Humboldt: Life On America's Marijuana Frontier (2013) - Plot & Excerpts
A well written and engaging book about the marijuana industry and its effect on a corner of Humboldt County. I picked up this book because I have relatives who live in Humboldt (not at all involved with this line of business) and I'm always blown away by the natural resources and drop dead gorgeous scenery when I visit. But we're also warned not to wander onto private property, not to linger too long where we aren't known, and to just plain stay away from certain areas (although to be fair, my relatives are more concerned about the recent uptick in meth labs than they are about the marijuana growers). It's an interesting look at who is involved in the industry and the amount of money it represents, as well as detailing the change in who grows and how that has occurred over the last fifty years. In hindsight, it makes perfect sense, but at first I was surprised to learn that Humboldt growers don't want marijuana to be legal - because they fear the depression in prices that will occur once it is no longer illegal. I'd love to read a follow up to this book in the aftermath of the Washington and Colorado legalization - did prices depreciate, or did increased demand lead to even greater sales? And what would that mean to California? All in all, I thought this was a pretty even handed and objective look behind the redwood curtain. Emily Brady's study of marijuana culture focuses on Humboldt County, part of California's Emerald Triangle where a great deal of pot has been grown in the past few decades. Most of the book involves the time period just prior to the first legalization push in Cali; her book illuminates the issue from several points of view, ranging from an old-school grower facing competition from the more high-yielding indoor farms, through a social worker and a police officer to a man who lives on the bleeding edge of Humboldt's underground economy. Brady shows why many pot farmers were opposed to legalization. It's an interesting look at the economics--and the human costs--of marijuana and the war on drugs.
What do You think about Humboldt: Life On America's Marijuana Frontier (2013)?
I'll write a review later, but well done and I was very skeptical at the beginning.
—Giselle
