Marijuana Seeds Illinois: A Home Growers Guide
With Illinois quickly catching up to much of the nation where marijuana laws are concerned, we wonder what John Deere would say to this new cash crop.
Nestled in the middle of Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, and Kentucky, the state of Illinois sits at the southern edge of the Great Lakes region, which it shares with 7 other states and part of Canada. Located at the southernmost point of Lake Michigan, the second-largest of the Great Lakes, Lake Superior being number one, Illinois enjoys the benefit of many shared ports, trade routes, and waterways. Considered the heart of the Midwest, Illinois is nearly all plains with little variance in topography. It spans nearly 400 miles from north to south and, because of this, can experience some radical shifts in climate. Winters are cold, summers are hot and humidity rests around perfect. With around 35 inches of rain in the north and about 45 inches in the south, there is definitely sufficient fresh water supplied to the numerous aquifers. Illinois is also home to a number of well-known and fruitful rivers such as the Ohio River, the Mississippi River, the Wabash River, and the Kaskaskia River floodplain, also known as the American Bottom.
Transformed into pop culture through movies and television over the years is the mafia and street hood scene of the prohibition days. Early Italian and Irish immigrants poured into port towns like Chicago and Boston during the turn of the century. They were not welcomed with open arms and due to the extreme prejudice of American workers against the primarily non-English-speaking arrivals, many immigrants were forced to work in underground enterprises involving liquor, girls, and gambling. Al Capone is probably the most famous name in Illinois history, though the likes of Baby Face Nelson, Bonnie Parker, and Clyde Banner have all made headlines with their malevolent presence. Often cheered on by starry-eyed fans and lusting would-be lovers, characters like Scarface himself became superheroes to underprivileged and oppressed citizens and would prove in succeeding years to become more powerful than the president himself.
As far as culture goes in the Plains State, performing arts, in particular, the blues scene is what first comes to mind. Immigrants have been arriving since early times from Europe and the great migration brought multitudes of displaced peoples escaping the harsh Jim Crow laws of the south. Though many Americans are familiar with the atrocities our government has forced upon peoples of color, one would hope that the incredibly rich culture inherent to such regions of the world is just as recognized. Call and answer themes have been part of African societies’ musical charge since the dawn of music and one fortunate side effect of plantation life in the south is the shift in musical themes and, when such burdened persons fled for their lives to the north, with them came the blues.
Chicago has been home to the Chicago Blues since mouth harps and electric guitars were added to the generally three string slide style of the south. This reshaped Robert Johnson’s Delta Blues style for urban societies and was made popular by names such as Muddy Waters, Howlin’ Wolf, and Big Bill Broonzy. These and other incredible talents could be heard echoing through the corridors of Maxwell Street through the ‘40s and ’50s and, on top of the booming moonshine business post-prohibition, yessiree, they were smoking weed.
The Chicago Bears have been an attraction for the state for decades thanks to A.E. Staley. A big man with big dreams, he was the driving force behind the formation of the Decatur Staleys football club. They took the gridiron in the ’20s and left their indelible mark on the state and later became the Chicago Bears. Recording more victories than any other team and having retired the greatest number of jerseys, the Chicago Bears also boast the most players inducted into the Football Hall of Fame.
Also of note is that Illinois is super hip to artists and art culture. The Art Institute of Chicago is one of the most famous museums in the country, boasting great collections of Monet, Rembrandt, Chagall, Picasso, and many others who have graced her walls. This institution’s art and architecture were also featured in John Hughes’ 1980s comedy Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. The cult comedy about playing hooky from school was a box office hit when it was released and to this day the shenanigans still crack up audiences. The indigenous art scene is also booming in Illinois. With many grants and scholarships being handed out each year and multiple classes and exhibitions available through the American Indian Centre for the Arts, indigenous populations are well represented.
Illinois has been considered one of the most diverse states in America and is a microcosm of the rest of the country. The music scene is happening and there are plenty of other artistic experiences to be enjoyed. The climate works, the water is there, and the plains are ready for planting. With all this hustle and bustle, the Land of Lincoln is perfectly positioned to be the next big hub of commercial and industrial marijuana activity.
