Cannabis Cultivation in the Time of COVID: An Industry Disrupted as Employers Strive to Keep a Healthy Workforce
![An employee of Sovereign wearing facial coverings while checking in on curing crops. [Photograph provided by Sovereign's owner Brandy Moulton]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/unnamed-2.jpg)
An employee of Sovereign, a Mendocino County marijuana cultivator and distributor, wearing facial coverings while checking in on curing crops. [Photograph provided by Sovereign’s owner Brandy Moulton]
The cannabis industry’s reliance on non-local labor has required cultivators to think creatively about processing their crops. Humboldt County Sheriff’s William Honsal’s May 21 statement about marijuana’s trimmigrant workforce represented a disruptive shift in the way cultivators staff their endeavors. He warned, “Out of towners right now are not welcome.”
![Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal speaks on his concerns regarding trimmigrants and the spread of COVID-19 during his May 21 press conference. [Screenshot from YouTube]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Screen-Shot-2020-06-25-at-11.25.38-PM.png)
Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal speaks on his concerns regarding trimmigrants and the spread of COVID-19 during his May 21 press conference. [Screenshot from YouTube]
Jaymi Dark, the owner, and Director of Human Resources of Dark Staffing Solutions, has been cited specifically by Sheriff Honsal as an answer to cannabis cultivators looking to hire local and mitigate viral transmission. Dark Staffing Solutions’ website describes the company as “an employment agency and farm labor contractor located in beautiful Arcata, California.”
Dark Staffing Solutions employee at work. [Photo from Dark Staffing Solutions]
Sheriff Honsal and health officials hope to disrupt this practice in order to keep COVID-19 from coming from other communities. In the May 21 press conference, Honsal described how the County was discouraging laborers in the marijuana industry from traveling here from out of the area. He explained, “Our deputies have been on patrol. We have seen an influx in Garberville, as one area, and I know that we’ve gotten reports as far as Willow Creek is concerned, that there are some trimmigrants, some people in town for trimming purposes. And so we are out there talking to these people. They are on the side of the road. We are logging their names…. We are giving them those notices and potentially issuing them citations for coming here in violation of the shelter in place order.”
Dark pointed to the benefits of hiring locally during the time of a pandemic. She noted, “I think anytime you’re using local labor, and not bringing in people from outside our area, you’re going to cut down on the risk of exposure to COVID-19.”
Speaking to Sheriff Honsal’s concerns about the migrant labor associated with marijuana grows, Dark said, “I feel he was making the point that using trimmigrants increases the risk of exposure during the pandemic.”
However, while county officials are actively discouraging migrant cannabis workers coming to the region, in a March 31 press conference Dr. Frankovich makes room for motels, hotels, and vacation rentals to provide lodging for essential workers in other industries such as construction that are traveling to the area for work.
Dark pointed out though that using migrant labor for marijuana cultivation was unlikely to be in compliance with state and county regulations. She said, “There is also a compliance factor into this equation as well, because traditional trimmigrants are not considered compliant labor. The days of picking people up on the side of the road and driving them to the farm are over. Everything must be done legitimately now, which protects the farmer and the worker.”
In a recent video with Humboldt County’s Public Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovitch, she expressed concern that the cannabis industry’s pattern of hiring “people from all over” presents “certain challenges.” Legal or illegal, Dr. Frankovitch noted that if cultivators “are interested in doing some screening testing, we would be really happy to work with them on that as well. I think it’s an important population for us to keep healthy because it impacts not only the individuals but our community.”
![An employee of Sovereign caring for his crop while wearing personal protective equipment [Photograph provided by Sovereign's owner Brandy Moulton]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/unnamed-80.jpg)
An employee of Sovereign caring for his crop while wearing personal protective equipment [Photograph provided by Sovereign’s owner Brandy Moulton]
Dr. Doohan also hopes that migrant marijuana laborers would consider utilizing the anonymous testing provided by the County of Mendocino which only requires a phone number for Public Health to contact to provide results.
As the realities of social distancing and facial covering have crept into our daily lives, many cannabis businesses have met the moment and incorporated COVID protocols into their standard operating procedures. Casey O’Neill, Co-Operator of HappyDay Farms and a member of Mendocino Cannabis Alliance’s Interim Policy Committee, described his farm quickly adopting standard operation procedures to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission. He described HappyDay Farms as both a “food and cannabis farm” with many elderly customers requiring staff to take COVID protocols “seriously.”
O’Neill described thorough sterilization procedures requiring gloves to be worn when handling products and the utilization of alcohol after any exchange of money. Surfaces are consistently sanitized and O’Neill described his team acting under the assumption that “everyone could be infected” working diligently to “limit potential of spread.”
O’Neill expressed concern that “large-scale, unregulated operations that are bringing in workers will approach COVID-19 differently. We have to assume some will not put those procedures into place.” He made it clear that the concerns regarding migrant labor and COVID-19 transmission were not exclusive to the cannabis industry and could apply to many crops grown in the Emerald Triangle that are worked by non-compliant labor.
Brandy Moulton, the owner of Sovereign, a Mendocino County marijuana cultivator and distributor, described her company’s adopted COVID-19 protocols. She said her brick-and-mortar dispensary was closed to customers and offered a curbside pick-up model to maximize social distancing. She also spoke of requiring all of her employees to wear gloves, face masks, consistently sanitize, and be temperature tested daily.
![Employees of Sovereign conducting their daily temperature checks [Photograph provided by Sovereign's owner Brandy Moulton]](https://kymkemp.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/unnamed-1-900x675.jpg)
Employees of Sovereign conducting their daily temperature checks [Photograph provided by Sovereign’s owner Brandy Moulton]
For anyone in Humboldt County that is involved in marijuana cultivation or processing that would like guidance in mitigating viral spread at a worksite, please call the confidential communicable disease line at (707) 268-2182. If you would like to be tested for COVID-19, contact (707) 441-5000 for the latest information on free testing opportunities.
For Mendocino County, contact (707) 234-6052 for information regarding testing opportunities.
For general guidance on preventing the spread of COVID-19 in an agricultural workplace, please consult this Cal/OSHA COVID-19 Daily Checklist for Agricultural Employers.
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Based on my last trip to Gville, there isn’t much discouraging happening. Trimmigrants hanging in Ray’s parking lot just like always.
If you choose to hire out of towners, I sure hope you’re not one of the many claiming that everyone is out to kill your grandma.
Unfortunately there are not nearly enough licenced presses g facilities to trim the pot.
Leaving farmers in a bind to get trimmers.
Most farm licences dont as allow for onsite processing.
Leaving ffg folks no choice but to skirt the system.
I’m pretty sure the majority of farms pot or not use u documented workers.
Seems like county needs to streamline so m.j e processing permits.
The process is ridiculously difficult.
Very understandable why this is happening.
And white market prices are way up.
If people are only paying 100 a pound.they are just being greedy.
Convoys of white Van’s with trimmers stinks of human trafficking.
It’s not greedy to pay 100 for trimming when the price of weed has gone down significantly.
// “Most farm licences dont as allow for onsite processing.”//
EVERY state cultivation license automatically includes a license to process (dry/trim) the product of the license.
On the local level, my direct experience is the opposite of what you describe … With experience in a large number of local areas, I have yet to run into a county/municipality that didn’t also include processing with the local cultivation license. I am thus skeptical of the claim (but open to learning).
Your results may vary.
I agree, as a fully licensed cannabis grow , we were told we cannot process onsite , and we have found an awesome company to do so for us , luckily, because there is quite a list to get in with a legal company .
what company?
// “we were told we cannot process onsite”//
For my own education, would you mind telling me which entity (County/State agency) told you this, and what was their reason?
Thanks
We pursued this quite extensively both with the cannabis division and the building department. we needed to have fully ADA commercial (F1) building built in order to have trimmers on site. Even though they approved a new drying / processing building Built back in 2017. But we are specifically excluded from having trimmers outside our own family Working in there. We are just starting the Commercial building process now and it is very cumbersome and expensive including a second septic, ADA parking and signage , ADA restroom And ADA compliant break room just to have 3 trimmers work on site for us. ( none of which are handicapped;lol) It also involved a permit modification and 6 months of various consultant testing.
Thanks for the info
That’s what I figured. It wasn’t a licensing issue , but one of infrastructure.
We are also remote/rural and are having to put in a separate building (from our on-site home) with a new septic system, restrooms and break rooms – they wouldn’t let us share the house bathroom with the (2) workers.
Thanks again.
Um, is the drying area a flashback to under-a-pound-closet-growing days?
Hey Sovereign, I’ll increase your dry room capacity by 400-600%, if you want. (You should want)
I can consult by phone.
LOL! you said it right about that drying set up. hang some trellis from the ceiling and fill er up
And there’s way more effective and efficient models than that, too.
Share some knowledge brother
I too would appreciate that. I love the homemade roof sprinkler system. What do you have for the dry shed? Sharing is caring!
Sorry Stars, firesafety is totally opensource for me.
However other things are more proprietary.
Quality, not quantity.
This dry room is is 20+ feet long and one of many.
Adequate spacing throughout dries the crop more evenly and prevents microbial development.
Thanks for the tips though. 😜
You can keep airflow and space and use your rooms more effectively and efficiently.
Not only for space, but time saved in hours of wages..
I appreciate your being interested in quality farming, and I hope you’re achieving it.
I am just telling you that you can have a more quality dry room(s).
Imagine what else that space could do.
Anyhow. If you think it’s doing good for you, enjoy.
Its packed floor to ceiling using metal poles and wood shelving. Trellis netting is something we try to avoid as often as possible.
Our drying method is sustainable and its built to fit our needs. We are not limited by space and have no need to “imagine what else that space could do”.
Appreciate the input though 😁
Right on Brandy.
I would never advise trellis, or anything that can’t be used for 5 years or more. To be clear😉. Trash sucks.
I apologize for the A-hole tone of the first comment also.
I think it’s business 101 to save time and space, but that is me.
Anyhow, good luck on the road ahead and kudos for your efforts regarding SARS-Cov2 safety.
Dark Staffing & Emerald Employment DO NOT care if you’re local or not. Completely fake. I know many locals they passed and gave work to non-locals. They prefer people who are not local especially if they have no experience. They’re completely bias, fake snobby and basically pimp out people. Don’t use any of these pimps and contract directly with the company. They do not prioritize locals or locals with experience or college degrees. I’ve heard so many horror stories about Dark Staffing & Emerald Employment. They’re not equal employment opportunity and save the good jobs for their friends. It would be so easy for anyone to sue them.
Dark staffing is good people if you can’t get a job there maybe try Taco Bell I’m sure they will treat you way better
Sorry, but not impressed with Dark Staffing based on first hand knowledge from numerous people! Hopefully someone with a lot of work experience and an education can do better than Taco Bell. I also do not understand your point about being treated better by Taco Bell. I guess you were just trying to be mean.
My point is that if your a motivated hard worker you get hired and there’s lots of shitty jobs I wasn’t being mean just advocating for darkstaffing I’ve worked with them and had a good experience
sunshine that is called second hand information
Dont be a trashy person and it wouldn’t be hard to find a cannabis job maybe? DARK hires hard working, motivated people. Not lazy people [edit] that needs a quick paycheck but cant lift a bag of soil. Being local doesnt give you entitlement. DARK is awesome! I got a great job with them and started as a nobody. Sorry you weren’t able to make the cut lol
And what did they pay you? $15/hr?
Last I checked there are people FIGHTING for a $15 minimum wage.
Here its an entry level wage, so what the fuck are you whining about?
Machines don’t catch a virus. That said, trimming without the human touch seems very offensive.
Trichomes deserve respect. Bouncing buds around like ping pong balls is just wrong.
I smoked a lot of Sovereign products when I was living in Fort Bragg.
Machine trim always looks like crap anyway even with hand touch afterwards
Not if you know how to do it: briefly: product has to be 10% overdry , broken down as far as if it were already hand trimmed, sorted by size and tumbled only as long as needed then securily toted up overnight- gently layered with re-moistening agent of your choice . Perfection .
If it has to broken down to size and sorted its really not any faster. Overdrying kills your terps.
Sorting is not by hand OBVIOUSLY and it happens quickly in coffin totes first ; just give it a few shakes and the bigs ironically float to the top. And the mids/small are sorted with a few large two person incrementally smaller screens .
Of course hand trimming is still best for colas but mids/smalls , and some strains like cookie , absolutely optimum in dry trim.
And there’s no more loss of terpines /frost than with the bunch of touching and over-drying by the trim crew! They can fuk up perfectly amazing product and the inconsistent quality –as mentioned below –is a real thing. In spite of being reminded I’ve seen people routinely load up their trays on 90* days, and they leave their buckets full too lazy to empty … turning your herb into popcorn farts lol .
The crew that’s capable of minding moisture and quality both perfectly is rare .
I’d much rather go a (controlled) tad overdry , give em quick tumble (some might be less than 4min) and closed up again to remoisten . No harm no foul and it cuts trimming costs and impacts of housing a drama fest of trimmers drastically.
Bye bye trichomes?
Definitely a loss of trichromes, but…. elbows look consistent as opposed to a box that was trimmed by 15 different people. I’ve bounced back and forth from hand trimming and machines last 8 years. Currently we are back to machines for the last two and it has been good for us. Every scene is different though. My machine ran fetches the same amount as all the hand trimmed. I’m not going to say it’s better though. I personally hand trim all our personal smoke. But for the “custies” they get machine ran. The advantage is being done in three to four weeks and then being able to beat the flood is another added benefit. Just my .02
Running machines properly takes skill too though.
Are you an old lot kid? Custies? That’s a good one- haven’t heard that in a while.
Isn’t trimmigant season gonna be really crazy in the fall for all parties concerned? Shouldn’t you dep folks already have your trimmers lined up ahead of time?? You know, since you’re in such a hurry
If u have a cannabis farm and your workers are from out of town or out of the country you put everyone who lives here at risk slow down hire local price goes up
Our community stays safe and provide your employees with personal protection And a hand wash station and stop sharing joints
Or just be responsible, quarantine your workers.
Hire a local to do the shopping.
TRIMMIGRANTS GET THE HELL OUT!
I would love to get local people but they won’t except for prohibitively high prices. It’s dangerous and hard on your body Americans don’t like it.
What a high price?150?
Saving59 to 75 bucks worth safetey.?
Price are highest than they have been in years traditional and legal markets.
With prices this high, trimmers should go back to getting $200/pound.
Thanks! Yes! I did it immediately. My trimmers were surprised because nobody else they knew did that. Really?! C’mon people- you’re suddenly getting $2500 -$3000/pound and you don’t hook up your trimmers? The people who make your flowers sparkle? Kick down!
Glad I deal with local Hayforkians. They’re still stoked on $20 bucks an hour.
If you are a legal grower and getting legal workers, you now have waaaaay more overhead. The legal processors are charging approximately 165 per lb
trimmers dont have an investment or real commitment. tell me anywhere eles in the world you can show up as unskilled labor and make 200 plus dollars a day… trimmers are fine at 100 a pound. i would maybe agree if price was soild over 3k. if the growers have a good year good for them it has been a struggle for a few years that alot have not been able to make it. those that are left might have a good year. what about next year? the 10 years it took to have a good year. trimmers get paid what they deserve…. bare minimum
Having seen the work of unskilled trimmers and the work of skilled trimmers…I vote for paying good trimmers as much as you can afford.
bad trimmers shouldnt be trimming. fast trimmers can make more because they are worth more
Too little too late.
Everyone has at least one out of towner working. Most came in a few weeks ago and began working within 2 days of arrival. They work at farms with other people who then all return to the places theyre staying. Every day.
Itd be nice to have the county let us know if the people from the cannabis farm lived on site or carried it back to other neighborhoods. 10 or 11 are positive from that farm so could be 10 neighborhoods affected.
Exposure potential carried back to the home is high.
No ones wearing masks in Garberville anyway so it’s kinda become pointless.
There were at least 15 people on sidewalks without masks, where you cant keep 6feet distance.
If the County government were serious about this it would have worked to save local industry instead of trying to kill it off. That is. unless the game of capitalism in HUMCO and CALI pushes consolidation, monopoly and the dreams of easy campaign cash.
Newsom is no altruist nor does he seem to really care about agriculture. I mean, where is his concern about the small family farmer or migratory workers in the time of COVID? What emergency measures have the state really taken to get the crops in cannibis or otherwise?
Back in the days of Cesar Chavez and United Farmworkers the growers were getting the help of the state to disrupt the calls for better working conditions. Today, growers, even large scale in places with an established migrant community have had workers staying away. Strikes if you lookwere called in Washington threatening major national food supply disruption and for small entrepreneurs, bankruptcy.
So, what to do? The County who still depends on income from legal MJ growing should have addressed labor disruption and been in contact with the Governor.
The ask in relief could have been to suspend MJ plant tracing as too labor intensive.
There would have been for the state to help counties purchase, or emergency manufacture, equipment to be used cooperatively for drying and mechanical trimming (Then again,heard the rumor that CALI Pacific ports are not offloading equipment off ships so that’s a problem even for any fortunate and wealthy grower that even had the money to spend $100,000 or more)
There would have been a county plan for doing this ask.
In short there would have been some leadership providing true emergency relief for this critical agricultural sector.
But I would bet that sort of leadership is wanting at the County and the State and for the globalists seeking higher profits at our expense, unwanted. Plus it could fall into the agenda of whatever the elites here and abroad have for depopulating HUMCO and making it into an exclusive reserve for nature only and the high end enclaves for escaping climate and civil collapse.
Makes for a good unlikely conspiracy theory though, or is it?
Covid is 200% bullshit. Two people died out of 100000 shut down the entire country and riot because Mr Trump is winning black voters from the democrats. Covid AI is a federal program involving MK Ultra. I am in the program as are lots of others.
It’s going to take some pretty convincing evidence for you to get much belief in your comment. Any links to info on the AI and MK Ultra connections in particular?
A friend’s sister died drowning in her own bloody snot with Covid. Another friend stroked out and wasn’t found until the next day on her bathroom floor, hospitalized with massive organ failure on a ventilator and Covid 19. Ignorance helps. Go to a trump rally, please.
More people died falling dowm and or jaywalking. The big tech covid scam is coming unglued. Cant wait to give the left the AK they have always dreamed of. Mao’s dung pile will be huge. No more meth. Open borders after the drug gangs CIA are eradicated.
You are the craziest commenter I’ve ever seen here. And…That is saying A LOT!! Please stay safe and healthy and wear your mask in stores for the rest of us. Even though you “know so much more”. Thank you!
Curious if the sohum trimmers exposed the plants to covid, were the plants destroyed. ? Seems dangerous to sell plants exposed to covid, grower should have to cut it all down. Price you pay for hiring workers with covid.
Wrong place.