Sonoma County Authorities Shut Down Unpermitted Cannabis Grow With 63,000 Plants
SANTA ROSA (CBS SF) – Sonoma County inspectors shut down the largest non-permitted commercial cannabis cultivation ever in the county last week.
Inspectors with the county's Permit and Resource Management Department on Wednesday found five properties south of Santa Rosa, but the majority of the 63,241 non-permitted plants were found at two properties, department spokeswoman Maggie Fleming said.
Some of the plants were interspersed with corn. One property had 2.5 acres of cannabis and the other had 3.3 acres, Fleming said. The two properties are located in endangered California tiger salamander habitat. One grow contained 26,650 plants and the other had 36,685 plants.
Prior to Wednesday, the largest illegal cannabis cultivation shut down in the county contained 13,000 plants, according to Fleming.
Since January, county inspectors have responded to 195 complaints of non-permitted cannabis activities, and about 161,000 cannabis plants have been abated, Fleming said.
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