While the word culture implies numerous connotations, one definition states that culture refers to the cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving.  By a brief inspection of daily life for users of marijuana, it becomes immediately evident that this particular group exhibits what can be called its own culture, composed of, yet distinct from the culture of its surrounding people.  The study of Cannabis Culture, or Cannabicana, is the exploration of the unique tendencies and the philosophical implications of the counter-culture cannabis world.

The Homegrown is a website dedicated to Cannabicana, the study of (American) Cannabis Culture.  It should be put forth immediately that it is not the intention of The Homegrown to facilitate or otherwise condone any illegal activities.  It is merely an exploration of the peculiar tendencies of the nationwide collective of marijuana users.

Definition and Properties of Culture

As stated in the introduction, culture refers to the cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving.  This section will examine each of these properties and provide both explanations and examples of why Cannabis Culture exhibits that property.

• Knowledge:  Marijuana users carry with them a vast array of marijuana-related knowledge.  Those who cultivate marijuana posess a mastery of botanical equipment and demonstrate a thorough understanding of both the classification and care of Cannabis plants.  Regular users store vast arrays of useful information regarding marijuana ranging from assessments of quality and amount to mental blueprints for the construction of several devices for using marijuana.  These realms of knowledge are not reflected in the peoples surrounding, but not part of the Cannabis Culture.
• Experience:  Where do these vast arrays of collective knowledge originate?  The answer is almost exclusively verbal transmission of past experiences.  The origin of the contemporary counter-culture dates back only through the 60's, making contemporary Cannabis Culture a fairly young culture in the eyes of world history, though it can be argued that Cannabis Culture itself precedes the 60's significantly.  Cannabis Culture is characterized by experience-based learning facilitated by the advice and encouragement of more experienced members.  The older generations of marijuana users aid subsequent generations by providing them with accounts of their own experiences, so what works can be continued and what does not can be avoided.
• Beliefs:  Frequent marijuana users have similar beliefs on many core issues.  While there is certainly a large level of disagreement on less related issues such as religion or morality, as there is with any culture, marijuana users do agree when it comes to certain things. One thing most users will argue is that the criminalization of marijuana is immoral, wasteful, or otherwise unnecessary.  Few users consider use to be a vice or scourge of any kind, unlike with other substances where users can feel and be aware of the damages they are causing, yet find themselves unable to stop.  Belief in peace and good will seem to permeate most of the pores of frequent marijuana users, reminiscent of the days of Woodstock.
• Values:  Morality and value-judgments are often a general reflection of the surrounding communities in Cannabis Culture, but at the same time, the fact that marijuana users consider an activity morally justifiable regardless of the feelings of others on the subject indicates a fluid sense of morality.  As the punishments for possession, use, and distribution of marijuana can be relatively severe, a large proportion of the Cannabis Culture value system reflects the protection of individual members of the community.  There is a definite and relatively consistent set of both rules and etiquette for members of the Cannabis community.
• Attitudes:  The very nature of actively participating in an activity one's country defines as so harmful that it is to be proscribed, indicates a certain attitudinal consistency.  Marijuana users feel that they are responsible enough individuals to circumvent authorities and continue engaging in illicit activities.  They feel that their wills supersede the wills of others to control them, at least with regards to the usage of marijuana.
• Hierarchies:  There is a fairly clear hierarchy in the Cannabis Culture community.  The first mode of the hierarchy is defined by level of experience.  More experienced users who demonstrate a vast array of marijuana knowledge, capable of taking large bong hits, rolling high quality joints, or building homemade smoking devices are generally more respected in the marijuana community than novices.  The second mode of the hierarchy is related to the manner of marijuana distribution.  High level dealers are both feared and respected, whereas street-level dealers are approached with less regard.  The world of marijuana use has quickly evolved into a clearly defined social system, with properties that indicate it as legitimate a social system as any other.
• Religion:  While marijuana can be attached to religion in some situations, religion generally does not have any distinct uniformity in the Cannabis Culture community.  While there may be a higher proportion of people hostile to religion in Cannabis Community due to religion's tendency to control people's behavior and the marijuana user's fundamental moral rejection of control, there is no clearly defined religious order throughout the Cannabis Culture community.  Some religions and religious organizations are more friendly to marijuana than others, and some even base religious ceremonies on its use.  In general throughout America, however, smoking remains a secular activity.
• Notions of Time:  This category was most likely included in the definition due to Mbiti's discussion of the concept of time in traditional African culture.  While some argue that concept of time is constant throughout the human condition, considering the case it is experienced differently by others, I would argue that members of the Cannabis Culture experience time in ways similar to the people around them.  Still, there may be some validity to a distinct notion of time within the Cannabis community.  Marijuana growers may organize the year by how it relates to the harvest cycle.  Marijuana users may experience a dilation of time when under the influence.  In general, people relate time to what they do, and if a person is regularly using marijuana, it will permeate into their understanding of time, as it would with any activity.
• Roles:  Within the Cannabis Culture community, individuals often assume certain roles.  These roles are based on certain tendencies, such as the frequency of use, regularity of possession, or willingness to share.  Labels begin being applied to people, like Mooch, and these labels become self-fulfilling prophecies, propelling individuals further into a consistent behavior.  Soon, members of a community begin assuming roles consistently, and the other members quickly become aware of these roles.
• Spatial Relationships:  I would imagine this is one of the more deep-rooted domains of cultural knowledge, requiring thousands of years to develop.  Therefore, by both its age and its diffusion within other cultures, I feel that Cannabis Culture does not exhibit a distinct concept of spacial relationships.
• Concepts of the Universe:  The highs produced from smoking marijuana can sometimes encourage vegetation, as the media so kindly betrays in anti-smoking advertisements; however, they can also produce engaging and intellectual thought processes relating to fundamental questions such as the very concept of the universe.  Though sometimes a little illogical or otherwise silly, at the very least marijuana highlights certain perceptual phenomena and forces users to question traditional notions of reality, morality, and existence.
• Material Objects/Possessions:  The realm of the material objects of marijuana users yields an enourous catalogue of unique artifacts of Cannabis Culture.  Whether a deep collection of generation joints, or a pipe passed down through generations, Cannabis Culture is not lacking in the department of material possessions.  Aside from marijuana itself and paraphenalia,other items like tapestries, incense, and artworks are also found surrounding Cannabis Culture.

Why Cannabicana?

So it must be admitted that the community of marijuana users can be considered to be part of a distinct Cannabis Culture, as it can be argued that any of the traditional properties of the defintion for culture are satisfied with respect to this community.  Though not necessarily as deeply rooted as other cultures, Cannabis Culture is no less valid than any other community in existence.  Furthermore, the study of Cannabis Culture, or Cannabicana is no less legitimate than the study of African culture, Africana, or the study of American Culture, Americana. 

While an individual may have a personal opinion on the subject of marijuana use, it is an undeniable fact that there exist users of marijuana and that these people who are human beings exhibit the properties of culture.  Therefore, we owe it to ourselves in celebration, condemnation, or simply exploration of the human experience to study and understand this culture.

Aside from the never-ending quest for knowledge, Cannabicana can only help to support or refute the various opinions people have regarding marijuana.  The U.S. government has sent a clear message regarding its opinion on marijuana and it would be an absolute shame if this opinion was based on conjecture, rather than facts.  Parents around the world are concerned about how marijuana's presence will affect their children.  Even marijuana users sometimes ponder marijuana's effect on their own lives.  Without a thorough study of Cannabis Culture, no useful knowledge can be gained and nobody wins.

How The Homegrown Presents Cannabicana

The Homegrown acts as a library for people interested in Cannabis Culture, regardless of these people's intentions.  Many of the articles in this library were written by the sites owner with knowledge gained from his years of research on the subject of marijuana.  Since we can only benefit from the free exchange of information, much of the content of The Homegrown has been submitted by its user base.  The primary purpose of The Homegrown is to understand Cannabis Culture.  

The articles contained on The Homegrown are written in many different ways.  Some articles are a more detached scientific inquiry, some take a particular position on a certain issue and present the arguments of the position as if they were the arguments of the author, and others are written in a guide format.  The way articles are written is based on the author's opinion of how best to convey the information.

Disclaimer

All information contained on this site is for educational purposes only.  The Homegrown does not endorse any illegal activities.

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