The State - News from May 9, 1989

As long as marijuana farmers are growing their crops in Plumas County, the county tax assessor plans to send them a bill. A 1986 amendment to the state Revenue and Taxation Code allows for taxing illegal inventories, and Assessor Ernest Eaton intends to make sure Plumas County gets its cut. “As long as pot is grown here, and as long as the growers get caught, we intend to assess them,” he said. His first big bill went to farmers accused of growing 350 plants with an estimated value of $1.04 million. The assessment was $10,416. Chico attorney Paul Persons, representing the two men charged with growing the confiscated crop, said the state code is unconstitutional. “If I am taxed on a corn crop, at least I have the corn to sell,” he said. “In this case, they took the crop and imposed a tax. We fought a revolution over this kind of issue 200 years ago.”