Marijuana

The vandalized water source where most water thefts occur in Lancaster, on July 2, 2021. The water is pumped into large containers that are sold and bought on the sides of the road.

Thieves Are Stealing California's Scarce Water for Illegal Cannabis Farms

By Julie Cart, CalMatters on July 20, 2021 at 8:06AM

," Huerta said. "So people buy these water containers to store more water." Pablo Unzueta for CalMatters" class="wp-image-193079" srcset="https://i0.wp.com/calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/0722021_Lancaster_PU_Sized_02.jpg?resize=1024%2C682&ssl=1 1024w, https://i0.wp.com/calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/0722021_Lancaster_PU_Sized_02.jpg?resize=300%2C200&ssl=1 300w, https://i0.wp.com/calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/0722021_Lancaster_PU_Sized_02.jpg?resize=768%2C512&ssl=1 768w, https://i0.wp.com/calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/0722021_Lancaster_PU_Sized_02.jpg?resize=1536%2C1024&ssl=1 1536w, https://i0.wp.com/calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/0722021_Lancaster_PU_Sized_02.jpg?resize=1200%2C800&ssl=1 1200w, https://i0.wp.com/calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/0722021_Lancaster_PU_Sized_02.jpg?resize=1568%2C1045&ssl=1 1568w, https://i0.wp.com/calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/0722021_Lancaster_PU_Sized_02.jpg?resize=400%2C267&ssl=1 400w, https://i0.wp.com/calmatters.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/0722021_Lancaster_PU_Sized_02.jpg?w=2000&ssl=1 2000w" sizes="(max-width: 780px) 100vw, 780px" data-recalc-dims="1">José Huerta, a Lancaster resident, sells large water containers for $100 each.

HSU Expanding Curriculum with Polytechnic Push

By Iridian Casarez on June 15, 2021 at 11:55AM

As a way of prioritizing Humboldt State University's push to become polytechnic, the university is expanding its curriculum to include more STEM-related degree programs as soon as fall of 2023. “This is what a 21st-century education looks like: programs where students build the skills to have meaningful careers and a nuanced understanding of society’s complex issues so they can make the world a better place,” says Jenn Capps, HSU provost and vice president of academic affairs.

County Allows Cannabis Growers to Apply for Tax Refunds in Wake of Court Ruling

By Thadeus Greenson on May 13, 2021 at 4:54PM

After a an appeals court ruled the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors overstepped when it "impermissibly broadened the scope" of the cannabis tax voters approved in 2016, the county is beginning the process of refunding potentially millions of dollars in tax payments. In a press release issued today, the county is introducing a process for people who paid cannabis excise taxes under Measure S from 2017 through 2021 to request a refund.

The proposed site of Arcata Land Co.'s proposed 23-acre cannabis cultivation operation on the outskirts of Arcata.

Going Big

Cannabis organization opposes Sun Valley's large pot farm

By Thadeus Greenson on March 18, 2021 at 1:00AM

Humboldt County's largest cannabis trade organization has come out in opposition to a proposal to construct a 23-acre cannabis farm in the Arcata bottoms, largely on the grounds that the project is just too big. "Historically, has supported many cannabis projects before the Planning Commission, while remaining neutral on others," reads the alliance's March 15 letter to the commission.

The county is sending out warning letters to cannabis growers.

Ford Sentenced in Cannabis Insurance Embezzlement Case

by Thadeus Greenson on September 25, 2020 at 4:06PM

Humboldt County Superior Court Judge Christopher Wilson sentenced John Ford to serve 90 days in jail and five years probation after the former insurance broker pleaded guilty to felony embezzlement. An investigation by the Humboldt County Sheriff's Office, the District Attorney's Office and the California Office of Insurance alleged that Ford contracted with various clients in 2016, including several cannabis businesses looking for insurance policies, but simply pocketed premium payments rather than purchasing policies.