Around the United States and around the world, to most people the phrase “Humboldt County” can signify any number of things. For instance, some people might immediately think of marijuana. Others? Weed, pot, grass, dope, herb, chronic, reefer …
Like it or not, Humboldt County culture is deeply rooted in the production and consumption of cannabis, America’s forbidden fruit. More than anything else, it’s what sets our world apart from the American mainstream. Humboldt people are rebellious by nature, and we’ve not only thumbed our noses at Prohibition, we’ve had a good time doing so.
The industry is coming out of the closet these days, thanks to the passage of Prop. 215 in 1996. In 2009, marijuana isn’t just the symbol of Humboldt County in popular culture, it’s one of our few economic mainstays. From its start in the early ’70s, the industry here has grown from a few mom ’n’ pop hippie operations to a business that brings in as much as $500 million, according to some professors of economy at Humboldt State.
For the last year and a half, I have attempted to document the myriad ways in which Humboldt County society, culture and economy is defined by this ancient plant, a mild intoxicant. This series is a work in progress. There are many aspects of Humboldt County marijuana culture that I have yet to explore, including some of the darker aspects. To some — ripoff artists and the like — marijuana means crime, a chance to steal the work of others. People are robbed, sometimes murdered, over this plant. And yes, sometimes houses do burn down.
To celebrate the New Year, though, I offer this brief look at the upsides of Humboldt County’s infatuation with ganja. Marijuana means so many different things to so many of our neighbors. People use it as medicine. They find inspiration in its effects. They earn their living from it. These are the aspects of the culture that don’t get much press, but they are central to so many of the good, creative, dedicated, selfless people that call this place home.
For more information, or to participate in the project, visit 420photos.com.
This article appears in New Year’s Eve.
Dude, this article sucked@ why was it on the front cover. it didnt have any substance? Just rehashing the usual crap that everyone in this community knows! Wow, 215 passed in 96 no way! For an article trying to make weed look good it had little substance! Cmon now lets actualy say something about why its good! this was nothing short of some hightimes crap article that is nothing more than pictures of marijuana with shitty captions.
Self serving pap by a ho hum photographer.
Try getting some personal experience before attempting to exploit the herb culture.
Live here for a few decades and you would never try to get noticed in such a tacky way. I find it hard to believe the NCJ would stoop to this crappy level. This only serves two people. The guy in circulation and a wanna-get noticed camera owner.
Smokin pot in the hizzo
got a clog in my bowl yo
Humbuldt ye ye ye yeah
on cove of da paypa– but dis wrag is free–
go reed the freepa!
yo.
can you say porn???
Like i want to see (or for my kids to see) some guy’s nipple in a full naked embrace with a faceless woman w/buds all around.
Really, if it is so in your face, where are their faces? Fluff and meaningless drivel. Certainly not suitable for a family read. Trying to be HighTimes??
Give it up. blech. this rag has reached a new low.
I love it! Let the balkers move back to Utah.
raised in Eureka and Arcata.
"Deeply rooted" in the county’s culture? Way to scratch the surface of this incredible area.
Know much about Humboldt and Del Norte’s cultural history beyond the last 40 years (the area has existed, and will exist, for a bit longer than that) – native and non, or labor history, or anything else?
Lit and posed like photos from a 70’s lifestyle mag from San Fernando valley. You’ll reach your demographic.
Lazy, and sad.
God this article is pathetic. You guys have a full month to write a story — what do you fill all your time with. Aside from the fact it appears a high school student wrote the brief article, your independent weekly devoted another full issue to the most mundane, un-newsworthy drivel ever!
It’s truly wonderful that the college students in Arcata love tastefully fucking each other in the middle of grow rooms, but is it really necessary to devote so many pages to it? Don’t you have actual writers on staff who get paid real money? Come on guys, start thinking about your content, this is just lame.
Girl you are amazing and I think this is absolutly beautifull.Every one always has such negative things to say about marijuana and the cultivation of it that no one ever seems to want to find the positive.That it has been paying everyones bills for years and it is the only reason most people live here and stay here.You have put out one of the most positive things I have ever seen and the plant thanks you wether the people do or not.thanks for doin what we all wish we could.
Emerald Empress – People aren’t really critiquing the writer. The story made some sweeping statements, and wasn’t thorough by any means, but it was a brief piece to accompany the photo essay, and that issue could easily be overlooked.
The real problem is with the North Coast Journal’s editorial staff’s decision to continually choose coverage of the area pot scene, in a variety of marginally different ways.
NCJ staff, your readers get it — marijuana fills a variety of socio-economic niches in our community. It is medicine, a spiritual intoxicant and agribusiness. That’s not profound to your readers in Humboldt County — it’s the reason they moved here. If people want to pick up a local publication and read about pot, let them turn to the myriad other free publications that exist purely to cover the pot scene.
There are some reasonable reasons to provide coverage of Humboldt’s marijuana culture. But this article doesn’t provide any new information. It seems to say "hey look, here’s what the pot culture looks like here."
There are serious news stories in endless supply in this county. You have very good writers who have a lot of time to follow those issue. So why do we keep seeing Mary Jane paraded across the cover of the NCJ like it’s the poor man’s High Times?
Keep doing what YOU are doing,
and never mind the naysayers,
they’re everywhere. HAD to move
from the Hum to care for an elderly
parent in SoCalif. Major Suckage,
and a friend let me know about
this issue. I’m sharing, and
SoCal thinks it’s the shiz,
and so are you. Wishin’ I wuz
home in the HUM…
JD
I think this is the best cover photo I’ve seen. Frankly I’m surprised that there are any negative comments, if you are a professional hater I guess you’ll find something to hate, but there’s no reason to knock something that God put on this earth for a good reason. The only negative aspect of marijuana in my opinion is that it is illegal and when it’s illegal that creates a black market. I hope Obama will decriminalize marijuana and just end this stupid crap of putting people in jail for a God-given plant.
this is just another way that this lousy "photographer" has found to force-feed her garbage to HumCo. KT, why don’t you take your sleazy act to some other town? The article was of course poorly written and the photos look like a high-schooler playing with her new lighting set.
I would say that the NCJ could do better, but we all know that they can’t…
LOL OJ That is exactly what I thought! The people I know who use weed medicinally don’t look at all like the subjects in the "pretty pictures" They are not well portrayed by this fashion photographer wannabe.
What is this? Pot cultural issues aside, these are lousy photographs with an equally lousy artist’s statement. I always thought the NCJ was a news mag, not a cut-rate art mag. I guess that’s what happens when half the staff is on winter break.
Check out the reaction from the local media, not everyone is happy with NCJ
http://oldgloryradio.podbean.com/2009/01/07/triad-of-death/
I thought the pictures were great and presented in an artistic way. For a community who is known worldwide for thinking outside the box, some of your comments sound pretty ultra-conservative. I suppose there is a "reefer madness" sector of our Humboldt community, with old glory radio being the epitome of it.
California and other states are engaging in brave acts of civil disobedience against the federal government, and Humboldt Co. is famous for it, worldwide. Like it or not, that’s where you live, folks, and getting all uptight about pictures that show the reality of many, many people here is not going to change it.
I think the pics were great, and I didn’t freak out when there wasn’t a big huge article to go along with it. Yeah, I would have liked to read a bit more about what the project is about, yet it didn’t raise any feelings of hostility when my conditioned expectations weren’t met.
As for worrying about what your kids see in the Journal, I’ve definitely read plenty of uncensored language in the NCJ, so if you want to shelter your kids completely then you shouldn’t allow your children to look at the publication at all. You’re raising them in Humboldt Co., so they’re going to learn about all of it eventually.
To me, the pictures and project represents all the different kinds of folks in Humboldt who have made the herb a part of their lives, across all socio-economic dividing lines.
Two things I agree with:
I think the misguided young woman is preaching to the choir with the writing. As far as the photos, I would suggest that the photographer has the intentions of creating a look (elements are present like purposeful lighting and composition) but the execution is lacking. I would suggest continuing education. Calumet has a great catalog that highlights a professional photographer (with great and different styles) that is free. You just have to go to the website and sign up.
Although I do give the young lady kudos for putting her work in front of the public, I would caution that the work may need more depth and is half-baked, pun intended.
Thank you