By Deb Murphy
No real surprise – Inyo County Board of Supervisors approved both the first two retail cannabis licenses and the $8,850 annual license fee at Tuesday’s meeting.
PALS Associates, Inc. and Simply Green, both located in the Bishop area, got the green light.
Nobody suffered cardiac arrest at the license fee, which is more than reasonable in light of other California county fees, like San Luis Obispo’s $22,000. According to Inyo/Mono Ag Commissioner Nate Reade, the high end fees top out at $90,000.
Since the license fee runs from June 30 through July 1 of the following year, Reade explained these first licensees will pay a pro-rated fee based on the number of months left in the annual cycle.
As Supervisor Matt Kingsley said at the end of the public hearings, “this is sort of anti-climactic.”
But, the fun part of the series of public hearings was learning all about the reproductive activity of cannabis/hemp plants. That info came out during the discussion on restricting industrial hemp growers to indoors to protect nearby cannabis operations. Cross-pollination spells doom for both varieties.
Hemp growers’ primary concern focused on the lower value of hemp compared to potent cannabis. With a potential price tag between $30 and $50 a pound, the financial burden of building greenhouses would be untenable.
According to comments made by both hemp and cannabis growers, they’re already dealing with pollination issues. Male plants are generally trashed in preference for the females. So all pollination is avoided. According to Chuck Kaiser, growers want all female plants and no seeds.
Cannabis grower Nathan Lund explained away the danger of hermaphrodites, a rare occurrence that only happens when the plant is under stress. Feminized seeds are available and the gender of plants can be determined once the first leaf sprouts, just in case pollen has invaded the premises, he said.
“We all work together,” Lund said in reference to cannabis and hemp growers In Nevada, he said, hemp operations need permission from cannabis growers within a five mile radius.
Kingsley was still a little skeptical. “You all get along now,” he said. “But, we have to be careful.”
Reade suggested the ordinance be amended to remove the requirement for indoor grows while still leaving the section on pollen control. The Supervisors approved the changes.
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As stated in the story, $9k / year is quite low, and a very small percentage of what’s likely a highly profitable business. Overhead is low and customers will spend on average hundreds of dollars per visit. Think of what it costs to run a restaurant in this town. These businesses are quite happy with this, I can assure you.
David Dennison
Your blaming Trump for the cost of a pot license in California. This state is ran by democratis don’t blame Trump. If you want to blame the cost of a pot license in California is it’s the dems fault. People are leaving here like crazy taxes are to high.
Who the hell is blaming trump for the cost of a pot license?…what I was saying is,this is the NEW America…where money means all…the Government wants more so they can either waste more,or try to get more to build an imaginary wall…which they’re not going to get….at least with the wall…
BobK….My hatred for trump isn’t too different than the other 63 % of America….for a flurry of reasons, the main one being how he’s making this Country the laughing-stock of the world,and also the least respected country in the world too…as far as California being over taxed and over valued,what I like to say is if people feel that way…..move…maybe leaving more empty space along the creeks and in the campgrounds if they did.
63% where did u get that # ??
If you dont like USA and Trump Move
Well,”trout junkie”,his latest approval rating sits at 37 %…even lower in some polls…and dropping..about the only ones left that support (worship) him are those that see him as the Knight in shining armor,unable to stand on their own two feet,needing a trump to show them how to put one foot in front of the other,riding in to save the day from the big bad “caravan”,MS-13 gang members and hundreds of terrorists daily storming the border… and the “fake news”…I sometimes wonder how they,the trump worshipers, survived before trump came along with his daily lies,making THEM,those that voted for him look like the fools…my thought is,maybe those that worship trump should do the moving to the red States down to the deep south,where in many cases your Wife is also your Sister….trump got blasted here in California in the 2016 election.
Hey People, (mostly Lo Inyo) you live in Ca. Everything is over taxed and over valued. Why are you blaming Trump for this one, David?
Agree 100% w Bob K….
If they make the fees too high, people will just continue to buy from their friendly neighborhood pot seller who isn’t licensed. If you want to profit from the legalization of this, you better not be too greedy.
Which outdoor cannabis cultivation plot, in Inyo County, are they worried about contaminating? Don’t they realize?: #1 Inyo doesn’t have any approved cannabis (MJ) cultivators and #2 MJ cultivation outdoors in CA is limited to one acre. Hemp can be planted on thousands of acres. Seems to me, you would want to limit MJ to the indoor arena and hemp to the outdoor acreage. Once again, I see a trend of backwards thinking from leaders who have no idea what they are talking about and remain in the dark while making important financial decisions for our rural community.
Everyone’s an expert now…
When will it turn recreational so anyone can go in?
Almost 9 grand a year just for a license? I’m not particularly interested in their products but this sounds like a government rip off. And just because other cites/counties may charge more doesn’t make it right.
Charles O.Jones…..Welcome to the “new” America……trump’s America…it’s all about the $$$$ now,even more-so than before…the Government needs more money so they can waste more…you can be a liar on a daily basis,have no morals what-so-ever, and still have 38 % of the population worship the ground you walk on….and with this $9 K per year charged to these pot-shops,it’ll just be passed on to those that purchase,the same as with trump’s tariffs….still can’t understand why anyone would buy from any expensive pot store when you can get just-as-good,if not better weed with a phone call and a short drive away…
David Dennison aka Low Inyo aka Low Boy, you are all over the place with that comment, man. One thing you never stray from is your hatred for Trump, get over it, Trump is the president. SHEESH.
…not my president…
they cant help it. . They need the money for their pension Accounts.
Many of the ”old school” crowd may not like this but this was the right decision. To them I say there are a lot of very good, hard working and responsible people out there who smoke pot and nothing else, just pot. A lot more than you know. It is far less harmful than cigarettes, chewing tobacco and alcohol, not to mention the pharmaceutical drugs which are probably the most harmful, more addictive with even more harsh side effects.
Good job Inyo County Supes!