"Santa Rosa wants this industry here. I think this is probably going to be the New Age Amsterdam." - - Larry Schaeffer, owner of Cherry Kola Farms near Penngrove, a medical cannabis collective Really? Says who? I don't mean to be rude. But who in the world made the decision that Santa Rosa wanted to become the new Amsterdam? Even Amsterdam doesn't even want to be Amsterdam - or at least the Amsterdam perceived by hordes of party-minded tourists. Contrary to popular belief, the Dutch never legalized marijuana. They've just basically tolerated it for years and only for possession of small amounts (5 grams or less) sold in official "cannabis cafes." But the government in recent years has been tightening the rules for these cafes, forcing many to shut down. And forget about growing it. It's illegal. You won't go to prison but try to grow as few as five plants and you could end up facing heavy fines and eviction. [continues 1139 words]
Controversy continued to swirl Friday over a ballot title rewrite for a state question aimed at legalizing medical marijuana. Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt on Thursday released his rewritten version of the ballot title for State Question 788. On Friday, the attorney general's office received several calls thanking the office for the quick turnaround time on the revision and questioning "our rewrite," said Lincoln Ferguson, a Pruitt spokesman. The ballot title summarizes a state question for voters. The revision includes: "This measure legalizes the licensed use, sale, and growth of marijuana in Oklahoma. There are no qualifying medical conditions identified." [continues 874 words]
Justin Calvino raked a hand beneath a shimmering marijuana plant, combing through chips of century-old apple trees and manure from his stable of miniature horses. Come fall, the rich soil on his North Mendocino coast pot farm coupled with other factors like characteristic foggy mornings will yield high-grade sativa buds dripping with mind-altering potency - as well as notes of chocolate and lime. It's a unique product for discriminating palates and one Calvino hopes to market to consumers across California through a legally defined and protected geographical identification system similar to what's used in the wine industry. [continues 1442 words]
In November, voters in as many as 12 states will see a marijuana legalization initiative on their ballots. Marijuana is already legal for recreational use in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, Washington and Washington, D.C. Another 25 states have legalized medical marijuana, including Hawaii. The era of marijuana prohibition is rapidly coming to a close. Unfortunately, lawmakers lack easy answers to tough questions facing the marijuana industry. Legalization presents challenges on a number of fronts, including distribution, taxation, consumption, security and public health. [continues 861 words]
Re "Regulate potency in pot before legalizing it" (Forum, Aug. 21): Any attempt to regulate the potency - the THC level - of cannabis will just keep the black market thriving and the drug cartels profiting. Environmental disasters due to rogue growers will not be curtailed. The author says he researched his story, but he compares cannabis to alcohol and opiates? Marijuana is nowhere near as addicting, and no one has ever died from excessive cannabis intake. Decades of research point to a variety of medical uses for this unique compound, including pain relief, relief from PTSD, nausea and vomiting, as well as appetite stimulation, and benefits for asthma, glaucoma and as a sleep aid. The much revered Rick Simpson Oil used as a cure for cancer contains a high level of THC. I do agree with Sam Quinones that "legalizing marijuana needs to happen," but not with his concept of regulating the THC level. Jeff Ball, Sacramento [end]
State Assemblyman Jim Wood's Cottage Cannabis Farmers Bill cleared one of its last hurdles Wednesday and was sent to Gov. Jerry Brown's desk for a final signature, after which it would become law. Assembly Bill 2516 would establish a new medical marijuana cultivator license category for what Wood calls, "microfarmers." The new license, or specialty cottage cultivator license, would be available to farmers with 2,500 square feet or less of total canopy size for mixed-light cultivation, up to 25 mature marijuana plants for outdoor cultivation, or 500 square feet or less of total canopy size for indoor cultivation, per parcel. [continues 124 words]
If Californians legalize marijuana under Proposition 64 in November, legal cannabis sales in the state likely will climb by $1.6 billion within the first year of implementation, according to a report released Tuesday. That would put the state's medical and recreational market on track to hit $6.5 billion in revenue by 2020 up from $2.8 billion in 2015, industry research firms Arcview Group and New Frontier state in the report. And the researchers argue it would serve as a "watershed moment" for the industry in and outside the United States. [continues 868 words]
Humboldt County's proposed excise tax for medical marijuana farms has created a rift between local growers. Several farmers have come out against the tax model, calling it premature, hasty and partial to larger farms. Other cultivators say they are supportive of it and feel that the time is ripe to pay their fair share in society to bring in badly needed revenue for county schools, roads and mental health services among others. But the recently created Humboldt County Cannabis Chamber of Commerce argues the tax measure as written "misses the mark" on those funding goals. [continues 631 words]
In November, California will consider whether to legalize recreational marijuana, and voters seem ready to approve the idea. But the question of legalization is out of date, and is derived from the mistaken idea that all pot is created equal and that most of it is fairly weak. A question we ought to ask ourselves is just as important if legalization is to succeed: What kind of marijuana should we legalize? The hyper-potent mutant strains that pass for marijuana today have little relation to naturally grown pot associated with Northern California hippie growers of the 1970s. Levels of THC tetrahydrocannabinol, the chemical that creates the high in pot now reach 20 to 30 percent, which is seven to 15 times the potency of a few decades ago. [continues 736 words]
EDITOR: Santa Rosa is a destination for tourism, dining, wine tasting, boutique breweries, cycling, and the list goes on. Job growth and increasing real estate values are all the more reason not to encourage an industry such as the production of cannabis to be a part of our local economy ("SR aims to be epicenter of legal pot industry," Aug. 14). It brings with it health and safety hazards and environmental concerns. The industry also encourages low-wage earners and has low-density employment. [continues 59 words]
You would be forgiven for not recognizing the nondescript brick warehouse in Phoenix's Grand Avenue industrial district as the site of a high-tech agricultural facility. But as soon as you step inside, the smell of hundreds of marijuana plants is overwhelming. As you make your way through the small rooms that line the main hallway, you can hear the whoosh of ventilation fans and the gentle hum of huge artificial lights suspended above a lush green canopy of leaves. Reggae, old-school hip-hop, and pop-punk blare from a portable speaker as a crew of 30 or so workers trim, water, and inspect the all-female crop of cannabis plants casually known as "the ladies." [continues 3709 words]
A Statewide Ballot Measure on Adult Recreational Use Is Complicated - and Highly Likely to Pass. SACRAMENTO - I know you've been distracted/disgusted/gobsmacked by the presidential campaign all summer. But history, polling and common sense tell us that California's electoral votes already belong to Hillary Clinton (sorry, Donald Trump fans). So stop wasting time worrying about that, Golden State types, and turn your attention to the doorstop of a ballot that you'll be facing when you vote Nov. 8. [continues 1094 words]
Marijuana use big issue for employers, expert says Darrin Rogowski said he is launching a human rights complaint after his employer let him go in late July because he uses medical marijuana after hours. Rogowski, 30, was working for Inertia Environmental - an Okotoks-based hydrovacing company. He worked on the company's trucks, which use high-pressure water to move earth when excavation by other means isn't allowed. "When I got my medical marijuana licence back in May, I told one of my supervisors I had it, and nothing else was really said about it," he said. [continues 262 words]
Larry Schaeffer has grown marijuana in Sonoma County for more than a decade. His Cherry Kola Farms outside Penngrove supplies award-winning strains of pungent pot to one of Sonoma County's largest medical cannabis collectives, as well as discerning dispensaries around the state. But after years of operating in a quasi-legal status as a nonprofit collective, Schaeffer is ready to go legit. He wants to be an above-board business, in an approved location with proper permits, and pay taxes like any other legitimate enterprise. [continues 2814 words]
Two North Coast Legislators' Medical Pot Tax Bills Go Down to Defeat Two medical marijuana tax proposals submitted by North Coast lawmakers have failed in Sacramento, leaving California voters to decide on higher taxes incorporated in a pot legalization measure on the November ballot. The tax rates in Proposition 64, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act, exceed the rates in the two failed bills by state Sen. Mike McGuire and Assemblyman Jim Wood, both Healdsburg Democrats whose districts include the pot-rich Emerald Triangle. [continues 318 words]
A growing number of Southern California law enforcement organizations and leaders are voicing objections to a state ballot measure that would legalize recreational marijuana, saying it would make the state less safe. "I'm vehemently opposed to it," Orange County Sheriff Sandra Hutchens said. "I think that it would be a terrible move for California to make." San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos said the initiative to legalize marijuana "will do nothing to curb black-market activity in California." He is one of several police officials who is actively opposing the measure, a group that includes the Riverside Sheriffs' Association, the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs and the California Police Chiefs Association. [continues 1296 words]
Ottawa says it's dangerous. Dispensaries say it's safe. The Globe subjected unregulated weed to a battery of tests to find the truth Inside a sterile facility, the lab technician holds up a petri dish to show the intricate pattern of bacteria that are quickly multiplying. "Looks like something is already growing," she says, surprised by how much has amassed in less than a day and a half. In any other context, the dish would be a sight to behold, with an attractive swirl of shapes that resembles an oil painting. But the bacteria growing inside are Citrobacter freundii, a human pathogen that can lead to serious infections, particularly in the elderly and weak. [continues 6688 words]
A series of town hall meetings are underway to help Sonoma County create a comprehensive set of rules to regulate and capitalize on a burgeoning marijuana industry, from seeds in the ground to manufacturing, delivery and sales. County supervisors have signaled their intent to bring marijuana cultivation and related businesses into the legal sphere - and under local control - before regulations and license programs under the state's landmark Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act are likely operational in 2018. No draft rules have yet been written. County staff from nearly every department are taking part in the meetings to gather public input. Three meetings remain, including town hall events Wednesday in Sebastopol and Thursday in Santa Rosa. [continues 423 words]
Mendocino County voters can expect two competing marijuana tax initiatives on the November ballot, one proffered by county officials and one by cannabis cultivators. The Mendocino County Board of Supervisors approved Tuesday a 2.5 percent business tax on gross sales from marijuana cultivation and dispensaries, along with a $2,500 annual fee on marijuana distributors, delivery services, nurseries and testing laboratories. That business tax could be raised in increments of 2.5 percent up to a maximum of 10 percent, whether on medicinal or recreational pot. [continues 474 words]
the Citizen's Council for Human Rights (Cchr) Strongly Condemns the Escalating Number of Killings of Suspected Drug Pushers and Dependents WHO Said to Have Died Either During So-Called Legitimate Police Operations or at the Hands of Unknown Gunmen. the Surge in Fatalities Is Too Alarming to Be Ignored: From January 1 to May 9 This Year (129 Days), Reported Deaths From Drug-Related Violence Was 39. but the Death Count Suddenly Swelled After May 10. in a Matter of 64 Days, 251 Deaths Have Already Been Reported. What Makes These Spate of Executions Most Worrisome Is That This Was Prompted by President Duterte's Pronouncements, Made Even Before His Assumption into Office, That Urged the Police, Ordinary Citizens and Later, the New Peoples Army to Kill All Those Involved in the Illegal Drug Trade, With the Promise That He Would Shield Them Against Any Legal Consequences. [continues 1200 words]
