A chorus of industry stakeholders and legislators representing “the two peoples most affected by the War on Drugs” – legacy farmers and BIPOC leaders –plan to go down At the steps of the California State Capitol in Sacramento, California on Thursday, January 13 #NODRUGWARV2 Gathering and press conference. The rally kicks off at 11am PST, and every local cannabis advocate who cares about the viability of the industry is invited.
the #NODRUGWARV2 The Caucus and Press conference highlights two specific actions the California legislature must take before the July 1, 2022 budget deadline: abolish the consumption tax for stock retailers and abolish the agriculture tax for all farmers across the state.
On January 1, the California Department of Taxes and Fees Increase taxes on dry weight flower In effect – ushering in the farmers’ latest blow. Prices rose about five percent to more than $161 per pound. Calling the current tax situation in California “War on Drugs 2.0”—the idea is to give a sense of urgency to the issue where farms fail and tax rates purge high-value members of the industry.
Speakers at the gathering, in order of appearance, include Amber Center, President and CEO of Supernova Women; Assembly Member Mia Ponta (District 18); Genine Coleman of Origins Council; Kika Keith of Gorilla RX Wellness; John Cassali of Huckleberry Hills Farm; Chaney Turner of the Auckland Cannabis Regulatory Commission; Raven Duckett Robinson of Community Gardens; Casey O’Neill of HappyDay Farms; Henry Alston from James Henry S. Sam de La Paz of Hessel Farmers Grange; Malakai Amen of California Urban Partnership; Carla Avila of the Trinity County Agriculture Alliance; Carlton Williams of New Life California; and Senator Steve Bradford (District 35). Center will be the final speaker and concludes today’s remarks.
On Monday, January 10, Governor Gavin Newsom chest the 2022-2023 California State BudgetHe promises that he and his administration will tackle cannabis tax reform and better support small, state-licensed operators who are fed up with unfair tax rates. Among those who beat the drum are the leaders behind the Supernova Women and Origins Council.
“It is very repressive. Really – we are in a crisis” amber e center of Supernova Women, a nonprofit organization that empowers blacks and browns to become self-sufficient contributors to the cannabis field, said High Times. “Cannabis sales are down. The whole economy is a bit weak. People have just been dealing with these onerous taxes since 2018 and people are really past their breaking point. They no longer have the power to carry on with what we’ve been dealing with — especially in the Bay Area as well as in Los Angeles. Los Angeles. A lot of operators – especially social equity operators – deal with burglaries and burglaries as a result of the economy, desperate people and doing business out of desperation. People are being robbed, and they are unable to recover from what is happening. We need some rest.”
Senter stated, “Not only has the state fallen short of its promise to right the wrongs done to minorities by the War on Drugs, but it has also perpetuated the regressive War on Drugs 2.0 policies through repressive taxation, which must end.”
Supernova women was behind On November 29, 2021, Auckland City Hall Rally and Press ConferenceWith help from Origins Council, a non-profit organization that represents and advocates for the cannabis business in California’s historic growing areas. There, they dealt with a series of robberies of the cannabis trade.
Inherited farmers are among the hardest hit by the burden of the tax structure. “From the perspective of a small farmer’s legacy in a rural area, this is very urgent. These businesses are beginning to decline,” Jenine Coleman, CEO of the Asset Board, said High Times. These farmers started putting up their properties for sale and moving away. prospective extinction event It has begun and time is of the essence – especially for farmers who have to assess whether to go to planting this year. It is always a challenge to work at the pace of government and politics. Keep in mind that we are farmers – so we follow a farming schedule. And that’s exactly when these farmers face these painful decisions: Should they plant their license or retire? Could the farm be closed? There is another tandem advocacy that we do that is time sensitive as well. An opportunity for farmers to rest a year — to keep their license but not have the cost associated with licensing, including some local tax structures no matter what your crop will look like that year.”
Origins Council represents nearly 900 farmers and partners through its partnership with Trinity County Agriculture Alliance, Humboldt County Growers Alliance, Mendocino Cannabis Alliance, Sonoma County Growers Alliance, Nevada County Cannabis Alliance and Big Sur Farmers Association.
“When the tax was introduced, it was close to 10 percent of farm sales,” Casey O’Neill of HappyDay Farms told the High Times. “With the market crashing, the tax now accounts for up to 50 percent of farm sales. This is unacceptable, especially when California has a multi-billion dollar budget surplus. Farms are teetering on the brink of bankruptcy, and now is the time to take bold action.”
Johnny Casale, a small, multi-generational farmer who was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for growing this plant. Casale highlighted the details of how the dry weight tax affects farmers. “I was selling Huckleberry Hill Farm’s Sunny Cannabis for about $1,400 a pound. Due to overproduction and lack of market access, I’ve reduced the value to $3-400 a pound, depending on quality, and I pay a 53 percent plantation tax at $161.28 a pound. After the cost of Production, I’m in the red. I hope that through this gathering, legislators will see the little farmer as I do – as a rare and wonderful group of hard-working family farmers who worship the land, who are environmentalists, and whose parents and grandparents taught them how to grow the best cannabis in the world With little to no carbon footprint. We deserve the savings.”
the #NoDrugWarV2 The Gathering and Press Conference with the Supernova Council of Women and Origins is scheduled for Thursday, January 13, at 11 a.m. PT on the steps of the Capitol Building, West Side. Please arrive convinced and prepared to apply COVID-19 avoidance best practices.
Living away from Sacramento? Remote attendees can watch the gathering live via Facebook social networking site or Instagram.
