Hezekiah Allen was born and raised in Humboldt County. He studied Politics and Government at Pacific University. After university he returned to the North Coast to work as a consultant helping local residents increase water storage, implement conservation irrigation practices, and assisting local organizations with fundraising and strategic planning. In 2010 he was hired as the Executive Director of the Mattole Restoration Council. While with the MRC Allen was one of the first community leaders to call attention to the increasingly severe environmental impacts associated with illegal and unregulated marijuana cultivation.

All his life he has been a fierce guardian of and advocate for the heritage of small scale farms and sustainable cannabis cultivation in CA. He has a deep understanding of the impacts prohibition has had on families, communities, and patients throughout the state. It is Allen’s underlying belief that–just as cannabis can heal people–the cannabis advocacy community can heal politics through a collaborative and inclusive approach, cannabis businesses can heal our economy through decentralization and opportunity for all, and cannabis farms can heal the natural treasures of the state by integrating best management practices and a stewardship ethic on to the farm.

In June 2014 Hezekiah relocated to Sacramento after he accepted a contract to work as the Executive Director of the Emerald Growers Association, a trade association focused on promoting public policies that will foster a sustainable, healthy and legal cannabis industry.