TODAY in SUPES: Council discusses how to deal with anti-mask customers and Humboldt County’s cannabis marketing | Lost Coast Outpost

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COVID and Cannabis: These two familiar topics were the main topics of discussion at Tuesday’s Humboldt County Supervisory Board meeting.

With the coronavirus, the focus has been on the recent spike in cases across the country, state and here in Humboldt County. The board 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 the commercialization of Humboldt famous-is commercial culture. This marketing assessment, prepared by the local business group, the Humboldt County Growers Alliance (HCGA), will serve as a guide for future marketing efforts funded through 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 seek their replacement, said it was difficult to know what to expect in this pandemic. “Every day is a surprise right now,” she says.

Forty-one of California’s 58 counties were placed in the state’s most restrictive “purple” level by Governor Gavin Newsom’s administration, and while Humboldt was elevated to the second highest level, the ” red ”(jumping just above“ orange ”) Frankovich said we are also at risk of turning purple if current trends continue.

Humboldt County had as many confirmed positive COVID-19 cases in the first two weeks of November as it did throughout October, she noted. And our case rate has gone from about two cases per 100,000 people to 4.8 per 100,000 people. About half of recent cases were linked to trips outside the county, and Frankovich reiterated his recent warnings against large gatherings and family visits for Thanksgiving.

“For us to be successful it means sacrificing the coming together this year to keep our friends and family safe and alive, and we will celebrate with them next year,” she said.

The State of California has contracted with OptumServe to continue offering testing at Redwood Acres Fairgrounds until April. The company’s specimens are now being sent to a state lab in Valencia, rather than a commercial testing lab. Frankovich said there were “growing difficulties” at the state facility, resulting in test results processing times ranging from two days to over a week.

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

Pfizer’s vaccine requires freezing and should be given in two doses, given one month apart. With two million healthcare workers in California alone, supplies can take some time to reach the rest of the public. It is also not known how long the immunity lasts after receiving the vaccine. Nonetheless, 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. Two men inside refused to wear masks and were “jerked off about it,” Wilson said. He argued that these men were exploiting the fact that employees are not required to ensure that customers wear face masks. The cashier at this restaurant was a shorter woman, Wilson said.

“They didn’t understand the dynamics of their bullying,” he said, referring to the anti-masks. Given social tensions and reports of people turning violent when asked to wear masks, Wilson said the duo “didn’t understand how they were terrorizing everyone in the room.”

He said he saw two similar incidents, including a pair of “I’ll just say it, young white men” strolling the Arcata Farmer’s Market without masks, blithely ignoring the effect they were having on vulnerable customers. .

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

Honsal said most companies now have signage indicating their mask requirements, but he also suggested employees should take a stand. “People need to be comfortable in these conversations, [saying] “No mask, no service,” he said, adding, “If they’re not comfortable with it, they shouldn’t be using this cash register.”

Wilson said the burrito cashier wasn’t shy; she was intimidated. “It’s really unfair to see this dynamic,” the supervisor said. “I have no answer for that.”

Honsal said there were fewer and fewer people reacting aggressively or “making a fool of themselves” when asked to hide, and he said his office will issue tort citations to clients who absolutely refuse to do so.

Virginia Bass, the fourth district supervisor, also recounted a confrontation with a pair of men fleeing masks she encountered at Walmart. She saw an employee ask them to cover their faces, and when they continued to walk into the store without doing so, Bass took the initiative to ask them to cover their faces.

In response, “they followed me into the store,” she said. “They were wearing masks, but they were coughing directly at me. … People are going to be assholes.

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

Even First District Supervisor Rex Bohn, who has occasionally pushed aside COVID-related public health orders, pleaded with the public to take precautions. “Seriously, you guys listen to the professionals and the science,” he says. And regarding the facial covers, he suggested: “Convince our young people: this does not show weakness; it shows brightness. “

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Later in the meeting, Second District Board Chair and Supervisor Estelle Fennell declined to continue serving as a replacement for a position with a statewide government organization. She did so in recognition of her still undecided and extremely tight re-election effort against challenger Michelle Bushnell.

Bohn served as the county delegate to the California Rural County Representatives Board (RCRC) as well as the Golden State Finance Authority (GSFA). Fennell was the alternate and, according to a staff report, she and Bohn had expressed interest in continuing in these roles.

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

Bass then spoke up, saying she wanted to hear from Bohn, and Bohn said that if he enjoyed Madrone stepping up, he would love Bass to fill the alternate role “because she has so many connections.”

However, with a motion already presented, the board voted instead unanimously to renew Bohn’s tenure and have Madrone be his deputy. Bohn’s “yes” vote seemed less than enthusiastic.

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Next is 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, however, County Economic Development Director Scott Adair gave an overview of the industry landscape, noting that with nationwide decriminalization of cannabis on the horizon, more communities across the country have started aggressively marketing their cannabis products. Humboldt County must do the same, Adair said, if we hope to protect our “brand” and market share in an industry that generates significant tax revenue.

A previous marketing request for proposals was too vague and generated extremely varied responses, many from large marketing firms outside the county, Adair said. The county therefore engaged HCGA to develop a detailed and in-depth marketing assessment. The full report, which includes eight findings and 30 recommendations, was released to the community, garnering approval from most of the local industry players who responded.

Gordon, in his PowerPoint presentation, said the goal was to provide strategic direction and vision based on finding similar industries in other localities, including the Napa Valley and Bordeaux wine regions and industries. coffee in Kona, Hawaii. big island and Colombia.

The vision for the county as a whole, said Gordon, is for “thousands” of small independent businesses to transition to the legal market, generating fair value for their produce while growing in an environmentally sustainable manner. The vision is also to bring consumers around the world to understand “the unique qualities of Humboldt’s craft cannabis”.

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

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

During the public comment period, a number of cannabis industry stakeholders called to express their support for the HCGA document and the strategy it describes.

The board voted unanimously for staff to issue a new request for proposals (RFP), encouraging nonprofits in Humboldt County to develop a new cannabis marketing plan.