UPDATE, NOV. 22:

Justin Dearwester, the suspect identified in the press release below, wrote to the Outpost to dispute the allegations. His statement:

First, nobody was arrested and I was not in possession of the MDMA. They delivered it to me and [it] was only in the house maybe an hour which was put away in a box that is not easy to open on top of a tall dress behind a bigger box. Also the room has a child lock on the door handle to keep children out.

There were no children just sleeping in the room. I was laying down with my daughter for a nap (the [press release] says 2 children) when I heard my oldest daughter scream and came to check on her and then she pointed to the door so I opened it and was forced out of the house and cuffed but never read my rights or any or that.

As far as the gun I had no knowledge of it being in the house but it was unloaded, hidden on a shelf and nowhere near close to a clip. They thought there was some kind of lab or something which wasn’t true and they have been going through my mail for almost a year now because they said we get too many packages and too many people which doesn’t seem right and was no reason for it. That [press release] is complete slander.

The Outpost has corrected the headline to reflect that Dearwester was detained rather than arrested.

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Photo: HCDTF.

Press release from the Humboldt County Drug Task Force:

On November 17th, 2020 special agents with the Humboldt County Drug Task Force (HCDTF), with the assistance of Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigators (HSI), and the Fortuna Police Department (FOPD) served a search warrant in the 1600 block of Willow Dr. in Fortuna. This search warrant was the result of Customs Agents seizing packages of MDMA being shipped to this residence from the Netherlands.

Agents detained four adults and located five children under 4 years of age inside the house. A search of the residence was conducted and agents located the following evidence. On top of a dresser, directly next to where two children were sleeping, agents located ¼ pound of MDMA. There was a package of empty plastic capsules next to the MDMA. These capsules are commonly used for packing individual doses of MDMA. A quarter pound of MDMA can produce approx. 1500 individual doses.

Agents also located a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun on a shelf in the garage. There was a loaded magazine next to the gun. The suspect in the MDMA investigation, Justin Dearwester (32 years old), is a convicted felon and is not allowed to possess firearms.

Child Welfare Services (CWS) was contacted and initiated an investigation into the safety of the children. Agents will forward their investigation to the Humboldt County District Attorney’s Office and request the following charges be filed against Dearwester:

• H&S 11378 Possession of MDMA for sale

• PC 29800(a)(1) Felon in possession of a firearm

• PC 273(a) Child Endangerment

HCDTF would like to thank FOPD, HSI, & DEA for their assistance with this investigation. Anyone with information related to this investigation or other narcotics related crimes are encouraged to call the Humboldt County Drug Task Force at 707-267-9976.

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The dinner party Gov. Gavin Newsom apologized this week for attending — saying it was a mistake to dine with so many people amid the coronavirus pandemic — included two guests who lobby on behalf of California doctors, the very profession that has been imploring people to refrain from social activity that could hasten the virus’ spread.

Dustin Corcoran, CEO of the California Medical Association, and Janus Norman, the group’s lobbyist and senior vice president, joined Newsom and several other guests Nov. 6 at the French Laundry, an exclusive restaurant in Napa County. Fox LA published photos Tuesday night of the soiree celebrating the birthday of lobbyist Jason Kinney, a longtime political adviser to Newsom. One of the images shows at least 10 people sitting close together at an elegant table, none wearing masks. Norman is seated beside Newsom and Corcoran sits a few seats over.

The two executives “attended a private 50th birthday dinner for their friend Jason Kinney earlier this month. The dinner was held in accordance with state and county guidelines,” California Medical Association spokesperson Anthony York said by email.

The revelation is causing some doctors to worry that both government and the medical profession could lose credibility with the public, just as the state is imposing new restrictions in response to surging infections.

“This is a time when we need our political leaders, our civic leaders, our public health leaders, and our medical leaders to all be speaking with one voice,” said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, chair of the epidemiology department at the University of California, San Francisco.

“If… we have several leaders who are apparently acting in contradiction to what they are saying publicly, that puts their credibility in doubt. And that is the biggest challenge with this, is that we really need for voices and actions to be aligned.”

Neither Norman nor Corcoran are doctors, but they represent some 50,000 physicians who are members of the premier group that advocates for the medical profession at the state Capitol. The California Medical Association has been promoting public health messages amid the pandemic, sponsoring an ad campaign this summer urging people to wear masks.

“Our ability to return to school and work depends on everyone wearing face coverings when they are out in public,” association president Peter N. Bretan Jr. said in an August statement announcing the campaign. “The science is clear — masks help stop the transmission of COVID-19 and are needed to keep Californians safe.”

CalMatters reached Bretan by phone on Monday while working to confirm information that Corcoran had attended the French Laundry dinner party. Bretan said he had no comment and referred questions to the association’s staff, who did not respond to numerous calls and emails until Wednesday morning, when York provided the two-sentence statement.

The controversial soiree is among a handful of events in recent weeks that reveal how some California politicians are flouting public health advice to mingle with lobbyists and others who seek to influence them.

Even as the state put out an advisory last week asking Californians not to travel out of state due to the increasing coronavirus cases, a handful of state lawmakers traveled to Maui for an annual policy conference sponsored by the prison guards union and other interest groups that lobby at the Capitol. They included Assemblymembers Blanca Rubio of Baldwin Park, Wendy Carrillo of Los Angeles, Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley and Jordan Cunningham of San Luis Obispo, according to Politico, and Assemblymember Jim Cooper of Elk Grove, according to KRON 4. And in Fresno last week, Mayor-elect Jerry Dyer announced that he tested positive for COVID-19 after attending a dinner party at the home of a Kaiser Permanente government affairs manager. A Fresno supervisor at the party also got the virus.

Newsom said the French Laundry party followed safety guidelines for Napa County, which was in the relatively permissive orange tier at the time, and said the dinner was held outdoors. Photos show the room has walls on three sides and a sliding glass door that opens to a patio. Newsom acknowledged that he had erred in participating, after spending months telling Californians not to socialize beyond their own household — and even asking people to wear masks “between bites” while dining out.

“I made a bad mistake,” the governor said Monday, after the San Francisco Chronicle broke the news that he’d attended the party.

“The spirit of what I’m preaching all the time was contradicted, and I’ve got to own that. And so I want to apologize to you, because I need to preach and practice, not just preach and not practice.”

Trump’s behavior “is logarithmically more egregious than what we saw going on at the French Laundry.”
— Dr. John Swartzberg, professor emeritus, UC Berkeley School of Public Health

Dr. John Swartzberg, a professor emeritus at UC Berkeley’s School of Public Health, said Newsom and medical association leaders who participated in the dinner party displayed poor judgment, potentially damaging their credibility in a way that could discourage people from taking precautions necessary to get the virus under control.

“When people stop following the advice that government gives, then more people get infected and some people die,” he said.

But he added that, overall, Newsom has managed the pandemic well, and said the public health consequences of one bad decision pale in comparison to President Donald Trump’s actions during the pandemic. By throwing large rallies, hosting White House receptions and ridiculing people for wearing masks, Trump’s behavior “is logarithmically more egregious than what we saw going on at the French Laundry,” Swartzberg said.

Bibbins-Domingo, the UCSF epidemiologist, said she hopes people will look at the dinner party as a warning shot rather than a permit to party. It shows how strong the desire is to talk face-to-face with friends, to socialize and share a meal.

“Those gatherings with the people we really want to hang out with — the pull to do that is so strong during a pandemic,” she said, noting that cases of COVID-19 nationwide are spreading at private gatherings. “But that is what oftentimes leads us to take actions that end up harming ourselves, our loved ones, and then increased transmission for the larger community.”

That urge to gather, she added, is something “we all have to resist at this time if we’re going to keep ourselves safe through the winter holidays.”

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CALmatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

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Yesterday at about 1:15 p.m., Eureka police officers were summoned to Costco on report of a woman refusing to wear a mask inside the store and making a scene about it.

In video shot of the incident by another shopper — see below — the woman can be seen loudly arguing with other patrons and employees about the efficacy of masks before being handcuffed and escorted from the premises by police.

“The masks don’t work!” the maskless woman is heard to say to another customer. “This has going been on for almost a year now! If they work so well, why are people still getting sick?”

“I wonder, stupid!” was the answer.

Eureka Police Department spokesperson Brittany Powell tells the Outpost that the woman was not arrested, but temporarily detained on suspicion of robbery. Officers were told that the woman had snatched the phone from a Costco employee’s hands and returned it only when she was informed that police were at the scene.

Powell said that the EPD is preparing a report on the incident to forward to the District Attorney’s office for a charging decision. Because she was not arrested, the Eureka Police cannot release the woman’s name at this time, Powell said.

EPD Captain Patrick O’Neill told the Outpost that the decision not to arrest the woman was with the consent of the store, which only wanted her to leave the premises.

“Costco management were not desiring of an arrest at that time,” O’Neill said. “They just wanted her off the property.”

Video by “Peggy from Redway.”

During tonight’s meeting, as a part of its declaration of a continuation of local emergency related to COVID-19, the Arcata City Council will consider delaying its ban on disposable to-go containers to ease the burden it would place on local restaurants during the pandemic.

The council adopted the ordinance banning single-use plastic foodwares back in February of this year as a part of the city’s Zero Waste Action Plan to help reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions. The city expected it would take some time for businesses to adjust and enforcement of the ordinance is currently scheduled to begin in January 2021.

But with the impacts from the pandemic and the increased demand for takeout food orders, it seems that local restaurants are having a difficult time adjusting to the new restrictions, which included beginning to implement a 25 cent fee for some disposable containers to encourage customers to bring their own reusable ones.

“Between September and October 2020, City staff contacted 71 food service establishments to gain an understanding of their current implementation of the Ordinance and challenges they have experienced to date,” the city staff report states.  Many businesses have switched most of their single use foodware to a fiber based compostable alternative. However, none had begun charging the $0.25 fee, and those who provided feedback to staff believed the enforcement date is too soon given the additional burden it would place on establishments and customers during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Another issue with encouraging customers to bring their own reusable containers during the pandemic is it would require additional sanitation and handwashing steps, in order to comply with current protocols established by Humboldt County Environmental Health.

Because of these extra complications, the city staff is recommending that the council delay the enforcement of the ordinance until July 2021. 

“City staff will continue to support local businesses in transitioning to compliant materials, and will maintain an updated list of compliant materials,” the staff report states. More information on the city’s disposable foodware regulations can be found at this link.

The council will also receive an update on the city’s budget forecast, discuss establishing an award for “Community Member of the Year,” and more.

The Arcata City Council meets online tonight at 6:00 p.m.  You can view the full agenda here.

To watch or participate in the meeting, simply follow these handy instructions from the City of Arcata:

Members of the public can observe the meeting on television on Access Humboldt Channel 10, online by visiting www.cityofarcata.org and clicking on the See Live Meetings, Agendas, and Archives button on the home page, or on the City’s YouTube channel.

Public Comment Participation:

Members of the public may access the Zoom meeting directly to provide Public Comment.

1. Join from a PC, Mac, iPad, iPhone or Android device: Please use this URL: https://zoom.us/j/94554571769

2. If you do not wish for your name to appear on the screen, then use the drop down menu and click on “rename” to rename yourself to be anonymous.

3. If you want to comment during the public comment portion of any item, click on raise your hand on the right-hand side of your screen. When it is time for public comment on the item on which you wish to speak, the Clerk will unmute you. You will have 3 minutes to comment, subject to the Mayor’s discretion.

Or join by phone:

1.*67 1-669-900-6833

2. Enter Meeting ID: 94554571769

3. If you are accessing the meeting via telephone and want to comment during the public comment portion of any item, press star (*) 9 on your phone. This will raise your hand. When it is time for public comment on the item on which you wish to speak, the Clerk will unmute your phone. You will hear a prompt that will indicate your phone is unmuted. You will have 3 minutes to comment, subject to the Mayor’s discretion.

4. NOTE: Your phone number will appear on the screen unless you first dial star (*) 67 before dialing the numbers as shown above.

How to Submit Written Public Comment:

Members of the public may provide public comment on an agenda item before the meeting by sending an email to pc@cityofarcata.org. Such email comments must identify the agenda item number in the subject line of the email. The comments WILL NOT be read during the meeting, but will be forwarded to the City Council members and included in the written record of the meeting. Persons wishing to have their comments heard during the meeting are encouraged to participate in the meeting via Zoom as outlined above.

Americans with Disabilities Act Accommodations:

Any member of the public who needs accommodations should email the City Clerk at bdory@cityofarcata.orgor by calling (707) 822-5953. The City Clerk will use their best efforts to provide reasonable accommodations to provide as much accessibility as possible while maintaining public health and safety.

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Ervin Longstreet is in quarantine along with 49 other men on his unit at San Bernardino County’s Patton State Hospital — again. Because, somewhere at the psychiatric hospital, patients have tested positive for the coronavirus. It’s a frightening reminder of what happened last summer when, internal records show, nine Patton patients lost their lives to COVID.

So Longstreet, 50, a man with a rich baritone voice known to other patients as “Street,” is worried — again.

Like most of the 6,000 patients housed by the California Department of State Hospitals, Longstreet was sent by a court for treatment at Patton — instead of to prison — after he committed a crime that stemmed directly from his mental illness. But the pandemic has sidelined most therapy, and upended admissions and releases. Already, more than 500 staff members in the five-hospital system have contracted the virus, as have about 400 patients, 19 of whom have died.

Ervin Longstreet, a patient at Patton State Hospital who has several pre-existing medical conditions, is a named plaintiff in a class action lawsuit for expedited release of vulnerable patients amid the coronavirus pandemic. Photo courtesy of Disability Rights California.

“It’s like having my sentence modified to a death sentence, because you’re just waiting in a corner for it,” said Longstreet, a Navy veteran with hypertension, kidney and liver conditions. “You don’t know who’s going to catch the virus next.”

Longstreet is now suing to get out, saying COVID poses too many health risks. But here is the twist. As hospital officials scramble to reduce those risks, they’re now facing pressure in federal court to speed up admissions of mentally ill inmates from the highly infectious state prison system.

In an Oct. 23 hearing, attorneys representing mentally ill prison inmates awaiting state psychiatric beds argued the hospitals are violating court-imposed timelines for transfers and should start accepting the prisoners without first requiring negative COVID tests. To avoid delays, they say, the hospitals should even start admitting prisoners who have tested positive.

These prisoners typically come to the psychiatric hospitals for what court records describe as “intermediate,” not “acute” care. They aren’t suicidal, for example, and they are receiving psychiatric care in prison.

But attorneys who represent them say they are getting sicker as they wait, due to “blanket policies” that focus only on the dangers of the virus and not their deteriorating mental health conditions, according to their closing brief.

A ‘unique and exquisite risk’

Chief U.S. District Judge Kimberly J. Mueller could rule as early as Thursday on the matter — the latest to stem from a decades-old settlement overseen by a special master. Hospital officials fear a victory for the plaintiffs could be devastating, due to what Medical Director Katherine Warburton called in her testimony “the unique and exquisite risk of this virus once it’s introduced into our patient population.”

The Department of State Hospitals is a co-defendant in the case with the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. In their closing brief, they call “the suggestion” that defendants should loosen COVID precautions “irresponsible and hypocritical” at a time when the virus is spreading “at alarming rates across the state and country.”

Ann Lyles, chief negotiator for the California Association of Psychiatric Technicians, which represents nearly 3,800 frontline hospital workers, said in an interview that, with infections soaring, “it doesn’t seem to me a good time to move a patient who is COVID positive, or could be COVID positive, into a place where this could spread — and do us in.”

The Department of State Hospitals declined interviews, citing ongoing litigation.

The court battle revolves around a relatively small class of patients. The hospitals set aside just 336 beds out of 6,000 for mentally ill inmates coming from state prisons. They arrive for temporary treatment with the expectation that they’ll return to prison and the psychiatric care provided there. The vast majority of patients in the hospitals, however, come through the courts — people like Longstreet, who’ve pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Others include patients deemed incompetent to stand trial, as well as sex offenders and prison parolees who’ve served their time but are determined to still be dangerous.

But the hospitals aren’t prisons. Patients move about freely. Most sleep in dorms, share bathrooms, dining rooms and common dayrooms.

Jai Barksdale, left, and his son, Amiri Barksdale, during a 2007 visit. The elder Barksdale died on Aug. 5 at Patton State Hospital after falling ill with COVID-19. Photo courtesy of Amiri Barksdale

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Press release from the Humboldt County Joint Information Center:

A local travel advisory issued today strongly discourages all non-essential travel and recommends residents self-quarantine after returning from high-risk travel out of the county.  

Public Health strongly recommends that anyone who travels outside of the county self-quarantine for 14 days upon return if, while traveling, a person engages in activities that increase risk of getting COVID-19. These higher risk activities include:

• Spending time within 6 feet of people you do not normally live with, while you or anyone around you was not wearing a face mask – especially if you were indoors.
• Traveling on planes, buses, trains, public transportation, or other shared vehicles, if face masks were not worn at all times by both you and the other people in the vehicle, especially in situations without adequate air exchange or air flow. 

The local travel advisory notes that COVID-19 transmission is increasing across the state and country, and travel increases a person’s risk of contracting the virus. This follows a similar advisory issued by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) on Friday, which advised self-quarantine for any travel out of the state. 
Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich said, “All travel is risky. That’s been the case for quite some time, but especially now as we see case rates climbing all over the state and country. Self-quarantining is an important way to keep infections from spreading, but the safest thing to do for our community’s long-term health is to cancel or postpone travel that’s not essential.”  

The recommendation to self-quarantine does not apply to people who regularly commute across county lines for work or school or to “essential travel,” which CDPH defines as travel for “work and study, critical infrastructure support, economic services and supply chains, health, immediate medical care, and safety and security.” Essential workers should adhere to their employer’s policies regarding working after travel, and all employees are encouraged to check with their place of work for any policies related to travel. 

To read the advisory in full, go to humboldtgov.org/DocumentCenter/View/90805. To view CDPH’s travel advisory, visit cdph.ca.gov/Programs/CID/DCDC/Pages/COVID-19/Travel-Advisory.aspx. 

For the most recent COVID-19 information, visit cdc.gov or cdph.ca.gov. Local information is available at humboldtgov.org or during business hours by contacting covidinfo@co.humboldt.ca.us or calling 707-441-5000.

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COVID and cannabis: Those two familiar topics were the main objects of discussion at Tuesday’s meeting of the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors.

With the coronavirus, the focus was on the recent spike in cases across the country, the state and here in Humboldt County. The board’s conversation touched on the tense social exchanges that can occur when customers refuse to wear masks while patronizing local businesses. 

With cannabis, the board heard an in-depth presentation outlining some key principles and strategies for marketing Humboldt’s famous-est cash crop. This marketing assessment, prepared by local trade group the Humboldt County Growers Alliance (HCGA), will serve as a guide for future marketing efforts funded via Project Trellis, the county’s weed-focused economic development program.

Humboldt County Health Officer Dr. Teresa Frankovich, who continues to lead the county’s COVID response efforts while staff searches for her replacement, said it’s hard to know what to expect next in this pandemic. “Each day is a surprise right now,” she said.

Forty-one of California’s 58 counties have been placed in the state’s most restrictive “purple” tier by Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration, and while Humboldt was elevated to the second-highest, “red” tier (skipping right over “orange”), Frankovich said we, too, are at risk of going purple if current trends continue.

Humboldt County had as many positive COVID-19 cases confirmed during the first two weeks of November as in the entire month of October, she noted. And our case rate jumped from about two cases per 100,000 residents to 4.8 per 100,000. About half of the recent cases were tied to out-of-county travel, and Frankovich reiterated her recent warnings against large gatherings and family visits this Thanksgiving.

“For us to do well it means sacrificing gathering this year so our friends and family are kept safe and alive, and we’ll celebrate with them next year,” she said.

The state of California has contracted with OptumServe to continue offering testing at Redwood Acres Fairgrounds through April. The company’s specimens are now being sent to a state lab in Valencia, rather than a commercial testing lab. Frankovich said there are some “growing pains” at the state facility, causing turnaround times for test results to range from two days to more than a week.

Frankovich also addressed the recent news that both Pfizer and Moderna have developed highly effective vaccines (at least according to press releases from the pharmaceutical giants). It’s “very likely” that Pfizer’s vaccine will be available for the local health care workforce by December. “We’re planning on that,” Frankovich said.

Pfizer’s vaccine requires deep-freeze storage and must be administered via two doses, delivered a month apart. With two million health care workers in California alone, supplies may take a while to reach the rest of the public. It’s also unclear how long immunity lasts after receiving the vaccine. Nevertheless, Frankovich called the recent developments “really encouraging.”

With Humboldt County Sheriff Billy Honsal on hand for the COVID debriefing, Third District Supervisor Mike Wilson recounted a recent experience at a local burrito place. Two men inside refused to wear masks and were “being jerky about it,” Wilson said. He argued that these men were exploiting the fact that employees aren’t required to make customers don facial coverings. The cashier at this restaurant was a smaller woman, Wilson said.

“They didn’t understand the dynamic of how intimidating they are,” he said, referring to the anti-maskers. Given this country’s the social tensions and news stories of people turning violent when asked to wear masks, Wilson said the duo “didn’t understand how they are terrorizing everybody in the room.”

He said he’s seen two similar incidents, including a pair of “I’m just gonna say it, young white men” sauntering through the Arcata Farmers Market sans masks, blithely disregarding the effect they were having on vulnerable patrons. 

“These behaviors are scaring people away from businesses that really need the business,” Wilson said.

Honsal said most businesses now have signage indicating their mask requirements, but he also suggested that employees need to take a stand. “People need to be comfortable having those conversations, [saying] ‘No mask, no service,’” he said, adding, “If they’re not comfortable with it, they shouldn’t be working that cash register.”

Wilson said the cashier at the burrito place wasn’t shy; she was intimidated. “It’s really unfair that we’re seeing that dynamic,” the supervisor said. “I don’t have an answer to that.”

Honsal said there are fewer and fewer people reacting with aggression or “making a fool of themselves” when asked to mask, and he said his office will issue misdemeanor citations to customers who absolutely refuse to do so. 

Fourth District Supervisor Virginia Bass also recounted a confrontation with a pair of mask-shunning men she encountered at Walmart. She saw an employee ask them to cover their faces, and when they continued into the store without doing so, Bass took it upon herself to request that they cover their faces.

In response, “They followed me around the store,” she said. “They had masks on, but they were coughing directly at me. … People are gonna be jerks.”

Honsal said his deputies have issued misdemeanor citations, and he noted that the county’s Joint Information Center (JIC) “has been really tirelessly putting out content about wearing a mask.” He again urged people to “be bold” and “say something if you see someone inside a retail establishment not wearing a mask.”

Even First District Supervisor Rex Bohn, who has sometimes pushed back against COVID-related public health orders, beseeched the public to take precautions. “Seriously, you guys, listen to the professionals and the science,” he said. And regarding face coverings, he suggested, “Convince our young: It’s not showing weakness; it’s showing brightness.”

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A bit later in the meeting, Board Chair and Second District Supervisor Estelle Fennell turned down an opportunity to continuing serving as an alternate for a position with a statewide government organization. She did so in recognition of her still-undecided and extremely close re-election effort against challenger Michelle Bushnell. 

Bohn has been serving as the county’s delegate on the board of directors of the Rural County Representatives of California (RCRC) as well as the Golden State Finance Authority (GSFA). Fennell has been the alternate, and according to a staff report, both she and Bohn had expressed interest in continuing in those roles.

After Fennell volunteered to step back, Fifth District Supervisor Steve Madrone quickly nominated himself for the alternate position. Wilson made a motion to reappoint Bohn with Madrone as the alternate. 

Bass then spoke up, saying she wanted to hear from Bohn, and Bohn said that while he appreciates Madrone stepping up, he would love to have Bass fill the alternate role “because she’s got so many connections.”

However, with a motion already on the floor, the board instead voted unanimously to reappoint Bohn and have Madrone serve as his alternate. Bohn’s “yes” vote sounded less than enthusiastic.

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Next came a presentation on the countywide cannabis marketing assessment, an 80-page document prepared by the Humboldt County Growers Alliance (HCGA) and presented by that group’s policy director, Ross Gordon. (You can see a summary of the report in pdf format here.)

First, though, the county’s economic development director, Scott Adair, gave an overview of the industry landscape, noting that with nationwide decriminalization of cannabis on the horizon, other communities across the country have begun to aggressively market their weed products. Humboldt County needs to do the same, Adair said, if we hope to protect our “brand” and our market share in an industry that generates significant tax revenue.

A previous request for marketing proposals was too vague and generated wildly varied responses, many from big out-of-county marketing firms, Adair said. So the county hired HCGA to develop a detailed and thorough marketing assessment. The completed report, which includes eight findings and 30 recommendations, has been circulated among the community, generating approval from most local industry players who responded. 

Gordon, in his PowerPoint presentation, said the goal was to come up with a strategic direction and vision based on research from similar industries in other locales, including the wine-growing regions of Napa Valley and Bordeaux and the coffee industries of Kona, on Hawaii’s big island, and Colombia.

The vision for the county as a whole, Gordon said, is for “thousands” of independent small businesses to be able to transition into the legal market, generating fair value for their products while cultivating in an environmentally sustainable fashion. The vision also includes getting consumers around the globe to understand “the unique qualities of craft Humboldt cannabis.”

Gordon highlighted a number of key principles from the strategy, including equitable participation from all local industry stakeholders, protection of intellectual property (including the Humboldt name), quality control, sustainability and a focus on public policy. 

Following Gordon’s presentation (which earned kudos from Fennell and Bohn), Adair told the board that the county’s economic development staff was recommending the issuance of a new request for marketing proposals, this time limiting applicants to local nonprofits and directing them to use the marketing assessment as a framework. 

During the public comment period, a number of cannabis industry stakeholders called in to voice support for HCGA’s document and the strategy it outlines. 

The board voted unanimously to have staff issue a new Request for Proposals (RFP), encouraging Humboldt County-based nonprofits to develop a new cannabis marketing plan.