Sometimes when Robin Bolster-Grant is driving down a road in Santa Cruz County’s unincorporated area, she’ll a get a strong whiff of fresh skunk-like aroma—the unmistakable scent of cannabis—and can’t help asking herself if the grows she’s smelling are legit.
“These issues were never going to be easy,” Bolster-Grant, the county’s cannabis licensing official, says of the regulations which the Board of Supervisors is expected to finalize on Tuesday, May 8. It’s one thing, she explains, to develop a regulatory framework, “even in a place as liberal as Santa Cruz.”
“But,” Bolster-Grant adds, “having a pot farm in your neighborhood is real.”
Given that the coming cannabis rules will take effect June 8, everyone is soon going to see if and how the new licensing program and local laws work in the real world.
Many neighbors wanted to see the plant regulated the same way any other form of agriculture would be—especially given cannabis’ odor and other impacts (like reggae music and watching Seth Rogen movies with the volume turned way too loud, probably). And in a lot of ways, it makes sense, since cultivators often say they wanted to be taken seriously, like a real industry. What could possibly be more legitimate than getting placed on par with a commercial tomato- or lettuce-growing operation?
The problem is that if you crack down on growers too hard, you disincentivize pretty much everyone from coming out of the black market—including growers that have been following every medical cannabis guideline for years. A thriving black market would undermine the entire point of legalization and could conceivably create more problems for neighbors, too.
Bolster-Grant says planners tried to find a middle ground, but she has still seen how difficult it’s been for some cultivators to pivot in the newly legalized world.
“There are a lot of forces that argue against coming out of the black market because you’ve always done things differently,” she says. “Maybe you don’t have all the money to come out of the dark. It’s also a culture shift. ‘Wait, what’s a permit? I have to go to the planning department?’”
Bolster-Grant says she doesn’t worry about the little grows that go unnoticed or the small-time hobbyist cultivators sharing a little herb with their friends. The county, she says, is focused on the bigger neighborhood impacts.
She adds that if the rules end up being devastating to either growers or the environment, county planners and supervisors will “take another look.”
Bolster-Grant has heard the concerns that code enforcement won’t have the muscle to take on anyone who refuses to play by the rules. But she says that with the resources the county is adding to the sheriff’s office, the district attorney and county counsel should help tremendously when it comes to pulling bad weeds.
Even without all that backup, the county has already managed to put two people in jail for growing in the past, via code enforcement, Bolster-Grant says. And when that fails, ripping plants out of the ground is a pretty effective method as well.
“If your whole business is growing 1,000 pot plants,” she says, “that’s going to hurt.”
Bearded Irises smell and look amazing, and are drought tolerant, as well as deer- and gopher-resistant. What more could you ask for from a little plant? Brook Lomond Iris Gardens is opening their doors to the public for two weekends, and will be selling them along with other certified organic irises and holding demonstrations on plant care. This is prime blooming season for bearded irises, so if you don’t have any Mother’s Day plans (or forgot about it altogether) grab your mama and head on down. 
For T.S. Anand and Christianna Hunnicutt, collage is more than just gluing things together. Sure, it’s fun and expressive, but it also requires a tremendous amount of patience, diligence and inspiration. Anand teaches for the Prison Arts Project inside the Santa Cruz Main Jail, and her work there has inspired her most recent collages that consist only of torn paper, inspired by popular culture and landscapes. Hunnicutt is renowned for her figurative ceramic sculpture, and after 30 years, has transitioned to working with magazine cuttings, photographs and cell phone parts in her collage. 
The Mini Maker Faire is the ultimate form of show and tell, without the pressure. Whether it’s drones, salsas or candles, there is literally something for everyone. Makers include tech enthusiasts, crafters, scientists, and chefs of all ages and backgrounds. The idea is to celebrate all of the makers and inventors in Santa Cruz and inspire others along the way. Whether you go to network, learn or enjoy a cupcake, you’ll leave feeling inspired by the creative community. 
Former computer programmer for the U.S. Space program and theoretical physicist Daniel Wenger somehow also found time to make stunning mid-century modern steel and leather furniture in the ’60s and ’70s. The 1969 the Lotus Chair (pictured) is his most well-known piece, and has appeared in galleries and collections all over the world. After a 30-year hiatus from furniture making—during which he worked at UCSC, among many other things—Daniel and his son Sam began making functional art together around six years ago. Agency will be showcasing Wenger Designs work along with two other artists during First Friday. 
