dirtier fingernails & cleaner minds

“I’m here to tell you, as a doctor, that despite all the talk about the medical benefits of marijuana, smoking the stuff is not going to do your health any good.” (via sexartandpolitics: absurdlakefront: notthatkindagay)

Freda: I’m underwhelmed by the “marijuana is medicine” argument for legalization. It’s not that I doubt pot’s ability to spur an appetite or help with pain, but there are better reasons for decriminalization. As a Mendocino County native, I can’t help but feel this is one of them:

Northern California’s Mendocino County has been known for marijuana growing for at least 30 years. Part of the state’s legendary Emerald Triangle of high-grade pot production along with neighboring Humboldt and Trinity counties, Mendocino has long profited from the underground economy. Last week, a local newspaper, the Willits News, tried to gauge just how large the profits may be, and the result is startling.

According to the News, the local marijuana industry will add $1.5 billion to the county’s economy this year. With Mendocino’s legal economy estimated at about $2.3 billion, that means the pot economy is almost two-thirds as large as all other legal economic activities combined. When combining the aboveground and underground economies, the marijuana industry is responsible for roughly 40% of all Mendocino County economic activity, a figure approaching the proportions of the Afghan opium economy. (via)

Freda: I’m far from home for Christmas and trying to get in the spirit of the holiday while surround by palm trees and strangers. While going through photographs of family Christmases past, I found this: My uncle, circa 2005, at my childhood home in Fort Bragg, California. In our family, Christmas often means Dungeoness crab and, if I’m lucky, tequila. Demonstrating both, Uncle Mike wears his David apron and Santa hat and poses with dinner.

My hometown, and its woes, in Smithsonian.