SANTA ROSA, Calif. — A group of conservationists and hunters is suing Mendocino County after it loosened restrictions on the cultivation of medical marijuana.
The Press Democrat reports that an interim county ordinance allows permitted growers to have up to 99 marijuana plants on a 10-acre parcel. The maximum without a permit is 25, the previous maximum for all growers.
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The Mendocino County Blacktail Association says the county violated state laws by not completing an environmental study. The group is asking for an injunction on the ordinance until the county studies its potential impact.
According to the lawsuit, marijuana cultivation can wreak havoc on the environment and poison wildlife.
County Supervisor John McCowen says the interim rules were designed to protect the environment in light of pending state regulations allowing commercial marijuana cultivation.
