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 […]
Vaping: The Information You Need
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?
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. […]
Get Involved! Support SB-1302 and AB-2215
We’d like to express serious gratitude to Senator Ricardo Lara, who introduced SB-1302 this past Friday in the California Senate. “This bill would prohibit a local jurisdiction from preventing delivery of cannabis or cannabis products on public roads, or to an address that is located within the jurisdictional boundaries of that local jurisdiction, by a licensee who is acting in compliance with MAUCRSA and who is acting in compliance with any license, permit, or other authorization obtained from another local jurisdiction. The bill would include findings that the changes proposed by this bill address a matter of statewide concern, rather than a municipal affair and, therefore, apply to all cities, including charter cities.” If this bill passes, cities like Fillmore, Santa Paula, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks, Oxnard and Ventura would no […]
Extended Hours
We are excited to announce that Sespe will now be OPEN LATER for your convenience on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday!! Our new hours of operation are: 10am – 5pm on Sunday 10am – 6pm on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday 10am – 7pm on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday Please note, we will be closed New Years Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. […]
We Have Our California State Temp License!
PICTURED: Lori Ajax, California’s Chief of Cannabis Regulation We’re thrilled to have received our state temp license on January 2nd, so that our operations are not interrupted and we remain open and in support of your well being. We are also being vigilant that our vendors are compliant as well. The following article and several other related stories from Leafly are a great resource for you to learn more about this. ANAHEIM—With the launch of California’s adult-use cannabis market just 101 days away, regulators will introduce a temporary licensing program aimed at ensuring a smooth start to regulated sales, the state’s top cannabis official announced on Thursday. Lori Ajax, chief of the California Bureau of Cannabis Control, unveiled the temporary licensing program in a keynote address at the California Cannabis Business […]
Jeff Sessions Has Rescinded the Cole Memo. What Now?
As many or most of you may have heard by now, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions has recently rescinded the Cole Memo that essentially allowed states to move forward with legal cannabis programs with little to no fear of Federal interference, even though cannabis remains Federally illegal. We remain optimistic and feel confident in the strength of the industry and progress so far in California to bolster our collective resistance against this blatant disregard of states rights and the will of the voters. There are many ways to get involved if you are so moved. For instance, our friends at Green Flower Media have launched a #DearJeffSessions campaign… If you haven’t heard the news, Jeff Sessions has just rescinded the Obama-era guidelines, which have been protecting state cannabis laws and programs from […]
Share the Joy
The impending holiday season has us all a bit stressed, given we’ve just weathered through a horrific wildfire and weren’t sure we’d be reopening at all. We are SO GRATEFUL for the all firefighters, first responders, utility workers, shelter volunteers and good citizens who have gone to great lengths to keep us and our community safe and protected. We are busy finding ways to express our gratitude both personally and collectively. We brought back our daily specials and have been giving compassionate care packages to those displaced by the fire. Now we’re asking for your help as we struggle to close out what has been a financially difficult year for the collective. We are so lucky to have come this far; most collectives were not successful in obtaining a local […]
Thomas Fire News and Resources
UPDATED 12/9: We will be open on December 10, 2017, normal hours. The evacuations have been lifted for most of Ojai, but we urge everyone to take precautions with the air. If you can smell wood smoke, it’s enough to be harmful. The EPA says that regular dust masks and scarves aren’t enough to protect you, and recommends N-95 or P-100 respirators, which are currently in very short supply in the county. Do whatever you can to protect your lungs, fine particulates can cause a lot of damage. RESOURCES: The Thomas Fire is currently at 148,000 Acres with 15% Containment. Boil water orders are lifted for most (but not all) of Ventura, and for Foster Park, Casitas Springs, and Upper Ojai. The 10pm to 5am curfew in Ventura has also been lifted […]