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.