#115: Tommy & Karen Hessler - Cartel Deals, DEA Raids, & The Fight to Grow Weed | Humboldt Weed (2 of 3)

CommunityCannabisTravelNatureEntrepreneurship

Jul 7

Written By Samuel Donner

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Episode Description

Cartel Deals. Helicopter Surveillance. Weed Homesteaders. Artists. Outlaws. It all started with growing weed in Humboldt. Tommy’s relationship with cannabis began at 15 years old. He would plant seeds along bridges and places like the Museum of Modern Art. Eventually, the 60s would lead to a time where Tommy would receive a “life in prison” sentence for smoking a joint. Luckily, the sentence was reduced to 90 days, which encouraged him to ignore the system and instead follow his interests. Eventually, Karen and Tommy would relocate to California after a brief stint in Mexico, allowing them the opportunity to live self-sufficiently while also allowing Tommy the ability to develop as an artist. A Native American would teach them to live off the land, eventually allowing the Hesslers to build their own house and grow their own food. Eventually, their interest would expand to growing cannabis, earning them the title of “original outlaw growers” as well as helping to found the cannabis culture in California.

Tommy&Karen: Tommy reconnected with Karen and ran into an incident with weed smoking.
Europe: Tommy and Karen traveled to Europe to open new perspectives for themselves.
On The Road: Tommy and Karen moved around the world to find their place, and finally decided to return to their home: the US.
New Beginning: Tommy and Karen decided to buy 40 acres of land on the mountain to sustain themselves.
Weed Growing: Tommy and Karen started to grow weed again to reach independence in their lives, trying to be able to sustain themselves through the means of weed.
Small and Refined: Tommy and Karen took a very different approach to growing weed: while everyone was growing big, they decided to refine their small scale farm and make them the best possible.
Social Pressures: Outside pressures are honing in on the weed farm that Tommy and Karen cared about so much. Surveillance and armed ravaging were greatly harming their community.
Continued Passion: Tommy and Karen never backed out from these threats and never abandoned their weed farm. They wanted to stay and introduce weed as a healing substance.
Eighties: Things were changing in the eighties: weed was starting to become legal, which benefited Tommy and Karen greatly since they were willing to use weed legally to help people, but they were facing obstructions of those who only cared about money.
Today: The omission of the one acre clause betrayed the citizens by shutting out their voices, which hindered small growers like Tommy and Karen.
Future: Tommy and Karen kept their sense of resilience and wanted to adjust to whatever circumstances they found themselves in. Throughout their weed growing experience, they have always been hanging onto the idea that weed is a sacred substance that helped them find their life purpose.