Exploring the Future of Humboldt and Marijuana
“We’re from the government,” Third District Supervisor Mark Lovelace announced, “and we’re here to help.”
The audience packed inside the Bayside Grange last Saturday erupted in cheers and applause. The meeting of minds was the second installment of panel discussions hosted by Anna Hamlton, a SoHum marijuana crusader, and other stakeholders in the community concerned about the future of Humboldt County if Proposition 19 — the measure that would essentially legalize marijuana for recreational use — passes in November. But the meetings also focused on the marijuana itself, specifically the medicinal properties and how to legally engage the system in that regard. These meetings are truly historic when considering just who is coming out to talk about pot in a serious above-the-board manner: government officials, growers, community members, and others.
Considering that the City of Oakland just approved a mammoth of an ordinance that essentially gives the green light for four large dispensaries to operate on the large scale within the city limits, many of the speakers touched on the need for Humboldt County to take ownership of what has been the area’s most lucrative agricultural product since timber.
It’s still unclear just what level of impact legalization will have on the area, but what is clear is that it will be another monumental shift here in terms of the economic impacts of marijuana — the first such shift arising when indoor marijuana grows blew up in the urban areas of the county and throughout California, sending the price per pound down about $2,000 according to speakers who touched on the issue.
To touch on some of the highlights from the meeting:
- HUMMAP (Humboldt Medical Advisory Council), a community group recently formed to “foster comprehensive approaches to legal marijuana policy, integrating health, safety, economic, and regulatory issues in Humboldt County, California and the United States” has been working on a county ordinance to outline a legal mechanism for taxing and regulating marijuana in Humboldt County. The ordinance, which is still in a draft form, would place a $5 tax per ounce for marijuana containing one to five percent THC, and a $10 per ounce tax on product containing more than five percent THC. The ordinance also outlines the rules for permitting and testing of marijuana.
- The Tea House Collective, a not-for-profit mutual benefit corporation based out of SoHum, has proposed a certification scheme to apply to marijuana based on its quality and the level of environmental stewardship engaged by the producer. Depending on how much water is used and when, the quality of soil, the amount of chemicals, such as herbicides or pesticides, and other factors, a crop would be have a certain stamp of approval to guide consumers on the quality of the product they are obtaining.
- Canna Lab Collectives, Humboldt County’s first and only lab testing marijuana for its THC, CBD, and CBN levels, along with levels of mold and other malicious substances, was recently formed in Redway by Bob Wiener and Ian Hammon-Hogan. The lab could be a catalyst for creating the “Silicon Valley of Marijuana,” that is, tapping into an industry that could spawn future research and testing facilities to document not only the exact contents of medicine to assist patients in finding what strains work best for their conditions but also conducting more in-depth research into the health benefits of particular cannabinoids.
- Regardless of legalization, the laws exist right now, as Oakland has shown, to create legal mechanisms for dispensaries to operate. This, of course, requires the cooperation of municipal and county government. It is worth noting that no official representatives of Arcata or Eureka attended the event, despite invitations, but Susan Orlenas, an Arcata Councilmember, talked about her personal views on marijuana. In particular, she talked about Arcata’s approach to tackling illegal grow houses and legal dispensaries in the city by drafting an ordinance that attacks it from the land use perspective. Indoor grows also are problematic to Arcata’s Energy Policy, which seeks to reduce greenhouse emissions in the city. Overall, she said marijuana is a fairly divisive issue in Arcata and hasn’t been discussed on the council since she was elected in 2008.
How Humboldt County will weather the legalization storm and adapt to the changes happening statewide is anyone’s guess. But what is clear is that the county is years behind Oakland and if the status quo doesn’t change, this region will be left behind. Considering the reality that marijuana is as important an economic resource as timber was decades ago, it would be wise for all parities involved to figure out how to bring the shadow economy into light, and how to seize upon the opportunities that lie at our doorstep and have for the past 40 years.
MORE COVERAGE OF MARIJUANA FORUM:
Humboldt Pot Growers Look to the Future – By Kym Kemp
ArcataTV Clips from the meeting
Medical Marijuana Panel Urges Industry to Seize Opportunities by John Driscoll
Love that quote from Mark Lovelace, evoking Ronald Reagan! Carol(Quote) (Reply)
John, this is excellent piece. You reminded me of several aspects I should have remembered. Thank you. Kym(Quote) (Reply)
“Considering the reality that marijuana is as important an economic resource as timber was decades ago” – not quite yet. Maybe when MJ gets legit and they start paying taxes. Even as of 2004 timber was a 300,000,000 piece of the economy. 120,000,000 in payroll and 40,000,000 in benefits. Know any trimmers with sick days, health insurance, and retirement plans (besides the gov’t provided ones)? Anonymous(Quote) (Reply)
Correction: Oakland did not move to permit 4 dispensaries (it already has 4), it moved to permit 4 massive indoor factory farms. One proposed factory, Agra Med, will be a 5000 light facility producing 58 pounds a day. It is Oakland’s stated goal to produce 20% of the state’s marijuana crop.
The imperative is for Humboldt to reclaim its place as a premiere cultivating region. It should be Humboldt outdoor organic being sold in dispensaries around the state.
Indoor is the same no matter where it is grown and 20% coming from unsustainable energy intensive factories is the wrong way to go forward with legal cannabis. Liz(Quote) (Reply)