GOOD WEED AND GOOD FOOD

Floreterna Gregori

In the exciting craze of legalization, full of anticipation and uncertainty, cannabis has become an industry. The community, good food, well being and wealth to share seems to have gotten swept under the rug to the point that even larger cannabis businesses are struggling in the aftermath of this chaos. The spirit of cannabis seems to be slightly diluted in this sense, and I laugh a little as I imagine Bob Marley unwilling to allow some large brand to use his image for profit. Bob would have wanted the best, most home grown ganja, and some delicious fresh harvested veggies to go along with it for a healing Ital dinner. In Southern Humboldt we started The Mateel Community Center and Reggae on the River in the early ‘80’s to keep our community together, and to bring income. Rastas loved us because of our pure home grown ganja, dank farm fresh food, and the super high vibes! Reggae on the River became our major source of extra communal income for 25 years or more and allowed countless nonprofits to do their work.

Our community was never about the weed or the money, it was about freedom, it was about growing our own food and raising children in the forest, helping each other out and making our community strong. It was about living out of the system and making our us far beyond anything the system would ever be able to create. We dug into the rich Humboldt terroir, into the mychorrhyze rich earth and grew the dankest ganja and the most vibrant food!

With so many chronic conditions being linked to chemical, pesticide or heavy metal overload of the body, affecting our physical, mental and even spiritual health, we should be considerate of the food we eat. Pesticides supposedly degrade and disappear after an amount of time but nevertheless, DDT, Round Up, and countless other heavy metals like aluminum, lead and mercury are cancer and chronic illness leaders.

Good weed and munchies have always gone hand in hand. We smoke a fatty, or take a sweet bong rip and after the trip, it is time to eat, right? We reach for a bag of chips, or some cookies and ice cream to satisfy the craving!

But what do dank regenerative weed and healthy food have in common? It has been shown through the decades that the nutrient quality of vegetables we eat depends on the soil, the same goes for ganja. Wildcrafted medicinal herbs as an example, have a much higher nutrient concentration and a higher presence of medicinal compounds than on commercial plantations. When we bite into a freshly picked bell pepper, or cherry tomato still warm from the sun, the flavor bursts, and we have a subtle sensation of what it truly means to be alive. We remember why we are here in this life. We remember that we are not here to work like a rat in a rat race or to fill our bodies with junk food.

Dank regenerative, homegrown food and ganja have higher nutrients levels and some terps that are not reproducible under artificial lighting. Farmers spend many hours a day with their plants, loving them, talking to them, making sure that they have the best care while leaving the soil more fertile (more nutrients, minerals, compost and microbiology) than the year before. Commercial Ag typically reduces soil fertility. Many heirloom varieties of vegetables as well as rich, rare ganja genetics have been lost, and many more are in danger of disappearing. Whether we want to choose between the Budweiser or Marlboro of cannabis, or choose the countless and constantly improving home grown genetics is up to us as consumers and who we give our money to.

Regenerative craft ganja farmers not only have a relationship with their plants, they also have a deep connection to their family, neighbors and community. The phrase “It’s just business” seems cold and distant in these circles. When we get high we dream about a world where everyone can do what they love, where Win Win business is the norm. Both country and city can thrive and we can create the future as we truly want to see it!