In 2022, a man who claimed to work for the cannabis retail company Element 7 came into Rose Jasso’s barbershop. As she cut his hair, they spoke politely. He asked her about herself. Had she lived in National City? She had, she told him.
Eventually, the man told her she had a powerful story and that she was the kind of person Element 7 was looking to enroll in a charitable program that would direct a small portion of the profits earned from a future dispensary in National City, she said. After months of follow-ups, Jasso signed papers the man gave her. A year and a half after that, she began to receive monthly $1,500 payments.
Then came the twist – Jasso found out that technically she held a 51 percent ownership stake in the local store. Now, she’s struggling to figure out how to get out of the arrangement.
An industry insider said out-of-town cannabis chains often use such arrangements to comply with local licensing provisions meant to ensure locals own lucrative cannabis businesses.
A Death Birthed an Activist
Last year, Silvia Irigoyen-Adame’s daughter Elizabeth Marie Torres died of a fentanyl overdose in a tent on the western edge of Chula Vista. Torres’ death came after months of failed attempts by Irigoyen-Adame and her daughter to get help. Reporter Jim Hinch documented the myriad ways the pair ran headlong into obstacles as they attempted to navigate the byzantine world of homeless resources.
But while many parents may have been crushed by the loss of a child, Irigoyen-Adame has used it as fuel to try and help others struggling with homelessness and addiction. What she’s found is that getting people the help they so desperately need is at times akin to a comedy of errors. Still, it hasn’t stopped her from trying.
More Talks on Clearing Homeless Camps
San Diego County supervisors voted Tuesday to direct county staff to dig into potential options to clear homeless camps in high-risk fire zones amid red-flag warnings.
Tuesday’s vote followed Supervisor Jim Desmond’s push for the county to respond to a rash of recent fires, including three late January blazes tied to homeless camps in the county.
Expect to hear more on this topic soon: The Board of Supervisors is set to consider options to clear homeless camps on public property at a March 11 meeting. The meeting will come 16 months after supervisors first voted to pursue a camping ban ordinance. At the time, Supervisor Joel Anderson proposed allowing the county to clear homeless camps in unincorporated areas where there are concerns about fires or other safety hazards.
Desmond and other supervisors have said staff should explore safe places where people could move as they work on new encampment laws. As we reported last year, county efforts to supply additional shelter options have lagged.
Song of the Week
Nashelle, “get up! get busy”: This track is a deliriously woozy bite of jazzy pop. It’s awash in chorus and reverb-laden guitars, honey-sweet vocals and tinkling keys. What’s so great about it though is how much a reprieve from the weightiness of life it is. There’s a delightful levity to everything from the lyrics to the little ad-libs. Hard not to bob your head or tap your foot to this one. Read more about the Song of the Week here.
Like what you hear? Catch Nashelle at Comet Theatre on Saturday, March 1.
Do you have a “Song of the Week” suggestion? Shoot us an email and a sentence or two about why you’ve been bumping this song lately. Friendly reminder: all songs should be by local artists.
In Other News
- In yet another wrongful death suit brought against San Diego County and Sheriff Kelly Martinez, the parents of a man killed in custody allege deputies ignored their son’s cries for help as he was tortured to death by his cellmate. (Union-Tribune)
- A new analysis by the financial firm LendingTree showed only a tiny fraction of San Diego mortgage holders are under 30-years-old. Only 1.7 percent of San Diego mortgage holders are under 30, the sixth lowest percentage of the 50 largest U.S. metros. (CBS 8)
- The city of San Diego is expected to receive nearly $26 million in funding from California’s Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention program – about $4 million less than the city received last year. (Union-Tribune)
- As Covid-era increases in crime continue to dissipate, preliminary data shows that San Diego’s homicide rate dropped by 22 percent from 2023 to 2024. That decrease outpaced the 16 percent decline across America’s largest cities. (Axios)
The Morning Report was written by Jakob McWhinney and Lisa Halverstadt. It was edited by Andrea Lopez-Villafaña.