California is significantly overhauling its cannabis tax structure, including entirely eliminating a tax on growers, in an effort to boost a struggling legal industry begging for relief. The changes, which were adopted last week as part of a broader state budget agreement, will also create tax credits for some cannabis businesses, expand labor rights within the industry […]
cannabis
Posted inNews
NCJ Preview: Cannabis Issue Rundown, Redwood Curtain’s Next Act
Our annual Cannabis Issue runs the gamut from local government to CBD mocktails. We’ll break down this week’s stories, including Michelle Bushnell’s recusal from voting on a cannabis tax measure and what makes a conflict of interest. We’ve also got recipes for cannabis-infused drinks, spiked with THC, CBD and terpenes as an alternative or enhancement […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Rise of the Cannabis Mocktail
Two long years ago, the pandemic ushered in an era of uncertainty. In the beginning, housebound folks in isolation and essential workers alike flocked to the only certain pleasures we had: food and drink. The powers that be eased restrictions and soon, alcohol to-go was pouring out from those restaurants able to stay open and […]
Posted inLife + Outdoors
Some Coming Attractions
If asked to share one thing for which Humboldt County is best known, most would agree: Our dark skies provide excellent night sky viewing and photographic opportunities. But who would also think of outdoor cannabis? Yet it is an actual thing, I hear. And evidently, the two subjects work well when mixed together, like two […]
Posted inNews
Supes Move Forward with Cannabis Tax Relief
The Humboldt County Board of Supervisors is moving forward with providing local cannabis farmers some tax relief after a flooding of the wholesale market sent prices plummeting in recent months. The board voted 3-1, with Second District Supervisor Michelle Bushnell having recused herself due to a potential financial conflict of interest and Fifth District Supervisor […]
Posted inNews
NCJ Preview: Watson Texts, Measure S and New Year Cookies
This week, we’re looking at the still undisclosed allegations against Arcata Mayor Brett Watson from the perspective of texts between city councilmembers and what it tells us about the frustrations and confusion behind the scenes. We’re also breaking down why local cannabis farmers are struggling in the legal market and asking the county for a […]
Posted inNews
Cannabis in Crisis
To hear insiders tell it, Humboldt County’s cannabis industry can be likened to a small ship in rough seas. Battered by an onslaught of waves seemingly coming from all directions — taxes, fees, compliance costs, COVID disruptions and fierce market forces — the boat has capsized, leaving its occupants struggling to keep their chins above […]
Posted inArts + Scene
It’s Not That Dark in Fern Canyon But OK
The folks who produced Law & Order, Dick Wolf and Wolf Entertainment, have brought a new murder mystery right to your backyard in the form of Dark Woods, a scripted podcast series set in mid-2000s Humboldt County. Written by David Pergonline, it falls into some familiar Humboldt clichés but entertains with well-paced storytelling. When the […]
Posted inNews
Ex-Rohnert Park Cop Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Extortion
The former head of the Rohnert Park Public Safety Department’s drug interdiction team pleaded guilty Wednesday to federal charges of conspiracy to commit extortion under “color of law,” falsifying records in a federal investigation and tax evasion. Ex-Sgt. Brendan “Jacy” Tatum and his former partner, Joseph Huffaker, were both indicted by a federal grand jury […]
Posted inNews
Thieves Are Stealing California’s Scarce Water for Illegal Cannabis Farms
One day last spring, water pressure in pipelines suddenly crashed In the Antelope Valley, setting off alarms. Demand had inexplicably spiked, swelling to three and half times normal. Water mains broke open, and storage tanks were drawn down to dangerous levels. The emergency was so dire in the water-stressed desert area of Hi Vista, between […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Some Pig
Opening the county’s first cannabis consumption lounge without food would have been an opportunity missed. And so the upscale Pig and Leaf truck is installed at Papa & Barkley Social’s patio (4325 Broadway, Eureka), complete with heat lamps and fire pits, on the site of the old Kmart that, I’m told, opened with the fanfare […]
Posted inNews
County Allows Cannabis Growers to Apply for Tax Refunds in Wake of Court Ruling
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 […]