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Eye on Ty: Who is the pot dealer backing Lewis’ conspiracy claim?

December 23, 2024

Ernest and Grace Hall

Editor’s note: This is the second in a three-part series regarding Paso Robles City Manager Ty Lewis’ claims of a conspiracy. Read part-one: Eye on Ty: Recording refutes Paso Robles manager’s conspiracy claim.

By KAREN VELIE

When Paso Robles City Manager Ty Lewis failed to get a settlement from the city over alleged work-related stress, he revised his claim to include allegations of harassment and a conspiracy against him. The conspirators, according to Lewis, included City Councilman Chris Bausch and a CalCoastNews reporter.

In an Oct. 18 addendum to his initial claim, Lewis provided statements from two Paso Robles residents to support his allegations of a conspiracy. Ernest Hall, a medical marijuana seller and former restaurant owner, and his wife Grace, made statements supporting Lewis’ allegations. Ernest Hall claimed both Bausch and the reporter organized meetings with critics of Lewis as part of a plan to oust him from office.

Ernest Hall even claimed the reporter admitted to both engaging in a conspiracy and also making up stories about Lewis. The reporter has denied saying those things and denied the allegations about any conspiracy against Lewis.

And since Ernest and Grace Hall became witnesses to support Lewis’ conspiracy claim, the couple has been delivering recreational cannabis in violation of state marijuana regulations.

Hall and his wife have, for years, been trying to get a permit for a recreational pot shop from the Paso Robles City Council.

In 2018, the Paso Robles City Council voted to allow medical cannabis delivery and retail brick and mortar stores by permit only. It did not approve any retail pot shop permits.

In 2018, the city authorized Ernest Hall’s wife Grace Johnson, who also goes by Grace Hall, to deliver medical marijuana products through Dubs Green Garden. Ernest Hall is not named as an owner of Dubs Green Garden.

Ernest Hall has a lengthy criminal history that includes nine arrests in San Luis Obispo County that may have impacted his ability to get a state license.

Ernest Hall’s charges include three for drunk driving, two driving on a suspended license, assault, battery and marijuana possession. He pleaded no contest to his latest charge, felony battery with serious bodily injury in 2017.

In 2019, after getting the authorization to deliver medical marijuana products, Grace and Ernest Hall bought a building at 1124 Black Oak Drive for $935,000, where they planned to put in a retail pot shop. With $15,000 down, the couple purchased the property from Cliff Branch. Branch provided a private loan for the purchase.

In Oct. 2022, the city council discussed modifying its ordinance to allow recreational marijuana delivery services. At the time, Grace Hall said that her company could not compete in North County with out-of-town recreational marijuana delivery services.

During the “discussion only item,” the city council elected to table plans to modify the cannabis ordinance.

Still, Lewis’ office informed the state that the city had approved Dubs Green Garden to deliver recreational cannabis. Even so, without a vote of the council, Dubs Green Garden is not permitted to sell and deliver recreational adult use cannabis, according to the California Department of Cannabis Control.

Paso Robles City Manager Ty Lewis

During a March 13, 2024 radio interview on KPRL, Ernest Hall discussed his issues with the city’s cannabis program. He said that because recreational adult use delivery is now legal in the state, he cannot make a living delivering medical cannabis only because most people no longer carry medical marijuana cards.

Ernest Hall told CalCoastNews that Lewis had promised to help him secure a pot shop permit, but had failed to follow through.

Following the Hall’s support of Lewis’ conspiracy claim, the Paso Robles Daily News published an article under the headline, “Paso Robles cannabis dispensary delivers gummies, drinks, tinctures, and pre-rolls,” with links to the Dubs Green Garden website.

In the article, the Paso Robles Daily News reports Ernest Hall owns Dubs Green Garden, while providing shoppers a link to the online store.

Working with multiple Paso Robles residents who do not have medical marijuana cards, CalCoastNews reporters made screenshots of product orders, the costs and taxes charged through the website. Ernest and Grace Hall then delivered the products while CalCoastNews videotaped their deliveries.

While the state has strict laws regarding delivery of cannabis, the couple delivered to parking lots instead of buildings as required, delivered products different from what was listed on their website, and at times failed to provide required receipts.

On the receipts, Dubs Green Garden charged the recreational cannabis buyers taxes of 29.75%. Questions remain about whether the taxes are being remitted to the proper agencies.

On April 2, the California Franchise Tax Board suspended Dubs Green Garden Inc., according to the California Secretary of State. As a result, Dubs Green Garden cannot legally operate, conduct financial transactions, or enter into new contracts.

Ernest Hall refused to discuss the allegations with CalCoastNews, instead providing his attorney’s name.

On Dec. 11, Cliff Branch emailed Mayor John Hamon reminding him that the city manager’s office said the council would revisit Ernest and Grace Hall’s request for a pot shop permit following the November election.

“I am hoping the council can revisit the city’s policy on cannabis, and find a way to allow the Halls to run a retail business from their current location,” Branch wrote in his email. “A retail permit could allow their family to afford additional security, regular cleanup, and their business would also provide the city with additional revenue.”

Read part-three, Abuse of power, misconduct, conflicts of interest.

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12 Comments
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Question is, what is the city doing today regarding the information in this article? Opening an investigation? Having the police open an investigation? Is the business being shut down? Does the city manager have a conflict of interest in this matter? What does the city attorney say about all this?


-21

Sorry but it is reasonable to be suspicious of a reporter just happening to be there.


8

Get real. Not at all reasonable to make that leap.


0

It is likely Lewis promised the Hall’s a path to a brick and motar shop and some help on the delivery front or to use his police connections for help on prior criminal behavior in exchange for testimony about something they heard. A common practice for some government types.


-19

Excellent investigative reporting CNN – eye-opening. The names mentioned speak tenfold to what’s going on here.


Tribune reporters, Cloe and Joan, must be burning the midnight oil to contrive another National Inquirer style reporting spin to target aspersions at CCN for doing the job of the press – properly informing the community on the serious matters of corruption going on in this County.


Are Cloe and Joan knowingly or unknowingly protectors cheerleaders trojan horses for the corridor of corruption network in this County?


-22

I’m posting just to see if I get “down” votes.


-4

The down votes can’t change the truth. Only shows how desperate the players are to drive the narrative. And in this case, they’ve lost control.


-23

This is very good reporting! I would like to know who is marking comments as DISLIKED?


-25

This really stinks! 2017 Ernest pleads no contest to felony battery. According to the state, you cannot be involved in a cannabis business if you have a criminal background. So the business is put into Grace Hall/Grace Johnson’s name. But Ernest is the face of Dubs Green Garden. Is he Grace’s employee making deliveries, too? His criminal history prevents that.

So, who in the police department reviewed the background checks and told the city as far as law enforcement was concerned, the city could give the green light to the state to issue a cannabis delivery license? Who was on the police force then? Who was police chief?

It comes down to this: who in the police department AND the city were in charge of reviewing documents for the cannabis delivery permit for Dubs Green Garden? Was the city derelict in protecting the health, safety and welfare of its citizens?


-17

As Karen Velie and CCN have proven over and over again, they report substantiated facts and verified information. It appears that the Hall’s are throwing smoke bombs but when the air clears, the truth of wrongdoing and criminal activity will still be there. Seems like Mr. Lewis might want to make better choices of who supports his allegations and lawsuits.


-15

Birds of a feather??


-7

So legalized pot sales is better HOW?…


-28