We humans have always had a thing about the mystery of it all. You know, the curiosity we all hold deep inside of us, the questions we ask ourselves every day–those notions which tie us to the rest of the world. The mysteries which we strive to be answered, and those which we are sure we can never solve. Like a driving force, we give preponderance to the vastness which is the unanswerable, yet take for granted our truth in knowledge-we may find a human distinction in giving priority to the unknown as facts are let to idle away, out of touch and out of reach.
This wholly unique attribute of human sentience to the affinity of mystery of our cosmos drives the narratives we share with one another to help us find common ground, to bind us to this place in time, as well as set the stage for the stories which are cause for distinction between the groups we form amongst each other.
Culture is built upon these ideas and these stories we tell ourselves, and each other. Stories of how we got someplace in time, or stories told to help drive us to another–a of myth and legend.
“I liked myths. They weren’t adult stories and they weren’t children’s stories. They were better than that. They just were.”
― Neil Gaiman
Myth and legend have often been used as tools to support ideals and traditions. Values and virtues were often portrayed during classic literary legends, while using distinct prose and poetry to give voice to the tales. Dramatic portrayals would leave listeners with a heroic ideal in which to replicate, and a tradition to carry on. Around the world these stories have been told and sold and carried on with story tellers being regarded as valued heralds.
Legend is defined as “a genre of folklore that consists of a narrative featuring human actions perceived or believed both by teller and listeners to have taken place within human history” while a myth often consists otherworldly, non-human, or historic figures, often depicting a cultural origin story.
History has its truth, and so has legend. Legendary truth is of another nature than historical truth. Legendary truth is invention whose result is reality. Furthermore, history and legend have the same goal; to depict eternal man beneath momentary man.
Victor Hugo
Cannabis culture is no exception to this human rule of myths and legends. The stage was set for stories to be told far and wide of smugglers and traffickers, growers and dealers, the struggles and joy of black-market procurement of an illegal ‘magical’ herb, and an oppressive regime bent on persecution of those involved. We were culturally primed for an explosion in cannabis folklore told for both entertainment and an earnest intent of passing on reliable information, and even sometimes the diversion of evasion of those who possess malintent.
The plant itself has a quality unlike any other flora. Fingered leaves resembling little else but perhaps the shape of a maple or hops leaf. Tall floral spikes sticky with an oil which carries every aroma our perceptions can separate and define, but which combine to form that often ineffable fragrance which is unmistakably dank.
An effect unlike any other we can come across. When prepared for our consumption we experience those distortions of our senses as something completely unique amongst the assortment of substances we’ve collected for our own mindful inner-travels. Powerful and profound, nothing else delivers such a meditative and mildly psychedelic state of mind, helping users find well-being from proven pharmacological benefits, as well as mindful exploration of headspace.
After all, I believe that legends and myths are largely made of ‘truth’, and indeed present aspects of it that can only be received in this mode; and long ago certain truths and modes of this kind were discovered and must always reappear.
J.R.R Tolkien
Prominent myth and legends tell from one circle to the other of the origins of cultivars, and obscure the source of massive amounts of contraband being distributed around the world. They helped to explain where cannabis genetics came from, and who to seek out in order to find them. They tell of the shared beliefs and values of certain groups and individuals, and provide for a bit of entertainment as we shared moments together with different batches and cultivars.
From the Brotherhood of Eternal Love and missions to Morocco and Afghanistan, to Mr. Nice flooding the globe with tons of hashish, to the legend of Pbud and Chemdog, fantastically meeting at the interdimensional performance of the traveling band The Grateful Dead at Deer Creek, of the story of Dumpster, Deathstar, and Lemon G coming from the hills of Ohio, or the ongoing mystery of the legendary OG Kush, the Queen of contemporary cannabis varieties, people chase the origin of the legend as much as the herb it is associated with.
Cherry Pie Kush, Grandaddy Purple, Sour D, Cookies (Forum/Thin Mint/GS), and dozens of other cultivars all find themselves highly sought after, and all share a similar mysterious quality to their existence within our shared psyche. With the mystery shrouding these highly sought after products also comes high value tagged to their sales and procurement. Rarity and restricted chain of custody helped growers and brokers add value to products and as progeny were created from these highly sought after cultivars, they also became highly sought after and guarded.
When the legends die, the dreams end; there is no more greatness.
Tecumseh
So as we come to a point in time where the dynamic forces that shaped cannabis culture are rapidly changing, will we continue to see legendary batches of herb appear only to be known as a rare delight? Will we continue to value the story tied to the herb as much as the smoke itself? What will happen when we no longer have that rare moment with a special plant, which is rooted to those who fought and scraped to help it grow? What value do we find in a product with no story?
The mystery of it all, what would we do without it?
