Beyond The Goddess Issue #2 June 2023

ISSUE #2

JUNE 2023

CULTIVATING A REGENERATIVE NEW WORLD

Founder's Note So many new energies have flourished, from tiny seeds into colorful dreams since the first publication of Beyond The Goddess. We have been going live on Instagram every Thursday 4pm Pacific, hosting heart felt and educational interviews with a range of people both in the cannabis industry and ancillary spaces. The Beyond The Goddess YouTube Channel will be entering the scene soon and will feature all of our interviews to date.

This issue is full of inspiring and educational content. The power of the Goddess, herbal medicine, environmentalism and the divine feminine open the heart to these pages.

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The delights of family style Sunbright Gardens Mendocino Sungrown also grace these pages and of course legacy stories of old remembered amorously. We are super excited to share the love and inspiration of craft cannabis, regenerative community lifestyle and women leadership in our recent work. We are passionate about continuing to build our craft community and strongly believe women are an important key to establishing strong roots to this movement.

AIYANA FLORETERNA GREGORI DANIEL MONTERO C0-FOUNDERS BEYOND THE GODDESS

BEYOND THE GODDESS

Table of Contents Southern Humboldt The Old Days Aiyana Gregori

Cannabinoid Cuisine Nicky Plank

The Divine Feminine Franklin Saulus

An Ode To Cannabis Poem Jeordin Wiley

Sunbright Gardens Monique Ramirez

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The Power of the Goddess Josie Anaya

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It Is My Eden Poem Aiyana Gregori

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Humanity, A Kestone Species?

Wayra A.K.G.

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Artist Spotlight: Mykol Blackwell Kym Kemp

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BEYOND THE GODDESS

Table of Contents Trees Of Green And Hearts Of Gold Daniel Montero

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Queen Of Swords Poem Daniel Montero

Word Play Daniel Montero

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HCRI: Prohibition 2.0 Ross Gordon

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Glassblowing Culture: Stan Alba Arianna Willis

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Overgrowing Capitalism Poem Aiyana Gregori

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VIEW OF THE MATTOLE CANYON CREEK DELTA FROM HUMBOLDT SYNCHRONICITREES FARM

A Mini History of Southern Humboldt Community Culture.

Part 1 of 6 - The Old Days. written by Aiyana Floreterna Gregori @humboldt_synchronicitrees My name is Aiyana Floreterna Gregori. My upbringing grew rooted, living off the land and preserving the ancient California Wilderness. Exploring beneath the scented branches, I heard the wisdom of the ancients.

I'm able to communicate with trees and sing their healing songs. Crafting music, poetry, and stories is what I thrive on. This back to the land community and the culture we have built in one of my true loves.

For many years, I have dreamed of telling our story. I wanted to share the vibrance of living in a community closer to the land . I grew up admiring this small group of people changing the world daily.The mother ganja plant to fulfill our basic needs, giving us the time to create a new culture. This tale must reach people’s ears.

Recent legalization endangers us. Big money interests slanted the law in their favor from the beginning by eliminating the acre cap to allow license stacking. This gave a green light for market flooding and price dropping to eliminate craft growers. Industrial technology cannot replace culture and quality of craft ganja.

Regenerative craft cannabis ensures rich genetic diversity and preserves the hundreds of strains where big cannabis does not. We have seen a significant drop in quality since legalization began. The highest quality herb often does not make it to the dispensaries due to the preference for “well marketed products” appearance.

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The Human capacity to build a harmonious equalitarian way of life astounds me. We can think creatively and collaborate through coop-federations, horizontal integration, and farmer/ worker-owned businesses. We can establish a new economy beyond anything we know. By sharing experiences, we give additional stability to our legacy. We can access resources beyond cannabis to create a sustainable economy. ‘Beyond the Goddess’ Quarterly’s goal is to share stories & experiences. We strive to connect people & inspire transformation in and beyond the Emerald Triangle.

I feel boundless passion for writing, playing music and supporting my Back to the Land community. After 20 years of cultivation as a second generation legacy farmer, I have decided to fallow my farm. I want to make a larger contribution to this movement than I’m able to as another struggling cannabis farmer. I’m enthralled to tell the inside story of the farms that remain. In this rich and diverse community, it is essential to tie the old challenges and successes with future projects. We must make connections to inspire positive action, resulting in building a new future together. Northern California and far beyond is full of heart-driven community building people, projects, and nonprofit-organizations. Each is doing their part. I yearn to unify people’s talents from “the mountains to the city” to achieve this goal. A society where everyone matters is paramount. We don’t need anyone’s permission to change the world.

We Are The World.

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The Old Days. Back to the Landers vs Helicopters and the Government As a child, they fascinated me with stories of Flower Children journeying to California from all corners of the United States. During and after “Summer of Love” many filtered slowly upstate looking for land to grow food. Dreams of a life close to the land, where they raise free joyous children and educate them differently, flourished. They were looking to build community, get close to nature. This challenged family, societal, and government norms. The Back to the Landers did not chase riches to Humboldt County. Early in the 1970s, they hadn’t discovered its value. People grew a few plants for personal use. Soon it became a source of income to build homes in the wild and start the amazing non profits standing today.

People arrived with precious few resources, doubtful they could survive winter. They moved onto the land, camping in Teepees, tiny home-made cabins, or plastic domes. They foraged for wild herbs, grew gardens, and hunted for venison and other wild animals. The raw land had no running water, road access, nor fences to keep out the deer. Presently, many old homesteads have foot access, or hand built footbridges across the creek.

Little by little, people built their homes, constructed deer fences, installed water tanks, and planted gardens, learning the ways of the land. Many hitchhiked to town, walking much of the long dirt road laden with supplies. It was a beautiful and simple, but hard life.

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At first, people grew a few personal use plants in the open. Once they realized its value, they could sustain themselves while they began dozens of non profits to benefit the community.

Community centers, music festivals, health centers, and schools were born. They started river restoration groups, environmental protection outfits. A nonviolence training cooperative & a civil rights protections nonprofit sprang forth to back many other projects. They even build one of three people's powered radios in the country. Many are in operation today as the heart of our community and culture. Soon after they sold the sacred herb, the CAMP raids began (Campaign Against Marijuana Planting). People hid their plants in the shade, allowing barely enough light to insure growth. Others wove plants expertly between abundant flower & veggie gardens to avoid being busted. They centered community life around the land, not around pot money. The motto was “keep it small” to protect your own crop and avoid getting your neighbors busted.

Harvested pounds were scarce and hard earned, much less abundant than after prop 215 passed. Ganja provided a meager source of income and financed creation of a better world.

They could build their dreams of a peaceful, loving community and fight for what they believed in.

Humboldt County has been the target of CAMP’S raids for decades. They ripped apart people’s lives, homes and families during the drug wars. Helicopters buzzed all day during the growing season. People had to lie low. They gathered at the river and watched the choppers fly overhead. No one wanted to be home during a raid. As kids, we still had fun, eating watermelon & swimming, our parents getting high playing, playing music and talking about what to do for the upcoming year. Someone in the valley would fall victim soon enough. The community united to support those who lost everything to the cops. They shared food, rides to town for supplies or a seasonal job, and even child care.

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I grew up in Ettersburg, overlooking the Mattole Canyon Creek Delta and Mattole river. My sister and I walked home from school, playing in the forest and river along the way. Our family worked in the garden, sometimes naked. Mom rose early. My sister Mariah and I helped to milk the goats and harvest food. We each had one night per week to be in charge of making dinner.

We planted trees, such as oaks, redwoods, and firs, as well as fruit and nut trees. I dug thistles out of the yard to make a few bucks. During the summer, we rode horses to the river, jumped off rocks and pretended to be mermaids. On hot days we swam the horses. In the summer, wild herbs and berries stained and perfumed us. In winter we ate licorice ferns from the moss off the old oaks. We stayed awake until the wee hours, hoping to see a UFO. Eventually, this led to a UFO sighting. Later, we heard someone saw one over Whitethorn that night as well. Sometime later we took from our parents and looked at the stars. We painted our faces with ground wet rock dust, made arrows with pounded nails and straight branches, and dreamed about learning to knap real obsidian. These were our favorite activities.

Kids those days roved through the woods, fields, and rivers. During the day, they refuge in one country home or another. We had several sets of parents. They all took turns working and caring for us. Neighbors gave each other a lift to town when vehicles broke down and collaborated for arduous tasks. It was the Emerald Triangle Love Culture.

Choppers flew all summer and fall nets bulging with marijuana plants. Huge piles smoldered in public places such as AWAY park, Honeydew, a family campground with river access. I remember the police during endless hours standing and watching the plants burn. I always wondered who had lost their livelihoods that year and hoped they’d be ok.

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Stories of CAMP raids, wild persecutions through the woods to escape from the cops, were commonplace. It was the talk of summer gatherings and school hallways once the raids began. Those whose crops often depended on community support to get by. They often hid multiple small gardens under the trees to ensure safety and stay hidden from the air. In the early days, I sometimes helped water dad’s patch or even a friend’s, careful not to mark the grass or the land around. We created a cover from the choppers, and let in only the minimum light. The system was against us. We had to fend for ourselves. It was an Outlaw Life.

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Marijuana provided people with a livelihood. It provided free time to support non-profit organizations. They could fight nuclear power plants & testing labs, or prevent arms shipments to central América. A non violence training collective ensured it was all done in peace.

Prevention of clear-cutting takes time not available while working a 9-5. They left a legacy of protected wild parklands previously destined as redwood decks or toilet paper. Restoration work prevented erosion to the rivers that destroyed salmon egg laying habitat. Salmon smolt hatcheries replenish them from near extinction. Alternative schools, community centers, music festivals and a radio station spread this love culture around the globe. They built volunteer fire departments and formed road associations. Marijuana gave us the freedom to work towards making the world a better place.

To Be Continued...

Citations 1. Robie Tenorio- Telephone interview May 20232 2. Peggy Andrews - Interview October 2022 3. John Casali - Multiple Interviews 2023 4. My own experience growing up in Humboldt County.

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AIYANA GREGORI AND GIL GREGORI 1983 ETTERSBURG, HUMBOLDT COUNTY

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The Power of the Goddess Plant Medicine and Healing Herbs written by Josie Anaya @livingconscious_33 In my early adulthood I began to experience chronic illness which affected my quality of life for years. I saw many doctors, took many different types of medications and even had surgery, but nothing had seemed to help and actually started to make my life worse. The last time I saw a doctor, they said I was crazy and I had to see a psych doctor because it was all in my mind. At that moment I decided to become my own doctor with the help of my amazing partner who had been speaking about diet and holistic lifestyle changes for at least a year, but I would not listen at first. Cannabis had been helping me get through these tough times, maintain a work life and somewhat a social life, but once legalization came around in 2017 we both noticed the cannabis we were buying was not helping both of us cope with our symptoms and actually made them worse. After further research we figured out that there had been a massive corporate take over of the cannabis industry which was now industrialized and adulterated. Being in the south Bay Area aka Silicon Valley there was no access to quality medicinal cannabis in our immediate area, we would have to drive 1 hour at the very least to get something worth consuming. My partner took it upon himself to be a producer and became a self-taught natural farmer who cultivated cannabis and food in biologically driven living soil under the sun. The first nug we ever tried of our own home-grown medicine absolutely blew our mind. The ease in the chest, the heavy eyes, the relief was back again and there was no turning back, it had completely changed our lives. This was a game changer, I was able to completely get off medications and heal from my chronic illness all because of consciously cultivated cannabis, food, other medicinal herbs and plant medicines.

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Medicinal cannabis is a powerful plant with many benefits beyond just its therapeutic uses. As the legalization of cannabis continues to spread worldwide, we are seeing how it can create positive changes in many aspects of society. Cannabis can create food. Hemp seeds are a highly nutritious food source, containing essential fatty acids, protein, and other essential nutrients. Hemp can also be used as a sustainable food source for livestock and other animals. Another edible part is the leaves and the best way to utilize them is juicing them. Some of the benefits are: Digestive health, immune system support, antioxidant properties, helps heal damaged cells and tissue and can prevent infections with antimicrobial properties. Hemp fibers can be used to create clothing and other textiles. This can create sustainable, local economies and provide important resources for people in need. Another benefit of medicinal cannabis is its potential to create unity. The legalization of cannabis has brought together people from all walks of life and has created a shared sense of community. The plant has the power to break down social barriers and promote understanding and compassion. Medicinal cannabis can also open minds and hearts. It has the potential to challenge preconceived notions about the plant and its users and can promote a greater sense of understanding and empathy. Beyond these societal benefits, just as in my personal experience, medicinal cannabis can also heal. It has been shown to be effective in treating a wide range of health conditions, including chronic pain, inflammation, anxiety, depression, and epilepsy. It can also offer neuroprotection to combat mental illness, and help to see corruption. The cannabis plant has the potential to end wars and clean our atmosphere. Hemp has been shown to be an effective tool for phytoremediation, which is the process of using plants to remove toxins and pollutants from the soil and air. This can help combat environmental degradation and promote a healthier planet. It is also one of the fastest growing plants on the planet and can sequester very large amounts of atmospheric carbon. Medicinal cannabis has the potential to create positive changes in many aspects of society beyond just its therapeutic uses.

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Other Healing Herbs: In addition to medical cannabis, there are several other healing herbs that have been used for centuries as well to treat various health conditions just as I did with my own personal experience.

Mint: Traditionally used to aid digestion and relieve digestive issues such as indigestion, bloating, and gas. It can help relax the muscles of the digestive tract, promote bile flow, and reduce inflammation, respiratory health, oral health, stress and anxiety relief and skin health. Leaves can be used to make tea, as a garnish or cooking spice and can simply be chewed on. The oil is great for relieving sinus pressure. It can also be used to make a natural pesticide. Mint is also a great way to attract native Trichogramma parasitic predator wasps which are a great insect that balances out caterpillar moth issues.

Borage: It has been used for many remedies including the following: Anti-inflammatory, skin health, respiratory health, hormonal balance and cardiovascular health. The flowers are edible and delicious. You can use leaves and flowers to make tea. It is a healthy companion and pollinators love the gorgeous flowers.

You can also use the flowers to make facial cleansers or make borage infused oil for overall skin health. Our pet tortoise loves to eat the leaves!

Sea Moss: Is another healing herb, or better yet, vegetable from the ocean that has been overlooked in the recent past. In 2019 I fell in love with the benefits I was feeling that I decided to become a provider for this amazing seaweed. Sea moss contains 92 minerals of the 102 our bodies are consisting of. It has an array of benefits other than the soluble nutrients our bodies can absorb right away it also alkalizes our body’s pH and unlocks nutrients that have been locked out or inert. It removes heavy metals from our intestinal track, pulls out and releases toxins in our body. Sea moss alone saved the Irish during the great famine when farmers were devastated only being able to produce potatoes. Those that only ate potatoes faced malnutrition and those who found sea moss ultimately survived and thrived. Sea moss is also good for soil, animals and plants. Those who consume sea moss experience similar benefits that consist of higher energy levels, better digestion, glowing skin, hair and nail growth and overall mood enhancement.

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Psilocybin: Can help rewire our brains and kick old beliefs about the world and ourselves that don’t serve us. It helps bring personal awareness so we can better ourselves and grow as a human being. It has the ability to enhance communication between different parts of the brain and reduce addictive behaviors. It gives us a sense of personal meaning and purpose. It helps us see and feel how we are all connected to one another and all living things. It is a spiritual experience that many have described as miraculous. She can bring long lasting positive affects on our moods and well-beings. It also helps us purge and detox physical and energetic blockages within us. Macro doses can be intense but very necessary for many cases. Microdosing is much more gentle and function-able but still has the same wonderful benefits and affects in a more subtle tone. In one of my personal experiences while macro-dosing I was able to see my brain being rewired which was a profound and beautiful experience that I will never forget.

As we continue to explore the benefits of these powerful plants, we can work towards a brighter and more regenerative future for all.

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Cannabinoid Cuisine written by Nicky Plank Certified Ganjier @misskanjie_og Beyond Brownies…Cannabis and Food Remember your first infused brownie or cookie? What a treat! 30 to 45 minutes later, you get the sneaks!

We’ve come a long way since the Brownie Mary’s and Sticky Finger brownie days, now we can easily purchase all types of edibles in our legal market from the savory to the sweet and everything in between.

Some with great flavor and substance and with better bioavailability for better and faster absorption, others while still lacking in the flavor and taste still deliver the psychoactivity we desire. Along with new technologies, flavor enhancements and deliverability, cannabis has been showing up in gourmet dinners with more palatability and sophistication.

Infused vs. Paired Is there a difference? Well, yes there is. While cannabis is used as an ingredient in both infused and paired dinners, the way in which it is used differs. Infusions add THC and/or other cannabinoids directly into the food for consumption while Pairings comprise of a selected strain which has been chosen based on cannabinoid and terpene profile to achieve enhancement consumed via smoke or vape directly before food consumption, similar to wine pairings.

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Beyond the difference in techniques used, the experience and results differ. However, as most of us have experienced, our body’s absorption of cannabinoids in infused foods may take longer than desired, and/or have negative consequences. Although and positively, the industry has developed technologies for quicker absorption and dissolution of the cannabis after taste by means of Nano technology and terpenes, infusions are meant to be eaten without accompaniments.

Our bodies assimilation of cannabinoids through inhalation is almost immediate and this results in a rapid onset. Pairings are intended to enhance food and cannabis selections by means of Terpenes and noncannabis-based Cannabinoids for an entourage effect and are intended for cannabis consumption immediately before or after consuming food. When the right pairings occur, it’s a symphony for your body and palate.

Terpenes and Cannabinoids So, what’s the deal with Terpenes? Terpenes are organic molecules found in plants, like fruits, vegetables, and herbs which are responsible for the aromatic smell and also deliver specific functions such as attraction to pollinators and distraction of pests. Terpene essences also compliment desired effects such as energy, calmness, focus, and creativity to mention a few, which are achieved by introduction via scent stimulation or oral consumption. Think of lemons and oranges, their scent is refreshing, uplifting and conjures memories of summer and sunshine; that’s a terpene called Limonene. How about ginger for an upset stomach? That’s camphene doing its job of pain relief. Chamomile? Bisabolol is in charge here providing anti-inflammatory magic while Lavender, with Linalool, sedates and has anti-anxiety properties to calm.

Cannabinoids? Well, they are naturally occurring compounds found in the Cannabis Sativa plant. There are over 100 (ongoing research may increase this number) but, the most researched are THC, THCV, CBD, and CBN; their job is to stimulate and enhance the body’s Endocannabinoid System (ECS). The ECS connects the brain and the body, impacts how the body responds to stimuli and helps keep your body in balance.

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Cannabinoid Cuisine It is a popular belief that Cannabis in food is a newer concept, however, it is not. Many civilizations have used cannabinoids for medical purposes. Ancient Greeks and Romans used cannabinoids to improve memory, decrease sexual desire (yes, they were a horny bunch), relief cramps and many other ailments; The Chinese used cannabisbased tea to treat joint pain and gout in 2000 BC, and the Middle East and Africa used cannabis for glaucoma, anesthesia, inflammation, and as a calming agent, 1200600 BC. Utilizing cannabinoid rich foods and terpenes in cuisine increase stimulation of your ECS (Endocannabinoid System) and enhance effects. Whether you choose mind altering or psychoactive cannabinoids, or for medicinal and/or therapeutic effects, Cannabinoid Cuisine will allow you to get the physical benefits without the negative connotations. As recent research has shown that cannabinoids work better together, adding cannabinoid rich foods and terpenes that are paired with the flower of your choice will provide a cascade effect, an entourage.

However, if you are a THC consumer and enjoy the mind altering or pain alleviating effects, Cannabinoid Cuisine is the cream, the sauce, the icing!

Pairing, is an art, a clean canvas where flower is the brush, and cannabinoids and terpenes are the paint.

Next time your tummy aches, smoke some Blue Dream or Durban Poison, and make NICKY PLANK Issue 27 | 234

some ginger tea.

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Citations Major cannabinoids list and their effects. (n.d.). Dutch-Passion.com. Retrieved April 14, 2023, from https://dutch-passion.com/en/blog/major-cannabinoids-list-and-their-effects-n1033 What We Know About Marijuana. (2022, April 22). Www.cdc.gov. https://www.cdc.gov/marijuana/what-weknow.html#:~:text=The%20cannabis%20plant%20contains%20more Alcohol and Drug Foundation. (2019). Cannabinoids - Alcohol and Drug Foundation. Adf.org.au. https://adf.org.au/drug-facts/cannabinoids/ Chef Daniel Green, & Dr. Joseph Feuerstein. (2022). The Cannabinoid Cookbook. Mango Media Inc.

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It Is My Eden

poem written by Aiyana Floreterna Gregori

This is my private garden of creation People walk past and they don’t see the flowers Like multicolored butterflies all around I sit on a cushion of clover Fluffy like damp sheeps wool smelling of spring Birdsong a deafening chorus of sound Tasting of honeysuckle sweet and spicy nasturtium I drink nectar and eat ambrosia People walk with heavy shoes that burn holes in the pavement Reeking of work boredom, adrenaline Blindfolds cover eyes and ears I sit in plain sight in my Eden This garden follows me, I never knew why.

NO one knows I'm here in paradise They see my dancing, hear me humming They Grumble raised eyebrows Thinking about hippies, pot, fantasies Is she on mushrooms?

I sit like a ghost on a park bench flower fragrance, trees, birds, bees all around, Deer gentile , rabbits silent companions secret Eden opens its gates reverently Thankfully it follows me only I have the key Clouds sun & wind are my poetry Angels & guides around me I walk on main street Floating Eden daydreams The key is the heart I step playfully into this garden art Horns and exhaust all around, YET I am nowhere to be found In the garden free I am playful glee Imagination carries Eden inside of me Issue 27 | 23 234Beyond The Goddess June 2023

Prompt: Imagine you are in your own secret world. One that follows you everywhere. A place where you can retreat into your imagination and envelope yourself in its peacefull, inspiring, exciting (etc) reality. It can be a place to find inner sanctuary during stress and chaos, during a hard work day, or exciting to bring more pep to your step. Make it your own! (Then share it with us in a future edition!) @humboldt_synchornicitrees

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THE DIVINE FEMININE FROM A MAN’S POINT OF VIEW written by Franklin Saulus @farmindank Growing up in the Silicon Valley was not easy, there are high societal standards and demands that must be met in order to survive here. As I grew older and began consuming cannabis I was able to clearly see the imbalance in my surroundings. Life was mostly based on image and maintaining a fast paced life of materialism. This creates a lot of mixed energies of competition, judgment, stress and ego. The masculine energy that we carry as providers, protectors, risk takers and doers can carry a heavy load that leads to exhaustion, depression and stress. Many people in our surroundings have been burnt out and we have seen a spike in homeless populations and suicide rates as a result. In my personal experience since before elementary school, I was pushed very hard to achieve and persevere like many others as well. In 2008 I had a big back injury from playing high level competitive football and because of the dedication I had to have for my team I was forced to put my personal well-being aside and take pain-killers to numb the pain and continue as is. Once high school hit I was taking 2400mg of ibuprofen and 1200mg of acetaminophen everyday and it was not working anymore. I was able to get my hands on stronger pain killers from the doctor but once they stopped prescribing me I had to hit the streets and find my own relief. I was beyond blessed when I came across cannabis which I was actually previously kind of against. My pain was so unbearable and I had heard it helps with it so I said yes to it which in my opinion ultimately saved my life.

Even consuming cannabis and her healing divine feminine energies, my relationship with her was still very masculine. I used it to run from pain and continue life as normal and even started to sell it in school to provide me gas and food money which gave me a wonderful social experience. It was special yet still very masculine to me, and I continued this trait on into my adult life.

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Decades later, in 2020 the whole world was told to stay home and do nothing. For the first time in my life I was able to rest and chill with cannabis at my side. At a time of so much fear and division I was blessed to have came across psilocybin at a time where toxic masculinity in the form of politics and separation had taken over the whole world including myself. I had learned many wonderful healing information about mushrooms but I was definitely nervous, but I went ahead and ate them. As I melted into my seat I was forced by the true divine feminine to sit and see which ultimately was my first experience ever even feeling this type of energy. It gave me a sense of wholeness and connection with everything and everyone. It made me actually FEEL love in my body and open my heart rather than see love as a mental concept or thought for the first time ever. It helped me release my stress on a cellular level and relax. It helped me see my flaws and shadows and she was not gentle about it, but it was what I needed to change towards a better self and human being. I saw it as a complete miracle which I didn’t believe really existed and transformed my life completely for the better. It brought me closer to and connected me with the food I ate and the cannabis I smoked. It made me question the ethics of how my food and medicine was grown and raised. It also brought forward my true passion which was there all of my life, farming and cultivating.

FRANKLIN SAULUS

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To this day, the spirit of the divine feminine is with me constantly showing me and teaching me and guiding me, bringing me back to self awareness. It is like a piece of soothing electricity that we can tap into and be connected with. The world now has adopted an addictive mindset and I feel it can help by bringing awareness to them and then also giving us the strength, will and courage to take on the right fight to liberate ourselves from these prisons in our minds. The divine feminine is amazing and so nurturing that once tapped in, she’s always working with you, rewiring your brain’s thoughts and beliefs back to the collective truth and nature’s intended way of life. She helps balance the masculine life of constantly chasing money to survive and helps us to still do so but with a sense of ease and positivity. She helps raise our vibrations by detaching us from our self sabotaging attitudes and personalities. As our vibrations rise we can experience more ease as we begin to attract what is truly for us rather than fight and scrape our way to the where we want to be or think we need to be.

On another note I do think it is worth mentioning once again the balance, the yin and the yang because in a world where there are many social injustices we cannot abandon divine masculinity which is responsible for innovation, righteous rebellion and fearlessness. The divine masculine is not to blame but many of the times may take the blame for the symptoms of imbalances.

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The divine masculine and the divine feminine together create absolute resilience, connection, abundance, co-creation, innovation and support from our communities and nature.I would love to see a world where the leaders and followers in society embrace the divine feminine and bring balance to the world where we can still function as a society but instead of profiting off of pain, inequality and fear that we can co-create an economy and lifestyle where the profits lay in love, healing, fixing, mending and providing.

My relationship with cannabis has evolved and become a true passion and a part of who I am. Even though I am called to take breaks from every now and then, I can say my true meaning is to steward the plant genetically and also through manifestation to hold it’s medicinal values of the true divine feminine spirit she is, as the corporate interest grows with intentions in profit and degradation to help the big pharmaceutical industries thrive. Home grow legalization is essential to me and many states that are looking at legality for purchase and possession are facing potential prohibitions of personal care taking. This is where the divine energies, once meshed become very powerful as we steward the medicine and protect the feminine attributes and continue the fight for our rights we can still create a booming industry world wide that has huge potentials for ending many of the world’s problems today.

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Humanity, A Kestyone Species? written by Wayra A. Klocker Gregori @cristalina_starr Humanity isn’t a keystone species, we destroy and wound the earth. Slowly killing off our chance to survive as a species, and doing harm to everything and all creatures around us. We saw it ourselves during the pandemic. As more people stayed home, we saw entire bodies of water once filled to the brim with pollution and gunk clear out, as animals filled the streets and streams. In other words, we saw nature creep back in, and start reclaiming itself.

The earth would be better off without us. This is the belief that most of us hold tightly to our hearts and minds, and it’s hard for us to imagine that it’s wrong. But what if I told you that we are, indeed, a keystone species? What’s killing our planet and all life around us isn’t us ourselves, it’s our systems. We hold a lot of power in the way we live and do things. We are literally shaping, changing, and bending our planet's ecosystems depending on our choices, how we live, and how our technology works in relation to the planet’s environment. Which, of course, could backfire on us in the long run if it isn’t done right.

What if I told you that there have been entire civilizations and Indiginous tribes living and working in harmony with nature, growing food in regenerative ways, and easily feeding the dense populations of people they had with those methods? They have brought back biodiversity; made dry, uninhabitable lands rich in nutrients and soil that they could easily grow food on and brought back plants, animals, and vegetation.

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Lyla June, a member of the Diné people, (otherwise and incorrectly known as the Navajo people) spoke on a Tedx Talk September 29th, 2022. She described a few methods of life that were very important to indigenous ways of life in the past. Such as Intentional Habitat Expansion, which is to care for the land and environment in such a way that the animals will come to you, instead of the other way around. One specific example she used to explain this, was how gentle fires were brought to burn the plains and create nutrient dense ash that would help grow everything back bigger and stronger, and generate topsoil. Which in turn, will make the bison follow the best grass and go exactly where you want it to. She also talked about decentralizing humans. By this she means that we must start taking care of everything and everyone around us. The environment, the animals, the fish, etc. By taking care of the hand that feeds you and working with mother earth instead of fighting her, you get abundance. One last, very important thing she talked about was to plan for the future, not just the immediate future.

To always try and make good, healthy systems that last as long as possible, instead of just worrying about our immediate self.

Many people would look around and listen to the news, which is constantly feeding us negative things happening in the world, and think that very little good is happening. I’d like to debunk this idea and show you that many people are and have worked very hard to help LYLA JUNE OF THE DINE PEOPLE

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protect and augment our environment and home.

There are so many people that care, and are doing their absolute best to make sure that one way or another, we succeed. People who have cried blood, sweat, and tears for our world. In our own Humboldt County, there have been many activists and such, working hard for much of their lives towards a beautiful sustainable and regenerative future. I’d like to start by talking about those in my own family.

Specifically my grandparents, and what they have done to contribute towards augmenting our community and way of life.

When Gilbert Gregori, my grandfather, moved out to Ettersburg, 45 minutes away from Redway and Garberville, the watershed above it had been logged, and was full of gunk. When it rained, the water would fall on The Mattole Canyon Creek Delta, an alluvial flat. Sometimes this would cause land-slides, and the dirt and gunk being carried by the water would fill up the creek.

This meant that the water didn’t really have anywhere to go. It would take the easiest route, as water does, and move across the Delta. This created a wide expanse of rock and gravel. What Gilbert did over the course of 30 years, was plant willow trees alongside the bank of where the water would be running that year. The willow tree’s roots helped strengthen the soil, and the rushing water would go through the willows and lose strength, dropping soil on the side and eventually creating a channel. He was later recognised for his efforts, and won an award for his work in its restoration. I am happy to say that today it is a beautiful outdoor grassy area, and one of my favorite places to host my birthday parties every year. It’s quite a serene and peaceful

GIL GREGORI, WAYRA A.KLOCKER GREGORI AND ROBIE TENORIO MATTOLE RIVER DELTA, ETTERSBURG

place to be.

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My grandmother, Cecelia Lanman, head of the Environmental Protection Information Center (EPIC) for 15 years, along with the help of many, many others, including my grandfather Gilbert Gregori, actively fought against gigantic logging companies such as Georgia Pacific and Maxxam, who were trying to clear cut entire old growth redwood forests in and around our county, and won. Through these battles, they helped establish what we know to be the Sinkyone Wilderness, which is on the border of Northern Mendocino County. Headwaters Forest Reserve was an old growth forest privately owned that was going to be clear cut as well. With the help of EPIC and many others, they managed to pressure the government into turning it into a forest reserve.

Throughout the long and arduous fights to protect the old growth, many people protested and put pressure on the authorities to do something. Robie Tenorio, my grandmother, a lifelong activist for peace and justice as well as a local volunteer in projects such as building the Garberville Town Square, helped organize the non-violent resistance and protests such as protecting the old growth redwood forests. Many, many people were arrested for trespassing on private property.

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HAL HALE, CECILIA LANMAN, AIYANA GREGORI, MARIAH GREGORI, WAYRA A. KLOCKER GREORI, GIL GREGORI, DANIEL MONTERO

My grandfather, Hal Hale, as well as many others of his time, originally came to Humboldt County because they were sick of living in the city. Humbodt was attractive to them because it was a nice rural area that wasn’t too far away from town, the air was fresh, and the climate was friendly. These people are often referred to as “back-to-the-landers”. He met and became friends with Rick Klein. Together, they wanted to organize a group of people to pool their money together and buy 500 acres of land from Bob Mckee. Eventually, 8 people got together to pitch in. They wrote an owner’s agreement, which took several years. The rules included things like no logging, no doing anything that could hurt the land, no guns, etc.

Together, they built roads, and made their own homesteads. They each lived separately, but were equally as responsible for protecting and preserving the land. This is the area of Seely Creek, right outside of Redway, California. It was an important project, because that land is now out of the market, and is still being inhabited and protected by a newer younger generation, as people move there, and pass on.

I think it’s important to highlight that my grandparents were not the only people working hard to protect the land, and community. Richard Gienger, a long time activist, went and talked to about 13 different indigenous tribes and successfully encouraged them to become involved in land stewardship and join EPIC in the fight to transform timberland into a state protected tribal park, thus forming the Intertribal Sinkyone Wilderness Council. This is still happening to this day. They are able to protect the land, and have their tribal events and rituals.

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In a world where it is becoming more and more crucial that we do something about the problems we are facing and becoming disconnected from nature, many people have asked. “Does it matter for the physical and psychological well-being of the human species that actual nature is being replaced with technological nature?” (The Human Relation). The answer is yes. While better than nothing, technological nature will never be able to replace actual nature. Additionally, there is a phenomenon called the “Shifting Baseline Syndrome”. What this means is that each generation will take the newly worsened condition of the world as the baseline normal, without knowing that their condition is not good. For example, a child that has lived and grown up in a polluted city would know that there are polluted environments, but not necessarily know or recognize that they themselves are living in one, or that just a few years ago, it wasn’t nearly as bad.

Technology is constantly changing and evolving, growing stronger, smarter, and ever more prevalent in our world and society. We must learn to work together, and use it to the advantage and well being of all those involved- to protect our planet. We do not need another one, Earth is more than enough.

Technology has the potential to help us quite a bit, but it means nothing if we don’t learn to value nature.

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Citations –Kahn, Peter H., Jr., et al. "The Human Relation With Nature and Technological Nature." Association for Psychological Science, 2009. Accessed 12 Dec. 2022.

–June, Lyla, performer. “3000-year-old solutions to modern problems.” YouTube, uploaded by Tedx Talks, October 2022, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH5zJxQETl4.

–Gregori, Gilbert, and Robie Tenorio. Telephone interview with the author. 12 Dec. 2022.

–Lanman, Cecelia, and Hal Hale. Telephone interview with the author. 13 Dec. 2022.

–"Technology can help us save the planet. But more than anything, we must learn to value nature." World Economic Forum, 23 Aug. 2018, www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/08/here-s-how-technology-can-help-us-save-the-planet/ ?fbclid=IwAR0kNh6V34ywYoePlQGDM_xZGgMxW6FlVvl1kALP1_Vw9247wiiH2P14W0I. Accessed 12 Dec. 2022.

–EPIC. www.wildcalifornia.org/. Accessed 14 Dec. 2022.

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DANIEL MONTERO, AIYANA GREGORI AND WAYRA A. KLOCKER GREGORI MATTOLE RIVER DELTA, ETTERSBURG

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An Ode To Cannabis poem written by Jeordin Wiley @jeocentric Billows of smoke Trembling through the air She beckons me to open up To be vulnerable To bare my skin To drop my mask To unveil the wild woman within Tangled roots and a lack Of boots, just bare…

Bare feet Bare arms Bare chest Bare breast and necks and cheeks and ass Toes in the soil And sun shining down on the soul Alone in the garden Nestled by leaves A different An intricate An unimaginable kind of Intimacy A dance with Mary Jane, A taste of infancy Reborn back into the womb again Resurrected by love between sun and moon Spring up like roots New leaves beckon out of me A bush wild and free Right between my legs A flower not to be plucked For the sake of its beauty Like the truth, can you endure me?

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Artist Spotlight: Mykol Blackwell written by Kym Kemp Mykol Blackwell grew up among the colours and seasons, of a small New England town. At an early age his family moved from the inner city, to the outskirts of that town; and his playground became what seemed at the time to be an endless forest, and a huge reservoir! His explorations and evolutions,led him to become a lover of the natural world; its cycles; and designs!

In his twenties his travels led him west to California on several occasions, before he eventually moved to Santa Cruz; which was to him what he always imagined California to be! His playground became the beaches and surf of the Pacific; and the Redwood Forests!

During this time a friend and mentor turned him on to the writings of Joseph Campbell; which he took to heart, and his art continued to evolve further and further into myth and legend; not only from the past, but from the future, as well as his imagination! He moved to the North Coast, Humboldt County, and has for years now lived a stones ( so to speak) from the Pacific Ocean, in and around the magnificent ancient Redwoods! Inspired by these surroundings and his continued personal, spiritual, and metaphysical studies; he on the one hand continued to sculpt Dragons, and other phantasmagorical creatures from pieces of wood which seemed to magically present themselves to him, with the wish to be brought to life!! On the other hand his drawings and paintings evolved into a series of oil paintings, which still continues to grow; and he dubbed ‘Totem Souls!

The words of Joseph Campbell had echoed in his mind for decades; if we are going to save this planet, we need to create a new mythology, which reveres and respects the wonders of the Natural World! Those words brought him to combine human and animal (birds so far) anatomies, creating through the brush visionary glimpses of a new mythology born from the melting together of ancient Celtic, Pacific North West Native American myths, with those from his minds eye! His art has been shown up and down the coast of California; and many a Humboldt viewer feels at home in the landscapes, that make their way as backdrops into these mythical beings portraits! He resides still in Humboldt County; claiming his soul has found its home; and that the inspiration is as limitless, and endless as a clear starry night there!

Having lived in So. Hum. the last 20 years, Mykol’s become a Jack of all trades, Master of a few! He’s designed 100’s of T-shirts, & posters for clients, as well as his own “Humboldt Nation,” line; Freelanced for clients, illustrating 2 Coloring Books; “The Headwaters Forest Story Coloring Book,” for Darryl Cherney & Earth First.

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Sunbright Gardens written by Monique Ramirez @sunbrightgardens We established Sunbright Gardens in 2017 when Mendocino County began offering commercial cannabis permits. My partner Gus and I own and operate a 2500 sq ft specialty cottage garden together. Our farm is really more of a garden, with 62 cannabis ladies growing in the full sunshine. We are the smallest license type offered at the county and state level. Only 38 active licenses our size exist in California! Our garden is on the edge of the county line minutes from the North Fork of the Eel River. It’s a magical area with a diversity of trees and the quietness of a rural setting. My partner taught me all about cannabis cultivation, which added to my knowledge of growing in a regenerative way from my gardening days in Maui at an organic veggie farm.

Being a woman in the cannabis space has been important to me. I feel a deep intuitive connection to our plants, their needs and their messages. It’s a witchy cosmic divinity that exists, and being able to tap into that feminine plant energy as a female makes the relationship to the plants we grow even more harmonious. I loved being able to plant seeds while I was pregnant. It felt magical to let seeds leave my hands in the dirt, knowing I was a vessel for life to grow.

I love nature, colors, art, textiles, working with my hands and standing up for truth and justice, so coming into the cannabis space felt like the perfect thing for me. I really saw the importance of preserving our cannabis culture and way of life through community activism and started getting vocal about policy reform when the laws were being created for our county. It led me to organize my local farming community and the Covelo Cannabis Advocacy Group was born!

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MO AND GUS SUNBRIGHT GARDENS

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From there, I became involved in what would become the Mendocino Cannabis Alliance, our first cannabis trade organization representing all sectors of the cannabis industry in Mendocino County. The organization has been at the front lines with CCAG working towards some important policy changes to better our community. It’s been a rewarding and also challenging experience being an advocate for change. But the greatest feeling is knowing your voice can make a difference and help your community.

During Covid, the CCAG took a break from advocating and I shifted my leadership focus towards MCA so I could merge my workload and be more involved in the policy efforts needed. It's been an incredible journey, meeting so many wonderful cannabis business owners along the way. All of which share in the love of our legacy producing history, rich in diversity, land stewardship and a love of our unique county, the wild, the free, the waves, the untouched corners of this majestic place we all call home. I’m drawn to the energy here. Even though it’s not always easy to live in a rural place, the peaceful energy, the gardening life and the incredible community I have makes me never want to leave.

These last few years have really been a hard struggle. Dodging the August Complex Fire, Covid, the market crashing, losing distribution connections and having to create a brand all on our own.

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KAHLO SUNBRIGHT GARDENS

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I hope that new legislation being introduced like AB 1111 will allow us to stay connected to consumers in a more meaningful way to allow us to sell directly through events. I’m hopeful many other bills aimed at helping our cannabis industry thrive will come to fruition this year through the hard work of Origins Council.

My grandfather picked strawberries when he was young. He worked hard to provide for his family working in agriculture. A job most would probably frown upon, but to me, I’m proud to say he did that. If he was alive today, I would have him walk in my garden to see all the veggies, cannabis, and colorful flowers growing. I hope he’d be proud of me too. We have to keep standing up for equal opportunities, supporting small businesses, women, people of color and uniting around a vision for a better world for our children through regenerative agriculture. Keeping my hands connected to the soil, to the food and medicine we grow, it’s a life I hope to keep cultivating here in Mendocino County, even through the ups and downs. www.sunbrightgardens.com IG: sunbrightgardens

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Trees of Green and Hearts of Gold written by Daniel Montero @gwsmokebreaktv

Let’s clear our minds, light one up and enjoy a first hand account of Humboldt and Bay Area cannabis history and the connection these regions have to one another. Who better to tell this tale than mi amigo Chris Anderson, born and raised in the Triangle and founder of Redwood Roots Distribution. Let’s travel back in time...

There was a time long ago when Humboldt herb did not make it past the Bay Area. It didn’t touch LA and did not cross state lines. For the record, the Bay Area has always been the funnel for Humboldt. San Francisco was the original hub before Los Angeles, and Oakland was also a major business partner. Humboldt and the Bay Area are the original ganja gangsters. We have always been one family, connected as deep as can be. Many back-to-the-landers went to San Francisco first before migrating up North during the hippie movement of the ‘60’s and ‘70’s. This migration was the beginning of the silk road between the Bay Area and Humboldt County.

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JUBAL SHERMAN, UTAH BLUE, CHRIS ANDERSON

Chris is born and raised in Southern Humboldt and has a sharp memory of how he grew up. His family was not involved in the cannabis industry. Chris washed dishes at the family restaurant and also worked at his family’s gift shop. Yet he was intrigued by the plant from a young, impressionable age. He remembers sleeping over at his friend’s house and observing a different kind of lifestyle and a dedication to the plant. Even though Chris cracked his first seeds at 16, his cannabis career started later in life compared to others in his community. At 18, Chris and three friends were hired by an older brother of the group and that was the start of his first guerilla grow in the hills of Southern Humboldt. Chris and his compadres grew up amongst rebellious Vietnam vets who were trained in evasion, on how to cover their tracks and now it was time to put their skills to the test. The squad scored 50 units total back when pounds were jamming for $4,400.

Plants were completely hidden in the ‘80’s and ‘90’s, the money too.

The War on Drugs was extremely intense for Chris and he explains that there was plenty of roughneck activity in the hills of Sohum “Southern Humboldt” before the Drug War even started.

One of the consequences that occurred overnight was that the War on Drugs created a culture of lying and deceit. The community turned to a criminal mindset in order to survive. If you touched the plant, you could not be honest about where you lived and what you did. To say that you were from Humboldt was to out yourself as a pot grower right there on the spot. Chris would give a false name and was always from a different place when he traveled. Chris was born in 1974.

Criminalization and law enforcement took a vicious toll on the psyche of the cannabis community in Humboldt, from the infamous helicopters to the sheriff trucks flaunting seized weed through Garberville.

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Even though some of the original back to the landers were Yale, Harvard, etc. people that were tired of the hypocrisy of the world, the War on Drugs created a perception that pot growers were evil people. So many families were broken apart, so many individuals were never the same after years and decades behind bars. Worst of all, drug addiction came with the fast money and access to high quality drugs. Chris shares that it was tough being young and living fast with too much money and not enough education. Worst of all, Chris shares about home invasions, kids being tied up, his friends being murdered over pounds and having to dig his friend’s graves and having to help bury them. Friends like Jason and Hippie John. Chris knows about literally hundreds of locals his age and older that are no longer with us for one reason or another.

Albeit only a small percentage of operators actually got caught compared to the overall involvement, what you have just read has always been the magnitude of the weed business roller coaster before legalization. On the flipside of that coin, having the ability to adapt from one day to the next, without much middle ground is an excellent skill to complement hopping on the roller coaster of licensed California cannabis. Chris boasts that they tried to infiltrate our system and now it’s our turn to infiltrate theirs with the goal of doing business based on communal, regenerative models and not corporate values.

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The community that Chris grew up in was not focused on money, rather homes were constructed with leftover timber and schools and community centers were also built.

The plant that birthed Southern Humboldt as we know it today instilled the spirit of giving back to the community. Sharing food, communing and supporting one another serve as inspiration for Chris as he spearheads Redwood Roots Distribution. Chris elaborates that the path towards participating in the legal market has been extremely difficult, seemingly impossible at times, and that the failures occurring today are not because farmers didn’t do good on their end, but rather that we are witnessing failure because Prop 64 was designed to devastate the legacy farmer.

However a deep change in consciousness is occuring. Our community and consumers alike want to know that weed is organic, we want to know who we are supporting, and we are beginning to observe the corporate lack of authenticity in this industry. Equity operators are a match made in heaven for legacy farmers. We have stayed true and are rising above the forest floor, finding each other and knowing that we share the same abundant vision. Now is the time to trust and lean on one another, to build relationships and know that our people are truly good people. Plant medicine is real.

Mushrooms and ganja can save the world.

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HCGA GROUP PHOTO

Humboldt Cannabis Reform Initiative: Prohibition 2.0 written by Ross Gordon @hcga_humboldt In late 2021, a small group of retired landowners in Kneeland contracted with a San Francisco-based attorney to write a ballot initiative which would overhaul the rules governing cannabis cultivation in Humboldt County. Several months later, the “Humboldt Cannabis Reform Initiative” - a 32-page, detailed legal ordinance proposing to fundamentally rewrite Humboldt’s cannabis ordinances - was born.

The result is that, on March 5, 2024, the HCRI will appear on the ballot in Humboldt County, and voters will have the opportunity to vote to approve or reject this initiative. With the future of Humboldt cannabis in the balance, it’s imperative that voters are educated on what this initiative would do, and understand its likely impacts on small cannabis farmers, the environment, and Humboldt as whole.

From the start, the marketing for the HCRI was deceptive. Circulated under the title “Large-Scale Commercial Cannabis Cultivation Restrictions” initiative, the HCRI’s proponents claimed that the purpose of the HCRI was to prevent large-scale, industrial cannabis agriculture in Humboldt County.

In reality, however, only a small fraction of the initiative - two provisions out of 32 pages of new law addresses large-scale cultivation. The rest of the initiative, if passed, would impose dozens of new restrictions on all cannabis farmers in the county, of any size, down to the county’s smallest cultivators.

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As small cannabis farmers struggle under mountains of red tape not applicable to other forms of agriculture, any additional bureaucracy would be cause for concern. The stakes of the HCRI, however, are even higher than this: if passed, the initiative would render Humboldt’s cannabis ordinances essentially non-functional.

In a comprehensive analysis of the HCRI published by the Humboldt Planning Department in March, the county was direct: "the HCRI will have dire consequences to the cannabis industry in Humboldt County… the HCRI could [make] compliance so difficult that the legal market is rendered not viable.”

One of the most concerning provisions in the HCRI deals with restrictions on “expansion,” which the initiative seeks to discourage. Counterintuitively, though, “expansion” in the HCRI is defined not just as an increase in cultivation area, but also as any increase in the “number or size of any structures used in connection with cultivation.” This definition would encompass any number of normal agricultural activities on a small farm - like a new drying shed, or an upgraded greenhouse - as well as environmental improvements, such as water tanks and solar systems, that are hallmarks of Humboldt’s regenerative farms.

The HCRI would also prohibit farmers from holding “multiple permits,” meaning that cultivators could not apply (for example) for a nursery license to be able to sell or distribute cannabis genetics, or to open a cooperative processing facility with their neighbors. It would apply new road standards that many cultivators - especially small, legacy cultivators in more remote areas - would be unable to comply with. And it would require all cultivation permits to renew yearly with the county, while imposing new conditions on those permits that would prevent many cultivators from successfully completing their renewal. If passed, the HCRI would instantly render most currently-permitted cannabis farmers in Humboldt non-conforming, despite the years of exhaustive process that these farms have gone through to become fully permitted.

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The problems with the HCRI are a reflection of the process - or lack of process - that led to its creation. The initiative was not written through an open public process with input from cannabis farmers, environmental advocates, county or state regulators, or other members of the public. Instead, the HCRI’s 32-pages were drafted behind closed doors, and were not shared publicly until the initiative was already submitted to Humboldt’s Office of Elections in March 2022, at which point its provisions could not be legally changed.

The HCRI would follow a familiar model for corporate capture of an industry: first, establish regulations so exhaustive that small businesses are not able to comply; then, once smaller operators are eliminated, large corporate actors can use their lobbying power to take control of what’s left. The HCRI, if passed, would throw Humboldt’s cannabis ordinance for small farmers into a tailspin, while hundred-acre industrial farms in Santa Barbara and Salinas laugh all the way to the bank.

So, what is there to do? Ultimately, the answer is education. Most of us in Humboldt, whether connected with the industry or not, share a common vision for a small-scale, localized, craft, environmentally sustainable cannabis economy. If the public understands the true impacts of the HCRI, the initiative is unlikely to pass: but whether that education is effective will depend on all of us.

At Humboldt County Growers Alliance, where I serve as Policy Director, we’re working collectively to ensure that our community is educated on the true impacts of the HCRI. For more information on the initiative, and to hear directly from cannabis farmers who have spoken about how the HCRI would affect them, we’ve compiled a set of resources at https://linktr.ee/savehumboldtcannabis. We encourage everyone to take the time to inform yourself on the HCRI, and talk to your friends and neighbors about the devastating impact this initiative would have on Humboldt’s world-renowned cannabis farmers.

RALLY IN SACRAMENTO TO SUSPEND MEASURE S

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Queen Of Swords poem written by Daniel Montero @gwsmokebreaktv Power. Divine feminine power.

Semiramis. Cleopatra.

Joan of Arc. The women of Scythia.

On horseback. Legendary, To be respected and remembered Throughout all time. Into Eternity.

These are my memories.

Of a time long ago.

My heart remembers Or is it my DNA? What’s in my blood?

The magic is in the blood.

I got mine from my mother She is meek, she is humble, But my Queen Of Swords Rumbles. Bellows. Asks for revenge.

For the 2,000 years of Patriarchy Blasphemy, witch hunts.

Erasing the memory of the Goddess.

My Queen Of Swords.

This much I know.

Now is the time to remember How to live forever.

For the sword is gripped tightly With great love. A love of A thousand stars.

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STAN ALBA

Glassblowing Culture: Artist Highlight Stan Alba written by Arianna Willis @ari_sunshine_ Glass artist Stan Alba has been an influential part of the cannabis consumption culture in the Pacific Northwest and the Emerald Triangle for over twenty years. As a young cannabis enthusiast and deadhead he was blown away by how the experience of medicating could be altered by the functional glass art that was chosen for a session. Stan first fell in love with the art of glass smoking pipes when his friend showed him a Bob Snodgrass chillum in 1993. After smoking out of the chillum he went on a mission to find Bob Snodgrass and purchase a piece for himself. He became obsessed with the cannabis culture found in the parking lots of GratefulDead shows where Bob’s work was most commonly found. As a dedicated fan and cannabis lover Stan embarked on the hunt looking for Bob on the next Grateful Dead tour. He eventually found Bob in Seattle, Washington in 1994 after seeing his flier in the parking lot for a gallery show not far from the venue. Bob’s gallery show at that time consisted of only marbles, wine glasses, and jars where Stan was able to finally meet Bob and ask him how to acquire one of his highly sought after glass pipes. Bob then invited Stan to come to his campsite after the Grateful Dead show where he would be live glassblowing on a table outside. That night at the campsite watching Bob blow glass changed the direction of Stan’s life forever and Bob put Stan on waitlist to have a pipe made specially for him. Bob’s waitlist was long and it took almost a year for Stan’s first Snodgrass pipe to be made.

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STAN ALBA

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In 1995 after Jerry Garcia’s passing Stan found himself settled in Eugene, Oregon to learn how to blow glass with his friend that showed him that first Snodgrass chillum that caught his attention. After Stan picked up his first long awaited Snodgrass piece he set his focus on becoming a skilled glassblower with his friends in their shop. One day he was standing outside of his shared glassblowing studio space in Goshen, Oregon when he smelled the most amazing smell of marijuana wafting in the air. He followed the scent of the strain he later found out was called Trinity to find Bob Snodgrass and a handful of his apprentices in an open office after their safety break. It was a synchronistic moment that Stan just happened to be blowing glass in the same building that Bob Snodgrass was also working in. From that point forward Bob would frequently come to visit Stan’s shop space during his smoke breaks and eventually invited Stan to join his team of apprentices in September of 1995 the month before he turned 18. Stan was the youngest apprentice in Bob’s shop at that time and benefited greatly from watching all of the apprentices work until he was given the task of making a color called silver white with glass and silver filings. From there Stan continued to grow as an artist alongside Bob and the dream team of apprentices: Cameron Tower, Brian Padilla, Bob Badtram, Yvonne Padilla, Travis Wigger, and Bob Snodgrass III (Bob’s son).

STAN ALBA

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The Snodgrass team of glassblowers is most famously known for their precise skills in the art of “fuming” glass. Chunks of gold and silver coins are heated up on a glass rod to apply fumes of color onto the pieces of work. When the finished pipes are then smoked a handful of times the glass begins to change color with the silver fumed areas turning different shades of blue and white; while the gold sections reveal a range of bright orange, pink, or green colors.

While there were many different styles of glassblowing that informed Stan’s style he most heavily relies on fuming to create the intricate designs that you can find in his work. After 28 years of glassblowing functional pipes for the love of cannabis consumption and culture Stan is now a nationally renowned artist having distributed his works to galleries and private collections all over the country. Today Stan continues to collaborate with his mentor Bob Snodgrass and apprentices frequently from the mountains of Northern Humboldt County where he blows glass in his home studio.

Stan Alba Glass available for purchase: https://www.glassjunkee.com/stanalba

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Word Play: Mainstream Journalism’s Ignominious Attitude Towards The Emerald Triangle. written by Daniel Montero @gwsmokebreaktv " 'Crisis mode': Failing pot farms are killing this California town’s economy " - These were the January 2023 headlines I read six months ago in an article digitally published by the The San Francisco Chronicle.

The title didn't sit well with me in the same way that eating undercooked food would turn your stomach. So I impulsively began combing through the article.

I was disturbed and appalled that every effort was made by the author to push the impression that the nature of the socioeconomic disparity in the Emerald Triangle is in the form of a deep, self inflicted wound.

By the way, ignominious means to be deserving of or causing public disgrace, dishonor or shame.

Another quote from the article makes the author's point of view quite clear "For decades, this area was the cannabis-growing capital of the entire country, but now the pot farms are going out of business and bringing down the local economy with them."

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Well please allow me to share my side of the story. It's after 1am, I'm stoned as usual, yet my brain is ready to retort methodically to such an aggressive perspective on the beautiful community that I've learned to love and admire.

For starters, legalization was, from the onset, rapidly contorted from the public facing spirit of Prop 64.

Leaders like Gavin Newsom touted and preached about how making pot legal would provide a pathway for legitimate success. The famous boiling point was when California rescinded on the crux that fair play would be ensured by implementing a one acre farm cap. This meant that no license would be issued to a farm with over one acre of canopy space. Weasels like Steve De'Angelo, who at the time was the face and voice of Harborside, colluded damn hard to destroy small family owned cannabis farms in California. We must never forget these bold faced transgressions against our community. Legacy operators willingly trusted the legal system based on the swooning tenor and pitch for the call to legalize marijuana. Public leaders spouted propaganda to the point that a majority of the legacy community, including myself, were blind to the true intent behind 64.

So many hard working cannabis farmers, many family men and women, handed over, and still do, tens and hundreds of thousands of dollars, vulnerably and half heartedly, daring to trust the same government whose terrible historical precedent is to criminalize, aggressively pursue and imprison cannabis operators like it's business as usual. What we have here is a socioeconomic precedent featuring at it's core a corrupt, militaristic agenda to dismantle and ultimately eradicate all cannabis plants, seed and the industry itself. It's no wonder that so many journalists, undoubtedly conditioned by the War On Drugs, take ownership of such embarrassing articles that let us appreciate the undue bias and ignorance that pervades professional, newsworthy institutions today.

The difficult pill to swallow is that the world of politics lacks the moral backbone that most of us pride ourselves in developing over the course of our lifetimes. Historically, the attitude is that the ends justify the means when it comes to power and in this case capitalism. It's no problem to go to war and even ending the lives of burgeoning presidents is a piece of cake. So it's no fucking mystery that what's really happening in California when it comes to marijuana is a disgusting unabashed power grab not witnessed since the gold rush of 1849.

The reward is to not only dominate and monopolize ganja here in Cali, but to also legally steal some of the most beautiful, privately held properties on the West Coast. We're talking about homesteads that have been stewarded for decades, pristine sources of spring water, world famous redwood forests and a coastal climate kissed by the Pacific Ocean. The legacy of California politics is proving itself to be one of greed, shortsightedness and without the full hearted leadership that historians have exalted since the beginning of time.

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The opposite holds true for the legendary cannabis community of the Emerald Triangle. The yearning for freedom, the instinctual love for the true nature of the human spirit manifested into a real migration from urban centers like San Francisco to the backroads, hills, valleys and ultimately the redwood forests of Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity counties. For the record, there are vibrant and established cannabis communities across the state, Santa Cruz, Big Sur, Topanga Canyon come to mind. But none come close to what the pioneers of the Emerald Triangle were able to accomplish in their lifetimes. Their legacy will last in perpetuity.

What amazes me at this very moment is how alive and well that rebellious and loving spirit has been cherished and maintained. I had the fortune of attending the Mateel Community Center 46th Annual Summer Arts Fair this past weekend and I'm still buzzing, literally buzzing from what I witnessed, danced and experienced. Most of all, I'm moved by the opportunity to be introduced to so many pioneers and legends that are revered and loved by all who know them. Thank you Aiyana for these beautiful introductions.

You see, this tight knit community is rather adept at thriving through hard times versus being directly responsible for them. Furthermore, the only thing that fun loving hippies have ever tried to kill is the unnatural, inhumane impulse to destroy the environment. Oh yes, killing bad vibes is at the top of the list too. However, it's important to clarify the intention here. The phrase 'kill them with kindness' comes to mind.

Words do matter because they shape our perception of the world around as we continue to learn, experience and interact with it's ever evolving nature. I for one can assure you that my words are a result of living and breathing this business as a professional operator involved in selling and growing marijuana full time since I was 18 years old. I first smoked at 15 and started handling herb for sale at 16. The problem for the San Francisco Chronicle and other major publications is that more and more legacy operators are rising up to the challenge to not only share our stories and perspectives but to also take it upon ourselves to empower our community and to even author articles that state the truth when it comes to this mysterious world we've created for ourselves, the Goddess and the culture devoted to her. The cultural sovereignty held in this space is unprecedented in modern America and will continue to overgrow the status quo.

The search for personal freedom and love to discover our true nature are quests that we should all feel inspired to embark on. The reward is a chance to experience that priceless gift of living in a higher vibration.

Let it be known that the rebels, hippies, outlaws and ex-soldiers that continue to pioneer this industry possess some of the most uninhibited, free thinking minds in the universe.

Implied ignominy, unbridled greed and even artificial intelligence cannot and has never defeated the human spirit. The power of love is so legendary and true, that the next chapter of this industry is to celebrate through song, film and all forms of artistic expression the bond that exists between ourselves, the Goddess and the natural world that envelops us and guides us to a better tomorrow. This too shall last in perpetuity. Easy Fucking Day.

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Over Growing Capitalism poem written by Aiyana Floreterna Gregori Driven they come with pot leaves, dollar signs for eyes, technology. marketing poison darts!

They parked their helicopters and semi automatics and hired “CEOS” The law in their pockets Their chameleon guise does not fool me They work executively To make corporate greed appear community A goat dressed for “high society”, dishonor to my peeps!

Sunsets cradle our tears sobbing this loss Emerald family struggling like a crop after frost Capitalism modern gangrene with Dollar signs for eyes Metallic hearts repeating I, I, I. With a start my heart shrieks, I pick up the war pencil!

We Wield words, poetry, love, mutual education!

We fight invasion with creation!

A scanner of noble intentions, I prowl streets and gatherings A heart-bell resonates when I see, spirit eyes true as Robin hood’s dreams Emerald community, sunny smiles decades fill the town farmers market, radio meanwhile…

Comfort like grandma’s spice cake, with hot apple cider, old school style We Wield an inoculation of permaculture To spread infectious love, cool water to thirsty hearts We are stars shining above A love-potion of regenerative economy to slip into their drinks?

Disguised as an inspiration, mutual opportunity!

To gently transform to the warm embrace of community.

Beneficial fungi, fertile humus, laden with mycorrhizae This is unity Issue 27 | 234

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Prompt: Has the quality of life and/or livelihood of your family, friends, or community ever been threatened? Write about the changes, and what positive ways people can work together to bring about a better outcome in spite of the challenges? Feel free to include all senses and emotions, using challenges to expand human achievement towards peace and love. @humboldt_synchronicitrees

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Issue 27 | 234