Emerald Cup 2022: An Opinion by Our Cannabis Reporter Nikki Norris

Hash hookah at the Emerald Cup beside a Skunk Cannabis magazine [Photo by Nichole Norris]

Folks were very generous sharing their flowers, of course. But no exaggeration, even some award winners couldn’t touch the full flavor, no spray, one-of-a-kind genetics, and beyond organic ganga that comes from my micro, permaculturally inspired garden. It wasn’t just me either, my friends concurred. Maybe I missed all the small Emerald legacy farm booths (I looked with no luck)? 

The hash was great,  I don’t normally do that or vape, but those were pleasant. Though, overall I felt the cannabis at the Cup was, for the most part, reflective of the current industry conditions. Don’t get me wrong, the mass producers were super lovely folks, too, great ethics from what I could tell in our interviews, it seemed their hearts were in the right place. Afterall they weren’t working for Halliburton or whatever, they had higher aims. And, frankly, after speaking with them I understand why they went big, and invested the way they did, mainly market foresight I gathered. It might not reflect what people want for the Emerald Triangle brand, and I understand this too, but it’s worth noting they were still in business.

However, no matter the intention of the mass producers (let’s define that as over an acre, for argument’s sake), they still seem unable to keep up with the craft quality (with flower, not extracts), while they are oftentimes the only ones able to keep up with current market conditions. 

Meanwhile, the craft micro farms are rarely able to survive, sheerly due to the mathematics, lack of branding, markets and/or niches. And this is all while consumers are unknowingly desperate to try our local sungrown authentic products that don’t seem to be as prevalent on dispensary shelves.

Example of branding at the Emerald Cup by May 2022 Best in Show award winner. [Photo by Nichole Norris]

I must say there was actually one exceptional flower pre-roll I smoked last weekend. The farmer didn’t have a booth, he just casually gave me the joint after complimenting the scent of the remaining homegrown smalls I unearthed from my tobacco pouch. We smoked outside the VIP section huddled under about a couple feet of roof cover, with several others doing the same, as he explained his family has a micro sungrown farm that is 3k sq. ft. in Southern Humboldt, a Ma and Pa that have other ancillary businesses statewide. He was excited to share that their farm went fallow (closed) this year, and he got to spend time with his family, as they lived on generous grants —genius!  Really quality cannabis, and, of course, he told me the name of his strain several times– Candy something (candy pineapple maybe?). I just forgot because it was so delightful, I almost forgot my own name. I wish I got his card. Maybe the joint was his card, like the good ol’ days?

As I tumble-weeded my way back up the 101 to my SoHum homestead through the gusty winds and downpour, dodging puddles as the excitement dimmed exponentially behind me. I had several lingering thoughts about the festival as it pertains to our local economy. Mostly around cannabis events, branding and educating consumers about our sun grown micro legacy farms, because it’s clear folks from outside the area had no clue about it’s value. 

I spoke with a lovely fellow from Texas for example, who said he only smoked indoor because he thought “it was better” (it probably is in Texas btw). Oh, I straightened him out, don’t you worry. But this tells me Humboldt County (and all of the Emerald Triangle) have failed to enable our small farmers to bring top quality products to market, like other California counties have done with mass producers that have flooded the commercial shelves post legalization. It’s not the consumers fault for not knowing better, we need to re-educate them. It’s almost as if the decades of branding of this world-renowned product, purely by word of mouth, without a penny in advertising (besides maybe the government’s drug war), was for nothing at this point. We need the assistance of policy makers who helped perpetuate these policies, to now rewrite these wrongs to develop local cannabis and micro businesses, and branding that supports this re-education and reinvigoration of our local small farmer economy.

While chatting it up with stoned strangers, I enjoyed comparing local and state regulations nationwide that worked, with those that didn’t. I kept finding myself in front of various farmers asking, “How did you make it through legalization?” In their answers I noticed a common theme for folks from Humboldt and Mendocino especially— they relocated to friendlier counties for canna-business development. 

Humboldt seed company, 3-D, interactive cannabis photography display at the Emerald Cup Harvest Ball [photo by Nichole Norris]

You can literally buy an entire pound for around $200 in Humboldt in a single turkey bag, but when you go to a dispensary you get a few eighths for the same amount in the fanciest packaging? Hey don’t get me wrong, I’m so grateful for the glass jars, but what the heck am I supposed to do with so many of them? Our policy makers need to meet consumers where they are at and have a little respect, particularly our medical users and our local micro farmers who seem left out of the current regulatory framework.

During an interview with the legendary Pebbles Trippet (of the People v. Trippet case), she said 80% of legal farmers can’t sell their product right now. Meaning complaint farmers who invested sometimes hundreds of thousands to come into the legal market, have no market to speak of. They are left to do the same old thing they always did to survive, only now at even greater risk—their life savings. As cannabis attorney Eugene Denson always says –- you never want to mix legal and traditional market cannabis businesses, it’s too risky, pick one. But some are left with no choice, they invested thousands, if not hundreds of thousands and now have no market.

How do these figures impact our local economy? If ~80% of compliant farmers can’t sell their product, and then we factor in that only ~ 25% of Humboldt County farms exist today v. pre legalization (that’s not factoring in new farms so likely much less than 25% of farms remain today), well, it’s no wonder some of us live in ghost towns. 

Inside a pavilion at the Emerald Cup [Photo by Nichole Norris]

Papa Barkley Cannabis booth at the Emerald Cup. [Photo by Nikki Norris]

The canna-activism was not just alive and well at the event, but so inspiring, it gave me hope for the future. The conscious hip hop was lovely too. 

Another noteworthy experience was meeting Kyle Lind, an artist who was a part of the US government experiment who consumed LSD at least 400 times. He is living proof that LSD is not an effective weapon for war. Kyle radiated as his art spoke of dimensions, source, the oneness we come from, and go back to, because he had been there so many times. He spent four decades on one art piece for example, it made everyone gasp when they saw it. 

Kyle Lind art that you really must see in person [Photo by Nichole Norris]

(There were incredible conversations about this the whole weekend. Including how we move forward with decriminalization of plant medicines ideally, while learning from the mistakes from cannabis legalization. Eloquent microdosed speakers discussed how we honor the cultures, the plants, the communities, ecosystems that surround all plant medicines. They spoke about various cultural experiences, too, and how whatever way you choose to have a “ceremony,” it can enlighten you and your community.) 

I left convinced that cannabis was a gateway drug, though not in the way you might think. Cannabis is a gateway to this higher, human plant medicine wisdom, and insight around community. 

All in all it was an enlightening and enjoyable experience, I resisted but needed on some level. 

Coming home to my long steep dirt driveway, cleared of fallen trees after a storm by a local chainsaw angel, having neighbors call to check in on my wood pile status, solar and other maintenance issues at the homestead. It reminded me of the legacy roots of this culture, how this was about so much more than a specific plant, as Pebbles Trippet said “This is about community…the roots that connect us.” 

Humboldt Seed Company booth at Emerald Cup Harvest Ball [Photo by Nichole Norris]

I left with this sense that you really can’t hold an event about the Emerald Triangle community in Santa Rosa, and just export legacy farms to sit inside booths. No disrespect to Santa Rosa, it just has to be more hands on, like on the farms and in our communities. This will enable us to remind consumers that there is a big difference between Emerald Triangle sungrown cannabis and the cannabis you so often find on shelves. If county regulations had something to do with the decision to have the Emerald Cup in this location, these policies should obviously be changed.

Sign at the Emerald Cup [Photo by Nichole Norris]

This is a multifaceted issue of course, so the solutions should be multifaceted, too. Perhaps the county could require the local farms and businesses that receive funding to pay living wages that are in alignment with the current economy, to replace those lost since legalization. I think the county should consider supporting other non-cannabis, small business owners with wage subsidies as well, to keep them and their workers afloat while they suffer from county regulations that exacerbate poverty and economic decline.

Super VIP pass to the Emerald Cup. [Photo by Nikki Norris]