New Fields - New Approaches

This installment of Life on the Farm here at Best Cali Hemp, finds us burning the candle at both ends as we prepare for the East Coast contingent to arrive. It will be all hands on deck next week with planting. Ahead of that, we’ve been topping the plants and continuing to clone those whose stems are strong and likely to produce a healthy, successful outcome. We’ve taken a very organized and methodical approach to field prep this year, some of which has been discussed in prior installments. We’ve been moving water lines to the new field matching up each end with numbered flags in either sides of the field. While this was initially done so we could have an accurate plant count. The additional benefit is that doing so ensures proper spacing and over the course of the growing season, since all lines are numbered, will make tracking needed line repairs and plant issues to be easily addressed, as it gives a point of reference.

The state is also requiring more in depth reporting about grow areas and varietals, so a highly organized field is more a necessity than a luxury. That said, perfectly straight and orderly rows makes those of us on the team with shades of OCD, very happy! Lassen County Board of Supervisors conducted an emergency meeting Tuesday to discuss implementation of legal marijuana cultivation , as they grapple with the reality that one of the correctional facilities in being closed next year, and the tax revenue shortfalls this will bring. Katrina and I attended, and were reminded of how much resistance and misinformation is out there regarding marijuana.

Ironically, the following day, federal legislation that would legalize, open banking and provide for veteran’s use of marijuana was introduced, adding a level of pressure that had only been anticipated the day before. Katrina and I have watched this issue for decades. Both of our fathers were in law enforcement and had a hand in the War on Drugs in the 1980’s. While Katrina’s dad worked in the context of being chief of police, mine worked for the government and spent the better part of his career eradicating illegal grows, which in the end, was a losing proposition.

Illegal grows will never go away, regardless of legalization. What is often left out of the discussion is that keeping marijuana illegal, has meant untold dollars in asset seizure which provided operational funds to law enforcement. This has not in 40 years, been a successful approach.

So much of what is needed is education based in actual, factual information and clear communication. Plus, the wheel has already been invented. Existing hemp rules could be revamped for marijuana with a few additional caveats added.

It will be interesting to see how this discussion unfolds. Getting hemp into place here took years. In light of what’s occurring now, this is a luxury the county doesn’t have.

’Til next week, happy growing!