Pubdate: Tue, 01 Mar 2016
Source: Ukiah Daily Journal, The (CA)
Copyright: 2016 The Ukiah Daily Journal
Contact: http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/feedback
Website: http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/581
Author: Carole Brodsky

GROWING MORE THAN POT: THE JUMP-START FOR THE SOLAR INDUSTRY

Though Mendocino County is noted for its primacy as one of the 
original counties comprising the Emerald Triangle, stories about how 
and why this occurred are more intriguing than one might imagine.

Economic and societal conditions converged to create the emergence 
and eminence of not one but two parallel industries-the solar 
industry and commercial cannabis farming. John Schaeffer, founder and 
owner of Real Goods and the Solar Living Center has an interesting 
story to tell.

In 2014, when John and his wife Nantzy bought back Real Goods and the 
Solar Living Center from its parent corporation, the couple attempted 
to foresee the next wave of emerging culture. "We'd pioneered solar, 
sold the first photovoltaics in America, and continued to forge new 
ground with natural building, alternative fuels, electric vehicle 
consciousness, hemp clothing and permaculture. We determined the 
logical next step was CBD medical cannabis," says Schaeffer.

Schaeffer contacted Martin A. Lee, director of Project CBD and author 
of several books including Smoke Signals: A Social History of 
Marijuana-Medical, Recreational and Scientific. Lee is co-founder of 
Project CBD- a California-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting and 
publicizing research into medical use of cannabidiol (CBD) and other 
components of cannabis plants.

"When John contacted Project CBD to inquire about situating a medical 
marijuana dispensary and resource center at the Solar Living Center, 
I immediately thought it was a great idea," says Lee. "We're 
experiencing a cultural shift regarding cannabis. What better place 
to showcase the best of what medical marijuana can offer than the 
Emerald Triangle- America's 'cannabis breadbasket,'" he explains.

Project CBD provided consulting services to facilitate the launch of 
the Emerald Pharms Dispensary, as well as staff training in CBD-rich 
cannabis therapeutics. "I can't overstate how much we appreciate the 
opportunity to participate in this cutting edge effort, which 
complements the innovative, green technologies pioneered at the Solar 
Living Center," he concludes.

Schaeffer's journey to this point underscores the key role that 
Mendocino County played in the Back to the Land Movement, of which 
Schaeffer was an active participant.

"I visited a Greenwood Ridge commune called 'Rainbow' in 1972. I 
discovered 20 idealistic environmentalists much like myself living on 
290 acres. They had purchased the property for $60 per acre," Schaeffer said.

Intrigued and inspired, Schaeffer joined the community. "For $50 per 
month we lived very comfortably, keeping chickens and goats, milling 
lumber to build our first main house and busting our butts building 
pumps and water systems. We were primarily Bay Area and Southern 
California novices trying to learn country living skills. We didn't 
espouse a spiritual philosophy. We were environmentalists wanting to 
live independently, wanting to discover a deeper meaning to life-the 
first wave of Back to the Landers."

Schaeffer discovered other like-minded people in Gualala, Albion 
Ridge, Greenfield Ranch, Potter Valley. "We felt kinship with people 
in other rural areas trying to do the right thing." The 40-mile 
commute to his Ukiah day job at the County's computer center resulted 
in Schaeffer's role as procurer of the community's supplies. "I'd be 
tasked with picking up everything from kerosene lamp chimneys to 
chicken manure. I shopped at Portlocks, the Mendocino County Farm 
Supply and 10 to 15 other stores. I realized there was a need for a 
one-stop shopping location for rural residents." The first iteration 
of Real Goods was born, with the flagship store opening in Willits, 
then Ukiah and finally their 12-acre parcel just south of Hopland.

"We were selling backwoods, off-grid living supplies. We sold books 
on permaculture, country living and Buddhism. Living off the land was 
becoming a cultural phenomenon," Schaeffer explains.

Schaeffer states it became obvious early on that pioneering cannabis 
farmers were among their first customers. "We provided what they 
needed: soil amendments, chicken wire, drip irrigation pipe. By 
1975-76, we saw the emergence of a cannabis industry."

"There was a different culture and lots of paranoia back then," 
Schaeffer recalled. "There were helicopters flying. It started out 
with a few hippies growing for themselves rather than buying Mexican 
weed. There was no profit motive. People wanted to 'grow their own.' 
Then there was a protest on the courthouse lawn, attended by a wide 
variety of people including Joe Allen, Dave Nelson, J. Holden, and 
Dan Hamburg. Someone may have planted a cannabis seed on that lawn, 
and across the street, the DEA was photographing everything. This was 
my first realization that this was a movement."

By 1978, Mendocino County was a cannabis growing Mecca. "People from 
Grass Valley, Humboldt, and Oregon loaded up flatbeds with 
fertilizers and drip irrigation pipe and drove back home. It was very 
exciting, fun times. We were selling legal supplies, but certainly 
had our suspicions about what they were for," he smiles.

 From here, the photovoltaic-cannabis convergence begins. "A guy who 
sold solar panels for the space industry visited the store. He asked 
if we were interested in photovoltaics. At that point, no one had 
even heard the word. We put an ammeter on a solar panel. Those things 
were putting out power!"

Real Goods began selling 9-watt panels for $900. "First we sold 
three. We ordered 10, then 100, then 1,000, These were the first 
panels sold in the US and very probably the first sold in the world."

"People now had money from their ill-gotten gains, and they were 
spending it on necessities like PV panels. Who else could afford 
these panels?" he said. The store brought in 12-volt televisions, 
110-volt inverters and more off-grid supplies.

Schaeffer soon received a visit from men in business suits, 
representatives from Atlantic Richfield Solar (ARCO). "They asked why 
we were selling so many of their photovoltaics," Schaeffer smiles. 
"We were trying to be on the down-low, and explained that rural 
homesteaders needed power, which was true. Everyone was worried about 
the DEA. Everyone had a 'don't ask, don't tell' policy."

Cannabis growers were jumpstarting America's solar industry, and the 
photovoltaics industry was supporting growers by allowing them to 
live off-the-grid. "We had no idea that either industry would become 
what they've become today. Cannabis farmers' early support for clean 
power helped all of us get us away from fossil fuels, an amazing, 
synchronistic co-evolution between cannabis and solar," says 
Schaeffer. Fast-forward to 38 years later: Real Goods welcomes 
Emerald Pharms to the Solar Capital of the World.

"Cannabis is no longer hush-hush. In the old days, people came to the 
store very close-lipped. Today they walk in and say, 'Hey, I'm 
looking for a solar lighting system for my trimming crew.' It's 
widely accepted that medical cannabis has improved the lives of 
countless people. We have a statewide ballot initiative coming. We 
have a progressive Sheriff in Tom Allman and a forward-thinking 
leader in Carmel Angelo, who's investigating how Mendocino County can 
make money from cannabis to help fill its coffers. We have a 
sympathetic Board of Supervisors who are grappling with taxation and 
regulation schemes. All of this led to our decision to rent to a dispensary."

The solar dispensary, tucked behind the Real Goods store opened its 
doors in October 2015. Walking into the dispensary, one is struck by 
the calming, educational atmosphere and attentive staff. Though the 
requisite jars of cannabis flowers are tastefully displayed in glass 
cabinets, there are larger displays of a variety of sublingual plant 
extractions, topical creams and salves, dose-specific gel capsules 
and a plethora of edible products, with almost all items locally 
sourced or produced. Some products bear a "Clean Green" 
certification, which requires farmers to demonstrate a legal source 
of water, runoff protection barriers, and utilization of natural 
pesticide controls. For Schaeffer, the dispensary's focus on the 
provision of lab-tested, CBD-rich medical cannabis products, 
individualized patient support, locally-grown and sustainably-farmed 
plants and products make Emerald Pharms a perfect Real Goods partnership.

Chelsea Lucich, Director and General Manager of Emerald Pharms has 
instilled what she calls "Mediquette" into the ethos of the dispensary.

"While we study cannabis science, we also tune into patients and 
really listen," she continues. "The goal of Emerald Pharms is 
empowerment, education and inspiration, helping people lead a 
happier, healthier life," Lucich explains.

Emerald Pharms features Care By Design CBD products. The line of 
sublingual cannabis preparations are manufactured with differing 
CBD-THC ratios. Certain products are designed for patients who seek 
to benefit from cannabis without impairment or sedation side effects, 
making cannabis medication accessible to those who cannot tolerate or 
do not care for the "high" feeling commonly associated with THC cannabis usage.

"Medibles" have come a long way from marijuana brownies. Today, says 
Lucich, gluten-free, sugar-free and vegan options are available, all 
displaying clear dosage recommendations. "We ask patients what their 
prior cannabis history is, which helps us recommend cannabis medicine 
that will be the most effective for them," Lucich continues.

Lucich encourages cannabis farmers and product producers to stop by 
and meet the staff. "Farmers are welcome to bring in a product sample 
for a free analytical lab test," she concludes. The dispensary also 
offers support to seriously and terminally ill patients through a 
nonprofit "compassion program."

The next step? The construction of a cannabis museum. "We're going to 
show the evolution of cannabis as a plant that has been in 
association with humans for thousands of years, to cannabis 
prohibition in the US, to the convergence of cannabis and renewable 
energy. Stay tuned," Schaeffer smiles.

Whether from Real Goods' return to local control, their substantial 
landscape improvements, or the addition of Emerald Pharms, a customer 
count analysis of the Real Goods Store conducted in February 2016 
showed a 50 percent increase from the previous year. "We spent a year 
revitalizing the site and improving store inventory. Word of mouth is 
working. Visitors comment that this is the most amazing store they've 
ever seen," Schaeffer notes, adding that he looks forward to the 20th 
anniversary of the Solar Living Center and the 38th anniversary of 
Real Goods, with events planned for the weekend of June 11 and 12. 
"We're going to dig up the time capsule we buried two decades ago and 
have a great weekend with music, reunions, speakers and workshops."

And unlike many products, he won't be offering solar panels at 1996 
prices. "Today, they're less than $1 per watt," he smiles.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom