Patient’s pick-up their medicine in the form of flower, tincture, oil, [ Valerie Coral ] topicals and medibles during weekly meetings, where information is shared and education on healing is provided. Once a month the collective hosts a membership potluck, and that’s where Valerie says the real healing takes place. “What the meetings and potlucks do is provide a sense of community within the collective,” Valerie explained. “The weekly meetings drive data collection and conversations about the bigger picture of health. It’s not a ‘take two of these and call me in the morning’ process. No one is standing with one hand on the door knob with a hurried explanation of why you are sick.” Valerie insists it takes more than prescribing a pill to heal a community. The regular Bingo competition is prescribed for fun. It’s a fiercely competitive and bonding treatment, and if someone fails to show up, a welfare check follows – but they call it “connecting.” “It takes connecting to heal each other, it takes a village to heal the village, and it takes that village to heal a nation,” she added. “When you are sick and poor you don’t have funds to eat well, and if you aren’t eating well, your chances of healing lessen. We also work with the food bank, which works with local organic farmers. It’s a whole foods and whole medicine process to wellness within our community.” Medicine is made as needed for whatever ailments present within the membership. This is understood in the world of homeopathy and certainly within the cannabis community. When using cannabis as medicine there are as many delivery methods, or applications of the plant, as there are maladies. “Being a collective we aren’t profit driven,” Valerie explained. “We don’t make a type of medicine, then market it by saying, ‘here, you need this.’ If someone is suffering from cancer we’ll provide the oil, if someone needs a tincture, we’ll make it to their specifications – whether it’s for sleep, pain or what have you.” Critics have countered by stating Valerie and crew have been practicing medicine without the proper licensing – a common conundrum in the cannabis community, as dealers are slowly being recognized as healers in the world of plant-based medicines. No one questions Grandma with her chamomile tea and nettle tincture, but add cannabis to the equation and the proverbial kettle boils over
“IT TAKES CONNECTING TO HEAL EACH OTHER, IT TAKES A VILLAGE TO HEAL THE VILLAGE, AND IT TAKES THAT VILLAGE TO HEAL A NATION.” with misinformation and unfounded fear. “What we really do here is empower others to heal,” she continued. “Healing is not just one thing. There is no single formula for everyone, and while this medicine is extremely effective, it also works on subtle energies and the subconscious. I call it ‘Phyto-therpy.’” Valerie explained Phyto-therapy and her philosophy of healing within the body and plant-based medicine, explaining we are a set of systems and our good health depends on the way those systems interface with one another. “The pathway for our systems to communicate becomes burdened by toxicity and its degradation of the body, time and aging. My feeling is there are many plants, that we have evolved with, that our bodies can utilize with similar modalities as cannabis.” As with any long-term cannabis business, life hasn’t been perfect, but the plant has prevailed. In 2002 the farm and office were raided for the last time, with the collective winning in court and a new sense of security ensuing.
“The government made us revolutionaries,” she laughed. “It’s a great feeling now, knowing they won’t interfere with our work any longer.” Though laws, raids and even divorce have both challenged and empowered the little collective that could, Valerie said the future looks green for Santa Cruz and its cannabis community, with just one fear outstanding in the new and emerging market. “One word, greed,” she informed. “There’s nothing wrong with making money. If you have a bowl full, pass it. I just don’t think anyone should make millions off the backs of sick people. It’s up to those already working as healers in this industry to guide, support, and inspire. We also need to continue to be inspired ourselves, and know that we are all connected - that we all really want the same thing – to be healed with this plant.” Elizabeth Jauer has been a member of WAMM for three years, joining post breast cancer tumor surgery for the strong cannabis oil Valerie has named, “Milagro Oil.” The oil
[ Valerie Coral ] dopemagazine.com ISSUE 11 THE HOLIDAY ISSUE
| 61