#114: Douglas Fir - The Original Marijuana Outlaw | Humboldt Weed (1 of 3)

CommunityCannabisTravelNatureIndependence

Jul 7

Written By Samuel Donner

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Episode Description

Marijuana Outlaw. Smuggler. Draft Dodger. Commune Founder. Revolutionary. Protector of the Forest. At every opportunity Douglas Fir goes against the system. This philosophy, this way of moving through the world started with the war in Vietnam. Douglas was so opposed to the war that he gave himself two choices: become a revolutionary against the war, or remove himself from the political scene and move somewhere remote. Douglas chose the latter. After hitchhiking around the country and even traveling to South America, Douglas settled down with some friends and started a commune in Humboldt, California. The commune began to really develop when the residents discovered that growing and selling marijuana was a good – though illegal – source of income. The money made off of the marijuana was used to build houses, roads, and eventually an infrastructure for the community. Once the war on drugs began, the peaceful pot-growers stood up for their community against the federal government.

Draft Dodger: Douglas avoids being drafted for the Vietnam war
First House: Douglas and some friends move out to Humboldt, California in order to escape the politics of the war and get back to the land.
Bare Hands: With less than $1000 to his name, Douglas starts building houses while living off of food stamps.
One Way Ticket: Douglas takes a one-way ticket to South America. After a while he takes a cheap flight to Miami, hitchhikes to California, then started hiking towards Oregon.
Back To Humboldt: Douglas returns to Humboldt and starts a commune.
Economy: At first the commune made money through the skills of the residents, but soon changed gears towards the growing and selling of pot.
Establishing Pot: “Guerrilla gardens” are built for growing pot discreetly. All of the money made off of selling pot went to the land of the commune.
Capital: The commune begins to make so much money that it meets all of its priorities and begins to distribute leftovers to individuals.
Infrastructure: Most of the money is fed into building the infrastructure of the commune: roads, schools, a radio station, and a hospital.
Large Operation: The commune did not hire others and avoided becoming too large, focused instead on evolving slowly but steadily.
Stronger Stuff: After discovering that Afghanistan has stronger marijuana plants than the plants of the commune, Douglas and a friend make a trip to Afghanistan and mail five different kinds of marijuana seeds back to the US.
Changes: The new stronger and thus more expensive pot grown by the commune sparks the market’s interest. People begin buying property in and around the community with the intent of growing marijuana to make a profit.
War On Drugs: Influx of new growers leads to more attention from law enforcement. The community is ravaged by unsupervised law enforcement but manages to file a lawsuit against the federal government that forces law enforcement to act constitutionally.
Downfall: The war on drugs was not the reason that the commune fell, but rather the new dangerous atmosphere of the community. Members of the commune go their separate ways due to the increasing number of shady criminals and the amount of violence throughout the community.
Return: After many years of growing small amounts of pot and focusing efforts elsewhere, Proposition 215 of 1996 (legalization of medical marijuana) reignites Douglas’ interest, and he begins to grow more plants.
Modern Humboldt: Douglas talks about how growing marijuana will likely leave Humboldt as it is not an ideal region for growing marijuana. Douglas also speaks on the community’s transition from a communist commune to a place for capitalist growers to make a profit.