By James Priest
In 1999, Tom Lauerman was arrested for processing 448 cannabis plants when authorities raided his collective’s garden. You might think that this would be the last you’d hear of him, but it wasn’t. He came back even stronger and more motivated than ever before.
Tom is affectionately known as Farmer Tom Lauerman. Today, Farmer Tom resides in Vancouver, Washington with his wife Paula, where they run Farmer Tom Organics.
Farmer Tom’s reach goes way beyond the West Coast. He not only cultivates cannabis, but is active in a collection of advocacy groups.
Two years ago, this writer stayed on Farmer Tom’s property while traveling the Northwest. Though Tom resides in the U.S., his reach is international. Farmer Tom has been featured in Cañamo Magazine, which is distributed in Colombia, Spain, and Mexico. He made British tabloids when Billy Connolly visited his farm while filming a TV series called “Tracks Across America,” and recently, Tom was invited to be a guest of honor at Spannabis 2018 in Barcelona, Spain.
Spannabis is the crème de la crème of cannabis events, attracting attendees from around the world. According to Sports Illustrated, Spannabis is “part trade show, part research conference and 100 percent festival of copious cannabis consumption.”
Tom says that he was greeted with open arms and hospitality upon his arrival. “Spannabis was a blast. I got to connect with cannabis enthusiasts from around the world. All the top players were there.”
Farmer Tom is known across Europe for his award-winning strain, Amnesia Haze, a cross of Amnesia and Power Kush, which is carried in Greenardos, a Barcelona dispensary. Greenardos’ owners, Mayol Mayol and Adriano Animatek, learned of the genetics while staying at Tom and his wife, Paula’s, bud and breakfast in Washington state.
Amnesia Haze has been one of Greenardos’ top sellers for three years and running.
For a small-town farmer, Tom felt right at home 5,222 miles away. “It wasn’t because my strain had won many competitions throughout Europe, [it was because] the people are genuinely very nice [and] gracious,” he said.
Image via Wikipedia
After Spannabis, Tom toured La Rambla, a popular tourist destination in central Barcelona. After La Rambla, Tom stopped by WeedMaps’ Spanish headquarters, where he enjoyed an elevated state of mind “high” on the rooftop.
Tom also toured Sensi Seeds Hash Marihuana & Hemp Museum while on his trip, where he received a private tour from the museum’s manager and curator. One of the highlights of Tom’s journey was seeing Futball Club Barcelona play, where Lionel Messi scored the winning goal.
While overseas, Tom spent time making high-quality solventless hash with the Dank Duchess and Blue Eyes, which he described as a learning experience.
Exquisite Spanish cuisine topped off Tom’s trip. “Everything from the [fresh] seafood from the Mediterranean [Sea] and North Atlantic [Ocean], to the fresh fruits and veggies [which] are out of this world,” he added.
Farmer Tom is an advocate, cultivator, breeder, and educator for all things cannabis. His passion to help others runs deep. There’s so much to tell about Farmer Tom, this writer encourages you to learn more by visiting his website.
For more information, visit FarmerTomOrganics.com
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