Even the brand donning the name and iconic visage of the Grateful Dead’s weed-loving Jerry Garcia can’t seem to survive California’s rocky legal pot market. Garcia Hand Picked has pulled out of the state, a company representative confirmed to SFGATE, as weed farms across the state struggle to survive amid taut regulations and high taxes. Industry experts predict a “mass extinction event,” according to the outlet, in which thousands of companies within the state will go under by the end of the year. “We're taking a pause in California,” said the brand’s parent company, Holistic Industries, in an email to SFGATE. Like many celebrity weed brands, Garcia Hand Picked outsources its growing and manufacturing to other companies, but says they are now looking for a new cannabis supplier to stay afloat in the Golden State. “We want to ensure CA consumers have the highest quality flower for the long term, so we are in the process of choosing a new local partner for cultivation, production, sales and distribution of Garcia Hand Picked in CA.” The brand will continue to sell product in five other states, the outlet reported.
