Government Officials, Agency Leaders, Industry Experts at Cannabis Hearing in Ukiah March 1

Press release:

In November 2016, California voters approved Proposition 64 legalizing recreational cannabis. California is now coming out of a prohibition era and Golden State residents are seeing the migration of North America’s largest cannabis market into the light of a regulated and legal system estimated to be worth an approximate $7 billion annually.

Senator Mike McGuire and Assemblymember Jim Wood will hold a first-of-its-kind hearing next week in Ukiah to discuss the “First 60 Days of Prop 64”. This will be one of the largest and most comprehensive events of its kind since the initiative went into effect earlier this year.

“Preparing for the implementation of Prop 64 was a massive undertaking for the State of California and local communities, and we have been committed to a transparent process,” Senator Mike McGuire said. “As we all know, the state has been ‘building the plane while it’s flying’ with the implementation of Prop 64 which is why Assemblymember Wood and I have made it a priority to bring all of the state agency, local government and business leaders together in Ukiah to provide an in-depth briefing to the North Coast.”

The hearing will be an official joint meeting of the Committee on Governance and Finance, chaired by Senator Mike McGuire and will be held at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center at 6 pm on Thursday, March 1.

“We need to make sure that regulations for smaller cannabis farms are reasonable and attainable,” said Assemblymember Jim Wood. “Without that, I am concerned that these farmers, who are an important part of the North Coast economy, won’t have an incentive to comply and may return to an underground economy that could adversely affect public safety and the environment.”

On March 1, the committee will hear testimony from leaders of state and local agencies, as well as the cannabis industry. Committee members will first hear from Mendocino County Supervisor Dan Hamburg and Ukiah Mayor Kevin Doble with welcoming remarks, after which witnesses will testify in three panels:

  • State Agency Leaders, including Lori Ajax, Chief of the Bureau of Cannabis Control (lead agency for the State of California on all; Nicholas Maduros, Executive Director of the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (responsible for all cannabis related taxes), and Richard Parrott, Director, CalCannabis Licensing with the California Department of Food and Agriculture.
  • Local Officials from Mendocino, Humboldt, and Sonoma counties will discuss the challenges and potential opportunities ahead for local governments related to legal recreational cannabis.
  • CEOs and Executives from CannaCraft, FlowKana, and the California Growers Association will also be presenting on the panel “The Green Gold Rush: Will it Pan Out for California Businesses?”

The two committees consider the most significant legislation that sets the rules for California’s cannabis industry, affects local regulation of recreational cannabis, or changes its taxation. The hearing follows up on two previous Governance and Finance Committee’s hearings: “California Cannabis in a Turbulent Time,” (February, 2017) and “Preparing for California’s Green Gold Rush – Implementing Proposition 64 Taxes” (July, 2017).  These hearings can be viewed online on the California State Senate’s homepage.

The hearing begins at 6pm. Refreshments will be provided.

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27 Comments
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NoDoper
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NoDoper
6 years ago

Will this hearing be televised?

John
Guest
John
6 years ago
Reply to  NoDoper

The Revolution will not be televised…will not be televised… will not be televised…

Scooter
Guest
Scooter
6 years ago
Reply to  John

I just listened to that last night;

https://youtu.be/QnJFhuOWgXg

groba dude osnt trustafarian
Guest
groba dude osnt trustafarian
6 years ago

Mendo appears to be a kinder gentler place for “small farmers”. One can only hope that they will still go broke, and that Mendo will eventually become a better place to live.

Grass
Guest
Grass
6 years ago

There are plenty of states you can move to where there is no cultivation, we don’t need close minded people here. cannabis is here to stay, Canna tourism will thrive alongside the already booming tourism industry mendocino county has. People will come here to get small batch boutique cannabis just like they do for wine.

Pt
Guest
Pt
6 years ago

I will bring lots of Kleenex for all the dope growers crocodile tears

Bottomline
Guest
Bottomline
6 years ago

Canadian permits to grow 500,000 kilos without any number of permits in control. Have fun at the dinosaur meeting. Maybe youll see a T-rex. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA

DELUSIONAL LIBERAL
Guest
DELUSIONAL LIBERAL
6 years ago

I would like to become a Blue Corn farmer. Non-gmo blue corn is said to help prevent cancer and stop diabetes. With mostly all corn today being gmo, it has minimal magnesium and manganese nutrition and could be leading to illnesses like cancer and diabetes. Blue corn has antioxidants like blueberries, hence the color. I believe this product could become a valuable staple product in the future as more people become aware of the health risks of gmo corn. Blue corn is a variety of corn that can not be genetically modified.

just me
Guest
just me
6 years ago

DELUSIONAL LIBERAL what does this have to do with this post.

Concerned Business Owner and Resident
Guest
Concerned Business Owner and Resident
6 years ago

This town needs a marijuana economy more than EVER! and people who are willing to advocate at the county and state level to keep it should be commended. It’s amazing how glib people want to be about the falling of Humboldt commerce. Destructive grows don’t help and should be regulated but the lack of money in circulation will and is hitting every business and resident from top to bottom.

Rural communities without local economies are ghost towns! A community that can’t afford to clean up and attract new residents, retirees and tourists is a disaster.

What will Southern Humboldt be? A dilapidated service economy of the working poor and crystal meth freaks? Without money, education, desirable property and services — You can kiss Southern Humboldt goodbye. Who would invest here? The problems are transients, crystal meth and destructive big grows that draw criminals – not the local mom and pops. Understand the difference. Their failure will be yours!

Bottomline
Guest
Bottomline
6 years ago

Love your passion, but in this world you have to be able see the future to be successful not cling to the past.

Taurus Ballzhoff
Guest
Taurus Ballzhoff
6 years ago

Sorry, Dude… SoHum played it’s cards and seems to have lost.

Even as folks here are decrying the demise of weed, others are building even bigger greenhouses, and planning for another season.

If the folks in SoHum had a real economy, they would still take long vacations in Costa Rica, Kona, and the Bahamas, they would still buy their pickups in San Jose, and, they would still have Amazon boxes, Blue Bunny shipments, and little to do with supporting the marginal sorts of businesses available in Gooberville.

Sure they need groceries, beer, nights out to dinner… Yeah, eventually they will cut themselves with trim scissors and get the clap and need to use the crappy hospital, but, the real money leaves. How many vineyards, how many Brewpubs, how many businesses have growers started in other areas? A lot, apparently.

I say, go grow your legal crops on actual farmland. Hire actual farmworkers. Go big, be bold, you might have a chance if you know what to do…

It’s time to grow out in the open, and only the strong will survive.

The boutique pot? There will be a market, but the challenge is: will it pass testing? Will it be good enough? Can you produce a consistent product with broad market appeal according to law and standards?

I doubt it, but, there will always be somewhere where pot is illegal…

Fact is, there is about to be huge tonnage available, and a limited market. Lots and lots of people DON’T smoke pot. Now that we can buy it from Hopland to San Diego whenever we want some, it may lose it’s cache…

Garberville had a chance, but Garberville blew it!

Decent folk may move to the area, but the kerfluffle needs to be over first! The smart folk have already left, so evict the tweakers and the dealers, control the homeless and the dogs, tell the trimmers from Europe to move along.

Evolve! Quit whining and wishing for the past! The sky did not fall, you just need a new plan!

And: quit smoking that dope!

There may be life after pot, but I don’t expect to be around that long…

owyhee kid
Guest
owyhee kid
6 years ago

[Edit] ,why don’t you run for office you think you
know everything

Taurus Ballzhoff
Guest
Taurus Ballzhoff
6 years ago
Reply to  owyhee kid

Sorry kid, I am retired. You are welcome to run, though!

local observer
Guest
local observer
6 years ago

that has been the plan for Orick for two decades now and it didn’t work. the problem is the tweakers and dealers are the locals and since their dwelling hasn’t sold since it was built, their annual prop tax is about $50. they aren’t going anywhere. resource extraction economies are temporary and always end bad, weed delayed that bad ending for Humboldt.

Walter
Guest
Walter
6 years ago

Wound’nt Be great if we became like the little towns in Napa Valley.

Taurus Ballzhoff
Guest
Taurus Ballzhoff
6 years ago
Reply to  Walter

Yeah, that seems unlikely… especially in Garberville…

Miranda has the formula, build dope-disneyland there…

just me
Guest
just me
6 years ago
Reply to  Walter

we can if managed right

Jeffersonian
Guest
Jeffersonian
6 years ago
Reply to  Walter

What have you been smoking?

Concerned Business Owner and Resident
Guest
Concerned Business Owner and Resident
6 years ago

There’s a future for those people who are willing to fight to stay relevant in the new economy. Small, organized, branded businesses have opportunity and shouldn’t just roll over to be destroyed by larger farms and local scammy tax practices. Town was once quaint and driven by smaller, boutique businesses. Going legal can bring some of that to main street and bring people back to this community to live and to visit along with the redwoods. Wonderful place to live and travel – just clean it up and don’t give up.

farce
Guest
farce
6 years ago

Step right up! Step into the light!! So we can see your sucker face… as you get run over and destroyed by the very well-financed professional corporate investors. But hey- you’re legal! Legal and safe- isn’t that what you wanted? So be proud and say it loud- “I’m a farmer!” Oh wait- now you’re not- you lost your land! That was quick. Well…at least you’re safe, right?

Bottomlinr
Guest
Bottomlinr
6 years ago

LEGAL WEED
LEGAL ALIEN
LEGAL AGE
LEGAL RIGHTS
LEGAL BRIBES
LEGAL EXTORTION
LEGAL SLAVERY
LEGAL PRISON

Bottomline
Guest
Bottomline
6 years ago

Whos getting paid to go the meeting? Whos paying for their check? What are they trying to selk you? Freedom? Right to earn money? How about a sanctuary state for pot growers? I mean this is California and arent we like totally for the right to do whatever even if we arent even from California. Parasites these politicians. Trying to line their pockets on whatever they can find. The government will ruin our chances of survival not strengthen. Look around at whats going on? Should we do a lateral? Or continue straight off the cliff that we did not build on the road we did. The government should buy every pound they want to tax. Then i will be interested in this meeting.

HadMeLike
Guest
HadMeLike
6 years ago

The large venture capital funded business models, as of current, won’t be sustainable. 2 example: Eaze solutions and Cannadescent. Eaze solutions is burning thru 1 million a month.

Cannadescent is genius marketing. Taking a few things wrong with market and flipping it. Namely, the strain name game, dispensaries buying from too many vendors, bud tenders and others confusing the unknowing public with indica/sativa effects, getting all technical, and the rush of new growers in Ca farming garbage.

But their model and see for yourself the smoke and mirrors…
They ad dept gets all the big magazines talkjng about and essentially branding them as “craft cannabis for connoisseurs”
Craft cannabis grown indoors? In the desert? So backwards from the image that Californians portray itself to be, back to the land, local, sustainable,
Connoisseurs know how to choose their weed. They don’t need it dumbed down. And for myself, I’ve never smoked a joint, thinking beforehand, how do I want to feel, calm, centered, creative…? I just smoke. Imagine being at a concert and passing a j to your neighbors, is anyone going ask.. “is this calm”.

Eventually investors will want thier money back. The one thing that is alarming is the fact that, these businesses could potentially be bought out by like of Monsanto who is pledging to spend upwards of 5 billion, to corner the market. That’s what these start ups do.. they lay the foundation, burn thru the cash and sell at enormous profits so the next guy can come in, clean up house and be profitable.

Taurus Ballzhoff
Guest
Taurus Ballzhoff
6 years ago
Reply to  HadMeLike

You are unusually perceptive, for a doper… Weed is weed, it’s all the same and it’s just a question of how much do you need…

Pot appeals to the stupid and lame, not the venture capitalists. It may end up being just a commodity for a corporation to market, but it will never have the panache of wine.

For me, weed is the drug that makes mundane tasks and everyday life palatable. It may be the “gram not a damn” that ultimately controls society…

The mass application of cannabis, it will peak and wither, and people will move on to the “next thing”…

Will it be you who discovers that thing?

OH, and, everyone should grow their own! It’s not hard and it’s MONEY and GREED that destroyed Humboldt.

Dragonfly
Guest
Dragonfly
6 years ago

Amen!!
McGuire and Woods owe all their constituents equal opportunity to be economically stable. Have access to retraining funds to transition out of growing Cannabis. This region deserves the opportunity to be part of the Farm to Fork programs being implemented in counties surrounding our State Capital. They also owe the Emerald Triangle the opportunity to be a Diverse Economy!! It is time that our community’s be given equal access to retraining funds which lift us out of poverty. Our Representatives must follow our laws and the Constitution by not discriminating against their own constituents. Prop 64 does not promote equal opportunity. It clashes with local rural communities and destroys Mom & Pops, small farmers, local small businesses, nonprofits and decimates rural community cohesion.

Sparklemahn
Guest
Sparklemahn
6 years ago

Best part of legalization is how much it pisses off the prohibitionists.