Josephine County Sheriff Dave Daniel attributes the increase in cannabis farming in 2021 to increased activity by drug trade organizations in Southern Oregon. Even though hemp and marijuana can be legally grown in Oregon, with it comes an increase in the illegal market. There are reports of water being stolen, land being clear-cut, and threats to residence. It should have got the attention of the Oregon Liquor Control Commission. After all, HB 3000 was passed to bridge the enforcement gap to crack down on illegal growers.

Josephine County Commissioners -- Darin Fowler, Dan DeYoung and Herman Baertschiger, Jr. -- got the message and discovered related issues when performing enforcement operations. They sent a letter to Governor Brown regarding Narco-slavery complete with photos.

Dear Governor Brown,

Narco-slavery occurs when organized criminal networks intimidate, relocate, exploit and abuse their laborers. Unfortunately, one consequence of cannabis legalization has been a tragic surge in narco-slavery. During recent cannabis enforcement operations, Josephine County officials have witnessed the appalling conditions to which laborers in the unsanctioned cannabis industry are subjected. Such conditions include:

• Feces everywhere
• No running water or bathing facilities
• Unrefrigerated food and dangerously unsanitary cooking facilities
• Sleeping in containers stacked three-high
• Living in tents and plywood shanties

Typically, after law enforcement releases these workers from custody they have nowhere to go. We assume that many or most workers eventually get collected by their illicit employers and relocated to the next exploitive operation. The purpose of this letter is to assist you, Director Steve Marks, Commissioner Val Hoyle and your staff in your effort to learn about the extent and severity of this problem. We want to work together with you to end this human tragedy immediately.

In 2017 Josephine County passed Measure 17-81, but when Commissioners attempted an ordinance to effectively ban commercial and medical marijuana on rural residential land of five acres or less, it got backlash from growers. Local growers appealed the ordinance to the Oregon Land Use Board of Appeals, which ruled against the county saying it could not ban pre-existing lawful uses. The county failed on appeal also. In April 2018, the county sued the State of Oregon wanting a federal judge to disqualify cannabis as pre-existing lawful use along with other points. It could have effectively invalidated the state’s cannabis program. However, the judge ruled the county lacked standing to sue the state and it had no justiciable case or controversy exists between the parties.

Josephine County has not turned away from 62% of the county voting to curtail cannabis growing in residential areas. This letter should put growers on notice to clean up their act.


--Donna Bleiler

Post Date: 2021-08-18 18:19:26

Last Update: 2021-08-19 09:15:26