Victorville City Council to Consider Ordinance to Deter Illegal Cannabis Grows

Hugo Valdez December 2, 2019

VICTORVILLE, Calif. – At its meeting this Tuesday, Dec. 3, the Victorville City Council will consider an ordinance designed to combat and deter illegal cannabis grows in Victorville.

Ordinance 2400 will establish illegal cannabis grows as a public nuisance in the City of Victorville and strengthen the City’s ability to recover its costs associated with this illegal activity.

More specifically, the ordinance will establish a per-plant fine of $100 for cannabis grows in excess of the six cannabis plants allowed for personal use by state law and it will establish a fine of $1,000 each day for health, safety and building code violations that are not corrected within given time parameters. For repeat offenses at the same location, the per-plant fine would increase to $1,000.

“In addition to presenting hazards to public safety, illegal cannabis grows present a costly drain on our City’s finite resources and impede our ability to address other legitimate needs of our citizenry such as proactive neighborhood policing, permit processing, and business licensing,” says Victorville Mayor Gloria Garcia. “This ordinance will help us create effective deterrents to this illegal and costly behavior that destroys homes and reduces property values.”

City Officials estimate that there have been nearly 100 illegal cannabis grows within the City of Victorville in the past 12 months.

These grows have averaged anywhere between 300 and 2,500 marijuana plants each.

The City of Victorville has been forced to dispatch on average between 10 and 15 employees from various City departments such as Police, Code Enforcement, Building, Sanitation, Animal Care & Control, Water and Public Works to address unsafe and hazardous conditions present at the illegal grows essentially taking these employees away from carrying out other tasks in service to the community. After the initial response, additional staff time is required to process administrative paperwork, permitting, inspections and more.

(Photo courtesy of SBSD – Victorville Police Department)

In October 2017 and in accordance with state law, the Victorville City Council adopted Ordinance No. 2376, which limits cannabis cultivation for adult personal use to six plants in indoor spaces. This ordinance further prohibited all commercial cannabis activities within the City limits including medicinal and non-medicinal, with the exception of deliveries of medicinal cannabis originating outside of the Victorville City limits.

Ordinance 2400 will be considered by the Victorville City Council during its open meeting at 6 p.m., Dec. 3. The meeting will be held in Council Chambers in Victorville City Hall located at 14343 Civic Dr. The Council Meeting Agenda including the proposed Ordinance 2400 is posted on the City’s website.

(Photo courtesy of SBSD – Victor Valley Sheriff’s Department)

Ordinance 2400 is part of a broader effort to address the community’s highest priorities. City Officials realize greater penalties are needed to curb behavior that is placing a strain on limited City resources. As such, the City Council will also consider an ordinance to increase fines for the use of fireworks in the City of Victorville during the Council Meeting on Dec. 3. Later this month, the City Council will consider Municipal Code Amendments regulating penalties for illegal water connections and littering.