Marijuana Crop Odor causes distraction in California

Posted by Sagar Satapathy on May 17, 2018.

Marijuana has become a new crop of choice for the residents of Carpinteria, in south California, who grow them in their farmlands. However, a thick, skunk-like odor that emanates from the marijuana plants settles over the valley in the evenings and before dawn.

Xave Saragosa, a 73-year-old retired sheriff's deputy who was born and raised in the town and lives near a greenhouse that grows marijuana, said "We don't want a marijuana smell. We want fresh air." He claimed that the skunk smell keeps his wife up at night due to coughing.

The couple, though it is a reluctant choice since it also keeps out the cool ocean breezes, has tried stuffing pillows under doors, lighting incense and shutting windows in a bid to keep out the stench.

Adding to Saragosa, Toni Stuart, an 80-year-old retired Episcopal priest, said, “Though the odor doesn't creep into the area near the beach where I live, however, I am worried about the community changing.

"I would not like Carpinteria to be the 'cannabis capital' of Southern California. I like it the way it is. It's a very quiet, unpretentious beach town," she added.

"If people want to grow cannabis instead of flowers or avocados or macadamia nuts — I suppose that's their right. But they've got to think about their neighbors."

Carpinteria is about 85 miles from Los Angeles and is famous for its beaches, wine and temperate climate.

According to state data compiled by The Associated Press, the county amassed the largest number of marijuana cultivation licenses in California since broad legalization arrived on 1 Jan — about 800.

Two-thirds of them are in Carpinteria and Lompoc, a larger agricultural city about an hour's drive to the northwest.

Virtually all of Carpinteria's licenses are for small, "mixed-light" facilities, which essentially means greenhouses. However, some flower growers have started trying to grow cannabis.

Though Californians voted to legalize marijuana in 2016, countries and cities have a say on whether they allow cannabis production, distribution or sales.

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