9 minute read
The Soul Stealer - Part 3
Doc Ray – Legacy OG Legacy OG breeder and cultivator, from Humboldt, California. Army Green Beret, shaman, and a great man.
In the presence of a legend
I feel privileged and honored to interview “Doc” Ray from Mendocino County, California, for the readers of the Chronic Magazine. Those who have not heard of Doc Ray need to know that he is one of “The Living Legends of Cannabis” we speak about today. He has been an off-grid cannabis grower since 1972 and a pioneer of cannabis genetics. Doc served in the US Army as a Green Beret with SETAF in the 1970s. His story is like many veterans who served in combat and experienced traumatic events that had a lasting effect on their quality of life. Doc Ray found that through cannabis, he had unlocked a path toward wellness. He found that cannabis played a significant role in calming the demons cascading through his thoughts; then took it upon himself to create unique strains of cannabis especially developed for combat veterans suffering from traumatic events and pain. He further went on to launch Veterans Choice Cannabis Flower. This cannabis line is grown for first responders, veterans, and those suffering from trauma and pain. His compassion for his fellow brothers and sisters is incredible.
INTERVIEW
WOULD YOU SHARE SOME OF WHAT YOU EXPERIENCED UPON DISCHARGE TO THE UNITED STATES FROM THE ARMY AND HOW IT PUSHED YOU FURTHER OFF THE GRID?
It was a series of events; first, we were never out-processed properly. At the time, our country had nowhere near the understanding of veteran traumas as there is today. Not that it still falls short of what's needed today. But 40-plus years ago, there were literally no veteran support groups like there are now. Followed by a failed marriage, then immediately followed by a prison sentence. Those series of events literally pushed me to the outside of society. Living off the grid just became a way of life; it's a survivalist mindset to live off-grid. I did it very well for many years and in the process saved myself with mother ganja, lifestyle changes, and learning to forgive myself.
HOW HAS CANNABIS HELPED YOU MANAGE YOUR POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS?
Cannabis is my saving grace. Without the plant, I know I would be dead. Only mother ganja's sweet love and divine grace are I hear today. Like so many, who have post-traumatic stress, it can be completely overwhelming and shut your body down as your mind takes over. Cannabis has been and is the only thing I have found that helps me overcome my pts at that moment of attack. It keeps my mind decluttered of all the negative bad thoughts I have when I am triggered and reduces the anxiety almost immediately with the correct genetics. Unlike all the synthetic crap they tried to shove down my throat that made me a zombie, Cannabis gave me my life back. I do not take synthetics, do not drink alcohol anymore, and do not use literally anything other than the sacred plant for my overall well-being.
YOU TAUGHT ART FOR TEN YEARS. DID BEING A TEACHER AND ARTIST HELP YOU CHANNEL AND PROVIDE AN OUTLET TO EXPRESS OR RELEASE ANY OF THE PAIN OR STRESS YOU WENT THROUGH?
It was always my passion in my youth; art was my outlet and what I believed at the time was my calling - art became the way to express myself. It was, and still is, a great joy to me, and when someone grasps that and can use that to express themselves their way, there is tremendous satisfaction in being the one to open that up in someone else.
To answer that. No, it was a way for me to find happiness and peace, maybe stress release. Making art and creating brings me happiness.
WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO YOUR BROTHER AND SISTERS FROM THE MILITARY WHO ARE STRUGGLING WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS AND MORAL INJURY?
It never really goes away; you have to learn to adapt, adjust, improvise and overcome and some things just never go away. Even when you think you have dealt with it all, something invariably happens, and some past will raise its ugly head. As one who was trained not to show or acknowledge pain or fear, this is always much easier to say than do. It’s ok not to be okay. Many wounds are invisible.
DOC, YOU ARE A STRONG ADVOCATE AND LEADER IN PROTECTING OUR SMALL FARMS AND CRAFT GROWERS. WE ARE CURRENTLY SEEING SOME OF THE EFFECTS OF OVERSATURATED MARKETS, HIGH TAXES, AND SIGNIFICANT CUTS IN
THE PRICE OF CANNABIS IN CALIFORNIA. MORE AND MORE LICENSED SMALL FARMERS AND GROWERS ARE BEING PUSHED OUT OF THE MARKET OR CLOSE TO QUITTING THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY. WHAT CAN BE DONE, IN YOUR OPINION, AS A COMMUNITY, AND AS A CONSUMER TO SUPPORT AND TURN THIS ISSUE AROUND IN CALIFORNIA OR OTHER STATES?
Make sure you know WHO and WHERE your cannabis flower comes from - who is the farmer? is a great question to ask, and shop with a conscious purpose, do not just buy the cheapest or hype thing that's being pushed at that time. Ask questions about who the farmer is, and about what growing practices were used. It is your right to know who grew that flower you are about to consume.
WOULD YOU DESCRIBE WHAT YOU ARE WORKING ON TODAY AND HOW IT WILL AFFECT FUTURE GENERATIONS?
My current breeding projects are focused on developing truer 1:1 genetics with very specific cannabinoids for medical applications as the forward focus. I'm still and always working on my Terpene forward genetics line too, but the medicinal true one-to-one breeding project has been my main area of concentration. This has been something I have been working on for the past 3 years and am starting to isolate specific phenotypes for stabilization now.
WOULD YOU MIND SHARING THE TOP THREE MOST IMPORTANT LIFE LESSONS THAT YOU FEEL SHOULD BE PASSED ON TO FUTURE GENERATIONS?
My current breeding projects are focused on developing truer 1:1 genetics with very specific cannabinoids for medical applications as the forward focus. I'm still and always working on my Terpene forward genetics line too, but the medicinal true one-to-one breeding project has been my main area of concentration. This has been something I have been working on for the past 3 years and am starting to isolate specific phenotypes for stabilization now.
WOULD YOU MIND SHARING THE TOP THREE MOST IMPORTANT LIFE LESSONS THAT YOU FEEL SHOULD BE PASSED ON TO FUTURE GENERATIONS?
Learn to love yourself. Do unto others as you would have done unto you. Remember to breathe ... breathe in, breathe out, repeat.
If you have ever been to Clubhouse and have had a chance to hear Doc Ray speak, you can feel the passion in his voice about the sacred divine plant we call Cannabis. When Doc Ray enters a room, you initially want to stand up and pay him the respect he is due. He is a well-known Phenotype- Specific Geneticist. His goal is to protect the purity of legacy strains. Over time he has created his own strains and brands; he shoots from the hip and tells it like it is. His grandmother is Native American, and he learned a lot from her that he has applied over the years in his healing practices as a Shaman and healer. When he speaks about post-traumatic stress and what he has suffered while in service to his country or the traumatic events of civilian life, you can hear his voice crumble, and you sense him becoming somewhat emotional from the experiences he has endured and the pain. You imagine a tear or two falling from his kind blue eyes, and you cry just a little with him. He is a hero, folks, pure red, white, and blue. A compassionate human being who has fought the fight for us to be where we are today. He has extended himself to help others find release from their pain through traumatic events or chronic pain through cannabis. He is not a doctor, but he has worked with many. He is currently working on several different cannabis projects, some in the United Kingdom. Doc puts himself out there to help other cultivators of cannabis to succeed and grow. This man deserves his place in the world history of cannabis. If you are lucky to hear him speak at an event or on Clubhouse or other social media platforms, you may hear about “the outlaws and the sheriffs on the mountain.” The ending is not what one would expect to hear. This is not my story to tell, but Doc Ray’s.
National Cannabis Party
There is a lot of discussion going around town about this new political party, the National Cannabis Party | NCP. The NCP has become an official electoral party. The NCP is a registered party with the Federal Elections Commission for the People of Cannabis. This is a grass - roots party focused on issues and matters related to cannabis and the people within the cannabis community. Their goal is to have a seat at the table in Washington to help right the wrongs that have come out of cannabis being a schedule 1 drug and be a part of new legislation that fair and non-biased.
“The National Cannabis Party operates on one premise and one premise alone. We believe, “ The Plant Belongs To The People.” We are the Electoral Party that Represents the plant, the community, and the cannabis supporters within. For the first time, the industry has a way to a seat in Washington. We will work together to continue building the House of Cannabis state by state, community by community, and issue by issue.”
Doc Ray - National Cannabis Party Chairman
