A Washington State marijuana grower argues his farm should be exempt from the state’s Clean Air Act because it is an agricultural activity.
An appeals panel will tour the operation this month to help decide whether smells from the harvest of marijuana should have the same leniency as odors from raising livestock and other agricultural activities, according to the Capital Press.
The Green Freedom farm is appealing fines issued by a clean-air agency in hopes the move will set a precedent for marijuana farmers to being regulated like any other producer. The state has previously said the farm was too small for the exemption.
The agency claims that Green Freedom’s greenhouses and other farm operations cover only 3.2 acres, falling short of the five-acre threshold needed to be eligible for the exemption. Ownership of the farm says it covers 5.7 acres.
However, the state agency also says growing marijuana can’t be considered an agricultural activity because it is still covered by the state’s controlled substances act and is not taxed like an agricultural product.
From the National Association of Farm Broadcasting News Service.