GreenLeaf Feb 2021

What do you get when you cross Spanish royalty,
the "summer of '69", drug runners, state government,
and lots and lots of cannabis? No, it's
not the plot of the next Seth Rogan film. Ok, well,
it could be... but it isn't. When you break it down
and roll it all up, you get one hell of a story to puff
on. The name of the story? Rick F#$&ing Naya -
The "great grandfather of hybrid cannabis". Rick
is like one of those astronomical events that only
come around once every 200 years. There are a
lot of amazing people fighting this fight but few of
them have the background or the credentials that
Rick has carried with him since birth. You see, he
was born into the aristocracy. Not something like
it or symbolic but true "blue blood", run-the-world
type of privilege. You'd never know it if Rick didn't
tell you. For every bit of confidence and charisma
that pours out of him (and it's a lot), there is an
equal amount of humility and service. In fact, if
you even remotely understand the implications of
the fight for cannabis legalization or for the betterment
of humanity in general, then by the time
you've listened to Rick for 10 minutes you want to
shake his hand and thank him for everything he's
done. At least I did.
Cannabis Grown &
Bred by Rick
Rick was born in the US, on the 4th of July no
less, into a family of very wealthy and affluential
politicians who in turn were descendants of Spanish
Royalty that had settled in Cuba in the 1580’s.
In their prime, the family commanded the largest
fleet of steam ships in the eastern hemisphere.
No joke -- he is a bonafide prince with a family
castle in Spain and everything! The family were
eventually exiled from Cuba, relocating to the US
by way of Florida. This is where Rick's journey
begins. Despite his privileged upbringing, and
maybe even because of it to some degree, Rick
was exposed to and self-educated on cannabis at
a very early age. It was the summer of '69 when
he tried his first joint and it was unfortunately an
anticlimactic experience. However, it started him
on a path of curiosity that never ended. Here was
a plant that was thoroughly demonized by society
that he himself had tried, as well as many others
he knew of who were not harmed by it in any
way. In fact, some of them were helped by it! Rick
had the opportunity afforded him to dedicate time
J19