Plummeting Cannabis Prices Strain Small Northern California Farmers
“Times are really, really tough for small farmers”
Humboldt County cannabis farmers are drowning in a flooded market. As the price of cannabis continues to fall, small farmers struggling to stay afloat fear for the sustainability of their future.
Jason Gellman, a second-generation cannabis farmer and owner of Ridgeline Farms in Southern Humboldt, has watched the cannabis industry evolve since he was a kid. He admitted that he has an advantage because his brand is well known throughout the region and much of the state. Even still, he said he’s struggling to sell his crop.
“Times are really, really tough for small farmers,” he said. “Most of us are in the red right now and if you are lucky enough to sell your product, it seems to be the average price per pound is around $700 which is way, way down. The county wants their money, the state wants their money, the banks want their money, the trimmers need to be paid and all of the other fees. For a small farmer, it costs around $500 to grow a pound. It’s barely paying the bills.”
In June, the wholesale price for cannabis from last year’s harvest dropped from around $1,200 a pound when the 2021 light deprivation or “dep” crop began to hit the market, according to Humboldt County Growers Alliance executive director Natalynne DeLapp.
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