Nuisance Pot Grows Banned in Kennewick

The City of Kennewick has passed an ordinance banning outdoor medical marijuana growing operations if they are considered to a "nuisance" to neighbors. But what does that mean?

According to city officials, from now on if your neighbors can see or smell your pot plants, then it's in violation of city ordinance.  Officials are trying to encourage medical pot card holders to move their operations indoors, to deter crime and theft.

However, on the flip side, many medical marijuana users are often disabled or on fixed incomes, and indoor growing operations aren't cheap. That was likely one of the reasons why Councilman John Trumbo cast the only dissenting vote against the ordinance.

Those have already started an outdoor operation may "finish" it and harvest the buds, but then must move the operations indoors, say officials.

Critics say it's just another step towards passing an outright ban on medical marijuana grows, although that would fly against state law that allows card-carrying users a limited number of plants to be used for the purpose.

Some say all this will do is force medical pot patients to move their plants to areas where they are more hidden in their yards, perhaps behind other foliage or bushes.