Greetings in the name of the Most High, JAH Rastafari Selassie, or in whatever name you please to use for God. As our spiritual elder likes to say, "We are not here to fight flesh and blood, we are here to fight spiritual wickedness in high and low places", and it's sad to say this but we have much wickedness amongst us in our own medical marijuana community. From the $70 to $105 dollars 1/8ths, to the thugs an the mafia types calling themselves compassionate, or even the websites like Weedtracker who support thugs and mafia types as long as the owner of Weedtracker can drive his new Porsche, we have a lot of fixing to do. We can start to fix it by boycotting the collectives that overcharge for medicine and by boycotting collectives who use false advertising, of which we have a lot, and maybe even use picket signs a couple times a week to let patients know which collectives they should or shouldn't support. It's up to the patients to effect change by spending their money in those places that are fair, honest, and secure, and start effecting the change ourselves.

Over four years ago I visited Los Angeles with Jack Herer on a trip that would change my life. On the way we first stopped in San Francisco, where we were warmly welcomed into almost every MMJ collective we visited, where I saw people relaxing and medicating together in an open environment, with counters of various types set up with quality medicine at a good price, happy people all around with smiles from ear to ear. It was the greatest thing I had ever witnessed as a marijuana activist from the east coast who has been fighting for legalization of this grand plant for over ten years. It was awe inspiring, a sight that I had once seen in a dream, and that dream had now come true. Now we had to stop by several places, but the last one made me feel very uncomfortable, it was like walking into a gangsters stash house and very different from what I had been exposed to from the previous places we had stopped by. Strange thing was, these "compassionate folks", were headed down to their other collective in Los Angeles, the same place that we were headed.

As we arrived in Los Angeles I was overcome by a strange sense of being home, some serious de ja vue, but I some how I just knew I had found my new home. It was when we were driving down Ventura Blvd. That I had that feeling, I am guessing the 85 degree weather and beautiful women everywhere helped with this feeling, but I had it, I was home. The first collective that we entered was over in West Hollywood, on the second floor, no names needed for this place I am sure. As I entered I noticed no social activity, no smoking, only lines of people waiting to donate $100 dollars for OG Kush, with no smiles on there faces, men with guns everywhere, and a couple of really cute girls helping the patients. I thought to myself, "Ohh my God, they've ruined it".

They took a good thing and ruined it, and I was very upset, yet I had little means to do anything about it at that point in my life. 6 months later, and with the help of a few good people, I was here in the Los Angeles and opened my first ministry. HIM in Woodland Hills, the first place with OG Kush For $65 dollars an 1/8th in the city. Remember, at this time HIM was around the 13th collective in the city to open, and no collective had OG for less then $75 and I actually received threats if I didn't change my price. Well I did, but it was lower, and for high quality meds with no corners cut on safety or legalities. Since then I have been the victim of 2 DEA raids, an attempted armed robbery that my dog Dibo and I stopped, ripped off several times by thugs and gangster types, and many more wild stories that will make a great book or movie some day, but I wouldn't change a thing. I often tell people that I wouldn't change my position in life with anyone in the world, and I mean it. I am very simple, just flip flops and bong hits.

I don't drive a fancy car, in fact, I don't drive. I don't wear fancy clothes or wear expensive jewelry, in fact, I don't even own any.

I don't have a need for vacations, and in fact, the only one I have taken in the last four years is a trip to Earth Dance last year where I was actually still working, because Earth Dance is in Mendocino County, wink wink. The one thing that makes me the most happy is to help someone who in a position of need, especially people who are disabled or are in a tough financial situation. We Anoint the sick at our Temple's with oil made from the Bible's own recipe and we have proven cases of healing everything from acne to cancer, with real people who can attest to there condition prior and after use. It is our mission as Rastafarians in this world to free the Cannabis plant from the Wicked, we must burn them out, with truth and word, sound, power. As said before, we are here to fight spiritual wickedness in high and low places and for the healing of the Nations, and victory will be ours, along with yours.

Jah Bless you all, Jah Rastafari Selassie seal this, Ras Patrick Duff