“Weed Nuns” of California Pose For Controversial Picture Series

Published on 04/02/2016

A new series of photographs is giving viewers an intimate, inside look into the world of California’s “Weed Nuns,” and the daily activities of their convent.

The Sisters run their own medical cannabis business, cultivate and tend their own plants, and even make cannabis-infused products and edibles.

The striking series of images captured by photographers Shaughn Crawford and John DuBois documents the day-to-lives of the “Weed Nuns” at work in their controversial business.

The striking pictures show the “Weed Nuns” hard at work cultivating, harvesting, and even testing their cannabis products. The setting is intimate and homey.

The Sisters only have a dozen plants.

Medical marijuana isn’t exactly a controversy in California. But Catholic nuns growing and selling their own weed turned out to be just that.

But the women behind the grow collective do not consider themselves nuns in the traditional or Catholic sense.

Sister Kate and Sister Darcy, who live in Merced, California, began their business Sisters of the Valley last year. Using cannabis, the”Weed Nuns” create salves and tinctures made to help with pain management.

The sisters’ organic products include salves, tinctures and oils engineered to treat niggles like migraines and back pain.

Each of the items contain low levels of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive component that causes marijuana’s famous high.

The “Weed Nuns” also make sure to pray over every product before sending it off to customers.

Since launching their business last year, the pair have been selling their products on Etsy as well as their own website.

But they were recently banned from selling their products on Etsy. Etsy banned the “Weed Nuns” for ‘making medical claims’ about their products. Now, the two are battling to keep their business alive.

“We thought it the best place to feature our home-made and hand-made goods. But not long ago, they were bought by eBay,” the pair wrote on a new GoFundMe page earlier this week.

“And yesterday, after nine months of no issues, they rudely took all our items off our shelf, alleging we make health claims.”

With bills piling up and their income being suddenly hindered, they are hoping for public help to keep their Abby, their business and simply their heads above water.

Both Sister Kate and Sister Darcy are legally licensed medical cannabis growers, but new legislation from California municipalities is seeking to outlaw what they do. And now their business and livelihood is in jeopardy.

“We had a dream of living a simple life, making our medicines on a quiet farm, in a spiritual environment, and being self-sustaining,” they said.