Editor:

Cultivating cannabis in the Humboldt hills has been a quiet business for decades. Farmers have worked in isolated environments and problem solved singularly so community outreach on the subject has been slow to form. But it is time for a change if we are to survive as a community. It's time for us to reach out to one another and speak up together.

We can still band together and make sure that our small towns don't go the way of the old washed up mining or lumber towns. The Emerald Triangle has a colorful and long history, the last half a century of which is intertwined with cannabis. We urge you to get loud, get proud and get involved in this topic politically. Some decisions have already been made at our expense, but for so many more the capitol needs to hear our voices. They need to hear our stories. They need to appreciate the artisanal history in these hills. They need to know we won't just lay down while they move our industry to the industrial fields and sell out our values.

This is not only a fight for farmers but a fight for communities. Restaurants, hotels, car dealers, health food stores, boutique clothing shops. The heart of your community has grown and been able to thrive with the support of the cannabis industry revenue. As a whole, we need to reach out and speak up. The call to action is now and the difference is you. Decide and vote on local officials, donate to the organizations that fight to protect small farmers, write letters and make phone calls.

It's time for all of us to band together to fight for our economy, our community and our history.

Amos Faraon, Garberville