In a nod to 420, the international stoner holiday celebrated every April 20, that seemed odd yet entirely fitting, Humboldt County Public Health Officer Teresa Frankovich posted a “COVID Minute” video today to social media urging local farms not to hire trimmers from out of the area this year. “I’d like to have farmers prioritize […]
cannabis
Posted inNews
‘Crawling in the Right Direction’
Late last year, Sheriff William Honsal walked into a community meeting his staff had set up in Willow Creek to hear from cannabis farmers who’d become increasingly concerned about a rash of sophisticated robberies at grow scenes in the area. Gangs of armed men had held up a number of farmers at gunpoint after scouting […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Cognalyzers and the Greening of the Bible Belt
Roadside sobriety tests may one day include a brain scan. The Government of Ontario recently awarded a $1 million grant to Zentrela, a tech company that claims it has created technology that can read a person’s brainwaves to see if they’re under the influence of cannabis. Known as the Cognalyzer, the contraption looks like some […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Payouts in the Park
As the Journal went to press Feb. 25, the city of Rohnert Park was set to approve nearly $1.5 million in payments to settle multiple lawsuits alleging its police force conspired to steal cannabis and cash during illegal traffic stops. The settlements include $287,500 to be paid to Huedell Freeman, a cannabis farmer based in […]
Posted inNews
An Eclectic Mix
The race to become Humboldt County’s next Second District supervisor has four challengers taking on two-term incumbent Estelle Fennell, collectively offering a diverse set of opinions on where the county is and where it’s going. The March 3 primary will see Fennell, the former executive director of the Humboldt County Coalition of Property Rights and […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Pete’s Pot Flop
For a brief, contentious moment, cannabis took center stage at the Feb. 7 Democratic presidential debate in New Hampshire when mayor-turned-maybe-kind-sorta frontrunner Pete Buttigieg was pressed about disproportionate drug arrest rates for black residents during his tenure in South Bend, Indiana. “Mayor Buttigieg, under your leadership as mayor, a black resident in South Bend, Indiana, […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Bern One Down
Just days before the Iowa caucus, Sen. Bernie Sanders doubled down on his promise to legalize cannabis if elected president. “On my first day in office, through executive order, we will legalize marijuana in every state in this country,” he told a packed rally of supporters. The cannabis world promptly lost its mind and many […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
The Need to Study Weed
The head of the federal government’s medical research agency told C-SPAN recently that cannabis’ status as a Schedule 1 drug under the Controlled Substances Act prevents scientists from researching its effects. “Frankly, we know far too little about the benefits and risks of smoked marijuana,” said Francis Collins, who was appointed director of the National […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
‘A Very Groundbreaking Thing’
Want to invest in a cannabis farm? Well, all you have to do is buy some stock. Santa Cruz-based Goldenseed has become the first cannabis farm in the nation to be cleared for a public stock offering by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, with shares hitting the market at $100 apiece. While the stock […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
New Laws and Greening the Senate
If you spent New Year’s Eve rolling around town smoking joints in the back of a party bus, you may have had a rude awakening after the clock struck midnight. While state law has always prohibited drivers and passengers in cars from smoking cannabis, puffing vape pens or any other form of imbibing, Senate Bill […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
State Agency Recommends Cannabis Tax Overhaul
When it comes to California’s cannabis tax system, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office just sent a crystal clear message to the state Legislature: You’re doing it all wrong. In a long-awaited bombshell report released last week, the LAO recommended a major overhaul of the current system, which it described as overly complex and burdensome. But […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
The Ridgeline Force is Strong
The Emerald Cup — essentially the World Series of California cannabis — was held this past weekend and Humboldt County represented. Hard. Local farms and manufacturers fared well in a variety of categories, from butane hash oil to pre-rolled joints. But nowhere was Humboldt’s dominance more evident than in the best sun-grown flower category, which […]