''Isn't This Wild?'' Joanne Clarke's Story

In a recent expose' by Deborah Netburn of the Los Angeles Times, a legal secretary, Joanne Clarke, happily provided the reporter the grand tour of what used to be her daughter's bedroom. These days, it's serving as a carefully controlled environment for her marijuana plants. Upon the reporter's entrance, Clarke exclaims, ''Isn't this wild?!''

Clarke leads her guest down the mini aisles designed by her husband, each with plants at different maturities, as she explains the nuances in the various plants, their particular characteristics and the almost indistinguishable marks differentiate them. Needless to say, she's a supporter of California's Proposition 215, which passed in 1996. This makes it legal for those who are deemed ''seriously ill'' to cultivate their own marijuana plants for medical use and if it's been recommended by a licensed physician. There were no limits on possession or how many plants a person could own.


In 2004, Senate Bill 420, also known as the Medical Marijuana Program Act, officially went into effect. Its goal was to encourage voluntary registration of patients who use medical marijuana. The information would include those caregivers, who could be issued a state identification card for use in case questions were asked if they were ''caught'' with marijuana in their possession, provided it was no more than eight ounces of dried marijuana or no more than six mature or twelve immature plants.

In 2010, People v. Kelly resulted in the Supreme Court ruling that patients could possess or cultivate ''as much as is reasonable necessary''. This, of course, addressed the limits outlined in the 2004 bill.

In the meantime, people like Joanne Clarke continue to carefully harvest the plants for personal use. Her husband, says Clarke, is a thoughtful gardener who's invested much of his time into ensuring the plants do their job and grow healthy buds. The former bedroom appears to be just another room whose door stays closed; however, once you open that door, you know there's anything but a traditional bed, dresser and desk. The heavy black plastic overhang that you must push through is usually the first giveaway. The room is kept at the perfect temperature and the light is carefully adjusted as needed. Heat lamps, small planting cups and careful mixtures of soil and fertilizer are seen from the doorway.

Much like she and her husband likely did with that daughter who used to occupy the room, she admits the two of them coddle and talk and encourage the plants. She admits ''they are like our children''. Still, their ''children'' aren't allowed visitors as a rule. As she explains, ''95% of our friends are fine with it; but it's that 5% I worry about. I don't want to make anyone uncomfortable''.

So why grow it all instead of getting a prescription? She admits that it's expensive and frankly, it can be awkward. Further, with the city of Los Angeles continuing to crack down on what constitutes a legal dispensary, it's becoming increasingly difficult to even find it.

Clarke and her husband continue to harvest and nurture their own plants to deal with an otherwise painful disease that would require strong drugs with even stronger side effects; instead, a few hits off a 'joint', and the pain is eased. And for her, that's what it's all about.