San Bernardino County Marijuana Cultivation Areas and Land Sales

Recently the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department Marijuana Enforcement Team (MET) and deputies from the Victorville Police Department served a search warrant at a residence in Victorville after learning about illegal narcotic activity occurring. The Investigators found over 1,400 marijuana plants within an indoor residential operation. The seizure included over 30 pounds of processed marijuana. It was an elaborate operation which included advanced lighting, air conditioning, fans, exhaust blowers and an air-filtering system to control the climate and odor of marijuana inside the home. The operation has likely been operating for several months. California’s marijuana law MAUCRSA, came into effect January 1st. The City of Victorville has an ordinance prohibiting Commercial Cannabis Activity which includes growing more than six marijuana plants at a residence. Generally, large marijuana grow operations require local and state licensing and are not permitted in a residential zone. The Sheriff department indicated that no licenses had been issued to the tenants or property owners. The suspect(s) will face criminal charges for the illegal Cultivation of Cannabis; over 6 plants, Sales/Transportation of Cannabis and Vandalism to Property. The cultivation zone in San Bernardino County is wide ranging and includes much or the city of Adelanto. Most of this area has been unused land, but the new marijuana laws spurned growth and many land owners who had held onto their land for some time has sold at escalating prices. Overall the cultivation market appears to have topped out as the expectations of sellers do not match with the availability of capital for the market. There appears to be interest in land purchases, but at the lower price ranges.

Brightline Buys XpressWest High Speed Rail which will connect Victorville to Las Vegas

Brightline is the nation’s largest and only privately owned operated express intercity passenger rail system. Brightline funded the Florida rail corridor previously. The Florida rail is a proven privately funded model for the Las Vegas Express. Brightline will now take over the construction, land acquisition. The initial phase is expected to build the right of way along Hwy 15 without pedestrian crossings. They expect construction to begin in 2019 with completion by 2022. The planned Las Vegas station is expected to run right to the resort corridor with access to limo’s, shuttles, taxi’s and rider sharing firms. The Victorville connection is 30 to 45 minutes from Los Angeles. They plan on additional stations and connectivity to the Metrolink which connects in Palmdale. They hope to also connect to the Cal High Speed rail likely at that junction also. Brightline’s ambitious plan is to complete the 190 miles from Victorville to Las Vegas in just three years. If they pull off their plan all privately funded then it will show Cal-High-Speed Rail authority’s costs and construction is way too expensive and slow. Overall it is good news for the high desert and Los Angeles.