Anonymous
Source: Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office
On Wednesday, January 22, 2020, the Sheriff’s Office Cannabis Compliance Team along with investigators from the California Department of Food and Agriculture Cal Cannabis and the Department of Fish and Wildlife served a search warrant at a cannabis farm in the 5300-block of Foothill Road in Carpinteria.
The warrant location encompassed four parcels, with only one of the parcels having a license for the cultivation and processing of cannabis. It was suspected that the farm was growing and processing marijuana outside of the licensed parcel as well as possessing and selling cannabis crude (oil) without a license.
Through the investigation, detectives discover off-book (black market) marijuana sales associated with the farm. During the warrant service, detectives found a small volatile extrication lab along with extracted oil – both of which are outside of the grower’s license. Approximately 20 pounds of illegally stored cannabis was seized as well as over 1,000 pounds of cannabis crude.
The owner, Barry Brand, was issued a citation for illegal possession of marijuana for sales (misdemeanor) and the investigation is ongoing.
zerohawk – If that liquor store had an illegal still in the back and were operating out of three store fronts that weren’t permitted as liquor stores then yeah the ATF would be busting down the door. That’s more of an apples to apples comparison that selling to minors in this case.
let off with a citation..thats it? not much of a deterrent. Please remember Das at the ballot box approved that message!
Since he’s got permits of some kind, the whole business is not illegal. It sounds like a case of confusion over the permits. It doesn’t seem to be that major. I’d bet there are a decent number or people without permits or correct permits in the county. If someone has filed at least 7 permits, it seems they are trying to do this correctly. It’s too bad they missed something….
Stoners. The whole lot.
OOPS – a citation (because it was a non-violent misdemeanor) and loss of assets (cannabis products). What more do you want for a license mistake? This guy wasn’t cooking meth for kids.
Thank you for your knowledgeable response to help clear things up.
That’s a heck of a benefit of the doubt you’re giving there HELLOSUN. You could argue that having filed for 7 permits means the guy knows the rules and knew full well he didn’t have a permit to produce cannabis oil. If a person buys 7 items in a store and shoplifts one would you be so forgiving? I doubt it. Too bad they missed something, huh.
This guy knew exactly what he was doing. He is one of the main players. This was no accidental oversight or mistake. The point is, he expanded outside the limits of his permit, which you cannot do. He was using volatile manufacturing processes which require a different level of review. He was paying no taxes on this expanded business which hurts the county and residents. So boo hoo for Barry. Do it right.
Get with the times LCP, CBD oil is a godsend to some of us older folks. Expensive though.
We live in a age where we all think we have the right to spout our beliefs like they’re the truth, but do we really know all the details? I think a benefit of a doubt it a good thing. And once I was with my mom and she saw a woman stealing a loaf of bread. My mom figured there might be a good reason she would risk jail to take a loaf of bread. Was it right? No. Was I glad she showed compassion? Yes. Not everyone is out to game the system or get one over on someone else. An opinion with room for kindness is certainly better than an opinion that judges, condemns and makes the world a more divisive place.
HE DID NOT HAVE PERMITs- He has applications pending and has dragged his feet- for obvious reasons…he has promoted himself as “one of the good guys” when in fact he contributes to the black market
3:31 – why would SBSO say “one of the parcels having a license” if he did “not have permits” as you say?
We live in age where the rich, stealing thousands are given the benefit of the doubt and the poor stealing to survive are locked up, no questions asked. Save your sympathy on this one 53.
Ok boomer!
I don’t think that OOPS is suggesting some Draconian punishment, but it’s a distinct likelihood that the citation/fine may not be much of a deterrent because it’s probably built in to this guy’s operating costs. Drug cartels know a certain amount of their product will be seized crossing the boarders, and will adjust the price to absorb that loss. Phone spammers in the US are routinely hauled into court and fined millions for FCC Do Not Call violations, yet continue to plague US phone customers on a daily basis. In fact one offender, Aaron Michael Jones, didn’t contest to a $2.7 million penalty for telemarketing spamming because the reward was worth the risk (https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/how-robo-call-moguls-outwitted-the-government-and-completely-wrecked-the-do-not-call-list/2018/01/09/52c769b6-df7a-11e7-bbd0-9dfb2e37492a_story.html).
So sad to loose all this cannabis, but I just don’t understand why these guys violate their permits? Is it that the license terms are confusing and they believe they are operating legitimately, or are they intentionally violating the terms? I’ve heard from some in the know that the former happens quite often.
I’m shocked that there would be an illegal grow in Carp. Who would have thought that would ever happen? Wow!
How many illegal grows are there in SB County? Has the County ever gone back to certify that these farms existed at the time they received their self-certified temporary permits? The County doesn’t seem capable of running this operation- maybe it has to be a state program with uniform regulations?
I feel so much safer now……….
If we have to put up with your stench play by the rules!
Folks growing and selling drugs. And we wonder why they violate and or ignore permitting.
@SAC, yes it’s confusing, takes a long time (like everything else you request from this dud of a city council). It’s also just a lot of red tape and fees to pay this person and this person and that person. I’m sure some violate intentionally, but this is still a bit much.
I still pose the same question…if the owner of a liquor store sells to minors, does the ATF bust in, destroy and confiscate? No. Then why is it ok for the cops to STILL continue to harass and bust people for growing flowers…
@midair, me too! so glad that the devils lettuce was removed from that mans perfectly legal business. I mean…what would have happened if they actually sold that stuff to someone in town? Oh yeah…nothing. At all. Waste of time, waste of tax dollars. I’m not ok with us paying these @sshats to do this with my tax $…
@LCP drugs? it’s a flower. Meanwhile enjoy your own drugs. Caffeine, nicotine, sugar, alcohol, ibuprofen, naproxon sodium, acetaminophen, Claritin, etc. 1950s is calling…and they want their backwards uneducated thinking about marijuana back.
LCP – your comment makes no sense. Are you saying that because people are growing cannabis, it should be no surprise they violate and or ignore permitting? If so, how do you account for the millions of tons of “lawfully” grown cannabis?
Dope, Das, Permits, Payoffs, Flowers, Stench……..The whole deal stinks.
Was there a donation from this cannabis farm to the Williams campaign? How does one find out who donated to whom? …If he, Brand or his employees, did not donate then it’s unfair to label Das on this one, even though he has a lot of responsibility for all the county grows.
9:21, you refuted your own argument! Nice work.
Did you hear Das’ latest- that Lompoc and Santa Ynez have more acres of pot cultivation, so Carpinteria can stop worrying about their cannabis problem? I wonder how Lompoc and Santa Ynez feel about this? And do the Carpinterians who don’t have an association with the pot industry agree with this assessment?