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By Pete Rios
Pinal County Board of Supervisors
During the Board of Supervisors meeting on Feb. 18, an issue regarding a medical marijuana outdoor cultivation amendment was on the agenda for a public hearing.
The hearing was specifically to decide whether or not the county should modify its zoning ordinance regarding the open cultivation of medical marijuana. It came down to the applicant – Sidewinder Dairy in Casa Grande wanting the board to amend the text of the county ordinance to allow up to 10 acres for farmers to cultivating marijuana. This was not an issue about medical marijuana use in this state. The voters approved medical marijuana in 2010.
After several hours of discussion, the Chairwoman Cheryl Chase and I voted against the text amendment for the open grow of marijuana. The minutes of the meeting reflect my reasons for opposing open grow as follows: “Supervisor Rios made a couple of comments so he wouldn’t have to explain his vote. His first concern to the text amendment to the ordinance is whether it’s 5 acres, 10 acres, 50 or 100 acres. It’s an arbitrary number. He expressed concern that a multi-national company can sue in court and if they prevail the county would lose its ability to control the number of acreage. Secondly, open cultivation is open to anyone, not just farmers.” Those were my basic reasons for opposition. Plus the ordinance currently allows for indoor cultivation of marijuana for medical use. Even though both Chase and I opposed the text amendment it passed on a 3 – 2 vote.
No sites have been approved for open grow. That will require another process to come before the board, again with public input, for a Special Use Permit. No one has applied for a SUP at this time. I led the charge against the Medical Marijuana Dispensary in both Dudleyville and Oracle. The Dudleyville site failed and about a year later the Oracle site was approved on a 3 – 2 vote, again with myself and Chase voting NO. I support the use of medical marijuana by ill people, especially those that suffer from cancer and find medicinal benefits from its use. It is the state law. I will however, continue to oppose medical marijuana dispensary sites and open grow sites where the majority of my constituents do not want them in their communities and neighborhoods.
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