Pubdate: Tue, 18 Aug 2015
Source: Daily Democrat (Woodland, CA)
Copyright: 2015 Daily Democrat
Contact:  http://www.dailydemocrat.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3030
Author: Sarah Dowling

FROM SEED TO WEED: YOLO ORGANIC BOTANICALS CELEBRATES FIRST MEDICAL 
MARIJUANA HARVEST

In Woodland, the signs of the harvest are everywhere - trucks hauling 
fruits of local labor, typically processing tomatoes, on Main Street 
and elsewhere.

It's been an annual sight, but this month, a small group of growers 
just celebrated their first harvest, preparing medical marijuana for 
thousands of patients.

"This is really exciting," said Robin Miller. "We have a lot to learn 
and there is a very steep learning curve, but the community really 
cares and they are coming together to make things happen."

Located on a one-acre plot in rural Woodland, Miller and other 
members of the Yolo Organic Botanicals collective began to process 
what they simply call "medicine" - snipping buds, separating them 
from the stems of the bushy, green plant before filling bins to the 
brim before pouring them into a machine designed to trim away any 
excess leaves.

"It is like an old-fashioned barn raising in a way," Miller said, 
gesturing to the small group of workers. "All the people here are 
patients and they understand the value in this."

Specifically, the type of marijuana planted on the property has a 
very high CBD content.

Unlike THC, which is the compound known to cause a high in its users, 
CBD is non-psychoactive, making it an affective medical treatment for 
numerous conditions.

However, even though CBD is non-psychoactive, being cannabis it still 
has small traces of THC.

"This is a really special plant," said Erin O'Neil, another collective member.

Sitting beneath an archway shading the crop, O'Neil worked on one 
branch at a time, snipping the green, fuzzy clumps, along with thin 
"water leaves" from the stem.

While the buds were collected for the main product, water leaves and 
stems were gathered in a separate container, to be turned into 
edibles, oils and other forms of medicine.

The meticulous manner in which medical marijuana is handled makes the 
harvesting process a slow one, especially for a small operation such 
as Yolo Organic Botanicals.

However, O'Neil, who was a respiratory therapist for many years, 
enjoyed working with his hands for a change, although his "scientific 
mind" continues to follow research related to cannabis. Advertisement

"You would have to be a fool not to think this would have some major 
application with cancer," he said, holding a processed bud, which had 
steaks of gold among the green, in front of him.

When it comes to learning more about marijuana's medicinal 
properties, O'Neil said there is still a long way to go.

Categorized as a Schedule I drug, in the eyes of the law marijuana is 
on the same level as heroin, LSD and ecstasy. Drugs in this group 
have "no medical benefits" and are "highly addictive," according to O'Neil.

And it's because of its classification that most studies done to 
explore the medical benefits of marijuana start out by also exploring 
unfavorable attributes, such as being addictive.

Researchers get approval to do a study, on negative health effects 
for example, and often "find the opposite is true," O'Neil said, 
noting benefits of high CBD-level plants were discovered this way.

"There have been phenomenal strides with studies looking at marijuana 
use for cancer, seizures and cerebral palsy," he said, noting this 
particular research originated from Israeli scientists.

Turning his attention back to incoming plants, O'Neil described the 
process, which starts with pruning the buds before putting them in a 
machine for a final trim.

Purchased from Lil' Shop of Growers, a local ag supply store on North 
East St., the sparkling new, $3,400 device is only the second stop on 
the harvesting journey. The buds are loaded into the top of the 
machine before swirling around in the main chamber, where blades - 
coated in olive oil to prevent sticking - work to give the buds a 
final cut before they are dried. The trimmings, which are gathered in 
a bag on the bottom of the machine, can be used for other medicinal products.

"Nothing goes to waste," Miller said, highlighting some of the 
sustainable practices put in place, as well as others planned in the future.

For example, right now the farm is buying electricity from a neighbor 
- - a long extension cord stretches across the ground. In the future, 
members plan on powering the operation through solar energy, using a 
"mobile generator."

After the harvested buds go into the trimming machine, they will 
spend seven to 14 days drying in a cool, dark place, O'Neil said. For 
YOLO ORGANIC BOTANICALS, THIS DRYING FACILITY TAKES THE FORM OF AN 
8-foot high and 40-foot long "modified" shipping container.

Kept at a breezy 62 degrees, the buds began to fill hanging racks, 
although O'Neil noted after the drying process is complete, the 
products will shrink in size.

"Curing or drying is just as important as harvesting," he said.

Next, the bounty will be weighed, graded and tested in a lab, which 
will examine and define the cannabis' content.

"All that information will be available to the patient," O'Neil said.

By partnering with other collectives, these patients total around 
2,000 people, a number that continues to grow as the business gains traction.

While their first harvest was considered a success, a proposed Yolo 
County ordinance could influence this collective's future while 
forcing other medical marijuana growers further into the shadows.

Brought before the Yolo County Board of Supervisors last month, the 
ordinance laid out the actual numbers of plants permitted, what to do 
about odors and possible theft along with keeping fields away from schools.

"Yolo County has experienced negative impacts associated with the 
visible cultivation of medical marijuana," according to county 
documents associated with the ordinance. "The County has received 
resident complaints regarding visible outdoor cultivation sites 
leading to calls for law enforcement services. These complaints have 
included concerns about strong offensive odors and possible criminal activity."

If adopted, the ordinance would also allow only 12 marijuana plants 
per land parcel, no matter the size of the parcel or the number of 
qualified patients or primary caregivers living there.

During the July meeting, supervisors heard from patients, including 
YOLO ORGANIC BOTANICALS MEMBER HEIDI GROSSMAN.

"When you limit plant counts like that, what you're doing is creating 
a black market," she said.

Because the ordinance was presented for discussion purposes only, the 
board's decision was put on hold, giving them more time to review 
possible implications of such restrictions. A vote will be held at a 
later date.

However, with their collective's future up in the air, Miller and her 
team are worried that they may have to move their farm elsewhere.

"If the ordinance is passed, we wouldn't be growing here," she said. 
"But a lot of people wouldn't go elsewhere, forcing it underground 
and creating a criminal element."

Despite these fears, Miller is hopeful the board will come to the 
right decision, commending Supervisor Matt Rexroad and his colleagues 
on their willingness to learn more about "medicine."

"Yolo County has an opportunity to set an important precedent for 
medical marijuana," she said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom