Native American Marijuana Farm Opens Next Month

[atlantabizgal]

California: Native American Marijuana Farm Opens Next Month
By Steve Elliott Hemp News A Northern California Native American tribe has announced it is building a $10 million indoor marijuana cultivation facility just north of Ukiah. "The tribes are just getting out ahead of the game," said Mendocino County Supervisor Dan Hamburg, reports Glenda Anderson at The Press Democrat of Santa Rosa. "Legalization is coming," said Dale Gieringer, California state coordinator for the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML). "It looks like it'll be the tribes." The Pinoleville Pomo Nation has contracted with United Cannabis, based in Colorado, and FoxBarry Companies, based in Kansas, to grow thousands of marijuana plants in greenhouses on its 99-acre rancheria, The Press Democrat reports. FoxBarry -- which, interestingly enough, also invests in tribal casinos -- is bankrolling and managing the project. This is believed to be the first California tribe to build a large cannabis-growing facility, but at least two more are already planned at other locations in the state -- by the same corporations behind the Ukiah operation. Those two locations are still undisclosed, other that they will be in Central and Southern California. The Ukiah operation will be a nearly 110,000-square-foot facility on about two and a half acres, and is scheduled to open in February, according to representatives of the groups. About a third of the rancheria is held in federal trust, which frees the companies from following all local regulations, and most state laws as well. Mendocino County officials are clucking about that lack of accountability. "They can do whatever they want," said Mendocino County Chief Executive Officer Carmel Angelo. The tribe won't be subject to the county's zoning ordinance which limits the number and locations of cannabis plants grown for medical use. The tribe also owns 100 acres near Ukiah High School, for which it is seeking federal trust status. The tribe hadn't notified county officials of its plans; of course, under federal rules, they don't have to. "I'm a bit taken aback," said county Supervisor Carre Brown, noting that many tribes consult with the county about development projects "as a courtesy," even though they are exempt from its planning process. "None of this really surprises me," said Hamburg. "I just wish there was more we could do about it. My heart is really with the small grower community," he said. Hamburg has a good point. It's great that the advent of Native American marijuana is going to make cannabis more available to those who need and want it, but not so good that the business is apparently being handed over to big corporations on a silver platter. What about the mom-and-pop operations that got us here? Hamburg said big indoor farms liked the planned facility create more negative ecological impacts than smaller outdoor gardens. "From an ecological perspective, that does not sit well with me," he said of the tribe's operation. In a memorandum at the request of tribes seeking clarification on marijuana, the U.S. Justice Department said it's up to tribes -- as sovereign nations -- to decide if cannabis is legal on their lands. But the memo also said nothing prevents federal authorities from enforcing U.S. law in "Indian Country." -

So the Native Americans will grow the marijuana and FoxBarry Companies will be the sole distributors. Aren't these the same guys who put the casino's on the reservations?


http://hemp.org/news/node/4583

[salutations]

dunno, it probably will turn out alright. count your selves lucky. the UK will probably never legalize cannabis.

[kizzie]

Originally Posted by salutations

dunno, it probably will turn out alright. count your selves lucky. the UK will probably never legalize cannabis.

We might never legalise it, but its not as criminalised here as the US. Yes having huge amounts is, but not having personal amounts. My son has been caught with it a few times and never taken to court. In the US Drs will drug test you and if you are found to be self medicating, your other meds will be stopped and so will your benefit money.

NA are allowed to do things other Americans are not.

[alf hearted]

Originally Posted by kizzie

We might never legalise it, but its not as criminalised here as the US. Yes having huge amounts is, but not having personal amounts. My son has been caught with it a few times and never taken to court. In the US Drs will drug test you and if you are found to be self medicating, your other meds will be stopped and so will your benefit money.

NA are allowed to do things other Americans are not.

It seems a bit of a minor concession bearing in mind all that stealing their land business in the past.

[kizzie]

Originally Posted by alf hearted

It seems a bit of a minor concession bearing in mind all that stealing their land business in the past.

I agree.

[dentedarthur]

Originally Posted by kizzie

We might never legalise it, but its not as criminalised here as the US. Yes having huge amounts is, but not having personal amounts. My son has been caught with it a few times and never taken to court. In the US Drs will drug test you and if you are found to be self medicating, your other meds will be stopped and so will your benefit money.

NA are allowed to do things other Americans are not.

Depends which state. Colorado, for example, anyone over 21 can possess 1oz. don't need to be a resident, and there isn't any type of registration system.

[fishonwheels]

Precisely my first thought if it was on res w/ different compliance regs. I posted before that the recent global waves of leg/decrim might be due to big money involvement and someone posted a link about monsanto which i can not remember now. Truth is things won't be hugely different in many places right away unless its subsidized med and laws stopped no one before unless they were pushing keys or ran grow ops. Long term implication ur guess might be better than mine.

*just throwing it out there not saying its bad or anything and i buy bags of mixed veg so wth.

[notbuyingit]

Cannabis use amongst school children is so prevalent that it does not command expulsion anymore when caught with it! There are also growing numbers using cannabis for medical reasons and with some success. Time to control its growth and distribution. Watch how Monsanto will start producing some f***ed up shite to poison them all. AAargghhhhh!!

[alf hearted]

Originally Posted by notbuyingit

Cannabis use amongst school children is so prevalent that it does not command expulsion anymore when caught with it! There are also growing numbers using cannabis for medical reasons and with some success. Time to control its growth and distribution. Watch how Monsanto will start producing some f***ed up shite to poison them all. AAargghhhhh!!

Stopping kids going to school because they have smoked pot seems to be defeating the object of making them better educated young people. Unless they are actually selling it to their schoolmates, there is no justification for expelling a kid for being caught smoking pot, never mind carrying it.

[warwick]

Maybe cannabis could heal some of the scars alcohol left on their history and communties.

[alf hearted]

Originally Posted by warwick

Maybe cannabis could heal some of the scars alcohol left on their history and communties.

Can you imagine if, instead of consuming the alcohol made by the European settlers, they had turned them all on to mescaline and peyote? This world would be one heck of a different place.

[notbuyingit]

Originally Posted by alf hearted

Stopping kids going to school because they have smoked pot seems to be defeating the object of making them better educated young people. Unless they are actually selling it to their schoolmates, there is no justification for expelling a kid for being caught smoking pot, never mind carrying it.

I am old enough to remember how being caught smoking cigarettes on school premises would have punished. My point was that it has now become endemic and, since there are no sanctions, I personally believe it must be an agenda to hook our youngsters and then slow kill them with filth when it is controlled. Seriously, I work in schools and they are not about education: they are about going through the motions of education for so many disillusioned, bored, unresponsive youngsters for whom being high is the norm.

[fishonwheels]

Cheaper rent cheaper labor and jobs on the res I guess.

[alf hearted]

Originally Posted by notbuyingit

I am old enough to remember how being caught smoking cigarettes on school premises would have punished. My point was that it has now become endemic and, since there are no sanctions, I personally believe it must be an agenda to hook our youngsters and then slow kill them with filth when it is controlled. Seriously, I work in schools and they are not about education: they are about going through the motions of education for so many disillusioned, bored, unresponsive youngsters for whom being high is the norm.

Going through the motions seems about right, but it's got to be better for the majority than the education and life skills they'd develop from the majority of parent-led home tutoring. School is there to keep them off the streets while their parents are grafting. It's not that long ago that we had them grafting too, but the uber-capitalists can't get away with that shit anymore.

[fishonwheels]

I suppose they also get a decent cut and it's possible the majority of workers can have different legal status.*

*Relax I no say illegal. I say perhaps entrance status by law and nothing wrong with that as long as it win win win win for all parties concerned though hard to predict who be biggest winner consumers or producers.