My grandmother was the one who instilled a love for gardening in me.
She had passed away before I was 12, but in those early years I spent a lot of time with her in the garden. She taught me the basics, and after she was gone I kept tending her old garden as a way to pay tribute to her. In college I studied botany, and around this time was when medical cannabis started being a hot topic. After I got my degree I decided to go to a place considered to be a Mecca of modern American cannabis, to learn from the masters. I went to Albuquerque, NM, which is one of the most legendary cities in the world when it comes to locally grown cannabis. Before I went to work, I took a few days to acclimate myself to the vibes of the city of Albuquerque, and the gorgeous deserts that surround it. This is a place unlike any other, awash in natural beauty. When I felt that Albuquerque was my true home, then I contacted the local cannabis farmer and asked about coming to work. I would be working for free, and paying my own rent and expenses, just for the chance to learn his cannabis growing techniques. Gary had lived in Albuquerque for the last 25 years, and was considered to be one of the “founding fathers” of the local cannabis community. I would spend the next three years of my life in Albuquerque, studying the craft and learning everything that Gary knew about cannabis cultivation.