Ms. Juanita
In Memory of Juanita Schluderberg
It has taken me a little longer than I would have liked to write this. I’m not sure I know how to properly process grief for the deceased. I view death as the relief I imagine it to be… pure peace. (I tend to grieve more for the living.) She was suffering. And she longed to be with her partner who, sadly, passed away quite some time before her.
Ms. Juanita is the grandmother of my husband. The great grandmother of my son. And the first of my husband’s family to welcome me with open arms. She was one of the first to offer Hidden Leaf Homestead financial support when our bank account bled dry from trying to keep the business alive, while unable to grow any products, waiting on the state to make their decision on the fate of our property. Without her and the support of just a handful of others, Hidden Leaf Homestead would have been very short lived.
She would not allow me to be defeated. She said that she believed in how much cannabis was helping people and she believed that I was helping people. The most important person being, her grandson, my husband. She strongly disagreed with the governments’ criminalization of a flower and the incarcerations that followed. I’m proud to say that she contributed to the legal movement.
I asked the family surrounding her to let her know that I would be growing “Juanita” (aka. Juanita la Lagrimosa) in her honor next season. I imagined she would get a chuckle from knowing there was a cannabis strain that shared her name. The seeds are currently being stored, with love, awaiting next season. Fittingly, the Juanita strain is Sativa* dominant (just like Ms. Juanita, lol), low in THC, and high in CBD for those mainly seeking cannabis for medicinal use. I wish she could be here to try it.
Juanita Schluderberg passed away at the age of 85 on Wednesday, October 18, 2023 with her grandson by her side. Thank you for the abundance of kindness you showed me, Ms. Juanita.
*Sativa - Not used in the proper/scientific meaning, but in the popular association with cannabis that provides an uplifting effect, as opposed to Indica, which is often used as the description for a more mellow/relaxed effect.
