In Response to Market Pressures, Flow Kana Cuts Workforce But Keeps All Whitethorn and Laytonville Employees

Michael Steinmetz Flow Kana

[Stock photo provided by Flow Kana]

Today, Michael Steinmetz, CEO of Flow Kana, announced the distribution business which has formed partnerships with many Emerald Triangle farmers specializing in sungrown cannabis, would be cutting up to 20% of its workforce.

However, when reached for comment this afternoon, he assured us that no workers employed at either the Whitethorn or Laytonville facilities would be laid off.

“Sourcing and packaging and selling product hasn’t been affected at all,” he told us. But, he said, “All of the growth initiatives related to expansion in 2020 have been put on pause until the market catches up.”

Other cannabis companies have recently cut back on their workforce.

In a press release issued earlier today, Flow Kana blamed a “combination of overtaxation, overly-complicated regulations, and lack or dispensaries due to local moratoriums” for cannabis businesses having to lay off employees.

But Steinmetz pointed out that the amount of cannabis consumed since legalization hasn’t gone down. Instead, he said, there are several problems inhibiting the growth of the legal market.

Steinmetz said that the “broken tax structure” needed to be addressed quickly. He argued that the four taxes that are layered on cannabis as it moves from cultivators to retailers make legal sales costly for the consumer pushing them towards the illicit market.

“We need to eliminate these multiple layers of taxes,” he urged. “[The] cultivation tax should be reduced to zero.” Or, at the very most, he argued, “it should be a percentage not a fixed dollar amount.”

Cannabis cultivators are currently paying taxes of roughly $150 per pound whether the pound is sold at $200 or $2000. “That makes no sense,” he insisted.

“We’re not saying don’t tax this industry,” he explained. He said he just believed in consolidating taxes and reducing them. “The current tax structure is driving people to the illicit market.”

He suggested a tiered system might work and pointed to the beer business. “With craft beer, a small producer pays a smaller tax.”

The layers of bureaucracy also are contributing to the struggles of the legal cannabis market, he explained. “One agency tells us one thing and another tells us another,” he complained. He urged consolidation of the differing departments. The press release issued earlier today stated, “We ask that the Bureau of Cannabis Control be elevated to a Department-level agency reporting directly to the Governor.”

A third urgent issue, according to Steinmetz, is that legal businesses are struggling to compete in prices with the illicit retail stores.  Those are “not taxed and regulated,”he explained. “There is no quality control. [They have] non-compliant merchandise on their shelves.” That cannabis is often contaminated with chemicals and can be harmful to consumers, he noted.

In spite of that, he doesn’t push for law enforcement to crack down on the illicit stores. Rather, he advocates finding incentives to bring the black market retailers into the legal market. “Doing enforcement on a broken system solves nothing,” he argued. “We first have to fix the system.”

He urged that illicit retailers not have to “get perfect on day one,” but rather have time to comply with regulations.

In addition, he suggested one of the ways to fix the system is to expand the market into areas that currently have moratoriums on cannabis sales. “Let’s find ways to create incentives [for the areas to open to the cannabis industry],” he said pointing out that the majority of cannabis sales in California are still made on the illegal market.

He suggested that if municipalities and counties don’t allow cannabis sales and cultivation, then they should not reap the benefits of taxes on the product. “It is hypocritical and it is not fair,” he said for those areas to participate in the proceeds of cannabis taxes when they don’t allow their citizens to purchase or farm marijuana. “If you don’t [participate], then you shouldn’t get any of the benefits.”

At the end of the interview, he reiterated, “There is nothing to worry about with Flow Kana.” He said that to keep “our eco system healthy, we had to make a super tough decision.”

He urged farmers and others in the legal cannabis business to not give up as the government grapples with creating the right mix of incentives and laws. “I believe we need to be patient, resilient, and work hard,” he said. “This community has been resilient time and time again…This is not a time to give up. This is a time to double down and work harder.”

 

 

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Doggo the commie
Guest
Doggo the commie
4 years ago

Hah!!

HOJ in Training
Guest
HOJ in Training
4 years ago

Yet another spew of “Boo Hoo” from Mikey Whinemetz!

“You’re so lame, you probably think that people like you, don’t you, don’t you?”

Sparkelmahn
Guest
Sparkelmahn
4 years ago

Well I hear you went to Saratoga
And your horse, naturally, won
Then you flew your Learjet up to Nova Scotia
To see the total eclipse of the sun
Well, you’re where you should be all the time
And when you’re not, you’re with some underworld spy
Or the wife of a close friend,
Wife of a close friend, and…

Joe dirt
Guest
Joe dirt
4 years ago
Reply to  Sparkelmahn

Hey CentralHumCo have you heard anything about people going to the supervisors meeting Tuesday 19th to let them know that the public does not approve of what they’re doing endorsed by the new southern district supervisor Sean Devries I heard that he might be the best thing going has a meeting to tomorrow at 10:00 in Fortuna at hot Brews

Government Cheese
Guest
Government Cheese
4 years ago
Reply to  Joe dirt

People go joe dirt, but mr Ford and ms fennel just eat MnMs and look at you with a blank stare.

Joe dirt
Guest
Joe dirt
4 years ago

Yep that’s all they’ve ever been doing for us and then they get the balls and chains out. If I see that he cares about the situation where in I will stand behind him until he’s elected

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  Joe dirt

~yes, i know. I got a lengthy email all about the meeting on Municipal Advisory Council (MAC), at the Redwood Playhouse. Here’s part of it:

I came in to the Playhouse just as an efficient, scholarly millenial provided by the County was giving a concise explanation on the nature of MACs to a surprisingly large circle of attendees filling the Playhouse floor from the stage almost to the row of solid chairs. Way over 50 people in attendance. KMUD was there live, so it’s in the archives. The Presenter distinctly mentioned that the Ca. code 31010 posited elected or appointed representatives to a MAC (which is not a committee or commission, but a Council.) However once the discussion got under way, led by the Planning Dept. Chief, John (“Just Obey”) Ford, a rather docile discussion ensued, focusing on a convoluted scheme of appointing Council members which diluted real representation.

Sean reiterated the relevant code, already stated by the County’s Presenter and others. A concerted attack revealed that Ford was ill-informed about the project at hand. He denied at first that election was any part of a MAC but the actual code read to him by Sean and othes forced his hand to broaden the discussion. He is an experienced flak catcher, and even though he had come dutifully to promote some version of Estelle’s MAC, he knew he had to prevent uproar which members of The Opposition were on the verge of providing, so he shifted gears, allowing a discussion of the option of election. Once he did that the discussion became lively and the audience became less docile and more involved.
Ford’s credibility tanked.

from Paul

Legacy Hipsters
Guest
Legacy Hipsters
4 years ago

Waiting to see the new series from Blown Karma called “Meet the Investors “

Jason Zumalt
Guest
Jason Zumalt
4 years ago

Don’t hate congratulate!!!!

Corey
Guest
Corey
4 years ago

Fuck the legal market. Tax the hell out of them lol

Jaycee
Guest
Jaycee
3 years ago
Reply to  Corey

What a stupid comment, why should they tax the hell out of the legal market, it will end up with more people selling illegals drugs, what a moron!

Flow-What?
Guest
Flow-What?
4 years ago

At the House of Humboldt event, I asked them if they were taking on new farms for processing and what they were paying for trim. For the second year in a row, they don’t have room to help small farms process their harvest. And only paying $100 per pound for trim too. Other extract companies are paying $140-$200 per pound.

Guest
Guest
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  Flow-What?

Sisu extracts

Common sense
Guest
Common sense
4 years ago
Reply to  Flow-What?

They aren’t an extract company so that logic doesn’t make sense. Most distributors pay 90-110 for trim because they need to make some kind of a margin. Extractors pay more because they are turning it into distillate (Sisu)

They also can only take on so much processing from small farms. Just because they are at compacity doesn’t mean they aren’t willing to help small farms, you just asked to late.

Greed
Guest
Greed
4 years ago
Reply to  Common sense

Whatever they’re big enough to do whatever they want. Everything is a choice. Flow f***ers made the choice not to help small farms. Not because they can’t but only because they won’t.

Mendo Gramma
Guest
Mendo Gramma
4 years ago

Boo Hoo

kat
Guest
kat
4 years ago

some of the best weed out there

hmm
Guest
hmm
4 years ago
Reply to  kat

I wouldn’t know, I’ll never try it.

Squeeler
Guest
Squeeler
4 years ago
Reply to  kat

Lol

Wiseman
Guest
Wiseman
4 years ago

Peace, love, flowers!

NoLongerHumboldt
Guest
NoLongerHumboldt
4 years ago

No surprise here. Even the CEO of flow kana agrees the system is broken. The county and state have shot themselves in the foot with legalization. They were expecting 1 billion in tax revenues the first fiscal year and actually brought in 500 million less. It’s a failed system that is killing the legal industry at the same time fueling the original market. Need to make it easy so people can afford to get permitted and sell their products without having to pay enormous fees. Then ppl will actually be able to produce craft cannabis that’s true to the Humboldt name.

You won’t see my product in your legal stores.
Gorilla Glue #4 light dep

Dolly
Guest
Dolly
4 years ago

Humboldt County has the Trellis Project through their economic development division, which helps cannabis growers get started by paying all the fines upfront for them. Why don’t we have that?

NoLongerHumboldt
Guest
NoLongerHumboldt
4 years ago

🔥❤

Glow In The Dark Humdum
Guest
Glow In The Dark Humdum
4 years ago

Isn’t that what weed users call larf or something like that?

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago

“weed users”. That’s funny. Tell ya what, “stoners” always know the best places to eat in town.

10 toes
Guest
10 toes
4 years ago

I feel it 1000% and agree !

Government Cheese
Guest
Government Cheese
4 years ago

Oregonians

Rod Gass
Guest
Rod Gass
4 years ago

Mikey, you and yours placed bets on a broken ballot. People in California see what you are. People don’t want your type of negative karma. You’re losing the market back to those who came before you. Your open thievery from the OG has put your feet in the fire. [edit]

You should offer a large portion of your millions to the people you’ve harmed the most. Amnesty with a $50,000 per family reimbursement might get you some good vibes, it may be too little too late.

Your foundation is unstable because it sits upon fraud. Your actions repeatedly demand punishment for those who dislike “legal” cultivation.

I’m pleased that your high and mighty attitude is getting adjusted.

SourJSweet
Guest
SourJSweet
4 years ago
Reply to  Rod Gass

Rod be smokin that High Grade hahaha

ElDub
Guest
ElDub
4 years ago
Reply to  Rod Gass

But tell us how you REALLY feel. Lol

10 toes
Guest
10 toes
4 years ago
Reply to  Rod Gass

Check mate 👑

North west
Guest
North west
4 years ago

Surprise, Surprise, Surprise

HOJ in Training
Guest
HOJ in Training
4 years ago
Reply to  North west

Gomer, is that you?

Sparkelmahn
Guest
Sparkelmahn
4 years ago

Shazam!

Poopypants
Guest
Poopypants
4 years ago

Mids at best.

Bravo Mikey
Guest
Bravo Mikey
4 years ago

Taxes need to stay the same to eliminate the unsophisticated operators. Once removed, the market can mature into what it was designed to be. A well regulated / consolidated place of business with billons up for grabs. I praise Micheal Steinmetz for his ability to lobby behind close doors for the very policies he promotes to his audience / clients as the social issues at hand – while also being the reason for the issues. He’s about as good as they come. Well done sir. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

Legallettuce
Guest
Legallettuce
4 years ago
Reply to  Bravo Mikey

He can come work for me and begin his Traditional Market training. He won’t be allowed near any plants but he can work with the soil crew. Start earning his stripes properly in the industry he bought into.

Cannabis Flows and Ebbs
Guest
Cannabis Flows and Ebbs
4 years ago
Reply to  Legallettuce

🐵🙈🙉🙊👍👍🤠
Bought in….. Yup. That’s exactly what he did, he used our local branding and farmers and claimed us all as the sole representative, he defined us a belonging to Flow Kana. Meanwhile they bought up all the herb they could pushing the prices super low in 2018 buying from both traditional farmers and legal farmers. Tricky business which is already laying off workers. Showing little loyalty to the workers who earn them a living. We will all see how Flow Kana flows and ebbs

Government Cheese
Guest
Government Cheese
4 years ago
Reply to  Legallettuce

LMFAO. Legalettuce ….or he can trim with caddy Spaniards for 100 bucks a pound Working in a greenhouse that’s converted to “living quarters”.?

Legallettuce
Guest
Legallettuce
4 years ago

I like your idea better, lol

Pat Rohde
Guest
Pat Rohde
4 years ago
Reply to  Bravo Mikey

Taxes are way too high, its punishing producers but its especially punishing consumers. $65 to $80 an 8th post tax is just classist and puts a financial burden on those who need it most. Excise tax should be cut to 5% and city taxes should also be capped at 4%.

Sonny Burnett
Guest
Sonny Burnett
4 years ago
Reply to  Pat Rohde

Those who need it? Nobody needs it. There has never been won study that showed any benefit from dope. I’m depressed i need to get hi to make me feel better. You’re basic excuse for using. Grow a pear.

Guest
Guest
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  Sonny Burnett

Grow an apple lol

LevelheadedGenXer
Guest
LevelheadedGenXer
4 years ago
Reply to  Sonny Burnett

You sound like an ignorant person… also tell that to the VA who actually pays for my marijuana for my ptsd. Call them and tell them that they are wasting their time treating a disabled Marine with “dope” as you put it. Meantime I’ll smoke my dope and not be crazy on your tax payer dollar, as you sit there continuing to be ignorant.

James Simon Ritchie
Guest
James Simon Ritchie
4 years ago

***”This is a time to double down and work harder.”***

where have we heard this before.

Legallettuce
Guest
Legallettuce
4 years ago

Agreed, we are winning battles but the war continues. Grow Humboldt keep our foot on that corporate throat!

Lost
Guest
Lost
4 years ago

“hang in there”?

I sold one piece of land and might just lose my house. I haven’t grown pot in 4 years. I moved away, to save my house. How much time does everyone have to hang in there for?

Noflow Kana
Guest
Noflow Kana
4 years ago

Kana NoFlow.
Always easier and cheaper to purchase from a neighbor, friend or coworker. Herb here has always been passed from hand to hand with no corporate white collar standing as a middle man in the center. At point, this little statement by “Mikey” from the above article:
“The current tax structure is driving people to the illicit market” people being driven?? This market was always here!!!!
Is Mikey alluding to the local neighborly “traditional market” which has existed in the Emerald Triangle since the 1970’s…. Our local cannabis farmers have had a thriving local market and economy here with ties all over the USA before Mikey’s NoFlow Kana came in and posered up with Happy Day Farms Casey Oneil and pretended to be all about the small family farmers benefit.. ….. I wanna puke thinking about it. They came in posered up with local goons and tried to take over the market now laying folks off, not accepting new farms, farmers left unpaid and waiting as herb sits on shelves getting old…… lets get real, its hard to store entire outdoor crops grown a multitude of ways when it sits on the shelf untrimmed until “orders” come in sometime the next year. Any old OG cannabis farmer, trimmer processor or curer could tell you this Mikey…

One land, One Law
Guest
One land, One Law
4 years ago
Reply to  Noflow Kana

The millions spent on automation to package the herb could have been spent on job security. Judging from the Flow Kana tour videos on youtube, Mikey has automated his packaging equipment so he no longer needs the “hired help”. Truly a “Willy Wonka Weed Factory” with all the inside workings of such….. farmers will get fed up…..one thing is California needs one permit process, one statewide law on dispensaries and to do away with the dry counties and legal counties….. dispensaries should be ruled by the state law not bs local city councils….. its not working because less than half of all towns and cities allow cannabis dispensaries….

James Simon Ritchie
Guest
James Simon Ritchie
4 years ago

adapt or die,

adapt then die.

life is a great example of learning from our past.

tip of the hat to the luddites.

Change is the only constant.

the corporate machine is the extension of Consolidation and control arm of the corporate government Ponzi scheme.

remember the days of freedom, because those days were our renaissance.

will never be return to the old days.

adapt or die.

adapt then die.

positive drug story …bill hicks

https://youtu.be/VnwFmaLiKl4

Julie
Guest
Julie
4 years ago

It’s always been a delight to me how quickly the unregulated “black market” responds to market forces. Supply goes up and prices go down. People pull product off the market until they can get the price they want. Prices then rise with demand. Mendocino County, and California, have made a big mess out of something that should have been easily phased in. When government doesn’t listen to the people, problems arise.

10 years to Life
Guest
10 years to Life
4 years ago

I like how this guy is telling the weed community about the resilience it has based on the struggles it’s overcame blah blah blah. Some green rusher Duchebag who just got into the game 4 years ago. He is not the campaigner for this movement. He is the enemy.

Fndrbndr
Guest
Fndrbndr
4 years ago

The only fix for the system is to reinstate the positive feelings the cultivators had when this whole thing started. It sounded great at first but as we all found out the path to a permit is almost impossible. We believed in the ” work together attitude”. As time went on both sides got aggravated at each other. Constant rule changes, additional regulatory agencies, and the fact that the trust has been lost has eroded the forward movement. The war will never end if the current situation persists. Cultivators have no choice but to forget the dream of obtaining a permit. All we will see is further enforcement and enhanced unpermitted cultivation. The trail of compliance has to be directly centered to allow happiness between both parties.

Flow karma
Guest
Flow karma
4 years ago

Sad they have been planning this layoff for months,

Mendocino Mamma
Guest
Mendocino Mamma
4 years ago
Reply to  Flow karma

Wonder if the Bell Arbres property in Redwood Valley will be sold? No need to have that place if all the crews in Laytonville or Whitethorn. Pretty long commute…
🦄🚜⌛🤡💣💲🧯⚖✂️📉
#EverEvolvingNeverResolving
#UnicornCompanies

CAROL -
Guest
CAROL -
4 years ago

does anyone know how much money this ceo is paid annually??

James Simon Ritchie
Guest
James Simon Ritchie
4 years ago
Reply to  CAROL -

great question, Carol

we know a few things because some people have been noticing that steep curve up…. in general.

https://www.epi.org/publication/ceo-compensation-2018/

Sparkelmahn
Guest
Sparkelmahn
4 years ago

Pushing a pencil is hard work! Just ask any banker or real estate agent.

Mendocino Mamma
Guest
Mendocino Mamma
4 years ago
Reply to  Sparkelmahn

Sheeze… every”pencil pusher” CEO type I know. Me, me, me,me, me, me,me it’s all about me I’m GOD!!! Narcissistic jerks with control issues. I’ve dated em and worked with em damn rough.
Eating fat meals, lux shiny shoes, clean jeans, fancy SUV, trips galore. Stop in yell at the crew, throw some new rules out to get them shivering and off to lunch you go. To talk about how shitty your crew is with other higher ups. (no pun intended lol) Micromanage because they (“CEO”) were able to lock down funding with a smarmy sales pitch to funders with no boots on the ground knowlege. Money = power but not BRAINS. Flo is a Ponzi at its best.

Jayne
Guest
Jayne
4 years ago

Good One!!!!

Willow Creeker
Guest
Willow Creeker
4 years ago
Reply to  Jayne

I don’t understand the hate directed at this guy. Isn’t this what was voted for a couple years back? What did you all expect? Anyone with half a brain knows this is not prime agriculture land and the fact that he’s basing here shows he’s trying to give this area a leg up.
Many commenters here seem unaware that once our precious herb is legalized, we have no advantage growing it here. Those days are over. There are bumps along the way but it’s going down. A lot of sour grapes here for the a guy trying to bring a little legit work to the area. We are destined to rot on the vine if we don’t get some industry (just a little) around here. Outlaw growing is gone. Find a new line of work!

In my 1911 I trust
Guest
In my 1911 I trust
4 years ago
Reply to  Willow Creeker

Yeah that’s why California’s legal market, the largest in the world, is valued at just 3 billion dollars. The black market in California is valued at over 9 billion dollars. Sure willow crick, the black market is dead. Outlaws are now soldiers and we smell blood. The precious legal weed market is collapsing under the weight of its own regulations, its profit margins are shrinking, businesses are failing, and the black market is the strongest its been in a decade. We will slam the door on this legal charade next season, just wait till we bust out the male pollen.

Willow Creeker
Guest
Willow Creeker
4 years ago

Until you get the abatement letter. Remember this is the age of the eye in the sky. They are all over us like flies on shit. What’s your solution to that smart guy

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  Willow Creeker

I know! I know!

Declaration of Facts in Affidavit Form sent Registered mail w/return signature – prejudicial. Reservation of rights. Make sure you say you’re not an imbecile U.S. Citizen.

In my 1911 I trust
Guest
In my 1911 I trust
4 years ago
Reply to  Willow Creeker

Yeah I got one of those. Still not slowing me down. I’m not going to divulge all my secrets on a public forum, but I will tell you one thing, the satellite ain’t got shit on that old camo netting we used back in the day.

keep on planting
Guest
keep on planting
4 years ago
Reply to  Willow Creeker

sounds like you willow creek need to learn to grow the dank… i have been on both side of the table and have returned to the idea that the emerald trinagle may not have ag soil but is the best climate for growing hands down bar to none. call up your local dump truck driver and get some soil.

Willow Creeker
Guest
Willow Creeker
4 years ago

I can tell which way the wind blows. I’ve been farming since you were in diapers I’m sure. We are in a nice little price bubble at the moment, but I don’t see it lasting. The county is really cracking down and not giving any quarter… legal market is a dead end imo. The only way forward on any scale is working with good people like this guy, or maybe developing your brand and seeing where that goes. Nothing I’m interested in doing! Good luck out there- here’s something you can take to the bank: quit your bitching about people who are out there doing something and try to do something yourself.

hey now
Guest
hey now
4 years ago
Reply to  Willow Creeker

wc. your whole response was a big contradiction. ‘the county is really cracking down’ / ‘ a nice little price bubble in the moment’. what do you think causes prices to go up? because you are so old and refused to change with the times you have found yourself obsolete…. nice

Willow Creeker
Guest
Willow Creeker
4 years ago
Reply to  hey now

I see your point. I’m definitely ‘over it’! I’m not interested in getting permits and well, it’s tough being an outlaw when they can see everything from the sky! I actually looked at their screen when I was in there this summer (the county) It’s crazy the amount of detail they have. And it’s refreshed every week.

Ganjaman
Guest
Ganjaman
4 years ago

They never ran the race with and want to take the victory lap

James Simon Ritchie
Guest
James Simon Ritchie
4 years ago

http://www.roguevalleymessenger.com/dont-smoke-the-messenger-new-fda-rules-bust-hemp-boom/

don’t kill the messenger…

this is what happens when the corporate government partnership gets the ability to make decisions on your freedoms.(ability to conduct commerce)

endless regulations…

***”According to Oregon CBD, one of the world’s leading producers of high-CBD hemp seeds, “No high cannabinoid content, type III (CBD) plant variety in existence can meet this strict test unless harvested early or is genetically modified. This rule eviscerated the trimmed CBD flower market for 2020. Gone. No one, including us at Oregon CBD, has CBD seed varieties that can be trimmed and sold under these new rules.”***

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago

/”this is what happens when the corporate government partnership gets the ability to make decisions on your freedoms.(ability to conduct commerce)”/

Ability to conduct COMMERCE. “Gets” the ability to conduct COMMERCE. Gets the “ability” to conduct COMMERCE. Gets the ability to “conduct” COMMERCE. Gets the ability to conduct “COMMERCE”.

The enumerated powers OF CONGRESS are defined in Article I Section 8.

Did i miss something? Can anyone in here point to where the elected local criminal parasites were EVER delegated authority to express our power via threat and force on We, the People?

~we’re living in an asylum.

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

“You’re not going to pull the wool over our eyes. Eventually, we’re going to get you.”
–Estelle Fennell, Bridgeville Town Hall meeting July 2017.

Government Cheese
Guest
Government Cheese
4 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

“When one is already blind…. wool pulling is irrelevant.”

Redwood Dan
Guest
Redwood Dan
4 years ago

I had an AC/DC Pennywise cross that was really close. %12.6 CBD and %.36 thc at full term. Slightly purple, full of trichomes, beautiful bud for a jar.
Why aren’t people growing hemp like they did in Europe 40 years ago? 12-14 foot tall sea of green for acres. Intentionally mixed females and males. The top 1.5-2 feet canopy is harvested with a combine for hemp seed and distillate extract. Then the straight bamboo like 10-12 foot tall stems are cut with a different combine, dried, bundled, and sent to make rope and cloth.
I haven’t seen that technique utilized in this new wave of hemp farming. Its kinda funny watching videos of old farts back east growing and harvesting it like cannabis in spaced out rows, using tons of man hours. The news says the hemp crop is a bust this year? If I was a hemp textile manufacturer, I would purchase truckloads of straight, consistently sized stems over curved uneven stems any day.

JB
Guest
JB
4 years ago
Reply to  Redwood Dan

They harvest both top and bottom with the same machine now days.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJKnz9hlB3Q

What you are seeing in the East (spaced out rows) are strains optimized for CBD flower, not fiber. It is grown, harvest and processed nearly identically to the Humboldt grows flower. They will process the stalks for fiber once the flower harvest is done, but that is a very secondary by-product of the flower.

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  Redwood Dan

~528 Hz

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXfjQFdEaOw&list=PLJnxev5fz2KA4xEtpEYcs9gqsHIIioZ5c 2 mins. September 2018 This guy is about seeds pretty much. In days of famine people Knew to have hemp seeds on hand – always!

Monterey/Salinas Mega Grower
Guest
Monterey/Salinas Mega Grower
4 years ago
Reply to  Redwood Dan

Pollination will tremendously drop your total cannabinoid percentage down to 2-3%. CBD processors do not want to waste their time with anything less than 10%. Pollination is a total flop unless you are growing specifically for fiber and seed.

Most hemp growers don’t have access to a market, drying or processing. About 500,000 acres of hemp was estimated to be grown this year. Maybe 100,000 acres will actually make it to processing this year. Even here in California entire crops are getting tilled back into the soil. This is the first time in the history of American agriculture that thousands of farmers went all in growing a crop that they did not know who they were going to sell to once it was done. Many poor farmers lost their ass this year. Many of these same farmers plan is to double down next year.

The good news is that new cultivars have been developed for next year that are high in minor cannabinoids like CBG, THCV, CBDV, and CBC pass the 0.3% THC threshold. New seeds and clonal varieties are ready to be deployed this winter.

beanbob
Guest
beanbob
4 years ago

liberals aren’t even good at taking your money

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  beanbob

~we’re* not doing the delusional divisive drivel of lib or conserve today. I’m sure there’s plenty of talk-blogs out there who will cater to your left, right, crony capitalist, programmed obsession.

*why yes, yes i have been appointed to speak for “We” :-))

Sparkelmahn
Guest
Sparkelmahn
4 years ago
Reply to  beanbob

Conservatives are good at stupidity.

Cannabis Is Legal
Guest
Cannabis Is Legal
4 years ago

Cannabis is legal.

guest
Guest
guest
4 years ago

Legal yes, but the market will never catch up to production until prices bottom out and the weak go out of business.

“All of the growth initiatives related to expansion in 2020 have been put on pause until the market catches up.”

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  guest

Phukk Legal.

guest
Guest
guest
4 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

How many square feet of marijuana is being grown in the US now compared to 20 years ago? Overproduction much?

If everyone in the US from age 2 to 100 starts smoking an oz a day the price may go up a smidgen.

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  guest

~i hardly think everyone on the land from 2-100 y.o. is gonna start smoking -let alone, an oz/day. I MEAN, i wouldn’t recommend it for amateurs.

Overproduction much? Overproduction of facsimiles. I do not consider greenhouse grown grass as mj. And i wish the landowners w/flat fields would produce the hemp crops we need so bad to survive.

“An error uncovered is two-thirds destroyed, and the remaining one-third is destroyed by division of the house from within.” –Hartford Van Dyke.

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago

Superfluous – When something is so unnecessary that it could easily be done away with, like a fifth wheel on a car or a fifth person on a double date, call it superfluous. vocabularydotcom

Antichrist
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Antichrist
4 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

hrmm but 5 can be very useful on a double date. open your mind

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  Antichrist

~funny, but, i pass.

do nut
Guest
do nut
4 years ago
Reply to  Antichrist

I call shotgun!

In my 1911 I trust
Guest
In my 1911 I trust
4 years ago
Reply to  Antichrist

Utility player?

Indignant 1
Guest
4 years ago

I mentioned that these carpetbaggers were just here milking our cow.

Happy holidays!!

Jorge Cervantes
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Jorge Cervantes
4 years ago

I will support them As long as they continue to pay to have Emerald Scamily Farms products removed from the shelves of dispensary’s . Send those EFF greenrush clowns packing to Oregon where they belong !

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago

~not very nice, Jorge, to push the nasties on Oregon.

Joe dirt
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Joe dirt
4 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

Jorge Cervantes is supporting NoFlow Kana corporate “really” Does this have something to do with the High Times connection. Are maybe bought into the illegal permitting process tell me it isn’t true.

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  Joe dirt

~oh, ‘I see,’ said the blind carpenter as he picked up his hammer and saw
–said somebody sometime

Doggo
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Doggo
4 years ago

Impersonating a douche is really pretty douchey Jorge

We the corparation,by the corporation, in corruption we stand
Guest
We the corparation,by the corporation, in corruption we stand
4 years ago

This is just another corparate theif calling for more terrorism to the people in his public whining of the real market,the people’s market.the market that 40 years ago my Perants fed me with,clothed me with and put a roof over my head with. This carpetbagger trust fund baby needs to go back to daddy’s hedge fund wherever that may be and quit posing as a Humboldt farmer. Jonny come lately who’s never had to gorilla it,run from a helicopter, or spend time in the can for being who we are !!!!!

Central HumCo
Guest
Canyon oak
Guest
Canyon oak
4 years ago

Yawn
The hills are alive with the multi generational aspirations of skeemers, scammers & all sorts of little Columbus’s.
Hard to envy the traps humans build.
“Market”, now that’s a loaded word.
Everyone’s life depends on “the market”
Disgusting
Predictable

Doggo
Guest
Doggo
4 years ago
Reply to  Canyon oak

What is a skeemer?

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago

/”Everyone’s life depends on “the market””/

~the Free market, market, means the farmers/growers/producers set the market price. The law of the land is the motor that runs the free market.

“The moment the idea is admitted into society that property is not as sacred as the law of God, and that there is not a force of law and public justice to protect it, anarchy and tyranny commence.”
— John Adams, A Defense of the American Constitution, 1787.

Government Cheese
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Government Cheese
4 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

“…… what we got here is failure to communicate, some men, you just can’t reach, which is what we got here last week, which is the way he wants it…… well, he gets it.”

Canyon oak
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Canyon oak
4 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

Don’t forget about Consumers.
“Consumers”
“Human Resources”
All part of the free markets, open markets, fair markets, traditional markets, regulated markets, etc..
Economics of any kind seems like a soulless art, maybe I’m wrong..
But it brings potato chips to the door, and it brings weed to the pawn shops of those with no green thumbs

Canyon oak
Guest
Canyon oak
4 years ago
Reply to  Canyon oak

“The free market is an ass, it has no conscience” micheal savage

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  Canyon oak

“The commercial market is an ass, it has no conscience” CHCo.

izzy
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izzy
4 years ago

If intentionally cumbersome legal regulations and restrictions ever got removed and there was anything approaching a truly free market, prices would go into the toilet. The dollar value is generated by the risk ‘traditionally’ involved.

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  izzy

Say WHAT?

Mendocino Mamma
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Mendocino Mamma
4 years ago

Oh…community unity picnic cost too much eh boys? Without the ability to itemize taxes federally how is a large canna conglomerate to survive? (cough, cough)
Insert favorite hash tag for the Cannabis regulation industry.
#EverEvolvingNeverResolving.
🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡🤡

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago

~in order for this commercial law of the Sea Merchant plan (guilty until proven innocent) to work, the tranquility on the Land must be threatened.

When Legal Enforcement and military forces trespass and move to violently tame all parties -who have a reserved Right to contract, OR NOT -especially with Public entities coercing something they call “Commercial compliance”, when the so-called “Black Market” gets attacked, the average Joe Shmo will probably cheer, completely unaware that his days of freedom and Constitutional protections are over, never to return in his lifetime.

Government Cheese
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Government Cheese
4 years ago

#wizardofoz

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago

#theemperorwearsnoclothes

Geust
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Geust
4 years ago

The community picnic wasn’t for the community it was a tax write off.

2s4u
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2s4u
4 years ago

In a press release issued earlier today, Flow Kana blamed a “combination of overtaxation, overly-complicated regulations, and lack or dispensaries due to local moratoriums” for cannabis businesses having to lay off employees.

You mean they can’t actually regulate and prosper in an industry they stole and have no actual knowledge of? Big surprise. The legal farmers are all robbing themselves while the corporate scum machines yet again cut out the bottom end with employee lay offs. If they would have actually tried to enable the community to go legal and not gentrify them out , it wouldnt be working like that. Sad fact is that their greed has blinded them and made them numb to the damage all of this is doing to the state and community. Another sad fact is that it’s never going to work and you can expect more failing profit margins because they’re regulated system is full of huge flaws they are just to greedy to aknowledge.
Go smaller , hide your plants and watch the black market price climb. All while they over regulate themselves out of the industry. These people are nothing but ungrateful theives.

Scooter
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Scooter
4 years ago
Reply to  2s4u

The regulation you speak of was built into the law that legalized Cannabis and set up ALL of the regulations we are dealing with. If you voted for this law, you are a fool. That said; Flow Kana is trying to provide a market for small local farmers, end of story. If you wanna bitch, bitch at the losers who wrote the law, the losers who voted for it, and the politicians who saw a windfall in tax and permitting cash from someone else’s labors.

dang
Guest
dang
4 years ago

dang

John Sakowicz
Guest
4 years ago

Time to leave Mendocino County, Mickey. There’s no way Flow Kanna can make the ROI that your investor, Jason Adler, wants, and still give us cannabis farmers a square deal.

Your low prices and total control over grading, also charging for seeds, etc., isn’t cutting it for us. We feel like sharecroppers in a tenant farming system.

It’s why at the November 11 Board of Supervisors meeting, it was estimated that only 5 per cent of cannabis farmers are permitted. The rest of us are black market.

The answer to supply chain is not you, Mickey. It’s a supply chain that is collectively owned and operated, a non-profit farmers co-op…much like the Mondragon Corporation in the Basque region of Spain.

Call it, “The Mendocino Mondragon Corporation”.

Why don’t you switch sides, Mickey? Drop the corporate, vulture capitalist-financed model. Embrace the non-profit, co-op model.

Join us.

Do the right thing, Mickey.

John Sakowicz, Candidate Mendocino County 1st District Supervisor

guest
Guest
guest
4 years ago
Reply to  John Sakowicz

John , if believe for a second that the future of Mendocino County is legal cannabis you need to bow out of the Supervisor race. A new reality requires new thinking.

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  guest

~are we reading the same comment, @ 9:01?

SmallFry
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SmallFry
4 years ago
Reply to  John Sakowicz

Good thoughts John! I would vote for you if you were in my district!

Rod Gass
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Rod Gass
4 years ago

Mikey says,
“All of the growth initiatives related to expansion in 2020 have been put on pause until the market catches up.”

Oh darn Mikey, that feeling you are experiencing is the market eating you. You’re being run to ground, consumed, recycled back to where you came from. In CEO corporate speak, “Mikey failed many, many people who misplaced their trust in his scheme.”

Failure such as yours is natural and organic. You played games when you could have been beneficial. Out with you !

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  Rod Gass

~what ^^^he^^^said.

Lovin it.

Burn your trim don’t sell it
Guest
Burn your trim don’t sell it
4 years ago

how anyone in their right mind thinks they can compete in an industry where your potential customer can produce their own product (usually a higher quality product) thinks this is a viable business model is just crazy. Not even taking into consideration the regulations and taxes imposed on the business to operate.
Where’s the competitive advantage???
Like many, my six have been trimmed cured and bagged. now I am sitting on excessive pounds I could never consume over the next ten years. Suppose I’ll give it away….

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago

EXbrook 69701

100-P
Guest
100-P
4 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

Meanwhile truelieve in Fl just announced estimated .13 cents per share .Truelieve profits while others flounder . vertical integration =profits.

An example of vertical integration is a retailer, like Target, which has its own store brands. It owns the manufacturing, controls the distribution, and is the retailer. Because it cuts out the middleman, it can offer a product like the brand name product at a much lower price.

Legallettuce
Guest
Legallettuce
4 years ago
Reply to  100-P

I just got entry into this state and I think I know why, lol. FL about to get some Humboldt dankness so let’s see what happens in 2020. 😁

https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Trulieve-3/reviews

Legallettuce
Guest
Legallettuce
4 years ago
Reply to  100-P

Vertical Integration = Layoffs. Guess we been Vertically Integrating all along Humboldt. We just didn’t know about the fancy name city folk use to open a retail front.

https://mjbizdaily.com/major-cannabis-firm-medmen-slashes-more-than-190-jobs-unloads-assets-to-bolster-bottom-line/

guest
Guest
guest
4 years ago

^^^ This is the correct answer. Heed this warning you greedy mofos [edit]

SoHumbled
Guest
SoHumbled
4 years ago

It’s time for this growing region to grow up… cuz no one likes whiners, and this site has become a nation of disgruntled mini trolls. If ya’ll spent as much time actually doing something productive with your frustrations instead of just whining ad nauseam and running around spewing conspiracy theories, then maybe we’d see some of the change we want. Cuz change is a comin with or without us.

SmallFry
Guest
SmallFry
4 years ago

Yeah, what needs to happen is there needs to be a tax on extremely large cultivators to bring the market into more of a balanced production state. What the article doesn’t address is over production of Cannabis in the state. Unfortunately the county and state have misapplied intentions, and skewed perspectives that it’s the smaller unregulated farmers saturating the market. Well, it’s not. It’s also that the state completely went back on its word and allowed multi acre production right off the bat! (Humboldt was the first to do this.. Thanks Dumbolt for setting a presidence that screwed most of your legal smaller farmers Good Job.. guess what, you lost on that gamble!)

Anyway, I believe the only way to fix this is to tax the cultivation into a sweet spot, by taxing large cultivators more per square ft. And provide incentives to scale down to more reasonable production levels. I mean much AG, especially on large scale works because of GOV provide subsidies. But Cannabis is kinda different right?
The industry doesn’t need subsidies, it doesn’t need over production, it needs guidance on less production until Federal legalization… I think the best way to do this is not stupid multi agency raids, but taxation incentives. Tax larger cultivators more, tax smaller cultivators less.. More of a sliding scale of taxation.. That kind of policy will also help our rivers and environments, if people are encouraged to scale down, instead of up, and people can make more money with less efforts.

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  SmallFry

~oh grasshopper, have i taught you nothing? ;-((

SmallFry
Guest
SmallFry
4 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

I probably should have put **Trigger Warning*** Taxes! On it for you Central! But think about it.. if they taxed the larger growers at a higher rate, it could make the market better without raids… I think it would be a win win for veryone except the largest of growers. Except they would win too, because thier product would be worth more! People would be free to grow as much as they wanted to, if they could pay the higher brackets. It would be a good way to balance the market after they took away the caps..

James Simon Ritchie
Guest
James Simon Ritchie
4 years ago
Reply to  SmallFry

I remember something about how they got the USA to accept the Federal Reserve and income taxes over 100 years ago.

I believe, that it was sold to the general population as a tax on the wealthiest people, but like all wealthy people, they have a way of being smart about laws and loopholes and the income tax…

https://www.latimes.com/opinion/la-xpm-2013-feb-03-la-oe-dibacco-income-tax-20130203-story.html

I keep hearing people who have no idea what life was like like before excessive taxes and regulations. ..wrap their heads around working within a system that keeps throwing up more and more regulations that make
the pursuit of happiness and making a living a more complicated endeavor.

just tonight, I was talking with someone who is in the middle of the permit process, and he made a comment

” no one should ever be told how what to do ”

I looked at him, chuckled, and reminded him that the county was half way up his rear end telling him what to do.

it’s like an amnesia of our former selves…we used to be more free to conduct business without undue influence from government.

I hope that we can reconcile a lost lifestyle and the simple fact that this just about transfer of wealth from the many to the few.

it’s the way all industry has been corralled by the wealthy to consolidate power into fewer hands

nothing new under the sun

SmallFry
Guest
SmallFry
4 years ago

I think it’s actually true, that overwhelmingly taxing the rich will not solve the wealth gaps, or heal all the rifts in society.. And that “telling people what and how to do” what ever it is, is not conducive to a healthy society, But I tend to think of it more in terms as “cause and effect”.. Its partly true that even though the ellites have a desire to be respected, it is actually better to sometimes take advantage of this drive to act in ones own self interest and harness that potential for the broader good of humanity.

It’s definitely an intricate dance, and it’s all connected in some way.

The consolidation of wealth, is actually, to the detriment of the wealthy. The more the wealthy widely distribute wealth thru better wages, is actually to thier benefit because then consumers have more buying power to purchase more goods, And pay more for them. Consumers also are then more open and able to purchase more variety of goods, which leads to more job creation, and ultimately wealth… An inclusive and open economy built on educated and free individuals creates more wealth, and distribution than an economy of exclusion and less widely distributed wealth. Also, a wealth nation can be more empowered and have more resources to invest in programs that help the poor.

And it’s true, the less stiffing the gov. Is the more the creative process is empowered to thrive. The Gov does have a role to protect the common good and maintain public saftey.. I believe. But that shouldn’t come Out of highly oppressive measures. And the gov doesn’t need to mandate production, it just needs to stop doing bad things to us in order for our markets to thrive.

Actually a happier work force is a more productive one, when people have also time and health, the actually make better happier more dedicated employees.

Actually, in this new digital and information industrial revolution we are experiencing right now is thriving because of more open source information and access to knowledge. Like say wiki, which thrives on open source information, or Uber, or Air B+B.. So it is kinda new under the sun, and old, at the same time.. turning our own open source information to serve our self interest.

IDK. I am rambling.. it’s definitely a tough picture on many levels as we grapple with how to protect our rights, protect and heal the environment, while creating thriving open inclusive economies and commerce…But I like to just picture what winning looks like, and picture ‘future histories’ like Mohamed Allie did..

Anyways a link on how open market democratic societies generate more wealth and Health than oppressive states.. kinda a long listen, but worth it. IMO.

The Wealth and Poverty of Nations, by David Landes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8ZP5Pbjzmg

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  SmallFry

“I probably should have put **Trigger Warning*** Taxes! On it for you Central! ”

~you crack me up, SmallFry.

AND, i Have thought about it. Taxes, that is. We’re never gonna get ourselves back to the garden (CSN&Y), if we willingly refuse to follow the blueprints, if we don’t read the blueprints, if we don’t live the blueprints, if we don’t enforce the blueprints.

Common law contracts are not commerce. What people don’t get is the COMMERCE part.

SmallFry
Guest
SmallFry
4 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

Lol.. glad to ablige Central! Anytime! Lol.

**Warning ⚠️ Central Tx words**

We all hate taxes, And Yeah I know you especially hate taxes.. and that’s ok. Understandable. No matter what we do or say, if it’s commerce, and money exchanging, the gov will have it’s hand out. Why not direct that hand away from the people struggling to make it, twards the people who have the excessive excess? Why not use the taxes themselves to help maintain the market instead of using our taxes to pay people with guns to maintain the market? Or use ridiculous excessive red tape. Lots of smaller business, and inclusion into markets will ultimately generate more tax revenue, then just taxing bigger players alone.

“Death And taxes that’s all we given. You can make a life but you can’t make a livin’. You can make it work but that still ain’t driven” -Logic

James Simon Ritchie
Guest
James Simon Ritchie
4 years ago
Reply to  SmallFry

you keep asking those questions, you’ll start realizing most of us are on auto pilot of sorts.

there ya go, thinking independently again…

government shouldn’t be in the business of helping the corporate bottom line

I think what we are seeing here is the corralling of huge industry for centralized control and regulations, and not the least, taxation. Government really thinks it deserves a piece of every transaction on the planet.

My beef isn’t that we should abolish the government, but that it should have to operate on a budget as well. I’m not sure if you are aware of massive unfunded state pension liabilities that are creating a huge headache for the budgeting arm of the state. Ray Dalio said the only way to cover pensions and insurance, is to raise taxes….

is there anything we can do about the monster that keeps growing and needing more funding, year after year?

is it wise to keep growing government, on the backs of the public for the benefit of the few?

I don’t have a rigid philosophy, but the older I get, the more you realize how much money is wasted by ineffective management and oversight.

moral of the story. ..

government needs more and more influx of capital to keep the monster in control and it seems as though the rights of the individual are getting lost in translation.

I like the old guy, max igan, who continues to remind us to “opt out”
whenever possible.

https://youtu.be/KARxZsVtQ_A

Have you had enough yet?

justRamblin

Rod Gass
Guest
Rod Gass
4 years ago

Fine piece of communication there JSR.

Now that the laws are about growing more taxes, our experiment in this New World economy of taxing to fund the employees of the social order, shows that we’re doomed. We’ll never procure enough taxes to feed the taxing authority.

So … easy, smeasy either curtail the authority dramatically or build a tax revolt.

The non-human desire to live as a parasite in the name of taxation, will oneday require strong measures.

The leeching class of Americans has grown beyond it’s support level. Taxing the taxpayers is now dependent upon imported people. Multi-generational born Americans can’t tolerate the ever increasing need for growing larger tax liabilities. There is and has always been a point of no return, we passed it the day we allowed the bureaucrats to feed from the public trough.

I like your new name.

SmallFry
Guest
SmallFry
4 years ago

Interesting Link James! I generally agree with both your points! The government is way to big and intrusive, and massively out of touch with reality of everyday people! Thier quest for a piece of every little exchange is insanity!

But as for your link James, I didn’t watch it entirely, as nice as the artwork and scenery is, I have to let you know, I support the Extintion Rebellion 100%! However I have no doubt in my mind that the gov would use such measures for more excuses for ultimate control. So far, the gov has been largely ineffecient in addressing climate change anyway!

But that bit about “Smart communities” and citizens ratings, and digital ID’s is fairly frightening to me. It’s way to much power to ultimately track every piece of movement and information of everyday citizens! Not only do they now have the eye in the sky, now, they have precise information to track every single movement. Unreal! I totally get that this is a huge draw back and bad aspect of the new digital age we find ourselves in..

I agree a lot with Murray Bookchin, Enviromental issues are ultimately social issues! It’s all connected. Until we also address many of the issues realated to the ultimate power of huge multinational hierarchal corporate conglomerates, little will change! I ultimately agree that one of the best ways to do that is thru many small local level engagements. Lots of little raindrops that eventually cause a flood. And that is a big reason why I also see why the gov. May be using sustainable developments as a way to disempower community networks. Or Adgenda 2030.. Because lots of strong informed empowered engaged citizens largely spread through regions, acting in thier own autonomous interests is a threat to the consolidation of power. People owning properties outside the big banks is a threat to thier bases of power. I have no doubt in my mind that the powers that be would use and do use any foot hold they can to consolidate indie communities.

Ain’t nothing ever as good as we want it to be…

b. aka Not A Constitutional Fundamentalist
Guest
b. aka Not A Constitutional Fundamentalist
4 years ago
Reply to  Central HumCo

Central,
Are you saying something about the word “commerce” and the elasticity of that word as applied by the self-appointed final interpreters of the constitution? Give me a history lesson, . . . please.

Willow Creeker
Guest
Willow Creeker
4 years ago
Reply to  SmallFry

That’s a pipe dream. They way agriculture has always gone is bigger and bigger. There are many reasons; efficiencies, lobbying to name a few. Many people here live in a fantasy where they will be able to keep growing as if it were still illegal, just by paying off the county and state government. The county should be ashamed to be taking everyone’s money the way they are. I see everyone tearing their hair out trying to put a square peg in a round hole, when they should just see the writing on the wall and change careers. Be a baker, a teacher… something more useful to the community. Let’s make this a nice area to live in again.

SmallFry
Guest
SmallFry
4 years ago
Reply to  Willow Creeker

Let’s face it WC.. the whole escapade has been a pipe dream from the beginning, no doubt.. And for that matter so is too large to fail mono Agriculture. Large AG really only works (and sometimes doesn’t) often because of large subsidies. It’s not unheard of for the gov. Or the industries itself to make efforts to reduce supply. I don’t approve of crop siezer, in any Ag production.. or the Gov. essentially running industries… However, I actually think using Taxes on the largest cultivators may actually be a better way to help usher the market into a better ebb and flow of supply and demand.

Bigger is not always necessarily better. My family bought into the whole bigger is better agricultural scheme, (not weed) and seriously, it was a big mistake. It seemed great at the time, but it cost my family half of their farm!

And also, WC, actually right now, many counties in Cali, do not really openly embrace cannabis cultivation. It’s kinda smelly, and many people don’t want it supper close to thier Neighorhood. Not to say there isn’t AG land nobody gives a flying F..

I want to see Humboldt a nice place to live, and be a healthy community too. I think that can be accomplished with Cannabis as well. I have lived in communities w/o cannabis, that were super bad neighborhoods! Some of the “large Agracultual” neighborhoods are some of the worst ghetto’s around!

But yeah, the county taking people’s money like that when they well know, it’s very possible that Humboldt may be completely out competed is criminal! Agree with you there!

lock him up! lock him up!
Guest
lock him up! lock him up!
4 years ago
Reply to  SmallFry

BWAHAHAHAHA! Welcome to emerica babe. In any business the big guys always pay less or no taxes when compared to the little guys.

SmallFry
Guest
SmallFry
4 years ago

I know right! Maybe it’s time to try something different!

Government Cheese
Guest
Government Cheese
4 years ago
Reply to  SmallFry

Freedom isn’t free, and it dam sure isn’t fair. Someone ALWAYS needs to pay the price. If everyone was treated the same and everything was fair you won’t have freedom, you will have oppression. (Me) 2019

Madrone
Guest
Madrone
4 years ago

Its interesting the way prop $64 is unfolding. For sure a certain karma unfolding here for many legal, “permitted” producers. When people were gathering signatures for prop 64, paid to do so by the likes of folks like Sean Parker etc who donated a million dollars to the effort himself, most people failed to read the 63 pages of text that made up prop $64, even the folks hired to gather the sigs. We, who actually read the bill, told everyone that it would gut people of almost all their 215 rights, while permitted farms would fund the eradication of all gardens un-permitted, which would be everything except 6 plants per parcel, and even that could be regulated to indoors or up to code/greenhouse accessory structure . But all the growers looking to go legal just saw dollar signs, eager to be the next walmart of weed, and didn’t care that going legal would throw their neighbor under the bus, which it has. Live in a county that will ban cannabis almost completely (other then 6 plants) via prop $64 code enforcement nuisance laws? Tough luck, said the permitted growers foaming out of their mouths eager to go legal, thats the way it goes. Its better for us anyways they said, more biz. Even though many of these counties have old school, very large cannabis cultures and an excellent climate for growing high grade, the permitted growers were more then fine with the ban wagon approach in nearby counties. These legal growers didn’t care about anyone/anything at all, except the concept of going legal and getting rich, even at the expense of everyone who was not privileged enough to do so, which was almost everyone. And now the legal farms are having a hard time, while the very code enforcement their farms are funding, is keeping the traditional market thriving with higher prices. I have little sympathy for legal farms and their struggling biz, they should have supported the California Cannabis Hemp Initiative which was gathering signatures the same time as prop $64. C.C.H.I. would not have thrown anyone under the bus, it would have rather retained our cannabis rights big time like 215 did. C.C.H.I. even has a clause in it that says any government official trying to impede your rights to grow your cannabis (99 plants per person, no permit required) is guilty of a misdemeanor. Jack Herrer and Eddy Lepp wrote C.C.H.I. in a very thoughtful manner that would have retained and broadened our cannabis rights, not take them away. Those rights sure would of come in handy right about now. But no, the farmers who went legal ran like sell outs to get their chunk of prop $64 monopoly instead. So yeah, downsize your biz, don’t plant next year because the costs of being legal are too high, whatever, who cares, you threw us under the bus and here is your karma. Remember that the next time you crunch the numbers and they don’t add up. Good luck being the next cannabis corporation. If you survive the rough, over regulated to death legal market, maybe Monsanto will buy your farm out one day and you can move to a mansion in the Bel Air where you truly belong.

Local farmer
Guest
Local farmer
4 years ago
Reply to  Madrone

Prop 64 happened before the permit process. You’re assuming that permitted people all voted for prop 64 which isn’t the case. Literally all of my neighbors told me they were getting permits and that I’d get abated if I didn’t apply for mine. All the neighbors who didn’t apply got abated and or raided. The supervisors failed us miserably. Our county government is worse than the state if you can believe it possible

Legallettuce
Guest
Legallettuce
4 years ago
Reply to  Local farmer

Exactly, that is why I had to permit my Garberville property because of neighbors goin legal. I did not vote for 215 or 64 and all this shit caused friction with longtime traditional market growers, since repaired, but still, a totally fucked up situation.

Madrone
Guest
Madrone
4 years ago
Reply to  Legallettuce

I hear ya Legallettuce, its a bad situation all around for everyone. I am largely referring to the ones who were active politically when MRCSA/AUMA were being debated/passed for their own biz reasons, many whom reside in the triangle/ north coast. They assured us we wouldnt be screwed by these laws. It could not have been farther from the truth. Its simple, $64 clearly will not work, the laws need to be changed.

Legallettuce
Guest
Legallettuce
4 years ago
Reply to  Madrone

I remember them saying exactly what you are stating. Honestly after 215 it sucked and anything since then has been a shit show but we knew this, no surprise. However, it’s still our plant and it will always be out plant. None of it gets better until the federal law is repealed.

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  Legallettuce

Ahh yes, the “Federal” law that has all that authority and more in a state of the Republic.

I believe it’s called the blind leading the blind.

Farce
Guest
Farce
4 years ago
Reply to  Madrone

Madrone- Yes. There were greedy and selfish people pushing the agenda for their own profits. There were also not-very-smart people who believed in unicorns and they were fooled into supporting the agenda. I knew somebody who was fronting for California Cannabis Voice- Humboldt (CCV-H) and believed they were doing good. But that organization was heavily influenced by big players (Emerald Scamily, Honeydew Farms, etc etc) who knew all along they were pushing the county supervisors to adopt regulations favoring them and “whatever” with everybody else. It was a sad chapter in our history. I was in these comments constantly informing people of the backroom maneuvers and warning of what the results would be. I was almost always at odds with Kym over the “legalization” and county policies. I appreciate that she let me post my concerns. But I could not fight alone against the huge pile of bullshit lies and bullshit players who talked sweet while screwing everybody over…They were constantly being presented here in wonderful, positive light and I was left being the “divisive” and angry outlier. Should I say it? I will…I TOLD YOU SO!! The only thing I see left to do is to grow discreetly and expertly and undercut and destroy this bullshit “legal” market…we will overcome and they will lose. Because, once again, they have greatly underestimated the resistance to corporate domination that has been a part of Mary Jane’s spirit for the last half-century. I welcome Flow Kana’s complete collapse and I get a hearty laugh from stories like this.

Rod Gass
Guest
Rod Gass
4 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

I’m not Farce but I’d like to respond to your queries.

1) Consumers need to be protected. The recent vaping deaths prove how important that is.

2) Growers don’t kill, never have, and left to their own never will.

3) Marijuana has been officially illegal since the word was invented. Cannabis is still above the law that people are subject to. Cannabis can’t be subjected to the laws of marijuana.

4) The future? Hell inna handbasket, just as usual.

5) Prohibition is alive and unwell. The cannabis culture is vibrant, alive, and breaking the shackles of domination.

Madrone
Guest
Madrone
4 years ago
Reply to  Local farmer

I realize not all voted for $64, but they payed into it so… its a sad state of affairs. Yeah I know, gardens large and small abated thru out much of the north state in recent years. The irony is that counties that didnt go prop $64 commercial have less money for cannabis code enforcement because they aren’t getting a piece of that $64 pie. The reality is that the state cannot control the highly versatile, deeply rooted, cannabis culture of northern california, and until they deal the un-permitted folks a reasonable, realistic hand at the table, its just gonna be a mess and they will lose more than anyone. Eradication is not a new thing for us and we will do nothing but adapt, we already have. This is monopolization, not legalization. Big difference.

Matthew Meyer
Guest
Matthew Meyer
4 years ago
Reply to  Madrone

I think you’re right on, madrone…good memory.

Some collection of interests prevailed that preferred a naked struggle for the market to reasonable development of a policy that recognized the existing reality.

Some of us predicted “low-grade guerrilla warfare” in the foothills for years to come. What sounded like hyperbole a few years ago is at least a bit less exaggerated now.

In seeking to better the situation for all those “left behind” by 64, it doesn’t help that public appetite for debate about cannabis policy is pretty slight these days. People in cities still think cartels in National Forests are doing most of the growing in CA, if this week’s NPR Morning Edition story on carbofuran, fishers, and the “killing” of public lands by “illegal” weed is any indication.

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  Matthew Meyer

/”Some collection of interests prevailed that preferred a naked struggle for the market to reasonable development of a policy that recognized the existing reality.”/

~that about sums it up in one sentence.

SmallFry
Guest
SmallFry
4 years ago
Reply to  Madrone

It is a sad set of affairs Madrone! Thanx for your words! The illusion that the State And county can control every aspect of the industry is a fallacy! And the enforcement of these fallacies, is a joke! And it absolutely correlates to people signing up and funding these policies absolutely! Wether people want to admit to it, or excuse it away or not! Yep, raids and helicopters have been happening since the beginning, but not to this extremity, and intensity! If people wouldn’t have signed in, the money for enforcement would have been minimal!

JB
Guest
JB
4 years ago
Reply to  Madrone

Let’s not pretend that it was growers who passed 64. Growers were ‘drop in the bucket’ numbers when it came to votes.

64 passed. C.C.H.I. didn’t. Growers are now playing the hand dealt.

MotherBud
Guest
MotherBud
4 years ago
Reply to  Madrone

CCHA 2020

CannabisAcademia
Guest
CannabisAcademia
4 years ago
Reply to  MotherBud

CCHI is a defunct organization.

JB
Guest
JB
4 years ago

Change is hard

Government Cheese
Guest
Government Cheese
4 years ago
Reply to  JB

It’s not if you don’t change jp.

Dogbiter
Guest
4 years ago

“Pot will get you through times without money but money won’t get you through times without pot”.
Old proverb from the hippy days.

Mendocino Mamma
Guest
Mendocino Mamma
4 years ago
Reply to  Dogbiter

True!

OrleansNative
Guest
OrleansNative
4 years ago
Reply to  Dogbiter

Freak brothers. Is that still true in “our” neo-liberal paradise?

Government Cheese
Guest
Government Cheese
4 years ago
Reply to  OrleansNative

That’s not the sang from freak brothers. I was a big fan. It’s “pot will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no pot.” And it s fabulous furry freak brothers too you!

RT
Guest
RT
4 years ago

What a joke! Yeah, I want my small business taxes reduced to zero too! The cannabis industry yahoos feel so entitled after years of tax free income.

Mendocino Mamma
Guest
Mendocino Mamma
4 years ago
Reply to  RT

It actually goes much deeper than that. Honestly would venture to say that most of the folks that feel entitled in the weed industry came from other areas where they felt equally entitled. They just had a little bit of cash in their pockets and thought they could come and dip their toes in the tepid mountain waters. Only problem was there was a shit ton of piranhas n the water and little is left but bones at this point. Once cannastry tried to get “large” that’s where it all fell apart. In reality it is the type of Industry that cannot sustain itself in the large corporate arena due to its clandestine skeleton, no matter how you revamp it.

Legallettuce
Guest
Legallettuce
4 years ago

They do not understand our business, they do not grasp the demographic and they failed to understand the power of our traditional market. Prices are nice accross the land 😁

http://www.priceofweed.com/prices/United-States/District-of-Columbia.html

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  RT

test

~oh no, was it the word ‘gonad’, Kym?

JB
Guest
JB
4 years ago

This entire “legal growers paying into a system which then funds abatement” argument is just juvenile. ALL of us here pay into a system which funds abatement.

We all buy gasoline which has mighty taxes on it. If a station doesn’t pay the taxes … guess what … it gets ‘abated’ – and we funded that abatement by either owning a gas station and paying taxes, or by buying gas at the station and paying taxes.

This is true of business category after business category — in fact, all of them.

When you pay income taxes, you pay for the ‘abatement’ of others.

When you pay sales tax on purchases, you pay for the ‘abatement’ of others.

When you pay property tax on land, you pay for the ‘abatement’ of others.

Every single internet provider bill has taxes on it and those taxes are used to abate those who don’t pay the taxes. We’re all here on the internet, so … you figure it out with your crooked little fingers pointed back at you.

There is nothing special about cannabis that would logically make it any different from any other product we all buy/sell/enjoy.

64 sucks. Gas taxes suck. Income taxes suck. Sales taxes suck. Property taxes suck.

Death and taxes … sure thing.

Me? — I did my time back in the *real* CAMP days (’80s), not this mamby pamby ‘we might write you up for a misdemeanor when we show up with the chipper … but probably not’ crap. Years of Federal incarceration when the helicopter landed back then and I did mine inside without rolling on anyone.

Now, like a gas station owner, I’m trying to work within the legal framework that I neither voted for nor like – but it’s the legal framework we have.

Is my participation paying for abatement? — we’ve all been and will continue to pay for abatement. EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US. Just a fact.

Run off to the deep wooded wilderness of Alaska and live like an island if you don’t want to pay for the abatement of others – ’cause every day you participate in common business, that’s what you’re doing.

CannabisAcademia
Guest
CannabisAcademia
4 years ago
Reply to  Kym Kemp

Well said?!..I guess if your a Statist maybe.

Good to know where this platforms administrator stands on the value of this plant, despite all the placating that goes on in the comment section to those on both sides of the fence . I overstand very clearly now.

This statement is nothing more than typical “stakeholder” drivel..
(“There is nothing special about cannabis”) that would logically make it any different from any other product we all buy/sell/enjoy.”

Nothing special that makes it any different from any other product eh?

Well, I guess some folks just have to learn the hard way.

..and que the usual peanut gallery of loyalists and grammer nazis that endlessly haunt this sites comment section in defense of their beloved Queen. #Cringe

Farce
Guest
Farce
4 years ago
Reply to  JB

People who willingly choose to enter a system where they know that they will be funding eradication raids on their neighbors are some of the lowest people I have ever met. Yes- they have their weak excuses they hide behind but it all comes down to they were either 1) scared or 2) greedy. It goes against everything that has been the code here since the 70’s. I don’t cut them any slack because they willingly signed up for it, presented zero objection and now want to pretend that somehow they are “victims” also, with no choice. Pathetic, weak and selfish decisions that they now refuse to own. Sorry. We should have stuck together. But…they sold everybody else out at the first chance they got! Now they still want us to pretend that they are sorry but “that’s just what we had to do”?! Bullshit from sell-outs…..Well said, Farce!

JB
Guest
JB
4 years ago
Reply to  Farce

Is that all the self-righteous hypocrisy you can muster?

In my 1911 I trust
Guest
In my 1911 I trust
4 years ago
Reply to  Farce

Well said Farce. Also if someone doesn’t pay a tax in the legal world JB, they don’t get abated. That’s a flat out lie. What happens is the IRS looks into your tax records and audits you, maybe. Then you pay your taxes plus a fine. That fine is not $10,000 per day, you don’t get your door kicked in, you don’t cop any charges, and you don’t get your business destroyed. That’s what happens in the real world. Most of all, the gas station owner across the way isn’t paying taxes into a fund ear marked for searching out and destroying less legitimate gas station owners.

JB
Guest
JB
4 years ago

// “If someone doesn’t pay a tax in the legal world JB, they don’t get abated. That’s a flat out lie. What happens is the IRS looks into your tax records and audits you, maybe. Then you pay your taxes plus a fine.”//

…Unless you DON’T pay the tax and the fine .. then you DO get abated …(go to jail)

You really aren’t good with analogies are you.

Yep — it’s progressing, just like here. People were “audited” and got letters. If they didn’t respond they were ‘abated’.

// “Most of all, the gas station owner across the way isn’t paying taxes into a fund ear marked for searching out and destroying less legitimate gas station owners.”//

Apparently you don’t know how tax investigation and enforcement is paid for. LOL

In my 1911 I trust
Guest
In my 1911 I trust
4 years ago
Reply to  JB

Your analogies are just flawed. Same as the crooked system that you have chosen to be a part of. If you did do your time in the 80’s then you know that this corporate legalization scheme is exactly what was fought against for so many decades. Must be hard for you to become a part of the machine that we had fought against for so long, too bad that time was for nothing.

JB
Guest
JB
4 years ago

// “Must be hard for you to become a part of the machine that we had fought against for so long,”//

Nope, not hard. That’s been your fight — it’s never been mine.

I love growing weed. I grow it legally when I can. I’m not a warrior for your cause.

When I wanted to drive, I got a driver’s license. When I wanted to build houses, I got a contractor’s license. When I wanted to fly I got a pilot’s license.

When available, I will get the license. When not available, I’m the bullheaded type that will drive, build, fly and grow anyway (to my incarceration detriment).

JB
Guest
JB
4 years ago

Every single one of you hypocrites is paying into a system which uses those funds to ‘abate’ those who don’t pay.

But hey — keep up those crooked little fingers.

In my 1911 I trust
Guest
In my 1911 I trust
4 years ago
Reply to  JB

The biggest hypocrites are the ones who say they sacrificed and went to jail for the legalization/liberation of this herb in the 80’s and instead jumped on the band wagon of the first bill of corporatization in 2016. It must hurt inside. I know I would fight an internal battle everyday.

JB
Guest
JB
4 years ago

/////
Hypocrisy:
noun
the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not conform
////

I didn’t go to jail for the liberation of the herb, that’s just you talking to yourself. I went to jail because I wanted to grow weed and it was illegal. I can get a speeding tickets and it not be because I am on some campaign to “liberate the highway”.

It’s not hypocritical in any way to grow weed for a living in the ’80s, get busted for that then continue to grow weed legally when the opportunity presents itself. I would have loved to have done it legally in the ’80s – had there been a way, I would have.

I grow weed — legally when I can. Zero hypocrisy.

You on the other hand pay into a system which uses those funds to abate others while whining about people who pay into a system which uses funds to abate. Hypocrisy in spades.

You really should learning about the meaning of words.

Knife — meet gunfight.

In my 1911 I trust
Guest
In my 1911 I trust
4 years ago
Reply to  JB

Pray tell which system I am paying into? If that is your game, play it, if you enjoy corporatization, own it, but don’t complain when it bites you in the ass. I am for a form of legalization that is accessible to all, not for the cornering of the market for a few with big bucks that know nothing of the plant. I will fight 64 to the day I die or until another bill of legalization is passed that allows all to compete in the legal market. Sort of a let they who grow the best herb, win model instead of a they who pays the most, win model.

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago

And the winner of this morning’s debate is: 1911 I trust.

“Sort of a let they who grow the best herb, win model instead of a they who pays the most, win model.”

Thank you very much, 1911. Take a bow.

JB
Guest
JB
4 years ago

// “Pray tell which system I am paying into? “//

In my original comment on this topic I gave several common taxes which essentially all of us pay into.

Pick any or all of them

JB
Guest
JB
4 years ago

// “if you enjoy corporatization, own it, but don’t complain when it bites you in the ass.”//

I enjoy being able to grow without being put in prison.

Like many craft brewers, I also enjoy the considerable challenge of competing with those who have size and funding advantages I don’t have. Enjoying the challenge isn’t the same as enjoying “corporatization”.

I chose the challenge. If I fail I will only have my own choice to blame. My shoulders are broad.

JB
Guest
JB
4 years ago

// ” I am for a form of legalization that is accessible to all, not for the cornering of the market for a few with big bucks that know nothing of the plant. “//

The big bucks who attempted to corner the markets are finding their share values falling fast. As is being posted elsewhere under this article, most have lost from 60-90% of their values.

This is great news for us small producers.

We are small. We are self funded. We couldn’t corner the market on any corner.

By being flexible on location and eschewing consultants, we were able to get license approvals for a small fraction of what most people spend (accompanied by a massive amount of time invested). I am sensitive to the fact that most folk don’t have the same flexibility nor skills to make that economy possible and hold that 64 has been a major failure in this regard. My recognition of that failure however doesn’t make me responsible for that failure.

I accept no shame whatsoever for doing my best to succeed in the framework that the people of CA chose for me.

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago

/”Well said Farce.”/

Second.

yo
Guest
yo
4 years ago
Reply to  Farce

or secret option 3) they were smart and knew change is coming

harpo
Guest
harpo
4 years ago

Flow Can’t. Flow Cannnnnnnn-NOT! Flow jack’ya. Flow’kinda-can’t, duh? ‘Faux’ Canna . No mo’flo scam, ya. Oh Flow…kiss my grits. :):):):):):):):) Good riddens. Now let’s get back to the basics.

Ullr Rover
Guest
Ullr Rover
4 years ago

Just say NO… to corporate weed.

“Wall Street’s exuberance over legal weed has quickly curdled into sober reality.

In a matter of months, white-hot cannabis companies have flamed out in spectacular fashion. Many have lost two-thirds or more of their value.”

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-11-16/cannabis-flameout-rivals-dot-com-bust-as-legal-fears-curb-growth

Ullr Rover
Guest
Ullr Rover
4 years ago
Reply to  Ullr Rover

It’s a trend:

“Aurora Cannabis Inc. shares suffered through their worst trading session in more than five years Friday, after an earnings report that included disappointing numbers and plans to cut spending sent analysts racing to cut their forecasts for the Canadian marijuana producer.

“Aurora’s ACB-17.02% revenue declined by 24% sequentially in its fiscal first quarter, and the second largest public weed company by sales cancelled or delayed plans for multiple further facilities expansions and converted C$155 million in debt into shares as it seeks to conserve cash. Investors responded by sending the stock on a 17.2% decline to $2.73, the largest single-day percentage decline for Aurora shares in more than five years and the lowest closing price since October 2017.”

https://www.marketwatch.com/amp/story/guid/99C3C46C-07DD-11EA-84F4-E283AD610487

JB
Guest
JB
4 years ago

// ““The last industry chapter was defined by growth at all costs, now we’re transitioning out of that chapter, and that transition is harsh and quick.”

https://business.financialpost.com/pmn/business-pmn/cannabis-flameout-looks-almost-as-bad-as-the-dot-com-bust?fbclid=IwAR0RUH2PXtBYWlP4mhiaHi0aSpBjZ1s9Z-ek8FDWlGG_eaBSy1WhkvMORck

I have a firm belief that the only chapter that will matter in the long run is the chapter where good ideas and good practices result in high quality along with production, marketing and delivery costs below those of competitors who think there are other chapters.

If I’m wrong, I’m going down in flames.

Ullr Rover
Guest
Ullr Rover
4 years ago
Reply to  JB

Jinx.

Rod Gass
Guest
Rod Gass
4 years ago
Reply to  JB

JB,

Not only are you already down in flames, you keep posting outright lies. You get shot down repeatedly.

“There is nothing special about cannabis that would logically make it any different from any other product we all buy/sell/enjoy.” … JB

Some of your posts are clean good stuff. But more and more your posts are becoming dirty, rotten, mean lies. WTF ?

Cannabis is special, very special. Lots of people don’t understand it.

JB
Guest
JB
4 years ago
Reply to  Rod Gass

// “Cannabis is special, very special”//

You just keep thinking that there is something special about cannabis that makes it immune from market pressures and the tax man.

Talk about going down in flames. LOL

Rod Gass
Guest
Rod Gass
4 years ago
Reply to  JB

Stop making-up lies about cannabis. Liars such as yourself created the tax problems. Cannabis is very special. Your lies are silly and immature.

JB
Guest
JB
4 years ago
Reply to  Rod Gass

I’m sure it’s special to you, but you’re not the larger market nor the taxman. To them, it’s just a useful plant to be purchased at the best quality/ cost ratio and revenue (respectively).

I have always been (and will remain), a quality/cost ratio supplier to the larger market.

Rod Gass
Guest
Rod Gass
4 years ago
Reply to  JB

Of course. “Lots of people don’t understand it”.

Yes you’re right, I’m an obscure little old pot head who still survives BECAUSE cannabis has been a close ally in life.

Your taxman sold you the task of collecting taxes on cannabis. He didn’t say you had to. Nobody wants to pay taxes don’t you agree?

So … if you’re a proud tax COLLECTOR, you’re failing. Fine employees are being canned all over California because you are no good at your contracted duty. You’re all talk with little delivery.

JB
Guest
JB
4 years ago
Reply to  Rod Gass

// “if you’re a proud tax COLLECTOR”//

A: Cultivators don’t collect taxes under the current scheme.
B: My legal cultivation facility is still under construction so I haven’t yet had any input into the success or failure of the current system.

The Real Brian
Guest
The Real Brian
4 years ago
Reply to  Rod Gass

I have always found JB to be one of the more informed and balanced commentors at RHBB.

But the bar is quite low here.

Kym could improve that, if it was her interest.

The reason why it’s so fucked up is because 2 people are operating under 10 names, and have a motive to dumb you all down enough to buy their bullshit.

It has worked.

I could create 20 accounts to agree with me and promote my links.

Like Rosa Koire (HumCo) and Dane Wigington (8 names).

But I’m not a liar with motivation to deceive.

A person who uses 3 or four names regularly
Guest
A person who uses 3 or four names regularly
4 years ago
Reply to  The Real Brian

Obsessing over other people’s righteousness is futile.

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  JB

`

JB
Guest
JB
4 years ago

//”For the cannabis industry, it’s been a dramatic shift from the abundant investment hype seen during the last year’s lead up to legalization.”//

https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/some-of-these-guys-are-going-to-disappear-slump-hits-cannabis-industry-1.4688416?fbclid=IwAR02FnxlX8eJCVnS5tKxqKAfwRNwyVxnYh_zTsytQW138cx1-l28Cx8_5nc

There is no question that a LARGE percentage of the new legal ‘market’ hyped in the media was/is no market at all, but merely a bubble created by opportunists interested in scamming investors out of their money.

The fact that this bubble appears to be over is excellent news for those of us (both legal and traditional) who didn’t buy into that crap and instead focused on the product and sound economic principles rather than the hype.

Such great news for the small producers for the ‘gold bricks falling from the sky’ hype to be ending.

Guest
Guest
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  JB

Lol “both legal and traditional”! What a euphemism.

John Sakowicz
Guest
4 years ago

THE CONNECTION BETWEEN FLOW KANNA’S FAILING FINANCES AND SATELLITE SURVEILLANCE

As Flow Kanna cuts its workforce by 20 per cent, is there a connection its failing finances and Mendocino County’s new push into the satellite surveillance of cannabis farmers?

What would be the connection?

Here are some theories floating around.

Because Flow Kanna has failed to sign up enough white market farmers for its supply chain.

Because Flow Kanna wants to help law enforcement bust black market cannabis farmers.

Because Flow Kanna wants to use law enforcement to frighten black market farmers and drive them into Flow Kanna’s greedy embrace.

FACT

“Mendocino County is now among a number of California counties that are using satellite technology to enforce cannabis code compliance, including El Dorado County, which recently issued an RFP for the services. Humboldt County was the first to use satellite imagery as a means of identifying the estimated 15,000 illegal grow sites that existed in the county at the time of legalization.”

FACT

“Humboldt currently uses the technology to monitor the county’s 4,000 square miles of rugged terrain for environmental issues and unpermitted cannabis cultivation. During the pilot year, county staff identified 600 illegal cultivation sites remotely and issued violation notices. Since then, the county has brought in millions of dollars in fines.”

NEWS FLASH

Satellite maps are not survey products, and are not officially adopted by either the Board of Supervisors or the Building and Planning Department. Likewise, satellite maps are not evidence; they only help direct operations by the Sheriff’s Office and DEA.

The Emerald Counties using satellite technology say they make “a reasonable effort to ensure the accuracy of the maps and data provided, however errors and omissions may still exist.”

THE LEGALITY OF SATELLITE SURVEILLANCE

https://ir.lawnet.fordham.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1333&context=elr&fbclid=IwAR2t-_F1Mjb_JwoQqPrR2SUSQ9JRrfzUzxbRTnS8SqQ0iPEYwodZSC5cKgA

FOR MORE ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY

https://www.int-arch-photogramm-remote-sens-spatial-inf-sci.net/XLII-3/547/2018/isprs-archives-XLII-3-547-2018.pdf?fbclid=IwAR3voYlo1RmJkjbpeYLitZ_gW4bqFjrURa16pY0_stwTvauo48I98VF-lDk

PLANET LABS AND HUMBOLDT COUNTY

https://lostcoastoutpost.com/loco-media/loco-media/blog/post/20704/Approve%2Ba%2Bsupplemental%2Bbudget%2Bfor%2Bacquisition%2Bof%2Bhigh%2Bresolution%2Bsatellite%2Bimagery.pdf?fbclid=IwAR008ffZ60eu0kprc7ei0YENyHiQYI4pDBrn_7ddUc9m1GN6Txeb0kjo3yE

DEFEATING SATELLITE SURVELLANCE

Using microsatellite data – which goes down to a less-than five-meter ground resolution — cops can cheaply gather visual data over huge stretches of land.

That’s old news.

Here’s the bad news.

Satellites are not just about visual data.

Satellites do a lot more than photograph topography, site conditions, and buildings and other structures.

Satellites are approaching real-time. With new, regularly updated images, cops can track the changing state of the land — both permitted and un-permitted activity — every day throughout the year.

But it’s not just photographs that these satellites can capture.

Images captured in spectral bands invisible to the human eye can reveal extra details about vegetation types and other surface characteristics.

Infrared technology captures heat signatures. Infrared can easily detect cannabis by measuring the heat and reflective indications of the vegetation mixed in with cannabis. Compared with other plants, cannabis has higher reflectivity at certain wavelengths.

Cannabis’s reflective signature can be defeated — up to a point, but only up to a point — by planting cannabis next to cedar or pine trees. The heat from the trees overlaps the heat from the cannabis making it harder to be detected, but with AI (artificial intelligence) and analytics, coupled with satellite data, the cops are ahead of us.

Likewise with placing pots in the ground or growing cannabis up a trellis. It’s a new era with AI and analytics.

AI and analytics can even detect overall yield changes by calculating how much green plant chlorophyll was present in each of the images the satellites snapped over time.

WHAT’S THE ANSWER?

1. Simplify and streamline the permit process.
2. Zone cannabis as ag, not as commercial.
3. Create a path to amnesty for legacy growers.
4. Create a non-profit, farmer co-op that collectively owns and operates a supply chain, including physical facilities for grading, processing and packaging which are supported by an e-trading platform, and systems for e-payments and e-tracking.
5. Create “direct to consumer” marketing programs for the cannabis farmer-owned supply chain, much like farm-to-table restaurant campaigns.
6. Create equity and reparations programs for legacy farmers hurt by our nation’s insane, so-called “war on drugs”.
7. Bring the fatally flawed Prop 64 back to California’s voters; we need a new law that’s fair to small, independent farmers.

As a friend told me, we need fully lawful status, not a “legal lies” model.

Thank you.

John Sakowicz, Candidate Mendocino County 1st District Supervisor

http://www.johnsakowicz.org

Rod Gass
Guest
Rod Gass
4 years ago
Reply to  John Sakowicz

I like this.

#3 and #6 are my own points of contention. I think your better explained platform is square with our needs. I’m switching to supporting your campaign.

Do you promise to pursue the corrective actions after your election?

Central HumCo
Guest
4 years ago
Reply to  John Sakowicz

*** “As a friend told me, we need fully lawful status, not a “legal lies” model” ***

~i’m on board.

Government Cheese
Guest
Government Cheese
4 years ago
Reply to  John Sakowicz

So your saying there spying on our every move in real time with even infrared and magnifying technology with the goal of eliminating us from our property and taking over a 70 billion dollar drug trade for themselves? They did it with opium. Turned into OxyContin while killing thousands in foreign wars and turning millions into addicts in the name of saviors?

Legallettuce
Guest
Legallettuce
4 years ago
Reply to  John Sakowicz

The answer is that ever since rules have been established it has hurt our industry.

1. It is our plant
2. It is not your plant
3. Repeal all marijuana laws
4. Leave us the fuck alone

JB
Guest
JB
4 years ago
Reply to  Legallettuce

Well, at least you’re being realistic.

Legallettuce
Guest
Legallettuce
4 years ago
Reply to  JB

I am, the point of my comment is I am always gonna grow and nothing will stop me, nothing!! Laws, rules, enforcement, satellite, infa-red, helicoptors, shitty valley growers, you name it. All they are is just a bunch of squirrels in our world tryin to get a nut.

Captain Crunch
Guest
Captain Crunch
4 years ago

Civilization is coming, and it means to exterminate us.

JB
Guest
JB
4 years ago

Lori Ajax:
//“We don’t want to confuse you but, I guess, we’re confused too, we’ve got to un-confuse things.”//

https://www.sanluisobispo.com/news/business/article237423929.html?fbclid=IwAR1Z8s3YHT9TH0Z3d0Jz7RipOCX5GMvFbqi_ntpI-gEalc9OM9qea0w7Z_M

Rod Gass
Guest
Rod Gass
4 years ago
Reply to  JB

I’d like to see Lori Ajax fired immediately. She should be brought-up on charges. I’d like hear her sworn testimonies over $64.

Then we can try to fix the Newsom boondoggle.

JB
Guest
JB
4 years ago
Reply to  Rod Gass

Not sure what charges would stick, but she has been an awful leader/manager.

To be fair she was dealt a bad hand, but she has played it even worse.

JB

Fndrbndr
Guest
Fndrbndr
4 years ago

Text: S.2227 — 116th Congress

116th CONGRESS
1st Session
S. 2227

To decriminalize and deschedule cannabis, to provide for reinvestment in certain persons adversely impacted by the War on Drugs, to provide for expungement of certain cannabis offenses, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 23, 2019
Ms. Harris (for herself, Mr. Booker, Mr. Merkley, Mr. Wyden, and Ms. Warren) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

A BILL
To decriminalize and deschedule cannabis, to provide for reinvestment in certain persons adversely impacted by the War on Drugs, to provide for expungement of certain cannabis offenses, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the “Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019” or the “MORE Act of 2019”.

SEC. 2. DECRIMINALIZATION OF CANNABIS.

(a) Cannabis Removed From Schedule Of Controlled Substances.—

(1) REMOVAL IN STATUTE.—Subsection (c) of schedule I of section 202(c) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 812) is amended—

(A) by striking “(10) Marihuana.”; and

(B) by striking “(17) Tetrahydrocannabinols, except for tetrahydrocannabinols in hemp (as defined in section 297A of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946).”.

(2) REMOVAL FROM SCHEDULE.—Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall finalize a rulemaking under section 201(a)(2) removing marihuana and tetrahydrocannabinols from the schedules of controlled substances. Marihuana and tetrahydrocannabinols shall each be deemed to be a drug or other substance that does not meet the requirements for inclusion in any schedule. A rulemaking under this paragraph shall be considered to have taken effect as of the date of enactment of this Act for purposes of any offense committed, case pending, conviction entered, and, in the case of a juvenile, any offense committed, case pending, and adjudication of juvenile delinquency entered before, on, or after the date of enactment of this Act.

(b) Conforming Amendments To Controlled Substances Act.—The Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.) is amended—

(1) in section 102(44) (21 U.S.C. 802(44)), by striking “marihuana,”;

(2) in section 401(b) (21 U.S.C. 841(b))—

(A) in paragraph (1)—

(i) in subparagraph (A)—

(I) in clause (vi), by inserting “or” after the semicolon;

(II) by striking clause (vii); and

(III) by redesignating clause (viii) as clause (vii);

(ii) in subparagraph (B)—

(I) in clause (vi), by inserting “or” after the semicolon;

(II) by striking clause (vii); and

(III) by redesignating clause (viii) as clause (vii);

(iii) in subparagraph (C), in the first sentence, by striking “subparagraphs (A), (B), and (D)” and inserting “subparagraphs (A) and (B)”;

(iv) by striking subparagraph (D);

(v) by redesignating subparagraph (E) as subparagraph (D); and

(vi) in subparagraph (D)(i), as so redesignated, by striking “subparagraphs (C) and (D)” and inserting “subparagraph (C)”;

(B) by striking paragraph (4); and

(C) by redesignating paragraphs (5), (6), and (7) as paragraphs (4), (5), and (6), respectively;

(3) in section 402(c)(2)(B) (21 U.S.C. 842(c)(2)(B)), by striking “, marihuana,”;

(4) in section 403(d)(1) (21 U.S.C. 843(d)(1)), by striking “, marihuana,”;

(5) in section 418(a) (21 U.S.C. 859(a)), by striking the last sentence;

(6) in section 419(a) (21 U.S.C. 860(a)), by striking the last sentence;

(7) in section 422(d) (21 U.S.C. 863(d))—

(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), by striking “marijuana,”; and

(B) in paragraph (5), by striking “, such as a marihuana cigarette,”; and

(8) in section 516(d) (21 U.S.C. 886(d)), by striking “section 401(b)(6)” each place the term appears and inserting “section 401(b)(5)”.

(c) Other Conforming Amendments.—

(1) NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM DRUG CONTROL ACT OF 1986.—The National Forest System Drug Control Act of 1986 (16 U.S.C. 559b et seq.) is amended—

(A) in section 15002(a) (16 U.S.C. 559b(a)) by striking “marijuana and other”;

(B) in section 15003(2) (16 U.S.C. 559c(2)) by striking “marijuana and other”; and

(C) in section 15004(2) (16 U.S.C. 559d(2)) by striking “marijuana and other”.

(2) INTERCEPTION OF COMMUNICATIONS.—Section 2516 of title 18, United States Code, is amended—

(A) in subsection (1)(e), by striking “marihuana,”; and

(B) in subsection (2) by striking “marihuana”.

(d) Retroactivity.—The amendments made by this section to the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 801 et seq.) are retroactive and shall apply to any offense committed, case pending, conviction entered, and, in the case of a juvenile, any offense committed, case pending, or adjudication of juvenile delinquency entered before, on, or after the date of enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. DEMOGRAPHIC DATA OF CANNABIS BUSINESS OWNERS AND EMPLOYEES.

(a) In General.—The Bureau of Labor Statistics shall regularly compile, maintain, and make public data on the demographics of—

(1) individuals who are business owners in the cannabis industry; and

(2) individuals who are employed in the cannabis industry.

(b) Demographic Data.—The data collected under subsection (a) shall include data regarding—

(1) age;

(2) certifications and licenses;

(3) disability status;

(4) educational attainment;

(5) family and marital status;

(6) nativity;

(7) race and Hispanic ethnicity;

(8) school enrollment;

(9) veteran status; and

(10) sex.

(c) Confidentiality.—The name, address, and other identifying information of individuals employed in the cannabis industry shall be kept confidential by the Bureau and not be made available to the public.

(d) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) CANNABIS.—The term “cannabis” means either marijuana or cannabis as defined under the State law authorizing the sale or use of cannabis in which the individual or entity is located.

(2) CANNABIS INDUSTRY.—The term “cannabis industry” means an individual or entity that is licensed or permitted under a State or local law to engage in commercial cannabis-related activity.

(3) OWNER.—The term “owner” means an individual or entity that is defined as an owner under the State or local law where the individual or business is licensed or permitted.

SEC. 4. CREATION OF OPPORTUNITY TRUST FUND AND IMPOSITION OF TAX ON CANNABIS PRODUCTS.

(a) Trust Fund.—

(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—Subchapter A of chapter 98 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

“SEC. 9512. OPPORTUNITY TRUST FUND.

“(a) Creation Of Trust Fund.—There is established in the Treasury of the United States a trust fund to be known as the ‘Opportunity Trust Fund’ (referred to in this section as the ‘Trust Fund’), consisting of such amounts as may be appropriated or credited to such fund as provided in this section or section 9602(b).

“(b) Transfers To Trust Fund.—There are hereby appropriated to the Trust Fund amounts equivalent to the net revenues received in the Treasury from the tax imposed by section 5701(h).

“(c) Expenditures.—Amounts in the Trust Fund shall be available, without further appropriation, only as follows:

“(1) 50 percent to the Attorney General to carry out section 3052(a) of part OO of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968.

“(2) 10 percent to the Attorney General to carry out section 3052(b) of part OO of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968.

“(3) 20 percent to the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to carry out section 5(b)(1) of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019.

“(4) 20 percent to the Administrator of the Small Business Administration to carry out section 5(b)(2) of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019”..”.

(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections for subchapter A of chapter 98 of such Code is amended by adding at the end the following new item:

“Sec. 9512. Opportunity trust fund.”.
(b) Imposition Of Tax.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 5701 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by redesignating subsection (h) as subsection (i) and by inserting after subsection (g) the following new subsection:

“(h) Cannabis Products.—On cannabis products, manufactured in or imported into the United States, there shall be imposed a tax equal to 5 percent of the price for which sold.”.

(2) CANNABIS PRODUCT DEFINED.—Section 5702 of such Code is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(q) Cannabis Product.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as provided in paragraph (2), the term ‘cannabis product’ means any cannabis or any article which contains cannabis or any derivative thereof.

“(2) EXCEPTION.—The term ‘cannabis product’ shall not include any medicine or drug that is a prescribed drug (as such term is defined in section 213(d)(3)).

“(3) CANNABIS.—The term ‘cannabis’—

“(A) means all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L., whether growing or not; the seeds thereof; the resin extracted from any part of such plant; and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such plant, its seeds or resin; and

“(B) does not include—

“(i) hemp, as defined in section 297A of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946; or

“(ii) the mature stalks of such plant, fiber produced from such stalks, oil or cake made from the seeds of such plant, any other compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such mature stalks (except the resin extracted therefrom), fiber, oil, or cake, or the sterilized seed of such plant which is incapable of germination.”.

(3) CANNABIS PRODUCTS TREATED AS TOBACCO PRODUCTS.—Section 5702(c) of such Code is amended by striking “and roll-your-own tobacco” and inserting “roll-your-own tobacco, and cannabis products”.

(4) MANUFACTURER OF CANNABIS PRODUCTS TREATED AS MANUFACTURER OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS.—Section 5702 of such Code is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(r) Manufacturer Of Cannabis Products.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—Any person who plants, cultivates, harvests, produces, manufactures, compounds, converts, processes, prepares, or packages any cannabis product shall be treated as a manufacturer of cannabis products (and as manufacturing such cannabis product).

“(2) EXCEPTION.—Paragraph (1) shall not apply with respect to any cannabis product which is for such person’s own personal consumption or use.

“(3) APPLICATION OF RULES RELATED TO MANUFACTURERS OF TOBACCO PRODUCTS.—Any reference to a manufacturer of tobacco products, or to manufacturing tobacco products, shall be treated as including a reference to a manufacturer of cannabis products, or to manufacturing cannabis products, respectively.”.

(5) APPLICATION OF CERTAIN RULES FOR DETERMINING PRICE.—Section 5702(l) of such Code is amended—

(A) by striking “section 5701(a)(2)” and inserting “subsections (a)(2) and (h) of section 5701”; and

(B) by inserting “And Cannabis Products” after “Cigars” in the heading thereof.

(6) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Section 5702(j) of such Code is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: “In the case of a cannabis product, the previous sentence shall be applied by substituting ‘from a facility of a manufacturer required to file a bond under section 5711’ for ‘from the factory or from internal revenue bond under section 5704’.”.

(c) Effective Date.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the amendments made by this section shall apply to articles manufactured or imported in calendar quarters beginning more than one year after the date of the enactment of this Act.

(2) TRUST FUND.—The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 5. OPPORTUNITY TRUST FUND PROGRAMS.

(a) Cannabis Justice Office; Community Reinvestment Grant Program.—

(1) CANNABIS JUSTICE OFFICE.—Part A of title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. 10101 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 109 the following:

“SEC. 110. CANNABIS JUSTICE OFFICE.

“(a) Establishment.—There is established within the Office of Justice Programs a Cannabis Justice Office.

“(b) Director.—The Cannabis Justice Office shall be headed by a Director who shall be appointed by the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. The Director shall report to the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs. The Director shall award grants and may enter into compacts, cooperative agreements, and contracts on behalf of the Cannabis Justice Office. The Director may not engage in any employment other than that of serving as the Director, nor may the Director hold any office in, or act in any capacity for, any organization, agency, or institution with which the Office makes any contract or other arrangement.

“(c) Employees.—

“(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director shall employ as many full-time employees as are needed to carry out the duties and functions of the Cannabis Justice Office under subsection (d). Such employees shall be exclusively assigned to the Cannabis Justice Office.

“(2) INITIAL HIRES.—Not later than 6 months after the date of enactment of this section, the Director shall—

“(A) hire no less than one-third of the total number of employees of the Cannabis Justice Office; and

“(B) no more than one-half of the employees assigned to the Cannabis Justice Office by term appointment that may after 2 years be converted to career appointment.

“(3) LEGAL COUNSEL.—At least one employee hired for the Cannabis Justice Office shall serve as legal counsel to the Director and shall provide counsel to the Cannabis Justice Office.

“(d) Duties And Functions.—The Cannabis Justice Office is authorized to—

“(1) administer the Community Reinvestment Grant Program; and

“(2) perform such other functions as the Assistant Attorney General for the Office of Justice Programs may delegate, that are consistent with the statutory obligations of this section.”.

(2) COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT GRANT PROGRAM.—Title I of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 U.S.C. et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

“PART OO—COMMUNITY REINVESTMENT GRANT PROGRAM
“SEC. 3052. AUTHORIZATION.

“(a) In General.—The Director of the Cannabis Justice Office shall establish and carry out a grant program, known as the ‘Community Reinvestment Grant Program’, to provide eligible entities with funds to administer services for individuals most adversely impacted by the War on Drugs, including—

“(1) job training;

“(2) reentry services;

“(3) legal aid for civil and criminal cases, including expungement of cannabis convictions;

“(4) literacy programs;

“(5) youth recreation or mentoring programs; and

“(6) health education programs.

“(b) Substance Use Treatment Services.—The Community Reinvestment Grant Program established in subsection (a) shall provide eligible entities with funds to administer substance use treatment services for individuals most adversely impacted by the War on Drugs.

“SEC. 3053. FUNDING FROM OPPORTUNITY TRUST FUND.

“The Director shall carry out the program under this part using funds made available under section 9512(c)(1) and (2) of the Internal Revenue Code.

“SEC. 3054. DEFINITIONS.

“In this part:

“(1) The term ‘cannabis conviction’ means a conviction, or adjudication of juvenile delinquency, for a cannabis offense (as such term is defined in section 12(2) of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019).

“(2) The term ‘substance use treatment’ means an evidence-based, professionally directed, deliberate, and planned regimen including evaluation, observation, medical monitoring, harm reduction, and rehabilitative services and interventions such as pharmacotherapy, mental health services, and individual and group counseling, on an inpatient or outpatient basis, to help patients with substance use disorder reach remission and maintain recovery.

“(3) The term ‘eligible entity’ means a nonprofit organization, as defined in section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, that is representative of a community or a significant segment of a community with experience in providing relevant services to individuals most adversely impacted by the War on Drugs in that community.

“(4) The term ‘individuals most adversely impacted by the War on Drugs’ has the meaning given that term in section 5 of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019”..”.

(b) Cannabis Opportunity Program; Equitable Licensing Grant Program.—

(1) CANNABIS OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM.—The Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall establish and carry out a program, to be known as the “Cannabis Opportunity Program” to provide any eligible State or locality funds to make loans under section 7(m) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 363(m)) to assist small business concerns owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals, as defined in section 8(d)(3)(C) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(d)(3)(C)) that operate in the cannabis industry.

(2) EQUITABLE LICENSING GRANT PROGRAM.—The Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall establish and carry out a grant program, to be known as the “Equitable Licensing Grant Program”, to provide any eligible State of locality funds to develop and implement equitable cannabis licensing programs that minimize barriers to cannabis licensing and employment for individuals most adversely impacted by the War on Drugs, provided that each grantee includes in its cannabis licensing program at least four of the following:

(A) A waiver of cannabis license application fees for individuals who have had an income below 250 percent of the Federal Poverty Level for at least 5 of the past 10 years who are first-time applicants.

(B) A prohibition on the denial of a cannabis license based on a conviction for a cannabis offense that took place prior to State legalization of cannabis or the date of enactment of this Act, as appropriate.

(C) A prohibition on criminal conviction restrictions for licensing except with respect to a conviction related to owning and operating a business.

(D) A prohibition on cannabis license holders engaging in suspicionless cannabis drug testing of their prospective or current employees, except with respect to drug testing for safety-sensitive positions, as defined under the Omnibus Transportation Testing Act of 1991.

(E) The establishment of a cannabis licensing board that is reflective of the racial, ethnic, economic, and gender composition of the State or locality, to serve as an oversight body of the equitable licensing program.

(3) DEFINITIONS.—In this subsection:

(A) The term “individual most adversely impacted by the War on Drugs” means an individual—

(i) who has had an income below 250 percent of the Federal Poverty Level for at least 5 of the past 10 years; and

(ii) has been arrested for or convicted of the sale, possession, use, manufacture, or cultivation of cannabis or a controlled substance (except for a conviction involving distribution to a minor), or whose parent, sibling, spouse, or child has been arrested for or convicted of such an offense.

(B) The term “eligible State or locality” means a State or locality that has taken steps to—

(i) create an automatic process, at no cost to the individual, for the expungement, destruction, or sealing of criminal records for cannabis offenses; and

(ii) eliminate violations or other penalties for persons under parole, probation, pre-trial, or other State or local criminal supervision for a cannabis offense.

(C) The term “State” means each of the several States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, any territory or possession of the United States, and any Indian Tribe (as defined in section 201 of Public Law 90–294 (25 U.S.C. 1301) (commonly known as the “Indian Civil Rights Act of 1968”)).

SEC. 6. AVAILABILITY OF SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION PROGRAMS AND SERVICES TO CANNABIS-RELATED LEGITIMATE BUSINESSES AND SERVICE PROVIDERS.

(a) Definitions Relating To Cannabis-Related Legitimate Businesses And Service Providers.—Section 3 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(ff) Cannabis-Related Legitimate Businesses And Service Providers.—In this Act:

“(1) CANNABIS.—The term ‘cannabis’—

“(A) means all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L., whether growing or not; the seeds thereof; the resin extracted from any part of such plant; and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such plant, its seeds or resin; and

“(B) does not include—

“(i) hemp, as defined in section 297A of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946; or

“(ii) the mature stalks of such plant, fiber produced from such stalks, oil or cake made from the seeds of such plant, any other compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such mature stalks (except the resin extracted therefrom), fiber, oil, or cake, or the sterilized seed of such plant which is incapable of germination.

“(2) CANNABIS-RELATED LEGITIMATE BUSINESS.—The term ‘cannabis-related legitimate business’ means a manufacturer, producer, or any person or company that is a small business concern and that—

“(A) engages in any activity described in subparagraph (B) pursuant to a law established by a State or a political subdivision of a State, as determined by such State or political sub-division; and

“(B) participates in any business or organized activity that involves handling cannabis or cannabis products, including cultivating, producing, manufacturing, selling, transporting, displaying, dispensing, distributing, or purchasing cannabis or cannabis products.

“(3) SERVICE PROVIDER.—The term ‘service provider’—

“(A) means a business, organization, or other person that—

“(i) sells goods or services to a cannabis-related legitimate business; or

“(ii) provides any business services, including the sale or lease of real or any other property, legal or other licensed services, or any other ancillary service, relating to cannabis; and

“(B) does not include a business, organization, or other person that participates in any business or organized activity that involves handling cannabis or cannabis products, including cultivating, producing, manufacturing, selling, transporting, displaying, dispensing, distributing, or purchasing cannabis or cannabis products.”.

(b) Small Business Development Centers.—Section 21(c) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 648(c)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(9) SERVICES FOR CANNABIS-RELATED LEGITIMATE BUSINESSES AND SERVICE PROVIDERS.—A small business development center may not decline to provide services to an otherwise eligible small business concern under this section solely because such concern is a cannabis-related legitimate business or service provider.”.

(c) Women’s Business Centers.—Section 29 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(p) Services For Cannabis-Related Legitimate Businesses And Service Providers.—A women’s business center may not decline to provide services to an otherwise eligible small business concern under this section solely because such concern is a cannabis-related legitimate business or service provider.”.

(d) SCORE.—Section 8(b)(1)(B) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 637(b)(1)(B)) is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: “The head of the SCORE program established under this subparagraph may not decline to provide services to an otherwise eligible small business concern solely because such concern is a cannabis-related legitimate business or service provider.”.

(e) Veteran Business Outreach Centers.—Section 32 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 657b) is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:

“(h) Services For Cannabis-Related Legitimate Businesses And Service Providers.—A Veteran Business Outreach Center may not decline to provide services to an otherwise eligible small business concern under this section solely because such concern is a cannabis-related legitimate business or service provider.”.

(f) 7(a) Loans.—Section 7(a) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(36) LOANS TO CANNABIS-RELATED LEGITIMATE BUSINESSES AND SERVICE PROVIDERS.—The Administrator may not decline to provide a guarantee for a loan under this subsection to an otherwise eligible small business concern solely because such concern is a cannabis-related legitimate business or service provider.”.

(g) Disaster Loans.—Section 7(b) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(b)) is amended by inserting after paragraph (15) the following new paragraph:

“(16) ASSISTANCE TO CANNABIS-RELATED LEGITIMATE BUSINESSES AND SERVICE PROVIDERS.—The Administrator may not decline to provide assistance under this subsection to an otherwise eligible borrower solely because such borrower is a cannabis-related legitimate business or service provider.”.

(h) Microloans.—Section 7(m) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(m)) is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

“(14) ASSISTANCE TO CANNABIS-RELATED LEGITIMATE BUSINESSES AND SERVICE PROVIDERS.—An eligible intermediary may not decline to provide assistance under this subsection to an otherwise eligible borrower solely because such borrower is a cannabis-related legitimate business or service provider.”.

(i) State Or Local Development Company Loans.—Title V of the Small Business Investment Act of 1958 (15 U.S.C. 695 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

“SEC. 511. LOANS TO CANNABIS-RELATED LEGITIMATE BUSINESSES AND SERVICE PROVIDERS.

“The Administrator may not decline to provide a guarantee for a loan under this title to an otherwise eligible State or local development company solely because such State or local development company provides financing to an entity that is a cannabis-related legitimate business or service provider (as defined in section 3(ff) of the Small Business Act).”.

SEC. 7. NO DISCRIMINATION IN THE PROVISION OF A FEDERAL PUBLIC BENEFIT ON THE BASIS OF CANNABIS.

(a) In General.—No person may be denied any Federal public benefit (as such term is defined in section 401(c) of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1611(c))) on the basis of any use or possession of cannabis, or on the basis of a conviction or adjudication of juvenile delinquency for a cannabis offense, by that person.

(b) Security Clearances.—Federal agencies may not use past or present cannabis or marijuana use as criteria for granting, denying, or rescinding a security clearance.

SEC. 8. NO ADVERSE EFFECT FOR PURPOSES OF THE IMMIGRATION LAWS.

(a) In General.—For purposes of the immigration laws (as such term is defined in section 101 of the Immigration and Nationality Act), cannabis may not be considered a controlled substance, and an alien may not be denied any benefit or protection under the immigration laws based on any event, including conduct, a finding, an admission, addiction or abuse, an arrest, a juvenile adjudication, or a conviction, relating to cannabis, regardless of whether the event occurred before, on, or after the effective date of this Act.

(b) Cannabis Defined.—The term “cannabis”—

(1) means all parts of the plant Cannabis sativa L., whether growing or not; the seeds thereof; the resin extracted from any part of such plant; and every compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such plant, its seeds or resin; and

(2) does not include—

(A) hemp, as defined in section 297A of the Agricultural Marketing Act of 1946; or

(B) the mature stalks of such plant, fiber produced from such stalks, oil or cake made from the seeds of such plant, any other compound, manufacture, salt, derivative, mixture, or preparation of such mature stalks (except the resin extracted therefrom), fiber, oil, or cake, or the sterilized seed of such plant which is incapable of germination.

(c) Conforming Amendments To Immigration And Nationality Act.—The Immigration and Nationality Act (8 U.S.C. 1101 et seq.) is amended—

(1) in section 212(h), by striking “and subparagraph (A)(i)(II) of such subsection insofar as it relates to a single offense of simple possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana”;

(2) in section 237(a)(2)(B)(i), by striking “other than a single offense involving possession for one’s own use of 30 grams or less of marijuana”;

(3) in section 101(f)(3), by striking “(except as such paragraph relates to a single offense of simple possession of 30 grams or less of marihuana)”;

(4) in section 244(c)(2)(A)(iii)(II) by striking “except for so much of such paragraph as relates to a single offense of simple possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana”;

(5) in section 245(h)(2)(B) by striking “(except for so much of such paragraph as related to a single offense of simple possession of 30 grams or less of marijuana)”;

(6) in section 210(c)(2)(B)(ii)(III) by striking “, except for so much of such paragraph as relates to a single offense of simple possession of 30 grams or less of marihuana”; and

(7) in section 245A(d)(2)(B)(ii)(II) by striking “, except for so much of such paragraph as relates to a single offense of simple possession of 30 grams or less of marihuana”.

SEC. 9. RESENTENCING AND EXPUNGEMENT.

(a) Expungement Of Federal Cannabis Offense Convictions For Individuals Not Under A Criminal Justice Sentence.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, each Federal district shall conduct a comprehensive review and issue an order expunging each conviction or adjudication of juvenile delinquency for a Federal cannabis offense entered by each Federal court in the district before the date of enactment of this Act and on or after May 1, 1971. Each Federal court shall also issue an order expunging any arrests associated with each expunged conviction or adjudication of juvenile delinquency.

(2) NOTIFICATION.—To the extent practicable, each Federal district shall notify each individual whose arrest, conviction, or adjudication of delinquency has been expunged pursuant to this subsection that their arrest, conviction, or adjudication of juvenile delinquency has been expunged, and the effect of such expungement.

(3) RIGHT TO PETITION COURT FOR EXPUNGEMENT.—At any point after the date of enactment of this Act, any individual with a prior conviction or adjudication of juvenile delinquency for a Federal cannabis offense, who is not under a criminal justice sentence, may file a motion for expungement. If the expungement of such a conviction or adjudication of juvenile delinquency is required pursuant to this Act, the court shall expunge the conviction or adjudication, and any associated arrests. If the individual is indigent, counsel shall be appointed to represent the individual in any proceedings under this subsection.

(4) SEALED RECORD.—The court shall seal all records related to a conviction or adjudication of juvenile delinquency that has been expunged under this subsection. Such records may only be made available by further order of the court.

(b) Sentencing Review For Individuals Under A Criminal Justice Sentence.—

(1) IN GENERAL.—For any individual who is under a criminal justice sentence for a Federal cannabis offense, the court that imposed the sentence shall, on motion of the individual, the Director of the Bureau of Prisons, the attorney for the Government, or the court, conduct a sentencing review hearing. If the individual is indigent, counsel shall be appointed to represent the individual in any sentencing review proceedings under this subsection.

(2) POTENTIAL REDUCED RESENTENCING.—After a sentencing hearing under paragraph (1), a court shall—

(A) expunge each conviction or adjudication of juvenile delinquency for a Federal cannabis offense entered by the court before the date of enactment of this Act, and any associated arrest;

(B) vacate the existing sentence or disposition of juvenile delinquency and, if applicable, impose any remaining sentence or disposition of juvenile delinquency on the individual as if this Act, and the amendments made by this Act, were in effect at the time the offense was committed; and

(C) order that all records related to a conviction or adjudication of juvenile delinquency that has been expunged or a sentence or disposition of juvenile delinquency that has been vacated under this Act be sealed and only be made available by further order of the court.

(c) Effect Of Expungement.—An individual who has had an arrest, a conviction, or juvenile delinquency adjudication expunged under this section—

(1) may treat the arrest, conviction, or adjudication as if it never occurred; and

(2) shall be immune from any civil or criminal penalties related to perjury, false swearing, or false statements, for a failure to disclose such arrest, conviction, or adjudication.

(d) Definitions.—In this section:

(1) The term “Federal cannabis offense” means an offense that is no longer punishable pursuant to this Act or the amendments made under this Act.

(2) The term “expunge” means, with respect to an arrest, a conviction, or a juvenile delinquency adjudication, the removal of the record of such arrest, conviction, or adjudication from each official index or public record.

(3) The term “under a criminal justice sentence” means, with respect to an individual, that the individual is serving a term of probation, parole, supervised release, imprisonment, official detention, pre-release custody, or work release, pursuant to a sentence or disposition of juvenile delinquency imposed on or after the effective date of the Controlled Substances Act (May 1, 1971).

SEC. 10. REFERENCES IN EXISTING LAW TO MARIJUANA OR MARIHUANA.

Wherever, in the statutes of the United States or in the rulings, regulations, or interpretations of various administrative bureaus and agencies of the United States—

(1) there appears or may appear the term “marihuana” or “marijuana”, that term shall be struck and the term “cannabis” shall be inserted; and

(2) there appears or may appear the term “Marihuana” or “Marijuana”, that term shall be struck and the term “Cannabis” shall be inserted.

SEC. 11. SEVERABILITY.

If any provision of this Act or an amendment made by this Act, or any application of such provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act, the amendments made by this Act, and the application of this Act and the amendments made by this Act to any other person or circumstance shall not be affected.

SEC. 12. CANNABIS OFFENSE DEFINED.

For purposes of this Act, the term “cannabis offense” means a criminal offense related to cannabis—

(1) that, under Federal law, is no longer punishable pursuant to this Act or the amendments made under this Act; or

(2) that, under State law, is no longer an offense or that was designated a lesser offense or for which the penalty was reduced under State law pursuant to or following the adoption of a State law authorizing the sale or use of cannabis.

SEC. 13. RULEMAKING.

Unless otherwise provided in this Act, not later than 1 year after the date of enactment of this Act, the Department of the Treasury, the Department of Justice, and the Small Business Administration shall issue or amend any rules, standard operating procedures, and other legal or policy guidance necessary to carry out implementation of this Act. After the 1-year period, any publicly issued sub-regulatory guidance, including any compliance guides, manuals, advisories and notices, may not be issued without 60-day notice to appropriate congressional committees. Notice shall include a description and justification for additional guidance.

Rod Gass
Guest
Rod Gass
4 years ago
Reply to  Fndrbndr

This is poison.

Please, please, please do your reading assignment. Study and find the hidden poison pills disguised within. Pay close attention to the “Cannabis Justice Office”.

The California shitshow is small compared to this.