No-No Berries at The Nearby Nowhere Private Dragon School
Written by Randy Gunter
Introduction by Lindsey Gunter
The piece you are about to read originates from a small group of rebellious teenagers in 1972 while attending the American school in Sao Paulo, Brazil called “Graded” or “Escola Graduada.” These kids had a small, independent publication small enough to be slid into the lockers of their peers called “Ergo,” in which they voiced frustrations with the school administration in all manners fantastical and allegorical.
The creator of this paper was a young William “Randy” Gunter, my father. This particular issue is labeled “Another Fable (From the Chronicles of Nowhere)” the second passage in the first volume, and the topic? “No-no berries in the berry lounge,” or in other words; “no marijuana in the smoking section."
This is why I wanted to share this piece of my family's history with cannabis with the Fat Nugs community as well as the cannabis community at large. To remind us that this de-stigmatization mission is not new, that it is generational, widespread with roots everywhere older than most civilizations.
To remind us that this cause has already been long fought, to rally us forward in wasting no more time uplifting the voices who have been part of the fabric of usage, the agents of the evolution of this glorious plant and the unique culture it inspires, past and present. Please Enjoy.”
Black Hempstory Month: Origins of Western Prohibition
Written by Dan Isenstein
There seems to be no end to shameless conspiracy theories about the origins of cannabis prohibition. Among the most disseminated are that William Randolph Hearst wanted to ban hemp to protect his vast timber holdings and that the DuPont corporation wanted to eliminate competition to their newly patented thermoplastic - nylon. The evidence supporting both sounds better when you’re high.
No, racism is inarguably at the root of reefer madness and ultimately cannabis prohibition. And, if racism was not the motivation for the making of cannabis illegal initially, then the execution of the law, which saw blacks and people of color arrested and incarcerated at more than double that of whites and sentenced to much longer jail terms, certainly provided the law with plenty of racist cred.
This Black History Month open your eyes, and your mind, to the reality that the easiest explanation is often the truth. Was cannabis prohibited because DuPont and Hearst conspired to protect their own self-interest or did the United States, which has been racist AF since its inception, pass a law to preserve the dominant social order?
My Journey into Cannabis - Part III : More Fun Than The Law Allows
Written By Jason Bird
Most of New England was a fairly conservative place back then. Seeing that my love for weed and the desire to have access to the best of it was growing inside me, I knew that I would eventually have to leave the East Coast in search of places that were more relaxed in their attitude toward The Herb. I was seeking knowledge and understanding of the cannabis plant itself, and hoping to find people who shared that interest and could help me find the knowledge that I was seeking.
The West Coast was a totally different weed scene compared to the East Coast. Night and day. The relaxed setting made it a different type of experience. Like there was nothing to get in the way of it.
I had decided that I would be moving to the West Coast to pursue my desire for knowledge about cannabis and how to grow “The Kind Bud.” I had been planning to leave in the summer of 1995, anticipating that I would just follow the Grateful Dead tour out to the West Coast and find a place to live once I got out there.
It didn’t quite go as planned…
My Journey Into Cannabis - Part 2 : Road Trippin’
Written By Jason Bird
It’s a glorious thing when the lights go down and everyone lights up. There’s nothing like the smell and taste of fresh lit fully cured herb. It was around this time that 4:20 became more widely popularized and was adopted as the unofficial stoner holiday.
There were so many good vibes surrounding that Cali adventure in the Bay Area, sitting in Golden Gate Park. On a friend's farm in Santa Cruz. Secret spots in Big Sur and Ben Lohman. All throughout the hills of Humboldt, Mendocino, and Trinity Counties… The Kind Bud revolution was underway.
It still seems surreal to me now, years later, but you have those moments in your life where you transcend everything you know, or thought you knew, about something, and I was certainly having mine with The Kind at that time.
My Journey Into Cannabis - Part I: Jason Meets The Herb
Written By Jason Bird
Do you remember the first time you smoked weed? Where you were, the people you were with, the place and time you were (are) at in your life? For me, it was the summer of 1988. After the first few times, I remember feeling like I had found something that I didn't know I was looking for.
In the early 1990s, I noticed the progression of cannabis' evolutionary growth and cultural popularity. Every year I would meet more and more people who were regular consumers of "The Kind." All the sights and smells of an industry on the rise were sprouting up worldwide.
Through friends and connections I had made, I started meeting people from all over who were growing their own herb. I met growers and connoisseurs worldwide, and I would eventually leave the place where I grew up in search of my higher purpose.
An Interview and Weeding Announcement with Penny Lane
Written By Mike Robinson
November is Epilepsy Awareness Month, and thus a great time to talk about how our beautiful fat nugs get used by patients and people in the cannabis industry that use the plant to stop seizures. The world went nuts with the Weed Series on CNN that featured kids battling through the grips of this complex neurological issue that's known for taking 50,000 lives a year. Many don't consider the adults in the World of Purple as they paint their faces and hair that color this month to celebrate their continued life, their will, and their ability to overcome.
Penny Lane is one of those adults. Let's talk with Penny Lane about her Mary Jane and how it changed her life.
Cannabis Advocates and Professionals react to President Biden’s Statements Regarding Federal Marijuana Reform
Written By Bri Smith
The dust is settling from the news of last week’s announcement from President Biden regarding federal marijuana reform. For many Americans - especially cannabis advocates - it was a historic moment. However, his announcement fell short of what so many felt could have been truly beneficial for so many Americans still serving unfair sentences for nonviolent cannabis charges.
As could be expected, cannabis industry professionals and advocates had a lot to say about the statements. Some celebrated the effort, while others met it with harsh criticism for not being impactful enough. We’ve collected the statements and reactions, ranging from joy to frustration, of 30 cannabis industry professionals.