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What to do with a little “weed”?

Posted on July 13th, 2007 – 7:27 AM
By Robyn Dochterman

During a walk about the yard a few days ago, I discovered an interesting weed growing in a group of sunflowers beneath the bird feeders on the deck. No mystery plant, this. I recognized the distinct leaves right away from popular cultural iconography. I bet you will too.

GGweed.jpg

Actually, I wasn’t shocked to find cannabis. It grows wild in ditches and fields throughout the Midwest. I’ve even seen it growing in state parks near my home. And it’s been a guest here before.

When we first moved in three years ago, I wanted to build some flower beds, so I called Gopher State One Call, which is a really great organization that will come out and mark all the underground utilities so you don’t hit one of them as you try to dig a nice hole for your new spruce tree.

The guy who marked the lines turned us in to the sheriff’s office and we got a visit from a nice deputy who asked us if we knew what we were growing beside the house. We actually hadn’t noticed it and could honestly say we didn’t.

We pulled all that up (it was in my soon-to-be flower bed anyway), but I’m tempted to let this new plant grow.

Cultivating pot is illegal in these parts, of course. But what if I don’t water it or weed around it? Does that count as cultivating? If I allow it to grow, is it the same as “growing” it? Would you pull it up or let it grow?

Even if I don’t pull it up, I won’t be smoking the “ditchweed” as it’s sometimes called. George Weiblen, a University of Minnesota professor found no detectable levels of of THC (the psychoactive component) in wild cannabis. His study is here if you’re interested.

I guess I could try to make a hemp rope out of it!

This entry was posted on Friday, July 13th, 2007 at 7:27 am and is filed under Weeds. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

13 Responses to "What to do with a little “weed”?"

Ranty says:

July 13th, 2007 at 8:46 am

Well, the foliage is kind of attractive…

Beth B says:

July 13th, 2007 at 8:57 am

I’d be tempted to leave it there, I think. It is an interesting color & texture, and if you don’t have a field’s worth of it, does it really count? ;)

Tracy says:

July 13th, 2007 at 9:15 am

I would also be tempted to leave it, although now that you’ve posted about it, you might get another visit from the sheriff!

Two years ago, our city (a Mpls inner-ring suburb) tore up our road and put in a new one. Since we live on a little circle that is mostly wild, when they were done they planted a “wildflower mix” along most of the side of the road. As the new plants came up, we discovered it was more of a “weed” mix, not only including burdock and thistle, but also, well, weed. By mid-summer, my husband and I were pretty positive we were the only ones who had noticed that we had cannibis growing alongside the road, and watched its progress every day.

Then one night in late July I took the dog for his evening walk and noticed it was all gone. Someone in our neighborhood had finally noticed the 6′ plants and had called the city to have them removed. I have a feeling it was one of the teenagers on the street who “busted” our plants.

We were sort of bummed. Not only did we want to see how tall they would get (we were betting on 8′ tall), but we thought of it as our private joke - our city actually planting weed on one of their streets, and none of our neighbors the wiser.

Amanda says:

July 13th, 2007 at 10:44 am

In the back yard of my good friend’s parent’s house in a northern suburb there grows large quanities of “weed.” On more than one occasion, after running out of burnable wood in the chimaya we would burn the ditch weed. It burns very nicely while emitting the same sweet, sweet smoke of its intoxicating brother. If you have the fire pit and the curiousity and the gumpsome, I would suggest giving it a try.

Miss P says:

July 13th, 2007 at 10:45 am

There was a story up in the Duluth paper last year about cannibis growing in a planter outside one of the neighborhood police stations. I’m not sure if it grew on its own or was planted there as some kind or prank or political statement. Anyway-I’d let it grow. It’s beautiful.

Robyn Dochterman says:

July 13th, 2007 at 9:33 pm

Good to know I’m not the only one who hasn’t rushed to do the “right” thing and yank this up. I’ll let it grow for now — and will let you all know if the deputies come knockin’!

Annie says:

July 14th, 2007 at 9:01 pm

Let her grow. After all, who are we to mess with what mother nature sees fit to grow?? :)

Heather says:

July 16th, 2007 at 1:12 pm

And while you’re watching, you might also want to read chapter 3 of Michael Pollan’s “The Botany of Desire”…

sparklegirl says:

July 16th, 2007 at 2:04 pm

A friend of mine swears by hemp moisturizer. Maybe there’s an opportunity here for some home-made bath products?

gardengoddess says:

July 18th, 2007 at 1:50 pm

Ummm…Am I the only one who thinks it’s a bad idea to let a hemp plant grow to its full size just for fun? I mean, it’s ditchweed, true, but it might become of interest to some goofball adolescent who will stalk your backyard with hopes of snagging said plant for purposes that will prove disappointing.

Jaime Chismar says:

July 19th, 2007 at 3:51 pm

Think it would make a decent mulch? You could market it as “Scandia Skunk.” Heck, I’d even make you a cute logo.

brown bedspreads says:

August 21st, 2007 at 1:50 am

Where I see gallery?

Alex says:

August 23rd, 2007 at 4:24 pm

I grew up in Boulder Colorado in the 1960s and what with being a university town as well as a counter culture hot spot, grass was rife.

In those uptight times, the city fathers didn’t know much about pot except that it was “bad” and it was a musty, leafy product that came in baggies.

That’s why it was so funny that many smokers saved their seeds spread them in the lawns and flowerbeds of the courthouse, central park and the police station.

A real hoot to watch the cops go out to battle drugs and the city council pass all kinds of city laws, all the time literally wading through pot fields on their way to work! :-)

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