At Chacruna: Lessons for Psychedelic Advocacy from the Front Lines of Cannabis Reform

Allan Steiner

In 2016, I found myself with the horrifying responsibility of informing traditional cannabis farmers, with decades of cultivation experience, that their assets and knowledge would not be enough to move through the legal licensing process following California’s legalization of recreational cannabis. For some farmers, there were options: work with local government to find a solution, join forces with other local growers, carefully consider taking on investment. For many others, the cost of continuing operations in any form was simply unfeasible, forcing them underground. Many of the most significant barriers that prevented cannabis farmers from participating in the legal market were documented in California Growers Association’s report, An Emerging Crisis: Barriers to Entry in California Cannabis. This report categorizes these major barriers into five main categories... continue reading.