Challenge and Opportunity in CA Cannabis Industry

With California Ag Today, I’m Haylie Shipp. This is the Ag Information Network.

Well I’m going a little different direction today with a few cannabis headlines that have caught my eye here in the Golden State.

The first, from Reuters, is identifying a gap in the industry: there is no help when disaster strikes! They report that small-scale cannabis farmers in California are shutting down operations, overwhelmed by crop losses from severe wildfires and plummeting prices. They go on to report that unlike traditional crops, cannabis cultivators are ineligible for government financial assistance for weather-related damages, as cannabis remains classified as a controlled substance at the federal level. Read the full article here: https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2024/08/20/789120.htm

In the meantime, news coverage from Marijuana Moment tells that California senators have moved forward with an Assembly-approved bill that would permit regulators to grant a new license, enabling small-scale marijuana growers to sell their products directly to consumers at state-run farmers markets and other temporary events. The legislation unanimously passed by the Senate Appropriations Committee with a 4-0 vote last week. Get more here: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/california-senators-approve-bill-to-let-marijuana-growers-sell-directly-to-consumers-at-farmers-markets/