Puff: Smoke out at the Bay’s best weed events

By DAN KARKOSKA

I noticed my neighborhood SPARC dispensary on Polk hosted a cat and dog rescue event by HDBNQ (Hella Dam Bitches n Queens) Rescue in their smoking lounge.

" I called the dispensary, and they said they plan to have more similar events soon. You can get your weed and a new fuzzy, cute critter to take home and love. It’s a great idea."

A peek inside Sonoma’s first cannabis dispensary

By Sonoma Valley Sun

SPARC has confirmed that its anticipated Sonoma dispensary — the city’s first — will open to customers on Wednesday, April 20 — 4/20, in case you didn’t notice. The 4,000 sq. ft. retail store at 19315 Highway 12 occupies the... read more

"“It has always been my dream to operate this kind of a world-class facility so close to home — and being able to employ local workers who are literally my neighbors is incredibly gratifying.”"

Sausalito receives 2nd cannabis ballot proposal

By Giuseppe Ricapito

Sausalito voters could be facing competing cannabis initiatives on the November ballot. Paul Austin, a Marin City nonprofit leader, and Erich Pearson, the head of a cannabis company in Sonoma County, have filed a ballot proposal with the city. If it... read more

Sonoma County slashes tax paid by commercial cannabis growers, offering relief to ailing industry

By Emma Murphy

The Sonoma County Board of Supervisors has agreed to cut nearly in half the tax paid by local cannabis growers, offering a lifeline to growers who say they are drowning under the county and state’s taxes and fees. Based on county figures, the cut... read more

"“We don’t think it’s fair,” Pearson said. “We still would like to be taxed like any other agricultural industry.”"

Ahead of Emerald Cup Harvest Ball, cannabis growers raise alarm over taxes, regulations

By Bill Swindell

About 30,000 cannabis enthusiasts are expected to trek through the Sonoma County Fairgrounds next weekend for the revamped Emerald Cup Harvest Ball, a celebration all about the plant that has been a social, regulatory and business fixture for... read more

"We’re impacted on several important fronts. Our industry is taxed like no other, we have few retail outlets available to us, the illicit market continues to boom, and we face unparalleled regulatory hurdles. Frankly, what we’re experiencing is a market collapse."

Fearing market collapse, Sonoma County cannabis industry seeks cultivation tax removal

By Susan Wood

Stemming from a threatened raise in state cannabis cultivation taxes, the Cannabis Business Association of Sonoma County and the Sonoma Valley Cannabis Enthusiasts have joined forces and plan to ask for “immediate tax reform” from the Sonoma... read more

"Our industry is in deep trouble. We’re impacted on several important fronts. Our industry is taxed like no other, we have few retail outlets available to us, the illicit market continues to boom, and we face unparalleled regulatory hurdles. Frankly, what we’re experiencing is a market collapse."

Sonoma City Council streamlines cannabis dispensary process

By Jason Walsh

The Sonoma City Council adopted a pair of resolutions on Wednesday streamlining the application process for prospective commercial cannabis operators in the city limits. The council voted 5-0 to amend the city cannabis regulations with changes city... read more

A brief history of cannabis in Sonoma

By Josette Brose-Eichar

My personal journey with cannabis began in 2017, just after Prop 64 passed in 2016 for adult-use cannabis dispensaries in California. After years of health issues, unsatisfactory treatment from conventional medicine, and four surgeries, I decided to... read more

Drought focuses attention on cannabis water use

By Christian Kallen

Cavedale Road is bumpy – steep, narrow, its asphalt broken like a jiggled jigsaw. Perhaps this is as it should be, given that it is the road to the top of the world. “Welcome to the Top of the World,” says Doug Gardner, the owner of the... read more

"There are multiple factors when looking at how much water a crop takes. How many jobs does that crop make? How much revenue does it bring in – to the business and to the county – from that acre of crop? How much tax revenue? I can guarantee you there’s no crop in California that produces more tax revenue than cannabis does."

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Council hits pause on amending marijuana dispensary process

By Jason Walsh

The potential streamlining of the certification process for storefront cannabis shops remained in limbo Wednesday, as the Sonoma City Council pressed the pause button on revisions to its cannabis ordinance. Council members were considering city... read more

"The process to award the City’s first dispensary certificate, which went to the Santa Rosa-based Sparc dispensary in December of 2020, took nearly a year. Since then, Sparc has been navigating the planning and design-review requirements of its operation in the former El Gallo Pinto restaurant building at 19315 Sonoma Highway. It is expected to open in early 2022."

"When the City Council amended its cannabis ordinance in April to allow for a second walk-in retail shop, members also directed staff to find ways to streamline the evaluation and selection process so certification of cannabis businesses going forward wouldn’t be the year-long process as it was with Sparc."