Vacant California prison could be turned into cannabis production site

[KamaAina]

http://blog.sfgate.com/smellthetruth/2016/05/09/vacant-california-prison-could-be-turned-into-cannabis-production-site/

As thousands of people have served unfair sentences for marijuana possession, one California prison might actually be used to grow pot.

The city of Coalinga is currently reviewing a proposal to transform the currently vacant Claremont Custody Center into a manufacturing center for marijuana cultivation and cannabis oil production, the Fresno Bee reports.

The city council voted 4-1 in April to prepare an ordinance to allow commercial cannabis cultivation at the former prison. The decision was made after officials fielded a proposal from a California-based cannabis oil company called Ocean Grown Extracts, who hope to turn the empty 77,000 square-foot prison into a massive growing operation.

The move could effectively bring in millions annually in tax payments and hundreds of job opportunities, both of which would bring Coalinga up from their diminishing crude oil and prison industries. Located in Kern County – the state’s main petroleum producer – oil-related jobs have fallen over 20 percent since January 2015.

Actually, it's located in Fresno County. Whatever.

[libdem4life]

1. As a former long-time California resident, I just love it.

You know that the tobacco industry is holding a whole lot of land not needed for the declining tobacco usage for pot legalization/public consumption/federal backing off.

We've had federal agencies try and penalize our legalized pot. Holder was an asshole about it. How Lynch will act, I don't know.

So good on California for taking the first step. It was always noted that it would not be a social issue, but a financial one. Colorado was the shining light on that.

Disclaimer: I don't smoke pot, but I know and love some who do.

[NV Whino]

2. They can brand it Shake and Baked.

[KamaAina]

3. Snarf!

For those of you back East, Coalinga had a major quake a few years ago.

[oldandhappy]

4. or a home for refugees

[KamaAina]

6. That's what Martin O'Malley would have done.

[petronius]

5. That sounds like an excellent use, and I'm glad to see any boost to the

economy of Coalinga, Fresno County, CA, USA.

But I wonder why the prison was closed, since even now it seems that there are ~5,000 prisoners housed out-of-state. Was it a decline in the prison population at the risk-category this facility housed, or maybe there were problems with the management/staff/structure?

[KamaAina]

7. Good question.

[JayhawkSD]

8. Housing prisoners out of state is cheaper.

The Coalinga facility is a private, for-profit facility, and the rates charged were higher than the state could get elsewhere. There is also an issue with Valley Fever in the Fresno area.