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- Written by: California Department of Fish and Wildlife
It will take place from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 17.
The weblink is here.
The free workshop is ideal for new and existing commercial cannabis cultivators, consultants and other interested parties. Those interested in attending can use the link below to watch the webcast. No registration is required.
Questions can be submitted in advance of the event by sending an email to
The Department of Cannabis Control will provide an overview of the state’s cannabis cultivation licensing program and review their requirements for commercial cannabis farming.
CDFW will cover its online notification system, or EPIMS, plus types of permits issued and other compliance requirements.
The State Water Board will review the cannabis policy, permitting process and other important information.
For more information about becoming a licensed commercial cannabis farmer, visit the Department of Cannabis Control website, call 1 844-61-CA-DCC (1-844-612-2322) or send an email to
To report suspected illegal cannabis activity, visit https://cannabis.ca.gov/resources/file-complaint/.
To learn more about CDFW’s cannabis program, visit http://wildlife.ca.gov/cannabis or email
To learn more about the State Water Board’s role in cannabis cultivation permitting, visit www.waterboards.ca.gov/cannabis.
For compliance assistance regarding the Division of Water Quality Cannabis Cultivation General Order, send an email to
For compliance assistance regarding the Division of Water Rights Small Irrigation Use Registration, send an email to
- Details
- Written by: Editor
The workshops will take place at Lakeport City Hall, 225 Park St.
The presentations offered over three days will cover retail trends and opportunities in two sessions and retail and franchise opportunities in two separate sessions.
Businesses and residents are encouraged to participate in these two-hour learning discussions.
“Retail Trends and Opportunities in Downtown” will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 26, and 9 to 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 27, and via Zoom at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86547081687.
The Retail Coach will share data from a downtown retail study and discuss opportunities for new and existing businesses to grow retail traffic downtown.
The presentation will include unifying hours of operation, parking, and long-term outdoor dining for existing businesses.
“Lakeport Retail and Franchise Opportunities” will take place from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 27, and 9 to 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 28, and via Zoom at https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84453975801.
The Retail Coach will discuss franchise opportunities in Lakeport and share data from a retail demand analysis highlighting opportunities for both new and existing businesses in Lakeport.
In July of 2019 the city of Lakeport engaged with The Retail Coach to conduct an assessment of the Lakeport area and provide targeted data sets and educational opportunities focused on sustaining and enhancing existing businesses as well as recruiting new ones.
This contract was extended in February 2021 and includes eight phases:
• Analyze the market;
• Determine retail opportunities;
• Identify development and redevelopment opportunities;
• Identify retailers and developers for recruitment;
• Marketing and branding;
• Recruiting retailers and developers;
• Downtown revitalization;
• Retail recruitment coaching.
Please contact Community Development Director Jenni Byers, 707-263-5615, Extension 201, or by email at
- Details
- Written by: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Applications must be submitted electronically through the grant portal at https://usda-prs.grantsolutions.gov/usda by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, Nov. 22, 2021.
Approximately $650 million in funding is available for the PRS grants, which are funded by the Pandemic Assistance provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2021.
The PRS Grant program will assist small businesses in certain commodity areas, including specialty crop producers, shellfish farming, finfish farming, aquaculture, and apiculture; specialty crop, meat, and other processors; distributors; and farmers markets.
Small businesses and nonprofits in these industries can apply for a grant to cover COVID-related expenses such as workplace safety measures (e.g., personal protective equipment (PPE), retrofitting facilities for worker and consumer safety, shifting to online sales platforms, transportation, worker housing, and medical costs. The minimum funding request is $1,500 and the maximum funding request is $20,000.
The RFA and the PRS Grant Portal provide more details about eligibility for the grant. Eligible entities are required to obtain a free DUNS Number from Dun & Bradstreet (D&B) before applying for this program. USDA has created a custom PRS DUNS number portal at https://support.dnb.com/?CUST=PandemicResponse.
Application resources, including frequently asked questions, tip sheets in English and Spanish on applying for a DUNS Number, videos on “How to Apply” and more, are available on the PRS Grant Portal.
For more information, you can also reach out to the PRS help desk, Monday-Friday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. ET at 301-238-5550 or
- Details
- Written by: Editor
That legislation, Assembly Bill 45, allows CBD derived from hemp to be produced and sold in the state once it meets rigorous testing and regulatory requirements, established in the bill.
An urgency measure that received bipartisan support in the Legislature, AB 45 goes into effect immediately.
Hemp is not marijuana. While both hemp and marijuana are members of the cannabis family, they are uniquely distinctive plants.
Hemp-derived CBD does not produce a “high” because CBD derived from hemp contains only trace amounts — less than 0.3% — of THC, the psychoactive component in marijuana products.
AB 45 caps the amount of THC in any hemp product at that 0.3% level, guaranteeing the product will not be intoxicating.
Consumers in California have been seeking out hemp-derived CBD because it can provide relief from pain, inflammation, anxiety, insomnia and other conditions.
Many people have been purchasing hemp-derived CBD products over the internet, and at their local natural foods shops, fitness centers and health stores for some time, without the knowledge that these products are illegal and unregulated.
In fact, seniors are a significant portion of the people choosing to use hemp CBD, because they do not want to visit a marijuana dispensary.
“California consumers have been unwittingly purchasing unregulated hemp CBD products for far too long,” said Aguiar-Curry. “AB 45 puts in place a rigorous system for testing and labeling hemp CBD so that we can be sure these products are safe in our state. I want to thank Gov. Newsom for his partnership in helping develop this legislation, and the economic and health benefits that will result.”
State Sen. Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) partnered with Aguiar-Curry in this effort, carrying companion legislation in the State Senate this year.
“With this bill we were looking to lessen the bureaucratic barriers that prevent cannabis licensees from creating products that can treat debilitating medical conditions like epilepsy, anxiety, and chronic pain,” said Allen. “Now, with AB 45, many promising hemp-derived CBD products are a step closer to reaching the Californians who really need them.”
Aguiar-Curry worked closely with representatives of the hemp industry in crafting the legislation to ensure its workability for growers and CBD producers while putting in place stringent regulatory authority to ensure the hemp CBD products Californians consume is clearly labeled and non-intoxicating.
“The hemp community owes Asm. Aguiar-Curry a deep debt of gratitude for her extraordinary leadership during our three year battle to ensure that hemp products such as CBD could be legally sold in California,” said Jonathan Miller, general counsel to the US Hemp Roundtable, a sponsor of the legislation. “AB 45 will make a meaningful difference in the lives of hemp farmers, small businesses and product consumers, and its passage would not have been possible without Asm. Aguiar-Curry’s passionate persistence.”
“We cannot thank the author enough for her tireless and unparalleled work to get comprehensive hemp regulations passed. Assembly member Aguiar-Curry has been steadfast in her approach to create a level playing field between cannabis and hemp while protecting the health and safety of all Californians,” said Lindsay Robinson, executive director of the California Cannabis Industry Association. “AB 45 establishes a long overdue, comprehensive framework for the manufacture and sale of hemp products in California, but our work is not over. We look forward to working with the author on future legislation to establish a pathway for the incorporation of hemp into the cannabis supply chain.”
“This is an opportunity for California to make it easier for its people to access a non-intoxicating alternative product they want, and for farmers to establish themselves in a fast-growing industry,” Aguiar-Curry said. “As a farmer myself, I’m excited we can provide this opportunity for California farmers, manufacturers and retailers to benefit from a booming global market for food and topical CBD products. It’s a victory on so many levels, three years in the making.”
Aguiar-Curry represents the Fourth Assembly District, which includes all of Lake and Napa Counties, parts of Colusa, Solano and Sonoma counties, and all of Yolo County except West Sacramento.