Marijuana compliance team comes to Santa Cruz County

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office has created a new team to crack down on illegal pot grows. On Thursday, NewsChannel 5 spoke to law enforcement, marijuana dispensary owners, and residents who said illegal grows are ruining their quality of life.

“People were coming in from out of the area buying up land and with the disregard for any of the neighbors’ concerns putting in large illegal grows,” Bonny Doon resident Phyllis Strickland said.

Strickland was one of many who stood in line at a recent supervisors meeting to talk about her peaceful life in Bonny Doon for more than 30 years is being ruined by illegal pot grows. At that meeting, supervisors voted to only allow marijuana to be grown in a 10 by 10 space for medicinal purposes. The next step to that law, is the sheriff’s office compliance team will work with several agencies like cal fire and fish and game wardens.

“To look for quality of life issues in the county they are going to work on that, butane honey oil labs which are highly dangerous,” Santa Cruz County Lt. Kelly Kent said.

Khalil Moutawakkil, director for KindPeoples Dispensary, agrees with the Sheriff’s Office.

“I think that these businesses would like to step out of the light and become legitimized and that they would welcome regulation that still allows them to conduct business,” Moutawakkil said.

More than 140 complaints have been made by residents surrounding growers.

“We want to target those folks that are doing that process and just make sure the neighborhoods are safe and that the county is safe,” Kent said.

“I just want a message to go out, one thing to rule residential home owners like myself that something is going to be done,” Strickland said.

Dispensaries like KindPeople’s said buying marijuana from growers who respect the environment and others is better for business.