Pubdate: Sun, 17 Apr 2016 Source: Ukiah Daily Journal, The (CA) Copyright: 2016 The Ukiah Daily Journal Contact: http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/feedback Website: http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/581 Author: Justine Frederiksen WINE, WAVES & WEED? ECONOMICS EXPERT ADVISES UKIAH TO PLAN FOR POT TOURISM With recreational marijuana legalization looming, a local economic expert advised Mendocino County business leaders Friday to position the area to become known for "wine, food and weed." With recreational marijuana legalization looming, a local economic expert advised Mendocino County business leaders Friday to position the area to become known for "wine, food and weed." "Because if you don't, someone else will," Robert Eyler, economics professor at Sonoma State University and director of the Center for Regional Economic Analysis, told the group gathered at the Ukiah Valley Conference Center April 15 for the 2016 Agriculture Business Coalition Economic Outlook. "People will be looking for a place to eat five-star food, drink five-star wine and smoke five-star weed," Eyler continued, explaining that Mendocino County could easily become that place, as long as it planned ahead and got in front of the wave. The wave he was referring to, of course, is the pending statewide legalization of recreational marijuana, an issue that many expect to come before voters again soon. However, Eyler said the recent passage of a $15 state minimum wage, completed in lightning-fast fashion by legislative standards, could foreshadow what will happen with marijuana. "There's a lot less talk about putting marijuana on the ballot now," Eyler said. "They may decide after the success with the minimum wage increase that they didn't need to put it before the voters." And once recreational marijuana becomes legal, Eyler said, a thriving underground industry may become day-lighted overnight. "Then the question is, can Mendocino become to weed what Napa became to wine?" Eyler said. "Because if it doesn't get ahead of the curve, it's going to get left behind." While it wasn't clear if any local tourism officials attended Eyler's talk, Ukiah Mayor Steve Scalmanini and City Council member Kevin Doble were in the audience. Scalmanini said tourism in general, not necessarily pot tourism, is definitely on the city of Ukiah's radar lately as the City Council is preparing to have its third discussion Wednesday regarding whether it wants to pay to have a feasibility study done for a higher-end downtown hotel. Attracting businesses and industry of almost any kind is a near-constant goal for Ukiah and Mendocino County, and Eyler asked the group Friday if it felt that the relatively low housing costs in the area is enough to attract businesses to the area. Most felt that it wasn't quite enough, since Ukiah and other Mendocino County cities still don't have many of the amenities that cities in Sonoma County can offer. Eyler then pointed to Healdsburg, and how that city, which has a smaller population than Ukiah, recently had two companies, one with 100 employees and one with 200, relocate there because of the quality of life it offered. "You can provide the same quality of life," Eyler said, likely referring to a rural area surrounded by vineyards and recreational opportunities like the Russian River and hiking. "I disagree with us having the same quality of life," said Ross Liberty, founder of Factory Pipe. "Visitors come here and see 'The Walking Dead' homeless we have and don't want to move here." Other attendees pointed to the lack of housing and inadequate broadband infrastructure as definite reasons why businesses would not want to locate here. As if to provide one more incentive for action, Eyler pointed out that neighboring Lake County might be perfectly poised to attract the new wave of tourism as well. "Lake County is the biggest question in California right now," he said. "Whether it will evolve socially and culturally, or de-evolve." - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom