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Weed Country
Every river runs to the sea in one fashion or the other and this journey was no different. It all started about 2 1/2 years ago when a writer (Alana Samuels) for the L.A. times contacted the Trinity County Sheriffs office to inquire about interviewing people for a piece about the “green rush."
When asked for a producer of medical cannabis who was safe to talk to, and could give them a good perspective, then Sheriff Lorrac Craig, suggested Grace Farms.
This led to an interview and subsequent L.A. Times Sunday Edition front page article in which we were mentioned pretty prominently. So prominently in fact that a few weeks later when Tawni and I went to an NHRA drag race in Pomona, a funny thing happened.
Tawni and I were parked in a lot that had about 10,000 cars in it, if it had one. We had gone to the truck to break out our ganja and light some of it up. While sitting on the back of the tailgate we toked up a bud and and then blew it out of the pipe into the drive gap between the rows of cars, when it had given up the ghost.
So here’s this chunk of smoldering weed sitting in the parking lot, a trail of smoke wafting down the line. Some people about 3 cars down yelled up that they liked our incense and we invited them down. As we were smoking with them, they asked us if we had seen the L.A. Times article and we said Yeah, as a matter of fact...
To this day, I bet those people do not believe that we were the Grace Farms folks but oh well.
Back to the article. It was also seen by an Emmy winning TV producer (Steve Mellon) who gave me a call and after meeting in Los Angeles, we decided to try and bring attention to the cause of Medical Marijuana.
So we started working the project and had limited success. The average shelf life of a reality TV show idea is around a year to a year and a half. We felt like this project had legs and pushed on, adding characters and storyline from other spokes of the wheel. With the addition of a four time Emmy winning reality TV producer (Bill Pruitt), we pushed it over the top.
Studio Lambert was chosen as the production company and we began the journey of making TV.
At one time this summer I think we may have had as many as 12 Emmys here on the property at one time and it was a learning experience for sure.
It was difficult, but at the same time it is hopefully going to be rewarding in terms of expanding public awareness. The same thing we are trying to do with Cannabis Nation Radio. We had lunch every day together and over time, the TV people become part of your family in a sense. I certainly still consider most of them I met family, let’s put it that way.
But you see, that doesn’t always mean you will get along! And in the end, it was an informative, eye opening experience.
On one trip down to L.A. I swung into the studio where they are putting the show together and was surprised so many people there actually considered me to be “someone!" Hahahaha! I was appreciative of the fact that they are fans of what we do, and get some enjoyment out of my “Boutinisms” as they are now called. Those little nuggets of Country logic and reasoning garnered over time in the struggle.
It’s kind of weird to have people quoting you back to you!
One thing that made this summers work more difficult was the fact that their was another film crew here in the “Emerald Triangle," aka "Weed Country." They were shooting for eventual release on Discovery as well, but with a whole different viewpoint and purpose in mind. One not so friendly to the growers or users and they were very quickly becoming unwelcome as far as anyone could tell and when our people got mixed up for their people it was easy to see they had stirred up some folks.
Why come to the Emerald Triangle? Why not? There is more cannabis grown here than the entire state of Tennessee, which claims in some documentaries to be the green standard!
Hahahaha, I don’t think that kind of bravado holds up to a google sat map look see. The Emerald Triangle of Northern California is the center of the cultivation universe for outdoor growing. One of the things I am happy about is that the show will introduce you to some of the people we work for.
A retired cop is not the first person that would come to your mind when choosing members for your collective, but indeed we do have one here at Grace Farms and that in and of itself is worth the price of admission to watch the show. We turn everything on it’s head here @ Grace Farms so why not help a cop?
Some would have an answer why not I am sure.
I expect that this appearance will be much like running for office in America. Roughly 49% will dismiss us outright as drug users and low lifes. Another 49% will appreciate our message and our passion. The remaining 2% or that margin in the middle is the target audience for me.
If at the end of this, the show moves public opinion a little closer to having rational drug control policy in this Country, I will consider it a HUGE success from my end, even if I find myself being punished for my involvement either from within or from outside the marijuana scene.
I will continue as long as I am able, to broadcast from the WatchTower that is Cannabis Nation Radio with my partner Julie Rose in an effort to bring education about the most valuable plant on earth and the biggest civil rights issue of our day.
If you see me out and about and want to comment, I’m ok with that. Whether it is positive or negative, understand I have a common sentiment for both: “Thanks for watching!”
Mike Boutin - Cannabis Nation Radio, Grace Farms, Weed Country.