BOOK REVIEW: BURNING RAINBOW FARM

"Burning Rainbow Farm: How a Stoner Utopia Went Up in Smoke," by Dean
Kuipers (2006, Bloomsbury Press, $24.95 HB)

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/