Suggestions for Humboldt County; A Letter to the Editor by Salmon Creek Cannabis Farmers

Welcome to our letters to the editor/opinion section. To submit yours for consideration, please send to [email protected]. Please consider including an image to be used–either a photograph of you or something applicable to the letter. However, an image is not necessary for publication. Remember opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of Redheaded Blackbelt nor have we checked the letters for accuracy.

Marijuana bud

Marijuana grown in a Salmon Creek garden. [Photo by Kym Kemp]

The Salmon Creek Farm Association sent the following letter to the Humboldt County Supervisors and also to the community:

Gentlepeople,

Following the outpouring of public testimony at the Public Comment Session at the Board of Supervisors meeting yesterday, February 13, 2018, we would like to continue the discussion and offer some suggestions to move the licensing process equitably forward.

The fact that there are many, many concerned small farmers is without question. You heard pleas, tears, complaints and suggestions to improve the financial burden on the small farmers from all over the county. This is not an isolated group of farmers with a “no tax” agenda. These are farmers who want to participate in the fiscal and regulatory process and have been paying large sums to comply but are being squeezed out of the system that was supposed to be sympathetic to the small farmers.

We believe that the extreme up-front taxes represent a short-sighted vision, and the County should look at the potential medium- to long-term economic benefits including sales and employment tax revenue resulting from a healthy legal cannabis economy built on small farms.

Along with many other small farmers in the County, the Salmon Creek Association of Small Farmers wants to continue the dialogue and bring substantive changes. We would like the County to consider the following requests:

 

  • We offer ourselves as members of the Ad Hoc Committee on Cannabis headed by Estelle and Ryan. Who else is being invited to be on this committee? The membership should be a broad based group including small farmers.
  • We propose that the Tax for 2017 be cancelled. The “shadiness” of the wording and the inequitable distribution of those taxes are unfair. Some farmers were taxed for the whole year even though the interim permit was issued in the last months. Some farmers did not grow and were taxed. Some grew, were in the permit process, but didn’t respond before the end of the year and were not charged. Several lawsuits are going to be filed to question the legality of the Measure S implementation. To avoid these suits, rescind and revise your implementation of Measure S.
  • At the very least, taxes should only be applied on an annual prorated basis from the time the temporary permit was issued, not for the whole year. As one public speaker said, how can you tax retroactively on a product not even produced nor permitted? Even Building Permit Fees are levied upon the date of permit approval, not for the whole calendar year. Additionally, these taxes are being levied for only an interim, provisional permit.
  • Taxes for 2018 need to reflect the true market rather than assuming that the small farmers can be taxed on presumed profits based on unrealistic product prices and nor should the taxes be calculated on farm square footage. It is true that the prices are falling for the cannabis, so will the capacity for the farmers to pay these taxes based on presumed profits. Yes, other counties are charging more per square foot, but many of them are just now cutting their tax rates in half, realizing their first efforts were too high. Humboldt County is the origin of the cannabis industry; build on small farmers, not large industrialists and corporations. Your promise was to support the small farmer and their origins, where other counties are jumping on the “tax the industry” bandwagon. At minimum, Humboldt should follow Berkeley and Monterey and cut their tax rate in half for 2018.
  • Consider a “Green Tag” permit. That would be an administrative, over the counter permit to cultivate, a costing $2500 flat fee. $1000 would cover County Administration costs, and $1500 would be held in escrow for each farmer as an advance on any future remediation deemed necessary further along in the full permit-to-cultivate process. This modest up front cost would bring in many black market farmers, swell the ranks of legal participants, while still allowing the County to maintain control over size, setbacks and types of grows.
  • Most realistically the taxes should be based on profits, as Mendocino is doing, and is the standard for wine, beer and liquor industries. Your presumption that taxing on the privilege to grow before any product has been produced has only strengthened the case for black market growers to stay in the shadows and fire up their old diesel indoor grows while continuing to cause undue hardship on those seeking to be legal and within the system.
  • The drought is also causing a potential environmental disaster because farmers are being taxed by the square foot but with lack of rain fall, farmers cannot reduce their square footage because of the drought, but are being force to up their planting total. Taxes should be based on product profit, not square footage.
  • Consolidate the redundant “Track and Trace” systems with the State’s system.
  • Find a mechanism to cost-effectively leverage enforcement of the ~8,000 non-applicants without relying on small farmers taxes.

If the goal for cannabis compliance is to eliminate environmental degradation, reduce the black-market sales of cannabis and bring existing farmers into the fold, Humboldt County (and the State of California), are doing the exact opposite and it is affecting the small farmers: driving them into bankruptcy, further away from compliance and strengthening the black market operators logic that the governments are not really interested in working with the small farmers, but shutting the small guys down to only allow the big, well healed, corporate, out-of-the-area operations into the coming new age of adult and medical use of cannabis.

We recognize the complexity and fluidity of the process and the fact that the County is getting a lot of pressure from other agencies and environmental groups to slow environmental degradation reduce the black market, monitor water use, and save the fish and amphibians. We appreciate the County’s hard work moving this process forward and believe that small compliant farms can be the County’s ally in this effort. Small compliant farmers are willing to pay reasonable fees for entry into the cannabis market and strive to make our farms as environmentally friendly as possible. However, the current heavy-handed taxes and fees, coupled with ballooning compliance costs and an ever-lowering market value for the cannabis that we produce are seriously imperiling the future viability of our farms and the sustainability of Humboldt County’s economic future.

Please hear our pleas and those who spoke passionately and from the heart on February 13. We look forward to your responses and your cooperation with this large faction of your electorate. We hope you heard from us and will provide relief of substance. We look forward to your feedback and outreach.

Small is Beautiful, Especially Small Taxes on Small Farmers.

Signed by The Salmon Creek Farm Association of small, outdoor, farmers looking for carrots, not sticks:
Huckleberry Woods, Hope Springs Farms, Cherry Valley Farms, Fire Robin Farms, Bamboo Farms, All in The Roots Farm, Grindstone Ridge Gardens and others.

Facebooktwitterpinterestmail

Join the discussion! For rules visit: https://kymkemp.com/commenting-rules

Comments system how-to: https://wpdiscuz.com/community/postid/10599/

Subscribe
Notify of
guest

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

122 Comments
Oldest
Newest Most Voted
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
fuckwalterwhite.com
Guest
fuckwalterwhite.com
6 years ago

Seems like taxing on reported profit instead of sq.ft. would also encourage black market.

Like smuggled cigaretts and moonshine....
Guest
Like smuggled cigaretts and moonshine....
6 years ago

You mean like the normal biz world?
That is the goal, isn’t it?
Business as normal?

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago

I worry about “normal” carrot farmers when they suck my water source dry too.

namaste, peace , serenity
Guest
namaste, peace , serenity
6 years ago

zero sympathy. you enjoyed 20 plus years of tax free drug money. while everyone else paid the man and went to work you were dodging taxes ,claiming welfare , hustling a couple months a year but the rest of the time sitting on your ass or sunning yourself in south America.doing yoga and buying organic foods and smugly smelling your own farts and saying how awesome they are. I’m surprised you didn’t bottle them and sell them in wildberries. of course they are organic and gluten free oh and possibly paleo too.

zookeeper
Guest
zookeeper
6 years ago

At first I thought your comment was unfair. But after thinking about it, I know of at least a dozen old So-Ho growers who fit that description like a glove. I mean, you nailed it.

Also, to the Salmon Creek farmers, pot isn’t legal. The US Congress hasn’t changed the law and even if 49 states have voted on “making it legal”, it’s still not legal until all 50 states debate in Congress and decide to take it off Schedule 1. The only proper venue to legalize was petitioning our representatives to urge Congress to do so.

So when you’re talking about taxes, remember that you also file fed IRS taxes. Identifying yourself as committing a federal crime (since both fed and state tax forms have to match) is going to get a bit sticky. Apparently the homeschooling in Salmon Creek was a little thin on American Government and how our laws work.

Joe Mota
Guest
Joe Mota
6 years ago
Reply to  zookeeper

Cannabis is legal under California state law while illegal under US law. So you’re half correct. California state courts can process Cannabis cases in accordance with state law. These cases could go to federal court under appeal. We’ll have to wait and see if that happens.

jojo
Guest
jojo
6 years ago
Reply to  zookeeper

the federal government doesn’t care if you pay taxes on illegal items, in fact they encourage it.
It is required if making money this way to pay them federal taxes. The feds will not arrest you, you will not get in trouble in fact you can tell the irs that you grow marijuana, they don’t care. Feds will not arrest you in California if you are following the local rules, after the cole memo disappeared they reverted to local fed districts for policy and our feds in SF don’t care about legal company’s in the marijuana business. So don’t worry, in less than 5 years medical marijuana will be legal on the federal level.

Bob Fuca
Guest
Bob Fuca
6 years ago
Reply to  zookeeper

I was wondering how you guys got around federal taxes? Guess you didn’t. They take taxes seriously good luck.

Humboldt Hillsman
Guest
Humboldt Hillsman
6 years ago

Just to clarify, I am one of Humboldt counties growers. I have been growing here for the last 14 years. Growers don’t collect welfare. How could you when you are paying 10’s of thousands on income taxes each year. In fact in the last three years I paid $80,000 in income taxes alone and $16,000 in property taxes. Sorry how much did you pay? That’s what I though. And as far as working hard you don’t even know. We work tirelessly 12 to 14 hour days in the hot sun with shovel in hand. Yes it may only be for 8 or 9 months a year but sorry you could never keep up. Your whole narrative is based on nonsense. We built this community into the beautiful place that it is. Without the money and jobs we brought here this place would be one giant Eureka or Mckinleyville. So quit hating and try to understand that a sustainable cannabis industry cannot make it here without fair and reasonable taxation. I know it is had for a simple mind to understand but if taxes are fair then more people come out of the black market, less damage is done to our local environment, more local jobs are available and more money is brought to our local economy. Not rocket science. If we are gone what do you think is going to fill the void that is 1/3 of our local economy?

unbridled phillistine
Guest
unbridled phillistine
6 years ago

How much taxes did you pay those first 11 years? What I thought! You owe alot of money as far as I can see.You have profited on the fringe of society for far too long! Living in the bush selling drugs, Being a criminal! Now you want to crawl from the shadows and pretend you are a decent person? That is bs, you are bs . Hills do have eyes.

Enough already
Guest
Enough already
6 years ago

So you have been growing here for 14 years and paid taxes the last 3 years. With your estimates and ability to pay those high taxes, you should be worth over a million. I have watched many “small growers” make alot of money over the years and watched their grows get larger each year. Yet a lot of these same growers are crying about not being unable to afford the requirements to become legal.

“We built this community into the beautiful place that it is. Without the money and jobs we brought here this place would be one giant Eureka or Mckinleyville”. I got news for you…all of Humboldt County is one big giant Eureka or McKinleyville. Have you not paid attention to the homeless problem…So Hum has no affordable housing because property and housing has been blown out of the price range unless you grow dope. Prices in the So Hum community are based on grower income…not someone that has a medium ioncome “legal job”. Teachers, nurses, unskilled labor can’t afford housing or rent here. Growers have bought up housing and property and increased the cost forcing those workers out of he area. The “Green Rush” has hurt this county, it is no longer the “beautiful place” you believe it to be. Ask any tourist, they recommend to drive thru as fast as you can.

It is all about “Weed” and “Greed”. You think your problems are any different from the other past industries. Tourisum, logging, and fishing all face regulations and unfair practices. Evenually the green rush will nose dive just like the rest of the industries. And so I guess you might say that your whole narrative is also based on nonsense. But that is just my opinion just as yours is yours.

Humboldt Hillsman
Guest
Humboldt Hillsman
6 years ago
Reply to  Enough already

I have been paying taxes for almost as long as I have been making money of growing. I only mentioned the last 3 years because it was an easy number to remember of the top of my head. You know legalization isn’t going to break me, it’s just the principal of fairness we are asking for. We shouldn’t be treated any differently than vineyards. You think the green rush has been bad for Humboldt County just wait to see what happens when the money stops coming in.

Muggin'
Guest
Muggin'
6 years ago

Principle of fairness?
What would be fair is for you to be in jail for blatantly breaking the law and exploiting the black market for well over a decade while the responsible and respectable citizens have been earning their living legally.

The reality here is that you should feel lucky that you got away with it until legalization came along and not expect people to feel sorry for you because your decision to become small-time drug dealer might not work out forever.

You want to be a legitimate farmer? Try growing vegetables.
You want fairness? Try getting an education and competing in the open job market with everyone else.

Bob Fuca
Guest
Bob Fuca
6 years ago
Reply to  Enough already

You are so right well said!

Shel
Guest
Shel
6 years ago

You obviously have not stood in the grocery store line while some grow hunny and her brats sort out their WIC and what nots then pull out a wad of 100’s to pay for the booze and non-WIC items then they get help navigating their huge pile of groceries to their brand new SUV laughing about how great the system is and flopping their dreds around like its a party.
You obviously have not had your only vehicle totaled by an irresponsible grower in his f-ing pot dozer who then starts the manipulation, lies and bully tactics to try to get you not to report the accident — and he walks away with not a problem but now you have to hustle to find a used car within your small meager budget so you can keep your 9-5 up-front legal job trying to support your family.
Obviously you have not have a beloved pet ran down by these asshats, had your children nearly hit because they are on their phones or high speeding it to no where. And no, they don’t stop, they don’t care, they flip you off!
No, I am not jealous. I just want these CRIMINALS gone. The new, younger growers with their sense of entitlement and crass behaviour need to get a clue… they are no longer acting like human beings but some sort of self centered delusional mental cases that think they own the world and the rest of us need to get off/ out of their way. I don’t wish them death but I surely don’t like them any further than I can throw them! What happen to all the old hippies and the kindly pot growers? Those were good people… the newer generation are mental degenerative. I have NO SYMPATHY for their ‘problem’.

Sleepy Alligator
Guest
Sleepy Alligator
6 years ago
Reply to  Shel

Based on your description I’d say that you’re talking about Humboldt born and raised local grower types. I don’t now and never have known a grower who would ever do the things you’re describing. It takes a very awful and evil person to behave like that.

Emily
Guest
Emily
6 years ago
Reply to  Shel

Sounds like a republican horror story! Be careful you are going to give philistine, guest and shak nightmares.
I do agree that the newbies are mostly terrible, though. And I did have my dog killed by a growdozer 🙁

spam
Guest
spam
6 years ago

Green Rusher.

No sympathy, sorry.

Just maybe
Guest
Just maybe
6 years ago

The reality of the winters here over the past 40+ years can be looked at from a practical, mathematical perspective: IF you are willing to pack your car & go South& camp out for a few weeks on a simple Baja beach, it is way cheaper than what living costs are to stay here all winter. Living out in the hills during winter is an expensive proposition. Tires, gas, firewood, etc. Plus, traveling is truly educational. It expands your awareness of the amazing planet we occupy. You learn about other cultures, and hopefully learn better ways to live more simply after spending time in 3rd World areas. Travel in winter is the only time that a back to the lander can even think of being away. Simplify and make time to go South, to the desert or to Mexico…it improves one’s outlook on life…especially if you camp out!

Brian
Guest
Brian
6 years ago
Reply to  Just maybe

Wrong.

You applied no math in your “mathematical” perspective.

If you had, I’d then challenge your practicality:

1)Wood is free, not expensive. You just need to work for it in the summer.

2)Winter is 5-7 months, not a “couple of weeks” while in a tent in baja.

3)”Living simply” does not include international travel every year, by most accounts.

I’ll try not to digress further from this posts intention.

I enjoyed travelling when I have, but your comments comparisons were waaaaay off.

Just maybe
Guest
Just maybe
6 years ago
Reply to  Brian

Brian… Briefly, 1) wood isn’t free if you need a chainsaw, gas, oil, truck etc. Very few folks are willing to do their cords with a bow saw anymore,although we did do that one year…too old now. 2) I stated “a few weeks”, not just a couple. Like Dec-Feb- ish. 3) “Simply” camping& driving South, you don’t even need to fly in order to go International. Crossing from Cal to Mexico only uses a little bit more gas, but you learn much more by going into a different country. Plus, the Sea of Cortez is a great &easy place to catch fish for yourself. If you drive further, you see where whales have their babies, you see an amazing Date forest in a way old Spanish town. (Just a couple of examples). Nothing glamorous or expensive…doing things instead of buying things.

jojo
Guest
jojo
6 years ago

Not all the people applying enjoyed 20 years of tax free!
A lot of farmers who are going legal, always followed the rules.
I know people who have created salves, edibles, etc.
They have always paid taxes and sell only to cannabis clubs!

CB buddie
Guest
CB buddie
6 years ago

Dictionary

crocodile tears
croc·o·dile tears
noun
tears or expressions of sorrow that are insincere.

Add a comment to, namaste, peace , serenity
You forgot to mention breaking the law!

fuckwalterwhite.com
Guest
fuckwalterwhite.com
6 years ago

“Find a mechanism to cost-effectively leverage enforcement of the ~8,000 non-applicants without relying on small farmers taxes.”

Use community funds to go after whoever you snitch on?

Joe Mota
Guest
Joe Mota
6 years ago

No. Finance the enforcement effort with fines on those found guilty of growing without a permit.

farce
Guest
farce
6 years ago

This makes good points about fair taxation. But it is very hard to sympathize with you. You who embraced a terribly unfair version of “legalization” thinking that it would somehow allow you to compete fairly with those “big, well-heeled, corporate out-of-the area operations”. And now you call for “a mechanism to cost-effectively leverage enforcement of the ~8,000 non-applicants “- many who are also small and environmentally-responsible community members who were either logistically sealed out from permitting or were smart enough to anticipate that it was a trap they could not exist in. Did you also get behind the policies promoted by CCV-H? That was quite a scam- main proponents getting 7 acre permits while driving small people into this desperate situation. I never saw “being compliant” to the government as a thing to be proud of… Perhaps I have a philosophical conflict with your stance? … Last year growers with temporary permits were given a pass to grow as much weed as they could under their temporary permit. Because there was no track-and-trace program at all they were and are able to sell it into the traditional or underground market (what you call “black market”- their chosen word of propaganda). Some operations pushed out over 10,000 pounds with the blessing of our corrupt county government. Did you not see that happening? I question your judgement and business sense. If there is no effective track-and-trace then “farms” like yours will be able to access the traditional market and bury smaller growers. If there is an effective track-and-trace program then you will be restricted to selling only to licensed distributors within CA and going head-to-head with those huge corporate producers- who have enough funding to sell below cost for several years until you are bankrupt. I am very sorry but I, like our corrupt supervisors, see not much future for your path. I do not agree with them but I do understand why they would rather do business with a dozen or two huge local producers instead of regulating hundreds of small “farms” that are going down. I’m sorry for these harsh words and I hope I am wrong about all of this. You are not my enemy as much as small unpermitted growers are not your enemy. Best of Luck!

Will Smith
Guest
Will Smith
6 years ago
Reply to  farce

Great comment well said I agree.

Joe Mota
Guest
Joe Mota
6 years ago

Some of these commenters lack the mental horsepower to grasp the full picture. Lowering the hurdles to compliance, including reduction of taxes, combined with enforcement of Track and Trace and law enforcement action against environmentally destructive unpermitted grows will reduce the black market and drive out the bad apples. I hope the County adopts the Salmon Creek Farm Association’s proposals.

jojo
Guest
jojo
6 years ago
Reply to  Joe Mota

I am also a small farmer and i agree with what the salmon creek growers association has said.

Folks, really please stop slandering growers.

We all know there was some bad actors but people are hysterically portraying every grower as a total boogeyman! The point of this legal program was to get more good operators into compliance and weed out the bad ones. We simply need to make it easier for the people who wants to go legal to get there farms approved. I really doubt a lot of these posters on this website are even really from Humboldt, there seems to be a lot of paid trolls who just comment total negative nonsense. You can tell they are just so happy to see a grower and there family fail. Why because of jealousy? What happened to equal representation, i feel like i am an abused minority that everyone is acting racist towards! Not all of us are so bad, cant we just be judge for who we really are instead of categorized into this one sized fits all growers are evil mentality.

DELUSIONAL LIBERAL
Guest
DELUSIONAL LIBERAL
6 years ago
Reply to  jojo

Hope the welfare office is nice to you in the line…

Emily
Guest
Emily
6 years ago
Reply to  jojo

I agree with you. But the generally the comments you get here are going to be negative, it’s just human psychology I think. Grumpy old guys have to say something, although they probably wouldn’t say it to your face.
The people who agree will probably just nod to themselves and scroll on. Or they are too busy working.

DELUSIONAL LIBERAL
Guest
DELUSIONAL LIBERAL
6 years ago
Reply to  jojo

Um, No I am a grumpy old guy yes, that has paid in 25 years close to a quarter mil in SSI taxes watching unemployed high school punks in $50k grow dozers running around partying all day long I AM SO GLAD it’s legal now, Drug growers can be battled on an economic level called supply and demand. Many successful growers I know dropped out of high school and have been living the high life for 20 years. I stayed in school and trained in multiple careers, so now we are going to see the great balance of justice occur.

Perspective
Guest
Perspective
6 years ago

“Find a mechanism to cost-effectively leverage enforcement of the ~8,000 non-applicants without relying on small farmers taxes.”

Salmon Creek Farm Association, please clarify, are you for enforcement and just don’t want to pay for it?

Joe Mota
Guest
Joe Mota
6 years ago
Reply to  Perspective

It seems that they are saying “Find a mechanism to… … enforcement” and are suggesting that someone other than small, permitted farmers pay for it. I would suggest that those found guilty of growing without a permit pay the cost of enforcement via fines.

Brian
Guest
Brian
6 years ago
Reply to  Joe Mota

Isn’t what your suggesting a conundrum?

You need “enforcement” to “find people guilty of growing”.

Perspective
Guest
Perspective
6 years ago
Reply to  Joe Mota

I understand what they are saying. My question is, are they in favor of enforcement.
I would think paying a group of people $15 an hour to look at ariel photos and identifying a grow and then sending out letters along with a bill would be the cheapest and easiest way to enforce no growing. However, I do not condone snitching, especially from people so entrenched in the outlaw lifestyle. I remember a day when Salmon Creek would get rid of people that brought attention to them.

fuckwalterwhite.com
Guest
fuckwalterwhite.com
6 years ago
Reply to  Perspective

They want us(taxed citizens) to go after whoever they snitch on.

Po ick ur battles
Guest
Po ick ur battles
6 years ago
Reply to  Perspective

For real. Traitors and hippocritesalk of em. The underground market ain’t going nowhere. And fyi it’s not all bad people. Most bad people are “legit.”

jojo
Guest
jojo
6 years ago
Reply to  Joe Mota

Legal farmers have to pay a Cannabis Eradication Surety Bond . This is a bond that must be renewed each year and sets aside a fund of money in case you need enforcement action to eradicate your grow. Legal farmers are already paying a form of insurance for the county / government to cover the cost of there own enforcement. Perhaps if the permitted farms were taxed 10,000 dollars a fine they could use that money to pay for the system. Expecting small company’s to subsidize busting heavily funded cartel grows just doesn’t make sense. bust the big cartel grows and tax them to pay for the continued clean up.

fuckwalterwhite.com
Guest
fuckwalterwhite.com
6 years ago
Reply to  jojo

I don’t think busted cartels are going to pay their county fines….

Snitch to win?
Guest
Snitch to win?
6 years ago

“At minimum, Humboldt should follow Berkeley and Monterey and cut their tax rate in half for 2018.”

Please provide source.

Isn’t the complaint over cultivation taxes?
Berkeley reduced it’s cannabis “business tax” which is entirely different than a cultivation tax .

https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/amp/Berkeley-cuts-its-cannabis-tax-rate-in-half-to-12614132.php

And Monterey, from what I can gather, has a voter approved $25/sqft cultivation fee. Be careful what you are asking for!

https://ballotpedia.org/Monterey_County,_California,_Marijuana_Business_Tax,_Measure_Y_(November_2016)

Maybe someone has more info. The rules across the state seem to be constantly modified. So maybe there is hope?

While I sympathize with the sentiment behind this letter my read on the county response to these complaints is that they have zero intention of back peddling on this and will trudge on, letting the chips fall where they may. The time to protect the needs of a small farmer and create a logical tax formula has passed.. where were all the self appointed pot reps when this was all cemented in place?

Local governments aross California are cashing in big time, and the letters urging humboldt folks to sign interim permit docs before the close of 2017 were an OBVIOUS ploy for more! If you didn’t suspect that when you raced around town to get your permit docs all notarized ASAP that is a bummer. Seriously, these guys are not here to help you.

It is also sadly, obviously apparent where the line has been drawn between those pursuing compliance and those unable or unwilling.

Community in crisis .

Jorge Cervantes
Guest
Jorge Cervantes
6 years ago

When you asked and practically begged for the county & state government to destroy our way of life here. By voting for prop.64 you did so without a lack of foresight! Its rather humorous now you use that term. By far collectively The most wealthy community in SoHum is whining the loudest now. Your sense of entitlement is rather amusing. thanks for the laugh.

Perspective
Guest
Perspective
6 years ago

It is a little mind numbing to think about the millions of tax free dollars that has flowed through the hands of Salmon Creek growers and now they are bitching about taxes. Choose a f@cking lane.

Brian
Guest
Brian
6 years ago
Reply to  Perspective

Aye.

But there was no way to pay taxes for cannabis profits, until now. So, we can push that frustration onto the Feds now.

And, as growers were participants in a war, there was risk and reward to those that chose to be involved. Many thrived, many died.

I think it’s great the war is failing and small time cannabis use is acceptable. To the point that small – time cannabis “crimes” are being retroactively dismissed and expunged from records.

On with the show!

The Hermit of Grizzly Mountain
Guest
The Hermit of Grizzly Mountain
6 years ago
Reply to  Brian

They should have made some political donations then. The small farmers just don’t understand how to play the graft game like the big industrialists do. The whole point of legalization from the legislature’s point of view is to fill the County and State coffers, yes, but also their own campaign funds for re-election.
It’s much easier to solicit donations from a few mega-growers than from a host of mom & pop farmers.

Humboldt Hillsman
Guest
Humboldt Hillsman
6 years ago

Seems so many are missing the point. Growers who went legal are not bitching about being taxed. Hell we want to pay taxes so we can live a legit life and spend our money just like everyone else. To put it into perspective, you pay 20 to 30% taxes on your income. Growers are asked to pay about 80% taxes. That’s just not right. With that rate I may not even be able to feed my family in this industry. And then on top of the taxes it can easily cost $70,000 just to come into compliance. See, everybody’s just got dollar signs in their eyes and aren’t thinking about the future the cannabis industry, the benefits it brings to our region and the families it sustains.

JoshSour
Guest
JoshSour
6 years ago

The taxes are lame. But the cost of compliance is what the cost of doing business is. I can’t just open up a bar in a cargo container at the end of my driveway because I want to and dont agree with the “fees” involved.

I hope you see the other side of that equation.

Not exactly participating in conversation when the comment sits in moderation mode for ages..So ye...
Guest
Not exactly participating in conversation when the comment sits in moderation mode for ages..So ye...
6 years ago
Reply to  JoshSour

The “compliance” requirements are over-reaching. They compare to no other ag industry and are the mitigating factor in a huge percentage of non enrollment in the permit process which for many farms is daunting and often comically over petty. No one’s got time for that s***.

jojo
Guest
jojo
6 years ago

It is true, why do we require a 3,000$ just for an Archaeologist to do a cultural resource study on properties that are only 1 acre! The workers come out and literally spend 5 minutes on your property walk around tell you there is nothing there and they take your money. Why is this even required for such small development! everyone wants to get a piece of the money. every government agency is lining up to ask for inflated fees and extra money, they don’t care about making it affordable, they want to make it cost more so you fail!

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  jojo

Gee I only had to do that on the house site. The charge was smaller but then the house did not take up an acre. I admit the building department drove me to tears once when they added a new requirement for a plant inventory but a licensed biologist after they had done the site inspection, signed off on it and told me everything was fine.

Welcome to the world as it has been for others for years. It’s enoughto make a Republican out of you.

Po ick ur battles
Guest
Po ick ur battles
6 years ago

You want to live a legit life? Wtf . You’re all traitors and cowards and now the man runs your game

Will Smith
Guest
Will Smith
6 years ago

You made the decision to get permitted knowing what the tax rates were and now your complaining come on! Don’t get permitted if you can’t afford the 70% tax rate.

jojo
Guest
jojo
6 years ago

Its true, they are being short sighted. it will not help the county if a couple mega farms produce product here pay the locals minimum wage and then ship all the profits out of county. We need to spread the money evenly and the way that is done is by supporting small farmers. I would also like to suggest lowering the taxes on growers first years or lowering the cultivation tax for growers under 10,000 sq ft. This would help encourage farms coming into compliance who are burdened with high costs. and it would also reward the backbone of the local industry, witch is small farms under 10,000 sq ft.

Po ick ur battles
Guest
Po ick ur battles
6 years ago
Reply to  jojo

Asmall pit farm is 2000 square feet
. 1.5 acres of food cam net you 110000 is some places. That’s a small farm. 2000 square has been well over 100000 k for years. Still is. Go home.e

jojo
Guest
jojo
6 years ago

The state designated small farms are farms under 10,000 sq ft.

JoshSour
Guest
JoshSour
6 years ago

Small farm or big farm California can only consume so much and it won’t take many farms to keep up with demand.

Let’s just be realistic here, chances are greater than good that over half the farms will fail based on a flooded legal market alone. Also simple statistics states that 75% of all new business fail in the first 3 years due to poor management. With all that being said it may be better to start looking elsewhere for a income stream for in any business only the strong survive.
Of course the taxes are ridiculous, but they are not blind to the “let’s get it while we can” mentality…….

name
Guest
name
6 years ago

“…falling for the cannabis…”

“…realizing their first efforts were too high…”

macnchz
Guest
macnchz
6 years ago
Reply to  name

Pun points! But not sure about the broad scope of this plea. While no point or idea of the many brought up is invalid on its own, the whole rant is a little hard to follow. And let’s be fair a small group drawing attention to and co-opting the name of an entire neighborhood is likely to bristle some hairs.

One more observation, this paragraph, sentence thingy, what is going in here?

###If the goal for cannabis compliance is to eliminate environmental degradation, reduce the black-market sales of cannabis and bring existing farmers into the fold, Humboldt County (and the State of California), are doing the exact opposite and it is affecting the small farmers: driving them into bankruptcy, further away from compliance and strengthening the black market operators logic that the governments are not really interested in working with the small farmers, but shutting the small guys down to only allow the big, well healed, corporate, out-of-the-area operations into the coming new age of adult and medical use of cannabis.###

I can’t even.

fuckwalterwhite.com
Guest
fuckwalterwhite.com
6 years ago
Reply to  macnchz

Try to say all that in one toke. Lol

name
Guest
name
6 years ago
Reply to  macnchz

Well, I was going to mention, “…well healed…,” but I couldn’t be sure if that was also an example of hilarious stoner wordsmithery (meaning, presumably, “sufficiently medicated”), or if it was just another error overlooked in copyediting the official correspondence.

unbridled phillistine
Guest
unbridled phillistine
6 years ago

Just let it go man….It is over! Soon there will be 50 dollar oz at Walmart and everybody in the industry will be soon bankrupt.. We do not have liquor stills going all over the hills, And soon we won’t have grows either!

Honeydew Bridge C.H.U.M.P.
Guest
Honeydew Bridge C.H.U.M.P.
6 years ago

A green tag permit that costs 2.5 million would clean up the area.

Getting the growers to move someplace else is what really matters and should be the focus of any permitting plan.

Face it [edit], your reign of terror is over.

Get Out!

Po ick ur battles
Guest
Po ick ur battles
6 years ago

I only know couple of us that grow food of any degree. What’s up with that? Hopefully more folks will come to markets with food

Emily
Guest
Emily
6 years ago

What it really comes down to is; Humboldt County is not the place to do legal weed. Just like it has never been the place to grow grapes. It has a great climate in some parts of the county, and little sections of ag land, but nothing close to what is needed for real agriculture. We did well when it was possible to make a living on an incredibly small patch of farm land. We made more on a tenth of an acre than many large farm operations… anyway, those days are over. It was good times, ignore the comments from the haters, but going legal is a huge waste of time and resources. Really… just think about it big picture… it ain’t gonna work.

jojo
Guest
jojo
6 years ago
Reply to  Emily

The outsiders of the industry are just screaming doom and gloom, it is totally a joke.

Stay strong legal farms, you are going to make it.

Word is none of the central valley farms are passing pesticide test due to the toxicity of the greenhouses, soils and water. Also Humboldt county is leading the state is local / state approved farms. We will end up growing most the weed for CA in Humboldt county, the idea that production would move elsewhere is not true!

Go look on the MLS, check recently sold properties, 1.2 million, 600k, 700k, 2.3 million. Properties are selling and the industry is not dieing. This has been a bad year for prices, Oregon has too many holes in its system and too many local growers were not in the track and trace system. this created a black market flood. This will also get sorted out next year and will change. Next year there will not be enough permitted growers to supply California entire system, Humboldt permitted farms will be the go to source for those dispensaries to fill there orders. I have talked to the distributors they have orders for thousands of pounds, clubs in L.A. wants Humboldt weed and in a couple of years once all the infrastructure is together you will see we will be on top.

DELUSIONAL LIBERAL
Guest
DELUSIONAL LIBERAL
6 years ago
Reply to  jojo

O how I hate this way of thinking. Maybe with any luck the word has been out long enough,, the criminal element is already in place…where ever you have extra food left out you get RATS!

Po ick ur battles
Guest
Po ick ur battles
6 years ago
Reply to  jojo

Your a weed troll. And clearly a green rusher . The underground growers are not going anywhere just because some of you are too scarred to be.

Perspective
Guest
Perspective
6 years ago
Reply to  jojo

Not sure where you get your information. Sounds like you are paying a consultant and they are feeding you bullshit to keep you in the game or maybe you are a consultant feeding this bullshit to people. Salinas is in fact passing testing. Properties are not selling, even ones that have permits in hand, not just an application filed. Turnkey properties are not even being leased and almost no offers are even being made to purchase. As far as not enough licensed cultivators, are you being serious? Who tells you this shit? Right now with the very limited number of licensed cultivators, they can produce 99.7% of the medical market. Yes, rec will change the amount needed, but by that time, anyone who wishes to get legal, would have done so and we will have a surplus of cannabis. If you understand economics at its very basic level, you would know what that means. It does not mean prices will rise. I love your positive outlook, but when lots of money is on the line, a more realistic approach might just save your ass.

jojo
Guest
jojo
6 years ago
Reply to  Perspective

You are totally wrong!

Salinas farms failed testing, there major investors pulled out!
The mega farms had to sell all there crap weed on the black market, big investors don’t want to be supporting and connected to criminal business.

You are just wrong! the figure that states we have enough state license to produce 97% of the CA cannabis are also wrong. You need local approval to be legal, all the farms in Santa Barbera and Calervaras county have no local approval, this means in reality we only have about 55% of the weed needed right now to supply California!

Its all over but the crying
Guest
Its all over but the crying
6 years ago
Reply to  jojo

Its all over but the crying.

jojo
Guest
jojo
6 years ago
Reply to  Perspective

Properties are Selling go look at recent sold listing:

2534 Island Mountain Rd, Garberville, CA 95542
1 bed 1.5 baths 1,152 sqft
Sold: $663,000

116 Creekside Ln, Hydesville, CA 95547
2 beds 1 bath 1,200 sqft
Sold: $1,800,000

6287 State Highway 36, Carlotta, CA 95528
3 beds 1 bath 1,552 sqft
Sold: $1,975,000

95 Hillcrest Dr, Loleta, CA 95551
4 beds 2 baths 2,428 sqft
Sold: $525,000

1025 Meaux Rd, Honeydew, CA 95545
3 beds 1 bath 1,563 sqft
Sold: $1,300,000

39883 State Highway 36, Bridgeville, CA 95526
2 beds 1 bath 1,433 sqft
Sold: $1,000,000

I could go on an on listing all the recently sold grow properties, all of them sold at a good price!

Perspective
Guest
Perspective
6 years ago
Reply to  jojo

How recent? I know people with property and license in hand, asking very little and receiving zero offers. I can look and see the same properties that have been listed for sometime now that are still being listed. I’ve talked with realtors who have said there is a surplus of properties and they are not moving. Did the properties you’ve listed sell 2 years ago? Yes, at one point properties were selling. Nothing has moved in a while.

As for Salina, you may be behind on the gossip. Yes, they failed testing right out of the gate. Yes, most went to black market and Harborside sold shit tons of the poison. Now the are on track and testing clean. I have friends with grows in Salinas and they are passing and so are their neighbors.

Legal sun grown pounds are only going for $700 right now. So, right now there is a shortage of clean, permitted cannabis and its only $700. And yes, I’m talking about permitted, legal cannabis to legal distros. Do you really think the price will increase as production increases?

I’m talking about legal, permitted farms when I gave the stats about production.

Emily
Guest
Emily
6 years ago
Reply to  jojo

I’m not an outsider, Jojo. Property prices are plummeting and the only sales represent people who are trying their hardest to get out, selling to people who are clueless. The whole thing with pesticides and all that testing will go out the window with in a year or two; I guarantee it. It’s too hard for the big guys to deal with and it will not be an issue soon. Does anyone care that non-organic wine is full of pesticides and sulfites? Nope. And even though I grow completely organically, very few people ask or care.

Anyway, my point above holds, and you didn’t address it. You just brought up a bunch of unrelated points. If you are going to respond to my comment, respond to my comment.

jojo
Guest
jojo
6 years ago
Reply to  Emily

property prices are exactly the same, there was an initial rise for permitted farms or farms on prime ag land, that price has since gone down now that the county has said they would allow more grows on properties that were grown on in the past.

Some properties have tons of violations and will not sell, however the rest of the good properties are selling!

All the real estate i posted above is within the last month or 2, just look on zillow.com its very easy.

DELUSIONAL LIBERAL
Guest
DELUSIONAL LIBERAL
6 years ago

Tune in to some good Opera music ‘Cause it’s all over!

Taurus Ballzhoff
Guest
Taurus Ballzhoff
6 years ago

It is amazing that some folks feel that they are special and that they should not have to play by the rules.

For nearly 50 years, Humboldt has ignored the potential benefits of taxation and fees on the folks who came here to “get by” without participating in society and the regular economy.

Finally, some semblance of regulation occurs, and now we have to listen to the whining of you folks who still don’t want to play…

It’s OK though, since real life market forces will cause many to give up, and take off to try something else, somewhere else. This is real life, and what everyone else does too!

Good luck in your future endeavors. Best of fortune going forward!

Humboldt County is unlikely to bend the rules, finally enacted, to favor anyone at all.

When you live in a community, you have the protection of law, to some extent. This is the purpose of government.

If you don’t like the government, you are free to change it. That’s America.

Hopefully it won’t take another 50 years to straighten out this mess, but it certainly could! Get to work!

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago

I wish there were a tax on Salmon Creekers to try and restore the salmon in Salmon Creek. They were there for 10s of thousands of years and now gone. It makes me sick. Every water source is gone for a homestead. The very large network of roads silted in the gravel where they used to lay their eggs. Pretty effing sad.

Joe Mota
Guest
Joe Mota
6 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Thanks to the tireless work of a few dedicated people, most of the streams in Humboldt County support salmon and/or steelhead. Not as many as before the disastrous logging, but enough to get them re-established if this work continues. Instead of griping, you might try volunteering to help your local salmon habitat improvement efforts.

Perspective
Guest
Perspective
6 years ago
Reply to  Joe Mota

Wow. So after Salmon Creek residents have become millionaires and suck the creeks dry, we should “try volunteering”? Interesting view on things.

jojo
Guest
jojo
6 years ago
Reply to  Perspective

Once again not everyone is a millionaire, very few are i would suppose!
Can we please stop generalizing growers based on past stereotypes

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  jojo

No.

Taurus Ballzhoff
Guest
Taurus Ballzhoff
6 years ago
Reply to  jojo

It would be nice to stereotype pot growers as persons who follow law, pay taxes, drive nice, and who don’t pollute. It would also be nice to characterize pot growers as folk who benefit the community, don’t attack everyone who does not grow, and who don’t spend 100% of their time complaining since the rest of the world does not view growers as “special”.

You are not special, we expect you to comply with the same laws as everyone else. If you can’t make a living, you can do what everyone else does, adapt or move on.

Good luck dear.

jojo
Guest
jojo
6 years ago

Do not worry about me, i am doing great! you are the one with the sour attitude.
Smart people always get ahead, sure some of the dumb ones will never make it!

Po ick ur battles
Guest
Po ick ur battles
6 years ago
Reply to  jojo

No one is gonna believe someone who just started posting on this comment section out of the blue. Clearly you are a greenrusher yourself. Go home

Jeffersonian
Guest
Jeffersonian
6 years ago
Reply to  Joe Mota

The salmonids are basically extinct in the eel river due to pot growers and squawfish . Charles Hurwitz didn’t help either. Before all those events the fish had recovered nicely from the post war fir logging. Greedy man is responsible for it all. I have no sympathy for growers whines. They have sucked the creeks and springs dry , built illegal roads and ponds and murdered wildlife and not paid their fair share of taxes. Hopefully their party is over, just like the post war loggers, I pray they be gone with the wind

jojo
Guest
jojo
6 years ago
Reply to  Guest

the salmon creek growers moved into an already logged and destroyed ecosystem with poorly planned logging roads, they are doing the best they can! The farms up there care about the area and they are not ruining there land like you would think.

local observer
Guest
local observer
6 years ago
Reply to  jojo

here is the mill on Prairie Creek across from the road to Lost Man’s Creek on 101. this is what destroyed the fish but you won’t be able to convince these trolls of that. for the record there are no grows in the Prairie Creek/ Lost Man’s watershed – none and have never been. The logging in the 50s and 70s destroyed the entire Redwood Creek watershed. now we witness massive landslides on those slopes. this image was taken on June 24, 1950. http://library.humboldt.edu/humco/holdings/collection_images/shuster/large/2001011456.jpg

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  jojo

You are very, very wrong. I know first hand and was there way before any of the ranches were subdivided. And no I didn’t log. There were 3 families that lived in the higher country of Salmon Creek, now there are over 300, mostly growing large gardens. Where do you think that water used to go before there were all those homesteads?

Its all over but the crying
Guest
Its all over but the crying
6 years ago
Reply to  jojo

Stop stealing the Salmons water!

What? No . Bristled .
Guest
What? No . Bristled .
6 years ago

Salmon Creek Farm Association can go pound sand. Whose brilliant idea was the name? That’s the best anyone could come up with? I think it’s ill-conceived and inconsiderate. The “farms” that have endorsed this rant, are a SMALL fraction of our broad and diverse neighborhood/community; you don’t represent everyone! How dare you assume as much. I resent you drawing so much NEGATIVE attention to Salmon Creek, and co-opting our name for your poorly worded agenda.

Oh, and including this:

“Find a mechanism to cost-effectively leverage enforcement of the ~8,000 non-applicants ”

Shows everyone who you REALLY are.

local observer
Guest
local observer
6 years ago

in the old days dozers drove directly up creeks to gain access and in result caused the most damage to watersheds that were logged aside from losing the shade it once had. a lot of mills were located directly in the creeks because it was the only flat spot to setup shop. search for yourself, it is fun to learn the history of our land.
http://library.humboldt.edu/humco/holdings/photosearch.php

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  local observer

There were fish until the new people came to Salmon Creek in the early 70s. If you believe anything else you’re misinformed and just plain wrong. All that water taken for homesteads ruined that creek, bottom line.

local observer
Guest
local observer
6 years ago
Reply to  Guest

this is the eel at Miranda. the east side was logged for the first time and the west is natural (at the time). this is what killed the fish. I know you don’t want to learn. this is for others.
http://library.humboldt.edu/humco/holdings/collection_images/swanlund-baker/large/1999_01_0006b.jpg

local observer
Guest
local observer
6 years ago
Reply to  Guest
local observer
Guest
local observer
6 years ago
Reply to  Guest

for the rail enthusiast. this probably didn’t help either.
http://library.humboldt.edu/humco/holdings/collection_images/hcc/large/1999.07.0421.jpg

local observer
Guest
local observer
6 years ago
Reply to  Guest

I wonder why there is so much sediment in the watersheds? this probably didn’t help. the unlogged tip is Big Trees. this is Redwood Creek. it got hammered just like the rest.
http://library.humboldt.edu/humco/holdings/collection_images/palmquist/large/2003010657.jpg

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  local observer

So since everything is already lost, why not just contiue the destruction…

Emily
Guest
Emily
6 years ago
Reply to  Guest

And you think a few lil three acre conversions cause so much problems.. that’s hilarious. Where do you live? Did someone clear the trees for you? Or is it ok because it happened years ago?

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  Emily

You let me know when you have perfected time travel so that you can go back and fix past logging practices. Or you can be concerned about what is going on now when there is still a chance to do something.

I say that along the road that travels the ridge here about 50% of the parcels have been logged off in the last 9 months. And going down one of the side roads, that ration holds true. This is not “a few.” This is many. And all I see are on parcels with houses on them already. Yet I can not find any public information on this.

Emily
Guest
Emily
6 years ago
Reply to  Guest

So you are against logging and Cannabis? What do you suppose we should do for a living in the rural areas? This is natural resource country.

Its all over but the crying
Guest
Its all over but the crying
6 years ago

If You want to grow marijuana and compete in the future markets then it’s time to move to some farm land. No marijuana grown in Humboldt will be on the market in a few years. Lousy place to grow. Mites, mold, pesticides and murder are what Humboldt produces best. It’s all over but the crying.

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago

There were never any big stands of timber on either side of Salmon Creek. It’s mostly oak and prairie everyone knows that. There is absolutely no way you can talk your way out of 300 homes and gardens affecting that creek. That ecosystem was thriving before the subdivisions.

Two cents worth, but can't even get a penny for my thoughts these days
Guest
Two cents worth, but can't even get a penny for my thoughts these days
6 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Historically speaking, the demise of the Salmon Creek environment started with the sheep and cattle grazers compacting the soil which increased run-off. I have read a military report from the 1860’s that described how hard it was for the horses they rode to get up and over the ridge because the soil was so loose. TC Clark pointed out this change in soil compaction in the Mattole region in his book from the ranchers. Mrs Early wrote about how the flood of 55′ silted things in and moved along the big boulders that had provided holes for trout. I don’t know how many of the fir stands that those three pre-hippie family took out before selling off their lands, or how many of the firs ringed pre WWII for more pasturage lined the creek beds. Some removal was good for the oak forests, but some of those firs undoubtedly cooled off the streams. And in fairplay to the complexity of watersheds, a large fir can drink up 300 gallons a day, how many of these are sucking creeks dry these days, since the big fir harvests of the 50’s-70’s? Or how much did the ’64 flood silt things up. So I disagree that the death of the watersheds started with the homesteaders moving in… that said, it does not let current water diversions and bad ecology practices of some pot growers off the hook for f’ing things up further, way further.

Timothy McVeigh's ghost
Guest
Timothy McVeigh's ghost
6 years ago

Your should really question the sensibility of creating a business that has zero competitive advantage. Anyone in Kalifornia can legally grow and legally give away the product. It’s no longer “special” anyone who wants can grow weed without fear of prosecution. Weed is easy to grow it’s not an orchid. The law everyone tripped over themselves to get passed was not intended to create a sustainable business environment else it would have been written much differently. The change you want needs to come from Sac first. And this state is under a one party rule that is not business friendly so good luck enjoy your bed.

Timothy McVeigh's ghost
Guest
Timothy McVeigh's ghost
6 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

I agree, to produce a product that conforms to quality standards is not easy when you have more than a couple plants going. My point is any person can grow just like you can a tomato. 10lbs of tomato’s in my house from my garden won’t last a week, however 10lbs of Flower from my six plants would last a life time so it’s given away. Shelf life is what obviously separates the two products, I have flowers in jars from 2015 and not a tomato in site from the summer of 17’. I remember days back when the thought of legalization would have been enough to make everyone more than happy, weed should have been free for all but the $50 1/8th price made that unimaginable. No we fast forward to now.. people still surprised when government f-cks them over red or blue it doesnt matter who.. the perspective has been lost completely

Emily
Guest
Emily
6 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

So the only edge we have is that we can test negative for chemicals and know how to process weed? That will last a few months.

Emily
Guest
Emily
6 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Yes, but I don’t think it takes long for smart people to figure out the finer points, and scale it up to big ag. I agree we have a great climate, but so does much of the west coast. And we have very little ag land here compared with other places. And other issues such as distant location, expense of trucking materials up here and out of here (hello Richardson grove), and lack of other infrastructure contribute to a negative environment for large scale ag.
Not to sound negative on my community, I love it here and would not leave for anything. But I don’t see much future for the herb if it gets completely legalized. The only niche we could realize is a small scale boutique type thing, like we do with wine. But it’s really micro..
look at hops for example, a distant relative of cannabis. It used to be grown near here. Now it’s grown on average size of 200 acre farms in Oregon and Washington. Now we could still grow small scale hops, for local breweries to use. We can’t, however, compete with the scale of production and the cheap production cost in flatter, better situated areas.
We do grow trees better here than almost anywhere else in the country though. With fir prices shooting up right now, I bet a lot of TPZ owners are looking at a different way to make money right now! Sorry:/ off topic!

Sleepy Alligator
Guest
Sleepy Alligator
6 years ago
Reply to  Emily

“Completely legalized” will not happen anytime soon, if ever. I doubt I’ll see it happen in my lifetime and if all goes well I plan on being here for a while.

Timothy McVeigh's ghost
Guest
Timothy McVeigh's ghost
6 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Using VRIO to gauge the competitive advantage for legal cultivation is a “no” an all fronts. At this point I wouldn’t bet everything I have on the legal act of cultivation.
Valuable = no
Rare = no
Costly to imitate = no
Organized to exploit value, rarity, imatibility. = no

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/VRIO

Mudslingi
Guest
Mudslingi
6 years ago

Someone has a beautyful bowl up there that i know and is a levendary strain maker,..just sayin😀
You go girl!

Thanks for the luv
Guest
Thanks for the luv
6 years ago
Reply to  Mudslingi

Hey mitten state!! Bowl packed and luv the big up!! Old school and dank we cross em carefully…

Bushman
Guest
Bushman
6 years ago

The problem is overpopulation.

Sleepy Alligator
Guest
Sleepy Alligator
6 years ago

What exactly is the definition of “small farmer”?

Sleepy Alligator
Guest
Sleepy Alligator
6 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

ChuckleChuckle….. Great answer! Thanks Kim!

Puhleeeease
Guest
Puhleeeease
6 years ago

Lol, who needs advice to “pop seeds,” seriously? When people cry
“oh I never grew weed.”
I’m like,
“What, too dumb to put a seed in the ground?”

Sleepy Alligator
Guest
Sleepy Alligator
6 years ago
Reply to  Puhleeeease

If you’re not trolling with that comment then I’d say you’re one who needs advice.

Puhleeeease
Guest
Puhleeeease
6 years ago

You’d be wrong. It’s real life parody !! Some people do and have for years whine about not growing (and being broke af) when the expertise needed to pop seeds is minimal.

Timothy McVeigh's ghost
Guest
Timothy McVeigh's ghost
6 years ago
Reply to  Puhleeeease

So true
Hence all the grow blogs with numerous posts on the simple act of germination….