LOCAL NEWS

CALIFORNIA

E-40, CHANNEL TRES TO HEADLINE 2022 EMERALD CUP HARVEST BALL

This year’s Emerald Cup Harvest Ball is shaping up to be especially lit. Taking place Dec. 10-11 at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds, the two-day festival and gathering will be headlined by performances from two seminal California rappers: Vallejo’s E-40 and Compton’s Channel Tres. Prepare for bangers, bars and blunts galore! Packed across two music stages, the talent scheduled to appear over the weekend also includes Kamaiyah, Lee Fields, Arise Roots, Canabliss and many more. In addition to top-notch entertainment, the 19th annual Emerald Cup will continue its legacy of showcasing the state’s finest Cannabis at the peak of harvest season. Educational components include Emerald Cup Sessions with special speakers on topics ranging from psilocybin to social equity to regenerative farming practices. Growing from humble origins to become a landmark event on every Cannabis cultivator’s calendar, founder Tim Blake acknowledged in a press release that the marriage of music and weed at the 2022 Emerald Cup Harvest Ball simply makes sense. “Music and Cannabis have been intertwined throughout the history of the Cup,” Blake said. “We’re excited to announce this year’s musical line-up, featuring some of the hottest acts to discover – old and new.”

CANNABIS BECOMES THE THIRD-MOST VALUABLE CROP IN SONOMA COUNTY

For decades, grapes have served as the undisputed star of Sonoma County’s annual crop reports. Overtaking milk as the region’s cash cow in 1987, Sonoma’s Press Democrat notes that wine grapes have seen their cash value increase by 607% in the years since. But in 2021, Cannabis earned a seat at the table to the tune of $123 million annual cash value. A staggering figure, it’s a number made all the more impressive in light of the revelation that this sum doesn’t even include hemp products – as they are now legal under federal law. In total, these figures make Cannabis the third most valuable crop in Sonoma County, just barely losing to milk production for second place. Notably, Sonoma County’s report arrives as growers and local industry players continue to urgently call on lawmakers for more support and less punitive tax structures amidst mounting economic and environmental challenges. Though grapes still remain top dog in Sonoma County, the time to recognize a new peer in the field has clearly arrived.

“BY 2021, CANNABIS EARNED A SEAT AT THE TABLE TO THE TUNE OF $123 MILLION ANNUAL CASH VALUE.”

CA VOTERS APPROVE NEW CANNABIS RETAIL BALLOT MEASURES, UPHOLD FLAVORED TOBACCO BAN

Last month, weed once again did well on the ballot in California as a dozen local measures intended to either create or expand retail Cannabis markets were approved by voters. In Los Angeles, a measure to implement a tax on Cannabis businesses in unincorporated areas easily passed. Meanwhile, residents of San Diego County also opted to give their approval to a new tax measure, which will seek to expand the number of legal retail Cannabis establishments available in the country’s fifth-most-populous county from its current tally of five. By contrast, similar measures were unsuccessful in six other municipalities, including Hermosa Beach, reflecting the divides that continue to exist even within the pro-pot confines of California. Meanwhile, at the statewide level, voters upheld a 2020 ban on flavored tobacco products that now looks likely to go into effect in the near future. Delayed for two years thanks to a tobacco industry-supported referendum that qualified for the 2022 ballot, Prop. 31’s success offers a clear sign of the public’s concern on the subject overall.

NEW LAWSUITS ALLEGE OVERSTATED THC LEVELS IN CALIFORNIA PREROLLS

Where’s the THC?

That’s what two displeased customers of California pre-roll brand Jeeter are asking in a new lawsuit filed in October. The filing accuses Jeeter’s parent company, DreamFields Brands, Inc., of exaggerating the THC content in its prerolls. According to plaintiffs Jasper Centeno and Blake Wilson, independent tests confirmed lower than advertised levels of THC in Jeeter prerolls. Per state law, all Cannabis products must be tested and subsequently clearly labeled with information on their THC content. Additionally, if tested, the resulting THC content (listed in either milligrams or as a percentage) must be within 10% of what the label says to be in legal compliance. In a statement provided to CNN, a representative for Jeeter decried the allegations as false. “However baseless and ridiculous these claims are,” the statement read in part, “we take them very seriously and look forward to the truth coming to light.” Per reporting from WeedWeek, recent tests on Jeeter pre-rolls revealed Jeeter products labeled as containing 46% THC actually contained as little as 23-27% of the compound. On Nov. 9, a similar lawsuit was also filed against pre-roll brand King Roll.

PHOTO BY ADOBE STOCK