It Happened.

IT HAPPENED… Many moons ago, Squid had a lair in Santa Monica Bay, and every now and then, Squid oozed into town to resupply the pantry with shrimp-flavored popcorn. And occasionally on these errands, Squid would catch sight of a celebrity, whether it was Charlie Sheen spilling out of a limo packed with beautiful women to procure snacks at a corner store, or Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, back when they were a thing, dancing on the stage of a Hollywood nightclub.

But the thing about celebrity sightings in L.A. is that the predominant ethos of the city is to let them be, pretend they are just like anyone else – no going up to them for autographs, no selfies – because otherwise they might never leave their homes.

But Squid can’t blame those in the Starbucks in Soledad for getting giddy on Tuesday, June 27 when Keanu Reeves dropped in while he was charging his electric vehicle – on that day at least, Soledad lived up to its motto: It was happening in Soledad. And thankfully, Reeves was nothing like his character in the last movie Squid saw him in, Always Be My Maybe, where he played an a**hole version of himself (hilarity ensues). Instead, Reeves happily posed with patrons and employees for selfies, proving something that is true in every place Squid’s traveled: Some people are jerks, but most of them are nice.

PUFF, PASS… Squid remembers how easy it was to find weed during the Summer of Love, when Monterey Pop rolled through these parts and the vibes were groovy, to say the least. It’s finally even easier, now that legal dispensaries dot many parts of Monterey County. Still, there are quite strict rules and regulations legal operators must follow, lest they fall afoul of the long arm of the law.

Case in point: On Thursday, June 29, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office announced it had confiscated and destroyed over 1,400 pounds of marijuana from an “unlawful” growing operation in rural Salinas. While the operation was licensed and permitted, it apparently was not reporting any cultivation activity to county and state regulators as required.

As the DA noted, the cannabis industry in Monterey County – and much of the state – is now suffering through a bad downturn that has put many legal operators out of business. In part, growers blame heavy regulations – including costly taxes, licensing fees and property improvements – for pushing many into the illegal market.

The blame also lies with simple supply and demand: There’s more of the stuff being produced than there are legal outlets to buy it, tanking prices. Squid is a lightweight, and cannot offer to help much by boosting demand in any significant way, but will be watching to see how (and if) things level out.