5.25.2010

Panic In Northern California

Plummeting Marijuana Prices Create A Panic In Calif. - For decades, illegal marijuana cultivation has been an economic lifeblood for three counties in northern California known as the Emerald Triangle.

i have friends there, i've visited up in the hills of Humbolt Co. a couple times, interesting times there right now for sure. 'Legalize It' is a two edged sword, mostly the folks who get hurt are growing more than needed to 'get by and get high', those guys are looking for 'get rich quick'. the former an outlaw, the latter a criminal. The small time growers most often has an individual market among old friends, far flung or nearby, for their small output. The criminal types have to make big deals to make big dough, they are far more threatened by big competition.

Keeping things small is the answer for all free market things, pot included. Lots of people are small, mom and pop, outlaw type pot growers. Of the few who go for the big bucks, most fail, there's lottsa hard work, organization, capital and tight lips required to be successfull.

The only information the mainstream media talks about is the criminal type, their stories are about warehouses full, it makes better pictures, huge border busts, helocopter deliveries, guns, gangs, all great TV. In reality most weed gets grown in small timers' basements and greenhouses, most weed gets sold and traded locally in small amounts between normal folks. It's not just 3 counties in N.Calif., throughout the pacific northwest US weed is a player in small town economies. Everybody down there is watching to see the referendum outcome in early Nov.

Calif. often leads the way towards social change across N. America and we here in BC follow some years later. Hopefully some of this could slosh up over the 49th and return Canada's marijuana laws toward sanity again.