California Growers Association Endorses The Mendocino County Heritage Initiative

outdoor marijuanaPress release from the California Growers Association (CGA):

The states leading organization representing cannabis farms and businesses, the California Growers Association, announced support for the Mendocino County Heritage Initiative on Saturday July 16, 2016. The endorsement comes just a few weeks after the initiative qualified for the ballot by submitting the required signatures.

The Mendocino Heritage Initiative (MHI) repeals sections of the county code that currently govern medical cannabis and introduces a comprehensive regulatory framework for cultivation, processing, testing, distribution, transportation, delivery and dispensing.

Board Chair and Mendocino County Farmer Casey O’Neill explained the support: “There has been tremendous effort put into the Heritage Initiative to balance the different perspectives in Mendocino County.  In this time of changing regulations, this Initiative creates a workable path forward for our local communities.  It is a good choice for our shared future.”

The initiative will be considered by the Board of Supervisors at their August 2. Typically, the Board would be able to adopt the initiative by a simple majority vote if they chose to, however county counsel has advised that since the MHI includes a tax it must be passed by a vote of the people.

“It is pretty unusual for Cal Growers to take a support position on an initiative. Ballot measures are often divisive and costly,” said Executive Director Hezekiah Allen. “However, given the unique opportunity in Mendocino County, with so many local business owners seeking to participate, we have decided this is the right tool to use at the right time. This initiative will reward good actors while focusing enforcement resources on bad actors.”

Generally, ballot measures can only be amended by a subsequent vote of the people. However, the MHI allows for the Board of Supervisors to make changes to the policy with a simple majority vote. “We certainly expect changes over time. The initiative isn’t perfect and we are committed to working collaboratively with all stakeholders to identify problems and develop solutions,” promised Allen. “Still, we have concluded that the highest priority for Mendocino County is to implement state law. The Heritage Initiative is consistent with last years historic legislation and provides an onramp to regulation for thousands of local farmers and businesses.”

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Anon Forrest
Guest
7 years ago

“….local….” as of when? af

Fredm
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Fredm
7 years ago

What’s the tax rate?

Tall Trees
Guest
Tall Trees
7 years ago

Uh… our Humboldt Supervisors passed a tax and didn’t put it on the ballot. Is our County Counsel reading the same laws as theirs? I’m missing something. Kym, help.

Fredm
Guest
Fredm
7 years ago
Reply to  Tall Trees

Our supervisors passed a purposed tax, voters will have the final say, pretty sure thing they will say yes.

Anon Forrest
Guest
7 years ago
Reply to  Tall Trees

Casey O’Neil is identified as “Board chair.” For a minute there, I thought Mendo govt had experienced something I missed. Not Humboldt, either. So: Chair of what, now? af

Shak
Guest
Shak
7 years ago

Heritage, you mean as in “Unesco”, world heritage programs that are managing most all public land, like the Smoky Mountains where people are not welcome?
From public land takeover to private, in one easy poof. Or should I say puff?

Farce
Guest
Farce
7 years ago

“The states leading organization representing cannabis farms and businesses…” says who? They say it themselves- that’s who! Kym- why do you reprint such obvious self-serving propaganda? I have learned to distrust anything that Hezekiah Allen has a hand in. He was a mega-grower greenrusher who helped ruin our scene and who still makes big money from those land investments. He helped push that wonderful statewide “medical” bill that set us all up for 3 acre grows and nailed the coffin for small mom n pops. It would be nice to see some actual info in this article especially how big of a grow are we talking, how many plants? Of course now everybody feels a need to keep up with Humboldt’s huge allowances to “remain competitive” so I am imagining large grow amounts with a resulting land speculation bubble to hit Mendocino but hey that works out just fine for the mega-growers who have buried millions and bought huge parcels and well…screw everybody else! This is America!!! And this is how business works in America!!

Marc S. Woods
Guest
Marc S. Woods
7 years ago
Reply to  Farce

Farce, Hezekiah is not a green rusher. He was born and raised here. And at over 600 hundred members, with a respected voice in the capital, I’d say the CGA is certainly A leading organization, if not THE leading organization. We can sit back and talk about how great things were in the good old days (which they weren’t), like Trump, or we can work together and take on the real greenrushers who are heavily capitalized and very good at reaching their goals. My suggestion is to join the CGA so your voice will be heard. Don’t just sit on the sidelines and be an irrelevant idealist…

Farce
Guest
Farce
7 years ago
Reply to  Marc S. Woods

I’m sorry to hear he was raised here. So he had no problem blowing up many huge grows and then aggressively pushing for acceptance of mega-grows and pushing legislation that favored them?! He sounds like the snot-nosed kid that sold out his old neighborhood! Your comment is balanced but off. As ever you refer to people like me and my friends as “sitting back and talking about the good old days”. I understand that is the talking point to discredit any criticism from my side. Hezekiah IS the real greed rusher, as is Kevin Jodrey, Luke Brunner and the CCV-H sell-outs. They sold us out. Good luck with that fight against the mega-corps and doing damage control now that many of us finally realize where this is going…where these guys led us to and what they opened it up for. By pushing to protect their own huge grows ops (Luke excused- he was a lobbying pawn) they sold us all out. They will in turn be destroyed. That 7 acre permit issued near Honeydew was just the start…Congratulations! Hezekiah pretends to now protect small farmers? That’s hilarious.

OldSchool
Guest
OldSchool
7 years ago
Reply to  Farce

Farce baby, truthfully as soon as you open your mouth and the same old tired endless drivel starts to come out there are zero talking points necessary to discredit what you say. You do a great job of that all on your own.

Love
Guest
Love
7 years ago

Agree. Anyone in the mainstream that says they represent small time mom and pop growers is full of horse manure and themselves. You can see it in their eyes… (which one I won’t say) Hezekiah Allen, Luke Brunner , all you. I hope you read this. We are aware of your greed. We don’t trust you or follow you. You are no leaders. You are capatlists pigs in training..

Marc S. Woods
Guest
Marc S. Woods
7 years ago
Reply to  Love

Love, I am right in the thick of this mainstream process and the only reason I am is to make sure the Mom and pops have a viable place in the legal market, if that’s what they want. In my opinion the Mom and pops have risked the most and gained the least and will continue to do so if they aren’t allowed an opportunity to thrive in a legal market. So please rest assured that there are folks out here that are dedicating a significant portion of our lives to making sure the small guys don’t get swamped by the green wave. Unfortunately the only place to do that is within our flawed system. Current regulatory framework is not even close to perfect, but it’s a start. So join a trade group, CGA or otherwise, and make sure your voice is heard…

Love
Guest
Love
7 years ago
Reply to  Marc S. Woods

Yea but part if the reason some of us folks do whatever e do is because we don’t agree it want to play a part in the beaurocraziness… the risks will be the same they ever were, just tired of hearing people say they speak for me when I have nothing to say to them or who they are talking to.

Emily
Guest
Emily
7 years ago
Reply to  Love

This thread reminds me of trying to get my neighborhood together to fix the road. Everyone gets defensive and argues about who should pay more because he or she makes more money than the other person. It’s really hard to get a bunch of backwood radicals / independent thinkers to get together and get stuff done. Its a bit of an achilles heel of our community. It’s part of what I like about our big neighborhoods, but it’s also a reason why we won’t get together and confront this new reality that is coming down on us….And just like fixing the road, I can’t figure out a solution. The road is shitty. But at least everyone drives slow.

OldSchool
Guest
OldSchool
7 years ago

Good for you MCHI! Way to take a look at the cluster fuck that is happening up here In Humboldt and try to avoid it. While many of us here is Humboldt wanted the current ordinance to go to ballot initiative Hezekiah and the CCVH crew lobbied hard for it to go to Ordinance. Now he is changing his tune after he sees the massive boondoggle created when you let so many special interests into the mix. Mendo be brave and strong, get your initiative on the ballot, do not compromise and let the will of the people make the decision.

Anon Forrest
Guest
7 years ago
Reply to  OldSchool

OldSchool for President! af (Mendo)

chuck
Guest
chuck
7 years ago

Yep, the Heritage initiative is the best option. Written by local growers. I agree, you can talk about the good ole days til dawn…but they are over. So you can sit back and what for Phillip Morris and his buddies to come overtake our counties, while sitting back and reminiscing. Or you can support the best written option we have. Or feel free to write up a ‘mom and pop’ initiative and gather enough signatures.

Don
Guest
Don
7 years ago

Devalue my crop , next you’ll be cancelling my sdi check, this sucks

Good
Guest
Good
7 years ago

99 plants big whoopie.
Horrible ordinances like this just continue to add value to Humboldt Co.

Jon
Guest
Jon
7 years ago

Folks, really, do come to the board meeting on August 2 and voice your opinion. I think the folks pushing for bad legislation are the staff themselves, not the board members (well ok, at least a couple bad apples), nor Cassey, or anyone else doing their best to represent the small farmers in Mendocino County.

VERY important vote coming up August 2. If you’re not there fighting for what you want, who else will?