Last month, public television aired a program called "The Botany of Desire", based on the book by Michael Pollan. In it, he explores the life and history of 4 plants: the tulip, the potato, the apple, and the marijuana plant. He demonstrates that what is critical to the evolution of each of these plants is human demand, and how that shapes the development, science and marketing of what may seem like ordinary products.
Since I watched the show during a fund drive, I got to hear Pollan's commentary on the making of the program, and he talked about how difficult it was to get PBS to sign on to a show that talked openly about the state of marijuana today, from the medical marijuana stores to the grow houses. We forget, especially here in California, that while some of our public media may appear to be liberal, they are essentially running a business and do not want to air anything that may risk offending their viewers, aka supporters. It is only through the success of Pollan's other works and resulting celebrity status that this program finally made it to air, 10 years after the idea was conceived. And what we would have missed had it never been viewed - it's a interesting, informed, scientific and social exploration that will change the way you think the next time you look at an apple or a french fry.
If you don't think that marijuana products are a serious, regulated, legitimate, big business, just visit a medical marijuana store, and look at how the product has evolved (and lest you think that these stores are a rarity or only in hippie communities, consider that Denver reportedly has more pot dispensaries than Starbucks stores).
Around the same time that Michael Pollan was on his quest, in 1999 my friend Drew conceived the idea and image of The Bong Girl, which he created as a symbol for the legalization of marijuana. He has just launched a new website detailing the history of The Bong Girl and her role as the crusader for ending cannabis prohibition. The site offers flirty and fun apparel and accessories, surrounding the simple claim that "Activism + Sexy = You".
The design was inspired by the mudflap girl image that is seen on trucks throughout the country - exploring the notion that truckers are the cowboys of our generation: out on the open road, guided by truth, living an authentic lifestyle.
The Bong Girl is a site devoted to the idea of freedom, and the grass-roots movement of a community getting together to show the demand and desire for marijuana as a natural, peaceful leisure product that should not be restricted by law. Check it out, get informed, and if you are in support, buy some gear. This is the botany of desire, indeed.
