Monthly Archives: October 2010

Folk Ritual – California

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Welcome to the Club:

Getting your prescription

– Folk Ritual

“A growing ritual exhibited by many California smokers has become the journey to acquiring a club card.  Essentially, this card allows you to legally purchase and possess marijuana.  This is made possible on the grounds that it is for medical use only.  Access into the clubs which sell the weed requires the possession of the card.  The only way to get the card is to go and see a weed doctor.  What most people don’t know is that getting this card is an incredibly easy process.  There’s a myriad of ways to trick the system.  You can pretty much give a symptom that sounds right, and if the doctor believes you, you usually get a prescription.  It has become a ritual amongst pot-smokers.  A journey that all experienced smokers must make. Groups of friends often travel together when visiting the doctor.  The illnesses that I’ve most often heard used are insomnia, back pain, and anxiety.  I even heard one instance in which a girl complained that high heels made her feet hurt.  She still got the prescription.” (MR)

Informant Analysis:

“I first learned about this last year when I heard from a friend that his dealer was buying medicinal marijuana.  Ever since then, I feel like everyone that would want the card has gotten it.  Now so many of my friends have made the journey and have joined the ranks of legal pot smokers… This ritual is performed within the context of travel and bonding.  Personally, I think it’s hilarious! It is funny to see whos getting cards and what excuses they used.  I don’t personally have a card, but if I considered myself to be a legitimate smoker, I definitely would get one.”  (MR)

Personal Analysis:

It seems to me that this folk ritual exists as a form of ethnic folklore.  It helps grant its followers a sense of identity and belonging.  Access to the medical facilities is not granted without the card; this alone serves to limit membership into this niche group.  Additionally, those that carry a card can not only identify themselves as patients, but also as members of the upper echelon of California smokers.  Furthermore, I find it interesting that the medical marijuana distribution facilities are referred to as, “clubs”.  A club tends to be a selective and limited group.  This defines the situation well as being a patient actually allows access into this select group.  Only members of this group are welcome inside the facilities.  Yet, upon acquiring the card, it is if you are initiated into the group.  It is no wonder that people go to the doctors and to the clubs in groups of friends.  Thus, it can be seen that card bearers gain access to “the club” both literally, and figuratively.  These advantages are certainly contributing to the growth of this ritual.

Urban Legend

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The Legend of G13

– Urban Legend

“Well have you heard the story about G13?  Basically, I heard that G13 was a hybrid strain stolen from the CIA back in the ‘70s.  Apparently it was leaked from some government facility out in Mississippi.  They say that it tests at 27% THC, which is pretty fucking ridiculous.  But I mean hey, I doubt there’s any way of knowing just how strong it really is, but I think they even referred to it in American Beauty.  Kevin Spacey bought it from the drug dealer guy… I forget his name, but it was sold at like a thousand dollars or two thousand dollars for just one eighth! That being said, I’m sure you can find it for cheaper out of the clubs around here though.” (JV)

Informant Analysis:

“I was actually first told this from a friend back in high school.  But since then, I’ve heard it numerous times.  Personally, I doubt it was truly stolen, but there is no way of knowing.  The growers might have just spread this story to bring publicity to the strain.  And 27% THC is way more than average.  I don’t know necessarily what context this rumor is explained within and I don’t remember the exact context of the time when I first heard it.  I suppose it is a story that is just passed amongst friends while chilling.” (JV)

Personal Analysis:

It seems difficult to discern between fact and fiction with this particular legend.  My knowledge on the subject is weak, but based on what I have gathered and heard from various informants, I would guess that this legend is pure fiction.  The informant, who wishes to remain anonymous, is probably right in assuming that this story was created by the growers in order to bring attention to the plant. Perhaps the name G13 itself helped inspire the stories.  The “G” in G13 could easily stand for “Government”.

Surprisingly, examples of the urban legend show up in popular culture.  As mentioned by the informant, this strain of Marijuana was in fact addressed in the Academy Award winning film, American Beauty.  One of the films protagonists, Ricky Fitts, refers to it as extremely mellow with no paranoia.  He then sells a small bag of it to Lester Burnham for two thousand dollars.  Most interestingly, he claimed that it was engineered by the US government.  So regardless of the variation surrounding G13, it is clear that the government tends to be the focal point of the legend.

Annotation: An example of this urban legend can be found in the film American Beauty.

American Beauty. Dir. Sam Mendes. Perfs. Kevin Spacey, Wes Bentley. Film. DVD, DreamWorks SKG, 1999.

Mythology

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Cannabis and Hinduism

– Mythology

“References to Cannabis in the Hinduism religion can be found throughout all of the major Hindu publications.  For example, it can be seen in the Artharvaveda, the Bhagavad-Gita, and the Rig Veda. Marijuana is most often used to reference the Lord Shiva.  It is believed that the plant was Shiva’s greatest gift.  However, stories also point to a plant known as Soma.  The exact ingredients of this plant are often disputed, but most believe that it contained cannabis.  Soma was mentioned in many scriptures and was commonly referred to as the “nectar of the Gods”.  Some creation stories point to the falling of Amrita, the drink of the Gods, as what first allowed cannabis to grow.  Still, others refer to cannabis as Vijaya meaning victory, because it was only after the Gods defeated the demons that they were given marijuana.  In the fourth book of the Vedas, the Artharvaveda, Bhang is said to be one of the five kingdoms of herbs, and it is thought of as to release us from anxiety.” (R.A.)

Informant Analysis:

“I heard some of these stories from my older sister when I was a sophomore in high school, others I had heard from my grandfather.  I have never actually seen Bhang, but I have heard it referred to on numerous occasions.  I feel the main point to be gathered from these stories is that regardless of Western perceptions, in Hinduism, the ganja is holy.” (R.A.)

Personal Analysis:

It seems to me that although most often associated with the Lord Shiva, ganja references in India can be found literally anywhere.  This plant is very common in India, and it is used most often by religious devotees.  Their use of marijuana transcends that of medicinal purposes, but instead functions on a spiritual level.  It is used to help them find God.  In fact, it is used to help them almost become like God, and live in the image and grace of Shiva.  This is of particular interest to me, solely in that the Hindu view of cannabis contrasts quite significantly with that of America.  It is amazing that one substance can be hailed in so many different lights.

Interestingly, the concept of ganja being used to get closer to God was explored in Emilio Estevez’s popular film, Bobby.  Ashton Kutcher plays a drug dealer, and in one scene, he asks two clients why they like to get stoned.  He answers for them by stating, “Because it’s our way, of getting closer, to god.” Although rarely seen in American culture, I suppose this exists as one example of the spiritual uses of cannabis in Western society.

Annotate: Bobby. Dir. Emilio Estevez. Perfs. Emilio Estevez, Ashton Kutcher. Film. DVD, the Weinstein Company, 2006.

Games

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Blowing Os and the French Inhale

– Games

“A lot of smokers like to try and blow smoke rings.  They usually refer to this as blowing Os.  There is a significant amount of variation when it comes to the techniques used while playing this game.  I’ve seen some people tap the side of their cheek continuously to help the air flow into O like shapes.  Other people try and just cough the rings out using their lungs.  Ummm lets see… the object of the game is usually to blow the biggest ring.  Hmm, another technique used when smoking is the French Inhale.  Basically, the object of this game is to slowly let the smoke escape from your lips.  You should try and push the smoke upwards.  Then, the key is to inhale the smoke from your nose, creating what looks to be an inverse waterfall of smoke falling from your mouth to your nose.  It looks pretty cool, but people do it with cigarettes too.” (J.T.)

Informant Analysis:

“These games tend to be played amongst experienced smokers.  You usually smoke with the same group of people when you’re smoking weed.  So groups of friends that usually toke together sometimes play to see which one of them is best at it.  In one way, it makes the overall smoking experience more pleasurable.  In another, it allows you to show off and display your smoking talents thus granting you credibility as a smoker.  The bigger O that you can blow, the more credible you look.  Same thing goes with the French Inhale.” (J.T.)

Personal Analysis:

The informant does a great job at summarizing both the context and the meaning of these games.  It seems this game is really more of a trick that smokers use to make the experience more playful.  It gives the smoker something to do other than simply exhaling.  However, I would imagine that not only would these games be played amongst groups of friends, as the informant describes, but also when smoking with new friends or with utter strangers.  If you’re seen blowing large smoke rings then you’re making it clear to the rest of the group that you are a highly experienced smoker.

The act of blowing smoke rings is also commonly done amongst cigar and cigarette smokers.  Cigars provide a thicker smoke, thus making it easier to blow rings, while cigarettes tend to have a thinner smoke, thus making it harder to do than with cannabis.  Blowing rings can be seen all throughout popular culture, especially in films and television shows.  In the film, the Lord of the Rings: the Fellowship of the Ring, for example, Bilbo Baggins blows a perfect circular smoke ring when smoking with his old, wizard friend, Gandalf.  However, Gandalf is quick to win the competition, in that he blows a huge ship fashioned purely out of smoke strait through Bilbo’s smoke ring.  It seems the director, Peter Jackson, is poking fun at the smoke ring competition.  A ship is clearly impossible to blow with smoke, and it is thereby monumentally more impressive.

Annotation: Blowing smoke rings is also documented as early as in J.R.R. Tolkein’s The Hobbit.  It is mentioned by Gandalf in the first chapter of the book.

J.R.R. Tolkien. The Hobbit. Ballantine Books, New York. Copyright 1937, 1938, 1966. p. 7-8.

Legend

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For the King

– Legend

“The kings in Rwanda loved weed. Weed in Rwanda was considered as something that was reserved for the kings and the royal families.  So… uh. In Rwanda there are, they say there are three ethnicities.  Twa, Tutsi, Hutu.  The working class was the Hutus.  Hutus was not an ethnicity.  They were the working and lower class.  In my language, Hutus is not really an ethnicity but the working class.  Umutunzi are the bourgeoisie, the rich class.  People who have money. Umutunzi means wealthy, rich.  This later became Tutsi because the colonists could not say Umutunzi.  The colonists wanted to turn it into ethnicities.  And the Hutus, they measured their nose, and said you are different because you have a big nose, you know?  Bullshit you know?  Yeah man, that’s how it is.  Yeah.  And that’s why there was a majority because every Tutsi had like ten Hutus to work for them.  But even still, the Tutsi only smoke tobacco, weed was supreme.  It is for royal family.  It was not something to joke with.  The Twa people don’t give a shit.  They smoke marijuana.  They live in a weird way.  They still hunt things and put it on top of fire, roast it you see.  Stuff like that you see.  They live in a very ancient way you see.  They live in the forest, they never come to town.  They don’t like modern things.  They live in the bush and in the trees like animals.  They say that in Rwanda they know so much about the plants.  One day, they brought weed to the king as a present.  Its good herb that makes you relax. They rolled it for him, then they lighted it, and gave it to him.  Once the king was really happy, and he made a deal with them.  He said he would give them 10 sheeps in return for a months worth of weed.  It became a huge ceremony where people would dance for the King, and then give the weed.  If it was good, he would keep it, if not, he would send it back.  The Twas would line up for the king in a line to give him weed.  If he liked it, they would get sheep’s.  In Rwanda, the king would only eat cows and goats.  And maybe chickens.  But sheep was for the poor people.  So they used to raise sheep’s only for the Twas in order to exchange for weed.” (D.C.)

Informant Analysis:

“This story just tries to show how…it shows how different the views are in my country than here when talking about marijuana.  Even though it is illegal now, you know, it was no joke in Rwanda.  It was a ceremony. It was a way of life for the Twas.  They traded it for food, for sheeps. It was the plant for royalty, not for the Hutus or the poorer people.” (D.C.)

Collector Analysis:

Casa does a fantastic job in analyzing his story.  It is truly incredible to note how different the perceptions of weed are across time and culture.  This legend recounts the tale of the forest dwellers and their journey to the king.  Although these people, the Twas, were poor and uncivilized, they possessed something that the King wanted but did not know how to provide for himself.  The Twas used this to their advantage, and maintained the good favor of the king with the use of songs, dances, and ceremonies.  In exchange for their precious plant, the King provided sheep.  Interestingly, the king had no use for the sheep other than to trade for cannabis.  Also, it should be noted that despite the clout and esteem of the Tutsis, even they were generally unable to smoke marijuana.  They were instead limited to tobacco.  Thus it would seem that in Rwanda, cannabis exists as the plant of kings, and the herb of royalty.