SB County: You Have the Power. Protect the Children—NOW!

Does your heart break for the children? Well, my heart breaks for ALL of them, including those who are exploited by a soulless industry that our county coddles, controls and licenses. America recently learned what those of us in the cannabis-know already knew: this industry preys on the most vulnerable, those who have no voice or political gravitas, for one very simple reason; the almighty buck!

The recently raided Glass House Brands (GH) is a public company that in 2024 posted record revenues of $200M and a 47% increase in gross profits which were posted at $97M. Interestingly, in a recent Investor Presentation they touted the idea that labor was “plentiful” – apparently, made more so if you employ children. Laughing All the Way To The Bank: 46 licensed growers pay our county $5M in annual taxes, i.e., $109K on average per grower. 

What GH didn’t tout was the fact that they are part of CA’s highly regulated drug industry (NOT AG) that requires licenses from the state’s Department of Cannabis Control and SB County. Our annual licensing process requires a review by five (five!) departments, including the Sheriff who is designated as the “lead reviewer.” A license can be revoked for scores of reasons including a failure to “comply with county or state law” and/or “denying the county access for inspections.” And, yes, in cannabis facilities no one under 21 is even allowed to be on the premises nor are felons permitted employment. Questions: What level of diligence (suspicious, right) are our reviews? If it’s determined, over a single shift, that GH had 14 child laborers, or if it is confirmed that a convicted sex offender was employed, what will our county do? Will they protect the grower, or will they protect the children? 

It has been reported that between 2023 and 2024 GH has faced multiple employee lawsuits (when workers sue, it’s called “courage.”) by Gerardo Melendez, Anna Pederia, Lourdes Avalos, Beatriz Hernandez, and Miryam Vences. Variously, the allegations speak to appalling labor practices lacking in such standard workforce fare as meal breaks, rest periods, cool-down periods, itemized wage statements, overtime pay, and sick pay. The work also featured insanely high pick-quotas (perhaps smaller hands are more dexterous). One complaint alleged that the defendants had the financial ability to pay their workers but “intentionally failed to do so to increase the defendants’ profits.” Yes, worker and child exploitation can pay handsomely if, of course, our county allows it. Note: In May, the UCLA Labor Center published a scathing cannabis industry report re: working conditions that included the reality that 27% of women in the sector were sexually harassed. 

Since 2018, SB has flailed at a new revenue stream becoming de facto partners with our cannabis growers – folks whose neighbor-be-damned attitude and slavish devotion to profits have resulted in resident-funded lawsuits, damage to our legacy businesses, a tarnished civic brand and, over the last five years, $15M in program losses. When the Supes naively asked for their help to develop a tax plan that wouldn’t result in $3-5M in annual losses, the cannabis lobby whined like infants and won the day. When asked to adhere to reasonable school setbacks they made campaign contributions and cut the proposed setbacks by 70%. Now school children are wrapped, like tightly rolled joints, in pot grows. When asked to voluntarily install better odor abatement systems the growers balked; too “expensive.” 

For this industry – not just GH – it’s all about the dough because no one has ever said “ENOUGH.” If the county truly cares about children, about working conditions for those who are now living in the shadows and can’t, unfortunately, speak for themselves, then stop lamenting what you can’t do and act. You have the power! 

Jeff Giordano,
Santa Barbara County resident