March 6th 2025 Newsletter - Equity Grants part 2 STATE SHOWERS MORE $$$ ON SONOMA COUNTY CANNABIS INDUSTRY
March 6, 2025
STATE SHOWERS MORE $$$ ON SONOMA COUNTY CANNABIS INDUSTRY
The Cannabis Equity Grant is a consent item on the Board of Supervisors Agenda for March 11th. The consent calendar includes routine financial and administrative actions. They are usually approved as a package with a single majority vote. There will be no discussion on these items prior to voting on the motion unless Board Members or the public request specific items be discussed and/or removed from the Consent Calendar.
This is the second gusher of cash from the state, in which Sonoma County will receive $558,102, and illustrates why California has a $68 billion budget shortfall.
The first round handouts of $635,000, described in our September Newsletter, was a fiasco with awards going to the most successful and influential people in the County’s legal cannabis industry including an alleged white supremist. The embarrassing debacle was initially reported in the press (Sebastopol Times, S.F. Gate, the L.A. Times) and eventually in a two-part article in the Press Democrat. Sonoma County was a laughingstock.
In order to avoid a repeat of this shameful performance, the Supervisors need to open this item for discussion and not merely cast a “yes” vote by rote. The Office of Equity should be placed in charge and McCall Miller, the Cannabis Ombudsman, who bungled the grant monies last time, should only consult.
After all, the head of the Office of Equity, Melissa Valle, was appointed in September 2024 with a yearly salary of $197,017, a budget of $3.6 million dollars and a fulltime staff of 12. https://www.pressdemocrat.com/article/news/equity-sonoma-county-melissa-valle-alegria-de-la-cruz/?utm_source=article_share&utm_medium=copy-link
It is only logical that Valle and the Office Equity staff be tasked to develop fair qualification criteria, process the applications, and decide on any awards.
This is taxpayer money after all.
WHAT CAN YOU DO?
If part 2 of this continuing equity saga troubles you, phone the Supervisors switchboard (707-565-2241) and leave a message. Communicate directly to each Supervisor about the priority of spending taxpayer monies wisely.
- Become fully aware of the cannabis ordinance changes at the County’s website that impact your property;
- Visit Neighborhood Coalition Sonoma County to learn more ways you can get involved and help protect your neighborhood
- Make a donation You can donate online , or you can mail a check to:
Sonoma Neighborhood Coalition
PO Box 1229
Sebastopol, CA 95473
Our campaign to preserve what we all hold near and dear needs your support. Your tax-deductible donation will fund technical experts and our legal team that are critical to our effort to require the County to protect our environment, children, and the health and safety of our neighborhoods.
The Neighborhood Coalition is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, volunteer-based, dedicated to advocating for proper cannabis and land-use policies that benefit the community. All donations support these efforts.
Thank you for your support and donation.
The Neighborhood Coalition team