Hi,
Honorable supervisors
Some observations,
I recently finished attended a trade show in Pam Springs and then shortly after The Emerald Cup Awards in Hollywood.
In Palm Springs I was elected by the Mendocino Cannabis Assoc. to represent the small farmers of Mendocino County. During this 2 day convention the I had at least a dozen people in the industry come to me directly and mention how they “felt bad for the operators of Mendocino county and how county policy and Cannabis departments treatment of us operators was terrible” How tragic it was that Mendocino county created such bureaucracy that it ruined the culture and vitality of what was once a thriving industry into a crippled fraction of what it could be. Overall reaction was our counties policies drove most operators out in the last few years. I was very surprised by all these comments. But most would say I shouldn’t be.
During my trip to the Emerald Cup I got my second award for sun grown cannabis. Proving us cottage growers provide exceptional cannabis products.
Shortly before winning this award I had feeling of throwing in the towel even thought I am good standing permit wise and maybe someday could get some financial help from LEEP, someday?
However, we had meeting with southern California equity operators. In this meeting we explored ways we could help each other as small business. One of the questions they asked is what is our county doing to get the world out about us small craft farmers? Overall, they felt like Mendocino is in the dark when it comes to promotion with chambers etc. and regional promotion etc. We need some pride for our industry from our county reps. Listen to your operators.
Thanks all for your work!
MCA is excited to share some positive information about our local cannabis community.
This past weekend was the 18th Annual Emerald Cup, a statewide competition of cannabis businesses engaged in friendly competition to determine the best cannabis in the State. Dozens of expert judges in over 40 categories select winners from hundreds of submissions. The event is globally recognized as the ‘Academy Awards of Cannabis.’
This year, as in every year the Cup happens, Mendocino County cannabis operators had an incredible showing, continuing to reinforce the fact that we produce some of the best cannabis in the world.
MCA Members Lit House took home several awards, including sweeping 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the Mixed Light category. It is hard to understate the incredible quality of their offerings that were able to cut through hundreds of entries to secure all three top spots. Unfortunately, their Mendocino County cultivation in Fort Bragg is about to sunset, and remove this quality product and valuable jobs from the County.
MCA Members Sovereign won First Place for their Infused Solventless Pre-roll, also selected from among a significant number of competitors. This Board voted to sunset their accommodation districts in Fort Bragg just a couple of weeks ago, which will also force this successful business to relocate, removing high quality product, essential jobs and revenue from the County.
MCA Members Wood Wide Farms won Highest Terpene Content among all 400+ contestants, an incredible feat that speaks to the incredibly high quality of their practices and products. Their Mendocino County cultivation site in the Simpson Lane area is due to Sunset in June, forcing them to relocate and lose a substantial part of their business.
Emerald Spirit Botanicals won the Regenerative Farm Award for their commitment to environmental stewardship, standing out for regenerative practices that serve to heal the world as they produce their cannabis. They also took home awards for Most Unique Terpene Content and 1st place for 3rd Party Certified Cannabis, which means they go above and beyond to have external certification of their regenerative practices.
Other winners from Mendocino include Lost Paradise Organics who won 1st Place for Non-Infused Prerolls, Heritage Hash who won 1st place for Ice Water Hash, The Bohemian Chemist, Greenshock Farms, Esensia Gardens, Sun Roots Farm, Perrin Family Farms, North Fork Garden Society, Healing Herb Farms, Mary Polson from Seed 707, Vital Grown, Sticky Fields, Compassionate Heart, Massive Creations, Dancing Dog Ranch, Earthen Farms, and Peak Organics.
Additionally, as part of the efforts to expand awareness of the value of our community’s products, we were fortunate to have several Mendocino cannabis brands placed recently in The Woods, a new dispensary in West Hollywood owned by world-famous actor and cannabis activist Woody Harrelson. The Woods is designed to fully support the craft heritage producing regions of California and focuses on education and awareness of the products we create here in the Emerald Triangle. Local brands currently on their shelves include Radicle Herbs, Flying Tiger Farm, Arcanna Flowers, Lost Paradise Organics and Sun Roots Farm, with more on the way.
We share this information to make clear to the Board that Mendocino Cannabis IS recognized as some of the best in the world, blindly selected by dozens of experts, and on this foundation we have the ability to generate more awareness and desire for our local products. It is in the County’s best interest to support these efforts to enhance our economic development efforts in relationship to Cannabis both locally and throughout the State. It takes time to increase awareness within the broader market, and we are making great strides, despite the significant challenges our operators are facing locally. We urge the Board to incorporate more stakeholder input into development of policies that will help us harness this potential to the benefit of the entire County.
LADY BUDS at the Mendocino Film Festival
The multiple award winning documentary LADY BUDS will be showing on June 3 at the Mendocino Film Festival. The film traces the journey of 6 incredible women as they transition from the Medical Cannabis infrastructure of Prop 215 to the Commercial Cannabis Industry of Prop 64. The film features life-long Mendocino County native Chiah Rodriques of River Txai Farms and Arcanna Flowers among other strong and dynamic cannabis activists and entrepreneurs, and provides an unflinching look at the impact the regulatory process has had on these struggling communities in a way that memos never
can. Thanks to the generosity of the Mendocino Film Festival, we invite each Supervisor, County Counsel and Kristin Nevedal plus one guest each to attend this screening and the following panel free of charge. We urge you to step down from the dais and join the community to see a different perspective of the direct impacts of the decisions that are made both locally and at the state level than is presented during these meetings. We will have reserved seats with all of your names on them awaiting you at the screening Friday June 3 at the Festival Tent.
Appeals Process
Finally, we were disappointed to not see the Appeals item included on Tuesdays agenda. The vast majority of Mendocino County cannabis applicants are currently in the Portal Resubmission process. Their experience has been revealed to be marked by inconsistencies in how the standards have been applied by MCP Staff; constant mistakes and misunderstandings in communications by and between Staff and applicants; and Staff generated delays in approving applications with minor and easily repaired deficiencies.
Additionally, issues concerning imperfect technology, un-published standards and guidelines that have been misunderstood or mistakenly reviewed, along with reliance on third party consultants or agencies that may have caused applications to be deemed incomplete will also likely contribute to applications being denied inappropriately.
We call on the Board to direct MCD not to provide intent to deny to any applicants currently engaged with the Portal process or through Vegetation Modification until such time as the Appeals process is in place. To do anything else would be to negate the very reason for creating the Appeals process.
We thank you for your consideration of these critical items and are available to discuss further at your convenience.
Hi,
Honorable supervisors
Some observations,
I recently finished attended a trade show in Pam Springs and then shortly after The Emerald Cup Awards in Hollywood.
In Palm Springs I was elected by the Mendocino Cannabis Assoc. to represent the small farmers of Mendocino County. During this 2 day convention the I had at least a dozen people in the industry come to me directly and mention how they “felt bad for the operators of Mendocino county and how county policy and Cannabis departments treatment of us operators was terrible” How tragic it was that Mendocino county created such bureaucracy that it ruined the culture and vitality of what was once a thriving industry into a crippled fraction of what it could be. Overall reaction was our counties policies drove most operators out in the last few years. I was very surprised by all these comments. But most would say I shouldn’t be.
During my trip to the Emerald Cup I got my second award for sun grown cannabis. Proving us cottage growers provide exceptional cannabis products.
Shortly before winning this award I had feeling of throwing in the towel even thought I am good standing permit wise and maybe someday could get some financial help from LEEP, someday?
However, we had meeting with southern California equity operators. In this meeting we explored ways we could help each other as small business. One of the questions they asked is what is our county doing to get the world out about us small craft farmers? Overall, they felt like Mendocino is in the dark when it comes to promotion with chambers etc. and regional promotion etc. We need some pride for our industry from our county reps. Listen to your operators.
Thanks all for your work!
Honorable Supervisors,
I am Christina Colangelo, Cannabis farmer, 3rd district.
I wholeheartedly support MCA on this issue.
We have an opportunity to be THE APPELLATION for THE BEST California Cannabis.
Please support us and help save our local economy.
Thank you
Christina Colangelo
Honorable Supervisors:
Mendocino Cannabis in Los Angeles
MCA is excited to share some positive information about our local cannabis community.
This past weekend was the 18th Annual Emerald Cup, a statewide competition of cannabis businesses engaged in friendly competition to determine the best cannabis in the State. Dozens of expert judges in over 40 categories select winners from hundreds of submissions. The event is globally recognized as the ‘Academy Awards of Cannabis.’
This year, as in every year the Cup happens, Mendocino County cannabis operators had an incredible showing, continuing to reinforce the fact that we produce some of the best cannabis in the world.
MCA Members Lit House took home several awards, including sweeping 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the Mixed Light category. It is hard to understate the incredible quality of their offerings that were able to cut through hundreds of entries to secure all three top spots. Unfortunately, their Mendocino County cultivation in Fort Bragg is about to sunset, and remove this quality product and valuable jobs from the County.
MCA Members Sovereign won First Place for their Infused Solventless Pre-roll, also selected from among a significant number of competitors. This Board voted to sunset their accommodation districts in Fort Bragg just a couple of weeks ago, which will also force this successful business to relocate, removing high quality product, essential jobs and revenue from the County.
MCA Members Wood Wide Farms won Highest Terpene Content among all 400+ contestants, an incredible feat that speaks to the incredibly high quality of their practices and products. Their Mendocino County cultivation site in the Simpson Lane area is due to Sunset in June, forcing them to relocate and lose a substantial part of their business.
Emerald Spirit Botanicals won the Regenerative Farm Award for their commitment to environmental stewardship, standing out for regenerative practices that serve to heal the world as they produce their cannabis. They also took home awards for Most Unique Terpene Content and 1st place for 3rd Party Certified Cannabis, which means they go above and beyond to have external certification of their regenerative practices.
Other winners from Mendocino include Lost Paradise Organics who won 1st Place for Non-Infused Prerolls, Heritage Hash who won 1st place for Ice Water Hash, The Bohemian Chemist, Greenshock Farms, Esensia Gardens, Sun Roots Farm, Perrin Family Farms, North Fork Garden Society, Healing Herb Farms, Mary Polson from Seed 707, Vital Grown, Sticky Fields, Compassionate Heart, Massive Creations, Dancing Dog Ranch, Earthen Farms, and Peak Organics.
Additionally, as part of the efforts to expand awareness of the value of our community’s products, we were fortunate to have several Mendocino cannabis brands placed recently in The Woods, a new dispensary in West Hollywood owned by world-famous actor and cannabis activist Woody Harrelson. The Woods is designed to fully support the craft heritage producing regions of California and focuses on education and awareness of the products we create here in the Emerald Triangle. Local brands currently on their shelves include Radicle Herbs, Flying Tiger Farm, Arcanna Flowers, Lost Paradise Organics and Sun Roots Farm, with more on the way.
We share this information to make clear to the Board that Mendocino Cannabis IS recognized as some of the best in the world, blindly selected by dozens of experts, and on this foundation we have the ability to generate more awareness and desire for our local products. It is in the County’s best interest to support these efforts to enhance our economic development efforts in relationship to Cannabis both locally and throughout the State. It takes time to increase awareness within the broader market, and we are making great strides, despite the significant challenges our operators are facing locally. We urge the Board to incorporate more stakeholder input into development of policies that will help us harness this potential to the benefit of the entire County.
LADY BUDS at the Mendocino Film Festival
The multiple award winning documentary LADY BUDS will be showing on June 3 at the Mendocino Film Festival. The film traces the journey of 6 incredible women as they transition from the Medical Cannabis infrastructure of Prop 215 to the Commercial Cannabis Industry of Prop 64. The film features life-long Mendocino County native Chiah Rodriques of River Txai Farms and Arcanna Flowers among other strong and dynamic cannabis activists and entrepreneurs, and provides an unflinching look at the impact the regulatory process has had on these struggling communities in a way that memos never
can. Thanks to the generosity of the Mendocino Film Festival, we invite each Supervisor, County Counsel and Kristin Nevedal plus one guest each to attend this screening and the following panel free of charge. We urge you to step down from the dais and join the community to see a different perspective of the direct impacts of the decisions that are made both locally and at the state level than is presented during these meetings. We will have reserved seats with all of your names on them awaiting you at the screening Friday June 3 at the Festival Tent.
Appeals Process
Finally, we were disappointed to not see the Appeals item included on Tuesdays agenda. The vast majority of Mendocino County cannabis applicants are currently in the Portal Resubmission process. Their experience has been revealed to be marked by inconsistencies in how the standards have been applied by MCP Staff; constant mistakes and misunderstandings in communications by and between Staff and applicants; and Staff generated delays in approving applications with minor and easily repaired deficiencies.
Additionally, issues concerning imperfect technology, un-published standards and guidelines that have been misunderstood or mistakenly reviewed, along with reliance on third party consultants or agencies that may have caused applications to be deemed incomplete will also likely contribute to applications being denied inappropriately.
We call on the Board to direct MCD not to provide intent to deny to any applicants currently engaged with the Portal process or through Vegetation Modification until such time as the Appeals process is in place. To do anything else would be to negate the very reason for creating the Appeals process.
We thank you for your consideration of these critical items and are available to discuss further at your convenience.
Sincerely,
Mendocino Cannabis Alliance
e: info@mendocannabis.com