There were many good reasons for her to find out more about this plant. Next to the myth of healing cancer, this plant has several medical benefits. For example, Marijuana successfully stops epilepsy attacks, the reason why her cousin died at the age of sixteen. Once she arrived in the land of unlimited possibilities, the start of this project turned out to be more difficult than expected. Nobody seemed to know were to go and talking on the phone about this topic was impossible. People told her, that the cannabis-industry was in some kind of grey-zone at that time. After a while in San Francisco she figured out some names, some places and some phone numbers, bought a car and went up north to the mountains.
Hidden in the forest were some people willing to help her. With their help she could meet marijuana-farmers and a flood of young people (“trimmigrants”) who where trying to make money in this business. Next to that she meet people who defeated cancer with the help of this plant. They told her about a Medicine called “phoenix tear”, which is basically a pounred of weed compressed to a drop of oil.
Overwhelmed by the unknown medical powers of this plant, she continued her journey direction west, to the redwoods. Here she was told, the first extension of marijuana began. Once again she discovered a myth to be the truth. Interviews with people who still grow their weed in the redwoods followed. With the optical protection of these gigantic trees, helicopters can’t locate the plants.
Just few days ago, in the same date of the presidential elections, in California took place also a referendum to legalize Marjuana. Not just California, but also Massachusetts and Nevada legalized it, in what advocates said was a reflection of the country’s changing attitude toward the drug.
About the author
Tina Eichner was born in 1988. She lives and works in Berlin, as a photographer.
