MEND

Bridges Out of Poverty trainingCharles EisensteinGlennon Doyle Interview

To read the article I reference in the interview…What if the Virus is the Medicine?To access any of the online circles and calls I am facilitating at this time:Virtual Tuesday Morning YogaVirtual Community Care CallsOnline Healers Tree Meetings

To connect with Salina more, visit: https://hopewisesa.comButterfly Hug: https://youtu.be/iGGJrqscvtUThe Chronic Pain Resource Center - http://www.cprcst.org

For more about the work of this course, or to see more about Amy’s Coaching work, visit:TheWorkofTheseHands.comFor wisdom on nutrition, body acceptance & science-based health advice:Marcie Goldman Nutrition The Body Positive work of Dr. Linda BaconFor Body-Positive, Inclusive yoga, try….Curvy YogaBody Positive Yogaor Dianne Bondy, Yoga for Allor Jessamyn Stanley

TheWorkofTheseHands.com - Transformative 1:1 coaching and whole-person wellness with your host, Amy DayThe work of Leah Harris: https://www.leahidaharris.comSome resources from Leah - on practices for schools and creative restorative healing circles within the classroom : http://www.sprc.org/sites/default/files/resource-program/AfteraSuicideToolkitforSchools.pdfhttps://www.healthiersf.org/RestorativePractices/Resources/documents/RP%20Curriculum%20and%20Scripts%20and%20PowePoints/Classroom%20Curriculum/Teaching%20Restorative%20Practices%20in%20the%20Classroom%207%20lesson%20Curriculum.pdfPlus, reframing suicide within the context of Social Justice:https://vikkireynoldsdotca.files.wordpress.com/2017/12/hate_kills_socialjusticesuicide_reynolds_white2012.pdfPlus, books & teachers dealing with trauma, healing & community work:Dr. Gabor Mate, on Trauma, Addiction & Compassionate Inquiry.Journalist Johann Harri, and his book, Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression & the Unexpected SolutionsA Mother’s Reckoning by Sue Klebold, the mother of Dylan Klebold, one of the two shooters at Columbine High School.

To find out more about the things/links/communities/resources mentioned on today’s show, visit:TheWorkofTheseHands.com - for coaching, yoga, and a little virtual hug from yours’ truly.HUUF - the Humboldt Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, where I gave the talk and where the work of Engaged Spirituality really shows up.

For more info on…The Raven ProjectThe Humboldt County Re-Entry InitiativeThe Write a Prisoner ProgramTo catch a local showing of the play:March 23rdApril 19thOr contribute to the GoFundMe page to offset the costs of production:https://www.gofundme.com/any-one-of-usOr read more by Eve Ensler and the work she does on behalf of women and VDay:Eve EnslerVDay

To find out more about Desiree and the work that she does, visit…DesireeAdaway.comTo hear more spoken word from Anne, visit…AnneFricke.comTo find more about your host - Amy Day, visit…TheWorkofTheseHands.com

http://www.humboldtartistcollective.org http://www.areasontolisten.comBrave New VoicesSoul Matters GroupsSoul CollageWendell Berry poemLewis Hyde’s The Gift book

You can see more of the LightWalker’s travel insights and adventures here: https://www.instagram.com/sacredtravelhome/For opportunities to housesit abroad visit:https://www.housesitmexico.comhttps://www.mindmyhouse.comhttp://trustedhousesitters.com

To find out more about adrienne and her work visit…http://adriennemareebrown.netor listen to…How to Survive the End of the Worldor find out more about…Detroit Summer or connect with Amy (host of MEND)

Find out more about Kat and her work atKatKim.comBe sure to read her thesis on Consumer Spirituality here.Or connect more with your host, Amy Day, and the work and writing she does over here at:The Work of These Hands

To learn more about Heather & her Journey with Max:http://highfivemax.blogspot.comhttp://www.heatherheintzyoga.comWriting in the Dark Live Call -You are invited to a Zoom webinar.When: Dec 9, 2018 2:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)Topic: Writing in the Dark - Expressive Writing for times of GriefRegister in advance for this webinar:https://zoom.us/webinar/register/e1febe8836e8e2c0c5b9141539e44ee6After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.To read more about or connect with Amy - TheWorkofTheseHands.com

Welcome to one of the most stripped-down episodes yet here on the podcast. No formal introductions. No poetry at the end. No calls to rate or review or join us in some other little pocket of the inter webs. Just a conversation between two women who are infinitely grateful to have each other. To share some blood and history and vision of the type of world we want to inhabit. As come into the holidays, with all the drama that can ensue…. At a moment where we, as a nation, are deeply divided and losing the ability to engage meaningfully and compassionately with those outside our ideological comfort zones… Where the larger tumult operating in the world seems endless and far beyond the scope of ordinary human beings… Sometimes, it is best to sit down across the table with someone whom you love. To break bread. Put on the kettle. Un-cork the bottle. Shut the damn devices down and remember what it is to share in something basic & beautiful with another soul. To move inside the cadence of Ease & Delight for a moment. Soak in the energy of kindness and enjoyment for a bit. I see you. I delight in you. I honor what is best and brightest and good in you. I pledge my ears, my hands, my heart, my body to you when you have need. My love for you is free and it is comes in the form of Actions, never just words. My life is bound up in yours. My joys and sorrows, as well. … This holiday, may we each be granted the chance to commune with those for whom these truths unfurl freely. Where this type of love overflows in great abundance and to whom we can say these things without pause or objection. May we practice Loving Deeply where it is Easy this week. So that, moving forward, we may flex this Love Muscle with the times, places & people - where it is hard. I wish you a beautiful week with those you love. May it anchor you inside that energy for the time to come.

Yoga for the Revolution podcastWork with Carrie Ingoglia Dharma of the Princess Bride by Ethan NichternThe Work of Cindy GallopResist Bot (for texting your resistance!!) Other resources for resistance (local & otherwise)Power Lunch Humboldt (Homemade soup & Civic Action - what’s not to love?)The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)Southern Poverty Law CenterSome Yogis Doin’ It RIGHT:::Jessamyn StanleyDana FalsettiDecolonizing FitnessAll Bodies Rise YogaCitizen WellThe Healing Justice PodcastTo work with Amy:The Work of These Hands

https://www.leslieforeureka.comSynapsis Aerial Dance & Performance SpaceVote Leslie FB page & Info (& Pride piece)Amy’s 1:1 Work

To find out more about the work & words of Kelly Diels or her social media workshop,Little Birds & Layer CakesArtist Kesha BruceWriter Lindy West or The full list of writings for The Atlanticby Ta-Nehisi Coatesor to find out more about the “yoga” that Amy practices and teaches nowadays visit:TheWorkofTheseHands.com

Find out more about what Anne is up to right now @ AnneFricke.com or listen to her solo podcast about parenting children with special needs @ Walking With Freya or pick up a copy of her Novel!!! here:The Orchard’s Descendant See what Amy is up to outside of the work of this podcast over at :TheWorkOfTheseHands.com (where she offers in-person & online yoga & also private mentorship & coaching for seekers, world-menders & creatives)Or dive deeper into the divination deck mentioned here:Medicine Cards - The Discovery of Power Through the Ways of Animals

From Gil-Scott Heron (of “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” fame):::Whitey on the Moon

To find out more about Carolyn and the deep, multi-faceted work that she does, please visit: CarolynBaker.net

School of Americas Watch Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack by Peggy McIntosh

Book by Lyla June :: Lifting Hearts off the GroundTo Find out More…And a few ways/resources to help the 2000+ immigrant children that have been separated from their families over the last 6 weeks under this evil regime…From Time MagazineFrom Motherly From Newsweek

Namastream Soulful MBA Carmen Spagnola Courses:Teach Well & True Prosperity Center for Humane Technology The Moment App (to keep track of how much time you log on your phone)On moving within and creating a Feminine and truly Feminist Economy :Sister.is & the work of feminist marketing consultant - Kelly DielsBooks:Screenwise Mushrooms Demystified & All That the Rain Promises and More Podcasting Groups/Resources:ShePodcasts.com & She Podcasts FB Group

The Soulful MBA Podcast Namastream Software

Global Exchange The Artist’s Way Creativity Book/Course MEND on Instagram The Minimalist Game

The Works and Writings of Rudolf Steiner The Alliance for Public Waldorf Education Waldorf Today Lilipoh Magazine Coastal Grove Public Charter Waldorf School

For some lovely inspiration on Instagram, visit Shia’s zero waste page. To check out these useful and instructive books try:The More of Less Be More with Less - book (Soulful Simplicity), blog & Project 333.the Zero Waste HomeThe Minimalists.

For more info on Shia and her work and advice on how to transition to a less-waste, or zero-waste lifestyle, visit her at:wastelandrebel.com

To find out more about Fhyre Phoenix and the great work that he does, or to contribute to his campaign of taking down the Mckinley statue & publish the handbook on the Art of Removing Art, please visit one of the following domains.EndRacism.WeDid.It Or click on the DreamMakers link to view his partnership with the Ink People Center for the Arts over at InkPeople.org Or contribute to his Large & Unusual Gifts Campaign as a way to eradicate racism in this country. Things of size and value like - an rv, a piece of land, or equipment - something you have that has no use for you, but could go towards funding a great cause. If you’d like to offer up such an item, you can contact Fhyre directly at fhyrephoenix@gmail.com

For more info on Bari Tessler, her book, The Art of Money, her podcast or the year-long Money program she runs, visit her at:BariTessler.com

To check out some of the sites & resources we discuss inside this chat, take a look at:This great video series recommended by Marcie Goldman (Episode 31):Why Are People of Color Left Out of the American Food StoryTreeSisters.org Nourishing Traditions (the book & the blog)Food for People WWOOF The Earth is Good to Me Song (recording, plus some context)

For more info on Marcie and the work that she does visit:MarcieGoldman.com To get her awesome meal plan, go here:Meal PlanTo find out more about her mentor Susun Weed...Or to make some Nourishing Herbal Infusions of your own...Other mentions:Peggy MarkelBook: An Everlasting Meal

For some of the resources we discuss inside this episode, visit::: VolunteerMatch.org ThePeoplesSupper.org Articles:::*11 Ways to Turn Strangers into Friends... @ https://tinybuddha.com/blog/11-ways-to-turn-strangers-into-friends/ &*From the Harvard Business Review on Ways to Invest in Social Capital @ https://hbr.org/2001/06/how-to-invest-in-social-capital 

To find out more about Guisepi and his prolific travels and tea parties inside Edna Lu, head on over to FreeTeaParty.org

Here's some of the resources and links we mention inside this episode. yes! magazine - for news that uplifts as well as informspermacultureprinciples.com - for dropping into the larger philosophical and inspirational framework of this seasonnfw.org/certify - for information on turning your plot of wild space into a certified refuge

For more information on how to connect with today's guests: Visit Boyd Smith @ EcoGardening.com to see more about the work that he does.Find out more about the Humboldt Permaculture Guild and upcoming Seed Exchange. or visit Levon Durr's Fungaia Farm page to check out some rad informational videos and dive into the work he does there.

Big Thanks to Ethan Roland and the visionary team of Appleseed Permaculture who first put words to this framework, and mapped out these ideas for us all to drop into and explore.And an equally open-hearted shout-out to Sam Sycamore of the Good Life Revival Podcast - who first hipped us to these ideas - and shared them in a way both eloquent but inspiring us to ACT. Deep bows.

MEND: Life at the Seams private FB Group Anne Fricke's poetry & performances @ Anne Fricke.com Musings & more from Amy @ backpocketjuju.com 

We live in a doomsday era. So much of our existence is in question and we wake each morning to a new tragedy in the world. Around us people are allowing hate to be their motivation and justification for atrocities many thought we had outgrown. What is there that should give us hope? In our own corner of the world the changes are happening so rapidly most are unsure of what the future will bring. Skeptics worry about encroaching outsiders from larger, less committed and cohesive communities. Once again the battle is being waged on our environment, and once again the land needs people to step forward and defend Her. Our livelihoods are at stake…but perhaps this is a good thing. Perhaps now is the time to grab the reins so passionately and confidently held by the cultural refugees of the 70’s; those lovers of freedom, equality and sustainability, the revivers of voluntary simplicity and builders of our community. Now is the time to take control of our future before the outsiders and big companies have their way. I say this knowing that most of us were outsiders at some point, and that should bring us humility, but if we move forward with the same intentions and values of the back-to-the-landers then I believe we will be moving forward justly and in accordance with the general rules of good stewardship. This episode is the second part to an interview we did back in the spring, with Jentri Anders…a back-to-the-lander who went on to finish her degree in Anthropology, and then wrote an enthnography about the very community and people she was a part of. We played the first half of her interview in Episode 2, as part of the foundation of our stories. In this episode we get to hear more of her story on the founding of Southern Humboldt culture as many know it today…but mostly we talk ethics, responsibility, offing the pig in you, and finding where our strength comes from. May these words of advice echo from our modern origins and guide us as we move forward with integrity and a deeper awareness of what is at stake. To find out more about Jentri Anders and her work, visit: https://shumjentri.wordpress.com

You know those rare moments in life where you get to meet a truly celebrated figure? Someone whose face you’ve seen online & in print? Someone who’s built up a worldwide following behind their work - and for one brief, shining moment you get to sit and chat with them? How often do these real life meetings ever live up to the hype? How often do we build up an impossible image of the celebrity in our own minds - that when we meet them in the flesh - it pales in comparison to the shining visage we’ve erected in our minds??? THIS was not the case as Anne & I had the great pleasure to find out - as we sat down for an hour to talk with the venerable Steve DeAngelo this past week. We spent weeks e-mailing back and forth with his camp, reading his book, watching his Youtube videos and appearances - so that we could get good and ready for this talk with a man who has been on the Activist & Advocacy front of the Cannabis world for some 40 years. For those not fully familiar with his work, Steve is the owner of the Harborside Health Center in Oakland, CA - the largest medical cannabis dispensary in the United States, serving over 200,000 patients. Fortune Magazine has named him one of the top 7 most powerful people inside the Marijuana Industry today. He’s written a terrific book about the history of cannabis, prohibition, and his own work inside this world - The Cannabis Manifesto. And is also the co-founder and president of the Arcview Group - a company aimed at introducing bright, promising cannabis entrepreneurs to angel investors who can fund their work. We speak to Steve about his path of Activism & Entrepreneurship (and why he sees them as mutually beneficial). About his own time & connection to our neck of the woods, inside the Emerald Triangle, and his own love of the culture we have built up here and the work of the legacy cannabis farmer. He shares his thoughts on the unique challenges confronting our community and the tools he sees as key to staying vital & financially solvent in the tumultuous time to come. He talks about the ways in which the Prohibition era programmed us toward a mentality that will not sustain us in the next iteration to come. And the shift he sees as critical to become viable in the new, legitimate marketplace. And he offers us guidance on how to continue to affect the current paradigm surrounding cannabis. Moving, as he says, “out of the shadows & into the Light.” And ultimately Steve guides back to the plant itself. To those amongst us who are called to work with and cultivate it. To use it reverently & as the healing, medicinal currency for which it is best suited. To caretake the plant so that it can caretake us and our families and communities, and usher in the type of world we wish to inhabit… We simply must be willing to sit & listen.. And trust that the way we will be made known. We are deeply honored and proud to bring you this powerful talk from a great man. Cheers. Links::: http://www.stevedeangelo.com http://harborsidehealthcenter.com https://arcviewgroup.com http://cannabismanifestobook.com/home/

Some times you need to take a knee.   Some days you need to go deep into your yin. The pause. To sit with the questions though the answers seem none-too-soon-in-coming. This week is such a week.   Anne & I took this moment to ready ourselves for our big TALK with the intrepid Steve DeAngelo - the subject of next week's forthcoming episode. We'll be talking to Steve about his book - The Cannabis Manifesto - why he chose to pursue Entrepreneurship as his own path to Activism & what he's learned inside his 40+ years as a rabble-rouser, community organizer, leader & voice against Prohibition.  Plus his work inside Harborside Health Center, in Oakland, CA, as well. As an added bonus to our loyal listeners, though this talk is scheduled to take place tomorrow, let us know if there's some burning questions you'd like to have answered. We've got our own list of go-to's and entreaties we'd love to hear more about, but this is a great opportunity to get some personal Q&A's fielded by one of the leading experts in the Cannabis field. Pop us a line over @ mendpodcast@gmail.com Mention Steve DeAngelo in the subject line. And be sure to get them into us by 10 AM (PST), Wednesday, October 4th. For now, may this give you an opportunity to catch up on some other listening, some back episodes you've yet to finish, or to start an awesome project all your own. Thanks, as ever, for being a part of this community with us. For being a voice. And for keeping the Conversation rolling. Cheers. Links::: SteveDeAngelo.com  The Cannabis Manifesto Book Harborside Health Center 

We are closing down the shop here soon on this first season of MEND and so it is with great pleasure that we bring you one of the final installments of this romp through the history, fields & families & glimpse into the future of this, our beloved culture & county. In this episode, we sat down with Joshua & Sadie - She - a second-generation cannabis grower - who started down the same path as her urban-dwelling parents back in the day - even using their ballasts and scale when she first got started on her path in Humboldt’s indoor scene over 17 years ago. And he - an East-coast transplant brought to this life by his love of cannabis, the land on which he lives and cultivates &, well, the love of a good woman, as well. You’ll hear the story of their own relationship to the plant unfolding. From moving to the smaller, more secretive world of indoor into the free-range world of sun-grown, small-scale outdoor. The beautiful life they’ve been able to carve out for themselves and their three children working with this plant and the abundance it’s provided them. On what it means to finally step out of the shadows after all these years and claim cannabis cultivation as a legitimate path & profession. On raising their children in a no-bullshit zone & how cannabis has actually sewn the seeds to start the conversation around Morality, Civic Involvement & Civil Disobedience - good & early. And how they’re equipping themselves for the fight they know they have ahead to survive. To compete. To stay afloat, relevant & maintain the beautiful way of life they’ve cultivated through the years. And the magic 5th element inside all of this - they see as crucial to every small farmer’s survival in this swiftly-shifting landscape we are in. At the end of the day, it comes back to this. The families. The freedom. The community. The rich way of life that is unique this region - and to the caretakers of this plant. We are reminded, one again, that this privilege - is THAT. A gift. And if we are to see it continue… We must all be willing to do what we can to maintain what we’ve been given. At the end of the day, may these stories remind us… of what exactly we are fighting for. Help us to keep the faith. And to do the painstaking work of paving the way forward… for us all.

We were excited, this week, to speak with Siobhan, a 2nd generation cannabis farmer and one half of the YouTube duo The Grow Sisters.  She and her husband own Blessed Coast Farms, Humboldt’s first permitted cannabis farm, where she is proud to plant into the native soil along the Van Duzen River. Legalization ended her days dodging helicopters on a dirt bike, and brought her a sense of liberation.  Now she can be honest about who she is, what she does.  She recognizes that being such a public advocate for her farm and cannabis cultivation may place her head on the chopping block, but the work needs to be done and she recognizes her well-placed position as an advocate.  This is farming; practices and techniques are not secret, nor should they be.  Siobhan stresses the importance of sharing this knowledge, exclaiming, “This is how we survive!”  The coveting of farming knowledge is a black market thought and now we must grow into this new realm of legalization and transparency together. Humboldt, Mendocino and Trinity counties have been growing cannabis for decades, Siobhan describes it as generations.  No county is, perhaps, as known for its quality of cannabis as is Humboldt.  This is our strength and Siobhan urges us to get involved, step in and represent ourselves; suggesting, I believe, that as we move forward into compliance and legalization, our future lies in our history.   To find out more about the resources we discuss, check out the links on our website (mendpodcast.com)::: Blessed Coast Farms California Growers Association Info on the Mendocino Appellation Project

Welcome back. This week we are excited to share with you the story and wisdom of Casey O’Neill - a second generation farmer residing in Northern Mendocino. Casey lives on a multi-generational, family farm where he they cultivate roughly an acre of land. Much of that - terraced fruit and vegetable gardens for their CSA, interspersed with the cannabis he, his wife & his parents grow within their 5000-sq ft permitted medicinal cultivation area they tend as well. He talks to us about what he sees as the two dominant perspectives within the current culture of cannabis - namely - Resource Extraction & the Homestead model - and which one he’s doing the hard work of fighting for right now. He tells us about his own journey….. From a degree in sociology… to the work of farming… and now onto policy… and how that’s shaped him over time. We talk about the pivotal moment inside his own life that shifted him from a self-identified mono-cropper, laboring inside the outlaw farmer/prohibition model to his present-day work as an advocate and staunch activist on behalf of the small-scale/bio-diversified farm he sees as key to restoring the health, viability & sovereignty not only of this small, north coast region - but also to the larger world of farming, agriculture & humanity as well. How he does not expect to see the rewards of his efforts any time soon - but what keeps him moving forward with them nonetheless. He shares his hard-earned advice on what it takes to set up a truly functional farmers’ cooperative and collective - and what practical steps need be taken to make it work. And what he sees as our pivotal moment - - and our last hope - and what shall determine whether we are consumed by the industrial-corporate-agricultural model that has failed us in so many ways - or if we - the counter-cannabis culture shall rise above - and shift the Conversation - to the betterment of all. This is capstone conversation for us here at MEND - and if we were to break down the entire ethos and drive of what we want you to walk away with inside this season - We would hand you this. Enjoy. To read some more of Casey’s words & wisdom (including the full article we read from @ the end) visit: http://www.theganjier.com/author/casey-oneill/ Or find out more about the California Center for Cooperative Development here : http://www.cccd.coop

In this episode we speak with Bryan, a man from my home state of IN who, in his almost 30 year relationship with marijuana, spent 5 years working on various types of ganja farms in Humboldt County. When OR legalized marijuana and offered licenses over the internet, he paid his fee and moved up to work on a small recreational grow. He tells us the how and why he chose marijuana as a career path and assures us he is ‘in it for the plant’. When we asked him if and/or what he misses about the black market, his quick response was precise and passionate. We discuss the possibilities, both good and bad, in store for CA with legalization and the strict regulations in place for the marijuana industry. When asked what he believes the cannabis culture can offer to the world at large, Bryan tells us what Humboldt taught him that he didn’t learn anywhere else. I’ll give you a hint, he refers to many of the farmers he knew in Humboldt as ‘Soil Builders’. We hope you enjoy this conversation as we are winding down this season on the origin stories and looking towards where Humboldt’s marijuana culture is headed.

Welcome to episode 17 here inside this first season of MEND - where we spend some time both with the originators and pioneers of Humboldt County’s Cannabis Scene but also spend some time getting to know some of the innovators, entrepreneurs, activists, farmers, and more who are helping to shape the Future of this Industry and our Region. We truly enjoyed sitting down with Gillian - a resident of Humboldt County since 1995, who initially moved here from SEattle to be a part of the Intentional Community at Black Bear Ranch and to escape some of the urban trappings of modern life She eventually went on to get her degree in Biology & Botany at HSU, and for the past 3 years has been one half of the heart and head behind the biz Humboldt Apothecary - a medicinal cannabis brand that specializes in CBD-heavy tinctures and formulas, blended with other complementary and synergistic herbs to treat a variety of ailments. She tells us about her own path to entrepreneurship - from growing a business with a meer $1500 worth of startup capital to its’ present day iteration - operating across all of California and distribution of over 200 dispensaries statewide On starting small and using what you have and growing from there. On the importance of community not only to help jettison her own business into its current state but also on the quintessential role she sees of continuing to craft cooperatives, community and cooperation across the board if the small, legacy farmer is to stay afloat in the current tidal wave of industry we see today We talk about the high costs of coming into compliance - both on a very real financial level but on the bigger cultural plane as well She takes us a bit down the road of her own journey from plant lover, herbalist, and botany-geek to full-fledged businesswoman, the co-creator of a thriving brand - and the steps and shifts it took to move into those roles. And we find herein another call to Keep it Local - even as the stakes, the market and the money seem to scale ever more global - She stresses the importance of sourcing locally, organically - and staying community minded - as Humboldt County works to extend its output, its’ influence and it’s brand - ever outward. There are some of us who will not be able to make the leap. Who, as small-scale, mom-and-pop farmers and low-level black-market sellers, - were able to care for and feed their families - contribute to their communities - but may not have the wherewithal, the start-up capital, nor the desire - to enter into this brave new world of branding, testing, licensing and so much more… But herein we glimpse a blueprint and singular scenario - of one such woman making that leap. And wherever you choose to turn - either toward this new wave - or off into some new enterprise & adventure altogether - may you be inspired and heartened by what you hear. The leap - if it calls to you - is worth the taking. To find out more about Gillian, her work, and the formulations she makes as part of Humboldt Apothecary, visit: http://www.humboldt-apothecary.com

This week we veered a bit from the telling of a story, to get a closer look at the nuts and bolts of what it means to ‘come into compliance’. We spoke with Rose - a woman who works on the business and planning end of things. She clarified some confusing details, offered suggestions on how and why to move forward into compliance and expressed hope for the mom and pop growers with the eventual inclusion of ‘adult use’ into the legalization of cannabis. Because of our established, specialized infrastructure and world wide fame as a marijuana hub, she informs us that the state is looking to Humboldt as an example of how to move forward. To this end, it seems more important than ever to move forward with consciousness, integrity and the core values of our community in mind in hopes that the expanding industry of medical marijuana be in compliance with a healthy ecosystem and sustainable economy. We offer this particular interview up as a resource to our beloved community. May the information presented here be of use and value to you as we navigate this shifting, tumultuous time. Here's to what's next.

As I was sitting down to draft an introduction to this week’s chat, these words from Dante Alighieri went flashing through my mind: “In the middle of the journey of our life, I came to myself, in a dark wood, where the direct way was lost. …...I cannot rightly say how I entered it. I was so full of sleep, at that point where I abandoned the true way. But when I reached the foot of a hill, where the valley, that had pierced my heart with fear, came to an end, I looked up and saw its shoulders brightened with the rays of that sun that leads men rightly on every road. …...It is a hard thing to speak of, how wild, harsh and impenetrable that wood was,.....but, in order to tell of the good that I found there, I must tell of the other things I saw there.” Anne & myself have chosen to take this week to re-group to some degree. A moment to step back and look at where this shifting narrative has taken us thus far, but also so try to regain the larger thematic thread toward which we’re aiming overall. To that end, we sat down, on opposite sides of the country and asked each other some questions. *Stuff like - What is the larger story we are trying to tell? Have we succeeded thus far? What are some of the voices we have yet to hear from and that we feel, are needing to be heard inside this story? And...After all is said and done… is this really about Pot at all?? We re-cap some of our favorite episodes to date And talk about the process of trying to share a larger, Universal story with a message and a deep, pulsing heart - using the syntax of the humble everyday. Can the personal truly reveal the Universal, as they say? We talk about Commercialization - both in this industry and beyond - and the effects it has. About what we’ve lost. And hopefully what we are un-earthing still. We talk about the underbelly of this story. The dark, shadowy bits we had hoped to move away from - and how they’re part and parcel to this whole tale. And ultimately - we come back - to Who is this For? And begin to shift our focus from the past - of what has been - and invite in Voices that are beginning to pave the way toward our collective Future - whatever that may hold. Enjoy.

As we narrow in on the halfway point here, we want to begin to open up the conversation. About what’s coming next. What to be watchful for and how we, as residents of this community, can play an active part in shaping the future of not only the ganga world - but the larger one we all inhabit , as well.   To that end, we spoke this week with Jesse - a northern Humboldt resident who is currently on the front lines up in Del Norte county, working with the Board of Supervisors, city council and local government there to try and shape a sustainable cannabis policy and regulatory guidelines for cultivation in that neck of the woods.   With that work in mind, he has co-founded the Del Norte Grower’s Association.   He talks to us about what it’s like to be the forerunner on this issue - and why, rather than try to jump into the already over-crowded ring of Oregon and Humboldt County growers, he’s elected to shift his focus to the small-scale, rural region of this state.   The cautionary tales he sees being played out in areas: like Humboldt, or Calaveras, or Yolo County; where, to his view of things, there has been far too much growth far too soon.  And the policies in place within these regions - though claiming to work for the small family farm - may actually signal their undoing instead.   We speak about the problems with imposing the same stringent codes and regulations upon a large-scale, industrial operation as one would put upon a small, artisanal family farm.  And the need for variance, discretion and huge allowances for the latter if the small, boutique end of this industry is to survive.   How our current policies here in Humboldt, to his view, only serve the biggest players in the industry.  And how the small-scale growers and operations may very well be, in his words, “thrown under the bus” with the current mode in which we are operating and moving forward.   And he puts forth a rallying cry to action for us all.  Because the old rules of operation - that worked so well during the years of Prohibition - will no longer serve us in this coming age. And we all get to step forth and be vocal - if we want to play a part in how this Conversation plays out.   There was so much wisdom, insight and education to be had in this talk.   We hope you leave feeling enlightened, empowered and ready to engage in this next phase of our collective Evolution.   This is a moment in our history that needs every single one of us bringing what we have to the Table.   To find out more about the organizations we mention, or to get involved with their mission and work visit: The Del Norte Growers Association FB page: https://www.facebook.com/delnortegrowers/ The CA Growers Association: http://www.calgrowersassociation.org The Humboldt County Growers' Alliance: https://www.hcga.co 

We speak with Iris; a woman born, raised and now raising a family in the hills of Humboldt County. When Iris was a child her father was ‘busted’ by the infamous CAMP, Campaign Against Marijuana Cultivation, and given the option of 1 year of jail time or losing his land. He chose to keep his land and spent the next better part of a year in prison. She recounts the details of growing up in the marijuana culture as a child, the advantages and disadvantages of herself and those around her; knowing the safe house in the neighborhood, the one with no marijuana on the property, where the kids could flee to when CAMP came flying, learning all of the local plants and trees, not having even a phone for many years, appreciates the openness of her parents, and recognizes the sad fate of too many of her peers whom, as she says, “Feel very big, very early.” Iris acknowledges the benefits of marijuana cultivation in her earlier years, but tells us the big WHY she no longer participates. It’s not the threat of jail, ‘that part wasn’t scary’. She tells us how, as an adult, just two plants helped get her family set, what her community is doing to integrate the outsiders coming in, and poses the very important question of why Humboldt has alarmingly high numbers of childhood trauma and neglect. This week we recognize not only the beauty of rural living, but the darker sides of growing up in an outlaw community. Perhaps it is only through looking at these shadows that we can hope to understand how to come back into the light.

This week, we had the great pleasure of sitting down with Buzz, a cattle rancher and veterinarian who moved up to Southern Humboldt in 1985 to caretake the ranch his wife's family owned.  The pioneer stock who can trace their roots back to this are for multiple generations.   He speaks about the shifts he's witnessed in this area.  Raising children - all of whom are now grown and prospering elsewhere in the world - inside the heart of the emerald triangle.   When it became clear in 2007, that the timber production that he and his wife had been counting on as their retirement nest egg was not going to be what they had hoped for, Buzz recounts the pivotal moment he decided to put, to his mind, a big grow on their family land.  Next to the vegetable garden.  Ten plants in all.   He talks about the anxiety and stress related to working to come into compliance with the new regulations and upping his production even further to a record 54 plants.   He tells us about his lifelong love affair with cannabis and how a combination of CBD oil and a regular practice of Zen meditation, has helped him deal with some debilitating back pain.   And, like many of our beloved interviewees, he steers us back towards a committed relationship to the land and to one another, and to moving forward responsibly and reverently, as we embark collectively upon this new chapter of our history.