I try and stay away from politics in this column. Gardening is not supposed to be controversial or divisive (once you stop using poisonous chemicals, that is). Still, it's been my habit to vent a bit in the last column of the year. I suspect this year's comments might be a bit more controversial than others. I hope not.
The fact of the matter is that as the garden columnist for a paper in a state that has just voted to legalize the recreational use of pot -- and the possession of up to six cannabis plants -- I find myself in an unusual position. Should I write about this soon-to-be-legal plant or do I continue to treat it as if it were illegal?
Normally, I would check my trusty Garden Writers Manual for advice, but given that Alaska is only the fourth state to re-legalize use of pot, there isn't anything on the matter. I am on my own, perhaps even setting the policy for other garden writers in other states that will eventually legalize pot.
I know that writing about this plant has the potential to upset a portion of my readership. Cannabis sativa is a plant that has been maligned for reasons political as well as economic, with screaming racial overtones (which is why I call it by its proper Latin name, cannabis, and not "marijuana"). Most don't realize that some mere 70 years ago, I would have written about Cannabis sativa for both medicinal uses and fiber production and no one would have blinked an eye.
This was before the likes of Randolph Hearst, who wanted paper to come from his pulp, not hemp, and Harry J. Anslinger, fresh new head of a federal agency that he needed to grow into a bureaucracy -- and so repeatedly claimed cannabis made people commit violent crimes and otherwise act like antisocial maniacs. What ensued really was "reefer madness" (fueled in the recent election, in my opinion). It is time to stop this nonsense.
Some readers will be appalled that a newspaper of general circulation, read in school classrooms even, would consider allowing words of advice on growing cannabis in one's backyard or living room. Yet each and every one of us knows folks who have partaken (I admit to it) and yet somehow they still lead normal lives, can put coherent sentences together, do complicated math, raise families and hold good jobs and don't rob banks, houses or people, or even act like Charlo Greene.
Sure, there are some plants I don't write about. Datura, for one. This is because it is so deadly poisonous. Cannabis is most assuredly not deadly. And there are others, like Himalayan balsam (Impatiens glandulifera), aka poor man's orchid, which I do write about, but only to tell people not to grow them because they harm the environment.
There are already quite a few plants that I write about which raise the ire of certain readers. Some readers, by way of example, object vigorously when I write about lawns. It is a different kind of grass, but there are those who are militantly adamant we shouldn't be growing it and I most definitely shouldn't be encouraging the planting of it.
And don't get me started on the trouble I get into every time I write about dandelions. Write about a controversial plant!
Cannabis sativa (along with Cannabis indica) happens to be a very quick, relatively easy plant to grow and a very delicate and lovely annual. It is open-pollinated and easy to hybridize. It makes a terrific, quick hedge. And, yes, some varieties have psychoactive properties and yes, some folks grow it just for that reason. So what? The fact that you can make vodka from potatoes has never stopped anyone from giving advice on how to grow them every year.
Because of the Alaska Supreme Court's 1975 Ravin decision, the police can't come into the privacy of your home to bust you for growing cannabis for personal use. Yet how many have grown it using dangerous chemicals, have been oblivious to the accumulation of dangerously high levels of nitrates in their crops and have remained ignorant of the dangers of fungi? Too many and that is a shame. I think it is time to end this silliness. Cannabis is, after all, just a plant (and one that is already pretty heavily cultivated in Alaska).
So the question of the day is: What is this columnist going to do now that Alaska has decided that cannabis can be grown recreationally? The law is very clear: Only those over 21 can be in possession of cannabis. The law is also very clear on sales of tobacco, alcohol and firearms, as well as a whole host of other things that are off limits to minors, but are included in this paper's coverage. We can police the growing of cannabis just like we do the others. And we can write and talk about growing cannabis just like we do the others as well.
Jeff's Garden Calendar
Christmas Tree recycling, Dec. 28 - Jan. 15: Trees can be dropped off in designated areas at all Anchorage Carrs stores, Eagle River Carrs and Palmer Carrs. Trees should be free of all decorations. Wreaths aren't accepted, and please don't leave plastic bags or tree stands. Trees are turned into wood chips and distributed to local nonprofits and parks to beautify gardens and trails.
Anchorage Boy Scout Troop 268 will pick up your tree in Anchorage and Eagle River for a small optional fee. Call 868-8899 or email recyclechristmastrees@gci.net.
New this year: Free holiday light recycling at Anchorage Recycling Center or Total Reclaim. All string lights, including bulbs, accepted.
Jeff Lowenfels is co-author of "Teaming With Microbes" and author of "Teaming With Nutrients." Contact him on his website at teamingwithmicrobes.com.