The Humboldt Chronicles: Recent Episodes
Lost Coast Communications
For our final episode of 2022 (we take December off), we took a look at the results of the 2022 mid-term elections as they affect the Humboldt cannabis industry with our special guest, Congressman Jared Huffman.
For the October episode, we spoke with Jesse Duncan, former Lost Coast Outpost columnist, former Humboldt-based financial advisor and cultivator and now the new Grow Manager at Glass House Farms in Carpinteria. Over the course of a wide-ranging discussion, we talked about why he left Humboldt, the value of "The Humboldt Brand", the effect of the unregulated market, and the possibility of establishing a cannabis tourism industry in our area.
The September episode features a NEWS ROUNDUP during which Chuck and Larry discuss international, federal, state and local developments, and take a closer look at the economic health of Humboldt's cannabis industry.
For August, we set out to explore some of the differences between traditional agriculture and cannabis farming. Our guest is Cody Nicholson Stratton, a 6th generation family farmer with Foggy Bottoms Boys farm in Ferndale.
The July episode features a NEWS ROUNDUP during which Chuck and Larry discuss federal, state and local regulatory changes, potential November ballot initiatives and a solid showing for Humboldt Cannabis at the California State Fair.
For our June episode, we take a look into retail operations, specifically the role played by budtenders. Our guests are Chrystal Ortiz and Finn from Herb & Market Humboldt.
In May, we sat down with Guy Raccourt, co-founder and CEO of Papa & Barkley, for a wide-ranging conversation about P&B's operations in Humboldt County and the challenges of operating in an industry that's still "under construction".
For our 420 episode, we revisited a story we've been following since the start of 2022: the dramatic fall of wholesale cannabis prices and the response by the Humboldt cannabis community and local policymakers. Our guests are Lorelie and Dave Sandomino who operate Sunrise Mountain Farms outside of Willow Creek, and Natalynne Delapp, Executive Director of the Humboldt County Grower's Alliance.
For our March edition, we spoke with Lorelie and Dave Sandomino who operate Sunrise Mountain Farms outside of Willow Creek. Our conversation ranged over topics such as regenerative farming, cultivar rotation, distribution and brand management and, of course, the cultivation tax.
Wholesale prices for cannabis have suffered a precipitous decline over the last 18 months, creating severe hardships for Humboldt County cultivators. In our February episode, we continue our conversation with Natalynne Delapp, Executive Director of the Humboldt County Growers Alliance, and discuss a recent decision by the Humboldt County Board Of Supervisors that provides some relief.
Wholesale prices for cannabis have suffered a precipitous decline over the last 18 months, creating severe hardships for Humboldt County cultivators. Some claim that the cost of production now exceeds what the crop can bring at market. In our January episode, we look at the problems facing growers and one possible short-term fix. Our guest is Natalynne Delapp, Executive Director of the Humboldt County Grower's Alliance.
For our final episode in 2021, we sat down with former Humboldt County Supervisor Mark Lovelace, who is now Senior Policy Analyst for HdL Companies, in which capacity he advises cities and counties in California on cannabis policies. Our conversation with Mark included discussions of marketing, the value of the "Humboldt Brand", the tax and regulatory structure in the cannabis industry, and the impact of the large unregulated cannabis market.
Large, well-funded corporate cannabis entities are operating in Humboldt County. Competing with these entities poses significant challenges for Humboldt's small, craft cultivators. Could forming and participating in co-ops offer advantages in this regard? In our October episode, we talk with Nicole Riggs, of the Center for the Study of Cannabis and Social Policy, which, along with Cooperation Humboldt, recently completed a survey of cultivators to measure interest in co-ops. We also spoke with Drew Barber, a member of the Uplift Co-op.
Cannabis cultivators and others at the production step in the supply chain are required by California regulations to use a distributor to bring their products to market. In our September episode, we take a look at the sometimes cumbersome and expensive distribution system within the cannabis industry. Our guests are Shenell Kress of humboldt.farm, and Tara Gurley of Proper Wellness Center.
Our August episode examines the persistence of the unregulated market in Humboldt County after Prop 64 legalization, and considers some theories as to why the market continues to thrive. Our guest is cannabis entrepreneur Chip Baker.
For July, we continue our discussion of the effects of cannabis legalization on the economy and culture of Southern Humboldt. Our guest was Sunshine Cereceda, owner of Sunboldt Grown.
For June, we began a multi-part discussion of the effects of cannabis legalization specifically on Southern Humboldt. Our guest was Hezekiah Allen, a SoHum native, cannabis policy analysist and educator.
Federal, nationwide legalization is a development that will potentially have a profound impact on the Humboldt cannabis industry. And while we've been hearing about its inevitability for a long time now, it remains uncertain when, or even if, it will ultimately happen. In our April edition, we took a look at the state of legalization in the US, both at the federal and state levels, and we took a special look at the legalization effort in Idaho, where advocates are facing especially aggressive opposition from the state legislature. Our guests were Jackee Winters of Kind Idaho and Russ Belville of the Idaho Citizens Coalition.
Cannabis businesses don't have access to many services other types of businesses enjoy. Banking is more difficult or impossible, interstate commerce is not allowed, and access to capital, such as small business loans, is limited or non-existent. Humboldt County government, together with the local cannabis industry, created Project Trellis in an attempt to remedy this imbalance. We spoke with Scott Adair and Peggy Murphy of the Humboldt County Office of Economic Development about Project Trellis.
Last year, the US House of Representatives passed the MORE Act, which lays out a framework according to which cannabis legalization at the federal level might occur. While the MORE Act has not yet been taken up by the Senate, it raises a host of issues that merit consideration as legalization measures proceed on Capital Hill. Our guest is Ross Gordon, who is Policy Director at the Humboldt County Growers Alliance.
To start off the new year, we took a look outside of Humboldt County to see what we could learn. Oklahoma implemented a medical marijuana program in 2018 pursuant to a voter initiative. To help us understand the very different way Oklahoma chose to roll out it's cannabis market, we spoke with journalist Paul Demko of Politico.
The November episode examined the ways in which cannabis businesses face regulatory and other hurdles that non-cannabis businesses do not, and what might be done to level the playing field. We also took a look at the cannabis-related implications of the recent national election. Our guests included Joanna Hossack of LA law firm Clark Howell, LLP, and Craig Nejedly of Satori Wellness.
For October, we spoke with Ross Gordon of the Humboldt County Growers Alliance, Craig Nejedly of Satori Wellness and Congressman Jared Huffman about a cannabis marketing assessment currently being considered by the Humboldt County Board Of Supervisors.
In the September episode, we examined the potential implications of the November election on the chances for cannabis legalization. Our guests included Congressman Jared Huffman, and Jared Moffat, of the Marijuana Policy Project in Washington, DC.