Weed Landlord Allegedly Running ‘Fortress’ Sues San Bernardino

One cannabis grower is determined to put up a fight against the city of San Bernardino.

CBS News reports a real estate developer named Stephanie Smith who runs a multimillion-dollar cannabis business is suing the city over its cannabis regulation ordinance. Her "fortress," which gave home to 35,000 cannabis plants but has since been busted and shut down, was run from three different buildings.

Smith filed a case through the San Bernardino County Superior Court on Friday, stressing that the ordinance would create monopolies and also bar her from renting to weed growers.

According to The Sun, the city in southern California adopted a new policy in February. Cannabis business owners must apply for permits, which will only be valid for a year. Additionally, growing six plants or more—even if it's at home—qualifies as a cannabis enterprise under these new regulations.

But this wasn't always Smith's story. The 43-year-old mother, according to CBS News, said she only owned the buildings when local cops raided her home about 80 miles away in Pacific Palisades, after the electric company charged her property $67,000 for a month's worth of energy. She also stressed that her tenants were following the state's laws and compliance for cannabis cultivation. Recreational legalization was enacted in January after voters said yes on Proposition 64 in November 2016.