In a proposal designed to keep Humboldt’s economy flourishing, the Humboldt Medical Marijuana Advisory Panel (HuMMAP) is proposing commercial cannabis regulations today to the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors. In the organization’s press release, HuMMAP Chair Syreeta Lux says that “This proposal is designed to stabilize our county’s rural economies with a tax policy that encourages families to stay on their land, while increasing county tax yields. Recognizing that a greater number of small farmers contributes more to our county’s economy and culture than fewer large growers can, our proposal also reduces crime and police concerns.”

Unless Prop. 19 passes this November, commercial sales of marijuana is not legal.  However, HuMMAP hopes to set the stage should this become a reality and set a framework up for medical marijuana even if it doesn’t.  According to Charlie Custer, HuMMAP secretary, “My best guess would be that medical marijuana will become a really huge business if  Prop. 19 fails.”  The organization hopes to help the county set realistic laws that reflect the need of the county to pay for infrastructure and services and, at the same time, help the growers merge into the light of a legal market.

According to the release, HuMMAP proposes that county licensing fees be levied based on mature plant canopy area. They suggest a yearly fee of $200 to be paid for the first 100 square feet of cultivated area per parcel, with graduated fees increasing for larger cultivation areas up to one acre, see below:

100 square feet, annual fee of $200

200 sq. ft. “ “ “ $500

300 $800

400 $1200

500 $1500

1000 $3500

2000 $8000

3000 $13,000

4000 $19,000

5000 $25,000

10,000 $60,000

20,000 $140,000

40,000 $300,000

HuMMAP also suggests that a plan for responsible water use accompany all permit applications, with a countywide cannabis trade association and/or Supervisorial Task Force working cooperatively to encourage compliance, and to address enforcement and evolving policy issues. Non-compliance would be punishable by civil fines.

In her statement to Humboldt Supervisors today, Lux will say,  “As our elected officials, we ask you to pass a resolution to state officials urging them to adopt these or similar standards statewide, in support of the many small rural counties also dependent upon cannabis farming. We also urge you to work with private industry and county agencies to protect our appellation, and to brand values and practices no less than location, so that Humboldt becomes ever more synonymous with healthy and sustainable small-scale agriculture.”

HuMMAP’s proposal urges that in return for program compliance, growers would receive an official Humboldt-Grown tax stamp/certificate of provenance affixed to fee-paid production in various unit sizes. Growers smaller than 1000 square feet could receive a distinctive Humboldt Home-Grown certificate. HuMMAP asked that this permitting structure be put in place by March 1st , 2011.

The Humboldt Medical Marijuana Advisory Panel is a community-based nonpartisan policy group created to foster comprehensive approaches to legal marijuana policy, integrating health, safety, economic, and regulatory issues in Humboldt County, California and the United States. Formed by a public meeting process, HuMMAP speaks for the interests of legal marijuana growers, patients, caregivers, distributors and support services across Humboldt County. See more at www.HuMMAP.org/