THE WEED WARS

RE: “Clean Your Bong: Straining to Strain About Strains” [Cannabis, Sept 28].“I love weed, but I simply can’t give much of a shit about strains,” wrote David Schmader. “If you just want to get high, get yourself an indica or sativa or hybrid and get to it.” Schmader’s piece ran over a month ago. We received the following email this week.

Yeah I just wanted to say to David that Cannabis is all about the strains man.

That is the beauty of the flower that so many different variations exist. That is what makes Ganja Great! That everyone can find that perfect strain that works for them in a wonderful way.

There is so very much more than indica or sativa. Most strains are hybrids of the two anyways. Really all the nomenclature stuff is more like what country the plant is from originally anyways. But there are endless varieties of bud structure, plant growth, colors, flavors and highs.

But yeah man, without people caring about strains and coupled with OLCC’s draconian oversight, in the future, after the Corporate Weed Wars, there very may well only be like three legal strains in Oregon. One of which I’m sure will be Chalice Farms White Widow!

PEACE!!!!!

Ras Patience

“NOT GUILTY”

RE: “The Bundy Brothers Were Just Ruled Not Guilty” [Blogtown, Oct 27], “White Privilege Is the Reason the Bundys Are Free” [Blogtown, Oct 28], and “Don’t Shoot Portland Protestors and Bundy Clan Fans Briefly Squared off Downtown This Afternoon” [Blogtown, Oct 28]. “It’s official,” wrote Bri Brey. “Ammon Bundy and six others have been acquitted of charges linked to the nearly six week-long armed occupation of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.” The next day, wrote Dirk VanderHart, “Don’t Shoot Portland demonstrators protesting police abuses briefly squared off with Oregon Occupier supporters”—a clash involving the burning of an American flag “that belonged to a woman who’d been barbecuing in Lownsdale Square, in celebration of the surprise exoneration…. Things got racist very, very quickly.”

Hey, Oregon federal court and jurors—why don’t you double down and award those rednecks damages for false imprisonment while you’re at it? You can probably pay them in chewing tobacco and Confederate flags. But please don’t pay them in ammo and weaponry. I’m pretty sure they’re all set in that department.

Emilio Estevez

I find it so unreal that anyone can rationalize the disgusting level of leniency that the Bundys were given. Still, the fact that these two groups were in the same place at the same time and contesting the outcome of this particular case without an all-out bloodbath is a testament to the overall restraint of humanity.

Aurelius141

To be fair, cops did shoot and kill one of the Bundy occupiers. The unfortunate lesson to be learned here is that guns make the difference. Bring a gun to a protest, and you’re more likely be treated with patience. Of course, you’re also more likely to be shot and killed by cops.

bridger

They shot one of the Bundy occupiers because the hick pulled a gun. The Feds were just faster to draw. Don’t walk into a government building armed and call yourselves “protestors.” You’re terrorists. The fact that all of them were acquitted is an absolutely disgusting show of bad judgment.

SOLution

A REAL HUMAN BEING, AND A REAL HERO

RE: “Headdress-Rocking Good Samaritan Was Just Trying to Get Some Weed When He Disarmed Gunman” [Blogtown, Oct 26]. “A young man in a Native American headdress” named Rambo Richardson “disarmed a gunman at the MAX stop near East Burnside and 102nd,” wrote Dirk VanderHart. “Richardson—who says he’s a member of the Haliwa-Saponi tribe and hails originally from North Carolina—says he was ‘just trying to go get some weed from Oregon’s Best Meds and saw someone who could use help.’ …Richardson also downplays his role in the incident, writing: ‘I didn’t really do much though, the guy getting shot at had him in a pretty good headlock when I took the gun from the shooter.’”

A great act of heroism. Not the least of which was not accepting full credit, even though the police story was inaccurately painting him as the sole hero of the story. A true patriot.

Aurelius141

You, sir, are a welcomed transplant. Thanks for doing the right thing. That is the Oregon way!

pollo

AURELIUS141, for your multiple contributions to the Mercury’s discourse, we’re awarding you two tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater. Enjoy—but know that if we could have, we would’ve given those tickets to Rambo.

Letters and comments may be edited for space. Email us at lovenotes@portlandmercury.com.