Reba McWhorter's Green Thumb

We'll, here goes on my best recollection of the Reba Sierra Designs Pot story. 

It would have been back in 1991 or 92 when I was working at SD as the Warranty Manager. Of course, the early 90's were a different time and SD was one of the last "hold-outs" for the authentic Berkeley-based backpacker, world-adventurer, eclectic folks...so you get the vibe.  At any rate, suffice it to say,  as employees we took great pride in being a part of SD and did our best to bring our own unique contribution. 

For some unknown SD employee, our front deck was open game for planting a seed, so to speak. 

I must have somehow overlooked it on my way into the office every morning until I was approached with some concern by long-time employee, Reba (at the time in her 60's, I believe ): "Um, Derek do you have a minute to take a look at something".  At first I was alarmed in thinking "oh, no, not another pissed off warranty customer trying to abuse our lifetime warranty"-Reba would take that personally.  I think it's because she worked at SD for 30 or so years.  But that wasn't her concern at all. She briskly walked me out into the yard where we would set up tents during our seasonal sales. The yard had several planter boxes and she looks at me and then points to what was unmistakably a mature pot plant that was primed and ready to bud. "I've been watering this plant for weeks thinking it was a tomato but...we'll, do you think this might be marijuana?"  I had to bite my tongue not to laugh and just said flatly, "yes, I'm afraid you've been watering a marijuana plant". 

Needless to say, she was quite embarrassed and, if I my memory serves me right, I let her know Martin would take it from here. Let's just say, I don't think it went into the "weed" pile for composting.

And so it went at SD back in the Berkeley days. And when American Rec bought SD from Odyssey International they decided to drug test everyone but that's a story for another time.