Is Marijuana the Savior for Black Farmers in America?

Sacramento, California ~ Tuesday, October 5, 7 p.m. in the California State University Student Union Ballroom, A Point-Counterpoint debate on California Proposition 19 ~ Proposed Law to Legalize Recreational Use of Marijuana

In 1920, nearly 15% of our nation’s farmers were Black; today, nearly 1/3rd of 1% of our California farmers are Black, including Marijuana growers, new organic produce training classes are ongoing.

A few leading Black Professional leaders are taking a new approach to educate California Black residents by publically evaluating a cost/benefit analysis of the #1 Cash Crop, in the #1 Agriculture State and the broader impact on our community.

In light of the dismal reality that less than 1/3 of 1% of California Agriculture producers are Black maybe we can begin to examine the broader aspects of what “California Grown” means in context of the 2008 Food, Conservaton and Energy Act, an over 130 billion allocation of U.S. taxpayer resources in the fiscal year October 1, 2009 ~ September 30, 2010.

A dated Official USDA Marijuana Study shows possible yields of 400-500 pounds per acre of high yield production utilizing natural organic production methods, non-organic yields are often a little higher.

Black Farmers in America, could grow Marijuana as a strategy to restore Agriculture as the Foundation to Black Culture.

California #1 political hot ticket item November 2010 is the question of providing a path toward legalizing recreational marijuana use.

The current reality of dismal support, respect and understanding about the broader Agriculture industry is best shown in the legacy of the earliest California Black Pioneers "unknown" grave markers that continues the use of a foul, racist, degrading name by our U.S. Government.

Most Black folk equate Agriculture with Chattel Slavery and want no part of the lucrative industry, not even to understand the relationship to Black poverty throughout California.

After emotions and posturing define and identify positions, then a broader adult conversation about the pros and cons of recreational marijuana vs. medical marijuana as an thriving agriculture commodity will take place.

Innovative ideas about a California Marijuana Trade and Commodity Board that facilitates leadership in a projected 40 billion dollar market stabilized by consumption by the Black Community as part of a compressive health care challenge.

Earlier this year, the USDA announced the availability of block grants to enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops, defined as fruits, vegetables, tree nuts, dried fruits, horticulture, and nursery crops, our focus remains organic produce.

Marijuana is the #1 cash crop in California and we were invited to join the conversation.

Several Black Farmers have entered into collaborative partnerships to utilize this window of opportunity to restore Black Agriculture producers to competitive status in the 200-300 percent return on investment currently realized in the Marijuana industry.

Faith based communities, NAACP, Urban League, Congress on Racial Equality and many other leading national organizations may begin to debate the broader economic impact of agriculture production of organic produce, herbs and spices as well as marijuana in the Black Community.

Few consider Marijuana as an agriculture product, however broader adult conversations with primary source documentation about the #1 cash crop and other related lucrative ethnic specialty crops has yet translate into tangible support for our National Black Agriculture Action Agenda.

California Black Farmers and Agriculturalists Association continues to cultivated a growing partnership with the USDA while on the front line exposing the foul wicked historical legacy of the “Last Plantation in America” beginning in 1862 with structural residual elements hidden in the 2012 Farm Bill conversation.

Southern Black Farmer Leaders have put 100% effort into obtaining Pigford II funding for up to 1.25 billion for the class of litigants that did not get news or equal access in 1997. A nationwide conversation about equity and equal opportunity throughout the entire U.S. Agriculture is avoided at all cost.

Today, U.S. Agriculture public law still mandates a wide disparity gap in access and equal opportunity via the 1862 vs. 1890 notion of land grant under the Morrill Act, strange but true, many of these same Black Farm Leaders embrace ongoing second class status and support agriculture labor law that facilitates a modern day slave like status for undocumented agriculture labor impacting U.S. immigration destabilizing the true value of harvesting local food production.

Today, in California a medical marijuana card often helps to ease the discomfort from a lifetime of poor health choices, the wide disparity of adverse health outcomes due to access to healthy food is real.

As the California NAACP correctly points out the wide disparity of Marijuana related law enforcement applied in Black communities is the foundation of a historic position by our most respected civil rights organization.

California Faith Based leaders reject this political stance and are considering a renew effort to provide fresh organic fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices to those faith based community members as an alternative to getting high.

A wonderful expanded conversation about Marijuana and the possibility of the #1 Cash Crop in America saving Black Farmers is possible, probably after the November 2010 election when the lawyers begin to take positions to challenge the will of the people.

An essential question for Black Agriculture producers remains, Medical choice vs. Recreational choice since somebody is growing the product, packaging, transporting, financing and providing the medical documentation necessary, who is currently employed in this lucrative market?

A projected 40 billion dollar nationwide Marijuana market could restore Black Agriculture producers back to 15% of the U.S. Agriculture marketplace; today we are less than 1/3rd of 1%.

It is time for an update to USDA, Farmers’ Bulletin #663
Revised Edition ~ Marijuana Study
Washington, D.C. ~ June 5, 1915

Just maybe a 2011 USDA/CDFA contract with a Black Agriculture Producer near the Historic Black Town of Negro Hill, California that would create an agricultural tourism destination that could finally bring honor to the earliest Black Agriculture Pioneers of the Great State of California.