Siskiyou County extends emergency declaration over illegal cannabis cultivation and pesticide contamination

Siskiyou County on Tuesday extended its declaration of a state of emergency to address what Sheriff Jeremiah Rivel described as a growing public‑safety, environmental and public‑health threat tied to illegal and diverted cannabis cultivation.

Sheriff Jeremiah Rivel told the Board of Supervisors the county has already eradicated roughly 90,000 plants, processed about 12,500 pounds of product ready for sale, made 45 arrests and seized 23 firearms in recent enforcement activity. He said officers have recovered 31 bags of a Chinese‑labeled pesticide product that he described as containing 25 different pesticides, many of which are not tested for by California labs.

“The state literally has not done anything to push that information out,” Rivel said. “If you go to a dispensary ... the idea is that you'd be buying safe marijuana. That certification is fatal if inhaled.”

Why it matters: Rivel told the board the pesticide mix includes chemicals that are acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, some listed under Proposition 65 as carcinogens, others not registered for use in the United States, and several that are groundwater pollutants or toxic air contaminants. He said such contamination raises risks to workers,…