Bay Area Cannasseur: Compassionate care programs getting into gear

By Sari Staver

Compassionate care programs are expected to expand locally, following the March 1 start date for Senate Bill 34, the new state law making it easier for organizations to legally donate cannabis to low-income patients. The law, known as the Brownie... read more

"[Sweetleaf Collective founder Joe] Airone said that Sweetleaf has been working with Flow Kana, which donated cannabis, and the LGBT-owned dispensary chain SPARC, which distributed the products to patients. Sweetleaf has been selling lighters for $1 each at all SPARC locations, which has raised over $5,000 toward the overhead of the program."

Pushback Time

Meet the Cannabis Business Association of Sonoma County

By Jonah Raskin

Call them Sonoma County’s best-known marijuana-istas. Erich Pearson, Alexa Wall, Erin Gore, Ron Ferraro and Dennis Hunter are among the most outspoken activists in an industry that long encouraged its members to be faceless and nameless, stay... read more

"We will make Sonoma County the example of sensible cannabis regulation."

Cannabis companies seek business-friendly rules in Sonoma County

By Julie Johnson

On a cold night in November, local cannabis entrepreneurs filled the Sonoma County Board of Supervisors’ meeting hall for a public reckoning about a legal marketplace struggling to meet the county’s demands. Steep taxes, expensive environmental... read more

"That’s the goal of this trade association: To lower the barrier to entry in Sonoma County so that we have businesses that can compete on a state level."

Glen Ellen bio-pot farmer to be saluted at salmon soiree

Erich Pearson, the biodynamic cannabis farmer who operates Sparc Farm in Glen Ellen, will be feted by the Golden State Salmon Association at the group’s annual salmon dinner on Nov. 16. The group chose Pearson as its 2019 honoree due to the way... read more

"We are thrilled to honor Erich this year and he rightfully joins other Sonoma water stewards including Sam Sebastiani, Mike Benziger, Phil Coturri, the Mulas family and Grant Davis."

Photos: Cannabis Goes Beyond Organic in California’s Wine Country

By David Downs

More and more consumers want cannabis grown under full sun, in the soil, using organic nutrients. They think it tastes and feels better than lamp-grown, synthetically fertilized plants grown indoors. Meeting that demand is a new generation of... read more

"Biodynamic cannabis farming, with its emphasis on good health, natural inputs and cycles, and honoring the Earth, is the best way to grow this healing plant. It’s not easy to grow this way, but it is simple, because it most closely mimics what nature would do itself. The result is a clean, flavorful cannabis with extraordinary powers."

‘Death by a thousand cuts:’ California’s first year of legalized pot is no smooth trip

By Peter Fimrite

The legal marijuana market, so long a twinkle in the eye of the cannabis cognoscenti, has hit hard times in California, where high prices, red tape and competition from the black market have cast a pall over what was supposed to be a triumphant... read more

"If you look at alcohol, you see there is still an appreciation for small-batch products, so I think you’ll see that. Unfortunately right now the regulations are just too much for the smaller businesses. A lot of them will have to go away and come back later."

Cannabis grower rebuilds after devastating Nuns Fire

By Dan Ashley and Ken Miguel

The Nuns Fire started in the early evening on Oct. 8, tearing through Glen Ellen. This isn’t just wine country, it’s also home to a growing number of cannabis farms. A year later, they too are still rebuilding. One year ago, Erich... read more

"One year ago, [SPARC Founder & CEO] Erich Pearson woke up to a firestorm. Flames tore through Glen Ellen in Sonoma County. It reduced homes to ashes, and turned farms into wastelands. Pearson had just harvested his cannabis crop. It was completely destroyed."

"We want to have public access to this farm, we want to have educational tours, we want folks to come here and purchase cannabis one day, much like a winery, so this is a long term plan."

Valley Forum: Cannabis advocate Erich Pearson calls for compromise

By Erich Pearson

The town of Sonoma is sometimes called “the Island,” referring to our slight geographic isolation and unique civic character. The truth, of course, is that this town is no more an island than is any one person. Yet recent actions around the... read more

"It’s time to allow Sonoma voters to decide upon local dispensaries and it’s more than time for politicians and signature seekers to find the middle ground on an issue that most of Sonoma County has worked so hard to manage."