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, local watersheds and consumers who may be unaware products have been exposed to the pesticides.

Rivel said the county’s discoveries spurred broader attention: he cited an ongoing Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory study and said the contamination has now been detected in multiple states and in a dozen or more California counties. He recounted a multi‑agency enforcement operation in July 2023 he described as the state’s largest such effort, in which task‑force partners served warrants and reported $65 million seized.

Board discussion and action: Supervisors discussed the county’s reliance on state and federal agencies for enforcement. Rivel said state agencies—including the Department of Cannabis Control—have limited capacity and that licensed operators sometimes purchase material from illicit grows. He recommended the board continue the county’s emergency declaration and suggested sending the extension to the governor’s office with a request for a formal response and coordinated enforcement.

A motion to extend the county declaration of a state of emergency related to unlawful cannabis cultivation and associated public‑safety and environmental threats was made and approved by the board. Supervisors present voted aloud: Supervisor Valenzuela, Supervisor Harris, Supervisor Kopsak and Supervisor Obrun each recorded “Aye.” The board adopted the extension by majority vote.

Distinguishing discussion and direction from formal action: Much of the meeting was discussion and reporting by the sheriff on enforcement results and public‑health concerns; the formal action taken by the board was the vote to extend the county’s emergency declaration. Rivel urged that the extension be forwarded to the governor’s office and that the county continue outreach to inform the public and workers about chemical risks; the transcript records the sheriff’s recommendation but does not show a separate, board‑adopted requirement to send a formal letter beyond the motion to extend.

Details and clarifications provided at the meeting: Rivel said about 80 percent of the cannabis sites his office has investigated contain the Chinese‑labeled pesticide product; he asserted the product includes 25 pesticides, of which 17 are not included in routine California lab tests, 12 act as acetylcholinesterase inhibitors, eight are listed as Proposition 65 carcinogens, seven are not registered for use in the U.S., six are groundwater pollutants, three are toxic air contaminants and none are approved for fumigation. He said the county has identified both black‑market and diverted product entering the regulated market and described associated risks including theft, violent crime, labor and human‑trafficking concerns and increased fire danger near cultivation sites.

What the county said it cannot do: Rivel noted county enforcement can seize plants and pursue local arrests, but broader regulatory actions—inspections, product recalls and large‑scale market enforcement—rest with state agencies, which he said are understaffed. He described periodic state task‑force activity and credited the California Department of Fish and Wildlife for ongoing operational support, while saying sustained state enforcement has been limited.

Outlook: The board extended the emergency declaration to maintain the county’s elevated response posture while Rivel and county staff continue enforcement, public‑health outreach and intergovernmental coordination. The transcript does not record a deadline for the extension or a schedule of next steps beyond Rivel’s recommendation to send the declaration to the governor’s office and pursue additional state and federal support.