A Humboldt Way of Life: The Humboldt County Growers Alliance

Humboldt Growers Association front page

A screenshot from the Humboldt County Growers Alliance’s webpage

Press release from the Humboldt County Growers Alliance:

Hello Humboldt County,

We are excited for this opportunity to introduce the Humboldt County Growers Alliance (HCGA). HCGA is a trade association that represents Humboldt County cannabis farms and cannabis businesses that have made a commitment to work in a responsibly regulated industry.

We are the seed hunters, carriers of the torch, next-generation extract artists, innovators, and the pioneers who have sacrificed at times, their freedom, to protect and nourish a plant that is so deeply woven into the story of Humboldt County.

This story hasn’t come without significant impacts to our community and environment. HCGA champions a different approach to the status quo, one that benefits all who call Humboldt home. We envision a well-regulated cannabis industry that remediates legacy environmental issues, promotes regenerative agricultural practices, provides jobs, generates much-needed tax revenue and honors family farms and family businesses.

 We understand that this letter may spark a backlash, or toss fuel on a fire of local distrust and result in comments aimed more at creating chaos than solutions. We are not naive to the narrative from some about this industry; we know there are those who believe that cannabis belongs elsewhere, and not in Humboldt. We hear you and recognize your frustration. However, with all due respect, local statistics report differently.

Humboldt County continues to express the desire to regulate and tax commercial cannabis. On Jan. 26, 2016, the Board of Supervisors approved the Commercial Medical Marijuana Land Use Ordinance (CMMLUO) with a 5-0 vote. On November 8, the voters of Humboldt passed Measure S, the local cultivation excise tax with 69.61 percent in favor as well as Prop. 64 a statewide initiative to regulate adult-use of cannabis with 59.45 percent in favor. Arcata, Eureka and Rio Dell also have developed regulatory frameworks.

The will of the people is clear.  Most wish to move this industry into the light, a light where prohibition and the ramifications it has created can be rectified. Will this transition be easy? Absolutely not. It is and will continue to be extremely difficult. Success requires everyone, including the local government, state agencies, the public and the industry to work together to come up with solutions that provide a path forward. The one thing we all have in common is that this is a new frontier, mistakes will be made and frustrations will run high. However, it is paramount we continue to move forward with grace and professionalism.

If we don’t, we face a continued existence where our community and environment pay the ultimate price. In our opinion, this is not an option that is worth considering.

We openly and warmly look forward to working with all stakeholders who believe Humboldt’s future is one worth working for, one worth fighting for. A future that embodies our unique collective culture, and that values the welfare of the community, the health of the environment and the longevity of family farms and businesses, which are so vital to Humboldt’s economic success. One is not more important than the next, and only with all of us working together will our county thrive.

We also want to thank everyone from all walks of life, from all occupations, from each corner of our large and diverse county who are working toward making Humboldt a better, safer and healthier place to live.  We are grateful for the work you do every day.

Humboldt County is what each of us calls home, so the question is not  “Why should we all work together?” But, “What is at risk, if we don’t?”

With the utmost respect,

Humboldt County Growers Alliance

For more information: www.hcga.co 

https://www.facebook.com/HumboldtGrowers

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42 Comments
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Shake Well
Guest
Shake Well
6 years ago

Charlie Hurwitz could not have put it any better.

lol!
Guest
lol!
6 years ago
Reply to  Shake Well

Ouch that hurt!

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago

Faaarrrttt! there’s my 2cents. What I see so far is the people who blew it up huge and screwed up the invironment in the first place are getting permits to continue doing the same with little change to the invironment and the little guys who hid there stuff and didn’t bulldoze mountains will be dozed over themselves. Good bye mom n pop you won’t be able to afford the fees unless you blow it up too, o wait you can’t because you are stuck with the square footage you already had, and if you go bigger you will be busted right? Doesn’t make sense to reward the people who are the problem in the first place,

lol!
Guest
lol!
6 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Double ouch, that hurt!

Local
Guest
Local
6 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Thank you
The ordinance seems to reward the douchebags and run over the people that kept it clean.

humboldtstickman
Guest
humboldtstickman
6 years ago
Reply to  Local

The Irish left so much garbage next to the creek it flowed down to the neighbors. And they thought they were being nice to this kid by smiling instead of beating,the lights out of this smock. Bags with doo doo diapers and tampons and CD playing walkmans washing down the hill like a bad 80s environmental documentary.
Any dollar they made they spent in a bay area thrift store like they never had money ever before to spend just to drag more junk into the hills. From rubber titties to photo developing chemicals, then they left it for the next guy to clean up.
This guy then had to pay help and make countless dump runs and the actual owner didnt want to know about it because he might be asked to actually pay to keep his own land clean. I be seen so much bullcrap in this tiny neighborhood throughout the years it doesnt cease to stop.
The same land owner now talked some black guys from oakland into renting, since this douchbag signed up for an acre. They have no idea that the unlined pond will be bone dry by the end of next month and that there isnt any water magically appearing. This will end with someone getting hurt. But hey welcome to Humboldt.

Joe
Guest
Joe
6 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Thank you. I’m glad others can see through this bs.

Buzzard
Guest
Buzzard
6 years ago
Reply to  Guest

Sounds like socialism too me. Fuck anybody who joins this pile of donkey doo. Lets share. Yeahhhhh!😊

silverlining
Guest
silverlining
6 years ago
Reply to  Guest

So Guest, is the inviroment some sort of indoor?

70s to 90s resident 20 plus years
Guest
70s to 90s resident 20 plus years
6 years ago

So very sad. As is most of the news from Humboldt.
Hopefully can set an example for other states/counties/people
So Hum was beautiful but humans are too stupid to have appreciated.
RIP

Not a local then
Guest
6 years ago

So what my dog has lived in Humboldt about that long you think 20 years entitles you to an opinion

Truthy
Guest
6 years ago

Actually, it does.

Cole s
Guest
Cole s
6 years ago

Damn how could everyone been so lost this shit is way gone, if everybody would have chilled drove there old yota and used there upper hand to make there family’s “comfortable ” things wouldn’t be this way . When kids that have never worked a real job travel and have lots of luxury it’s hard to keep a secret, any person no matter what race sex or ethnicity could see this and it’s a no brainer, the foreign trimmers and growers come from people flaunting this way of life in other countries and our own . Let the greed ween out the stupid it could go back to small QUALITY production don’t keep your fingers crossed close your hands make a fist and fight .

Guest8
Guest
Guest8
6 years ago
Reply to  Cole s

👍

Veterans friend
Guest
Veterans friend
6 years ago
Reply to  Cole s

👍

Ernie Branscomb
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  Cole s

Gee Cole, you sound like the locals back in the 70’s when this “shit ” showed up. The cops were saying that “you have to do something to keep marijuana out, or there will be hell to pay”. The newcomers were whining “What do you have against newcomers?” The locals were saying that “they are chasing of all the real people.”

It looks like what goes around comes around. Now, the old-time newcomers are complaining about the new-time newcomers. They are saying “there will be hell to pay”. It’s beginning to feel like a white knuckle merry go round ride.

Cole s
Guest
Cole s
6 years ago

I get what your saying I didn’t want to sound like I was complaining,I was touching on the things I’ve heard the most in all the comments on marijuana related stories ( big trucks ,Bulgarians , greedgrowers) .At one point I saw a big ford and the license plate said “one run” , this was years ago but stupid shit like that make the wheels turn in people’s minds it’s either thought of as cool or that guys bad ass or look at how stupid someone could be and make that much money . Anyway thanks for the reply Ernie b.

silverlining
Guest
silverlining
6 years ago
Reply to  Cole s

One Run, thats actually funny. Really??

Sparklemahn
Guest
Sparklemahn
6 years ago

Fascinating; no sarcasm intended.

gunther
Guest
gunther
6 years ago

Get a reputation for turning in illegal grows. Then come around and ask people to join your Alliance.
Didn’t think so.

Sux
Guest
Sux
6 years ago
Reply to  gunther

Ya its funny to see the ex-E.D. of EPIC who worked so hard to make an acre sound like a huge grow (ave size farm in CA of any crop is around 340 acres) working on this project. They dropped the ball big time, many folks relayed concern about the heavy use of illegal chemicals in indoor scenes that then go into the bay, but it must not have been important to them.
While at EPIC she was also doing press releases with Green Diamond about pot, maybe thats whos behind/funding this group. It made me laff out loud to read their joint press release about keeping timber land status so no one could grow on it. Green Diamond is cutting a lot more in my neighborhood and punching lots new roads in.
Oh but they couldnt be prepping to get the land ready for transition to ag&residential, theyre not looking to cash in (insert sarcastic tone).

Sorry but honestly have to say these folks have proven short sighted and not in touch at all/relating to the local community. Not gonna divulge the details but i highly encourage folks to make sure they know what theyre gettin into before working with them. I mean there are many groups already working with growers and the county, for years now, so it kinda seems like these ladies are jumping on the coat tails of the other folks whove been working on this for a long long time. What are they doing thats so different? It seems better to work with a group that been at all the meetings over the years. Dont trust this group would be my advice/2 cents.

Bluefin
Guest
Bluefin
6 years ago

Pay your goddamned taxes like the rest of us.

People Person
Guest
People Person
6 years ago

Buncha hall-monitor-meeting-having-control-freak-nimby-politics-pushin-big-government-loving kooks. Have another meeting about how you are going to regulate your upcoming meetings about upcoming regulations why don’t ya? The only thing in life that should be heavily regulated is people minding their own god d*mned business. If you nerds love rules so much why don’t you move to the suburbs and join a homeowners association. Have fun working on your brands and figuring out a way you can pay the Feds income taxes so they can afford to continue waging endless war in the name of corporate profit. The back to the landers from the late 60’s would travel to the future and slap the shit out of themselves and their own children If they knew they would eventually end up being such government loving sellout yuppies.

Herbie
Guest
Herbie
6 years ago
Reply to  People Person

Wow. Agreed.

Guest
Guest
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  People Person

lol agreed

PinkAsso
Guest
PinkAsso
6 years ago
Reply to  People Person

I like the homeowners association ANALogy.

Truthy
Guest
6 years ago
Reply to  People Person

“Extract artists”??? Are they related to the bulldozer artists? The water truck artists? The miticide sprayer artists? What a sad, pathetic group of self serving a’holes.💩

humboldtstickman
Guest
humboldtstickman
6 years ago
Reply to  People Person

you nailed it. But even this very site here smiled everyone into compliance.
A complete joke!
All of it! From D.C. all the way into the hills ! Its a big joke and not very funny.
Certainly we all can agree on that.
It makes me laugh as my crazy old lady neighbors daughter who is also a 51/50 is doing exactly that.
Isnt it great! Lets go to town and brag about our sqare footage some more and play big shot about it.its all a joke.

linda nusser
Guest
linda nusser
6 years ago

i lived and worked in humboldt for almost forty years . i loved it there and loved living on the land and doing our small mom and pop type thing. what it looks like to me is that the very people who started this industry there and did it respectfully and not greedily are being pushed out of what that created. the soul is gone from marijuana growing. i was proud of what we were doing there and yes it was illegal and many bad parts to it but now i hear the hills aren’t even dark at nite and you have to be a big big grower to pay the fees and are being regulated by people who are just winging it fro now. the rich will once again get richer and you have pushed out the very people who created the special place that is humboldt. i am happy i lived and loved humboldt county and am glad i left when i did before this change that has taken the spirit out of it.

littlefish
Guest
littlefish
6 years ago
Reply to  linda nusser

Amen, sister!

Ninja
Guest
Ninja
6 years ago

It is hard to even find where to start debunking this self serving, misleading piece full of fallacies worthy of Goebbels. I know many of you, and you are not “carriers of the torch,” “pioneers” or representatives of the cannabis culture here. Most of you are carpetbaggers and the silly statistics you cite are from polls and votes are from people that THINK they have no skin in the business. Mostly jealous people that are happy to tax anyone but themselves. Wait until they see what the crazy regulations do to our economy. Buyer’s remorse to say the least.

Homegrown
Guest
Homegrown
6 years ago

… And then Jeff Sessions mandated maximum sentences for low level drug offenses. Jeezus, who is writing this drama? http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/05/12/528086525/sessions-tells-prosecutors-to-seek-most-serious-charges-stricter-sentences

just me
Guest
just me
6 years ago
Reply to  Homegrown

thats not what he said. stop spreading lies

Hick
Guest
Hick
6 years ago

Take PARADISE Put up a parking lot! HA HA HA HA!

wants to know
Guest
wants to know
6 years ago

Self-deception, once yielded to, all other deceptions follow easily and more…
seed hunters, carriers of the torch…gimme a break.

humboldtstickman
Guest
humboldtstickman
6 years ago

Alliance, funny all the little clubs and so called community situations in an industry where most bank on the next guys downfall.
Constantly wanting to shave them gold coins as hard as they can.
Its funny business from start to finish, then the middle man comes in and gives you the final dick down as you smile and take it one more time.
Yet theres not any job in town worth getting out of bed for let alone for all the people of these beautiful hills.
Keep forming your alliances, and pray to God that Trump isnt going to send in the Millitary and have a fema camp round up month.
The county on the other hand is extorting the situation full speed ahead. Completely unconstitutional violating therefore everything our bill of rights stands for. yes taxation without representation is certainly unconstitutional. They don’t care much but for that cha ching sound in their cash registers.
Lets face it and admit that california is left far behind Colorado and other legal states. Not that some rednecks here were ever happy about the thought of paying taxes or putting their name on some government list. Like the rest its all make believe! Not too long ago it all stood for resistance, and those days are now counted. Good luck everyone! Double up again this year, they can’t even bust a hundred grows a year and there are thousands! Until they show up keep watering and pulling them covers! Lets pretend its all good and great and everything will be fine.
Keep your quality up and stop using crazy chemicals, its a medicine after all.
Again good luck with it!

Guest8
Guest
Guest8
6 years ago

This place needs an enema, come on sessions. It will suck for some but be better in the long run

Hick
Guest
Hick
6 years ago

Medicine is not known for tasting good. But it might stave off the enevitable, for a bit. The Humboldt Corporation!

crackspackle
Guest
crackspackle
6 years ago

I moved to SO Hum in 1970 at the age of three months old… Saw the ENTIRE EVOLUTION…I am proud to be an “extract artist” – I extracted myself from Humboldt long ago… and every time I look back I see silliness of this nature… and I’m SO glad there are state lines between me and the immigrant/migrant/greenrush/local government/tweeker/junkie/etc. lunacy… I love… LOVE what Tommy Chong said backstage at Blue Lake…
What do you think of Humbolt?
“It’s a beautiful place… the people not so much”

Good luck out there… sincerely. You’re gonna need it and full of themselves clowns like the HGA are destined for the same clutterfuck bullshit that sucked the soul out of the Mateel/ROTR (not that it ever really had one).

Unity… Alliance
Empty words…

spam
Guest
spam
6 years ago
Reply to  crackspackle

Right on, crackspackle.

“It’s a beautiful place… the people not so much”

Been sayin’ that myself for some years now.

just me
Guest
just me
6 years ago

wow $500 to $4500 to join . lolol are you drunk. for what. so what do i get for $4500. i hope at least kissed first before im f—-ked.

yearsandtears
Guest
yearsandtears
6 years ago

What has this association actually done for a single farmer in Humboldt? Who is behind this association with stiff fees and not a seminar offered until November???? Shabby website, interesting comments, and disappointing future if this is how we operate as a community…..