The War on Farmers
The War on Farmers
Domestic Terrorism in California, 1983-present
Protecting Plant Medicine for Generations and Preserving a Legacy of Healing and Resilience
After 5,000 years that we know of, during which humans reaped Cannabis for every utilitarian scenario you can think of - clothing, rope, oil, building materials, paper, sacred rituals and medicine, it took a bunch of old white men afflicted with racism and greed to bring that momentum to a grinding halt.
The Fallout of Prohibition: A Blow to Quality of Life
While those old white guys are now dead and gone, more than 80 years of Cannabis Prohibition have taken a wrecking ball to everybody's Quality of Life. As an evolved Cannabis industry tries to take root, during a raging opioid crisis, with U.S. states legalizing it for medicinal use vs. recreational use, and as stigmatized seniors turn to Cannabis as a way of alleviating pain and easing palliative passage, one common denominator remains. The Cannabis Farmers.
The Unsung Heroes: The Resilience of Cannabis Farmers
It is those farmers around the world who have preserved the seeds and cultivars that are still being destroyed across the world by authoritarian figures who think they are upholding the law. What they are really doing is taking medicine away from people who need it.
Injustice Prevails: Sacrifices Made in Defense of Cannabis
It is the farmers who have stood up for Cannabis, even at the cost of their homes, their livelihoods, their families, and even their lives. Some have served time in prison for cultivating a plant. Some are still in prison to this day. That is a travesty.
Shifting Perspectives: Unmasking the Truth about Cannabis
As more people reach an understanding about the relationship between humans and the Cannabis plant - and it's truly profound - these "pot busts" really look more and more like the old Keystone cops aka a buncha idiots.
Just Google the "Endocannabinoid System" and how it relates to Cannabis, and you may find yourself rapidly emoting through the five stages of grief. Anger, denial and depression at how our own government perpetuated untrue myths about Cannabis. Once you accept how helpful Cannabis can be when used correctly, the only bargaining you may wish to conduct may be at your local dispensary.
A Tribute to Ancestral Farmers: Saluting Hemp's Guardians
I think that most people alive today descended from farmers somewhere in our ancestral chain. It is those farmers, and the farmers of today to whom I tip my hemp hat.
The idea of a domestic war on California farmers, predominantly in Humboldt and Mendocino Counties (although we had helicopters trolling the skies here in San Diego, too) seems super absurd today. But in 1983 someone had the bright idea of using taxpayer money to terrorize cannabis growers. They called it CAMP - Campaign Against Marijuana Planting.
On July 21, 1983, Attorney General John Van de Kamp announced a coordinated campaign using federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to raid marijuana grows in more than a dozen California counties.
The U.S. Army got involved. One Humboldt County operation involved 50 federal agents, 75 California National Guard troops, 60 soldiers and seven helicopters from Fort Ord. - (San Francisco Chronicle)
And guess what? CAMP is still in existence.
CAMP is still very much active in Northern California. California Attorney General Rob Bonta states that CAMP still works with local agencies to eradicate large scale illicit grow sites. Their continuing aim is to remove dangerous chemicals from the ecosystem, protect wildlife, and safeguard the natural resources of the region. In fact, in 2020 CAMP eradicated 1.1 million cannabis plants across 455 illegal grow sites. - (CannaCulture Collective)
It still pisses me off that our own government used our taxpayer dollars to prey on people growing medicine on their farms. After all, it's the Cannabis farmers who have fought on the front lines for nearly a century to protect plant medicine for us and for our future generations. Thank you all for your service to our world.
Fighting for Our Future: Gratitude to Cannabis Farmers
In conclusion, the enduring fight of Cannabis farmers resonates deeply as they continue to protect plant medicine for generations to come. Their unwavering commitment, resilience, and sacrifices deserve our utmost gratitude. Therefore, let us acknowledge and support these guardians of healing, ensuring a brighter future for Cannabis and its profound impact on human well-being.
Check out the video below about the War on Drugs, a short one and a half-minute trailer from “NECTARBALL: The Story of Cannabis” featuring Swami Chaitanya, Tim Blake, Sunshine Johnston, The Humboldt High Five, Heather Kornberg, Chris Anderson and Chiah Rodriques.
Yours in Love and Light,