By Lake Tahoe News

Following the passage of Propositions 64, Placer County supervisors are trying to keep pace.

The state recreational marijuana initiative allows people to grow a limited amount of pot indoors.

Supervisors voted 4-0 to allow limited cultivation inside and outside in the unincorporated areas of the county — which includes Lake Tahoe. Supervisor Jennifer Montgomery was not at the Nov. 22 meeting.

The ordinance will go into effect 30 days after the second reading, which is scheduled for Dec. 6.

The county is taking a two-phased approach to recreational marijuana. The first is to focus on allowing limited personal cannabis cultivation and banning commercial cannabis activities.

However, the supervisors did not entirely rule out the future possibility of commercial cultivation for medical cannabis.

At Supervisor Jim Holmes’ suggestion the board supported creating a cannabis working group made up of county staff from all relevant departments, as well as representatives from Placer’s cities and the medical cannabis industry – for their consideration. 

Staff is coming up with the tools needed to enforce the ordinance. 

They will return to the board in the coming months with detailed requirements for outdoor cultivation. 
The cost of starting up and implementing the county’s enforcement program in its first year is included in the current budget. Annual costs in the future are expected to be $609,000, including staff, vehicles and equipment.