Though Mendocino County is noted for its primacy as one of the original counties comprising the Emerald Triangle, stories about how and why this occurred are more intriguing than one might imagine. Economic and societal conditions converged to create the emergence and eminence of not one but two parallel industries-the solar industry and commercial cannabis farming. John Schaeffer, founder and owner of Real Goods and the Solar Living Center has an interesting story to tell. In 2014, when John and his wife Nantzy bought back Real Goods and the Solar Living Center from its parent corporation, the couple attempted to foresee the next wave of emerging culture. "We'd pioneered solar, sold the first photovoltaics in America, and continued to forge new ground with natural building, alternative fuels, electric vehicle consciousness, hemp clothing and permaculture. We determined the logical next step was CBD medical cannabis," says Schaeffer. [continues 1616 words]
Editor's note: This is the sixth and final story in a series of articles covering the establishment of one of the first tribal cannabis farming projects in the United States. The Pinoleville Pomo Nation is providing readers of The Ukiah Daily Journal with a first-hand, exclusive look at the people, the processes and the philosophical underpinnings of this groundbreaking medical cannabis project. Mike Canales, business board chairman for the Pinoleville Pomo Nation, is getting excited. The Pinoleville Medical Cannabis Project, launched in May, is getting ready to transform its first batch of locally-grown, organic cannabis into Prana Bio-Nutrient Medicinals: cannabis-infused medicine that will be available to qualified medical cannabis patients and collectives. [continues 1270 words]
Editor's note: This is the fifth in a series of articles covering the establishment of one of the first tribal cannabis farming projects in the United States. The Pinoleville Pomo Nation is providing readers of The Ukiah Daily Journal with a first-hand, exclusive look at the people, the processes and the philosophical underpinnings of this groundbreaking medical cannabis project. "How do we keep our county's economy running? How do we keep our real estate values up instead of collapsing? In two years, with the legalization of cannabis on the horizon, our economy could collapse. Our compliant, responsible cannabis farmers and wineries are carrying this community on their backs," says Mike Canales, chairman of the business board for the Pinoleville Pomo Nation. "This project is our way toward a solution for our county." [continues 1041 words]
NOTE: This is the fourth in a series of articles covering the establishment of one of the first tribal cannabis farming projects in the United States. The Pinoleville Pomo Nation is providing readers of The Ukiah Daily Journal with a first-hand, exclusive look at the people, the processes and the philosophical underpinnings of this groundbreaking medical cannabis project. Prana is a Sanskrit word roughly translated as "universal life force." It is the balancing and enhancement of the body's life force - - its prana, via the human endocannabinoid system that the medical cannabis products developed by United Cannabis Corporation are targeting. [continues 920 words]
Editor's note: This is the third in a series of articles covering the establishment of one of the first tribal cannabis farming projects in the United States. The Pinoleville Pomo Nation is providing readers of The Ukiah Daily Journal with a first-hand, exclusive look at the people, the processes and the philosophical underpinnings of this groundbreaking medical cannabis project. "All of the founders of United Cannabis have a fondness for cannabis, because one way or another, we started out as patients," explains Chad Ruby, COO of the United Cannabis Corporation. [continues 946 words]
From the bark of the white willow-the basis of aspirin, to the sticky resins of the poppy-the precursor of morphine, plants form the basis for many of the medicines found on household and pharmaceutical shelves. But one plant-cannabis-continues to polarize communities and countries. Despite testimonials by countless thousands who use everything from social media to ballot boxes to assert the medical benefits of cannabis, its efficacy and proper medical utilization is still hotly debated. To complicate matters, the plant's federal classification as a Schedule 1 substance places cannabis alongside heroin and a handful of other substances judged to have absolutely no medical value, making the prospects for large-scale studies on cannabis virtually impossible, until or unless cannabis is rescheduled. [continues 893 words]
Editor's note: This is the first in a six-part series of articles covering the establishment of one of the first tribal cannabis farming projects in the United States. The Pinoleville Pomo Nation is providing Ukiah Daily Journal readers with a first-hand, exclusive look at the people, the processes and the philosophical underpinnings of this groundbreaking project. "I admit that I'd drank the Kool-Aid like everyone else. We used to call cannabis locoweed. Once we understood this was the farthest thing from the truth, the tribe began moving forward. I was one of those detractors, until I saw and understood the entire cannabis story," says Mike Canales, president of the Business Board of the Pinoleville Pomo Nation. [continues 1035 words]
"There are ninety nine things we agree on, and just one thing we disagree about." So states Mike Canales, President of the Business Board of the Pinoleville Pomo Nation, referring to a meeting he had today with Mendocino County Sheriff Tom Allman regarding the number of marijuana plants the tribe can legally place on their sovereign lands. Heads have been turning and phones have been ringing all weekend, as casual passers-by, cannabis farmers and concerned citizens attempted to discern what they were seeing on a two-acre parcel visible from US 101, just north of Ukiah. [continues 1282 words]
Dispensaries Sponsor Seminar About 50 community members attended a recent seminar sponsored by Ukiah's three cannabis dispensaries: Compassionate Heart, MJ's Place and Reflections of Avalon, for an afternoon of presentations and discussion - the first of what sponsors hope will be many future events. MediCann is the nation's largest provider of medical marijuana recommendations - more than 230,000 to date. MediCann founder Dr. Jean Tallerand presented the history of marijuana - discussing the etymological meaning of cannabis and its usage dating from Persia in 8000 B.C. to the present. "Cannabis is the oldest nonfood crop cultivated by humans," said Tallerand. [continues 921 words]
Willits Forum Draws Big Crowd WILLITS - A crowd of over 150 assembled Friday at the Little Lake Grange in Willits for the Mendocino Medical Marijuana Advisory Board's community forum. The event, entitled, "Medical Cannabis: State of Our Laws, Now and in the Future" focused on all things cannabis. Third District Supervisor John Pinches, Sheriff Tom Allman, physician William Courtney, attorney Hannah Nelson and MMMAB advisory panel member Pebbles Trippet responded to audience questions fielded by 5th District supervisorial candidate and moderator Dan Hamburg. Following the forum, the three candidates for District Attorney answered questions. [continues 844 words]
The designated "smoking hour" of 4:20 p.m. came and went last week without a pause for organizers of Saturday's upcoming marijuana workshop and seminar. Members of the Mendocino Medical Marijuana Advisory Board (MMMAB), marijuana activists, local business and non-profit representatives met recently to discuss details for Saturday's event, titled "Life After Legalization: Marijuana Enters the Mainstream." MMMAB is a countywide, non-partisan organization which focuses on an educational approach to medical marijuana policy. Among MMMAB's group of advisory panel members are retired Mendocino County Sheriff Tony Craver, former County Assessor/Voter Registrar Marsha Wharff and former San Francisco District Attorney Terrence Hallinan. [continues 874 words]
Martin McCarthy, the chief of the Hopland Tribal Police Department, probably never guessed where his career would take him. With more than 20 years in law enforcement, McCarthy, who received a Peace Officer of the Year award from State Assemblywoman Bev Hansen, has done it all. He has worked as an expert witness, a training and watch commander, undercover narcotics and vice officer, and helped the Federal Transportation Security Administration initiate new security measures at the Sacramento International Airport. He became the Assistant Director of Public Safety for the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law and in 2007 came to Hopland as Chief of Police for the tribe, after serving as a sergeant in 2003. [continues 992 words]
