Posted on 05/11/2017 9:58:32 AM PDT by Oldeconomybuyer
The grapevines that line rolling hillsides and sweeping valleys in Northern California’s wine country have become iconic – a symbol of the region’s rustic charm that helped California earn its reputation as a world-class wine and food destination.
But winegrapes have new competition: weed.
California’s legalization of recreational marijuana has led to the beginning of a major transformation of wine country. It’s been just seven months, but already investors are snapping up property where wine was once produced. Vineyard operators are developing expertise in cannabis cultivation. New, specialty marijuana businesses are sprouting up in Sonoma and Mendocino counties. And farmers who have long made a good living by growing and harvesting winegrapes are expressing interest in diversifying with marijuana.
“As a sustainable farmer, you have to be willing to change with the market, and with crops that are profitable,” said Steve Dutton, president of the Sonoma County Farm Bureau.
Farmers, outside investors and cannabis entrepreneurs see the landscape of California’s North Coast changing before their eyes. Their opportunities are particularly ripe in the fertile soils of rural Sonoma, Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity counties.
“I think that cannabis and wine have amazing potential for a symbiotic relationship, and the reason this region is used for that production is the soil and the air and the unbelievable ecological qualities that we have up here in Northern California that are unique to the world,” said Amanda Reiman, community manager for Flow Kana, which recently bought the flagship Fetzer Vineyards winery property where the label got its start.
Poseidon Asset Management, a San Francisco-based hedge fund specializing in cannabis, was the lead investor for the $3.5 million purchase.
(Excerpt) Read more at sacbee.com ...
In Ca, starting THIS year, it is legal for every adult (up to two per household) to grow 6 plants to maturity and to harvest/keep the proceeds of that grow.
It is also legal to carry and gift up to one ounce at a time to any other adult.
Six mature plants grown outdoors, in the soil, can produce up to 20 pounds of trimmed, clean marijuana buds.
There will be NO MARKET.
Why steal that which is free and has no market?
That’s the best aspect of these new laws. It kills BOTH the black market/crime element, but also the retail business.
The very same framework applies in Nevada.
ALL the money has been taken out of it. It’s like growing tomatoes.
Nope, just easy pickens to hit a grower with a million bucks worth of weed that will fit in the back of your pick-up, We’re going to see a lot of growers get hit, and with it, a lot of bodies. During harvest time, you don’t go hunting or fishing up in NF or BLM land. Nothing like coming around a corner on a mountain dirt road, to see three fellows with 12’s aimed at your jeep!!
Either way, there’ll be some serious ‘weed wars’ for dominance.
Legal-weed wars are no more to be feared than Miller Vs. Bud* wars. *no pun intended
that’s where the loonies in Oregon screwed up.
Only a few, legal and licensed growers. Keeps the price/value high.
In CA and NV all adults can grown their own. The price of weed in CA will drop from $4k per pound to $50. Not even enough to justify new locks on your gate.
Please explain how you came to this conclusion.
“New, specialty marijuana businesses are sprouting up in Sonoma and Mendocino counties*.”
Nothing “new” about it, been going on since the 60’s. Now it’s just out in the open.
You are correct. Just add Humboldt county as the leader in marijuana growing, harvesting and selling it.
*One of long time friends grew up in Willets. We became friends of her great parents and often stopped to buy them lunch or be treated to a great lunch of salmon and legal local deer.
On one trip to the Oregon coast, my wife commented to our lunch hosts about all the neat little artsy shops in town and all the new SUVs and luxury cars.
The rest of California was in one of its recessions, and she asked innocently what was driving the local economy.
Our friend’s father, snorted, laughed and told us to breath as little as possible as we were leaving town until we got out of town. His wife told him, SSSHH!
As we were leaving my wife asked what he meant. I explained, what our friend’s father meant, to her.
BOL! The corporations, you cited probably had business plans approved by the Clintoons to do what you cited.
BOL! “ALL the money has been taken out of it. It’s like growing tomatoes.”
This weekend, my wife with me doing the planting of her annual 6 tomato plants in her metal horse/cattle watering troughs filled with fresh soil and our own fresh compost.
We eat a lot of tomatos each year.
So, now we could plant 12 other plants legally with those tomatos.
“I don’t want these stoned idiots on road.”
Alcohol is legal & there are drunk drivers on the road. What’s the difference?
If someone is driving stoned, arrest them as you would a drunk driver.
From what I’ve seen, marijuana is less dangerous than alcohol. I’m referring to drunkenness, not drinking in moderation.
“Smooth, fruity, with notes of oak and cinnamon. Pairs well with chocolate brownies. Have a large bag of cheetos for more great tasting!”
I wasn’t eluding to ‘30s style bootlegger chase scenes with Thompson’s blazing away and Elliot Ness stalking syndicated criminal kingpins...
Carloads of thieves will be infiltrating thousands of acres of product on countless back roads throughout the region. Sensors will alert security assets (public and/or private) and gunplay will probably ensue.
In this country (perhaps unlike Mexico) successful businessmen can defend their livelihood with more force than thieves can bring to bear - a lesson that would-be thieves will soon enough learn, and thereafter desist.
“successful businessmen can defend their livelihood with more force than thieves can”
My point exactly. But force, nonetheless.
“a lesson that would-be thieves will soon enough learn, and thereafter desist”
If California gun law would allow for equal firepower to be applied. Criminals are not too concerned with golden state gun laws.
As long as the feds continue to keep MJ on the controlled substances list as 'schedule 1' (no medical use), we will never have a truly legal market for it. Thus the astronomical prices and associated violence (since there's no legal means to settle disputes) will continue.
I like Trump's AG (Sessions), but not on this issue. Trump needs to overrule Sessions on the MJ issue, and issue an XO removing MJ from 'schedule 1'.
CA has had medical marijuana for 20 years. Where are all the shootings?
It’s about the same. Probably the same number of people in % of users abuse alcohol and marijuana. It is not good to be intoxicated alll day, all week, or too often.
There are also about the same % of users of each who do not use to get blotto. Whose lives are made better.
At this point, the cannabis toothpaste is out of the tube.
I wish you were right. The cartels are thinking you are wrong. They are back to investing in pot grows. I guess they are thinking the same people that will pay $6 for a fast food dinner instead of making their own at home will pay street dealers for their hits rather than tend to their own plants, growing, watering, fertilizing, cultivating, drying, rolling, whatever.
Sad news because one benefit of legalization was to reduce the power of the drug cartels. Not only are they big in heroin again, now this.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.