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Beat June Gloom — Pride Event
Sober October Spurs Some Folks to Drink Differently
Anyone who regularly consumes alcohol will likely admit it has some serious downsides. It can be addictive, unhealthy, expensive, and fattening… and let’s not forget those horrible hangovers! Yet, largely due to the coronavirus and the subsequent economic and political fallout, people are drinking more. In a study published in the JAMA Network Open last month, adults reported drinking 14 percent more during the pandemic than they did the year before. This increase was more pronounced among women (with 17 percent saying they drank more) and those in the 30 to 59 age group (with 19 percent reporting an increase in drinking). So in the spirit of Sober October, a social challenge started a few years ago in which people swear off alcohol for a month to improve health, lose […]
2020 Local Cannabis Ballot Measures: Where We Stand
If you live in Ojai, the city of Ventura or unincorporated Ventura County, you have a cannabis-related ballot measure to consider this voting season. We offer a breakdown of our position on each of these three initiatives, but no matter where you stand on these issues we hope you will act NOW to request a mail-in ballot, then make a voting plan to drop it off at a local ballot drop box and avoid potential delays using the USPS. Measure G in Ojai- NO Shall the measure approving an immediate 3% tax on cannabis businesses, which will potentially add $465,000 – $1,550,000 annually to fund general city services, and approving authority for the City of Ojai to increase the tax on cannabis businesses up to 10% of gross receipts in […]
Sespe Creek Collective Helps Patients Save Nearly $15,000
Since the revival of its Compassionate Care program in January 2019, Sespe Creek Collective (SCC) has saved its qualifying members nearly $15,000 in free or discounted product. And with recent changes to federal legislation, Ventura County’s leading medical and adult-use dispensary and delivery service hopes to expand the program. “We’re an essential business for a reason,” noted Chelsea Sutula, Sespe Creek Collective CEO. “With Covid-19, not only are our Compassionate Care patients more vulnerable due to pre-existing conditions, they’re now facing added financial hardship. We’re grateful and humbled that we can give qualifying patients access to affordable or free medicine through this program.” With the passage of Senate Bill (SB) 34, Sespe Creek Collective is now able to expand its Compassionate Care Program to provide up to $250 in free […]
Meet our 4/20 T-shirt Design Contest Winner Tory Elena
Congratulations to Tory Elena, our winner of the Sespe Creek Collective 4/20 Limited Edition T-shirt Design contest. We had a chance to catch up with Tory and learn about her artistry and appreciation for Sespe Creek Collective and medicinal cannabis. Q. What is your background in art? I consider myself more of an illustrator/painter than a graphic designer. I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember. I’d disappear into my room or back yard as a kid and make art for hours. When I was little, I just liked the feeling of getting totally lost in my imagination. I continued to explore that meditative process until it became a large part of my daily life. I’m primarily self-taught. I quit college after a year and decided to rent […]
Sespe Creek Coronavirus Policy Update
**Update: We are able to offer low-touch curbside pickup as an immediate precaution to minimize social contact. Please join as a member and place an online order for pickup to take advantage of this service. The debit card reader will still work in the parking lot; for cash purchases, exact change will be appreciated. ** Dear Sespe Creek family, We understand you may have many concerns and questions regarding the unfolding situation with the novel coronavirus also known as COVID-19. As of March 13, Ventura County health officials declared a local health emergency due to one confirmed and one presumptive case. Like you, we’re taking this situation very seriously and are closely monitoring changes as they unfold. Sespe Creek is dedicated to providing continued access to cannabis for all and […]
Get to Know our CEO, Chelsea Sutula
There’s an old adage that says: The road to hell is paved with good intentions. For Chelsea Sutula, CEO of the Sespe Creek Collective, this statement has never rung truer. Following a devastating arrest, seizure of business and personal assets including her pets, and a long-fought legal battle that ended in complete exoneration, Chelsea knows first-hand that despite her best intentions to bring cannabis to the masses, her journey has been fraught with challenges. Fortunately, today Chelsea’s business is thriving and she’s finally able to grow her business unencumbered. Recently, in an intimate interview with the hosts of the Topa Talk podcast, Chelsea shared some of the trials and tribulations associated with being a female dispensary owner and the first Ventura County dispensary to become licensed for adult-use cannabis. Chelsea […]
Sespe Says No Price Increase Despite New State Tax
Happy 2020, Sespe Community! We’re so grateful for the support we’ve received from the community during our first two years in business, making us one of Ventura County’s favorite dispensaries. And we want to say thank you. So here’s the good news: Sespe Creek CEO Chelsea Sutula has pledged that while the state of California has increased the amount of excise tax cannabis retailers must pay for licensed cannabis products, Sespe Creek will not be raising prices in response. The advertised price on Sespe’s menu includes all taxes and will remain unchanged despite the state’s determination to squeeze even more out of cannabis consumer’s wallets. The California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDFTA) evaluates the tax markup rate on cannabis every six months. Based on CDFTA analysis, effective January […]
Gifts for the Cannabis Aficionados in your Life
Season’s Greetings, Sespe Community! We’re closing in on the holidays and we have exactly the gift ideas — and special deals! — you’re looking for, for the cannabis aficionados in your life. 1. A Lowell’s Stocking. Lowell’s makes some of the most popular cannabis pre-rolls in all of California. Treat someone you love to a Lowell’s stocking, filled with a pack of eight Zen Hybrid pre-rolls, a keepsake pre-roll container, matches and more! 2. A Personalized Pack of Lowell’s Pre-Rolls. Don’t need a stocking? No worries. Lowell’s is also selling individual packs of sativa hybrid holiday pre-rolls. Stock by Sespe Dec. 14 (11:30 – 4 p.m.) to get your pack personalized! If you’re on a tight budget, we have plenty of single Lowell’s “Holiday Sativa” pre-rolls for sale. 3. Camino […]
Celebrating Legalization with a Special Guest
It’s hard to believe, but it’s been three years since California voters went to the polls to voice their support for legal, accessible cannabis. The vote on Nov. 8, 2016 cleared the way for Sespe Creek’s opening one year later, as Ventura County’s first-ever permitted cannabis dispensary. We celebrated our two-year anniversary last week with a very special visitor: our Congresswoman, U.S. Rep. Julia Brownley! It was an honor to share our work with our representative in Congress, and we’re delighted to have an advocate in D.C. We’ve made so much progress for our patients in the past three years, and it’s important to reflect on how far we’ve come — and the work left to do. November 8 is the anniversary of legalization in California — but here at […]