I have a confession to make. Up until recently, I’d never watched a single episode of Weeds on Showtime. Yeah, I know. Shocking. How could the editor of the finest medical cannabis lifestyle magazine around get away without watching one of premier cable’s finest cannabis lifestyle-themed dramas around? Do I have an excuse. Sure do. Several, in fact. First, I’m a television cheapskate and its hard to convince me to spend my hard-earned dollars for premium cable when I often feel TBS and AMC will do just fine. It’s like asking the Spike TV dude to switch over to the Sundance Channel. Not impossible . . . but it takes some convincing. Second, my television viewing is a never-ending impasse between my wife, her beloved The Real Housewives of New Jersey (plus, Mob Wives—can’t forget Mob Wives!) and our poor, overworked DVR. And when there is a clear victory, it usually means the remote control didn’t end up in my hand (Sigh. You win again, dear.)
All this being said, I’ve come to my senses and have since joined Team Weeds. Our calendar editor, as it turns out, is a fan of the show and followed its prior seasons pretty regularly. She became CULTURE’s resident Weeds expert, indoctrinated me in the show’s numerous story arcs and plot twists and was a big help in wrangling together this very special issue (thanks, Lynn!). It was through her insight as well as the trials and tribulations of the Botwin clan that I was able to realize something: Everything I need to know about lifeI learned from Weeds.
What are the odds that a suburbanite mom who knows nothing about cannabis can become one of the savviest dealers around? Nancy Botwin did it. Lessons learned: Take risks. Become an entrepreneur. It can pay off . . . big time.
Loyalties come and go in Nancy’s life and sometimes you meet some pretty scary characters (read: Mexican smugglers). Lessons learned: Always have a backup plan.
We all like to pat ourselves on the back after completing a job well done or outsmarting the competition. However, that only goes so far. Remember how last season concluded, when Pilar threatened Nancy’s children—and her head ended up encountering the business end of a croquet mallet? Lessons learned: Don’t get too cocky.
And lastly, sometimes everything goes wrong, everything ends up effed up and the darkness before the light seems really, well, dark. Don’t lose hope . . . if you’ve planned for a worst-case scenario. Lessons learned: Have a Plan C.
These are lessons many of us in the MMJ community can learn from. How we deal with challenges in life, beat the odds, take risks to succeed and plan for the future is something that will always define our lifestyle. And in the meantime, we’ve got a mighty entertaining Showtime drama to make us laugh and cry.
And speaking of challenges, risks and planning for the future, I’ve got my own dilemma to sort out. Somehow, my DVR mysteriously deleted every single episode of Mob Wives that my wife had recorded. Very strange. Guess I’ve got some’splainin‘ do. Don’t worry about me . . . I’ve got a Plan C.
