Grow California issue #5 by Cow Mountain Media

issue 5, harvest 2009

Domestic violence in a marijuana culture

playing games

Marijuana haven Aerial photos

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the game The relationship between marijuana growers and law-enforcement often resembles a high-stakes game of “tag, you’re it”.

High above nor-cal

closing ranks

marijuana haven

HOW THE LAPD RETURNED MY GROW ROOM

Aerial photos from high above Northern California

An exploration of domestic violence in the marijuana culture

At the close of the first decade of the new millennium, the West Coast is home to a highly developed network of doctors, caregivers, dispensaries and patients.

L.A.P.D. rescues 77 plants from a locked appartment

blown away

Despite the fact that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need a flame, taking a solar hit on a windy hillside in California can be trickyHot winds with gusts up to 40 mph are commonplace, often causing wildfires.

GROW W

issue 5

Humboldt County Grow Magazine assumes no responsibility for any claims or representations contained in this magazine or in any advertisement nor do they encourage the illegal use of any of the products advertised within. No portion of this magazine may be reproduced without the written consent of the publisher. Please address all correspondence to : Humboldt Grow Magazine p.o. box 741 Redwood Valley, CA 95470 2009 ÂŠ GROW MAGAZINE COW MOUNTAIN MEDIA Back issues of grow can be ordered online @ www.humboldtgrow.com

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The Gam Kemp

By Kym

“

You tried to beat the system by growing in the sun. We just want to thank you for providing us such fun. We know that you all hate us But we don’t really care. We found your plants and cut them,

”

Who said that life was fair!

- Excerpt from a note, left in a garden by law-enforcement

Drew threw back his head and laughed after he recited from memory a note left by the Campaign Against Marijuana Production (CAMP) almost 15 years earlier. “It was a game,” he said

his perfect teeth white against golden skin. “Remember how good [the cops] used to be? … The helicopter pilots were very skilled at scouring the hills and picking out the bright green patches…Then, there was the dope on a rope… “STABO” I think was the official acronym for the silly Camp guys on the end of a cable looking highly vulnerable!”

the reason for cultivating marijuana is the excitement and the risk. “I grew up in a Marijuana Culture. …. As kids, we would watch helicopters fly over and fly back with big nets full. It was fun to watch…. All our parents did a good job of keeping us kids out of the heaviness.” At 35, Drew looks back on a long profession of growing marijuana outdoors. He explains that he and his friends went through phases in their careers. “There were definitely stages of being a kid around a marijuana economy. At 10 -13 years old, I remember not liking it because it was wrong or illegal—especially about my parents smoking. You don’t like much about what your parents are doing at that age. By 8th or 9th grade, some of my older friends started smoking

“It was a game,” he said his

perfect teeth white against golden skin. “Remember how good [the cops] used to be? … “We were like, if they look this hard, it’s not even fair.” He laughs at himself knowing that most people don’t perceive what he does as a sport where fairness counts. But, he believes it. He takes another bite of breakfast and says again, “It was a game to us.” The taunting little rhyme above indicates that the game feeling can be reciprocal. As recently as 2008, in one of the largest Federal raids in California, 450 agents stormed Humboldt County in a marijuana related operation. Two days later they made public details of their activities. The title of the piece— Joint news release (Wink, wink. Nudge, nudge) could have been coincidental but considering the effort to make public the release exactly at 4:20--.the tongue in cheek humor, a “we gotcha” aimed at growers, was obviously deliberate. The matching of wits between the two sides adds an entertainment factor for the officer and, most especially, the outlaw. Drew acknowledges that part of

... My friends and I were 14-15 when I tried marijuana for the first time. At 15-16, we started growing but we weren’t really capitalists. We were into mischief—sneaking to grow.” “Then …I remember that moment as a serious one….my mom sat me down one day and said, “Hey, would you be interested in having some of your own plants you could take care of?”… My friends started showing up with new clothes and cars. [After harvest], November and December--people had nicer stuff. This was in the early 90’s. At 16 years old, I was doing it as a real job. My mom gave me pointers. But I was more keen on having fun—hanging with my friends. When I was 16 or 17, a guerilla patch was more fun than the real job aspect. It was a challenge to sneak around…It was that thrill you seek as a teenager and we were totally into exploring the land, looking for springs, [and] climbing trees. [There was the] challenge of getting water and not getting seen. We used pruning

“Then …I remember that moment as a serious one….my mom sat me down one day and said,

‘Hey, would you be interested in having some of your own plants you could take care of?’ ”…

laupers to cut secret trails to [someone else’s] private property. A mischievous grin pushing up across his whole face and splitting into laugh lines around his eyes, Drew leans forward, waving his spoon from his breakfast cereal, and tells the tale as if it were a great joke on himself. “So we cut this big long path through the bush.” He and his friends didn’t mind the work. In fact, that was a large part of the fun. “We weren’t so good at growing pot, we were great at making forts though.” After many days of digging holes (“They were new ones and starting out is the hard part.”), hauling in amendments and setting up waterline, Drew and his friends were ready to plant. They headed out one morning to work on their secret patch and found all their tools and supplies heaped at the trailhead. “There was just a note that told us it was private land and we shouldn’t be trying to grow there.” He snorts with laughter, “Can you imagine? What a great neighbor.” His admiration for the calm response to what he sees as his teenage pranks makes him thoughtful for a moment. But this thoughtfulness leads to another story. “Then we got permission and help to grow on someone’s piece [a neighboring adult]. We pioneered a new spot… We did a bunch of work including hiking soil and amendments up a long hill on our backs with frame packs, burying 3/4 inch water line, and setting up dripper systems with timers. It was our first growing experience where we were doing it right--although we didn't know yet how to harvest duff and native soil. Our partner bought bales of Sunshine #1 mix and one of those is a load! In a show of strength one day, one of our friends carried two bales up the hill strapped to his pack; we quit giving him any shit after that! … Our plants were gorgeous, far better than anything we had ever grown.” However, when harvest came that year, the neighbor owed someone else money and used Drew and his friend’s buds to pay off the

debt. “After that, we knew we were never going to make that mistake [of trusting someone] again. I confronted him. You know tears and everything. … I learned my lesson the hard way.” For a moment, Drew’s jaw muscles flex but then with a sigh and slight rise and fall of his shoulders, he adds that he stayed friendly with the neighbor. The incident didn’t leave him unaffected though. Drew explained that he and his friends began to change then, “We did successful guerilla grows. [The thing to remember is] reliable water systems…Don’t count on hand watering. Get drippers with timers. You might have something important to do for a couple days.” He grins, wriggling his eyebrows, making it apparent that what constitutes important might be great surfing or a chance to hang with some friends. “Just keeping the plants alive isn’t enough to make a profit. You need water. You need safe cover. To get enough light, do southern exposure with long hours of dappled sunlight.” “Like most growers of that era, we got very good at having enough camouflage over our plants yet still letting sun in. We climbed and pruned trees with handsaws; we bent over limbs and even wove the canopy together. We looked for bay and oak trees that were bright green to hide the lush weed plants underneath. We prided ourselves on not making visible trails, and camouflaging all the water lines and anything plastic.” “We also used only organic nutrients, which we learned from our parents. They never told us we had to; we just copied what had worked for them since the beginning. The only problems were occasional rats and deer, so we set traps and sprayed an egg and cayenne pepper mix.” Drew sets his empty bowl aside and stands up. “Around 20 [years old], you get an outlaw thrill. You’re on your own. You want privacy. I moved to a plywood and hippie glass cabin.” [Hippie glass is a clear plastic often stretched over areas

intended to contain windows… someday…] “Then you look around and think, ‘I can work hard and grow this plant and pay bills, improve my house. Maintain stuff on the land.’ Marijuana took on more of a real job seriousness.” Drew and I are standing in front of his tiny one room cabin which has no PG&E and is powered by four solar panels. It is beautifully tiled with a large bank of windows, and it opens onto a well cared for garden. There, native plants like a ceanothus spray fountains of pale blue flowers next to trees and more conventional flowers and vegetables. Inside, several athletic men in their early thirties shovel breakfast into hungry mouths while simultaneously laughing and joking.

When I walked up, expecting just one or two suspicious and taciturn growers, they seemed to be everywhere, a tangle of laughter, denim and sweatshirts that resolved into friendly grins and warm handshakes as Drew introduced me to them. “This is Kym. She’s

going with us,” he explained to a childhood friend, Seth—a leaner, tanner version of himself. Afraid I might be sent packing, I quickly launched into my standard “all the names will be changed along with identifying characteristics” speech only to have it shrugged off with a sweet smile. No one seemed to be the least concerned that they were going off to plant marijuana accompanied by a journalist with a camera. And, in fact, it turned out that only Drew, Seth, and Asa were going, the others were just hanging around for fun before they headed off with weed wackers and other tools to do work at their own places. In spite of how far out in the woods we were, here,

at the end of a very long dirt road, there was a tiny community of 3 or 4 houses—out of sight of each other— but close enough for healthy guys to tromp over, eat, chat, and smoke a joint together before setting off on their separate jobs. Drew and Asa were partners in this year’s crop on Drew’s land and Seth was there to help rework last year’s holes. Asa, who had just driven an hour and a half over the curvy country roads, was less interested in talking about marijuana then he was in relating an adventure that happened right before he neared the end of the long dirt driveway that led to Drew’s cabin.

Driving upwards through dark damp woods on a road he’d been using since he was a teenager, Asa had been talking with his small dog while he steered his vehicle over potholes. When suddenly, “There was a mother deer on the road with two wobbly kneed little deers,” Asa held his hands close together to indicate how small they were. “Mom wanted to jump up the hill. But one little guy [didn’t follow.] He just collapsed on the road. It was too much for him. He curled up, put his nose down and lay there.” Though not tall, the large muscles on Asa’s arms look incongruous as he rests his face on his hands showing how the fragile fawn collapsed, his tiny black nose laying on top of his feet. After awhile, Asa got out of the truck. He had grown up wanting to be a Disney animator, and was delighted to be so close to the tiny hooves and delicate nose of the fawn but he was also raised in the Humboldt hills and knew that the experience, while magical for him, was traumatic for the fawn and the doe. He didn’t want to touch the fawn and leave human scent on him but both he and the watching doe were growing impatient, so he gently urged the tiny creature with a stick

to follow his mother. The baby just trembled. His fur was still a little wet like he’d been licked. Asa wondered if he’d just been born. He went and got a blanket from the bed of his pickup, wrapped the little creature, and carried it into the woods while the mother watched anxiously from a distance. When he set the fawn down, it didn’t move. “I could have petted it if I wanted to,” he said. Then, after a long pause, he added wistfully, “I wanted to…but I didn’t want the mom to freak out.” He left the small fawn by the side of the road with its mother lingering hopefully and drove on the quarter mile remaining to where his friends waited at Drew’s house. A tiny odd looking vehicle was quickly being filled with gardening supplies. A plastic garbage bin strapped to a backpack bumped against soil and amendments. Drew confided in me that he had learned how to make the carrier from a man who used to smuggle Thai sticks into Humboldt County many years ago. The older man went on to become a well respected guerilla grower for many more years before he retired. “We also learned techniques like harvesting duff, or leaf mulch from beneath madrones and oaks to use in our ground holes, instead of buying and humping potting soil long distances.” In order to minimize the bulk and weight, the organic amendments (bags of oyster shell, Dr. Earth, guano etc. were broken into smaller amounts and some were left behind. Then a big swath of weed cloth was spread out on the driveway and separated into large squares by burning with a torch. “That keeps the ends from fraying,” Drew told his friends. “Last year I tried this for the first time, it seemed to work but the frayed ends were sticking up everywhere… “ Later, concerned about passing on environmentally sound techniques, he explained to me, “Nowadays, I hate trekking plastic out into the woods, but the weed cloth is a good way to keep the invasive roots out of the ground holes. I have cleaned up garbage from many old grows, my

own and other’s, and will continue to pack out what I pack in.” He continued, “There was a time when I doubted that the work I was doing was worth the effort. A lot of people started growing indoors and using big greenhouses to get massive harvests. It was tempting and I thought maybe I was missing the boat, that my ways were out-dated. Now that we can grow in the sun again, and we have bred seed strains that do great under partial shade, the old low-impact organic and close to the earth growing techniques are proving themselves worthy again. Who needs a greenhouse when the helicopters fly right over sun-patches? Plus you feel good about being more conscious, using less resources, and growing a product you are proud of. Even if the market doesn't reflect it, most smokers and medicine users know, you can't beat good organic outdoor, especially if it's grown with love!” When everything was packed up, two guys in front and two of us reclining in back atop a heap of soil etc., we drove off waving to the others who were heading off to their own tasks. We stopped at a vegetable garden to drop off some of the soil. Flowers grew under fruit trees and small marijuana plants waited in pots for placement in the ground in a more secluded spot. Asa was entranced by some oriental poppies growing randomly in the garden. “Better watch out,” Seth joked. “Next, he’ll be naked and rolling in the grass.” Asa grinned back but headed straight to the seed pods. Almost sensuously, he flicked open his pocket knife and added more slits to the ripe pods. Carefully scoring the swollen globes, he watched the white juice form a glistening droplet. Rubbing a bit between thumb and forefinger, he pronounced the fluid ready to harvest. Drew explained later that the poppies come up like weeds every year and he only leaves the strongest ones to grow. The garden like many others in the area serves as both a food and medicine provider as well as offering a bounty of colors for the viewer’s pleasure. As Asa finished with the poppies, Drew and Seth completed gathering a few more items and we motored off up what was barely more than a trail. Loading up with the cleverly designed packs made hiking the last 10 minutes easy, though the terrain was rough. Slender trees opened to let morning sunshine between their trunks. A trained eye could spot the area had been gardened before but the evidence was not easily seen. Large ferns grew scattered amongst the holes that had to be pointed out to me. The coppery barks of madrone striped the golds of the grass and the grays of the soil that showed through here and there. Drew had been growing this site beneath a light

tan oak and madrone canopy for several years so the soil was easily worked. Just above the patch, the headwaters of a blue line creek bubbled out of the ground. Whenever we were thirsty, we bent down and sipped water rushing clear and untouched from the ground. Perrier never tasted so cold and delicious. The soil was loosened, piled onto tarps, and then the weed cloth was laid down. The cloth helps keep other plants’ roots from finding the holes and absorbing much of the nutrients. Amendments were shoveled onto the soil and spaded in again and again then the dirt mixture was returned to the hole. Seth joked that the weed cloth was rolled down as neatly as Martha Stewart’s pie crusts. As one hole was finished, other holes were started. The crew worked seamlessly, flowing from hole to hole. They knew what needed to be done and rarely spoke of the actual work but, instead, handed shovels and bags to their compatriots without even being asked. Sweat rolled freely but so did the laughter. Some growers keep quiet in the woods. They have rules about not using names in case the police come and everyone has to scatter, it allows for more plausible deniability should one get caught. But Seth, Drew, and Asa joked, played the radio, and acted as if this were an extreme sport they were playing—time to get sweaty and have fun. Digging into ground untouched since last year requires shovels to be almost speared into the earth but these three talked, laughed and, at times, worked in companionable silence. “Time for some weed?” Asa asked occasionally throughout the day. But, he didn’t need an answer. He sat and began rolling almost before he finished the question. Without easing their efforts or showing any signs of being stoned, the three would continue working--sweat rolling across arms and faces dusted with dirt. At lunch, cherries, chips and sandwiches were unpacked and washed down with spring water sipped straight from the creek. Biting into sweet red flesh and spitting the seeds into the soil, I lay on my back against a slope, miles from anywhere and watched the clouds pass and listened to the guys hand round yet another joint. Hours later, the crew decided to pack up and head in. A half day’s work still needed to be done but the sun was setting. We drove to the top of a nearby hill, passing a spot where Indian artifacts had been found. We stared for miles across mountain ranges--the beauty so incredible there was no need for much conversation. After awhile we drove back. Unwilling to end the day, we sat talking as it grew dark. Stories about the community the crew grew up in were

Wednesday November 25, 2009 at the Melkweg in Amsterdam

passed around like cherished heirlooms. One story Drew told me later encapsulated the growing up in Humboldt experience. He explained that he had been gone when “a fire started at the neighbor’s house, downhill from our growing spot. Sure enough, the burning house caught the wildland on fire and it was moving uphill. It threatened several homesteads further up, but meanwhile it was burning right up to our patches that were almost ready to harvest. The local fire dept. was hiking down from above with hand tools; they had heard about the plants and had also got word that CDF [California Department of Forestry] and a crew of cons [convicts] were on the way to help fight the fire.” “Time was of the essence; the CDF chief was cool about it. He just said he didn't want the cons to come across anything. Asa and friends, including local volunteers were on the scene, cutting fire line and cutting plants and stuffing them in contractor bags like mad, hiding the harvest in gullies, throwing brush on top and watching the fire creep closer.” “At the same time Asa's dad was at a higher vantage point watching the CDF crew coming down, possibly even buying time or diverting the cons elsewhere, and signaling to Asa to hurry up! In the end, the harvest was mostly saved; the fire slowed and was contained thanks to a misty fog that crept in miraculously late in the day. My folks were totally stressed about the fire.” Drew’s parents may have been worried but his relationship with growing is that of an athlete in a sport not a farmer working for a living. “I was sorry to be gone at the time and unable to help and also miss the excitement!” The game of growing extends between these young men as well. When I saw Seth a week later, I asked him if he had been working for pay at Drew’s. He grinned and told me that he’d just gone to hang with his friends not to get paid but that at the end of the day, Drew had insisted on giving him money. The camaraderie between the three men impressed me from the start. Although Asa was in partnership with Drew, when Asa’s dog wandered off, Drew never once acted with so much as a roll of his eyes like Asa should be concentrating on the digging or carrying items. Yet conversely, the crew never seemed especially pleased by my working either. When I offered, they took me up on it, when I wandered looking for good photos, they pointed me to especially good vantage points. Drew, Asa and Seth each put in energy as they wanted--and all contributed to the joy of just hanging together. A team bound together by childhood friendship and a shared culture that pits their wits against the Law. Towards the end of the afternoon we spent

together, in a thoughtful mood, the team (as I had begun to think of them) talked about their lives. Asa reminisced about his days snowboarding. At one point he had been a semipro. “It’s trippy to be part of the weed thing so long,” he said. He left Humboldt when he was a teenager to live near the snow. He would come back and work in marijuana grows just to earn money to enable his passion for boarding. He would divide the money into envelopes designated for each of the months he was at the snow. But he couldn’t make it on that alone. “I got a real job as a dishwasher/busser.” Sweat still streaking his arms, he is unaware of the irony that digging for hours is “a real job.” He has too much fun doing it to think of it as work. It just is. Asa explains that after awhile he came back to Humboldt to earn some “real money.” He still regrets he didn’t stay with snowboarding, He questions himself like the Marlon Brando character he resembles physically, wondering if he stayed with it if he could have done well, if he “coulda been a contender.” Drew also feels this anxiety. He worries, “We came from a kickass community, we did well in school and sports or arts, we were gonna go far. I also know my parents made a huge break from mainstream society to move back to the land and live an alternative lifestyle. Sometimes I wonder, ‘Am I not living up to expectations by doing this?’” Looking at those three men, all owning their own homes, running businesses (some legal), with friendships that any person would envy, in disbelief, I asked, “Do you feel coming back here to Humboldt is a failure?” “I could get that feeling if I wanted to.” Asa digs a little in the side of the hill dispiritedly. Drew who has begun returning the leftovers into a backpack, stops. “I entertain those thoughts when I’m out here by myself. Never when I’m with my bros.” Seth and Asa nodded, laughed, and, taking the shovels with new energy, joined in the game again. ●

Read more of Kym Kemp’s writing on her blog @ kymk.wordpress.com/

-“Do you feel coming back here to Humboldt is a failure?” -“I could get that feeling if I wanted to.”

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Don’t run with scissors. Close your mouth when you chew. Fasten your seat belt. Don’t grow more than 25 marijuana plants on one parcel. Commonnsense. In 2008, several laws affecting medical marijuana were changed by the Mendocino County voters, the Mendocino County Board of Supervisors and the Courts.

7 A qualified patient may possess eight ounces of processed

marijuana and either six mature or twelve immature marijuana plants. (Measure B)

7 Trespass grows, cultivation on public land, theft of water and growing techniques that cause environmental damage are always illegal.

7 A qualified patient or caregiver may possess a greater amount if that amount is recommended by a physician and is consistent with a patients medical needs. (11362.77 Health & Safety Code)

7 A primary caregiver cannot possess any more marijuana than is allowed for his or her qualified patient. (11362.77 Health & Safety Code)

7 If the only service you provide to a qualified patient is supplying marijuana, then you are not a primary caregiver. You are a drug dealer. (Peo. vs. Mentch)

7 Consistent with Prop 215, the Board of Supervisors has declared

that cultivation of more than twenty-five plants per parcel is a public nuisance therefore you cannot grow more than 25 marijuana plants on a single parcel of land. It doesn’t matter whether the plants are grown indoors or outdoors, and it doesn’t matter how many patients or caregivers use the parcel. (County Ord. 9.31)

7 Marijuana grown outside must be fully enclosed by a fence at least

six feet in height, with a lockable gate that is locked at all times when the patient or caregiver is not in the immediate area. (County Ord. 9.31)

7 If any of your parcel boundaries are within 1,000 feet of a youth oriented facility, school or park, any school bus stop or any church, then you can’t grow marijuana on that parcel. The distance is measured from the parcel boundary—not the garden. (County Ord. 9.31)

7 The best way to prove you are a qualified patient or primary caregiver is to obtain a State issued medical marijuana identification card. (11362.71 Health & Safety Code)

That’s how the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office is approaching the enforcement of our State & County’s medical marijuana laws. Legitimate medical marijuana users and their caregivers are looking for guidance; illegal growers and suppliers are looking for loopholes. Wherever you stand on medical marijuana, you deserve to know how the laws will be enforced in Mendocino County. This is just a summary of the laws and ordinances. To learn more, watch the “Medical Marijuana Guidelines” video at www. UkiahValley.tv. A complete copy of the Sheriff’s Office enforcement directive and the Attorney General’s guidelines are also available at: www.mendocinosheriff.com Sheriff’s Office (707) 463-4411 Public Health Card Ukiah (707) 472-2784

This public service message funded by the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Drug Asset Forfeiture Fund.

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Closing Ranks: Marijuana Culture and Domestic Abuse By Kym Kemp

“Shhh, don’t tell or we’ll all get in trouble.” Growers close ranks when dealing with the straight world. Bonded together into a solid, almost impenetrable wall by a common fear of authorities, the different faces of the marijuana culture are much richer and more varied than most people realize. But, while fragmented into distinct social groups such as Rastafarians, indoor cowboys, etc., growers—big and small-- are united by more than just producing an illegal product, they are united by a common need for privacy and secrecy. Unfortunately, these needs can aggravate the larger, society wide problem of domestic abuse. According to Mary Balletta, Director of Services for Wish Foundation [Women and Children's Crisis Shelter in Southern Humboldt] “Domestic abuse doesn’t discriminate—not [by] gender, not by certain economic groups, and not by marijuana growers or not. In fact, in my experience,

marijuana tends to attract very peaceful people but there is a negative element of people who have…their own fear base…In an alternative economy, with fear of police coming down the driveways [the need for control sometimes increases.]” And domestic abuse is often about control. Balletta explained that the marijuana culture has certain elements that can intensify an abusive situation. Three of the main components are isolation, untraceable money, and closing ranks--turning in one person means turning in a community. Physical distance from neighbors and family is not the only form of isolation. Growers, whether rural or not, face some social seclusion because of their work in an illegal business. The abuser can use the need for secrecy to segregate the victim. “You can’t have people over because I have a grow room in the garage…”or “you can’t go visit your mother because she’ll smell marijuana on you.” Or even, “You can’t leave me because I’ll turn you in for growing.” Economic dependence,

a hallmark of abusive relationships, is deepened by the fact that money within the growers’ culture is, by necessity, untraceable. With those who live legally, much of what a partner makes is documented and thus available for child support and a divorce settlement. In the alternative economy of a marijuana grower, this isn’t true. Even if a partner makes large sums, the money is hidden and the victim may have no way of gaining access to even a small amount.

Balleta relates the story of one woman. She and her partner had moved into a small cabin without power in the hills above Garberville. “The woman wanted to be living a happy, healthy, organic lifestyle…” but the partner began drinking, abusing her, and leaving her at home alone with the kids for extended periods. One day, he went to town in their only vehicle and stayed on a binge for several days, leaving her

trapped without enough food to feed the kids or enough clean clothes. The woman was afraid to leave (and had no vehicle anyway). What little money they had came from marijuana sales. She knew she would be unable to get a share of it at harvest if she left now. How would she care for her kids if she left? How could she afford a home for them? This situation isn’t uncommon apparently. Often between the male abuser and the female victim, Balleta says, “…the mother is a servant or a child or the man’s possession. The man makes all the decisions –she is working for subsistence.—room and board…. The [women] don’t believe they can support themselves ….” In fact, there is a perception among some segments of the marijuana culture that many female partners of growers have no skills and virtually leech off the male grower. This can be seen in an online discussion following an article in the Willits News (April 24, 2009 ) about a situation in which a man accused of assaulting his

female partner and “knocking her to the ground” was subsequently arrested for marijuana cultivation by police investigating the alleged assault. An anonymous commenter maintained, ““I have learned long ago just because some chick kicks and screams about something doesn't make it true. Willits is full of young, lying untalented hos, bouncing from grower to grower with no life or careers of there[sic] own. He must have not given her 50% of his grow or something.” These women, in the commenter’s view, have no skills of value other than their sexual appeal. The commenter reduces them to mere unpleasant additions in the male grower’s life.

Nonetheless,

there is some truth to his accusations. Some male growers have been known to stay with and even marry emotionally abusive partners in order to avoid the possibility of being turned in. Dave, a handsome blond man who lives on a farm full of pets-- includ-

ing nearly a dozen wellbehaved dogs, speaks with great pain of a former relationship. “She didn’t know how to take care of herself. I didn’t know how to take care of myself. A former activist for environmental and social causes, Dave had been arrested multiple times for civil disobedience so he allowed all the money they made to be put in his partner’s bank account. “I’d never had any money… never paid any taxes… She wanted to control the money. I didn’t care. I just wanted the bills paid.” They bought a house in town for an indoor grow and the money became tight. Leta, his partner, became emotionally abusive—calling him names and insulting the one skill he was proud of—his growing abilities. Leta also began “dramatic grieving—screaming and crying” and “inducing asthmatic attacks” whenever Dave seemed remote from her. She would ask him if she was sexually attractive to him, if he didn’t respond correctly, she would begin wailing increasing the noise un-

til she got the result she wanted. This would draw attention in the town. As a grower, he couldn’t afford the notice of outsiders. “[I would] get down on my knees begging her to stop….” Often times she would go outside upping the ante as more neighbors could hear her wail and increasing the chance of police involvement. Dave explained that Leta was beautiful but “I found myself having sex with her just to keep her quiet…This is like having sex with a butcher block.” Ashamed, Dave puts his hand up and roughly wipes at his eyes. “God, this is just pathetic.” After a bit, he continues his voice breaking, “[I asked her] could we just break up? I’ll pay you when the crop comes in.” He mimics her voice. “I’m not leaving ‘til I get my money.” Dave moved out to the land living with little more than a solar panel feeding one light in a van . He stayed away working his crop. He paid two women (on speculation when the harvest came in) to stay with her and keep her entertained. Eventually,

he was able to give her $25,000 as her share and she went away happy but he still bears the emotional scars. Getting counseling or calling in authorities is fraught with risk. The illegal business could be discovered, crops could be lost, and everyone could face arrest—not just the active participants but also their neighbors could be drawn down into the morass of legal attention. Thus calling in authorities or outsiders is considered the ultimate sin. Karol Andersson, assistant editor at the McKinleyville Press and a student at Humboldt State, relates an incident that happened a while ago.

"A young mother I knew showed up at

the preschool to drop off her child. She was sporting a huge shiner. Her "partner" .. had punched her during an argument. I was appalled. "Did you call the cops?" I asked. She said, "I can't. He has a scene." I was unsympathetic; I replied, "If he has a

going to authorities may or may not be based on reality of actual police action. Balleta states firmly that the relationship between WISH and the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office “is good. They don’t come down the driveways looking for pot.”

There is a story persistent in grower lore of a Southern Humboldt woman who,

Dave with his dogs

scene, then he should keep his nose clean." Andersson continues, “These things have always bothered me about the industry. Social ills surround it. And children grow to adulthood while solutions never even get discussed, much less set into place. Families can't turn to the authorities for assistance because of the taboo on anything that even remotely resembles snitching. The taboo against snitching is, apparently, bigger than the one against,... beating your wife.” However, the young mother in Andersson’s story has worries that may be real. The taboo against

after being viciously attacked by her partner, ran to a neighbor’s house for help. The neighbor let her call 911 but, when officers showed up, they were more interested in busting the neighbors for their grow than finding the abusive partner of the woman. When asked about this, Balleta insists Humboldt County police work well with WISH and she says firmly, “I’ve been here 7 years and never ran into that.” While her experience in Humboldt correlates with online research which does not show any arrests for marijuana cultivation after a domestic abuse situation in the area, other areas throughout California and the greater United States have different standards. For instance, Mendocino County sheriffs have arrested several suspected growers recently because of domestic abuse investigations that led to marijuana cultivation sites. One case happened in May, officers were dispatched to a home after meeting with a women in an ambulance who reported leaving with her children after being head-butted by her husband. The alleged attack resulted in a severe lacera-

tion and swelling. At the home, officers discovered an indoor marijuana grow and seized nearly 300 plants. Another such case is discussed in the article in the April 24th edition of the Willits News mentioned above. In fact, one of the comments on the article implies the victim of the alleged abuse was targeted by the police. “She has also been arrested for growing pot, which is a much sadder tale.” Thus, the young mother in the story above may have ended up being charged with marijuana cultivation should she have attempted to report the violence against her. However, Lt. Noe of the Mendocino County Sheriff assured me that they “prioritize domestic abuse above and beyond any pot growing.” The obstacles to getting out of an abusive relationship within the marijuana culture can seem overwhelming. Nonetheless, Balleta makes clear that the benefits generally outweigh the problems. The woman she spoke about earlier who was trapped in the cabin in the woods made the decision to call WISH. “Soon her children were bathed and in bed without worrying about being abused…She stays at Wish, gets an apartment in another town… She’s never been happier…She goes to college, her children have a stable home---she’s not worrying anymore.”

Leaving isn’t easy though. Bal-

leta says, “There is a crisis point when the victim wants to leave …[the victim] can be hurt and killed if they do leave” because the abuser (male

or female) gets desperate at the thought of losing their partner.” She offers some advice, “It takes planning. Recognize your abuse [see boxed information]. And then attempt to break free “We put you in a situation to get you on your feet so you can decide what is your true intention in life for your own happiness and your children’s.” WISH in Southern Humboldt, like many crisis shelters, provides a secret, secure home to protect the victim and their children. The volunteers at the center help with getting state aide and grants for college or with getting jobs and moving--whatever is needed. Balleta makes sure to point out that domestic abuse happens both within and without the marijuana culture. And, she says, help comes from both sides of the cultural divide in Humboldt. “This is a community blended here from straights and from the marijuana culture that values protecting women and children.… Wish is very special here. Very few communities can start up a help shelter for themselves but we did.”

However, though

Southern Humboldt is unique in that its shelter operates with private funding, most communities have some sort of state funded crisis shelter that will assist families in need. Balleta finishes her account by saying, “This is part of the nature of [the marijuana] community. … No one wants to ask for help. [There is] such a need for privacy.” Still, the grower community and the greater community can close ranks between the victim and the abuser—helping provide a safe place for healing and for moving on. ●

Those in Humboldt wishing to volunteer or donate can contact WISH at 707 223 0043. The office number at 707-923-4100, If you and your family are experiencing crisis, please contact WISH at 1 800 211 1188 or a shelter in your own community.

What can I do to help?

You suspect that your friend is in an abusive relationship. Here are some things to consider: • Think about your relationship with your friend. When and where might you talk with her safely, and what could you say? • Ask questions that let her know of your suspicions and concern. • When she talks about the situation, believe what she says and validate her concerns. • Help your friend make use of local resources. • Work with your friend to develop a personal safety plan. • Help her prepare to leave if the danger and abuse escalate. source: https://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/ updates/update1006d.shtml

Recognizing Domestic Abuse

Here are warning signs that a mate or date may be a potential or actual abuser. 2 • Jealousy of your time with co-workers, friends, and family. • Controlling behavior. (Controls your comings and goings and your money and insists on “helping” you make personal decisions.) • Isolation (Cuts you off from supportive resources, such as telephone pals and colleagues at work.) • Blames others for his or her problems. (Unemployment, family quarrels – everything is “your fault.”) • Hypersensitivity. (Easily upset by annoyances that are a part of daily life, such as being asked to work overtime, criticism of any kind, being asked to help with chores or child care.) • Cruelty to animals and children. (Insensitive to their pain and suffering,

may tease and/or hurt children and pets.) • “Playful” use of force in sex. (May throw you down and hold you during sex. May start having sex with you when you are sleeping or demand sex when you are ill or tired.) • Verbal abuse. (Says cruel and hurtful things, degrades and humiliates you, wakes you up to verbally abuse you or doesn’t let you go to sleep.) • Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde personality. (Sudden mood swings and unpredictable behavior – one minute loving, the next minute angry and punitive.) • Past history of battering. (Has hit others but has a list of excuses for having been “pushed over the edge.”) • Threats of violence. (Says, “I’ll slap you,” “I’ll kill you,” or “I’ll break your neck.”) • Breaking or striking objects. (Breaks your possessions, throws objects near or at you or your children.) • Uses force during an argument. (Holds you down or against a wall, pushes, shoves, slaps, or kicks you. This behavior can easily escalate to choking, stabbing, or shooting.) When domestic violence occurs, it often follows a pattern of three stages: 3 • It starts with a build-up of tension -criticism, yelling, swearing, using angry gestures, coercion, threats. • This leads to physical or sexual attacks or threats of attack or other punishment. The perpetrator’s rage is out of control. • The final stage is seduction -- the perpetrator apologizes, blames the behavior on being drunk, promises to change, gives gifts. This reinforces the victim’s hope for a healthy, loving relationship and allows the cycle to be repeated. Source: http://www.hq.nasa.gov/office/ospp/ securityguide/Eap/Abuse.htm

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California: the Medical Marijuana Dispensary Haven of the U.S. By Emily Hobelmann

ack in the 90s, California voters passed a

groundbreaking law to legalize marijuana for medical use. Sure 1996 doesn't constitute ancient history, but it has been 13 whole years since the citizens of our fair land stepped up to make Cali the first state in the nation to have a law on the books protecting medi-pot users.

Enough time has gone by for the original law to take on new incantations; enough time has passed for a Golden State brand of medical marijuana culture to develop.

At the close of

the first decade of the new millennium, the West Coast is home to a highly developed network of doctors, caregivers, dispensaries and patients. If a person believes they are suffering from a medical condition that warrants a prescription for medical pot, he or she seeks out a "215-friendly" doctor. Practitioners are quite easy to find with directories published on websites like CA Norml's (www.canorml.org). Clinic chain offices that are exclusively devoted to giving prescriptions to those in need developed with a healthy demand to help them

along. One such conglomerate is Medicann, which describes themselves on their website as being â&#x20AC;&#x153;a group of integrative medical clinics dedicated to providing health and wellness services including evaluations for medical marijuana.â&#x20AC;? At this point, the business has twenty total clinics from San Diego all the way north to Humboldt County. With a prescription, typically valid for either a six month or one year period, one may possess, buy or grow medicine. Medi-pot patients may not have the facilities or physical capabilities necessary to grow their own quality, organic, healthy green and properly potent medicines. A patient may not have someone to act as a caregiver for them, or they may face challenging social stigma which could hinder their ability to reach out for help.

Doctors recommend

marijuana as a medicine for sick people; doctors don't necessarily

recommend suppliers for sick people. Out of necessity, our state is home to hundreds of dispensaries, where patients with the proper documentation can choose from a variety of medicinal options including cannabis buds, foods, hash, clones and other canna-products. Dispensaries sprang up around the state immediately following the passage of Prop 215. The law is vague and because of that, even to this day, dispensaries face persecution most intensely from federal law enforcement agencies. As a matter of evolution towards protecting the citizenry, Senate Bill 420 was passed in 2003. The bill did much to clarify the vagaries of the '96 ballot initiative, and in particular, it recognized the right of dispensaries and cooperative gardens to serve the patient community. Our lawmakers valor sadly does not give dispensaries immunity from scrutiny from the man. According to Scott Hensley’s September 11 article on the NPR Health Blog, San Diego County has 60

odd dispensaries within its borders, 14 of which were just the target of an undercover sting instigated by the DA's office.

medical pot friendly states in the U.S. do not have such well developed accommodations for their patient populations.

Wait, back up.

Consider Oregon,

Sixty dispensaries in San Diego County alone? That's a large, and therefore competitive market. And competition brings quality options in addition a check on pricing. California’s medi-pot dispensary scene has got it going on. Our state's large, metropolitan areas (Los Angeles, San Diego and the Bay Area) house hundreds of dispensaries. Many isolated areas have them too. Our community is open, accessible, flourishing and active. We're not the only state that has legalized weed for medical use. There are 12 other states in our nation that have passed medical marijuana legislation of their own. Do they have an active market of dispensaries? Do patients in these other states enjoy the same access that we have have in California? Sadly, most the other

the first state to follow the lead of Prop 215 by passing their own medical marijuana legislation in 1998. Patients get their paperwork through a state agency known as the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program. Patients can grow their own, or they can seek the support of a caregiver.

Dispensary access? Not so much. Not that the Oregonians haven't tried though. In 2004 an initiative to enable dispensaries to open was on placed on the ballot, but voters rejected the measure and no further progress has been made since then. How about Alaska? The state is fairly lenient when it comes to possession, even concerning non-patients, but like Oregon, their MMJ system boils down to obtaining a permit and growing your own. No dispensaries to be found for those who are

not grow savvy or who do not have ready access to a caregiver. Similar story in Hawaii. Get a permit... Grow your own or find a grower. Dispensaries? Not a one. Go ahead and throw Maine, Vermont, Michigan and Nevada on the list of states that allow you to grow and possess medicine, but don’t have active dispensaries for you to purchase from.

Not all is lost,

however, because there are some userfriendly states out there. Both Colorado and Montana have caregiver cooperatives that essentially act as dispensaries for the patient communities. Washington state is home to a few of the same, but even now law enforcement agencies are taking advantage of that state’s unclear laws in order to raid and close down what they can. New Mexico law makers tried to help out their patients by allowing one single state-approved non-

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profit dispensary to operate legally. That's right, one dispensary. According to Marjorie Childress' August 31 article in The New Mexico Independent, "the nonprofit has run out of its product and wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have more available until October." Grim. Rhode Island is on the ball though. According to salemnews.com, this past June, the legislature went against their governor and expanded their law to enable "state-licensed compassion centers to grow and distribute marijuana to registered patients." Well done.

It's great that some of the states with medical marijuana laws are working on creating safe access. The other medical marijuana states will hopefully show some initiative in this regard in the very near future. But simply based on sheer numbers, California is the leader when it comes to dispensary access. Just realize that as a patient, if you leave Cali, you are leaving safe, reliable access to quality medicine behind. Sure, you can be legal in the other twelve states, but it will be harder to find the medicine that you need once your there.

Enjoy and acknowledge your freedoms and

privileges in the medical marijuana dispensary mecca of our nation, but also pray that our still-vague situation, and every other state's in our nation will improve sooner than later. â&#x2014;?

How the LAPD Returned My Grow Room.

Edward Forchion is a prominent figure on the 5000 block of Hollywood Boulevard. He is the proprietor of Liberty Bell Temple

medical marijuana cooperative at 5642 Hollywood Boulevard. As a transplant from the East coast, Forchion has made quite a name for himself in Los Angeles, and whether you know it or not, if you are a Hollywood local, you’ve probably seen him. You might of seen him out front his red, green and yellow temple on the boulevard, where he commonly plays chess and socializes. You could have spotted his face on any of the thousands of flyers passed out for his monthly “hemp mansion” parties. Even if you haven’t actually seen him at all, you may have spotted his ride: The Weedmobile, Forchion’s purple, green and black painted, automotive homage to the plant he loves most. His official name on birth certificate would read: Robert Edward Forchion Jr. However, to the patients of his clinic and the people he calls friends, he is New Jersey Weedman, or NJ Weedman. September 20th 2009: Edward Forchion, who is here

on to be referred to as NJ Weedman, approached the entrance of his apartment building on Serrano Avenue. When he arrived at the apartment his landlord informed him that his lease had been suddenly terminated, and that there was a new resident moving in—all of which, was new news to NJ Weedman. Without any former grievances filed, and without any prior notification, he was being forced out of a lease and effectively out of his own apartment. This particular method of tenant removal is the textbook example of illegal eviction procedure, NJ Weedman would later learn from detectives he spoke with. After hearing what had happened, and fully understanding the nature-- excuse the pun-- of his case, your correspondent couldn’t help but ask himself: was strong-arming landlord trying to take advantage of tenant, a tenant who it is assumed will passively oblige to whatever demands, because the landlord knows that inside the apartment being rented there are… marijuana plants? Perhaps? There were many of those in the apartment. But if the landlord assumed he could take away this particular tenants state-given rights to grow, or use them to silence forthcoming apartment-eviction-injustices—well, this landlord was terribly mistaken. NJ Weedman is a medical marijuana clinic owner, an outspoken advocate of marijuana right and a friend of the press: he is not the tenant to be taken advantage or strong-armed by landlords who are not Proposition 215 friendly. And so: The following morning, on September 21st, NJ Weedman went to the downtown superior court office on Hill Street: there he was able to check all landlord records for Los Angeles county in order to verify, in print, whether his landlord had filed any formal eviction notices with the city, without him knowing. After discovering that there was no previous documentation of an eviction to be found, the weedmobile continued on to the Hollywood Police Station, where NJ Continued on next page

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Weedman requested that a detective hear the case. His requests were met and a statement of the events to was given to Detective Vinton. At the Hollywood Police station NJ Weedman provided a written statement outlining the prior day’s events and informing the police that there were seventy-seven marijuana plants inside the apartment-- plants that he wanted back. In most every state such an act would be self-incrimination, but in California, because of his status as an owner to, and caregiver of, medical marijuana patients, NJ Weedman felt within the law to make such a request. As it turns out: he was. “He was amused,” referring to the detective who

“It’s not that often someone comes in and asks the police if they can help them get there weed plants back...” heard his case. “It’s not that often someone comes in and asks the police if they can help them get there weed plants back. This might’ve been a first,” says NJ Weedman. After the detective understood the situationstatement, he placed a call into the city clerks’ office to verify that NJ Weedman, a.k.a. Edward Forchion, was in fact owner of a registered medical marijuana clinic. When he received word from the clerks’ office that he did lease a medical marijuana facility operating in Hollywood at the given location, Detective Vinton called NJ Weedman’s landlord and told him that his tenant and an LAPD unit would be coming over to the apartment, and instructed the landlord to let them onto the premises. NJ Weedman then proceeded to drive back to his apartment, arriving there roughly ten minutes before LAPD officers assigned to his case got to the scene. It was in that small window of time—app. ten minutes—that the apartment landlord also called the LAPD and made a bogus trespassing claim against NJ Weedman. Police arrived quickly: In a bizarre turn of events, there was a helicopter and a small battalion of LAPD officers on the apartment lawn, arresting NJ Weedman. But NJ Weedman stayed calm, he knew vindication was coming; he knew his police were en route. And when the more informed officers arrived moments later amidst mid-fiasco, they quickly

had the cuffs taken off NJ Weedman and focused on the real issue at hand: the illegal eviction taking place. Officers at the scene informed the landlord that he would have to let them into the apartment, and that the any other new tenants should be removed immediately. Unfortunately, this outcome was only pleasing momentarily: when he and assisting officers entered his apartment, they would discover that the only things which had not been tampered with were the seventy-seven marijuana plants he had been growing for his patients in a bedroom. Many other things were missing. But wait a minute. Did I just write— in bold print—that there was a civilian and police officers, inside a room full of marijuana plants, and that there were—no arrests made? Yes: I did just write that. That is what happened. Medical marijuana cooperative owners have been instructed by the state to, if possible, become self-sustainable, i.e. to provide marijuana for there patients which they, themselves, have grown. After all, by signing a cooperative membership, a patient is effectively turning the owner into their caregiver, and thus the rights of an owner include his/her ability to grow marijuana for the patient he/she is a caregiver to. This is beneficial to both parties, because by having the caregiver cultivate the marijuana personally you are eliminating the risk of undesirable outside variables—negligence, greed, and etcetera. Since the adoption of Proposition 215 in 1996, California has allowed for patients and caregivers to “cooperatively cultivate marijuana for medical purposes.” Dispensary owners and independent caregivers growing for other patients claim that, “a fair and reasonable profit” may be provided for services rendered— cultivating/growing. However, the city’s attorneys office has had a different opinion, of late: they argue that in no way can a caregiver-dispensary deride a profit from the cultivation of marijuana; they argue that caregiver’s solely have the right to cultivate marijuana, they cannot sell the finished product. Today, the confusion over profits amongst non-profit collectives has reached an apex, but what is clear, on both sides, is that there is nothing illegal about an assigned caregiver growing the designated number of plants for his/her patient. Cultivating marijuana appears, on the surface, to be

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legal; what happens if you don’t give it away for free after it’s finished is another story. So: On September 21st, 2009, when NJ Weedman and the police were standing side by side next to a bevy of marijuana buds and a stack of prescription scripts, the answer to the question: can you grow legally for your patients? —Seems to be: yes. It appears that both the legislatures and police have reached a mutual understanding of the state’s marijuana laws—proceed as they were written. The on-going saga within the eviction of NJ Weedman is empirical proof of their understanding: that day the LAPD took no action against the NJ Weedman; in fact, they took his side, returning the apartment to him, along with the seventy-seven plants, which, at that point, were desperate for a watering. “The LAPD returned my grown room to me,” says NJ Weedman—with a grin.

GROW dispensary directory

After we recieved one hundred requests to modify information in our dispensary directory, we decided to start from scractch. If you would like your dispensary to be listed in future issues of Humboldt Grow, please send us an email at info@humboldtgrow.com with â&#x20AC;&#x153;directoryâ&#x20AC;? in the subject line. Please provide the following information in the email: 1. Dispensary name and address 2. County or region the dispensary in which the dispensary resides. 3. Hours of operation, phone number and email 4. Please indicate if you sell clones. We will put a special symbol next to those who do.

News Two Marijuana Initiatives Enter Circulation SACRAMENTO – Secretary of State Debra Bowen announced that the proponents of two new initiatives may begin collecting petition signatures for their measures. The Attorney General prepares the legal title and summary that is required to appear on initiative petitions. When the official language is complete, the Attorney General forwards it to the proponents and to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State then provides calendar deadlines to the proponents and to county elections officials, and the initiative may be circulated for signatures. The Attorney General’s official title and summary for the first measure is as follows: Changes California Law To Legalize Marijuana And Allow It To Be Regulated And Taxed. Initiative Statute. Allows people 21 years old or older to possess, cultivate, or transport marijuana for personal use. Permits local governments to regulate and tax commercial production and sale of marijuana to people 21 years old or older. Prohibits people from possessing marijuana on school grounds, using it in public, smoking it while minors are present, or providing it to anyone under 21 years old. Maintains current prohibitions against driving while impaired. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact

on state and local governments: Savings of up to several tens of millions of dollars annually to state and local governments on the costs of incarcerating and supervising certain marijuana offenders. Unknown but potentially major tax, fee, and benefit assessment revenues to state and local government related to the production and sale of marijuana products. The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1377 and the Attorney General’s tracking number is 09-0024. The proponents for this measure, Richard Seib Lee and Jeffrey Wayne Jones, must collect signatures of 433,971 registered voters – the number equal to 5% of the total votes cast for governor in the 2006 gubernatorial election – in order to qualify it for the ballot. The proponents have 150 days to circulate petitions for this measure, meaning the signatures must be collected by February 18, 2010. The initiative proponents can be reached at (510) 208-4554. The Attorney General’s official title and summary for the second measure is as follows: Changes California Law To Legalize, Regulate, And Tax Marijuana. Initiative Statute. Repeals state laws that make it a crime for people to use, possess, sell, cultivate, or transport marijuana. Requires the Legislature to adopt laws

regulating and taxing marijuana within one year of passage. Allows local governments to also tax the manufacture, sale, and use of marijuana. Bars state and local governments from spending money to enforce laws prohibiting the use, possession, sale, cultivation, or transportation of marijuana. Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments: Savings in the several tens of millions of dollars annually to state and local governments on the costs of incarcerating and supervising certain marijuana offenders. Unknown but potentially major new excise, income, and sales tax revenues related to the manufacture and sale of marijuana products. The proponent for this measure, John Donohue, must collect signatures of 433,971 registered voters – the number equal to 5% of the total votes cast for governor in the 2006 gubernatorial election – in order to qualify it for the ballot. The proponent has 150 days to circulate petitions for this measure, meaning the signatures must be collected by February 18, 2010. The initiative proponent can be reached at P.O. Box 32622, Long Beach, California 90832. No phone number was provided.

A Victory for Los Angeles Clinic Owners Since the election of President Obama things had been going surprisingly well for the medical marijuana community in California. The President’s resolve to no longer allocate federal resources towards issues state’s had already resolved—Prop. 215, in this case—was being carried out. There was less police harassment and a drastic decrease in the numbers of raids on medical marijuana clinics-- the federal government, was backing off. And then the worst thing that could happen did: the state, or, the city, turned it’s back on medical marijuana. For four months Los Angeles city council has been meeting to discuss a drastic new resolution: the resolution that all medical marijuana clinics were illegal and should be shut down. The news of this sudden shift in policy sent a shudder through the medical marijuana community. There was talk of nightly meetings being held by the city council; of luncheons taking place where a new task unit—a medical marijuana collective eradication unit two hundred strong—was being trained how to shut down local dispensaries. The news was unsettling, and contradictory.

After heedlessly allowing for the proliferation of the clinics all over the county, the same city council who could have acted at any point over the past thirteen years (Prop 215 was passed in 1996), and did nothing, was now declaring that it is not unlicensed, or unregistered, or postmoratorium clubs that were illegal, but that all these establishments-every one of them--were illegal. Dispensary owners, it appeared, would soon become criminals. But on September 3rd a Los Angeles’ Superior County judge put a hitch in the city councils’ steamrolling new course of action. That day the judge issued an injunction banning enforcement of the moratorium against medical marijuana clinics. The case revolved around a clinic named the Green Oasis, located in Playa Vista, which had been closed down, and was in court challenging the city ban in an effort to re-open. After hearing the case the judge decided in favor of the Green Oasis, and said that the city’s effort to close clinics by means of a moratorium were invalid, and would not be recognized in court. Medical marijuana owners and ac-

tivists cheered the frontpage news. However, District Attorney Steve Cooley, the man who for four months has led efforts to eradicate clinics from the city still held firm in his position: “A collaboration of numerous agencies, including federal, state and local police agencies, county and city prosecutors, will combat the proliferation of illegal medical marijuana dispensaries in Los Angeles City and County," he said.

What will happen in the future? No one knows. But by decreeing the city injunction invalid, one Superior Country Judge has, for now, calmed the nerves of weary clinic owners across the city of Los Angeles.

Chloe

September 1, 2008 - September 10, 2009 Rest in Peace Little Muffin...