420 with CNW — Cannabis Growers Could Be Left Out of California Drought Plan
As another record-setting dry summer approaches, marijuana cultivators are on the brink of being left out of a California program aimed at assisting growers while preserving water resources. The plan, suggested by state governor Gavin Newsom, aims at injecting approximately $268 million into paying various farmers so that they leave their fields to fallow during summer.
However, marijuana cultivators haven’t been included in the proposal being discussed to pay growers not to plant anything during summer. The state government is working with the largest providers of water in a bid to ease the rate at which water resources will be utilized for agriculture this summer.
It should be noted that only select areas of the state are to benefit from this drought assistance program. The area of interest is the watershed whose origin is the Sierra Nevada ranges found in the northern region of the state. The program is aimed at convincing farmers not to grow crops, including alfalfa, rice and nuts, which require plenty of water during their growth cycle.
Analysts say that it is unfortunate that California isn’t looking at marijuana farmers as worthy of receiving support at a time when their tax burden is huge yet operational conditions aren’t ideal due to the brutal drought. It is as though marijuana growers aren’t looked at as practicing agriculture, says Mendocino Cannabis Alliance’s Michael Katz. He says if support isn’t forthcoming to the cannabis sector during the drought, plenty of small-scale farmers are likely to be distressed and go out of business.
According to California’s Department of Cannabis Control, it is premature for marijuana growers to complain about being left out of the drought plan. The DCC says the plan is still in its draft form and there is no telling which growers will or will not be included in the final text of the program.
However, the executive director of an umbrella organization called the Origins Council representing nearly 1,000 small-scale cannabis farmers doesn’t take any comfort from the position of the DCC. Genine Coleman says that for half a year, he has been busy lobbying local and state government agencies to come up with a policy on fallowing but no commitment has been made on this issue.
With the first quarter of the year receiving the least amount of rain in the state in recorded history, all the counties in the state have declared drought emergencies. It would therefore be reasonable for all crop cultivation activities to be included in the drought assistance program.
As thing stand, it looks like only established firms like Cannabis Strategic Ventures Inc. (OTC: NUGS) with the capacity to use their own wells will weather this drought while smaller actors in the industry could find themselves in dire straits without the drought assistance.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Cannabis Strategic Ventures Inc. (OTC: NUGS) are available in the company’s newsroom at http://cnw.fm/NUGS
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer
As another record-setting dry summer approaches, marijuana cultivators are on the brink of being left out of a California program aimed at assisting growers while preserving water resources. The plan, suggested by state governor Gavin Newsom, aims at injecting approximately $268 million into paying various farmers so that they leave their fields to fallow during summer.
However, marijuana cultivators haven’t been included in the proposal being discussed to pay growers not to plant anything during summer. The state government is working with the largest providers of water in a bid to ease the rate at which water resources will be utilized for agriculture this summer.
It should be noted that only select areas of the state are to benefit from this drought assistance program. The area of interest is the watershed whose origin is the Sierra Nevada ranges found in the northern region of the state. The program is aimed at convincing farmers not to grow crops, including alfalfa, rice and nuts, which require plenty of water during their growth cycle.
Analysts say that it is unfortunate that California isn’t looking at marijuana farmers as worthy of receiving support at a time when their tax burden is huge yet operational conditions aren’t ideal due to the brutal drought. It is as though marijuana growers aren’t looked at as practicing agriculture, says Mendocino Cannabis Alliance’s Michael Katz. He says if support isn’t forthcoming to the cannabis sector during the drought, plenty of small-scale farmers are likely to be distressed and go out of business.
According to California’s Department of Cannabis Control, it is premature for marijuana growers to complain about being left out of the drought plan. The DCC says the plan is still in its draft form and there is no telling which growers will or will not be included in the final text of the program.
However, the executive director of an umbrella organization called the Origins Council representing nearly 1,000 small-scale cannabis farmers doesn’t take any comfort from the position of the DCC. Genine Coleman says that for half a year, he has been busy lobbying local and state government agencies to come up with a policy on fallowing but no commitment has been made on this issue.
With the first quarter of the year receiving the least amount of rain in the state in recorded history, all the counties in the state have declared drought emergencies. It would therefore be reasonable for all crop cultivation activities to be included in the drought assistance program.
As thing stand, it looks like only established firms like Cannabis Strategic Ventures Inc. (OTC: NUGS) with the capacity to use their own wells will weather this drought while smaller actors in the industry could find themselves in dire straits without the drought assistance.
NOTE TO INVESTORS: The latest news and updates relating to Cannabis Strategic Ventures Inc. (OTC: NUGS) are available in the company’s newsroom at http://cnw.fm/NUGS
Please see full terms of use and disclaimers on the CannabisNewsWire website applicable to all content provided by CNW420, wherever published or re-published: http://CNW.fm/Disclaimer
