Rural California Sheriff Ignores Voters, Favors County Pot Ban

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Photo: Redding Record Searchlight
Sheriff Steve Warren wishes he was a DEA agent: “No matter what, marijuana is still against federal law”

​Maybe Lassen County Sheriff Steve Warren wasn’t paying attention 14 years ago when medical marijuana was legalized in California.

Sheriff Warren told the Board of Supervisors at their April 20 meeting that his position on marijuana is “very clear.” The sheriff said he’d already asked the administrative office if the county could “simply prohibit marijuana cultivation and dispensaries in the county.”

“Pardon my ignorance,” Warren, who must have been unaware of just how much he was asking, said to the supervisors, “but I thought we already had a moratorium. I thought we already had a prohibition such as Citrus Heights, Lincoln, Roseville, and some of those other cities have done.”
“I thought the only one [dispensary]we had in the world around here was in the city,” the sheriff said, reports the Lassen County Times.
But Warren said his department has “encountered” two other marijuana dispensaries in the county.

While Sheriff Warren claimed he “didn’t want to discuss the medical marijuana issue,” that certainly didn’t keep him from mouthing off aplenty.
“No matter what, to me marijuana is still against federal law,” the proud drug warrior said.
“The U.S. Attorney General has come out and said they’re not going to go after [marijuana offenders]and enforce [federal]laws in states where they’ve adopted local rules that say they can do that,” the grammar-challenged lawman said.
“I disagree with that opinion,” the sheriff said, shocking no one, “but even the U.S. Attorney General’s opinion does not make it law. It’s still against federal law, and in my mind, it always will be,” Warren said, apparently ready to keep fighting pot even if it’s legalized at the federal level.
“If there’s a local rule or local ordinance where we can enforce and prohibit at least growing in our county, or even being present in our county, I’m totally in favor of that,” said the sheriff, apparently unaware that voters have already had their say on the issue.
Warren strongly encouraged the board to “take steps” to “impose a countywide ban” on marijuana.
“I certainly have an obligation to enforce all laws, even those I don’t agree with, but luckily for me at this time it’s still against federal law,” said the sheriff, apparently unaware that it’s not the federal government that pays him.
“I think if this governing body has the ability to prohibit them through a moratorium or absolutely restrict it so it can’t be in our county, then that’s the action that should be taken,” he said, expressing his deep contempt for the voters.
“Statistically, only three percent of medical marijuana recommendations and state-issued medical marijuana cards are valid,” said Sheriff Warren, clearly of the “pull statistics out your lying ass and pretend you have medical training” school of debate.
“I don’t think it’s Satan’s spawn,” Sheriff Warren generously granted. “I don’t think it’s the worst drug in the world — I think methamphetamine is — but I do think it’s illegal, and I think it should stay illegal.”
The sheriff, evidently still bitter and disappointed at himself for failing to become a federal agent, went ahead and pre-emptively announced he’s going to continue ignoring the law and the will of the voters, even if pot legalization passes on the November ballot.
“Even if the initiative on the ballot passes, there are still going to be some significant issues for the county because it’s still going to be against federal law, and until the U.S. Supreme Court takes this and actually makes a final decision on where this is going to be, that’s where I’m going to be,” the sheriff babbled inarticulately.
“If the U.S. Supremes come down and say, ‘Sheriff, this is a legalized issue, now ignore it,’ then that’s what I’ll do,” Sheriff Warren said.
“Until then, that’s where I’m at on marijuana.”
Bungled Marijuana Grow Investigation Results In Death, Injuries
One suspect died and six were arrested last June after a bungled marijuana investigation by the Lassen County Sheriff’s Department resulted in a gun battle.
The gunplay sent a sheriff’s sergeant to the hospital with a gunshot wound, and also resulted in an injury to a deputy.
The sergeant and deputy were part of a task force investigating a pot plantation south of Dixie Valley, just across the Lassen County line east of Burney, according to Sheriff Warren.
“I’m not only concerned about Steve Warren, I am concerned about the rest of the Sheriff’s Department (dog and pony show) as well,” said one resident of the Mount Meadows area.
“They have absolutely no common sense, and do things that benefit them, not the citizens. It is time that the good ol’ boy attitude is taken care of. We should only hope that nothing serious takes place in Lassen County, because these bozos wouldn’t know how to conduct a legitimate investigation; they would probably mishandle the evidence, and contaminate the crime scene,” the citizen presciently said just a week before the June 2009 shootings.
Never mind the abundant allegations of corruption; even if they aren’t true, Sheriff Steve Warren is still reprehensible in his contempt for the will of the people.
Voters of Lassen County, please vote this ignorant buffoon out of office. That is, unless you’re all masochists and enjoy being a laughingstock for the entire state.
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