Hi @Baudelaire,
Some great historical info there, I think where I have been missunderstood is due to different people speaking / commenting /posting of things in context to different times, as in the past and the present. Heres to the future
I am certainly not trying to suggest Ed has not done a lot for the cause, the industry etc. Unfortuneatley for me I have never had the chance of meeting him personally which is a shame, only reading some of his books and articles in magazines etc along with books written by Jorge Cervantes and Jack Herer and more with out writing my reading lists.
Some of the european breeders without going into names etc I have had the opportunity of meeting and they have a different stance on the matter, but I beleive with out taking into context the matter of time, they all have a different perspective. I feel thats a shame as they all have a common goal they share.
My self personally am not into taking sides, arguing who did what and when, or created what and crossed what to end up at where we are today, there are topics within topics etc. Some times I get drawn in with out realising, I appologise for that.
I think where people have confused my comments is because I was speaking of the present day, and took a comment literally and by that myself probably missunderstood a quote or question I have replied to, by stating what I beleive his job is/was that of an author/photographer. As I meant in my mind a grower is some one making his living from growing bla bla bla etc weather it be corn, rice, potaotes or cannabis.
In no way was I trying to detract anything from what Ed has done. But as many users as there are on the many forums world wide, I think its only a small percentage that I would class as growers in a litteral commercial sense, even though that is what we all have in common and I may stand to be corrected happily. But I think the majority of us GROWERS / HOBBYISTS / gardeners / self sufficient farmers dont earn our living and pay our bills from growing or producing marijuana / cannabis.
As you say he had a licence but still was arrested and prosocuted.
It is such a grey area and also very confusing to people including myself, both states side inc Canada and on the European continent. As I understand it (I might be wrong, and love to learn) it is legal under certain state law, but still illegal under federal law in the USA, which us europeans have a hard time getting our heads around, or at least I do any way.
One of my neighbours next door but 1 emmigrated to Canada, Saskatchewan to be precise, he tried expalining the hassle he has with it the laws change from state to state, as he had to drive trucks only going to the USA from Canada and not permitted to work deliver domestically with in the canadian borders for the first 2 years then they got residency. (cabbatage) we called it In europe before they changed the laws permitting a foreign truck to collect and deliver a domestic load with in a foreign country EU european politics.
In europe most certainly the UK for example most people think it is legal to both grow, possess, and smoke in Holland, which at the current time of writing it isn’t, it is decriminalised, and very illegal to grow if using lights. Depending which county/state/area you are in also depends on the stance the Law enforcement will take with you if you have plants outdoors for personal use in your garden in Holland to date.
Recently in Holland they have been closing not just coffee shops, but also grow shops any where near the borders in an attempt to stop cannabis tourism, I have had 2 freinds loose thier business’s and lively hood due to that change of stance from the Dutch authorities, 1 coffee shop owner and 1 grow shop owner, they had to make several people redundant also . Years ago you could legally breed seeds in Holland but not at the moment, there is talk of the goverment looking into changing that and the laws on growing, but I dont always beleive what I see during election campaigns.
Switzerland was another country that had very differeing opinions depending on which part area/county/state you are in at the time. So confusing in fact that if there was an election for the mayor whilst you were in mid flight of outdoor grows in Switzerland (which obviously take longer) you could start off been on the right side of the law, then find out a new mayor has been elected and WHAM your now on the wrong side of the law and sat in a prison cell.
I have had my fair share of run ins with the law becuase of growing/producing in a few different european countries and to say its a headache is an under statement.
Keeping an eye on Spain at the moment becuase they are seemingly more tolerant.
May be there should be more books wrote, films or factual documentaries made about this, because I beleive it is only through education and scientific research (always under license) that we can make progressive head way. There is a lot more to cannabis plant than meets the eye, and in most eyes of non users they just consider it a drug, and users of said drugs addicts or junkies.
I have given up responding to non users trying to explain if they have a glass of wine or other alcoholic beverage at the weekend are they alcoholics, addicts etc This could also be compared with anti depressants, and anti inflamatory drugs etc
Its a shame the title for the movie “Fifty shades of grey” has all ready been taken lol
So to that end, I raise a glass of red wine and light up a joint and say Cheers / Proost and Thanks to Ed for all the hard work you have done, wether it be growing, breeding, writing or taking photos, and many many thanks and respect for getting your writings published.
I hope one day that the law makers world wide change their stance and I can possibly get my convictions over turned or quashed, as they have recently done in the UK for people who were convicted for been homosexual in long past convictions, then I may be able to visit places like the USA and Canada, but until then I am classed as a criminal with drug convictions
Peace and good will to you Baudelaire, and thank you for your post, it was enlightening and an informative enjoyable read.