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 […]
Legalization
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Death, Taxes and McConnell’s Obstruction
In case you thought the U.S. House of Representatives couldn’t impeach and chew gum at the same time, the House made history last week and it had nothing to do with all those quids and quos rolling out in the House Intelligence Committee hearings. The House Judiciary Committee voted 24-10, with two Republicans joining the […]
Posted inNews
The New Yorker Does Humboldt
Humboldt County just got The New Yorker treatment. The lead story on the magazine’s website today, “How Legalization Changed Humboldt County Marijuana,” takes a deep dive into Humboldt County’s cannabis industry, its roots and its future. Spoiler alert: The piece isn’t entirely optimistic. “Before legalization, people grew cannabis however they could and developed methods to […]
Posted inNews
Artists without Galleries
Frowny-face graffiti sprouted all over Eureka and Arcata last month. The message was a buzzkill, but anyone could admire the economy of the streamlined bummer emoticon: two vertical slashes of spray paint over a judgmental upside-down banana curve. The effect was striking — suddenly the city thronged with this silent chorus of bad attitude, so […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Trump, Yeast and the Mainstreaming of Weed
Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colorado) dropped a bit of a bombshell recently on the Cannabis Economy podcast, revealing a private conversation he had with President Trump after former Attorney General Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III announced he was unravelling Obama Administration protections for folks in states that have legalized cannabis in some form. As Gardner relays it, […]
Posted inEat + Drink
Two Arcata Eateries Call it Quits, Cite Cannabis Downturn
The yellow Simmer Down Caribbean Cafe truck that was a fixture in the Pacific Outfitters parking lot has shut down. Owner Patrick Gaskins, who started the business in May of 2015, places the blame squarely on the budget-tightening effects of legalization. “The last harvest season of 2016 right after Prop 64 passed, I slowed down,” […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Farm Bill Caps Historic Year for Cannabis
You may have missed it among headlines about the looming government shutdown and plunging stock markets, but when President Donald Trump signed the 2018 Farm Bill on Dec. 21, he officially removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act. The legislation, pushed hard by Sen. Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky), officially distinguishes hemp from marijuana, its […]
Posted inNews
Top 10
A new year should be seen as a time of hope, a chance to pause, reflect and to set our sights on becoming better people and a better community. When we look back on 2018, we recall times of intense division — we squabbled over land uses, political campaigns, recovery services and criminal justice. There […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Cannabis’ Regulatory Home Stretch
It looks like Fortuna residents might be able to get weed delivered to their homes after all. The California Bureau of Cannabis Control, Department of Food and Agriculture and Department of Public Health released proposed updates to their cannabis regulations on Oct. 19, kicking off a 15-day public comment period that will be open through […]
Posted inLetters + Opinion
Canna-count the Votes
Lost amid all the talk of a looming red or blue wave coming on Election Day, depending on who you ask on what particular day, is the likelihood that a green wave will continue to sweep over the country. A total of 30 states across the country have already legalized or decriminalized cannabis for medical […]
Posted inArts + Scene
Now Entering Babylon: Reggae on the River with High Times
“Every time I get high/ Babylon falls.” It was late Friday afternoon at Reggae on the River and the first live musical act on the lineup was just getting started. Hempress Sativa, born Kerida Johnson in Kingston, Jamaica, was performing with her band the Unconquerebels. At the mic, the self-crowned Hempress shone in a Rastafari […]
Posted inNews
Canada Legalizes Cannabis
With a historic Senate vote today, Canada has legalized recreational marijuana use, becoming the world’s largest nation to do so. Today’s vote means the legalization bill is headed to the governor-general, Queen Elizabeth’s representative, for approval, which is widely considered a mere formality. While Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s initial goal had been to have legal […]