My Old Kentucky Home: The Marijuana Drying Tent

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I happened upon this drying shed while riding from Bardstown to Lexington, Kentucky, during my 2007 long ride. Of course, these folks were drying and curing tobacco. I rode past their fields of tobacco plants. The roadsides were strewn with leaves blown from the hauling trucks (much like tomatoes falling from overloaded hauling trucks here in the Central Valley of California.)

About five weeks ago, in August, I asked,

"And what's with that giant tent in [the Barefoot Dirty Girls] yard now? It beats me to hell all the shit they constantly haul onto their property! It's like living next to a cross-pollinated wrecking yard, flea market, and opium den."

Well, I got my answer last Friday - and I wasn't too far off with the "opium den" remark. It was hot that day, so hot that the temperature inside the zipped up tent must have gotten excessive and the BDGs rolled up the sides to lower the inside temperatures a little. Sure enough - there's the marijuana hanging to slow dry the hallucinogenic buds the BDGs so carefully cultivated - and viciously guarded - all summer.

This drying and curing tent, smack in the middle of a yard at 810 Fishback Street, is exactly why the City of Manteca adopted an ordinance requiring a solid-wall building for the growing and processing of medical marijuana by individuals. Imagine tents sprouting up in yards all around town for this purpose.

I'm guessing that's why all six dogs are still on the property, even after Yellow and Red were warned with a courtesy notice on September 1st and then cited two weeks ago. (The BDGs are the reason for the grandfathered saying:)

Never Mind the Dogs... Beware the Owners!

Just to make sure the Manteca Police Department is kept in the loop, and to maintain complete documentation for the November 9th court appearance, I submitted the following online:

Mon 10/4/2010 3:52 PM
New Request # 500952

The Complaint you submitted was:
Request type: Drugs/Narcotics
Description: On Wednesday, September 29, I signed a Citation/Notice To Appear against the owners of 810 Fishback Street for growing "medical marijuana" in the open.

The next day, September 30, the plants were harvested and moved to the large beige tent in the middle of the property to hang and dry. Because the tent is not a securable, solid-wall building, the owners are still in violation of MMC 8.35.030 B.

This entry is being logged for documentation purposes.

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