By Mike Marino The Emerald Triangle, is not a place in Frank Baum's "The Wizard of Oz" which overflows with imagery of a young Dorothy Gale who gets blown away during a Kansas twister and ends up in the Land of Oz. To get home again, she has to travel to the Emerald City with a three man motley crew of misfits. In our "Kush" version of the tale, the group steps behind the Redwood Curtain on the Pacific Left Coast, where even Munchkins get the munchies, and realize soon, that they ain't in Kansas anymore! So, get ready to click your ruby red slippers, if you have some (go ahead admit you do) and we're off to interview the growers, the wonderful growers of Oz...in the Emerald Triangle...just follow the yellow kush road!
The following interview was with Joey Burger of the Humboldt Growers Association)
(Q. What is the Growers Organization's Primary Mission?
A. The Humboldt Growers Association (HGA) is a membership based medical cannabis business association and was formed to address a myriad of public policy issues facing Humboldt County and to support the successful establishment of a Humboldt County Medical Cannabis Ordinance. As Humboldt’s medical cannabis growers’ association, the HGA is dedicated to working with local law enforcement, policy-makers, business leaders, and community members to create jobs, advance public safety, and promote the medical cannabis industry in Humboldt County and state wide.
Q. What factors make Humboldt such a prime cannabis growing area?
A. There are several factors that have led to Humboldt being a leader in cannabis production for the last four decades. The back to the land movement of the seventies brought open minded "hippies" from the cities looking for a simpler life and a way of living more in line with their natural values. Humboldt is a very rural county with beautiful redwoods, flowing rivers, and rolling hills. Many homesteaded on 40 acre parcels that they were able to buy for a $25 down payment and a $25 a month mortgage payment. They didn't come looking to grow cannabis but many old timers say it was the plant that found them. The hot days and cool summer nights of this region turned out to be the perfect climate for high quality cannabis production. Seeds were brought from around the globe and many of the building blocks of todays commercial strains were bred under the hot Humboldt sun.
Q. What is the primary difference between cannabis being grown outdoors versus indoors?
A. During the early years of federal eradication in the Emerald Triangle many farmers moved their operations indoors to avoid the watchful eyes of the CAMP (campaign against marijuana planting) helicopters. A whole new way of cultivating was born. With it came diesel generators, chemical fertilizers, and toxic pesticides. After the passage of Prop 215 in 1996 many farmers were able to return their plants to the full sun gardens they had enjoyed prior to Federal and State eradication efforts. With the emergence of medical cannabis testing laboratories we are seeing that outdoor grown cannabis is testing just as high in THC cannabinoids as indoor grown, as well as producing a whole range of medicinal cannabinoids that can not be replicated from the limited light spectrum of indoor grow lights.
Q. Does the growers organization utilize "organic" methods in cultivation?
A.The HGA promotes sustainable cultivation techniques to set our medicine apart from much of the medical cannabis being produced for collectives today. Humboldt county, besides having a reputation for great cannabis is also known for it's environmental activism and natural beauty. By promoting sustainable cultivation techniques such as water conservation, appropriate land use, and non synthetic farming inputs we set a health and safety standard for patients and other producing communities to follow.
Q. Who are the core players in the organization besides cannabis growers?
A. The HGA's membership is made up of medical cannabis growers, patients, advocates, environmentalists, activists, businesses, dispensaries, landowners, hippies, rednecks and more. The HGA is getting a lot of support from businesses locally as well as statewide, and by offering discounts to our members, they show they understand the importance of this industry to our community. We are also getting support from members of our local government who understand that cannabis cultivation must remain a vital part of our economy and our culture.
Q. How important is cannabis growing to maintaining the economic growth of the region?
A Cannabis production is the life blood of this community. Many farmers see the black market as a very unsustainable model that makes them compete with Cartels stateside and from out of the country. With it brings the risk of jail time and a loss of assets. We want to encourage the black market farmers to make the transition into the legal medical market and embrace all of the legal opportunities that it offers. Humboldt must secure it's position in the medical cannabis market so it can be a leader when we transition into a legal commercial market post legalization.
Q. Does cannabis cultivation create other jobs in the retail sector?
A. Cannabis cultivation has created many jobs in this community and many businesses wouldn't exist without this industry. With the emergence of a medical cannabis industry many workers from farm laborers, to trimmers, to dispensary workers, to drivers will have an opportunity to make a legal legitimate living and not have to look over their shoulders while they carry out their chosen profession.
Q. Are there any ongoing legal problems between the cannabis industry in Humboldt with the Federal government?
A. The federal government is still raiding black market growers who engage in large scale cultivation and interstate trafficking. Some medical growers can get wrapped up in these raids because though they may be following California's state law our county does not currently have an ordinance on the books that recognizes and regulates collective cultivation. The HGA is working hard with the county to make sure that collective grows get to see the legitimacy and safety that the voters of Prop 215 intended.
Q. Do you forsee a time when full legalization will take effect, and if so how far down the road do you feel that is?
A. I personally think that before we see federal legalization we will see reciprocity with other medical states. We would love to have Humboldt's outdoor grown medicine on the shelves of dispensing collectives in Vermont, Maine, New Jersey, Arizona and all other medical states. We would also like to see medical patients from around the country able to come to California to consume our medicine and enjoy our cannabis tourism.
Q.How does the local government work with or against you?
A.We have found our local officials very open minded throughout this ordinance writing process. They understand it is their job to uphold the laws of California and its voters and want to foster the growth of this crucially important industry. They are thankful to have a resource of professionals who are willing to work with them, not against them, on sensible policy that works for patients, collectives, farmers, and the community.
Our thanks to Joey Burger for participating in this interview. To find out more about the Humboldt Growers Association, visit their website at www.humboldtgrowers.org