Cannabis News | Sespe Creek | Sespe Creek Collective

Sober October Spurs Some Folks to Drink Differently

Posted on October 6, 2020 by Sespe Creek Collective

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

Posted on August 24, 2020 by Sespe Creek

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

Posted on May 26, 2020 by Sespe Creek Collective

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

Posted on April 6, 2020 by Sespe Creek Collective

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 […]

Get to Know our CEO, Chelsea Sutula

Posted on January 22, 2020 by Sespe Creek Collective

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

Posted on December 31, 2019 by Sespe Creek Collective

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

Posted on December 11, 2019 by andra

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

Posted on November 13, 2019 by andra

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 […]

Vaping: The Information You Need

Posted on September 18, 2019 by andra

Sespe Community, We understand that many are concerned about the safety of vaping products following news reports of a vaping-related illness. We want to take a moment to get you up-to-date on the news, as well as assure you that we only work with manufacturers with the highest quality standards. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has advised that folks who use vaping products, “should not buy these products (e.g., e-cigarette or vaping products with THC, other cannabinoids) off the street, and should not modify or add any substances to these products that are not intended by the manufacturer.” The State of California offered similar advice: “Cannabis products sold by licensed retailers must comply with strict state testing standards to ensure that they are produced safely, properly […]

What’s the Deal with Cannabis Taxes?

Posted on May 21, 2019 by andra

Greetings Sespe Community! We have a policy update for you. Bear with us, this is important — we’re talking about YOUR money and OUR viability as a small business. May 14, the Ojai City Council discussed the potential for a special tax of up to 10 percent on cannabis business’ gross receipts. The matter will be presented to City voters (approximately 5,000 registered voters as of 2016) in 2020. We’re happy to pay our fair share, and it’s important to note the degree to which cannabis businesses are already taxed by the state of California. Let’s use the example of a cannabis retail business and a retail business that sells a separate consumer good — let’s say ice cream. Both businesses, in our example, have $500,000 in annual gross profits. […]