ACLU Sues Fresno Over Pot Growing Ban

FRESNO (AP) - The American Civil Liberties Union is suing the City of Fresno and Fresno County over their decision to ban marijuana cultivation.

The ACLU says the laws run counter to state law, which allows marijuana cultivation for medical purposes.

The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday on behalf of two Fresno residents who say they use marijuana to treat pain.

Calls to attorneys for Fresno and Fresno County were not immediately returned. Officials for the county and city have cited public safety concerns for the bans. County supervisors say marijuana farming operations have been linked to violent crime. They have levied fines of tens of thousands of dollars on people caught with pot plants.

The City of Live Oak in Northern California passed a similar marijuana cultivation ban that was upheld in court. The ACLU says its case raises different arguments.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press.