The mission of Sonoma Valley Cannabis Group (SVCG) has been to
Please Sign Our Call for More Cannabis Retail Stores in California
We need your support. The cannabis industry must address local control and its negative effects on the industry as a whole and the hardships it creates for seniors, veterans, young people with childhood maladies and individuals with disabilities for whom cannabis serves an important medical purpose.
On behalf of California’s leading cannabis trade, labor, advocacy, veterans, and patient organizations, as well as individual stakeholders throughout the industry, we’ve drafted this position paper to serve as a template for other local jurisdictions in their fight for reasonable access to cannabis. Every industry signature helps, so please read the full text below and show your support today.
Highlights
- California must prioritize its retail footprint to expand availability of cannabis products
- Local Control creates hardships across the entire supply chain
- There are several hundred under-served jurisdictions across the state, of which the small town of Sonoma is one example
- All stakeholders must work together to devise strategies that support wider access at the local level
Take Action
Sign Your Support for Our Call for More Cannabis Retail Stores in California, below.
Position Paper (quick read)
I. Retail and Local Control
Most industry professionals believe California must address and prioritize its retail footprint before it can have real impact on the availability of cannabis products. California’s Proposition 64 grants city and county governments local control to restrict retail cannabis dispensaries from operating within their jurisdictions.1 Not only does local control create hardship for seniors, veterans, young people with childhood maladies and individuals with disabilities for whom cannabis serves an important medical purpose, it also
- threatens consumer safety and perpetuates the illegal market;
- undermines the survival of smaller scale cultivators;
- blocks access and business opportunities to minority communities; and
- creates space for corruption and scandal among elected officials.
II. Sonoma, California
Over-concentration of retail in a few large cities may be of some concern, but there are several hundred under-served jurisdictions across the state. Sonoma is a prime example — a small northern California municipality with a single dispensary serving the city and its surrounding population of 40,000.
Though Sonoma’s ordinance allows for two dispensaries, the city council continues to forestall the process for a second retail outlet. This, despite the fact that the city’s own consultant, HdL Companies, indicated that Sonoma could sustain two dispensaries.2 Why would a city council choose to ignore the expert opinion of its own consultant and reduce by half the options a second dispensary would provide its constituents? Why would it choose to deny the city additional revenue? Why does it support a monopoly of service in Sonoma, rather than let the market decide?
III. Conclusion
The health, safety, and personal well-being of both patients and consumers come first, and should guide every decision our industry makes. When California voters supported Prop. 64, they made clear the importance of replacing the illicit market with a legal system that would grant Californians safe access to cannabis products, while also creating good jobs and significant tax revenue. It is essential that all stakeholders work together to support wider access at the local level and encourage a positive outcome that reflects the will of the people.
| Gil Latimer, Founder, Sonoma Valley Cannabis Group |
| Sonoma County Cannabis Alliance |
| California NORML |
| Debbie Churgai, Executive Director, Americans for Safe Access |
| Genine Coleman, Executive Director, Origins Council |
| Hessel Farmers Grange |
| Nate Bradley, Executive Director – Cannabis Consumer Policy Council |
| Ken Brown, Founder, Bear Flag Social Club, Former Mayor, City of Sonoma |
| Jen Baxter, Executive Director, Balanced Veterans Network |
| Etienne Fontan, VP, Berkeley Patients Group |
| David Wallace Jefferson, President, Burdell Properties |
| GreenWave Consulting LLC |
| Jason Sweatt, Co-Founder, CEO, Santa Cruz Veterans Alliance |
| Tim Blake, Founder and producer of The Emerald Cup |
| Hirsh Jain, Founder, Ananda Strategy |
| Megan Mbengue, Founder, Trusted Canna Nurse |
| Jeffrey Y. Hergenrather, MD, Medical Cannabis Consultant |
| Wesley Hein, Head of Government Relations, Mammoth Distribution |
| Josette Brose-Eichar, Member, Sonoma Valley Cannabis Group, Owner, Lavender Floral Design |
| Van Solkov, Founder, Happy Travelers Tours, Inc. |
| Dustin Gibbens, Co-Founder, 965 Solutions |
| Brian Applegarth, Founder, The Cannabis Trail |
| Matt Grimshaw, President & Co-Founder, MGTV Inc (cannabis media) |
| Lenny Clayburg, Founder, Condor Grown |
| Michael Jay Green, Individual/Member, Veterans Action Council |
| Yarrow Lee Kubrin, Individual |
| Perri Ellis Paniagua, Resident of Sonoma for 33 years |
| Annie Holman, CEO, THE GALLEY |
| Chad Beverly, President, Cush |
| Keenan Soares, Co-Founder, CannDev |
| Mike Bruno, Founder, Golden Ocean Solutions |
| Nate Landau, Co-founder and COO, Snowtill |
| Donna Petraitis Fontan, Individual |
| Shona Levana Gochenaur, CEO, Axis of Love SF |
| Cannabis Jew Magazine |
| Brian Dombrowski, Cannabis/Hemp Industry Advisor |
| Micah Anderson, CEO & Co Founder, Leef Brands |
| DeVonne Hart, CEO & Owner, Santa Rosa Garden Supply |
| William Graham, CEO and Founder, Pure Food Gardening dba Microclone Tissue Culture/Tangent Bioscience |
| Victor Trujillo, CEO, Tru Invest Inc |
| Sarah Shrader, Americans for Safe Access, Sonoma County Chapter |
| Chris Anderson, Founder/CEO, Redwood Roots Family Inc. |
| Horst Legal Counsel, PC |
| Terry Patton, Founder & Chairman, CannaTrac |
| Carl Saling, CEO, HighDay |
| Wyatt Hahn, Founder & CEO, Pluggi |
To: The Honorable Members of the Sonoma City Council
Cc: Mr. David Guhin, City Manager, City of Sonoma
