Today, ladies and gentleman, I present to you the legend of ‘Thee Dank Knight’.
If you know the legend of Batman (and, let’s be honest, who doesn’t?) then you’ll know that the infamous caped crusader set out to save the people of Gotham from the tyranny of criminal organizations after suffering tragic loss at the hands of others. During his battles with the underworld of his hometown, Batman hasn’t always seen eye-to-eye with the law, yet his desire to fight for justice has never been allowed to wane (sic). Furthermore, the eponymous ‘Dark Knight’ has gained a huge following of fans over the years, but what you may not know is that he has inspired some members of the cannabis community to set out on their own righteous quest with no regard for what the authorities may have to say on the matter. Today, ladies and gentleman, I present to you the legend of ‘Thee Dank Knight’.
Back in his formative years, mild-mannered Adrian Gigg had his first experience with marijuana and immediately felt a connection to the plant which went way beyond simply getting high. Despite his relatively young age, he saw that it had the potential to make a difference in the lives of his fellow man and he began to learn everything he could about his little green friend. In his own words, he ‘saw a difference that could be made and wanted to work on making it happen’. Over the next few years he became increasingly involved in cultivation and genetics as he searched for strains that could provide people with relief from a number of ailments. Whether it was treating the side-effects of chemotherapy, helping with neuropathic pain or assisting people plagued by mental health issues Adrian knew that he had an unswerving motivation to help those in need in any way that he could. Subsequently, Thee Dank Knight was born.
Like many other vigilantes who work outside of the standard rules of engagement, he has paid the price in his quest for change. By the time hewas 24 he had been to prison twice and spent over five years on the inside. Each time he was released from prison he immediately risked being re-incarcerated by going straight back to the plant he held in such high regard. No matter what the local law enforcement agencies thought of him, he knew that he bound to the plant and wouldn’t let anything stand in the way of his work with those in need. In his eyes he was just getting started and the work he had put in so far was just the start of much bigger things to come. In 2009, he obtained a Michigan Marijuana Card that allowed him to legally supply five patients with the medicine they needed and he used this opportunity to focus his efforts even more intensely to ensure that he could cultivate specific strains which could help treat their specific ailments. Amongst those he chose to include in his roster was his own father who had been diagnosed with terminal cancer and a pro soccer player who had been given a diagnosis for multiple sclerosis (MS). He took it upon himself to administer natural medicines to his patients to ensure that they could have a better standard of living than they would have if they had to rely on opioids and other man-made pharmaceuticals. Seeing that he could provide a better quality of life for those in dire situations spurred him on with even more ferocity and Adrian believed that there was no greater goal in life than the pursuit of happiness on behalf of others. In his eyes, cannabis was a miracle plant with the potential to change the world. Sadly, not everyone saw things the same way.
Over the next few years, he worked tirelessly to support his patients and began to make a name for himself as an incredibly competent grower and crossbreeder. Each new strain was designed to help somebody in a specific way, yet this had the knock-on effect of producing a number of increasingly high-quality strain which possessed impressive levels of THC and a solid balance of CBD:THC in their final ratios. The profound medicinal benefits have always been his main motivation, which led to him finding a level of frustration in the blossoming industry’s apparent obsession with profit over anything else. He saw the potential for mankind to take a huge step forward being held back by the greed of some sectors of society and his biggest fear was that the cannabis revolution would be undone by those with their eyes on the baseline figures and nothing more. Regardless of his concerns, he continued to follow his own path and began to amass a huge level of respect from many other names in the cannabis scene. But with great power comes great jealousy.
By 2016, he had become a wellknown and easily recognizable figure in the medicinal scene. In the eyes of some he was spoken of as a ‘master grower’, but he remains humble and firmly believes that he is just someone who loves what they do and shows a great deal of respect for the plant that he works with. One of the main strains which was gaining attention was Star Dog and more than a few people had approached him to ask if they could get his hands on the latest of his impressive wares. Being a man of principals, he was very careful and selective about who could use his strains because he felt it necessary to avoid those who would just grow his strains for their own monetary gain. Unfortunately for him, one of the people who had approached him didn’t give up on their desire and instead they tried a different approach. Having been approached through a known associate, he was led to believe that an investor from the city of Detroit who possessed a valid Michigan Medical Card was looking to help him in expanding his reach to additional patients. Without realizing that he was being set up, Adrian agreed to sell some of his bud to the apparent investor only to discover that he was actually selling to an undercover police officer. In anyone’s eyes this was clearly a case of entrapment, but the onus was on him to prove it (and when you are fighting against the system you know the odds are stacked against you).
As you may expect, things didn’t work out to well on the back of this action. Adrian had lost the rights to his patients, had his current crops destroyed, found that his bank accounts had been frozen and even had his personal stash seized in spite of the fact that he used it to legally self-medicate to treat a spinal injury. This left him with nothing. He can’t work legally as a medicinal supplier, he can’t get a physically demanding job due to his debilitating spinal condition and many employers won’t consider him due to his previous felony charges. Add to this the fact that his family home was taken away from him and you might expect that this would spell the end of Thee Dank Knight. But some people just don’t know when to quit.
In spite of the fact that he now found himself struggling to survive, seeking out any work he could find, working multiple part-time jobs and eating outdated tinned food, he couldn’t just accept that he had been set-up and launched a legal battle against those involved. Putting the police on the stand in court is never going to be an easy task, but he didn’t expect them to be so aggressive in their response to the allegations he had put forward. They made his life Hell and tried to blackmail him at every opportunity. The case was building up well, but when he received documentation outlining that he was being falsely accused of child neglect because he was cultivating plants in a family home and consequently faced losing his daughter, he knew that he was looking at a losing battle. Thee Dank Knight had to accept that he would have to accept the initial charges against him if he was to save his family and have a chance at rebuilding his life. Better that than losing everything forever.
Beyond all the madness in court, Adrian felt the greatest sense of loss with regards to his patients and the people he could no longer help without fear of further retribution. As someone who sought only to spread good in the world, the idea that now he would have to watch people suffer and feel helpless was an incredibly heavy cross to bear. Having spent his life amassing knowledge and perfecting his methods, he was faced with the sad reality that he may never grow again. But then he had an epiphany Thee Dank Knight’s tale of redemption began when he reached out to others in the community and quickly found that he could apply his knowledge in a different way but still provide medicine to those in need. He set out to visit people who needed medicinal marijuana and helped them set up their own grow systems so that they could supply their own meds. He quickly realized that he could reach out much further than he had in the past and help a far wider range of individuals by sharing his knowledge far and wide. Strangely enough, he looks back on the actions of the law enforcement agencies and laughs at the idea that their attempts to stop him from utilizing this incredible plant has in fact acted as a catalyst which has spread his impact like a wild fire. In his own words he explained that, ‘you can’t kill an idea or a dream and the actions we take today will simply be the fuel for the fire of tomorrow.’ This new direction has reinvigorated his passion and helped him to climb out of a dark place. When speaking to him it is clear that he is an incredibly humble man who simply dedicated himself to this plant and always tries to make positivity out of a negative situation. Now he finds himself acting as a guest speaker at different events and is still driven by the same motivation to give people what they need without worrying about what he can make in terms of a monetary gain.
2018 looks set to be a big year for Thee Dank Knight as he hopes to continue to spread his reach further with the help of URB Sciences who have given him a position within their company so that his knowledge and expertise can help their team of scientists to develop products which can make a difference to people across the globe. By acting as a lead consultant, Adrian wants to continue to have a profound effect on people by utilizing this plant and they are currently working on releasing a new microbialinoculant which can make plants more resistant to mold and pests whilst simultaneously improving THC levels by increasing the uptake of nutrients through the roots. He hopes that together they can make a difference through not only their products but also through their investments in helping poorer communities around the world. Whatever happens over the next year and beyond, one thing is certain: Thee Dank Knight’s quest to help those in need shows no signs of stopping. He believes that nobody has anything greater to offer to others but their time and he hopes that he continues to have the opportunity to spread more beauty in the world through his kindness, honesty and integrity. We should always make time for those people who do their own thing and often fly under the radar because they are the true pioneers who will make all the difference as we continue to move forward. Just remember: not all superheroes wear capes and talk in gravelly tones, but one man truly can make a change for the better.
Originally published in Weed World Magazine Issue 133
