also send a message with unintended side-effects, which is "Butte County is pot-friendly." This will
attract even more rogue foothills pot growers whether that is your intention or not. The law of unintended
consequences already played out in 2012 and 2013 when the "99 plant" limit was imposed with all good
intent. It served as an open invitation and we had to fight like hell to recover.
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You really ought to know by now, that the pot industry still has many illegal players operating in the light
of day even in "legal" states like Colorado. Pot shops are used for money laundering. Green dope funds
white dope. Most product in CA will be trafficked to the East Coast for $4K/pound. The serious players
don't look like hippies, they wear suits. Most of the local pot folks here will get edged out and you'll be
bullied by moneyed interests from out of town or out of state. You won't even know you're being played
until you've already become their tool. Oroville will become a hub of black market activity operating under
the guise of "legal" operations. In Sacramento, less than 1% of pot growers applied for licenses. So much
for wanting to be "legal." And simple logic says, the experienced pot business people and growers who are
courting you and whispering sweet mothings into your ear, have been honing their craft for years. This
means they've been breaking state and federal laws all these years. That makes them scofflaws, felons,
crooks. The new laws don't mean their characters suddenly got whitewashed. They are still crooks! And
you want to invite them in to do business? They will play you, seduce you and take advantage, and
probably break laws when you're not looking. Wake up!
You will forever be associated with the outcome if you let the Genie out of the bottle. At the very least you
ought to put it on the ballot and let the citizens decide, allowing plenty of time for all the information and
arguments to see the light of day. If you unilaterally make this decision you had better be prepared to
shoulder the full consequences. Youre future carreers and reputations will probably ride on it. The smart
move is to put it on the ballot and tell the promoters to chill out. They know and are scared that if people
really talk and think about it, they stand a big chance of losing again - for all the right reasons again.
Regards,
Chris Sommers
Bangor, CA
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