By his permission, we’d like everyone to know that our good friend Ken Brown is currently recovering from a recent seizure. As you can see by the photo, he sends all a message of peace.

We could say he is in fair spirits, but he would certainly appreciate an encouraging message in a card or note from any of us. He’s currently in residence here in town at Broadway Villa and can be reached at

Ken Brown c/o Broadway Villa Post Acute

1250 Broadway

Sonoma, CA 95476

Ken’s family is very involved in his recovery and we’re optimistic that he’ll soon land on his feet.

“As we (Press Democrat) noted before the election in 2016: ‘If we learned anything from California’s medicinal marijuana law it’s the danger of passing a poorly worded ballot measure with the intent to fix it at some later date.'”

“…it’s time to declare Proposition 64 a failure and come up with a better approach.”

– Press Democrat Editorial, December 18, 2022

Eli Melrod and Solful continue to outshine the competition at nearly every turn…

Says Mike Benziger, founder of Glentucky Family Farm in Sonoma Valley:

“Most dispensaries want to control the farming. They want to control the distribution. But Eli had a different formula and saw that Solful could prosper by focusing relentlessly on the customer and then developing employees that became experts.”

We know Mike Benziger, founder of Benziger Family Wineries and the Glentucky cannabis farm. He has spoken to the city council in support of a second dispensary in the past. His comment in the PD that most dispensaries would rather control all their own cultivation and distribution (vertical integration) is pointed.

All those legacy family farms in our own backyard, in Mendocino, Humbolt, Trinity and Sonoma Counties, many of which have existed for generations, are struggling mightily under incredibly outrageous taxation and regulation by the State. Some have been forced out of business entirely and many others are on the verge of losing everything.

Solful and sparc are competitors in Sebastopol. Solful is intent on supporting those smaller farmers as best it can by sourcing its wares from them.

sparc on the other hand is vertically integrated. It cultivates the vast majority of its own product and oversees its production from seed to harvest to packaging. That doesn’t do much to help the little guy.

And you know what? There is nothing wrong with pointing out differences between X and Y. That largely doesn’t work for business owners, who should always frame competition as manageable, highlight their positives to suggest competitor shortcomings, discover the most effective ways to differentiate from competitors, emphasize their dynamic product lines, and become thought leaders on industry evolution. Some businesses do these things better than others.

But, that’s not our job. Besides advocating for reasonable access to medical cannabis, we’re here to report, evaluate and assess what’s happening in our little sphere of influence. We’re not interested in taking a kumbaya, go along to get along road for the sake of expediency. Bottom line, it matters little if you’re Mercy Wellness or sparc or Solful or Jane’s or any of the other 30+ retail dispensaries in Sonoma County – the truth is the truth.

Congrats to Eli Melrod’s Solful for being recognized by the North Bay Business Journal as one of seven companies making a positive difference in their communities. “Solful regularly collaborates with both North Bay and national philanthropic organizations to donate a portion of monthly sales to that said charity.
“For example, Solful partnered with the Sebastopol Center for the Arts and donated $1 from each sale during the month of September. They had a similar partnership with the San Franciscso Women’s Cancer Network during the month of October.“

It’s a pretty level playing field when it comes to demonstrating social responsibility in the local cannabis retail sector. When one of your main competitors keeps garnering positive press and awards, you ought to be asking yourself what are you doing wrong. Or, what are you not doing right. Social responsibility is an ethical framework for conducting best business practice and taking actions that benefit your community.

Practicing social responsibility brings competitive advantages: increased sales/profits, improved productivity and quality, improved brand image and reputation, employee satisfaction, and enhanced customer loyalty. The better a company understands the principle, the more successful it will be.

This is a message that needs to be repeated over and over again in some quarters. We’ve forwarded this to the Sonoma City Council as a reminder that patients should not be restricted to only one retail outlet in the middle of a cannabis desert.

Dear City Council and Staff,

A recent article published by Forbes highlights a new study conducted by The Harris Poll which shows that a majority of cannabis consumption is attributable to consumers’ desires to address health and wellness concerns. It’s important to note that there are many ways to consume cannabis safely, and many formulations actually have minimal intoxicating effects.

The increased demand for cannabis solutions requires greater accessibility to a variety of products. However, not all dispensaries carry all formulations and limiting ready, local access to medication impedes individuals from obtaining the necessary provisions for their health and well-being.

Key takeaways:

• An overwhelming majority (91%) of adults 21 years old and over, consume cannabis for health and wellness purposes.
• 75% said they would prefer holistic solutions over pharmaceuticals to treat a medical issue when possible.
• 62% of people say prefer to use cannabis rather than pharmaceuticals to treat a medical issue.
• 88% of those who have consumed cannabis as an alternative and/or in addition to pharmaceutical treatments feel that doing so has improved their overall well-being.
• Moreover, 86% of those who have used cannabis for health or wellness would recommend cannabis to a friend or family member for medical reasons.

The Forbes article, “Sorry, Stoners: Most Cannabis Users Do So For Health And Wellness, Says New Study”, can be seen here.

The complete results of the survey can be viewed here.

Sincerely,

Sonoma Valley Cannabis Group

All politics is local. Decisions made by city councils, mayors and commissioners have a direct and immediate impact on the lives of residents in their communities.

Per California’s DCC, 56 percent of cities and counties prohibit the licensing of all cannabis business types.

An even greater fraction, 62 percent, don’t permit retailers specifically, which would theoretically increase demand for unlicensed sales for people unwilling or unable to travel to a different part of the state for marijuana.

The city of Sonoma serves as an example of limited access. Taking the wide view, it’s difficult not to feel that we are being held hostage in the middle of a cannabis desert with only one small well.

17 dispensaries in Santa Rosa. 6 in Napa.

1 dispensary in Sonoma.

Can’t find a product at one outlet in SR? You have 16 other options.

Can’t find what you need in Sonoma?

Sonoma to Santa Rosa – 60-80 minutes round trip
Sonoma to Cotati – 60 minutes round trip
Sonoma – Napa – 50 minutes round trip

Throw in the time you spend online or on the phone, time spent in store, and don’t forget to add the price of gas, or the price of delivery charge…