Drive about 15 miles east of downtown Los Angeles and you’ll find El Monte: an unsuspecting seven-mile stretch of town that has played captain to San Gabriel Valley’s shifting cultural tides for decades. In the 1950s, El Monte was one of the only cities in the LA area to initially welcome Rock n’ Roll shows. This prompted Frank Zappa to write “Memories of El Monte” for The Penguins—an ode to those mythical nights at Legion Stadium. On a recent Saturday, we took that drive east to talk with Andre Quintero, the mayor who hopes cannabis will renew El Monte’s claim to fame as the “cultural beachhead” of the San Gabriel Valley.

A city’s history, a city’s struggle

Like many cities in the country, El Monte is defined by its economic fluctuations. In the early 20th century, the core of their economy was made up of fruit orchards, walnut groves, hay and vegetable fields. When farm profits plummeted during the Great Depression, the community transformed from an agricultural haven into a sleepy residential town with a robust industrial sector. Expansive buildings housed big brand distribution centers or manufacturing facilities in place of those famed walnut groves.

Those industries came and went. Now, it’s a city comprised of hard-working families and first-generation immigrants. For a long period, El Monte received most of its tax revenue from the famous dealership “Longo Toyota,” the largest Toyota dealer in the U.S.A. Then, 2008 hit. The city lost 12 million in expected revenue from the Toyota dealership that year because “when people lose money, they don’t buy cars.” This economic hit made it clear that the city needed to diversify its industry profile if El Monte were to thrive again.

Facility by Longo Toyota – CC BY

A mayor evolving

At least, this was obvious to the incoming mayor Andre Quintero. At the time of his first election in 2009, he never thought improving El Monte would mean including cannabis. Raised by Colombian parents, he quickly absorbed the stigmas and stereotypes surrounding the plant. A criminal prosecutor for over 11 years, Quintero saw cannabis users as criminals and sought to put them away. As mayor, he remained a staunch opponent to cannabis legalization. When we spoke to Quintero, he laughed recalling one conversation he had with the mayor of Coachella in early 2016: “I remember we were on completely opposite sides of the fence when it came to cannabis in our community. I couldn’t imagine being as open as he was.”

It wasn’t until the November 2016 elections that Andre Quintero reconsidered his position on cannabis. Proposition 64 had not only passed in California but was supported by 54.49% of El Monte’s residents. When Quintero looked at the numbers, his first thought was, “if my community supports legalization, I need to reevaluate my decision on it.”

“If my community supports legalization, I need to reevaluate my decision on it.”

To be an adequate representative to the people who elected him, Quintero decided to re-educate himself about cannabis quick.

Welcoming cannabis (with a few conditions)

Fast forward to this year: on January 1, 2019, El Monte officially began accepting applications for medical marijuana cultivation, manufacturing, and distribution facilities. Even with his dramatic shift in opinion in recent years, Quintero says he’s taken a conservative approach to introducing the cannabis industry into the city. He’ll be the first to admit, “there’s a big brother aspect to it all.” For instance, the El Monte Police Department will have 24/7 access to security cameras in and outside of every manufacturing facility.

A cash business, cannabis-related facilities will be allowed to have a maximum of 200 dollars on site to curb any possibility of crime. They also must provide a 24/7 contact number for nearby residents and business owners. Of course, each property must adhere to all the strict regulations outlined by California (particularly when it comes to odor control and ventilation) on top of the regulations outlined by the city council. Recreational manufacturing, retail stores, or any customer-facing cannabis facilities are still not permitted in the city. In other words, dispensaries are still outlawed.

One property at a time

When we met up with Quintero, he was eager to show us his number one reason for taking the leap of faith with cannabis: 4350 Temple Boulevard. The lot used to be a silver and gold plating facility in its heyday but has since been in and out of bankruptcy for over a decade. According to Quintero, “they did some serious damage to the environment and contaminated the soil.” One step onto the property and you see eroded pavement, holes in ceilings, and graffiti everywhere. The dilapidated building sits next to another dilapidated building: two giant eyesores hiding behind a Home Depot.

For this property alone Quintero thought, “what industry can I get here that would be willing to spend money to fix up the property, clean it up, and improve the area? I needed an industry that was willing to take the high-risk, high-reward strategy. Sure enough, it was cannabis.”

“I needed an industry that was willing to take the high-risk, high-reward strategy. Sure enough, it was cannabis.”

One property at a time, Quintero hopes welcoming medical marijuana facilities will help “activate the industrial sector again and build thriving local businesses that will pay taxes and clean up the neglected properties.” When he showed us the neighboring property that had recently been taken over by canna-business, Quintero was pleasantly surprised: “it already looks better than the last time I was here.”

Cannabis and the community

Currently, there are about nine applicants in line to be considered for various properties in the newly designated “Green Zone” of El Monte. In the application, Quintero has incorporated ordinances to ensure the community benefits most from the deal. For example, “part of [the] city ordinance is that applicants should sign a Labor Peace Agreement–so if employees want to unionize, they’ll be able to.” While the city cannot force applicants to agree to terms like these, it does mean a better application score. Since the application acceptance is based on a point-system, agreeing to these terms give your application a better chance of acceptance.

Applicants must also promise to hire residents of the San Gabriel Valley to populate the jobs at their new facility. Since Andre Quintero became mayor, the town has seen 15.5% unemployment drop to 5%, but as he says, “there’s still more work to do.” Quintero is excited about the new employers because “it could mean a lot of new jobs that will pay above minimum wage.” These new jobs will likely look mighty appealing compared to existing opportunities in the area. When we visited 4350 Temple City Boulevard, the property was operating as extra parking space for a nearby Amazon fulfillment warehouse. The starting wage there? 12 dollars an hour.

Quintero is excited about the new employers because “it could mean a lot of new jobs that will pay above minimum wage.”

Another unique aspect of El Monte’s requirements for medical marijuana facilities is a “Community Benefit Fund.” Quintero says applicants must pledge to donate a minimum of $50,000 for community benefit, the funds of which will be allocated by the city council in conjunction with a committee comprised of residents who can push back on the council’s decisions. According to Quintero, “the money could fund drug education awareness programs in the city or help clean up our public parks.” If it were up to him, Quintero would use that money to educate El Monte’s youth on the dangers of consuming any substances underage. If all goes as planned, Quintero says the Community Benefit Fund should result in over $100,000 annually for community benefits.

Misinformation and miseducation

The city council decision to legalize medical marijuana cultivation and manufacturing facilities in El Monte faced staggering backlash and protests. Surprisingly, most of these opponents are not residents of El Monte, but neighboring towns like Temple City. Opponents of the change said they are most worried about endangering children and declining property values. However, Quintero and local pro-cannabis advocates believe the real reasons for opposition are based on outdated stigmas and stereotypes, which are especially strong amongst the conservative Chinese-immigrant community that makes up much of the San Gabriel Valley. According to Quintero, “there is still a lot of ignorance related to marijuana in general. It’s not a chemical; it is a plant with so many incredible properties.”

“there is still a lot of ignorance related to marijuana in general. It’s not a chemical; it is a plant with so many incredible properties.”

To quell safety concerns, Quintero plans to use a portion of the revenue from the new medical marijuana facilities to help fund law enforcement against any black market operations that would result in more crime. According to Quintero, the city of El Monte “seized about 16,000 plants in the last few years, so we’re very conscientious about making sure that for the legal market to function, you have to clamp down on the illegal market.” He is hoping part of the new revenue will go to El Monte’s police force to continue squashing the black market.

While many are concerned about declining property values, Quintero says this claim is unfounded when you look at the studies on how cannabis affects real estate. In fact, a study conducted for Economic Inquiry in Colorado found the opposite to be true: when cities legalized cannabis businesses, property values went up (in this particular study, the increase was 6%). While there are currently no studies about how the legalization of industrial medical marijuana facilities affect property values, the study on retail stores demonstrates that nearby cannabis is considered a local amenity (not a drawback) for house buyers and real estate agents alike. Regardless, everyone can agree that a functioning facility is better than a bankrupt and decrepit building. The question is if cannabis is not allowed to revive these properties, who will?

Another factor Quintero’s critics refer to is that Quintero himself and other city council members have received numerous political donations from some of the same companies applying for a space in El Monte’s new “Green Zone.” Fitting to his personality, Quintero had a straight-forward response to this: “when you are one of the only officials openly discussing cannabis in the San Gabriel Valley, yeah. You are going to get contributions from cannabis companies who want to be here.” For Quintero, the donations he’s received by developers are inevitable and have no impact on his decision making.

Pushing forward

Despite what his opponents’ claim are significant contributions from cannabis companies, Quintero spent less money on his last campaign than ever before and was still elected to serve El Monte. For this reason alone, he feels confident about moving forward. The facilities are still several months out; once accepted by City Council, applicants still need to obtain state licenses and renovate the building before they begin operations. For Quintero’s opponents, the “war” is far from over.

As we finished our conversation with Quintero, he chuckled at how this new industry parallels the history of El Monte: “funny enough, the two sectors that made El Monte thrive (agriculture and industry) are coming back in the form of cannabis.” His vision of revitalization is likely just a seed of what is to come for cannabis in struggling communities. As federal legalization looms, it’s possible that Quintero’s vision could multiply to thousands of cities across the nation, rejuvenating areas abandoned by old industries. After all, if a criminal prosecutor with no affinity for cannabis can change his mind and welcome the new industry, can’t anyone?

The post Growth in El Monte: the unexpected story appeared first on Flowertown.

What’s the first thing you think of when you hear, “motorcycle owner?”

You might think of your friends, neighbors, or even yourself. Evel Knievel might even show up. People may own a bike because it’s economical, eco-friendly, zips through traffic, or they love the open road on a spring day.

But if you were asked that same question in 1961, a more specific, ruffian image might have come to mind. One replete with leather jackets, switchblades, and a general disregard for the law.

That all changed in 1962 when Honda launched their “You meet the nicest people on a Honda” ad campaign. The ads featured pictures of clean-cut people on Honda 50cc bikes. Moms with daughters, little old ladies, men in suits, even Santa Claus rode a Honda.

What motorcycles had was an image problem. “You meet the nicest people on a Honda” changed that problem, and, subsequently, motorcycle sales jumped 500%.

Now, quick, what’s the first thing you think of when someone says, “cannabis user?”

For the more informed consumer it might be moms, daughters, little old ladies, and men in suits. But you’re well aware of the image that still captures the popular imagination.

People hear “cannabis” and they think of young, unemployed burnouts watching Seth Rogen movies while trying to decide if bacon would go well on a peanut butter sandwich (to be honest, the answer to that may surprise you).

It’s clear that cannabis consumers still have an image problem. Without someone putting up “you meet the nicest people at a dispensary” billboards, how can we clean up this stereotype?

Well… how about an actual clean up?

In July, Reddit user RedArms219 posted a picture to the popular cannabis user subreddit, r/trees. It was a picture of a bag of trash they had picked up at their local park captioned, “Cleaned up the smoke spot #StonerCleanUpInitiative.”

The post had 22,000 upvotes within 24 hours.

The hashtag consistently trends on Twitter and Instagram, where users have posted their own results after taking up the challenge to clean up their “smoke spots,” and, generally, leave their favorite places better than the way they found them.

The activism movement follows in the footsteps of the popular backpacking/camping motto, “take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints.” Or the push to pick up at least five pieces of trash before you leave the beach.

Half Full Studios even got in on the effort by running an Instagram contest offering a custom bubbler to random #StonerCleanUpInitiative participant.

You can now buy stickers, tee shirts, and hoodies with the Stoner Cleanup Initiative logo, sold alongside shirts with a picturesque mountain top emblemized with the words “Pick Up Your Shit.”

Using activism to destigmatize cannabis

Environmental activism may not be closely associated with cannabis consumers yet, but movements like this could change that.

It’s not hard to imagine that, as the movement picks up steam, the image of “cannabis user” might change to someone who cares about the environment, is active in their community, and makes an effort to improve the world around them.

A little good PR can go a long way. Just ask Honda.

But if you want to fight the stereotypical stoner image even more so, consider using foundational facts as a way to educate your peers on the wonder of this natural plant.

Taking the time to teach them the benefits of cannabis, or how it may actually be the next best thing for baby boomers can go along way to ensuring that everyone knows you meet the nicest people at a dispensary.

The post Using environmental activism to destigmatize cannabis appeared first on Flowertown.

Over the years, cannabis developed a myriad of titles that diminished the beneficial potencies uses that we know exist today.  

“Weed,” “dope,” “pot,” “reefer.”  

These monikers all carried from the ‘70s into the early 2000s. Before that, in the early 1930s, cannabis was unfortunately added to the list of Prohibition-era banned substances. The same fear that surrounded the use of alcohol was displaced onto cannabis, despite using the herb in America as early as the 1600s.  

In the 19th and 20th Century, the United States Pharmacopoeia documents that cannabis extract was a patent medicine used to treat various illnesses. It was one of the most popular medicines in America and used to curb the addictions of morphine and other opioids.  

It’s popularity shifted when a heavy focus on Mexican immigrant’s use of “hashish” developed and the term “Mexican marihuana” was invented. Soon became the advent of anti-cannabis propaganda, such as “Reefer Madness,” and the modern stigma we know so well was born.  

Cannabis and all terms associated with the plant took on a negative connotation, often lumped into stereotypes of immigrants, criminals, or dirty hippies. As politicians campaigned around the negative uses of cannabis the phrase “loco weed” appeared.  

Thus, by 1937 cannabis had become completely illegal.  

Much of what we know of the slang terms used for cannabis today are variations of Spanish words. Reefer, in Spanish, translates to “grifo,” which is a slang term to describe the effects. “Pot”, which in Spanish is potiguaya, simply refers to the leaves on the plant itself.  

Change in perception over time  

It wasn’t until the past decade that we’ve seen a shift in the language.  

Much of the shift in stigma is a result of medicinal uses of cannabis that removed the negative pop culture stigma, despite being known about since the Victorian Era.  

A decade ago, 67% of Americans felt cannabis use should not be legal and did not believe there were any medical uses for the plant.

Today over 50% of Americans support the use of recreational and medicinal cannabis and this percentage is growing.  

Much of this shift started in the 1970s when local citizens began advocating for the medical use of cannabis. States like Oregon and Maine loosened their laws against cannabis use while groups such as the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) began grassroots campaigns advocating legalization.  

The benefits of the work of citizens and interest groups in small states made a mark over the years resulting in more states legalizing cannabis for medical use. 

Evolution of quality 

Could the changes in the quality of cannabis itself have an effect on the stigma behind the plant?  

Back in the day, the flower looked different from the green and gold hues we know now. Much of what was shipped to the United States, illegally exported from Colombia or Mexico, was raw flower.  

The cannabis itself was filled with stems and looked like it was freshly plucked from a dirt patch. It was densely packed together and had a dry texture to it.  

Doesn’t sound appealing, right?  

The reason behind this lackluster quality is because cultivators weren’t as knowledgeable about caring for the plant as we are today.  

In fact, the modern hydroponic systems that are used to improve cannabis agriculture weren’t developed until the 1980s.  

Today, quality has increased by nearly 20%, with THC and CBD content nearly tripling over the years.

With this increase came stronger effects. Over time, this allowed consumers to use less of the plant but experience greater benefits.  

Cannabis went from being a low-quality, “hippie drug” with racially-charged legislation that was only used on the fringes of society to a high-potency cure for pain and other major medical ailments.  

There’s been more acceptance of the plant now in the past decade because not only the product is better, but we’ve learned more about the medical miracles the plant is capable of producing on a daily basis.  

View of cannabis today 

We no longer talk about cannabis in the same language we once did, colloquialisms that were designed to depreciate the value of the plant and scare consumers away from something that was once widely accepted.  

As policy and quality shifted, society became more accepting of cannabis. It’s no surprise that someone would turn up their nose when the plant is called “pot” today because of its profound benefits and uses.  

As we’ve learned more about the capabilities of cannabis, it’s grown beyond the lowly nomenclature that was used to villainize it less than a hundred years ago. 

Yet, there’s still some form of a stigma surrounding cannabis. In order to defeat that, take a look at how you can talk to your friends and family about cannabis use. Also, research and learn about different ways to ingest it that allow you to present yourself in clear and bright ways, not just clouded in smoke.  

The post Cannabis culture: How the plant’s stigma changed appeared first on Flowertown.

While it may seem like cannabis suddenly became part of the national consciousness during the tune in, turn on, drop out days of the mid-1960s, cannabis has actually been a part of American culture since the United States was but a gleam in our Founding Fathers’ eyes.   

Granted, depending on which way social and political winds were blowing, its ubiquity was often on the down-low, so its evolution can only be tracked in fits and starts. But slowly, over time, the plant has changed.  

And now within the last several decades, as states have legalized cannabis, growers have used research, technology, and good ol’ trial and error to dramatically improve the quality of US cannabis. 

From cannabis to cocaine, how Colombia fits in 

It’s possible to track improvements made to the plant and its byproducts thanks to the government’s 1970 decision to label it a Schedule 1 drug, meaning it was deemed to have no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. 

Since that controversial move, the Natural Center for Natural Projects Research (NCNPR) at the University of Mississippi has been testing cannabis confiscated in police/government raids.  

Confirming what plenty of users have stated anecdotally, today’s marijuana is as much as two-thirds more potent to the plant back in the ‘70s. The what was obvious. Cannabis has gotten more potent. The why is less straightforward. 

But the basics are this: In the 1970s three-fourths of the cannabis consumed for recreational use was imported illegally from other countries, most notably Colombia. Before it became the cocaine capital, Colombia was the largest cannabis supplier.  

But, like any agricultural product, cannabis has a peak shelf life. And it took time to package, transport, and distribute. So the cannabis of the ‘70s was on the stale end by the time it reached American consumers.  

Also, Colombian cannabis was raw, the equivalent of pulling an entire corn stalk out of the ground and shipping it off. They packaged up leaves and stems along with the flowers, which reduced the overall quality. 

The birth of the Emerald Triangle 

Then in the 1980s, as the number of local growers increased, especially in places like California, the quality of cannabis began to improve. Firstly, what is true for fruits and veggies is true for cannabis: local is better.  

At the same time, technology gave quality a boost. Hydroponic systems were popular because they enabled more Americans to home grow. These smaller, local growers started developing new strains—think microbreweries and their craft beers—which led to a boom in quality. 

Having a crop in your backyard also meant that growers could start conducting their own research by simply observing their plants. These growers learned, often through simple trial and error, how to refine their product.

US growers realized the flower, or sinsemilla, was what buyers wanted because that was the part of the plant with the highest concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. That breakthrough resulted in another dramatic increase in the quality and potency of US cannabis. 

Today, thanks to the legalization of medical and recreational cannabis in a growing number of states, quality continues to improve as the budding industry (pun intended) invests in more research and technology.  

As consumers gain access to farm-to-home cannabis, and the market expands to meet demand, improving technology, agricultural practices, and scientific understanding of cannabis is likely to see cannabis improve in quality for the foreseeable future. 

And, with that, comes improvements in the way in which we consume cannabis. From edibles to vapes, to tinctures, and everything in between. The market for cannabis innovations and improvements has yet to see its limitations.

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