Humboldt Growers, Go Get Your Permits, Says Letter to the Editor
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Ok Humboldt Growers….. I just went through the cannabis cultivation permitting process. I learned quite a bit when I was in the Planning Department. Unfortunately, there is a disproportionate number of non-locals getting permits. Meaning that with so few Humboldt growers coming forward, in a few years the Humboldt cannabis industry will be controlled by corporations and outsiders. HUMBOLDT IS ABOUT TO GIVE AWAY THE LOCAL CANNABIS INDUSTRY! GO GET YOUR PERMITS. TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS TO GET THEIR PERMITS! YOU HAVE UNTIL AUGUST 23rd!!!!!!
I also learned that all these people that are saying that it costs a fortune to get a permit and taxes are going to eat up 50% of profit are LIARS OR IGNORANT. I paid $775 for a zoning clearance. That’s it. Next year when the county starts to collect the “outrageous” taxes…. I will be paying $1 a square foot. So let’s do some math on that. For simplicity sake let’s look at a 2000sq’ outdoor grow. Say you pull 50 pounds a season out of that space (If you can’t pull 50 pounds out of 2000 sq’ THEN QUIT YOU ARE A SHITTY GROWER, YOU SHOULD PULL MORE THAN TWICE THAT!). That is 50 pounds at a conservative $1200 a pound = $60,000. Now take that $2000 county tax fee ($1 a square foot), divide it by $60,000 and multiple it by 100 to get the percentage which is 3%. THAT ISN’T THAT MUCH. While there will be state and federal tax added on this…. That is what people have been calling INCOME TAX for a while now! I understand that a lot of growers are bent out of shape that they have to pay taxes. Well I don’t like paying taxes either. But when you live in America and utilize its infrastructure (Schools, Roads, Health Care….) you kinda don’t have a choice. If you don’t like paying taxes move to another country.
Humboldt County will be utilizing some of this cannabis tax revenue to enforce and eradicate illegal grows. They have new satellite images of the county from this summer. They are insanely clear. You can count plants in fields. They know where all the grows are. And soon they will have the money to get rid of everyone who doesn’t get compliant. Read what happened in Colorado. The pot police there have so much money that they actually have been doing random tissue tests at dispensaries with their portable lab. They pulled HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS of clones off the shelf in Denver in one week because they were sprayed with Eagle 20. They are not messing around.
The days of illegal growing and the outlaw lifestyle of Humboldt growers is coming to an end. The Water Board has started sending letters out to growers that are over 2000sq feet without permits. The message is get a permit and get compliant or get $1000 a day fines. These fines could result in MANY PEOPLE LOSING THEIR PROPERTY.
Why register now instead of wait and see what happens? August 23rd is the deadline to get on the priority list for the State licenses that will be available in 2018. This is important because when the State starts issuing permits, they are going to start with the priority list. If the cannabis industry turns out to be anything like the alcohol industry, there will not be unlimited permits given out. While the county can issue as many permits as they want right now, the county permits will not be valid unless the permit holder can be complaint and permitted with the State.
So this is it. These are the final days to get permitted. If you are a grower and want to continue growing and you do not get a permit it will be one of your biggest life regrets. You are about to push yourself out of the industry!
Higher Standards Humboldt
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DEA Rejects Attempt To Loosen Federal Restrictions On Marijuana
http://www.npr.org/2016/08/10/489509471/dea-rejects-attempt-to-loosen-federal-restrictions-on-marijuana
The Obama administration has denied a bid by two Democratic governors to reconsider how it treats marijuana under federal drug control laws, keeping the drug for now, at least, in the most restrictive category for U.S. law enforcement purposes.
Drug Enforcement Administration chief Chuck Rosenberg says the decision is rooted in science. Rosenberg gave “enormous weight” to conclusions by the Food and Drug Administration that marijuana has “no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States,” and by some measures, it remains highly vulnerable to abuse as the most commonly used illicit drug across the nation.
“This decision isn’t based on danger. This decision is based on whether marijuana, as determined by the FDA, is a safe and effective medicine,” he said, “and it’s not.”
Support For Legal Pot Is High. But It Might Not Stay There
In states that made medical marijuana legal, prescriptions for a range of drugs covered by Medicare dropped.
After Medical Marijuana Legalized, Medicare Prescriptions Drop For Many Drugs
Marijuana is considered a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, alongside heroin and LSD, while other, highly addictive substances including oxycodone and methamphetamine are regulated differently under Schedule II of the law. But marijuana’s designation has nothing to do with danger, Rosenberg said.
GO AHEAD AND BLOW IT UP. PLANT 1,000, 2,000 OR EVEN 10,000 PLANTS IN YOUR FEDERALLY ILLEGAL MEGA GROW. I BET THE FEDS WILL BE CRACKING DOWN HARD AFTER THE DEA FAILED TO RECLASSIFY MARIJUANA. THE BUST IN BLACKSBURG IS JUST THE START. WHO’S NEXT? C.A.M.P. IS COMING FOR YOU GREEN RUSHERS W/ HUGE GROWS. WELCOME TO HUMBOLDT!. COME ON HOPES OF STRIKING IT RICH & LEAVE A CONVICTED FELON!!
I understood it to be that the fed is willing to hear science backed research that will declassify Marijuana, setting up to go legal I would suppose , due to tax revenue, what government would pass that up, come on think sensibly, pretty simple.The state isn’t going to stand around and watch counties pull tax revenue off weed and the fed isnt going to stand around and miss taxes either. Got a couple years and all county permits are useless
Hope your planning on expanding your tax rate may be 70 % now…
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/02/18/feds-slap-70-tax-on-legal-marijuana-businesses.html
https://thecannabisindustry.org/uploads/2015-280E-White-Paper.pdf
More on the tax situation cannabis business face .
Just for fun : I called the local [ San Francisco ] unit of the A.T.F.
Alcohol , Tobacco , Firearms. and asked them the last time they busted a White Lightning -Still -“Moonshine” operation, Illegal manufacturing of grain alcohol. They reported it was over 30 years ago.
I asked them what I could do to obtain a permit to cook my own drinking Whiskey operation. They reported back to me that it was an easy permit process , consisting of a background check, and no felony convictions and no Pryor alcohol cooking record. Thats all they needed plus a one time fee of $ 350,000 payed to the ATF, and another $ 125,000 to the state government for health care and drunk driving awareness.
In other words it is set up for the rich to become more rich, the common man will never be granted permission to join this small circle of friends.
I am thinking Weed will go the same way, the rich will buy up all the slots,
Make all the money and have all the control over this crop, and we , the small fish in this pond will be left with nothing but the crumbs that fall off the masters table.
Regaurdless of that, they did mandate that the government is not allowed to spend any money on busting anyone going by their local regulations. Which means, if you get permitted, they are not suppose to mess with you.
Until you are sitting on a business empire then they can simply seize your assets as this wa state site clearly warns of.
http://lcb.wa.gov/mj2015/faqs_i-502#Federal-Government
Since marijuana is legal in Washington can the federal government still prosecute me?
Yes. Washington’s system of legalized marijuana does not preempt federal law. Presently Washington State residents involved in marijuana production /retailing could still be subject to prosecution if the federal government chooses to do so.
Can the federal government confiscate my assets?
Yes. Confiscation of assets is one of the enforcement tactics available to federal authorities.
What about industrial hemp? Does this create a new market for hemp products?
No. The law is focused on legalizing the recreational use of marijuana. The law modifies the definition of “marijuana” to include only cannabis greater than 0.3 percent THC concentration. Cannabis under this limit – industrial hemp – is not treated as recreational “marijuana.”
HOJ says, “you are welcome for the Thursday DEA tip previously provided to you”, have a high and almighty day.😎
Whichever side wins the general election- we will end up with an unbelievably corrupt government. Even worse than before. The cultural aspect of corruption will “filter down”. An extra amplitude of corruption. It will be in their best interest to keep it illegal and milk the cream off it and destroy some of the competition. Welcome to 1984! Or if you prefer, the wilder west.
If legalized, politicians could possibly benefit, but they probably benefit more now from it being illegal. If corruption increases they will benefit even more.
Government owns the mmj patents, among other patents like nicotine, for their partners in crime, big pharmas, which is who the TPP is all about protecting.
http://www.leafscience.com/2014/07/25/u-s-government-patent-marijuana/
Came on vacation , left on probation.
Not that it matters but please look up feds decision to not re-scheduale from Class 1.
Still no banking, or business deductions.
The above commenter ( GHGR-YS) must have written their handle will staring in a mirror.
Maybe someone wants to pay for research.
Does anyone know a web site that has there guidelines to become complaint? There is a fear that people might not be able to meet all there requirements, so are they reasonable? Expensive? Also what are different parcel sizes allowed to have? No negative comments please, just trying to feel this out, and I really wonder the reasoning why so many are not getting permits. Also why did the federal gov. DEA just rule that marijuana is a schedule 1 drug, when it can be legally bought in so many states? Is the message that Federal Gov will never be ok with weed??
the message is Don’t Trust The Government! There are laws protecting agricultural business’s from precisely such kinds of commodity tax’s. People are taxed as Income so the Feds are just further choosing to screw things up as always until they feel they have complete totalitarian control. What is it about the current Federal government and tyranny people just don’t want to see. SUE THEM IN COURT or you’ll be hit with tax’s on apples, children or worms, or anything else you grow on your own property next. duhhhh…. this is the same taxation tyrrany that started the Boston Tea Party and our county commissioners are complete traitors to our community just like the British were to those colonists.
Exactly,
Woods uses the word “HOPE”!
READ IT AND WEEP, California politicians are scam artist liars……hope, give us a fucking break.
~ Press release from Assemblymember Jim Wood’s office:
AB 2516, the “cottage farmer bill” was approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee today and is now one vote away from the Governor’s desk. AB 2516 would create a new “cottage” cultivator license for anyone growing 2,500 square feet or less outdoors or 500 square feet or less indoors.
Assemblyman Wood said, “California’s cannabis industry was built on the back of small farmers in my district. As the industry gets set to explode into the mainstream economy it is crucial that we don’t let our small farmers get left behind.”
Creating a special license designed for smaller operations allows the Department of Food and Agriculture, the agency tasked with developing licensure regulations, to consider these specialty farms independently from larger operations. The hope is that the Department will make these licenses more affordable and create a viable means for small farmers to compete in an industry that is predicted to grow rapidly over the next several years.
AB 2516 will next be heard on the Senate Floor for a final vote before moving to the Governor’s office for approval.
There are a few different reasons people aren’t getting permits.
1- Some have already made millions. Cant spend the money they have, so why bother with all the hassle of going legal. In other words, they don’t need to.
2- We are trained outlaws. Outlaws don’t trust the gov., police or any of that. Once an outlaw, always an outlaw.
3- They are felons.
4- They think they can continue the game as usual. Not so much. With the grey area of cannabis, one can come up with a defense to stay out of trouble. Once permits are issued, it becomes cut and dry. It becomes very simple to prosecute at that point.
5- Under capitalized
6- Simply not that smart or motivated or too stoned out
Well said, of course most growers by their very nature are greedy and dishonest. I hope those that refuse to pay tax get busted.
Yes, hope you are taxed more too sucker.
I bet if they taxed watching “the Kardashians” more people would be upset.
And that is more detrimental to everyone…
You as well as I have in someway been influenced or benefited from the local cannabis industry..either now or past generations..this is how I see it..I haven’t been friendly with local governments or banks or law enforcement so why would I start now? Because now they got smart and want a piece of the pie? How about this….just because people will be able to get grow permits doesn’t mean I’ll buy any..or pay any taxes,or any other kinda crap like that..I’m still gonna do the same thing and let other people pay to do mega grows..that just means there will be more bud on the market for people like me to help out finding a home for it..
The justice department has issued memos that state that “federal dollars cannot be used to prosecute medical marijuana growers who are in compliance with state laws”. These memos have been held up in federal court multiple times. Consequently the Feds have had to drop charges against oaksterdam and other Bay Area collectives. In my opinion if you are part of a cooperative, getting compliant with state water board, fish and game, the county etc, then the Feds don’t really have anything to charge you with. That being said people need to do a cost-to-benefit analysis. If it’s going to take 200000 to bring your land into compliance but your only going to make 150000 next year then it’s probably not worth it for you. For a lot of people, (especially small growers on steep pieces of land with poor roads and unpermitted structures), it’s definitely not worth it. It seems to me that a lot of locals who are signing up are big timers who can easily afford to spend half a million on compliance. Do some research people, everyone’s situation is different.
“Final days to get permitted ”
Well Humboldt is run by simpleton people closing the permit process will only allow the black market to continue .The attorney general of Oregon understands this and has opted to leave the Oregon permit process open increasing commodities therefore lowering prices helping to eliminate the black market..closing the process after a few select permits have been “approved “in humboldt makes zero sense.
Actually, it does make sense:
Opening and closing the dates of “compliance” allows the Supervisors, the Bureaucrats, the Cops (all) and up-tight old-time citizens the luxury of thinking they are in control of the future. That they can determine the course of our lives. That they can maintain and increase the benefits which flow to them by restricting our freedoms. Every requirement of government requires a bureaucracy to enforce it.
The tail isn’t wagging the dog; the fleas are wagging the tail. af
There is a disproportionate amount of outsiders applying because they are green rushers and don’t know any better. It’s hard to trust people that haven’t had your back for decades but now do because they have dollar signs in there eyes. It’s a money grab coming from all angles. Remember, jah says trust no man.
It amazes me to no end how many people I know over the years that have been locked up for weed. Now that the county feels it’s ok they want a slice of the pie . As long as you payoff the right agencies your good to go unless the Feds come in then your fucked because our great county will never have your back. I wouldn’t trust any gov agency on what they say there in it for them not you just use caution and see how there mess turns out. Anyone that has lived here there whole life should know better than to trust them on any level.
Well said
Yes, and don’t trust private citizens who “talk up” gubbamint, for surely these private sector fux will vote to fux you too.
Where do you go to get these (State) permits?
Stay under 2000 sq ft, and use the same springs you use for your home, grow in your backyard, and you are exempt.
is this true? I just want to grow the same 20 plants I have grown for 20 years to keep my artist lifestyle afoot. Is there any reason why I should apply for a permit??? I was told (by a friend) because my property is RR, I will need this “grandfathered in” status or I will not be able to have my plants in the future.
Soon to be inaccurate, read Wood’s “cottage farmer” bill.
The language used…..”HOPE”.
Ask the bulgarians. I would like to see them get busted .I don’t think they will be complying. They probably are illegal aliens .
Bulgarians will kill the cops more quickly than a dead head humboldtian high on pipe.
We have always grown here. During some of the most oppressive periods of time in humboldts weed growing history. We are masters of adaptation. If you think for one minute we won’t Tare down our hoops, And return to the hide and scatter methodology then you don’t know any real hardcore humboldt growers. We will take out our camo nets and re-string them in the trees. We will fire back up our multiquips as we have in the past during times of oppression. When you ask the government who has oppressed the weed for so long to set forth rules and regulations to control it, what else can we expect from our system of oppression? Mabye more oppression. There are ten thousand documented significant grows in the county. Less than 900 people signed up.
Put that into a percentage Mr. Mathematics. Even if they go everyday to chip one site that’s only 365 sites a year. Real Humboldt is not backing this. We will continue as we always have.
I couldn’t have said it better minus the shooting real Humboldt is still alive you just don’t see us. We will thrive long after the gov has the growers on a list and is taxing the shit out of them. If you think these taxes are the end your wrong there just the start.
Real talk!
Feds always win over state. Always. Even if you’re above and beyond compliant.
Why do you think the FDA who has approved hundreds of fatal drugs wants to keep their research going? $Money$
Isolate, concentrate, then mass produce a drug that can be sold all while keeping marijuana illegal. I know it sounds like a conspiracy but pharmaceuticals is worth billions. There is studies how tobacco is even taking a hit in the market in states that legalize/decriminalize. You don’t think they are helping fight against legalization?
Money makes the world go round.
Remember, to all the haters, that even though they decided to keep marijuana as a it is federally, they still mandated that the DEA or other government entities are not allowed to spend any money on busting anyone with marijuanna growing or whatever, as long as they are following their local regulations. Which is why our governor passed the new regulations for us to be in compliance with. So get a grip. Marijuanna has been grown in this area for 50 years or more. Stop hating. When they legalized alchohol I bet there were a lot of snobby whiners then too, but really, it should be about freedom in America rather than prohibition over some people not liking what others are doing. You are not that important that everyone needs you to be their role model. I am sure there are things all the haters do that I wouldnt do…like be a hater.
End of an era, everything changes. Weed will become legal and industry will master it, simple. Then on to the next illegal trade
Don, The feds will not change shit in our lifetime, get a clue.
Can you start the permit process without yet having a place to grow?
Reservations as a local kickback……prepay to play?
Hmmmmm?
hahaha, No you certainly cannot.
We’s know how to deal with communist economies wheres I come from. Do all the party leaders says, pay town leaders, keep working. Move to free country. Ya Ya.
P.T.S.D.
If you grow for personal use only and have 215 and do not sell, do you need permits?
No.
These permits are only for those interested in a commercial enterprise (selling their flowers or flower-related services).
“The Water Board has started sending letters out to growers that are over 2000sq feet without permits. The message is get a permit and get compliant or get $1000 a day fines.” —- WRONG THIS IS WRONG. the waterboard did send letters out, but I know someone that got one and doesn’t even grow ANY weed. secondly, the waterboard wants you to comply with the CWRDP. (cannabis waste regulatory discharge program) and that has NOTHING to do with signing up to get a commercial grow permit. This has been verified by the waterboard themselves. the commercial grow permits, and the waste discharge program are 2 differen’t things. If you got a letter from waterboard, you have to do the waste discharge program if you are growing over 2k sq feet. If you are not growing that much or anything at all, you can write them a letter and provide photos and you will be exempt from the program. Lastly, waterboard is prepping round 2 of letters right now and deadline to register an existing grow operation is aug, 23 2016. Meaning more people will be getting these letters WELL after the deadline for registering has long came and went. Just more proof that waterboard program and commercial grow permitting is 2 entirely different things. you should edit this story kym because that part of it is NOT TRUE.
I think the D.J on KHUM made a Freudian slip, or I did, and referred to it as the waterboarding program,
Saucy, this is a letter to the editor. It is someone else’s opinion.
O.k. well the person that wrote this makes it sound like if you got a letter from the waterboard you need to sign up for a commercial grow permit. Which is entirely false. you do need to sign up for the water discharge program if you did get a letter though. Just trying to stop the spread of false information because the way that sounds people might read that and think they are gonna be charged 1k per day if they don’t apply for the commercial grow permit.
Commenting back with information really helps. Thank you.
All the info you need to register your grow is on the Humboldt county website under planning and building. All the forms are there. Registration and permit applications.
http://www.humboldtgov.org/2159/Commercial-Medical-Marijuana-Permitting
I got a kick out of the snoop dog contestant giff in this article about govt keeping the patents all to themselves.
http://libertyviral.com/marijuana-ruling-saves-millions/#axzz4H8eJkZuX
Govt keeping patents for tpp monopoly.
http://www.leafscience.com/2014/07/25/u-s-government-patent-marijuana/
I think it’s odd that somebody who is proud enough to say they have “gone through the permitting process” wouldn’t at least identify themselves. Their information is supposedly already public record according to that other “news” site…What’s stopping them from owning their public comment? If the process is really that painless and awesome, why use a handle?
Also, left out of their list of costs are the many other permits/fees/licenses/services you have to acquire for your county grow permit to even be valid. They do get expensive, and unless your land/practices are already perfect and you have the time/knowledge/patience required to spend at the planning department and other agencies, on top of your other family/business responsibilities, you’ll need help from a professional service to get things done by the deadlines.
Yeah, its unfortunate that a bunch of out-of-towners are lining up for permits while locals are sticking to wait-and-see. Its hard to convince the long persecuted to seek out their persecutors and pay for the privilege of prohibition version 2.0. The times are changing and the culture of Humboldt is changing with them.
See
This letter is funny. It paints a one persons perspective picture. Maybe someone else with a different experience can chime in. First of all, this persons permit is a “zoning clearance”, the smallest permit given. The next permit up, I believe costs three times the amount and then again up from there. This person may be on a small, clean piece of property with no road, culvert, building or water supply issues. These people just happened to have everything in order. My next though is, they don’t have a permit. They haven’t been inspected yet and have no idea that the county doesn’t like something and wants them to fix it. Once the permit is in hand, then people can say how much it really costs.
I have spent about $100,000 k get right with water quality on one parcel in trinity.My property wasn’t in to bad of shape. $20,000 on consulting with a water resource management plan.$5,000 in engineers ,$20,000 in rain water in catchment pond,water meters Culverts armored ditches and so on.They are defiantly holding cannabis farmer ,to a higher standard .
I do feel good about letting my springs flow back down the hill towards my creek and into the ell river ,About 2000 gallons a day after being educated on salamanders and fish,wildlife and water temps and stream flows. now I know what the right things to do are, it makes me feel good to do the right thing and help our environment.
once more people realize the big pic there will be a lot more water flowing in our streams.
I’m also have applied for 5000 square feet in Humboldt and have signed up with the water board.the 5000 square feet is cheap and simple.I don’t want to be left behind with no way to provide for my family.I can always drop my permit later if i see fit .
I’ll start by stating I have no stake or real knowledge about this industry, but I believe it has propped up Humboldt County economically for some time.
My question for all of you is: Why are these “Cartel” and “Bulgarian” (let’s call them the Bad Growers) operations allowed by local growers? They appear to be the worst offenders of murder, illegal clearing and grading, and water diversion/theft, and likely don’t inject any money from sales locally.
I always assumed that “criminals” (no judgement, just don’t know what else to call someone breaking the law by growing a weed) policed themselves since they could not call johnny law. Didn’t that used to be the case?
Are the Bad Growers too violent and ruthless to eradicate?
Help me out here. Thanks.
The Bulgarians have the relators in their pockets .You should ask our local real state folks who claim to be part of our community why locals don’t even get a chance at new property’s .Plus the bulgs have a lot of money and are over paying .hard to contend with .Every body thinks there is no end to the cash flow but there is limits.
As for policing our selves , when you live in a glass house you don’t throw stones .
New Bulgarians in ettersburg this month. A neighbor heard first hand of the sale from the previous owner, and said nothing to anyone else. This guy grows here, but lives elsewhere. So, now there are 4 parcels on this road owned by Bulgarians, the last one not having enough water for a house, let alone an industrial grow. Sickens me that the local, absentee grower cares so little about this neighborhood that he couldn’t give any of us a heads up. Every realtor is complicit in this. Greed wins.
One can’t help but wonder why the Bulgarians never seem to suffer the consequences so many others have experienced in regards to growing marijuana. Are they US Government protected for favors carried out in the places in the world they come from? It wouldn’t be the first time. Or are they simply hard-working, business savvy immigrants making it big-time?…or is it something else..?
The author of this letter is obviously just another industrial grower douche, lecturing us on what are yields should be, and why we should jump through hoops like he/she has. I am not a sheep. Or a lemming.
LOL…The Bulgarians are doing the same thing back home…
http://www.dutch-passion.com/en/news-and-development/bulgaria-pensioners-grow-cannabis-for-cash/
Combine this with the tiered property tax bill and I will bet the path to compliance becomes the path to foreclosure .
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2016/08/26/pot-twist-some-marijuana-activists-urge-no-vote-on-legalization.html
All one has to do is read the comments here to realize that this is totally & utterly confusing & unsettled in every way. No one knows what the rules are & the rules are different for every situation. How is compliance even possible under these circumstances & why would any sensible person risk their freedom or property by getting involved with this incredibly disfunctional system
Hopefully, you will all obtain jobs on corporate dope farms down the road. There is just too much money in weed, and the wealthy are greedy. Pot will be grown on large acreage in the valley, and also everywhere else that you can imagine. Your “small farm” may still grow boutique weed but you will eventually be taxed, regulated and competed out of business. Best of luck, perhaps consider pursuing another type of employment or going back to school. There are much better ways to make a living.
Nevertheless, if space is restricted, the garden might be restricted to a handful
of varieties.