Humboldt County Marijuana: Stamp of Approval!!

Humboldt County's Trace and Track Program stamp

Hey, check out Humboldt County marijuana moving into the legal world. This is history happening in front of your eyes!

Press release from Humboldt County:

Beginning August 1 and concluding in November, the County of Humboldt will operate a pilot program designed to track the movement of medical cannabis through each step of the supply chain, as well as trace the product back to its origin, a technology known as “track and trace.” The pilot project is designed to ensure medical cannabis in Humboldt County complies with local and state regulations, and promotes public health and safety. The program will also help protect the Humboldt artisanal brand of medicinal cannabis, as required by the county’s Medical Marijuana Land Use Ordinance.

Why Track and Trace?
Last fall, the Medical Marijuana Safety and Regulations Act (MMRSA) was passed, providing regulations for the medical marijuana industry that has developed since the passage of Proposition 215 in 1996. A local track and trace program will ensure the county complies with key regulations of this new legislation, including identifying cannabis by its county of origin. The pilot program will facilitate this process by providing an infrastructure to track and reconcile the movement of cannabis within and between local licensees from harvest to consumer sale.

“While the state will be required to create its own track and trace program, that program will be designed to meet the needs of the state and not necessarily those of the county,” said Humboldt County Agricultural Commissioner Jeff Dolf. “A local track and trace program is critical to demonstrate that the county’s medical cannabis regulatory program incorporates enforcement principles important to local and federal law enforcement including preventing distribution of cannabis to minors, preventing the diversion of cannabis to other states, preventing cannabis revenue from supporting criminal enterprises and preventing the growing of cannabis on public lands.”

It should be noted that the county’s pilot program will be fully compliant with the Adult Use Act, should it pass in November.

What does it cost?
The pilot project is being developed by an outside vendor, SICPA Product Security, LLC, at no cost to the county. As the first step in its 2017 Medical Cannabis Licensing and Certification Program, the Humboldt County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office is working with SICPA on the pilot project.

How does it work?
The pilot program combines material- (i.e., counterfeit-resistant stamps) and information-based security to provide anti-counterfeiting and secure track and trace functionality. At its core, the program leverages SICPA’s track and trace solution with encrypted tax stamps, which have been successfully used by the California Board of Equalization for tobacco control since 2005.

SICPA’s secure stamps fight counterfeiting and allow for data collection and business intelligence, enabling local agencies and licensed operators to communicate with dispensaries.

After a cultivator harvests and packages their crop, they apply a traceable, counterfeit-resistant stamp to the packaging. The stamp includes a QR code and unique stamp number that is coded with information about the product, including size, strain, grower and more.Humboldt County's Trace and Track Program form for marijuana As the package goes through the supply chain—from cultivator to manufacturer to distributor to dispensary—the stamps are scanned by each licensee so they can be tracked until the product is sold to a patient.

Patients can use the stamps in conjunction with a free smartphone app, which will be available when the program launches, or via the website humboldtorigin.org to make sure a product is authentic, retrieve product and provenance information, see test results and more (for example, were any pesticides used, is the grower Clean Green or do they follow organic principles, and so on).

What’s next?
The county currently has several local businesses enrolled in the pilot program. Training for the program will take place at the end of July. You can find more information on the pilot program at humboldtgov.org/TrackAndTrace.

Humboldt County's Trace and Track Program for marijuanaHere is more information from the County’s website:

A local track and trace program is critical to demonstrate that the county’s medical cannabis regulatory program incorporates enforcement principles important to local and federal law enforcement including preventing distribution of cannabis to minors, preventing the diversion of cannabis to other states, preventing cannabis revenue from supporting criminal enterprises and preventing the growing of cannabis on public lands.

How it works:
The track and trace solution uses secure stamps combined with software and information-based security. The secure stamps are a proven method of providing track and trace functionality, fighting counterfeiting, and allowing for data collection and business intelligence.

After a cultivator harvests and packages their crop, they apply a traceable, counterfeit-resistant stamp to the packaging. The stamp includes a QR code and unique stamp number that is coded with information about the product, including size, strain, grower and more. As the package goes through the supply chain—from cultivator to manufacturer to distributor to dispensary—the stamps are scanned by each licensee so they can be tracked until the product is sold to a patient.

Patients can use the stamps in conjunction with a free smartphone app, which will be released when the program launches, or website to make sure a product is authentic, retrieve product and provenance information, see test results and more (for example, were any pesticides used, is the grower Clean Green or organic, and so on).
Participants:
The Humboldt County Agricultural Commissioner’s Office is developing the project in partnership with SICPA Product Security, LLC, a global leader in product authentication, identification and secure traceability solutions and services.

In order to ensure the program suits the unique needs of all involved in the local medical marijuana industry, the pilot includes a sample selection of different stakeholders, including cultivators, manufacturers, distributors and dispensaries. Patients can also engage with the pilot by authenticating the products they purchase through the pilot app and website.

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G-ma
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G-ma
7 years ago

Finally they figured it out!HUMBOLDT has the best weed in the world.it took em awhile to figure out what we’ve all known forever.lol.lets hope they get it right.thats why they all come here.25 years ago I visited my fam in N.Y,my cousins asked me,”did u bring a little Humb.with u”lol nothing compares.please get this right!!

laura
Guest
laura
7 years ago

great, reads like a board game lets all play

Henchman Of Justice
Guest
Henchman Of Justice
7 years ago

So much to criticize on this, but leave it to one clarification of the deception this pilot program is pawning:

“The pilot project is designed to ensure medical cannabis in Humboldt County complies with local and state regulations, and promotes public health and safety.”

Response: Actually, this is not to protect branding, it is to protect taxation VAT style.

How?

Simple sillies, ya just keep repackaging medicine into smaller sale units.

What is the net effect of this forced economic fraud?

Simple sillies, breaking down a medicine into smaller units artificially creates unjustifiable jobs and all those labor taxes, increased sales taxes, etc….

Ya see, if a pound of weed is now $1,000 +/-, by the time it is broken down into 1/8ths, 1/16ths at $40 per 1/8, $25 per 1/16, buying a pounds worth at 1/8th prices pushes the cost of a pound of weed back to over $4800.00 spent by consumer. Medicine that should cost $1000.00, is now 4800.00. This action by county officials is no different than the State Of New York not allowing Elon Musk to directly sell his vehicles to the consumer…….nope, to jack up sales taxes, etc…. gubbamint frauds said Tesla had to sell to a distributor first…….unjustifiable job cteation, unjustifiable taxation increases, unjustifiable increases to the product being sold and unjustifiable high consumer costs…..and silly people wonder why Homes are so god damned expensive.

Legalization is meant to take profits by the black market and reroute those profits into gubbamint tax bases and into additional jobs that gubbamint taxes labor, sales, income on business, etc….

It is about rerouting American labors wealth on an individual scale over to the gubbamint scale, afterall, gubbamint looks out for everyone mass overpopulating the society with people who will never, ever have opportunity in the ways and means american gubbamint lies about.

Ya see, a medicine that is a plant, and especially if not an extract, should not be taxed.

This pilot project group is connected to politics, so who are the secret players behind the mask?

Is there a track and trace for:

1) Farmers Markets?
2) Nurseries?
3) Feed Stores?
4) Vehicles?
5) writing paper?
6) Forrest to harvester to hauler to manufacturer to distributor to consumer?
7) Water?
8) Soil
9) Sewage
10) Sea Horses on Centerville Beach?
11) clothing?
12) etc.
13) 4-H
14) FFA
15) Hypocrisy all over the place
16) HAVA – Help America Vote Act…….ya, California Democratic liberals who claim voter fraud on neighboring states turn a blind eye here at home in their own domain……..since 2002, no track and trace on state gubbamint obligations for federal law mandates…… .track and trace, very subjective and nary objective.

By regulation, weed prices have fallen. Now, the laborer in the feld at grass roots will make less for working harder, and the false unjustifiable job of repackaging in air conditioned offices will pay employees for shit that ain’t work.

Again, transfer of wealth from real hard working and sweating field mexican/hispanic immigrant or not laborer to faux distribution-esque employees of unnecessary businesses forced by gubbamint over regulations.

Chester
Guest
Chester
7 years ago

Duh

Shak
Guest
Shak
7 years ago

Just like with vapor products, after the govt is dug in only the big corporations will be able to stay in business. The mom & pop’s who created the industry will be history.

jack
Guest
jack
7 years ago

yea, this program is no good, track and trace is just about taxation and how to squeez the most amount of money out of the grower. All these government people think every grower is some huge mega millionaire that has plenty of money to spend so why not tax them. In reality thats only about 10% of the growers the rest are all hard working and just trying to make it. Weed costs way too much to grow now in days, the average greenhouse full of soil and plants costs about 30k to setup. then add on your trimming costs, nutrients, etc and your talking thats growers put up front 60k or more before they even get paid for there crop. Now add on county permits and fees your looking at most growers spending about 90k just to produce 150k worth of weed. Anyone see how the new marijuana fraud isnt going to work. State license will cost 2 dollars a sq/ft and county license anywhere from 1 to 3 dollars a sq/ft. This is a cost that has to be paid at the beginning of the year. So you want to grow 100 lb witch may be worth 1,200 a pound. Well spend 90k to make 30g’s for yourself. Doesnt make sence does it. Hope you never had employees cause you will not have any profit leftover because of all the costs.

silverlining
Guest
silverlining
7 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Or just amend the soil in the greenhouse. Nothing evil about a greenhouse.
They are used all over the world to make farming more efficient.
If one were to do a water use study comparing water used per plant I am certain that having just enough plant height to produce flowers would beat the full term outdoor plants hands down.
It will be interesting to see what happens when put em in the sun turns out to be the most damaging in terms of drying out rivers.
BTY I am thinking smaller hoop style greenhouses will be the future and not the super tall commercial greenhouses that cost a fortune.

$$$$
Guest
$$$$
7 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

This is about business, not just putting some amendments in the ground and throwing some plants out to cut cost. The only thing important in business is profit, profit comes first. Numero uno. Everything else follows.

With the start up and recurring cost of this new industry, the only people who will have an advantage are those who understand that profit per square foot has to be maximized efficiently followed by a strong sales and marketing strategy.
Regardless of method, everyone will be $taxed$ on the same principles.
Those who maximize turns (runs) per year will maintain a higher $ per sqft and ultimately turn a much larger profit as their neighbor who’s taxed on the same sqft but only growing one run outdoor.
Those who cannot formulate, manage and implement a business model that is profitable will fail. Question will be if they can pick themselves up and adapt to meet the number one goal of making $$$ for themselves or give in to becoming a employee at a operation that can adapt.
This is the way it should be. Welcome to business.
I’m only referring to weed business in a “legal” market.
For those who choose to stay in the Black, their challenges will be different and most likely easy enough for a monkey to figure out.

silverlining
Guest
silverlining
7 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

One day there will be an affordable , reliable , automated covering systems,
And as I have said before Larger foot systems, huge stalks and branch structures including extra leaves must have water, Smaller plants use less water per pound because you can subtract the carrying cost in water of the larger plant frame needed to make a multi pound plant.
Wind protection also reduces water consumption. The best small dep should have removable skin to reduce pests when applicable.

Matthew Meyer
Guest
Matthew Meyer
7 years ago
Reply to  silverlining

Don’t forget that it takes water, electricity, and other resources to manufacture the water-saving technologies you’ve mentioned. If cannabis growers just externalize impacts by buying goods whose production impacts are out of sight and, therefore, out of mind, it’s not ecologically responsible, it’s just greenwashing.

When considering the impacts of different cultivation techniques, downstream effects need to be considered, too, and not just the immediate impacts at the garden site.

Dave
Guest
Dave
7 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

So this sticker is obviously another tax. How much will theses stickers cost?

Henchman Of Justice
Guest
Henchman Of Justice
7 years ago
Reply to  $$$$

A consumer for medicine should not be subsidizing a profit mark-up of over 400%.

A consumer for medicine should be allowed to direct buy pounds from growers at $1,000 – 1,200 per pound which equates to around $10 per 1/8th.

Regulators had to wait for the market to drop 67% IN ORDER to be able to create the teired tax structures that allow profit for the track and tracer types if they are the permitted business who then still charges per 1/8th what was charged years ago at market highs when a pound at harvest phase was $4800 for the good stuff.

It is no wonder the taxation/permit regulation is set up for high density farms that will run their harvested weed through preferred permitted businesses using the store front model approach for consumer sales.

Obviously, if the majority (smaller growers) are not suppliers after harvest for the storefront track and trace model of economics, then the ordinance/regulation is unconstitutional.

If the market is flooded with medicine, who really believes the dispensary store front businesses are obligated to buy what they dont want or need……plus what is not “certified”.

When consumers realise that $1200 per pound direct buy from grower kicks the crap outta $5120.00 per pound at VAT increased dispensary prices, what will happen is called, “loss of business.”

silverlining
Guest
silverlining
7 years ago

I like that.

Chester
Guest
Chester
7 years ago
Reply to  jack

Look at the Brite side Jack, you’ll be paying the way for the millions that are on the system, from headaches to backaches.

colormeskeptical
Guest
colormeskeptical
7 years ago
Reply to  jack

Seems like they’ve created a system that is just about as complicated and expensive and tax-heavy as possible. I know people like to argue that this is no different from many other industries…perhaps that will be a more convincing argument once growers and processors and wholesalers and retailers are all able to deduct their business-related expenses like other businesses can. Because until that happens, we’re basically asking growers to comply with a high level of regulation and taxation at the state level, while still being treated as criminal enterprises at the federal level.

As far as Humboldt goes, as long as there are states where it’s still illegal, there’s going to be a black market to feed, and my guess is that’s still where the majority of Humboldt weed will be going in 5 years. Because for a lot of the small and mid-sized growers, they won’t be able to pay all the costs of compliance, and still make a living — not at the price they’ll be able to get competing with much larger operations with major economies of scale, in a state-level market that will be flooded with legal product. But the black market will continue as long as there’s a higher price available for those out-of-state sales. I’m sure this will include both strictly black-market growers, and supposedly “legit” growers who I suspect will easily find ways to divert some of their product to the more profitable, unregulated, tax-free out-of-state market.

So, nobody should expect the black market to disappear overnight, especially not in the Emerald Triangle. But do expect life to get a little better for the mega-growers who are best poised to take advantage of the new regulatory environment. And a little worse for the small-medium growers who are too small to afford compliance, but big enough to attract the attention of law enforcement and various regulatory agencies, while at the same time probably continuing to see price erosion.

In other words, heads up Mom and Pop!

JJ
Guest
JJ
7 years ago
Reply to  jack

The greenhouse is a one time cost. The costs quoted for nutrients and soil amendments are WAY outside the coloring lines for one crop. Average over the lifetime.

ANY business has start up costs. If you want to be a legitimate business, part of society mainstream, and come out of the shadows, you play by the rules, and pay taxes. AHHHH…bet those last four words made you cry.

Grumpy
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Grumpy
7 years ago

Kym you are so right, I have been growing over 40 years and don’t need greenhouses and all that other crap….Peace

Tall Trees
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Tall Trees
7 years ago
Reply to  Grumpy

Yep, and mulching helps keep water use down.

deb
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deb
7 years ago

Down home thinking by me. Next we will have cannabis entries in the horticulture section of the Humboldt County Fair. That’ll be cool.

Humkid
Guest
Humkid
7 years ago

with a greenhouse you increase the length of the season .We will have to cut cost to survive.To Grow high grade cannabis It cost money .I’m not talking hippie shit weed or commercial crap most of so hum puts out.High grade takes love and lots of amendments soil tests pot on and on .before anyone gets a license to track and trace they are going to have to pass water Quality stringent, guidelines and Fish and wildlife rules and regs most local farmers are not going to be able to bare it.
the end is near.
Every farmer that is out in the open is going to get a letter from NCRWQB ,giving them 30 to register or $1000 a day until they do.Even if they stop farming they are still going to be required to fix flats, culverts and any other violations.If they don’t go through this ridicules processes they are going to be broke and if we do go through this process we are still going to be broke.Along with our community s and schools

farmers need to spend this years Income very wisely It could very well be our last good year.

Humkid
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Humkid
7 years ago
Reply to  Humkid

I was one of 100 to register with the ncrwb before the deadline Feb 15 .since then i have spent between$ 70,000 to $100,000 trying to comply .Foresters, engineers consultants,labor, equipment work ,pond liner.and I still have to change out all my culverts about another$ 20,000.Now I’m going to have to start complying with the counties Guidelines .Ill have to have two building permitted fix some wiring and more.Fun stuff Like I said we all better spend our money wisely .

REMEMBER HUMBOLDT COUNTY’S REGISTRATION DEADLINE FOR PRE. EXISTING FARM DEADLINE IS AUGUST 23

WTF
Guest
WTF
7 years ago
Reply to  Humkid

Spending all this money will not guarantee that you even get a state license .Guess what they have the say in who gets to grow .Just because the water board or the county gives you permission the state may not and your DONE!

Lost sailor
Guest
Lost sailor
7 years ago

It’s interesting to me that there is all this ability to create and enforce regulations (and how is that paid for? By the average Californian non pot growing person paying sales and income tax off their paychecks ) while all the while there were and are these huge greenhouses and 100 plant plus farms and there was never any money to enforce? It’s seems convoluted and isn’t going to turn out like any of us think. Hopefully you have good people out there to have your back. This is turning neighbirs on neighbirs and despite anything bad that has come from outlaw ganja growong, it is threatening those pockets if rural outlaw good life lifestyles that actually give back to the planet and community. Good luck to anyone who is gonna play the man’s game, but be weary, they will take you for everything your worth.. and don’t forget about freedom. Ganja is freedom to some people and putting all those fences up around it just won’t work. Who the fuck is gonna smoke all this medicine?? That’s what is also strange… let’s make it a personal mission to give the herb away for free to those who need it! Who is on the home team? Medicine is free. Some of the most potent plant medixines grown along evey road side, free for the taking and enjoying… let’s turn this into a real medicine instead of a commodity … whoops, almost too late.

$$$$
Guest
$$$$
7 years ago
Reply to  Lost sailor

Correction – This is not medicine. This is a agricultural commodity and a high ticket item at that.
Multi-Billion dollar industry.
Anything with that much value should NOT be free.
Nothing is FREE

Don
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Don
7 years ago
Reply to  $$$$

Good luck to all you pharmaceutical pioneers , your gonna need it , high grade or low grade product it’s a cut throat world.

silverlining
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silverlining
7 years ago
Reply to  $$$$

I think that the thrill of consuming something expensive is part of the branding.

los federales trace and track $.
Guest
los federales trace and track $.
7 years ago
Reply to  Lost sailor

i edited this because i reread the post i responded to and misunderstood. from what ive seen, growing marijuana brings neighbors together. theres innercommunity conflict in every community, pot growers to real estate sharks to car salesmen to politicians to the graveyard shift workers at taco bell. love em or hate em for whatever reason, per capita there are infinitely more crimes of all kinds committed in town and outside these circles of megagrows and thats a fact you can stick in your pipe and smoke. marijuana has been and is being demonized by all kinds of selfish interests, but its a plant that belongs to everybody for all kinds of important reasons.

workingman
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workingman
7 years ago

Hopefully with all this revenue illegal growers will get popped. Long overdue. I will be voting yes in November

los federales trace and track $.
Guest
los federales trace and track $.
7 years ago

the tax is criminal and everybody involved in mandating more local taxation in addition to state and federal taxes oughta be ashamed of themselves. growers if all kinds are already paying taxes and fees on property like everybody else, all tge same business taxes and fees as other businesses and then some…and then some more, and like every business owner, is spending any additional disposable income as cash all over the county in ways that land directly into the local pockets of all income demographd. marijuana is a ridiculously prohibited plant as it is, and it needs to be made more available to more people. the money and the bureaucracy is thug like at this point, and it royally sucks to see humboldt county’s government scrambling to join the gang of controlling thugs. legit should mean all things common sense, not cashed checked and charged at every opportunity. its good business ethics, and more importantly, when you talk about “the people”, its what the people want.

Joe
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Joe
7 years ago

Most growers would agree. We want decriminalization not government oversight.

Dyerville Loop is Not Alderpoint
Guest
Dyerville Loop is Not Alderpoint
7 years ago

The only thing that made this whole weed thing work so well for all these years was the LACK of regulation……Johnny law kept the quantity some what realistic……. Its over boys and girls………….. Its time to face the dreams malfunction…. We have had a good run…… REGULATION= THE END.

popcorn toes
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popcorn toes
7 years ago

Yayyy, can’t wait for my awful grower neighbors to scurry off back to LA when they can’t sell their shitty weed.

Shak
Guest
Shak
7 years ago

Just when you think you’re clearing the hurdles & showing a profit, they will raise the taxes. They say they want to treat it the same simple way they tax & regulate tobacco? Well, when they raise taxes, you have to come up with the extra tax money for inventory still on hand that you haven’t sold yet plus the taxes on inventory you have sold & inventory you will be purchasing to sell.
This is what they’ve decided to do with vapor products, in Indiana. Treat them like tobacco, regardless if they’re tobacco or not. (Which they’re not). The businesses are folding, closing shop, employers & employees both, out on the street.
It’s a sneaky way to prohibition.

Shak
Guest
Shak
7 years ago

If it were decriminalized, the State’s would be free to decide their own futures.
CO rakes in billions, but almost 30% goes to the WH Mafia.
If it were decriminalized, the state would be able to support itself completely, with normal sales tax. The vendors could do normal business write offs, get normal loans, not be surprised by new regs based off new reg studies paid for by your tax dollars to plunder you, and the roads would get paved.
The only candidate who wants the Feds to leave you alone like they’re supposed to, is Darrell Castle. Spread the word.

Shak
Guest
Shak
7 years ago
Reply to  Shak

CO would be in dream mode if it weren’t for the overreach. http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/colorado-racks-billion-dollars-weed-article-1.2713467

Llc.
Guest
Llc.
7 years ago

Not a mention of how much this system will cost and or who pays for it ? Two important factors .The grand jury report talked about lack of transparency and oversight in our county ! Now let’s implement a program with no discussion on the costs -our supervisors are awful…

native warrior
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native warrior
7 years ago

white collar weed is on the way!!!

Reckless spender
Guest
Reckless spender
7 years ago

shit if you didnt squirrel away a few million while prices were rediculous (1985- 2012) then you deserve what you get. The last 10 years have been a boon for anyone in this industry.

There is still a good dime to be made as a grower in the states where prohibition is alive and well. Ride that wave. The big bud version of the endless summer.

Arkansas anyone?

High ticket commodity
Guest
High ticket commodity
7 years ago

When you do the market research you discover that the majority of product tha moves through a legal framework is indoor. The average consumer wants a superior product and indoor meets those standards.
Don’t believe me?
Go to 100 pot shops and do the research yourself.
One thing I believe people forget in the Triangle is that their outdoor heads to the Midwest and East Coast via the black market.
Legal California consumers do not want your outdoor.

arcatduh
Guest
arcatduh
7 years ago

some truth