So, yesterday at 1:35pm, I got an evite to the grand re-opening of a pre-ICO collective which is featured as part of a reality TV show pilot. If the pilot is approved then it will turn into a series on Current TV (a cable network that does edgy stuff). The party/filming was supposed to start at 5 pm.
Normally, I would send out a text message to all the LA-based medical cannabis activists that I know but I had lost all my contacts the day before and had only recovered a few of the #s so far. So I let a handful of people know about it. I called Howard Dover, since we had spoken earlier in the day about getting together to work out the details for his next Medical Marijuana Comedy Show ExtravaGANJA.
So, Howard agreed to go and I had back from a few people who said they would go. Howard agreed to drive me there, so I didn’t have to worry about nothing which was cool because I hate driving sometimes. So, vaped a little before going and Howard brought a joint just in case (which was nice later).
We showed up and there was a food truck out front, a green car with a Pot Locator logo on it with smoke coming out of the sun roof, a table with free goodies on it, some tables set up in the alley with nicknacks for sale and shortly after they set up a sound system and lights.
After a little bit of figuring out what was going on, Howard and I registered with the collective and went inside to chitchat for a while. I noticed that the collective had me sign a “Primary Caregiver” form and I wondered how come since I knew those forms gave them no legal protection and they are not and never will be considered my primary caregiver legally. I didn’t mention anything about it.
Once in the “Bud” room (as it was referred to), we were offer medicated chocolate-covered fruit and other snacks. I had a couple of slices of orange dipped in cannabis chocolate. Howard went straight for the banana. It was good. Howard several more pieces. I eventually had a prune covered in chocolate and a nut cluster thing too. It was all good and I was “rolling” fairly soon.
There was another girl behind the counter that was just “helping out” as she kept saying. I forget her name right now but she had hot pink and black hair and makeup. I love matching so, I liked that but she didn’t know anything about cannabis and just sorta stood there.
I met also Sarah, the manager, who happens to have dread locks and looks really pretty. The camera crew was off doing its own thing until Micah, one of the creators/producers, came in and asked Howard and his friend to do a scene where they go up to Sarah behind the counter.
Micah the producer asked me to leave the “bud” room while they were filming that, so I went outside to chill. When they were done Howard came out and we were all just hanging around outside. And Howard saw a friend of his drive by and his friend happened to be throwing a party later that night up the street [more about that later].
I was doing my best to stay out of any shots they were filming but it was hard, it seemed like they were filming everywhere. So we all went back into the “bud” room and I got to talk to Kristin a bit more and realized we both know Jeff Joseph and we had a good conversation about all of that.
I slow started meeting a bunch of people who were “cast” in this “reality TV” show. A few patients, like Howard’s friend who is also a standup comic. A lady named Karen (or Karene) who knows Barry and the guys at CPA. A met a girl who say the listing on LA casting, she was a medical cannabis patient and an actress. Very interesting. I told her, “I am not an actor, I am an activist”. She got a kick out of that.
Later on in the evening she said she wanted to be an activist too. And I told her it was pretty easy, she just has to show up to meetings and do what she can. She seemed a little worried that she could handle being an activist. I told her to be like Howard Dover and take her passion and find a way to bring attention to the cause through her passion.
While hanging out in the “bud” room Howard got permission to smoke a joint, so we were enjoying ourselves as they were filming the actress and her “friends” coming up to the collective. But eventually, I got super hungry and needed to eat because I didn’t have lunch before arriving. So I had to navigate around the camera crew at the front door and sneak out the back door.
I got a pulled-pork sandwhich. It was yummy but messy. So, I gave half of it to Howard later. I went to go sit down in a director’s chair in the “bud” room. But that didn’t last long because they came in with a fairly large camera crane thingy and the room got to full. And Kristin almost got hit in the head by the counter weight on the back of the crane.
I found a room with comfy couches and some chairs, told Howard and we all chilled in there for a while. After some great conversations, the room cleared out a bit and it was just me, Kristen, Sal (another manager/owner) and then the Producer came in and he paid me some awesome compliments to Kristin.
He was telling her how amazing I am for all I’ve done and all the people I know and telling her that she should get to know me and so on and so forth. I just smiled and left the room. Early, the producer said if the show gets “picked up” they will have to hire me for consulting. I wonder if he was just pulling my leg or if he was serious.
So, after a while they asked all to go back into the “bud” room for a staged segment, where Kristin was supposed to thank us all for coming out and we were all supposed to cheer. She they took a few “takes” of it. At one point the producer, got (most of) the room chanting “I love pot” and that’s where I drew the line. I did not chant along with the room.
They were also throwing edibles out into the crowd and that’s when I thought, “This is nothing like reality” I have never gone into a collective and had them throw “pot” into a crowd of cheering people. I questioned if that was the image I really wanted America to have of medical cannabis. But it’s not my show and I am not calling any of the shots.
They did a raffle and I won a really cool book with amazing glass artwork in it. I also met this very interesting young man who was celebrating his 19th birthday. He had come up to LA from San Diego to check out the Music Institute (he wants to craft guitars). His parents are Jehovah’s Witnesses and very strict. He is very liberal.
He got a flier from a giant pot leaf walking down Hollywood blvd. So he took public transit from Hollywood to the Universal Studios area just to find out that there was NO doctor at the collective. So, he had to take public transit to a doctor.
In all, he spent 5 hours on public transit in LA just to get his recommendation and come to the party. I felt bad for the guy. But he seemed happy. He was a pipe and got some goodies. And my friend, Kate, drove him back to Hollywood, so that he didn’t have to take public transit again, especially after medicating.
So as things were wrapping up, Howard and I decided to go to his friend’s party. We found it fairly easily and I was surprised about how nice the place was. I found out later his friend is a comedian/piano player/actor and he was throwing the party to screen his favorite episode from the show he’s in which airs on Nickelodeon.
Howard and I made a grand entrance and told everyone we had just come from the grand re-opening of a medical marijuana dispensary
We had a good time though. I got a hamburger and found a seat on the couch. The TV show was cute and I could tell why Steve (the actor) liked that episode so much because it revolved around his character. It was funny, I actually laughed a few times.
I got pretty tired after that and Howard and I took off. But all in all it was interesting to say the least. Sometimes, I can hardly believe my life and the things that I experience. Yesterday was one of those days.
I just hope the reality show doesn’t make medical cannabis look bad.
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