Drugsense.org
June 9, 2006
When I received my review copy of the book “Burning Rainbow Farm” I didn’t know what to expect. Having talked with the author, Dean Kuipers, a few times over the years since that Friday morning, August 31, 2001 when Tom Crosslin burned Rainbow Farm to the ground, I had wondered about the book.
In the years before that fateful Labor Day weekend I had visited Rainbow Farm events at the invitation of Rainbow Farm’s long time business manager and webmaster, Doug Leinbach ‘TP Doug.’ I was able to speak from the stage, and given a back stage pass. I renewed a number of old friendships, some going back to the ’70s, and made new friends. Tom Crosslin would take me aside to talk about the ups and downs of his efforts, which are well covered in the book. When the sound level of the bands would get to me, I was encouraged to enjoy myself on the porch of the farmhouse. One evening Nora Callahan of The November Coalition and I used Doug’s computer in the basement for an internet chat session with folks from several countries.
The events were always fun, and full of hope and support for marijuana law reform.
Reading the book the first thing I did was look for the names of friends, and what was written about them. Yes, there was the memorable quote from Gatewood Galbraith:
“‘I have one question to ask you…. and here it is: Did my father’s generation hit the beaches of Normandy and Iwo Jima so’d I’d have to piss in a cup to hold a job in America?!’
“Hell no, came the roar.”
You may recognize the names of other activists who are mentioned, for example: Adam Brook, Tommy Chong, Chris Conrad, Stephen Gaskin, Steve Hager, Jack Herer, Gideon Israel, Marvin Marvin, Ben Masel, Elvy Musikka, Chad Rea, John Sinclair, and Keith Stroup. But this book is not about them.
It is about the life and death of Tom Crosslin and Rollie Rohm. And about the life of others involved in the management of Rainbow Farm; Doug Leinbach, Max Robinson, Derrik DeCraene, Moe Yonkers and others. Biographies best describe the detail in Burning Rainbow Farm for these folks.
And about Cass County Prosecuting Attorney Scott Teter, who never visited a Rainbow Farm event. He was responsible for the trouble, the searches, and the eventual death of Tom and Rollie.
Perhaps for some the history leading to the deaths of Tom and Rollie will be more than they wish to know. But it is a part of the history of marijuana law reform that should be a ‘must read’ for everyone.
In 1999 Greg Schmid, a Saginaw attorney, wrote an initiative, the Personal Responsibility Amendment (PRA), to amend the Michigan constitution to, as the book says, “establish pot as a legal medicine, relegalize the hemp industry, decriminalized small time possession and strip the cops of the corrupting “collars for dollars” incentive driving drug asset forfeiture.” When no national organization or funder would support PRA, which was ahead of it’s time, Rainbow Farm stepped forward and became a center for PRA training, activity and support. Greg became the Michigan NORML state coordinator, in charge of Michigan NORML.
Thus Michigan NORML became a leader in reform efforts, passing medical marijuana initiatives in several cities, and now working to pass initiatives in several more, as can be seen at this webpage http://www.drugsense.org/caip
There are many sources from which you may purchase the 373 page hard cover book. I recommend purchasing it through Michigan NORML so that their continuing reform efforts are supported. I like to think Tom and Rollie would approve. Details are at
http://www.minorml.org/booksale.html
If you would like a signed copy of the book, which is dedicated in part to Rollie’s son Robert, Michigan NORML will provide, for an extra $5, which will go to Robert.
Richard Lake is the senior editor for the Media Awareness Project of DrugSense. At the encouragement of Doug Leinbach he led the effort to create the Rainbow Farm Memorial Website, based in part on the original website, and list masters the Rainbow Farm TRIBE email announcement list. See http://www.rainbowfarmcamp.com/