Jerry Garcia’s Cannabis Brand Joins California Mass Extinction

There’s been a massive cannabis spill out of California, and while it’s no reference to a Bob Marley song, you should get Marley Natural while they’re still in their golden state. The Garcia Hand Picked cannabis line, the brand of San Francisco-born Jerry Garcia, the late co-founder and lead vocalist of the brand Grateful Dead, is saying goodbye to the Golden State. SFGate ReportClimate change isn’t just a California problem, but let the ‘mountain fires’ be the signal.

For decades, cannabis growers, entrepreneurs, and enthusiasts have called the libertarian Emerald Triangle (an area of ​​Northern California that includes Humboldt County, named for being the largest cannabis-producing region in the United States) Or you’ve found a hidden green paradise in a liberal neighborhood. When California finally legalized, countercultures in cities like San Francisco and Los Angeles, well, the Fed’s bureaucracy and incredibly high barriers to entry made even the most famous names in cannabis legal in the state. I was unable to make a profit.

“We are pausing in California. We are in the process of selecting new local partners for sales and distribution.” The parent company of the brand.

Garcia Hand Picked used to source its cannabis from traditional farmers in the Emerald Triangle, growers who probably once enjoyed Garcia, but now the brand is looking for new suppliers. By working with , the brand gained valuable street cred (celebrity cannabis brands can be rapped as corny, and many consumers prefer cannabis without the famous face), But that wasn’t enough. To say it’s a tough market is an understatement, despite California’s reputation as the cornerstone of the U.S. cannabis industry. , is almost impossibly expensive due to complex regulations, high taxes, and the many troubles that go with banking. And according to Marijuana Revenue and Regulation Lawweed businesses pay an effective federal tax rate of as much as 80%.

Other celebrity cannabis brands have faced similar issues recently.according to celebrity stonerIn January, Jay-Z’s Monogram brand began a restructuring by its parent company, with Canada’s Chronos Group calling for the end of Kristen Bell’s Happy Dance CBD skincare line to “reduce operating costs in the United States.” According to bloomberg, few celebrity cannabis brands have been able to turn a profit. In addition to the enormous financial hurdles, there will be enormous marketing hurdles as long as cannabis remains a Schedule I substance under federal law. For example, radio advertising is illegal even in states where cannabis is not banned. And if celebrity cannabis brands pre-approved by big names and the cash behind them are failing, smaller businesses, especially those owned by POC and others affected by the war on drugs, face Think about barriers to entry.

While they’re pulling out of California, Garcia Hand Picked is still available in five other states. Like so many others, Jerry himself would choose the Black Market as he sucked. As the mass marijuana extermination in California shows, state legalization is sadly not the pipe dream many of us hoped it would be.