Holy smoke! Meet the nuns who grow grass

Article by Marian Venini, originally published on El Planteo

Although they do not belong to any religious order, the devotion of the Sisters of the Valley is undisputed. These women, also known as “weed nuns”, are dedicated to growing cannabis and selling medicinal products made from it.

The organization, based in Merced (which by the way means “grace”), California, has been operating since 2015 and consists of women of all ages with one very clear goal: to share the medicinal benefits of cannabis and achieve its legalization. Additionally, their goal is to combat a medical system that holistic medicine has historically suppressed.

Photo by Shaughn and John.

All of their products are based on CBD. Unlike THC, CBD is not psychoactive, so it has no mind effects, but it is a powerful pain reliever and muscle relaxant. In recent years, important research has been carried out on the use of CBD to treat many conditions such as epilepsy, cancer, arthritis, stress, and depression.

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The Sisters of the Valley strictly adhere to lunar cycles in their work as they believe this increases the plant’s healing powers. In her opinion, the two weeks after the new moon are ideal for medical development. In fact, they even sell cheaper products that they couldn’t make within the appropriate cycle. Their products include oils, soaps, balms, topicals, tinctures, and more.

Activism as a vow

Since they are not strictly nuns, they do not take Catholic vows, but they do have some of their own. Not a religion or a god, but a certain lifestyle. You are committed to helping people in suffering to live simply and respect nature and the lunar cycle. They also include a vow of chastity, but make it clear that this does not necessarily mean celibacy.

Photo by Shaughn and John

One of their most important promises is the vow of activism: the sisters pledge to fight for progressive causes in their communities for several hours a week. These causes aren’t limited to marijuana-related causes; the sisters also give their voice to feminist and social equality struggles.

This is not surprising when you consider that the organization’s founder, Sister Kate, has been an activist for a decade. In 2011, the U.S. Department of Agriculture responded to Michelle Obama’s child health concerns by stating that pizza sauce could be considered a vegetable. Then Christine Meeusen declared that “if pizza is a vegetable, then I am a nun” and began to dress as such when she supported protests. She was part of the Occupy movement in 2011 and was nicknamed “Sister Occupy”.

Photo by Shaughn and John

SEE: Cannabis nuns create Weed Commune and CBD products

After quitting her job in the corporate world, she is now known as Sister Kate and continues to use this habit to emphasize her spiritual commitment to her job. She has also stated that “we need a new type of nun” because the archaic model no longer works.

Photo by Shaughn and John

Sister Kate and her partner, Sister Darcy, seek to create “Spiritual and Honorable Workplaces for Women.” The only prerequisites are a strong social and ecological commitment and the desire to live and work as a community. After working there for two years, women can choose to become sisters and take vows. Of the current members, only one has a background in the Catholic Church.

An ancient calling

Their way of life has often been compared to that of the Beguines. In fact, they were a great source of inspiration for the weed nuns.

The beguines were groups of Christian women that arose in the 12th century. They volunteered, worked independently, and owned land. They also produced literary material, took no vows and were allowed to leave the association at any time.

Photo by Shaughn and John

To nobody’s surprise, her medical practices and her rejection of the Catholic Church resulted in many being persecuted and even burned at the stake. The Sisters of the Valley cannot avoid this comparison: they know that their rituals, mission and way of life would have condemned them to fire a few hundred years ago. This is why they place so much emphasis on social struggles and embrace the growing cultural and gender diversity in the cannabis arena.

All pictures by Shaughn and John. Follow them on Instagram.