HEMET OFFICIALS CONCERNED HYDROPONICS STORE MAY CULTIVATE MARIJUANA GROWERS

Hemet city officials are keeping a close eye on a hydroponics store
out of concern that it attracts customers who illegally grow marijuana.

Steve's Hydroponics at 106 E. Florida Ave. opened Feb. 1. It sells
indoor irrigation systems, growing lights and pesticides. Co-owner
Steve McCann said his products are popular among growers of fruits and
vegetables because the soil-less systems do a better job of delivering
nutrients than outdoor gardens, and because the plants can be grown
indoors -- away from extreme weather -- year-round.

"It shocks people when you bring them a homemade tomato in December,"
McCann said.

"They want to grow bigger, better, faster, and that's what we help
them do," said co-owner Rich Portillo.

Hemet Mayor Eric McBride, however, said he doubts most of the
customers are interested in produce.

"It's on my personal radar," McBride said. "What they are doing is
selling things that are legal to sell" but he is concerned that
customers are using them to illegally grow marijuana.

Hemet Planning Manager Deanna Elliano has inspected the
store.

"What he's basically selling is gardening supplies," Elliano said. "He
is well aware that if he ever deviates into anything associated with
paraphernalia" that he could be prosecuted.

Hydroponics stores dot the Inland landscape. There are two in
Riverside and at least one each in Temecula, Corona, Colton and Palm
Springs, according to an online directory at flairform.com.

McCann, 31, of Hemet, works with his brother-in-law, Portillo, 36, of
Murrieta. Portillo said he was a member of Future Farmers of America
as a child. He grows fruits and vegetables at home. McCann tests
nutrients and experiments with new products.

"We do everything 100 percent legal," McCann said.

There is no mention of marijuana in the store. There are advertising
posters with edgy product names: Hostile Takeover Electronic Ballasts,
Bud Candy Advanced Nutrients, Rhino Skin Potassium Silicate and
Piranha Liquid Fungal Microbial Root Colonizer, among others.

When asked about the names, McCann said, "There's a certain product
that most of the market is geared for, but we are not allowed to say
(what that is)."

He added that he could be prosecuted for selling his products if he
knew they were going to be used to grow marijuana, and that he won't
sell to anyone who indicates that intent.

The city has a moratorium on opening medical marijuana
dispensaries.

Two customers at Steve's Hydroponics supported the use of marijuana
for medicinal purposes.

Kyle Nelson, of Hemet, said using the drug gives him back his
appetite, which a stomach condition has taken away. He was wearing a
T-shirt with an image of Benjamin Franklin firing a gun superimposed
over a $100 bill.

"Medical marijuana, it's the greatest thing," he said.

Mike Maratta, of Homeland, said he used to have migraine headaches and
used to use marijuana to alleviate the pain. He has purchased growing
lights and pesticides there for growing vegetables.

"They're a good place," said Maratta. "They are willing to help you
out with problems."