Want to Become A Legal
Big or Small Time Ganja Guru?

Tax Payer Paid Government Employees
Will Tell You How

Dreams can come true. To wit: this email would have been one of my wildest fantasies a couple years ago, California’s newly created Bureau of Cannabis Control (BCC) with the support and cooperation of Riverside County (yes, RIVERSIDE COUNTY!!!!) is sponsoring a Commercial Cannabis Licensing Workshop and you are invited and encouraged to attend.

The purpose of the Licensing Workshop in the words of the BCC and Riverside Co. is to “To provide interested applicants with the information they need to be ready to seek licensure and be ready to operate on January 1, 2018.”

Other than a handful of cities in the Coachella Valley, no Riverside Co. city is going to issue any licenses in time so that stores will be able to sell any cannabis by Jan. 1, 2018, but it is a sign that many cities are moving in that direction. Most importantly it is a sign that Riverside Co. is moving forward in that direction and that those living in the unincorporated areas of the County will be able to go into the cannabis business.

Supervisor Jeffries and Supervisor Washington are members of an official Riverside Co. committee looking into the issuance of local licenses for cannabis cultivators, product producers and distributors. Holding this Licensing Workshop indicates just how serious the County is in pursuing this avenue of following the will of the voters in Riverside Co. – 53% voted yes.

It is not a done deal, but the momentum is on our side and the Licensing Workshop is as good an indication of that momentum as you can get.

This kind of momentum is not occurring in San Bernardino Co. even though the city of San Bernardino is moving forward with developing regulations and licenses so that legal marijuana businesses might be able to begin operation on Jan. 1, 2018. Even so, if Riverside Co. is going to do this, San Bernardino Co. won’t be far behind if for no other reason than they will be getting pissed off seeing all their SB Co. residents driving into Riverside Co., buy their marijuana there and SB Co. not getting one dime of the tax money.

No matter the momentum and no matter where you live in the Inland Empire, if you are interested in becoming a ganja entrepreneur of one kind or another, you should make attending this Licensing Workshop at the top of your list.

In attendance at the Workshop will be Lori Ajax, Chief of the Bureau of Cannabis Control along with representatives of the California Dept. of Food and Agriculture, the Dept. of Public Health and the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. All four agencies are involved in the licensing and regulation of cannabis businesses so you will be hearing directly from the people who will be issuing your licenses, regulating your business and collecting taxes from you.

Of special interest to a lot of people will be the opportunity to discuss the microbusiness and on-site consumption licenses the state will issue if local government permit them. These licenses are specifically for the small-time ganja entrepreneur. Whether you intend to cultivate, manufacture or distribute on a small, usually local level, these are the licenses for you and the Licensing Workshop is the place to learn about them.

Most importantly you will get to meet the actual people who are employed by the people of California to enact Prop. 64 and to continue enacting Prop. 215. You will have the marvelous opportunity to meet Lori Ajax, the person who is in charge of making it all happen. I know there is lots of skepticism out there about this entire process, but when you hear and meet Ms. Ajax, you will realize that she is serious about her responsibility to implement marijuana legalization and to accomplish it in a manner that is feasible, efficient, fair, workable and, most importantly, to have it done on time.

You may have seen advertisements from businesses and attorneys running seminars costing hundreds of dollars. Well this one is FREE and will provide the same and arguably better and more factual material than any of those expensive seminars.

At the Workshop, Lori Ajax and representatives of the other licensing, regulating and taxing agencies will present an overview of their responsibilities and how they will be implementing them. This will include information on the laws governing marijuana, the regulations that are being promulgated and how complex the labyrinth will be to obtain licenses.

There will be Q and A opportunities following the presentations but most importantly at the conclusion of the formal workshop, there will be an open house where you can individually seek out the specific information you want to know from each state agency.

This is an event no one should miss – even if you have no interest in getting involved in California’s legal multi-billion $ cannabis industry. To just witness state and local government agencies putting on a workshop to aid individual citizens set up private cannabis businesses is beyond mind blowing.

The Licensing Workshop will take place on Friday, Oct. 13 and runs from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. It will take place at the Riverside County Administrative Center in the County Board Meeting Room at 4080 Lemon Street, Riverside, CA 92501. More information can be obtained at http://www.bcc.ca.gov, by email at [email protected] or by phone at (800) 952-5210.

PALM SPRINGS & JOSHUA TREE MAPP
MEETINGS RESUME SAT. OCT. 7

Elections and Local Licensing Focus of Meetings

The Palm Springs and Joshua Tree MAPP meetings are roaring back into high-gear after last month’s hiatus and will take place this Saturday, October 7. Catch up with the latest news and join in the discussions on what is happening on your local level.

In Palm Springs there is a hotly contested City Council election set for November 7. There are five candidates and I have had the opportunity to speak with them. I will report on what I have learned about each candidate’s position on marijuana cultivation, manufacture and distribution in Palm Springs.

Of specific importance in Palm Springs will be the issuance of microbusiness and on-site consumption licenses. Prop. 64 does not allow marijuana to be consumed on the same premises as alcohol so it is expected that businesses with liquor licenses will be strenuously objecting to restaurants and clubs opening that offer on-site consumption of marijuana. The potential for them to draw business away from bars and reduce alcohol consumption significantly is real and they know it.

We will be discussing what our role in Palm Springs will be in securing the provisions of Prop. 64 that allow for microbusinesses and on-site consumption. Strategies and possible actions will be discussed.

The Palm Springs MAPP meeting will be this Saturday, Oct. 7 at 12 noon. PLEASE NOTE: Due to a special event at Crystal Fantasy, we will be meeting almost next door at the Gre Coffeeshop and Art Gallery, 278-C Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs CA 92262. It is just one door west of Crystal Fantasy and at the end of the small shop alley. If you have any trouble locating it, just ask the folks at Crystal Fantasy where MAPP is meeting. Since it is a coffee shop we will not have cookies and milk available, but you will be able to purchase coffee and other beverages as well as light snacks if you choose.

Although there is no exciting council race anywhere up in the Morongo Basin, there is still plenty of local action to discuss. With several cities in the nearby Coachella Valley allowing or about to allow marijuana cultivation, manufacture and distribution to take place, there will be pressure on local governments everywhere to allow it. We need to shape and help create that pressure in the Morongo Basin.

Although Yucca Valley may be out-of-the-picture now and 29 Palms under the thumb of the federal government due to the dominance of the 29 Palms Marine Base in the town's economy, the unincorporated areas of SB County, which is the rest of the Morongo Basin, are most definitely in play. I am in contact with other groups and individuals that are working to bring legal marijuana businesses to SB Co. similar to what is happening in Riverside Co.

We need to form coalitions with these groups and coordinate strategies with them to make this a reality. If Riverside Co. does go ahead with licensing and regulation, which seems to be in the cards, SB Co. will not be far behind. We need to start working with the County now so that when the time comes we will have already set-up a network with connections throughout the County so that these licensing and regulations can be introduced smoothly, efficiently and quickly.

This will be a most interesting and illuminating meeting so plan on attending. The Joshua Tree meeting will take place on Saturday, Oct. 7 at 3 p.m. at the usual location in the storied Beatnik Lounge, 61597 Twenty-Nine Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree 92252. A delectable assortment of delightful cookies and milk will be available.

Wanda’s Fun Filled Fundraiser A Smash Hit

  Photo by Steve Bee

Wanda’s Fundraiser was a fantastic and fun success!!! With 26 people in attendance, $1,360 was raised to help our long-time dedicated activist navigate through and overcome the economic difficulties due to the death of her husband of 50 years and exacerbated by her ailments affecting her well-being and health.

In addition to being a financial success, the fundraiser was really truly fun. The fundraiser brought together many of our medical marijuana and law reform activists from all over the IE. It seems that we are always getting together on the business of gaining access but never kick back and enjoy each other’s’ company.

The great food at Brandon’s, Chris Smith’ heartfelt and eloquent eulogy to his grandfather, Rory’s expressive song, Victoria Newbill’s ribald and melodic song styling plus the fabulous auction and raffle, made for a memorable evening for all.

I would like to thank everyone who donated items for the auction and raffle and all those who worked to make it happen. It was definitely a joint effort by many of Wanda’s friends and I am glad to have been part of the team.

I would like to especially thank all of you who took the time out of your busy lives to come down to Moreno Valley and help makes Wanda’s life whole again. Thank you all.