A new association of business owners and activists in the the cannabis community say they want to help improve relations with skeptics and opponents of the plant in general.
According to its founders, the Lompoc Valley Cannabis Association aims to be both a voice for a nascent industry and an intermediary between business owners, governments, and communities.
“We identified the fact that we had a good, activated base, but that base didn’t have the voice that was required in order to effectively drive more change,” co-founder Matthew Dula told the Sun. “[The Lompoc Valley Cannabis Coalition] members were organized and structured, but they lacked the ability to mobilize and create a unified voice on more than one particular issue at a time.”
It was a shortcoming that needed addressing, said Joe Garcia, the former president of the coalition and the other co-founder of the new association. Garcia told the Sun that the former coalition was created in order to lobby for an ordinance on cannabis in Lompoc that reflected the will of the voters.
“More than 60 percent of the city’s voters chose to legalize cannabis and to enjoy the benefits that come from it,” he said, “but after we got the council to pass the ordinance, the coalition’s work was pretty much done.”
Besides, Garcia added, the coalition was a collection of patients, activists, and average citizens. The newly minted association, on the other hand, is an organization representing business owners as what Garcia calls “a bonafide trade association.”
Membership is $100 a year, and the fee gives businesses a seat at the table for all votes determining the association’s direction. The group currently has just fewer than 100 members—the majority hailing from the Lompoc area.
Dula noted that any county resident or business owner is welcome to join.
“We are addressing issues within Santa Barbara County, so we allow anybody in the county to be a member, but to be a voting member you must either have a business or physical residence in the county,” he said.
Garcia said the association was planning to elect board members in the coming weeks while it pursues 501(c)6 nonprofit status.
According to Dula, the group’s early goals involve establishing a positive rapport with the cannabis industry, Lompoc’s City Council, and its community. He said the “second major goal” was to raise funds for educational outreach.
“We’re trying to bridge the gap between the industry and the community,” he said. “There’s a lot of misinformation, improper education, negative connotations, and stigmas surrounding cannabis, and we feel the best way to get over that is a proactive approach in education so we can sit down and have productive conversations with the community.”
Dula added that the association planned to practice an “open door” policy.
“We believe that it’s very easy to win the hearts and minds of the community if we present factual information based from an organization rather than just an individual activist,” he said. “This is kind of looking into that crystal ball but we want to be a center of change for this community—and we hope it only leads to good.”
Highlights:
• On May 17, as part of Compost Awareness Week and this year’s theme of “Compost! Building a Better Future,” the Santa Maria Utilities Department honored several local businesses committed to recycling organic waste in Santa Maria. Recently recognized businesses include Vallarta Supermarket at 1482 S. Broadway and Super Carniceria La Chiquita at 1000 W. Main St (Highway 166), along with Olive Garden at 1210 S. Bradley Road, and El Amigo Abad at 717 E. Main St. Since 2016, more than 100 businesses have taken part in the city’s organics recycling program.
• Marian Regional Medical Center, a member of Dignity Health Central Coast, and supporting partner the Santa Maria Valley Chamber of Commerce invites the community to attend a CEO Roundtable Event with Marian President and CEO Kerin A. Mase. The roundtable will be held on Friday, June 1, from 7:30 to 9:30 a.m. on the Marian Regional Medical Center campus in the Conference Center at 1400 E. Church St., Santa Maria.
Staff Writer Spencer Cole wrote this week’s Biz Spotlight. Information should be sent to the Sun via fax, mail, or email at spotlight@santamariasun.com.
This article appears in May 24-31, 2018.