Maryjane and Michael

 

Maryjane and Michael

 Michael Pollan’s - Botany of Desire

This is not a book review- I will post that later.  In this book Pollan writes about four plants – Apple, Tulip, Marijuana, and the Potato and how human desires and plant evolution are really intermingled and it’s really hard to tell what came first.  I started reading this book awhile ago – but put it down – for later reading.  I’m reading it now for a book group that meets at Scott Arboretum. This time I skipped the first chapter on the Apple and jumped right in with the Tulip chapter which was fascinating.  He covers some Tulip history that I read about before but the botany parts are fascinating.  I just finished the Marijuana chapter and this is what prompted this blog.  

Marijuana, cannabis, reefer, weed, and maryjane

I never bought it, sold it or grew it but as a child of the sixties (I knew about Woodstock- but didn’t get to go) I have imbibed and inhaled-but only on very few occasions.  Most of my friends in the 70’s and 80’s were not pot heads-just sometimes users when they could afford it.  Although, I never bought any I have been given some as gifts.  I really enjoyed Pollan’s story on his experimenting and trying to grow a hybrid.  He then gets paranoid crazy that a local policeman will discover the plants.  When I read this it reminded me of all my worries and fears when I was around smokers.     I know everyone has their funny, paranoid, stupid and of course a munchies story too, but unless you live in Amsterdam or the golden triangle in California can you really relax or even talk about it even now?  

In 2011 New Jersey passed their medical marijuana laws.  It seems a smart thing to do and the beginning of maybe some lessening of the criminality of usage.  Although when you are driving down the shore you will not see fields of weed next to corn and tomatoes.   It's still very restrictive in the growing and the who gets to use medicinal marijuana.

Yes I too would like to try to grow it- although it is an ugly plant.  My garden is too visible and frankly I don’t know my neighbors well enough and would worry about them.  But say- if I had a house in the country- in the middle of nowhere- I would definitely try it.   I think the plants would make a good green border fence.  I am not really a smoker – so my fantasy is I would save my stash to give as gifts.  I figure when I’m old or my friends get old and we’re in pain from arthritis or some other awful pain I would definitely share.  See I don’t even know if it keeps – does it get stale?  Anyway I can see myself visiting you in your assisted living facility (Cape May? Atlantic City? Ocean City?), and we get to share a doobie while the soundtrack of Woodstock or maybe some Rolling Stones or Grateful Dead is being piped in.  That’s my marijuana fantasy – what’s yours.