The burgeoning growth of cannabis farms in and around
Carpinteria has led to one obvious problem: the skunk-like odor. Far worse is
the potential damage to health from growing the plants.
First the odor issue. The odor reduction compound, now mandated
by Santa Barbara County for cannabis growing, merely masks odor while adding
more potentially harmful molecules into our air. These chemicals sold by the
Byer company contain essential oils such as pine oil and detergents. Regulation
is necessary, but the county board assumed, apparently without investigation,
that these odor reduction devices would be beneficial.
Yes, odor is a problem. But odor
is not the worst problem. The real stink beneath the odor is that the chemicals
emanating from growing cannabis itself is dangerous.