Marijuana Madness
By Jason Pepe
1 Sep 2009
Last year I visited San Francisco and unexpectedly ended up touring the Emerald Triangle of Northern California. I just wanted to spend some time in Frisco. My goal was to shoot some photos and see the sights. Well it turned out quite a bit different.
In Frisco I met an old New York friend I had not seen in over thirty years. O'Hara (not his real name) is a tall husky 55 year old Irishman with bright red hair. We had a few drinks and started talking about old times and what we did for a living etc. I was amazed to hear that this Irishman was doing quite well in Northern California growing Marijuana. O'Hara was quite content with life in The Emerald Triangle. The triangle is composed of the following counties. Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity. These counties are the biggest marijuana producing counties in California. No other area of the United States even comes close. A county-commissioned study determined that marijuana accounts for up to two-thirds of the economy.
I thought this was a bad situation and I needed to say goodnight to my old friend and move on. He immediately noticed the shocked look on my face and proceeded to laugh and quickly clue me in to the reality of California and Proposition 215.
After several rounds of tequila, loud music and of course dancing girls he began to tell me how he had made a fortune helping sick people find relief and hope through the use of Marijuana.
I asked him if he smoked weed and he said he did but only occasionally and truly for recreational purposes. O'Hara is a live and let live libertarian that gets really pissed and the veins in his neck throb when he starts talking about the current marijuana laws. He admits drinking is much worse in his opinion and it's ridiculous that so many people are in jail for marijuana use, cultivation etc. That night was the beginning of an interesting week meeting many people whose lives revolved around the Cannabis Industry and it's culture.
In 1996 California voters passed Proposition 215 and this law paved the way for the legal cultivation and distribution of medical marijuana. The proposition created the opportunity for an explosive industry that had never legally existed before. This is what is now referred to as the Cannabis industry. When someone says industry this means jobs right? Well not only jobs but also wealth and tax revenue.
New industry brings opportunities and opens markets. Medical Marijuana patients need a written recommendation from a Medical Doctor for the use of marijuana. Notice I wrote recommendation and not a prescription. Prescriptions are the domain of the FDA so for legal reasons the word recommendation is used in the State law.
While in Northern California I met quite a few people and visited some Doctors offices. I found many people who truly are sick with cancer and other very painful conditions. I was convinced that they should be able to get relief and if Marijuana helped them then this was a good thing.
On the other side of the matter many so called patients are just looking to get high while others were just looking to beat the system and get rich quick. How do I know? well, I asked and because things are so relaxed about marijuana, many people just tell you the truth. Not everyone got a recommendation but most did. Many obtained recommendations for as little as six plants and others for up to twenty five. Some people told me they waited as long as three hours to see a doctor and get a consultation. Office visits cost as low as $200.00 to a high of $350.00
So what are the rules and regulations for obtaining a license for marijuana you may be asking about now?
Well, each County has it's own specific guidelines on licenses for patients and Caregivers/Growers etc. This article will not get into the nitty gritty details of the laws. One thing is certain and that is that lawyers are quite busy as well making money. New propositions and amendments and bills are on the way.
One big idea comes from State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano. Mr. Ammiano has introduced a controversial bill that would make California the first US state to treat marijuana the same as alcohol. His proposal would make the use or sale of marijuana legal to anyone 21 or older. O'Hara is excited and hoping this bill gets passed. Ammiano justifies his proposed bill by pointing to a recent poll showing 56 percent of Californians favor legalizing and taxing marijuana. The bill would impose heavy taxes on marijuana sales that officials estimate could bring 1.3 billion dollars annually to financially stressed California.
So you think you want to learn a bit more on starting your very own Medical Marijuana business, no problem!
Oakland California is the place to go to get familiar with the details of making a living growing marijuana. The school is affectionately named Oaksterdam. You know like Amsterdam.
Oaksterdam was founded in 2007 to provide students with the highest quality training for the cannabis industry. The university educators are comprised of the most recognized names in the California cannabis legalization movement. Seminars cost between $250.00 and $500.00.
So what about the FEDS?
The Federal Government (The FBI, DOJ and DEA) will not just roll over and play dead when it comes to prosecutions of people in the Cannabis Industry regardless of State laws, so beware if your thinking it's all a piece of cake and there are no risks. Don't just be afraid of the Feds, you need to watch out for those bad guys that want to kill you and steal your crop, stash, cash etc. Crime has increased in many areas while other areas are mellow. Pit bulls are great to protect the crops according to most growers I met.
One big problem is the culture and attitudes of many marijuana users I met. Most marijuana smokers are respectful of those that don't appreciate the use of marijuana. Far too many others however will smoke right in front of other folks on the street. They just don't care and I think that attitude really sucks. The strong odor of marijuana is another problem during the flowering stage of the plant. The odor is overpowering and neighbors often become angry with growers. Many property owners will not rent to anyone with intentions to grow marijuana.
The smart marijuana growers I met keep everything low key.
Successful legal operators abide by the rules and grow quality herb that sells to dispensaries for between $3,000 and $4,000 a pound. These growers provide a medical quality product free of pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. Some of the best herb grows in Medocino County.
Many Californians are strongly divided on the issue of Medical Marijuana and it's legalization. Concerns are valid on both sides of the issue and this fight is not over yet!
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Thanks.
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6 responses
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Dawn Duffield gave props (2 Sep 2009):
Awesome story!!!!!
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Jason Ponfil gave props (2 Sep 2009):
Nice story and good job with your facts...kudos!
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highsmith said (3 Sep 2009):
I hope you smoked a bit in your research so you know what all the fuss is about! I liked this piece. You start off sounding very skeptical of this whole marijuana business and in the end discovered the reality of it... that just like any other business there are good guys & scam artists, people who really need the product and people who use it nefariously. It's amazing to me that the booming business you see in California is actually going on all over the world, in every city, just underground & hidden far from view.
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Joy B gave props (6 Sep 2009):
I vote yes.
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Jan Hoffman gave props (19 Sep 2009):
Excellent story -- YES
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Sean-Michael Bryce gave props (20 Oct 2009):
Nicely done. Good pictures to go along with a well researched story
