Lobby for change

Hey, what’s all this I hear about a “lobby day”? How does it work?

—Pop U. Lai

Lobby days are hella fun. What happens is: A bunch of citizens show up in Sacramento to talk to their elected representatives about a particular subject. This year, Americans for Safe Access and the National Organization to Reform Marijuana Laws are teaming up to sponsor a Lobby Day on Monday, June 5. The new cannabis regulations are being created as we speak, so this is a great time to talk to your reps about what good cannabis regulations would look like. You can find more info here: www.californiacitizenlobbyday.org.

Just because weed is legal doesn’t mean that legislators can’t still get it wrong. I was just in Washington, and the regulations up there are rough. People aren’t even allowed to smell the weed before purchase. This may seems like a small thing, but getting to smell the weed before you buy it has been a tradition and a necessity since forever. (Yes, I said necessity. How can you know if the weed is any good if you don’t smell it?) So, get up, get into it, get involved, and get your ass to Lobby Day!

I have two questions: How many plants can we grow in our house for personal use? Any quick tips on getting started with an indoor homegrow?

—Pete Moss

The default limit is six plants indoors. No matter how your city or county feels about cannabis, you are legally entitled to grow up to six plants in a space that is “fully enclosed and secure.” Check your local ordinances. Some cities and counties allow for more plants, but six is a good number, especially for inexperienced growers.

Are you trying to have a big monster grow room that makes enough for you and all of your friends, or are you trying to have a hobby garden full of headstash? If it’s the latter, I like Ed Rosenthal’s book, Marijuana Buds For Less, because it’s cheap and easy. If it’s the former, realize that indoor grow rooms can be hella pricey, what with all the lights and ballasts and trays and nutrients and dirt and yada, yada, so go talk to your friendly neighborhood hydroponic store to get an idea of what you will need to get started.

I am not really a fan of these “You can only grow cannabis indoors” rules. Plants should grow outside. Full stop. Some people don’t have the thousands of dollars it takes to install a green room, but they may have a nice sunny patch of dirt that would be perfect for a plant or six. Hopefully, as cannabis becomes less of a big deal to law enforcement, we will be able to relax these rules and folks can let their weed out of the closet and into the garden next to the tomatoes, like God intended. Overgrow the government.