Enough Tears

Enough Tears

No fireworks exploded, no trumpets blared and no discouraging words were heard on Friday, as the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department paid a discreet visit to my homestead, and stamped my little plot of cannabis plants with the seal of approval.

Annie herself affixed her name to the document, filed under the 2016 Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office Medical Marijuana Exemption Program. You don’t have to be able to say it, if you are in compliance with the individual components of what the county has provided as guidelines for the historic shift in perspective, as regards medical cannabis.

I myself do not know all of the complexities of what is involved, because that is not my role here on-farm. My job is to know what constitutes “clean/green” organic practices, and to put them into effect. 

When I wrote a few weeks ago about composting the chicken manure, poplar tree cuttings and mushroom compost, in preparation for spring of 2017, that would be an example of employing organic principles in line with clean/green practices.

We don’t add no stinkin’ chemicals.

Specifically, what paperwork had to be filed to cover the pond, how the logistics of building permits were conducted and how the application process proceeded, are all beyond me.

I am retired-I am just a farmer. I leave the rest to those with the intestinal fortitude necessary to contend with the issues. I don’t think anyone holds it against me. After all, I am the one solely responsible for providing the initial twenty acres, from which a couple were chosen to grow vegetables and cannabis.

That is not to say land would not otherwise have been acquired; it simply is what it is.

I never stressed about the visit from the sheriff. The last time I had a visit from the local constabulary was July of 1985, and they arrived in a helicopter.

If I had my ‘druthers, I’d take Friday’s visit any day of the week, and twice on Sunday.

It was all quite civilized. Pleasantries were exchanged, statements of generic historic note were made, a tour was conducted, a series of questions was asked and answered and the document of inspection was signed.

I asked Sheriff Dan if he would pose for pics for my personal photo album, and he obliged.

Sheriff Dan

Considering the fact that a new era is dawning, one with unlimited opportunities for further development of cannabis as an effective tool in the fight against cancer and so many other human maladies, I am dazzled.

I am appreciative to those who have spent so much of their time and energy to make all of this possible, both here on the local front, and in Sacramento, and I am appreciative to Mendocino County for investing its trust in medicinal cannabis farmers.

Most of all, I am appreciative of the fact that I have access to this magical plant for my own medicinal issues, and that those I love have access to it also. Ultimately, that’s what it’s all about-the healing capabilities of a plant which has been providing said qualities since the beginning of time.

Dwelling on the economic and political reasons for the initial quashing of cannabis as a viable commodity, is pointless. Water under the proverbial bridge, as they say. We're done wasting water. Enough tears have been shed.

A new era is dawning for medicinal cannabis, I wrote above, and the future is bright indeed.

Great success!