Interview with a Grower

By Nathaniel Mayer

In a few weeks, Californians will decide if marijuana will be decriminalized and made legal to cultivate under Proposition 19. A majority of California’s people believe Prop. 19 should pass in November according to a recent poll by the “Public Policy Institute of California”. There are other multiple polls that are indicating it will be voted in by at least a slim 3%-6% margin. It may come as a surprise though, that many people who currently are involved in the growing and selling of Medical Marijuana are not proponents of Prop. 19. These people are currently working within this new “Grey Market” are getting by just fine without things getting mucked up by changing the rules all over again.

I spoke with one expert Northern California grower who says he will be voting “No” on Prop19 and may be leaving town for good if it passes. “It won’t be worth it anymore”, he explains. He sees the proverbial writing on the wall and he’s cashing in his metaphorical chips. He’s been growing weed for over a decade and now this seasoned Dr. Greenthumb is taking The Pineapple Express out of The Emerald Triangle.

Alright, that’s enough colorful imagery. I actually don’t believe he’s ever voted before in his life. His kind has to stay off the radar in order to survive. He can remain abrasively quick-witted while sloppy drunk (he’s talked his way out of several D.U.I.s) and I’ve seen him charm hugs out of lesbian mothers in their late forties while he pounded a fifth of Stolichnaya.  He has no formal education to speak of, but his keen intuition and street smarts will keep him alive as long has his toxin-abused internal organs will last. He’s an old friend of mine which is the only reason he would speak me about his barely-legal vocation.

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Mexican Cartels in NorCal?

By Nathaniel Mayer

In April of 2008, Barack Obama was quoted saying medicinal marijuana is “appropriate” but since his “election”, the Federal and State raids on clubs and growers have only increased. CAMP (The Campaign Against Marijuana Planting) has spearheaded many raids this year along with the local Sheriff’s Department and “The Emerald Triangle” (consisting of Humboldt, Mendocino, and Trinity Counties) is their primary target.  In 1983 CAMP destroyed about 150,000 plants the entire year.  During a 12 day period last month officials destroyed 150,667 pot plants in Sonoma County. It’s been speculated that so far this year, over 7 million plants have been destroyed by Law Enforcement. In 2009, 148,486 plants were seized in Sonoma County and 4.5 million plants were seized statewide. At least 4 people have been killed by police in The Emerald Triangle during pot raids in the last seven weeks.

I started paying closer attention to this subject after talk began stirring of a State of Emergency being declared here in Northern California, possibly in the county of Mendocino.  That could mean Martial Law and the Military being called in to sweep the over cities and forests by land and air.  The people now demand it according to a recent poll taken by The Press Democrat of Sonoma County.  Fifty–Three Percent of those who took the Poll willingly from the P.D.’s website believe that it’s up to the National Guard to join in to help stop the pot growers.  The locals of Mendocino County are mad and scared like small weak mammals in a harsh oversized reptilian dominated jungle.  They asked the Mendocino County board of supervisors to declare a state of emergency on August third but by the 17^th, the board of supervisors had decided against it.