Mendocino Co. voters defeat Measure AF, proposed by pot growers

Mendocino County voters were rejecting a medical cannabis regulation measure drafted by the county’s cannabis growers and opposed by a coalition of community organizations Tuesday night.

Measure AF, the Mendocino Heritage Act, representing the industry’s vision of government regulation in a county where marijuana is a major cash crop, was failing with 64 percent no votes and 36 percent yes votes, with a handful of precincts counted.

Supervisor John McCowen said the tally, including mail-in ballots, was “big enough that I’m confident Measure AF is being soundly defeated.”

“We did an effective job of showing that claims that AF protected the environment, protected public safety and protected the small farmer were all false,” he said.

The 60-page measure placed no cap on the number of permits for cultivation, dispensaries and other medical cannabis businesses. It also called for a civil enforcement procedure for permit violations, eliminating law enforcement action.

McCowen said the measure was “an overreach by a small group of growers.”

Two marijuana tax measures, placed on the ballot by Mendocino supervisors, were heading for approval.

Measure AI, which would place a 2.5 percent to 10 percent tax on the gross receipts of cultivators and a flat rate of $2,500 a year for other cannabis business, was ahead 67 percent to 33 percent.

Measure AJ, which advises supervisors to spend the tax proceeds on marijuana code enforcement, mental health services, road repairs and fire and emergency medical services, was ahead 72 percent to 28 percent.

Lake County’s proposed cannabis tax, placed on the ballot by county supervisors and supported by the Lake County Growers Association, had 68 percent yes votes to 32 percent no votes, with only mail-in ballots counted.

The tax, ranging from $1 to $3 per square foot for cultivation, could raise about $8 million a year.

Cloverdale’s Measure P, which could generate $500,000 a year from medical cannabis businesses, was leading 76 percent to ?24 percent.

The measure would allow the city to charge all permitted cannabis businesses up to 10 percent of gross receipts.

“It looks like it’s going to win hands down,” Mayor Mary Ann Brigham said. Local growers had expressed willingness to pay taxes and the mayor said she was “100 percent sure” voters would approve it.

Point Arena’s Measure AE, a proposed tax of up to 3 percent of gross sales of medical marijuana and up to 7 percent of recreational marijuana gross sales, had 66 percent yes votes to 34 percent no votes.