City and County Expected to Place Moratorium on Marijuana Gardens

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The plants towering above the fence in a yard across the street from Roeding Park attracted thieves and prompted a resident to shoot and mortally wound one of them as he attempted to get away. Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer says Wednesday's shooting it's just the latest example of violence at a marijuana garden. "What we're facing here in Fresno is the beginning of what could be something very, very bad and very, very dangerous in our city and to the citizens of our community."

Dyer says there have been three violent incidents at marijuana gardens in recent days. As a result, Fresno County Supervisor Henry Perea says the county is going to put the brakes on pot gardens. "On Tuesday we are going to pass an emergency ordinance saying we are going to have a moratorium on the cultivation of marijuana in any location in the unincorporated areas of Fresno County, pending the development of standards by our county of where and how you can grow marijuana in our community."

The Fresno City Council is expected to vote on a similar ordinance at their meeting on Thursday and more cities are expected to follow.

"So we'll immediately go to the cities to ask them to pass similar ordinance so we can shut this thing down until we get further clarification from the state on how to handle this issue because it's getting out of hand." Perea said.

The marijuana gardens and dispensaries are the result of Prop 215, the measure approved by voters that allows for the cultivation and sale of pot for medicinal purposes. Perea is confident local governments can restrict growth. Action News Legal Analyst Tony Capozzi agrees. "The marijuana that's growing in the back yard I think is an attractive nuisance. "I think the local authorities have the power to set some kind of regulations on these particular types of laws."

The suspect in Wednesdays shooting remains in custody. He is expected to be charged with murder.

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crimetracker, shooting, marijuana, medical marijuana, fresno police department, fresno, fresno county, local, gene haagenson

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