For nearly three decades, Michael Poole has been living on 17.5 acres of land on the western coast of British Columbia, where he’s started an anarchist commune for young people looking to break away from mainstream society. Aside from a few simple rules—recycle, respect all beings, and steer clear of hard drugs and violence—folks are free to do as they please, whether that’s hanging out by a campfire, jamming with their buddies, or helping Poole grow magic mushrooms and harvest cannabis.VICE’s Manisha Krishnan spent a few days at Poole’s Land to see what the commune was all about, and talked with Poole and the people who live there to hear why they decided to drop off the grid.Follow Manisha Krishnan on Twitter.Sign up for the VICE Canada Newsletter to get the best of VICE Canada delivered to your inbox.
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