Right Now in Mendo

Right now we are really enjoying this joint. A little bit of Chem Dawg, the smallest plant from the 2014 harvest. She’s sweet and mellow, now turned a richer green. The chlorophyll is all gone. Where does it go? Maybe it becomes part of the CBN, so curing is the key.

“The key to what?” Nikki asks.

It’s the key to having a smoke a full year after harvest, aged like a good wine. With the Emerald Cup coming up soon, we have to stay in shape smoking frequently. Plus, it gives us a benchmark to judge the harshness of the fresh green we are about to be inundated with.

We’re told 40 flower entries have come in so far and they are now off to SC Labs for testing.  Our group of Judges will have our first meeting in about a week and start the process. Our throats and lungs thank the Emerald Cup for having every entry now tested for pathogens before we smoke them – this is so important. God only knows what we have inhaled in the past years, yet we have survived! It’s looking like the same as every year – most entries will rush in just before the deadline.

There are 12 judges this year, and several have “assistants” because it is really really a lot of work. For example, Nikki write the notes for each entrant while Swami rolls the joints. We both study the looks, taste, smell and effects and come to a consensus. OK, people joke about how it’s such a tough job, someone’s gotta do it – but honestly, it involves tremendous dedication for at least three solid weeks of judging, focusing totally on samples at hand. We basically stay at home as much as possible, since set and setting are so important. We try to do all our sampling right here, sitting on our favorite couch. Kind of puts a kink in our social life, but it is all worth it for The Cup.

Meanwhile, harvest is wrapping up and life returning to normal on the ranch. Well, the new “normal” which means lots of political meetings and visits by permit inspectors. Clearly we are no longer outlaws.

“Darn it!” says Swami, as he grinds some more ganja and clicks the metal pieces together to get out all the herb. The unique clicking sound it makes is what we call up here “The Mendocino Mating Call.”

But then we remember how important is the legalization of cannabis, simply because people should not be going to jail, ever, because of marijuana. No matter how many expensive licenses need to be acquired and even if it means that big business comes in en masse. Not to mention that patients should always have access to their cannabis based medicines and research should increase everyday.

The changes are coming, transformation happens. If it didn’t, life would be pretty boring. It’s all about trusting in the dharma and the destiny. We try to remember to go with the flow – to simply sit back and watch the show.

Let’s close with a bit of Swami philosophy:

   “Always smoke the last joint.”