Recently, Radicle Health sent a position statement on Measure R in Contra Costa County and recommended a No vote. Mostly, we recommended this vote because we didn’t think there would be much interest from the cannabis community in operating under tax schemes that seem downright hostile to success.
You can find that position statement here:
https://www.radiclehealthcare.com/blog/radicle-health-vote-no-on-measure-r-in-contra-costa-county
In hindsight, it occurred to us that we have done the very thing of which we accused the county: we failed to ask the major stakeholders for their input (to be fair, we didn’t know of any businesses who would be interested under the proposed model).
Yesterday, after reading our position statement, that community contacted us.
Like other members of the cannabis community, individuals and organizations have been working hard to move the needle in unincorporated areas of Contra Costa County. And while the proposed tax schemes do gouge these businesses, they’re willing to operate under these guidelines because it provides a legal path forward.
Another point to consider: the unincorporated area is large and contains wide swathes of agricultural land, where 2nd and 3rd-generation family farmers are struggling to make ends meet. And while commercial outdoor cultivation is not in scope, these farms might be able to make a small initial investment in sustainable green houses and augment their income by participating in a new and rapidly expanding industry.
We don’t want to reward the county for their overall approach to the cannabis industry. But more importantly, we don’t want to punish or impede the progress and growth of the commercial cannabis industry in Contra Costa County. This might be an issue where you hold your nose pull the lever for Yes.
Some readers might have already taken our recommendation from the previous post and mailed in a ballot. Like all things cannabis, these issues are complex and evolving. Know that Radicle Health is dedicated to researching and understanding these issues from a broad range of perspectives. We don’t always get it right. We will continue to be open to dissenting opinions, and—when they’re coherent and rational—those opinions can influence our positions.