California cannabis is back in the news again. Late Tuesday, TLC Collective in Los Angeles, headquarters for Jungle Boys, was raided over a fine with the CDTFA. High Times talked to Ivan from Jungle Boys, learning that the $66,000 that started the situation we’re due to late fees they had already appealed and had a hearing date for. Despite those facts, Ivan recounts the “Highway Patrol, LAPD, sheriffs, and every agency working together” and taking all the money in the building. Overall, they took $174,000.
After reviewing records, the CDTFA claims “is not aware of the reason for the raid”. Still, they responded to High Times on the matter but haven’t addressed it further.
“This is our standard procedure for cannabis businesses or any business, We’re not singling out any industry or type of business. If you owe taxes in California, we do our best to collect what is due.”
Is that really true though? If a small retail business didn’t pay a fine, would they go in armed to teeth, emptying cash registers and tip jars? What happened to Jungle Boys is a terrible reality of working in the cannabis industry. The CDTFA may claim they aren’t singling anyone out. The facts of the situation, however, describe something different. At the very least, it’s negligence. Regardless of what it is, this isn’t the first time this has happened and it won’t be the last. Attaching cannabis to a discrepancy of any kind can worsen the consequences. In the case of arrest, in running a business, and launching a career. To know that and say that no one is being singled out is comical.
JUNGLE BOYS RAIDED OVER LATE FEES
We’ve talked about accountability a lot. This accountability is heavily on the legislative side. Rushing into a legal market can cause a ripple of negative effects. If the state sticks its head in the sand “due to federal law” those effects can snowball into something much worse. For example, California has had a rampant ‘black market’ problem since it was legalized. Much of the issue is a lack of licenses and municipalities allow cannabis businesses. On top of all that, the taxes to stay compliant in California are astronomical. If a company manages to overcome all of that, there’s no guarantee that the state won’t interfere. Jungle Boys is case and point. If this is how legal businesses that follow the ever-changing rules are treated, what’s the incentive to stay compliant?
California Governor Gavin Newsom expressed his support for lower taxes and providing more aid for the California cannabis industry. That only came after businesses threatened to leave the state if tax rates didn’t decrease. In the case of this treatment, unfortunately, nothing has been said yet. His office claims the problems aren’t that simple but, it’s simple to us. If we pay taxes, if we jump through your hopes, treat us with some respect.
