Marijuana

Local cannabis farmers say plummeting wholesale prices have left many on the brink of insolvency, prompting them to push for tax relief.

Supes Move Forward with Cannabis Tax Relief

By Thadeus Greenson on February 7, 2022 at 2:35PM

The board had previously offered farmers a reprieve by forgiving late payments on bills due in October of last year until May of this year. Today's vote — which will have to come back before the board for final approval at a future meeting — would give farmers until September to make those payments, as well as their second-installment payments, which were slated to come due in March.

Cannabis plants at the Pure Beauty growing site in Sacramento on Jan. 26, 2022.

Gavin Newsom was the Face of Legal Cannabis in California. Can He Fix Its Problems?

By Alexei Koseff/CalMatters on January 31, 2022 at 3:47PM

When California voters legalized marijuana for recreational use in November 2016, it was also a victory for Gavin Newsom, who spent months traveling the state as the face of the campaign. At an election night party at a San Francisco nightclub, the then-lieutenant governor celebrated this “point of pride,” telling attendees that California had sent a “message powerfully to the rest of the nation.”

Sgt. Brendan "Jacy" Tatum walks into the Phillip Burton Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse in San Francisco.

Ex-Rohnert Park Cop Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Extortion

By Sukey Lewis KQED News on December 2, 2021 at 1:32PM

Hanlon said Tatum’s career as a "good and honest police officer" will be overshadowed, adding that Tatum would "accept the judgement of the Court." He said his client wants to try and make up for what he has done and focus on his family.

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.