To the Editor:
The prevalence of so-called THCa weed (weed harvested in accordance with President Trump's Farm Bill to have less than 0.3% Delta 9 THC at harvest – experienced smokers know this is early harvested weed and therefore unsuitable for smoking) has made it very difficult to find the herb in Western North Carolina.
For people with disabilities battling anxiety, depression and social isolation, the herb has been a lifesaver, but my cannabis withdrawal has dragged on since the pandemic began and, like most people, I've struggled with alcoholism, but the cruel irony of being surrounded by fake cannabis has not been lost on me.
Enter EBCI, which has overwhelmingly legalized recreational marijuana. As their neighbor, I was relieved; they finally had a safe place to access the medicine they needed. But as anticipation built up toward April 20th and there was no official announcement, the assumption in the community was that we would smoke pot on this sacred day, all of which fell apart a week ago. Dispensaries are now medical marijuana only for the better part of a year, until a date yet to be disclosed.
Since I don't have health insurance in North Carolina, it's going to be a while before I can get my hands on some sweet marijuana. According to Tinto de Verano's dried gram yield data, the marijuana I was smoking was pulled from the grow room and sent for drying and aging the week before April 20th. Fresh marijuana takes 3-4 weeks to be smokeable, but after that it generally loses potency and burns 3-4 times faster.
Pleasantly, the Verano hasn't lost much potency – not as bad as you'd expect from a 19% THC flower, but it wore off quickly. Skoden is even better, with a higher THC content, but it was also harvested when Biden was still a presidential candidate.
If this is what Cherokee has to offer the general public, the operation is over before it even begins, which is a shame for residents in areas that desperately need it, given that it's impossible to walk down the street without passing someone using methamphetamine or fentanyl.
JD Bost
Asheville
