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38
Lion King
Snoop retires his rap rep—and rises as reggae royalty On the Cover: Photo by Matt Carr/ Getty Images
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10 Letter from the Editor When you’re trying to spread the message of peace—do as Marley did. 12 News Nuggets Cannabis makes headlines here, there, everywhere— and we give you the scoop—PLUS our latest By the Numbers. 20 Destination Unknown Skip the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors, China’s Guanxi Province is the place to be. 22 Profiles in Courage Our latest feature provides insight into the life—and struggle—of a medical cannabis patient near you. 28 Strain & Edible Reviews Our ever-popular sampling of amazing strains and edibles currently provided by your friendly neighborhood dispensary.
16 Suspended Animation How Kevin Smith got his groove back—and is showing it off at the Warfield. 18 Thor the Love of the Plant New evidence suggests Vikings were cultivating hemp.
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68 Cool Stuff From 7 Stars Louisiana Style Boss Sauce to the Fabergé Egg from Mothership, if it’s a cutting-edge product or cool lifestyle gear, we’re all over it. 70 Recipes For an extra special day we came up with an extra special menu. 72 Entertainment Reviews The latest films, books, music and more that define our culture. 76 Let’s Do This Our wrap-up of some of NorCal’s coolest events.
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letter from the editor GET YOUR CLICK HERE
www.iReadCulture.com
Roberto C. Hernandez Editor-In-Chief
Vol 4 IssUE 10
Publisher
Jeremy Zachary
Editor-in-Chief
Roberto C. Hernandez
Arts & Entertainment Editor Evan Senn
Editorial Contributors
Dennis Argenzia, Omar Aziz, Sarah Bennett, Jacob Browne, David Burton, Michael Carlos, Grace Cayosa, Jasen T. Davis, Rev. Dr. Kymron de Cesare, Alex Distefano, David Downs, Carolina Duque, James P. Gray, Lillian Isley, David Jenison, Liquid Todd, Kevin Longrie, Dan MachIntosh,Meital Manzuri, Sandra Moriarty, Damian Nassiri, Keller O’Malley, Arrissia Owen, Paul Rogers, Jeff Schwartz, Lanny Swerdlow, Simon Weedn
What
About
Bob?
Photographers
Steve Baker, Kristopher Christensen, John Gilhooley, Amanda Holguin, Khai Le, David Elliot Lewis, Mark Malijan Patrick Roddie, Michael Seto, Kim Sidwell
Interns
Joe Martone, Dean Mayorga, Derek Obregon
Art Director
Steven Myrdahl
Graphic Designers
Vidal Diaz, Tommy LaFleur
When I first heard that Snoop had been “reborn,” I wasn’t surprised. Many musicians and celebrities— rappers are no exception—reach a point in their career where they reinvent or reboot their identity. And when I heard that Snoop was embracing Jamaican culture and music—the Rastafarian movement, no less— and declared himself the reincarnation of Bob Marley, again, I wasn’t really surprised. After all, Marley was arguably one of the globe’s most earnest, credible, culturally relevant and politically steadfast artists of all time. Virtually single-handedly Robert Nesta Marley was the man who “introduced the world to the mystic power of reggae” as Rolling Stone publisher Jann Wenner wrote in 1994. He was the man who made the world aware of the Rastafari Movement. He was the tireless artist who spread love and understanding—as well as social change and justice—to the world’s stage. If you’re going to say that you are the reincarnation of someone, Bob Marley’s a great choice. It’s easy to understand Bob’s power and legacy. First, Bob Marley taught us about the power of universal love. His own parents literally decided to “get together and feel alright,” as the Third World superstar was the result of
biracial love; his father was White, his mother was black. “Me don’t deh pon the black man’s side nor the white man’s side. Me deh pon God’s side,” is how Marley once reflected on his own identity. Marley, by any definition, was the real deal. After an assassination attempt on his life in 1976 proved unsuccessful, what did Bob do? Two days later, the injured Marley performed right on schedule at a concert aimed at (ironically enough) defusing tensions between Jamaica’s two warring political parties. Marley’s response: “The people who are trying to make this world worse aren’t taking a day off. How can I?” And lastly, Marley reveals something that Rastafarian and MMJ culture have in common: utter respect and reverence for a plant that is the “healing of the nations.” Not only can cannabis help Rastas tap into Jah, the plant is also used as natural medicine. Rastas turn to ganja to treat fevers, colds, stomach aches and pain. It is from Bob Marley’s cultural and artistic legacy that Snoop Lion arises. And so I embrace Mr. Broadus’ reinvention. Some may not. Others will decry it. That’s what happens when you try something risky, or strike out into new territory. Sometimes, little darling, you just need to stir it up. c
Director of Sales & Marketing Jim Saunders
Regional Manager Gene Gorelik
Office Manager Iris Norsworthy
Office Assistant Jamie Solis
Online Marketing Jackie Moe
Account Executives
Jon Bookatz, Beau Odom, John Parker, Dave Ruiz, Kim Slocum, April Tygart
IT Manager
Serg Muratov
Distribution Manager Cruz Bobadilla
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stance in public forum on many occasions. “Let’s be more honest about the consequences of our failure to reconcile these laws that are no longer useful or beneficial,” Newsom said. Speaking on the many politicians who have recently publicly declared their support for gay marriage, Newsom suggested it was time for leaders to “come Silicone Valley tech out of the closet on marijuana, too. workers seeking relief from Newsom referenced Bill Clinton’s San Jose’s plentiful med after-office support of gay marproviders riage as being useless and too little San Jose’s estimated 100+ dispen- too late. A few weeks ago, Newsom saries mean the Bay Area’s tech expressed similar points on HBO’s workers have no problem seeking Real Time with Bill Maher, claimrelief for a computer coder’s com- ing that most politicians secretly mon problems: wrist and back pain support legalizing marijuana. from hours spent at a keyboard, “The consequences of this ‘War on cramped hands and eye strain, Drugs’ is an abject failure; it has according to reports in Bloomberg disproportionately hurt the African Businessweek and East Bay Express. American and Latino communiSan Jose boasts four times as ties.” he said. It’s time for politicians many dispensaries as nearby San . . . to do the damn right thing on Francisco. this.” One dispensary claimed that 40 percent of its patient-clients Oakland officials file appeal were from the tech industry, such in attempt to stop feds, as engineers, programmers and keep Harborside open people that work with superconOakland officials recently appealed ductors. a court ruling that determined In fact, the prevalence of medithe city had no legal standing to cal cannabis use among Silicone sue the federal governments and Valley professionals is such that stop its efforts to close Harborsome employers “say they are havside Health Center, according to ing a hard time finding candidates the San Francisco Business Times. that can pass the pre-employment City Attorney Barbara Parker said drug test,” according to Barry the appeal is part of an effort to Sample, director of science and protect legitimate MMJ patients. technology for Quest Diagnostics Federal prosecutors have been Employer Solutions. pushing asset forfeiture proceedings against Harborside since last
THE STATE
Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom: Time to “Come out of the closet on marijuana”
year, arguing it defies the federal government’s criminalization of cannabis. Oakland city officials argued that shutting down Harborside would cause the community great harm.
THE NATION
state law to make these offenses a fine-only, non-criminal infraction will significantly reduce state prosecutorial costs and allow law enforcement resources to be refocused on other, more serious criminal offenses,” NORML stated during the bill’s testimony. The bills aim to move the state’s MMJ program from the Department of Public Safety to the Department of Health. One bill contains amendments pertaining to confidentiality, physician requirements, plant transfers and registration requirements.
New York lawmaker Diane Savino pushes new MMJ bill
Hawaii moves forward toward a better MMJ program
State Sen. Diane Savino is gaining support for a new bill that could bring medical use to New York, writes the MMJ Business Daily. Savino plans to introduce the measure soon, basing the program on models currently in use in other compassionate states such as Colorado and Connecticut. She hopes it would fly through the As-
Paradise just got a little greener, as Hawaii continued to inch closer towards decriminalization and improvements to the state’s 13-yearold MMJ program, according to Maui Time and Hawaii Reporter. Last month, the state Senate approved SB 472 SD2, which makes possession of up to an ounce of cannabis a civil violation subject to up to a $1,000 fine, instead of a criminal misdemeanor. “Amending
Lt. Governor—and ex-Mayor of San Francisco—Gavin Newsom publicly voiced concern and disdain for the Obama administration’s “War on Drugs” to HuffPost Live. Newsom has complained about other politicians giving a supportive stance in private and a very different 12 CULTURE • APRIL 2013
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sembly but might meet opposition from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who is not an advocate. “This is purely political . . . Nobody wants to be the drug governor,” he announced recently. While New York decriminalized minor possession in 1977, paradoxically, the city had the highest arrest rates for possession than any other city in the world by 2008.
Efforts to legalize medicinal cannabis in Florida gear up
Florida may be enlisting some new medical assistance for its elderly population, according to Bay News 9. State Sen. Jeff Clemens has introduced a bill that would permit those with debilitating medical conditions to use cannabis, with a doctor’s permission. SB 1250, also known as the Cathy Jordan Medical Cannabis Act, is named after the Florida advocate who uses the treatment for her amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. The bill was introduced the day after a poll indicated the 70 percent of Floridians support the medical use of the plant. A prominent Orlando attorney, John Morgan, recently announced his efforts to spend $3.5 million to get MMJ legislation on the
2014 ballot. Morgan says his father used cannabis for a number of medical issues before he died due to cancer.
THE WORLD Copenhagen officials say legalization will mean “decreased gang criminality”
Officials in Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, are pushing to legalize cannabis by first launching a threeyear trial, according to The Copenhagen Post. The idea is that “the legal sale of cannabis will result in decreased gang criminality, more prevention and a better life for average cannabis users,” according to the city. The trial may also involve importing cannabis from England as well as Colorado and Washington. “We realize, of course, that there are a lot of international conventions and regulations to deal with, but we think it is possible,” Mikkel Warming, Copenhagen’s deputy mayor for social affairs, told The Post.
by the numbers
6
The distance (in feet) that a recreational-cannabis store must keep away from parks, playgrounds and sensitive areas in Washington state: 1,000 (Source: The Spokesman-Review).
1
The estimated number of dispensaries in San Jose: 106 (Source: Bloomberg Businessweek).
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The amount in fees (in millions) that a Mendocino County cannabis growing permit program generated before it was shut down by the feds last year: 1+ (Associated Press).
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The number of patients and supporters that rallied together in Jackson, Michigan, to protest the closure of MMJ distribution centers: 200 (Source: The Compassionate Chronicles).
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The percentage of voters in Nevada who approved MMJ legislation in 2000: 65 (Source: Las Vegas Review-Journal)
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The number of registered MMJ cardholders in Nevada: 3,645. (Source: Nevada Department of Health and Human Services).
The estimated amount of money (in millions) that it would take to bankroll an MMJ constitutional amendment in Florida for the 2014 ballot: 10 (Source: Orlando Sentinel).
3 4
8
5
9
The percentage of registered California voters who support legalizing cannabis for recreational use: 54 (Source: San Francisco Chronicle).
The distance (in feet) that medical cannabis businesses and activities must keep away from residential districts, etc., in Westborough, Massachusetts: 500 (Source: The Westborough News).
13
The number of plants that Mendocino County officials were allowing some growers to cultivate through the program: 99 (Source: Associated Press). The percentage of registered California voters who support legalizing cannabis for medical use: 72 (Source: San Francisco Chronicle).
10
The percentage of Hawaii residents who support their state’s medical cannabis program: 81 (Source: Maui Time). The percentage of Hawaii residents who feel possession of small amounts of cannabis should not be a criminal offense: 58 (Source: Maui Time).
Dark Star Orchestra in concert
Hello, old aging hippies! Want to party like it’s 1969? Well, you can’t because Jerry Garcia is dead. Hate to break it to you. However, there is a substitute that works just as well. Dark Star Orchestra is considered one of the greatest tributes to one of the greatest bands ever. They’ve performed over 1,900 shows, some of them with members on the Grateful Dead alongside them. If you listen to them side by side with the original music, it synchs up with The Wizard of Oz! Okay, wrong band, but it sounds on par with the original performance. However, if you’re watching the concerts the way they were meant to be seen, it will feel like old times. In all honesty, these guys sound great no matter how focused you are on the performance. It may not be the Grateful Dead reborn, but it is above and beyond the best thing we have and Deadheads are all the more, well, grateful for their existence.
IF YOU GO
What: Dark Star Orchestra in concert. When/Where: April 9 at Terrapin Crossroads, 100 Yacht Club Dr., San Rafael. Info: Tickets $40. Go to www.terrapincrossroads. net.
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In Reel Time
FLASH
In the
Groove
As with 2011’s Red State, Kevin Smith is taking the movie on tour, and each screening will be followed by a live Jay and Silent Bob podcast. After the 420 premiere in Atlanta, the tour stops in places like the Crest Theater in Sacramento (April 30) and the Warfield Theater in San Francisco (May 2).
Jay and Silent Bob Reunite—and Get Downright Cartoonish with Super Groovy
{By David Jenison}
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“[Stark] started animating stories from Kevin’s SModCast, and I thought he was really funny,” Mewes continues. “He really knows how to make characters’ faces move and wink and do stuff even if it’s not written [in the script]. I knew I couldn’t produce this with Little Mermaid type of animation. It will be too expensive, and it will take a
long, long time. My wife and I got together with the animator with penny out of pocket, and I got the first 10 minutes animated. I showed Kevin, and he got super stoked about it. He thought I was just going to sit on it or that it wouldn’t be this good. He got all excited, and next thing you know he’s like, ‘We are going to get this person to do
this and this person to do this. Let’s try to get it done by April and tour it.’ We just got the trailer done, and I literally watched it 20 times because I am so excited about the movie.” Most of Smith’s movies are stoner classics, but the writerdirector didn’t become a regular cannabis user until working with Seth Rogen on Zack and Miri Make a Porno. This means Groovy Movie is the first Jay and Silent Bob story written by a true stoner. “In the last Jay and Silent Bob appearance in a movie,” explains Smith, “there is not a lot of weed references. Jay and Silent Bob’s Super Groovy Cartoon Movie, however, is just riddled with weed references. You can clearly tell Kevin Smith wrote this after he started smoking weed.” c seesmod.com/groovymovie
Say What?
Jay and Silent Bob only costar in one movie, 2006’s Clerks II, since they headlined their own film 12 years ago. Jason Mewes and filmmaker Kevin Smith, who play Jay and Silent Bob respectively, have kept the characters going with a live podcast series, but the Jersey duo will return to the big screen this month in animated form. Made for a meager $69,000, Jay and Silent Bob’s Groovy Cartoon Movie will premiere at the Center Stage Theater in Atlanta on a well-timed date: April 20. “I am very, very excited about the movie,” says Mewes. “Kevin wrote it a few years back, and I told him I wanted to produce something. I wanted to do something different than acting. He said he had this sitting on the shelf for a couple years now, and he gave it to me. I ran around and called this animator that was doing stuff on our YouTube channel.” That animator is Torontobased Steve Stark. He originally introduced himself with a YouTube cartoon based on an episode from Smith’s online SModCast Network. Stark continued to work with Smith and ultimately landed the director’s chair for Groovy Movie, which features the voices of Eliza Dushku, Tara Strong, Ralph Garman, Neil Gaiman, Ben Gleib and Jon Lovitz.
“Most of the players in the league use marijuana, and I have and do partake in smoking weed in the offseason sometimes.” —Former Dallas Maverick forward Josh Howard
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BUZZ
Horns O Plenty Evidence suggests that hemp cultivation was part of Viking culture {By Victor Hussar} The Vikings were warriors, pirates, explorers, traders and sailors that terrorized medieval Europe between the 6th and 11th centuries. These fearsome, well-armed and violent men sailed on craft known as longships from as far as Sweden, Norway and Scandinavia to assault monasteries, villages and castles all throughout France, Ireland, Britain and beyond. Apparently, they also grew their own hemp. Because Viking culture survived and thrived for as long as it had, archaeologists have gone to great lengths to study them. Rune stones inscribed with the names and deeds of famous warriors in the language of the “Norsemen,” another term for these adventurous people, can be found in Russia, the Middle East and Germany. However, archaeological digs reveal a people more complicated than the usual horn-helmeted stereotype. New evidence indicates that, just like a lot of other cultures, Vikings cultivated the hemp plant. Vest-Agder County is a cold, harsh, rocky region located in the
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southern part of Norway long known to be a place once inhabited by the Vikings. Many remains of settlements have been found there, including one known as the Sosteli farmstead. While evidence that Vikings were familiar with cannabis has been found before, the remains here indicate that Vikings planted it, too. Seeds and leaves have been found in graves where the bodies of Vikings were buried, but researchers weren’t sure if hemp was merely an agricultural product for these practical, barbaric people—or if it was used for its psychoactive or medicinal properties. “The other instances were just individual finds of pollen grains. Much has been found here,” says Frans-Arne Stylegar, an archaeologist and curator for Vest-Agder County. Much like the ancient Chinese, Vikings living in Vest-Adger Country probably grew hemp for its fibers. They probably didn’t grow it for smoking. “We don’t know if hemp could have been used as a drug. Most of it was probably used in textile production,” reports archaeologist Marianne Vedeler, who
works at the Museum of Cultural History in Oslo, Norway. In any case, what is significant is that evidence taken from the peat moss surrounding the farmlands around Sosteli showed intentional signs of planting, which proves that these Vikings didn’t trade for their hemp—they grew their own. Catherine Jessen, a geologist who specializes in the study of pollen, works at the National Museum of Denmark where the peat soil study took place. She confirmed the presence of cannabis by examining findings left over from a dig that had been performed in the 1950s. “The samples had been forgotten, so it was really exciting to discover them,” says Jessen. After hemp seeds had been found in the soil sample, Jessen and Stylegar published their findings in the science journal Viking for peer review. While we don’t know if the Vikings ingested cannabis for medicinal effects, we do know that they grew the plant for the same reasons other cultures did. Cannabis has been with us since the dawn of civilization. c
Made in
China
The Vikings were certainly not the first and oldest human civilization to grow cannabis for use and/or consumption. That credit might possibly go to the Yang-shao, a Neolithic culture that existed around the Yellow River in China 6,500 years ago. Just like the people living in the Chou Dynasty 3,000 years later, the ancient Chinese grew hemp for rope, clothing, fishing nets and other, similar uses. It is certainly ironic that today possession of just a few grams of cannabis will get you the death penalty in the city of Beijing.
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destination unknown
Czech
Tranquility Now China’s southeastern Guanxi Province offers natural, serene attractions—but avoid the tourists! Imagine a classic, serene Chinese landscape. What does it look like? If your answer includes Shaolin monks fighting in Snake Style or the Five Deadly Venoms, you are completely AWESOME, but clearly distracted by popular culture. If, however, you imagine a tranquil river running through unusually pointy, fog-draped hills, then you are actually thinking about the city of Guilin, in China’s southeastern Guanxi Province. Guilin and its section of the Li River rank as one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, right up there with the Great Wall and the Terracotta Warriors. In fact, those oddly angled green hills— made of limestone, and called karsts. The karst topography is the city’s MVP; without it, Guilin is just a medium-sized Chinese city filled with osmanthus trees and really good chili sauce. Elephant Trunk Hill and Camel Hill are limestone hills that—surprise—look like an elephant and a camel, while Solitary Beauty
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Peak has amazing panoramic views from its summit. Inside the karst terrain, Seven Star Cave and Reed Flute Cave were both formed by dissolving limestone, the latter a Vegas-worthy spectacle of neon-lit stalactites and stalagmites. Not far from Guilin is another area attraction: the Longji rice terraces, also known by its more kickass name, “The Dragon’s Backbone.” These terraces are an engineering feat and are seriously
PHOTOs & story by Dennis Argenzia & Edengrace Cayosa gorgeous, especially when filled with water in spring or with young green rice plants in summer. After a visit to the rice terraces, tourists often take the extremely popular boat ride down Li River to nearby Yangshuo. It is this stretch of river that is commemorated on Chinese currency: clear calm water framed by majestic karsts and shrouded in mist. Water buffalo play at the river’s edge. Fisherman fish in contemplative silence, interrupted only by the sound of . . . megaphones on a passing 50-person boat. Word of advice: choose the slower, smaller 6-person “bamboo” rafts (and by “bamboo,” we mean PVC pipe); their lack of speed means that you are eventually left behind to enjoy the amazing scenery and take pictures without being photobombed by a boat hull. Boat (and bus) passengers disembark at Yangshuo, a formerly quaint town whose center is now transformed into a tourist cliché. If the presence of McDonald’s is highly offensive to you, take the initiative and rent a bicycle, or just walk. Yangshuo is blessed with the same beautiful terrain as Guilin, and dirt paths will quickly take you out of the West Street tourist crush and into the serenity of rice paddies, charming farming villages and, eventually, the Yulong River, a small tributary of the Li River. At the photogenic Yulong River, you can opt to either rent a [real] bamboo raft and join the domestic tourists in raft-to-raft water fights, or just stand on the Dragon Bridge, watching newlyweds float by during their raft photo shoot. The more adventurous will push on to Moon Hill, where a steep climb by stone steps or by scaling the rock face is rewarded with stunning views of the Yulong River valley. You can enjoy these views with a bit of cannabis that is peddled in Yangshuo. Strangely, most dealers are not taxi or rickshaw drivers, but little old women who really want to sell you something! As always, please practice common sense and remember that China has some very harsh consequences if you are caught. c
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profiles in courage Patient:
Robyn Bollay
AGE: 51
Condition/ Illness:
Uses a pacemaker, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, stroke/coma survivor, chronic pain, in remission from Addison’s disease.
Using medical cannabis since: 2001
Photos by Kristopher Christensen
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Are you an MMJ patient from NorCal with a compelling story to tell? If so, we want to hear from you. Email your name, contact information and details about your experiences with medical cannabis to courage@ireadculture.com.
Why did you start using medical cannabis? I started using cannabis when, [at] 15 years old, [I was] directed by [a] doctor to use edibles for asthma. Then I stopped at 23 years old, started again at 40 years old. Did you try other methods or treatments before cannabis? I had gotten eight pre-cancerous polyps in [my] colon due to narcotics and other medications. Now I am off 15 medications due to cannabis. I tried epidural steroid injections, radio frequency therapy, medications prescribed by doctors—the whole medical gambit with seven doctors. What’s the most important issue or problem facing medical cannabis patients? I think that the FDA rescheduling cannabis is one of the most important things, and for the patients to be active in our community, standing for our rights . . . educating those who are in the dark about medical marijuana laws and the benefits of this natural herb’s reality. What do you say to folks who are skeptical about cannabis as medicine? I’d like to explain to them that medical cannabis isn’t just for smoking. Cannabis can be ingested orally in cannabutter, sprayed under tongue, vaporized or delivered topically into the skin directly. c
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Illustrations by Vidal Diaz
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strain & edible reviews GET YOUR CLICK HERE
www.iReadCulture.com
Banana Kush
The Venice Cookie Company The 4.20 Bar Patients seeking a truly unique (and powerful) edible need to look no further than The Venice Cookie Company’s The 4.20 Bar line of triplestrength delights. These cannabis-infused bars come available in four tempered-chocolate varieties—Dark Chocolate + Sea Salt, Milk Chocolate, Dark Chocolate + Popping Candy, Milk Chocolate + Toffee—and each is an utter delight to sample. For a truly refreshing experience, sample the bar with Popping Candy— yup, that popping sensation will remind you of Pop Rocks(!) Consider yourself an edible canna-sseur? Try the one with Sea Salt, which sports just a bit of a salty bite to offset the earthy sweetness of the 64-percent cacao dark chocolate. With 180 mg of delta-9 THC (plus less than 10 mg CBD, less than 5 mg CBN), these are good and strong—but not mentally overwhelming or couch-lock inducing; smooth and reassuring for head-to-toe relief. We suggest sampling no more than one or two segments the first time out. Also available in a 65mg strength (The 4:20 Bar).
Banana Kush is true headstash medicine—the fruitiest, sweetest, softest OG Kush phenotype around. A Banana Kush won the 2011 High Times Medical Cannabis Cup in Colorado, and Elemental Wellness from San Jose itself took home local cups in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Its Banana Kush came out of a freak 2004 San Fernando Valley cut of OG, and is grown by T&C Nursery (different than Sensi Seeds’ beans). This gargantuan nug gives off splashes of soft, sweet terpenes—it’s hard to tell there’s OG in it. The medium-density colas are green and purple with red calyxes. Under a microscope, glistening clear trichome heads crowd together in sparkling fields. The strain tests at 25.75 percent THC, a potent strain that smokes thick and heavy with a little bit of OG’s taste finally peeking its head out. Patients use indica-dominant hybrids for stress, pain and tension release.
Palliative OG Sharp, lemony, skunky—Palliative OG represents a prime specimen of the famed OG Kush. The OG cut from Palliative Health Center in San Jose is a bit shaggy, and we like it. Sometimes trimmers cut too close, whereas a little sugar leaf leaves something to the imagination. Nestled in this nug’s velvety folds—fiery red calyxes that give Fire OG its name. Fire OG supposedly came from a strain of San Fernando Valley OG Kush, and Palliative has made Fire OG its own. Palliative OG is some of the biggest OG nugs around, without sacrificing a note of that OG lemonpine-fuel. Under a scope, the trichome formation looks great: a concert of fat, clear heads standing on healthy stalks. One of the most popular hybrids in the world, patients are using OG Kush to tackle a vast array of conditions including nausea, pain, glaucoma, PMS and depression.
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3 Times Crazy 3 Times Crazy is not only a rap outfit from Oakland, but Highway 29 Health Care’s unique, knock-out indica hybrid. Mixing up OG Kush, Bubba Kush and GDP, it’s three of the most popular strains in the Bay. These small, football-shaped colas look and smell like a Girl Scout Cookies analog—but with more sweet-grape smell. Long, thick orange calyxes flow from stubby, resinous green and purple leaf. Pale, white and clear trichomes are knotted densely all over the surface. It smells fresh, clean and light, and the Chemdog in the OG is blunted by the Bubba and the GDP. Pepper notes emerge upon grinding—a prelude to the smoke, which is super-indica and hashy; an earthen mule-kick of spice and loam. This strain goes straight to the body, where it’s lights-out for pain and insomnia.
Medi Marts Chocolate Cupcake Running low on team spirit? And sugar? And cannabinoids? Call a Medi Marts Chocolate Cupcake time-out. The San Jose dispensary’s decadent homage to the Sharks is icy blue with matching frosting, cupcake wrapper and plastic logo, and it smells like a 5-year-old’s fondest memory: creamy, buttery and tooth-meltingly sweet. Spongy, moist dark chocolate cake supports luscious waves of blue-tinged icing and chocolate sprinkles, and the Sharks logo seemingly hovers in the aroma. Biting in, we get sweet, creamy icing and moist fluffy chocolate cake flavors, and a hit of grassy, herby, medical-grade cannabis. Medi Marts quadruple infuses its baking oil with cannabis, simmering each batch down four separate times with new top-shelf flowers. Patients suffering from major sports-related injuries like brain trauma, contusions and muscle pain use edible cannabinoids for their anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant effects.
Alien OG “War is an ancient form of globalization,” we think while holding this Alien OG from Green Acres in Santa Cruz. The nug’s roots reach back to our recent adventure in Afghanistan, where a resourceful G.I. allegedly brought back a pure landrace Afghani indica—a short, dark, fast-growing, narcotic little bush. Dubbed Alien Technology, the foreign DNA was crossed in the U.S. with super-strain Chemdog to become Alien Dog, and recombined again with Las Vegas Purple Kush and Tahoe OG to yield—Alien OG. Grown in Santa Cruz by Ganjables, all that Afghanica is evident in these big, round, dense, dark, trichome-caked nugs, with their big, rich nose of OG and hashy incense. With a nice, twoweek flush, the medium-bodied smoke is spicy, hashy and potent, reportedly treating glaucoma, migraines and inflammation-based muscle pain.
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strain & edible reviews
Veda Chews Mind-blowingly professional, Veda Chews from South Bay Healing Center in San Jose are the Tootsie Rolls of the medicated edibles world. They come in four types: indica, sativa, hybrid and a special High CBD chew with some of the highest CBD levels per edible we’ve ever seen. Produced by Avecida Nutriceuticals, these things play nice: sugar-free, gluten-free and chemical base-free as well. Wrapped in paper and foil with ingredients and dosage on the label, the sativa, hybrid and indica chew each contain 70 mg of THC and 6 mg of CBD, while the High CBD chew contains 40 mgs of THC and CBD each. That makes it perfect for treating arthritis pain without the pronounced euphoria of the others. Squishy and scrumptious, the chocolate-toffee flavor pairs surprisingly well with the medical grade cannabis. We want to keep these guys around por vida.
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Grand Daddy Purple Sedative, relaxing, aromatic, this Grand Daddy Purple from Emerald Crossings in San Jose faces some stiff competition. GDP is one the top five Bay Area strains, so the bar is set incredibly high. The Crossings’ cut is a contender, though: bulky, dense and purple, with fiery orange calyxes and a knock-out, sweet-grape nose. A cross of Purple Urkle and Big Bud, this is the essence of NorCal in a nug—a hybrid ruggedized for the outdoors, and enhanced by indoor growing technology. We could have used a bigger grape taste, but the potency was off the charts. Under a microscope, we saw long, thin, fullheaded and clear trichomes. Such indica-dominant hybrids are used by chemotherapy patients for appetite stimulation. More generally, patients seek out the GDP for insomnia and stress.
Sour Diesel Small yet focused, Berkeley Patient’s Care Collective specializes in the classics done right—like this spot-on cut of the legendary Sour Diesel. Potent and pungent, Sour Diesel is the East Coast daughter of arguably the most potent strain on the planet—Colorado’s Chemdog. Sour D usually retains Chemdog’s smaller, compact bud structure, but this Sour Diesel nug is huge while still boasting the trademark trichome density and characteristic astringent-funk. Under the scope, we’re clearly looking at the offspring of the ’dog—with its matting of trichomes that are mostly clear with a few amber heads. Testing into the upper bounds of potency, this Sour Diesel has a big, sour, lemon, fuel taste, perfect for after-work but not exactly sleep medication. Patients suffering from depression, as well as IBS, PMS and ADD, among other report finding relief with this hybrid.
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Kaia Kush Medical cannabis can be too potent for older patients returning to their once-youthful diversion. For seniors we might recommend some Kaia Kush from Igzactly 420 in downtown San Francisco. It mixes potent hybrid OG Kush with popular sativa Super Silver Haze. The Haze prevents OG’s drowsiness and confusion, while the OG tempers Haze’s energy and euphoria. Medium-sized with medium density and a good cure, our nugs were pale with trichomes. Dashes of purple dappled the leaves, next to tufts of rusty calyxes. It smelled more indica than OG, like rich chocolate or tobacco. Ground and smoked, we get sweet-sour OG notes, grassy haze and a light body. Patients are using middle-of-the-road hybrids like this for daytime use treating anxiety, stress and tension.
Hasheys 4:20 Pop Rock Bar “We are the dreamers of dreams,” Willy Wonka once said. But could he have dreamed of the Hasheys 4:20 Pop Rock Bar? Hand-crafted in Santa Cruz, it’s premium artisanal, 55 percent cocoa dark chocolate infused with a mega-dose of THC oil—oh, and some frickin‘ POP ROCKS! Wrapped in a “cherry bomb” paper and foil wrapper, the dark bar is molded into four segments, and breaking them reveals the exploding hard candy lurking within. The chocolate’s feel was spot-on—neither brittle nor greasy. It tasted rich, chocolaty, sweet and cherry-flavored, then melted creamy and spiked with hybrid ganja. The 420 mg megadose of cannabis in each bar is used to treat severe conditions associated with PTSD, Parkinson’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and hepatitis C.
Wreck of Angels One must always respect the dual nature of angels. Wreck of Angels from Angel’s Care Collective in Santa Clara is one of those rare strains with two completely different sides. Staff report the sativadominant strain gives an uplifting, sativa high at small doses, but couch-locks like a strong indica at medium and high doses. Two hits and that’s it, users report. She’s also gorgeous, sporting a tropical green hue and branching fractally, colonized by trichome stalks that are—under magnification—very strong, clear, full and densely spaced. You can see the sativa coloring, spreading and telltale smells—a candy-sugar, pine and spice scent—like a spicy Jack Herer. She smokes and tastes like a spicy Jack Herer, too. Patients report using sativa-dominant flowers to treat multiple sclerosis, alcohol abuse, depression, Tourette Syndrome, though it may cause anxiety in patients new to cannabis.
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concentrate reviews
Kotton Kandy Kush Wax Made in small, artisanal batches using only the finest trim, Kotton Kandy Kush Wax is part of why San Jose’s Delta Health Center is so popular. Soft, sweet, bubble gummy—it’s crazy that notes of actual cotton candy come off this wax. The concentrate comes in a small plastic container, and is a pale, yellow wafer with a honeycomb-like structure that crumbles when poked by a dabber. The dry, crumbly wax resists agglomerating into a bigger ball, so warming up the dabber helps. On the nail, the crumble wax vaporizes without crackling or popping, and tastes light and sweet. A dab yields a strong, instant indica effect: euphoric, sleepy. One tiny hit can replace a bowl of flowers. Patients are using indica hybrid concentrates—such as this—to treat severe musculoskeletal pain, chemo nausea, muscle spasms and seizures.
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Godfather Wax Give the people what they want, and you can’t fail. Case in point: South Bay CRC in San Jose’s Godfather Wax—a populist treasure combining super-popular OG Kush with equally famous Grand Daddy Purple. This wax has one of the most inviting, familiar noses a concentrate can have, mixing OG Kush’s lemon-pine-fuel and GDP’s sweet-grape-incense. All that still lingers here in the tiny, one-gram, container holding a pale, yellowish-beige, brittle, honeycombed little asteroid that crumbles under dabbing—almost like condensed kief. So OG sharp and astringent, the taste is clean, light and flavorful like a sweet lime Lifesaver. The indica-dominant hybrid flowers give this concentrate a more sedative effect, great for easing tension, relieving muscle pain and arthritis, stimulating appetite or treating substance abuse.
Blue Moon Honeycomb Wax We’ve fallen under the spell of the hypnotic Blue Moon Honeycomb Wax from Revolution Health Center in San Jose. Blue Moon is a sweet, syrupy, indica-dominant hybrid strain that has been reduced to its essence here: a 76.7 percent THC, 2.7 percent CBD wax with zero-percent moisture. The honeycombed rocks are dark green yet translucent and cratered with exposed, popped bubbles. A medium-bodied smell of sweet berry and incense wafts off the wax, and it’s really workable; brittle but sticky enough to perfectly portion out a dab. It vapes sweet, berry and smooth, with immediate, pronounced and lengthy hybrid-indica effects. Patients are turning to these concentrated hybrid-indica products to treat chronic neuropathic pain, and alleviate symptoms from fibromyalgia, sickle-cell disease and Parkinson’s disease.
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Gold Dust Trainwreck Gold Dust Trainwreck—from Natural Herbal Pain Relief in San Jose—has the look and consistency of actual gold dust, and we wouldn’t be surprised if it costs more than the precious metal. It’s worth it. Exercise extreme caution when handling, or you can launch $50 worth of medical dust into your carpet. Exquisitely concentrated, mere body heat can melt it—making it a difficult-tohandle, delicate material of truly magical consistency, with no visible contaminants. The Arcata USA hybrid strain Trainwreck is though to be a mix of Lemon Thai, Mexican Sativa and Afghani. Whatever it is, it smells divine—sweet, light and fresh like sparkly lemon, pine and drying grass. Gold Dust Trainwreck vaporized in a quick sizzle, super-light without any harshness, and a potency that was high but manageable. Patients choose sativa concentrates to treat eating disorders, spasticity and glaucoma among other conditions.
San Fernando Valley OG Kush Wax With liberty and pine for us all. Theraleaf’s incredibly amazing-smelling San Fernando Valley OG Kush Wax is a souped-up version of OG Kush, which is itself a California remix of Colorado’s Chemdog. This wax from San Jose has retained Chemdog’s trademark astringency, but with notes of fresh hash butter—easily the most traditionally OG of this month’s waxes. Thereleaf’s hit wax is green-gold, with a bright sheen. The stuff handles like a thick paste or Silly Putty, making it the most dabbable concentrate of the month by far. It vaporizes tart and spicy and medium strength, making it great for those new to dabbing. Patients are using potent hybrid concentrates like SFV OG Kush Wax to treat severe pain, stress, AIDS wasting, glaucoma and depression.
Pure Kush Ear Wax Huge, indica flavors and a guaranteed date with Mr. Sandman are key draws to SJ Patients Group’s Pure Kush Ear Wax. Pure Kush is as close to a pure Afghani indica as we Westerners usually get, promising a potent, sedative effect. This green, yellow gloop has the consistency of cold, boutique peanut butter, or Play-Doh: gooey yet brittle. Those Pure Kush terpenes have clearly made it into this concentrate, which smells of hash and incense. Pure Kush Ear Wax is smooth and tasty on the nail, with a bite of spice. Patients count on indica concentrates like this to zap back pain, and crush insomnia. Will cause drowsiness and euphoria.
Legal Disclaimer
Publishers of this publication are not making any representations with respect to the safety or legality of the use of medical cannabis concentrates. The reviews listed here are for general entertainment purposes only, and are intended for use only when medical cannabis is not a violation of state law. Please consume responsibly. Concentrates are legal and covered under Prop. 215 and SB 420, and they are considered a form of medical cannabis (H&S 11018). Without a doctor’s recommendation for medical cannabis, the possession of concentrates in California can be a felony (PC 1170).
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Last summer, the artist formerly known as Snoop Dogg held a press conference at a Caribbean restaurant in New York City. The lanky superstar, who would turn 41 a few months later, reintroduced himself as Snoop Lion and declared, “I have always said I was Bob Marley reincarnated.” Had another artist made this declaration, the Marley family might’ve been up in arms, but that isn’t the case with the reggae icon’s sons. Rohan Marley appeared at the press conference in support, and Damian appears in the Reincarnated documentary about Snoop’s transformation. Even the eldest son, Ziggy, recently said the Dogg-to-Lion change “could be good” on the Grammy red carpet. “I feel I have always been a Rastafari,” Snoop continued. “I just didn’t have my third eye open, but it’s wide open right now.” The documentary hit theaters last month in limited release, and the Reincarnated album debuts April 23, arguably three days later than it should. The reggae project is a creative left turn for the multiplatinum-selling artist, and it begs several questions that Snoop answered for CULTURE last month over the course of an exclusive album-listening party, a documentary screening and interview sessions. 38 CULTURE • APRIL 2013
“Ready to Come Home”
Snoop Lion arrives fashionably late to a West Hollywood recording studio not far from the medical marijuana dispensary he recently made famous (more on that later). In person, the man born Calvin Broadus embodies everything his fans would expect. He has a friendly energy and chill vibe and smokes cannabis faster than Bukowski downed whiskey. As wisps of smoke fill the studio like a fog machine gone awry, Snoop takes CULTURE back to the journey’s genesis and his reason for rolling cameras. “[It’s] because my fans have always been right on my side and always been there with me through the good, the bad and the ugly,” explains Snoop, who reportedly shelled
out $200,000 to document the experiences in Reincarnated. “What I wanted to do was, I found a great spot in my life where I was at and I wanted to take them along with me. I wanted them to be a part of this journey with me so they wouldn’t feel left behind when everything begins to change and it feels a little different. So that way whether they do or they don’t, they know the backlight will be on so that whenever they’re ready to come home, they can come on in.” In 1972, Marley traveled to London and sought help from Island Records founder Chris Blackwell.
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Photo by Willie Toledo
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Welcome to the Jungle
The Reincarnated documentary looks at the music-making process, but deeper themes emerge as Snoop explores Rastafarian ideologies, visits the musically significant Trenchtown and joins a holy ceremony at a Nyabinghi temple. He was given the Ethiopian name Berhane, meaning “light,” but that is not the name Snoop ultimately embraced. Bunny Wailer, the 65-year-old core member of the Wailers (with Bob Marley and Peter Tosh), endorsed the “Snoop Lion” name, which made it a lock. “This is the Snoop Lion. Take it two times and pass it around,” says Snoop. “Love is love.” Getting more serious, Snoop adds, “I feel like it is a growth, transformation into a full-grown artist/man/entrepreneur. The Dogg has had his run for 20 years. In a dog’s life, I’d probably be 140 years old now . . . I had my run with the Dogg for a long time to where the Lion is definitely necessary right now for what we’re going through. I feel like we’re living in a jungle, and the only way to deal with the jungle is bring out the King of the Jungle— 40 CULTURE • APRIL 2013
which is the Lion—who is willing to address every situation and still keep the party flowing. But at the same time, [we should] address some real issues that we really have before us that we don’t pay attention to. We as rappers that have a lot of power should use our power in the righteous way to create some awareness; to bring some attention to some things that need to be fixed.”
The Most Powerful Shit
While the documentary traces Snoop’s artistic change, the film has another side that can only be
described as cannabis cinema. On several occasions, participants broke out nugs so big they looked like props from a Peter Jackson film, and Snoop even hiked into the mountains to pick fresh cannabis like a Birkenstock-wearing granola cruncher. The locals lined up to share homegrown goodness, while the Lion doled out California green like the West Coast ambassador he’s always been. “The main issue with cannabis use was trying to function as a human being after smoking Snoop’s weed,” says Andy Capper about his challenges as the documentary’s director. “It’s the most powerful shit out there.” Still, Capper believes the film shows the spiritual and productive side of medicating. “We just showed the film in Mexico City, and a lot of the kids in the crowd told me they thought it was a great political statement in regards to the legalization of marijuana,” Capper continues. “The issue is definitely getting more attention.” Snoop, who claims to have a “platinum” MMJ card, has been an active medical cannabis proponent on the media circuit. In an early 2010 Lopez Tonight appearance, he said, “I feel like [MMJ legalization] is a great situation. I feel like the whole world would be a better place if the whole world
Snoop isn’t the only musical artist to re-tool his/her sound or public persona in response to some new cultural, religious or artistic inspiration. While Bob Marley’s Rasta ways made quite an impression on the now-former rapper, the newly-minted Snoop Lion wasn’t the first to re-imagine himself. Check out these two other switch-ups:
From Prince to The Artist
Fans of His Purple Majesty likely did a double-take when the Man From Minneapolis ventured into unpronounceable realms. Fonts hated Prince.
From Cat Stevens to Yusuf Islam
Islam came calling and the singer-songwriter went back to his roots and, for a while, discontinued his pop career.
would just open up and do that.” Snoop rejoined George Lopez later that year and remarked, “I really believe it would take California to another level . . . it is the best piece of medicine that they’ve ever created. I used to go to the store and buy Anacin and Bufferin and Bayer, but it is nothing like this medical marijuana, man.” The rapper also appeared on Chelsea Lately and explained his medicinal needs: “I was having migraine pains and my vision was getting blurry.”
Snoop’s Journey Continues
Snoop’s biggest MMJ endorsement, however, came earlier this year when a GQ magazine writer joined him at a local collective in West Hollywood. “Dr. Dina,” the MMJ pioneer who inspired the Nancy Botwin character on Weeds, runs the dispensary and customized the sativa-dominant strain Snoop Lion Executive Branch just for the rapper. Having known each other since the Doggystyle days, Snoop gave her the “Dr. Dina” nickname, and she helped get him his first MMJ recommendation letter in 2005 (and again every year since). Regarding his reggae reinventiuon, Snoop has had his share of detractors and supporters. Rohan Marley weighed in on some criticism (ironically, from Bunny Wailer) last January telling Eagle 106.3 radio, “I am more than pleased with Snoop’s reincarnation . . . We do and will continue to support him on his journey.” As demonstrated by such positive responses, Snoop seems to value his new perspective as much as his new album. “That’s what it was all about,” the Lion concludes. “That’s what it is to this day—trying to live and learn and trying to become a better person and a better musician. So when I’m making my music, the music that I made I’m proud of in the past. But I want to make music that can get me on stage at the Essence Awards, at the Oscars and possibly in the White House.” President Obama, the ball’s in your court. The Lion awaits. c snooplion.com V I S I T U S AT i R e a d C u l t u r e . c o m
CULTURE Editor in Chief Roberto C. Hernandez and contributor Jamie Solis contributed to this article.
Forty years later Snoop traveled to Jamaica to record the Reincarnated album in a studio owned by Blackwell, who also dropped by the recordings. Diplo’s Major Lazer team produced the album, and Snoop says the former Philadelphia schoolteacher nailed the sound. “Diplo brought funk,” the Lion roars. “He brought beats that was banging. He brought writers, arrangers, soul. He brought a spirit that could match mine. I could throw ideas off of him that would eventually work. He brought a sense of urgency to create something that I was looking for—not to clash but to complement. A lot of times when you bring somebody in on a project and you tell them to do the whole project from top to bottom, then you start to add your influences and what you feel, it becomes a clash. We never had a clashing moment. We always saw eye-to-eye. I feel like that’s why we got the best out of the project.”
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The woman they now call “Dr. Dina” is a mover and a shaker in the medical cannabis movement and a consultant to the stars, most famously to Snoop Lion (formerly Snoop Dogg), who is credited with bestowing the medically-inspired nickname upon her. She’s worked alongside multiple nonprofit dispensaries in three different states, and even inspired the Nancy Botwin character from Showtime’s Weeds. Ironically, Dr. Dina (Editor’s note: Dr. Dina is not a boardcertified physician) was originally staunchly skeptical about the benefits of medical cannabis. That was the case until she saw the good this plant could do—with her very own eyes. Her personal transformation was initialized by an ex-boyfriend that knew a Northern California woman working at a dispensary; one that had convinced him of cannabis’ medicinal value. “You listen to the Grateful Dead,” she ribbed him back then. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.” She went from being a skeptic
to being a believer a few years later, however, when she witnessed how MMJ improved the life of a friend tragically struck with testicular cancer. That friend asked Dr. Dina to put him in touch with her Northern California dispensary because the nausea prevented him from even keeping down his pharmaceutical meds. Dr. Dina and her friend ended up paying a visit to a Northern California doctor—the friend nauseous and vomiting the whole drive there. “There was a line around the block to see this doctor,” Dr. Dina recalls, describing this memorable journey. “[My friend] couldn’t stand, so we had to buy an office chair down the street at an Office Depot to roll him in because we didn’t have a wheelchair. “ Finally, they got in to see the doctor, obtained a recommendation for MMJ and purchased some at a dispensary. What she saw next, amazed her. “After smoking a joint, instantaneously—within five minutes—color came back to his face. He stopped dry heaving. He
looked at me and he said, ‘Oh my god. Give me the pills. Let me try to take the pill.’ He kept smoking and took the pills, and it was the first time that had happened. So, right there, in front of my, eyes I said, ‘Wow, this is really amazing!’ Here’s someone that’s dying of cancer. There’s no way he should be turned away for this. Right off the bat, I realized that medical marijuana is great for people that are really, really sick. That’s when I realized that people who are
really, really sick shouldn’t have to get in a car and drive to San Francisco to see a doctor so they wouldn’t go to jail.” This experience prompted Dr. Dina to take action. “That’s what inspired me in 2003 to open the first doctor’s office [that could recommend medical cannabis],” she says. “And once we got that open, it was like every patient that came in had a different incredible story that blew me away.” c
Dr. Dina wants to see the Obama administration do more to loosen federal restrictions on cannabis use. “I believe that he absolutely could do more,” she states. “I think that it’s time that we stop taking people to jail for weed. I think that is the No. 1 biggest issue with our country. If we look at the jails, they’re overcrowded with people that you’re making criminals out of because they had a little bit of pot . . . they refuse to admit that there’s any benefit to marijuana.” APRIL 2013 • CULTURE 45
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Gateway to the Orient. Manifest Destiny incarnate. San Francisco sits at the end of the American experiment, thrust into a global unknown. Which is why it’s no surprise that the town’s history is rich in iconoclasts, free-thinkers and the everpresent herb. Below, CULTURE presents a few waypoints from San Francisco’s fragrant cannabis history.
827 Grant Ave.
In June of 1835, William A. Richardson erects the first white man’s structure in a town then-called Yerba Buena. (The Spanish had discovered the Bay Area—and the 30,000 native Americans living in it—on Sept. 30, 1769.) Richardson’s tent is made of hemp.
Mark Twain Square
On Sept. 18, 1865 America’s greatest author Mark Twain reportedly took a walk under the influence of hashish through what is now this Financial District landmark at Clay and Sansome streets.
5 Third St.
The Hearst Building at this location is the original, 1880 home of The Examiner, flagship newspaper of William Randolph Hearst’s yellow journalism empire, which he used to gin up fervor for pot prohibition with headlines like “Hasheesh Goads Users to Bloodlust.”
631 O’Farrell St.
Formerly the site of the Alexander Hamilton Hotel, where American legend Louis Armstrong wrote his manager in January 1954, insisting “ . . . gage [cannabis] ain’t nothin‘ but medicine.” 50 CULTURE • APRIL 2013
3119 Fillmore St.
The location of the Six Gallery, where Alan Ginsberg first read the iconic Beat Generation poem “Howl,” on Oct. 7, 1955 to a small crowd that would remember the experience forever. The weedy “Howl” went on to become heralded as one of the greatest works of American literature, and led to an obscenity trial for publisher Lawrence Ferlinghetti.
261 Columbus Ave.
The North Beach District’s landmark City Lights Bookstore, where Alan Ginsberg’s Howl was published, as well as many other members of the Beat Culture, for whom “grass” or “tea” was a staple.
255 Columbus Ave.
The Vesuvio Cafe, a main haunt of the Beats, across the street from Jack Kerouac Alley.
625 Third St.
The former offices of Rolling Stone. Published since 1967 by Jann Wenner, Rolling Stone launched the career of gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson and pioneered counter-cultural reporting and hard-hitting political coverage that persists until today.
318 Parnassus Ave.
Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson’s crashpad when he lived in San Francisco with wife and new son, Juan—and where he sometimes hosted a pack of Hells Angels. Thompson wrote, “I have always loved marijuana. It has been a source of joy and comfort to me for many years. And I still think of it as a basic staple of life, along with beer and ice and grapefruits—and millions of Americans agree with me.”
1805 Geary St. The Fillmore Auditorium
The site of the most historic rock‘n’roll shows of all time, including Jimi Hendrix, The Grateful Dead, The Doors, Jefferson Airplane, The Who, Pink Floyd and Cream. Closed in 1968, re-opened in the ’80s and is a leading music venue to this day.
710 Ashbury St.
The Grateful Dead house. Police busted the band for cannabis at the location, as reported in the original issue of Rolling Stone magazine.
Haight-Ashbury
The epicenter of the ’67 Summer of Love and hippie movement of the late ’60s, with its emphasis on free love, drugs and music. Today, a bustling tourist hub full of tiedyed nostalgia, head shops, fashion boutiques, gutter punks and a Ben & Jerry’s.
194 Church St.
The original site of the San Francisco Cannabis Buyers Club—the first medical cannabis dispensary in the U.S. Marijuana prevents AIDS wasting, and the club—opened in 1992 at the height of the AIDS epidemic—worked to serve AIDS patients, and was later raided by police.
3745 17th St.
The Castro Castle, home of Proposition 215 founder Dennis Peron and a bed & breakfast. Peron is converting the house into a medical cannabis museum featuring memorabilia from the 40-year-struggle to free the herb. c V I S I T U S AT i R e a d C u l t u r e . c o m
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Missouri
Longtime medical cannabis champ Rep. Mike Colona reintroduced a bill in the state legislature in March that would allow patients with HIV/ AIDS, cancer, multiple sclerosis and other debilitating conditions to use and possess cannabis for medical purposes if their doctors recommend it. Homegrowing, caregivers and stateregistered dispensaries would provide the plant. The bill would put the question to voters on the November 2014 general election ballot.
Those suffering from severe pain, nausea, wasting, depression, anxiety and numerous other serious medical conditions may see relief yet in a handful of the 32 states where medical cannabis remains illegal. At least nine state bills could alter existing medical cannabis language in states where it is legal, or green light the plant in new states altogether. Below CULTURE highlights pending medical marijuana legislation in the U.S. 52 CULTURE • APRIL 2013
Hawaii
The Hawaiian House passed two medical marijuana bills, House Bills 667 and 668, that could improve the state’s existing medical marijuana program, setting possession limits of five ounces and seven plants.
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Minnesota
A recent Public Policy Polling survey found that 65 percent of state voters support medical cannabis. State lawmakers are preparing a bipartisan bill legalize the plant for residents with cancer, multiple sclerosis and HIV/AIDS, and should be introduced in the coming weeks, though a vote is not expected until 2014.
Maryland
Michigan
Thanks to a new bill—HB 4271, the Medical Marijuana Provisioning Center Regulation Act, introduced in the House in February—the situation for patients and dispensaries could change for the better should the measure move forward.
Maryland’s governor’s office suggested it would support a pending medical marijuana bill sponsored by Del. Dan K. Morhaim (D), a Baltimore County doctor, to allow academic medical centers in the state to operate “compassionate use programs” beginning in 2016.
Illinois
Sixty-three percent of Illinois voters support medical cannabis, and in March a medical marijuana bill won a House committee vote. House Bill 1 would allow qualified patients to obtain marijuana from one of up to 60 dispensaries, and license 22 cultivation centers.
Arkansas
Activists are trying to run a medical cannabis ballot initiative in Arkansas this spring, with a vote in 2014. In March, the Attorney General refused to certify the initiative, citing vagueness, and activists responded by suing. A 2012 Arkansas MMJ initiative garnered 49 percent of the vote.
New Hampshire
Twice vetoed by the governor there, activists hope the third time is the charm as the New Hampshire House advanced a medical cannabis bill in March that would allow up to five dispensaries, possession of up to two ounces, as well as homegrowing of up to three mature plants, in a minimum 50 square-foot area.
Florida
Florida defends its reputation as a medical cannabis backwater this spring. Hours after Sen. Jeff Clemens (D-Lake Worth) filed medical cannabis bill SB 1250, Florida cops raided the patient advocate the bill was named after, one Cathy Jordan, who illegally grows and uses cannabis to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease—a condition for which a number of states approve the plant for. SB 1250 would exempt seriously ill Floridians from criminal penalties for using cannabis, allow them to possess up to four ounces and grow up to eight plants, as well as license and regulate medical marijuana dispensaries and cultivation facilities. Seventy percent of Floridians support MMJ.
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“Marriage equality and marijuana laws passed?” tweeted Star Trek actor George Takei last November on election night. “Now we know what Leviticus really meant by, ‘A man who layeth with another man must be stoned.’” Takei is a reliable supporter of liberal causes, which is fitting for a man who entered this world on April 20. Much like being born on Christmas, 420 babies can have twice the birthday fun, and “Mr. Sulu” is not the only celeb with added spark to beam up on his birthday. Oscar-hoarding actress Jessica Lange is the most prestigious 420 star, though Edie Sedgwick is the most appropriate having inspired the likes of Andy Warhol and Bob Dylan. Carmen Electra probably thought every day was April 20 during her marriages to Dennis Rodman and Dave Navarro, while Crispin Glover (Back to the Future) played “Roach” on Happy Days around the time the 420 tradition first began. While it is unlikely that Joey Lawrence’s birthday inspired his music single “Rolled,” 420 could have motivated Andy Serkis to demand “the precious” in the Lord of the Rings series. Latin music legend Tito Puente and romantic crooner Luther Vandross would have turned 90 and 56 CULTURE • APRIL 2013
62, respectively, on April 20, while Swedish House Mafia member Sebastian Ingrosso will turn 30. Carmelo Anthony, Allen Iverson, Randy Moss, Michael Vick, Santonio Holmes, Ricky Williams and Olympic gold medalists Ross Rebagliati and Michael Phelps should have been born on April 20, but basketball stars Danny Granger and Allan Houston were. Other 420 pros include Dodgers manager Don “The Hit Man” Mattingly and cosmic daredevil Felix Baumgartner. Since Michele Bachmann missed by two weeks, the most notable 420 politician is Robert F. Wagner, the three-term NYC mayor who famously broke with Tammany Hall (once run by “Boss” Tweed) in the late ’50s. Burmese President Thein Sein, who enacted surprising reforms since becoming the President of Myanmar in 2011, also claims a 420 birthdate. Victoria’s Secret Angel Miranda Kerr, Catalan painter Joan Miro and college heir William DeVry also celebrate April 20 birthdays, but only one 420 kid topped Leonardo DiCaprio in People Magazine’s 1998 “Most Beautiful People” online poll. Though coming off Titanic, Leo got sunk by the late, great Hank the Angry Drunken Dwarf. We can thank The Howard Stern Show for that one. c
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Ferris Bueller’s legendary day off can’t hold a candle to April 20 in the Bay Area. Hot off legalization in two states, the homeland for cannabis reform celebrates the fruits of its labors, and girds up for the challenges to come. Here’s just a smattering of the ways CULTURE readers will be celebrating.
APRIL 19
APRIL 20
Cypress Hill 4/20 Pre-Party w/Berner (Taylor Gang)
Dispensary Specials
The deans of weed rap usher in 420 in the Bay Area with a pre-party in San Francisco, supported by rhymeslinger Berner, who popularized Girl Scout Cookies. The Regency Ballroom, San Francisco, 8pm. www.theregencyballroom.com
“Doug Loves Movies” Podcast Taping
Super High Me star and heir to the Cheech & Chong throne of stoner comedy Doug Benson delivers a pre-420 podcast taping of his cinema-oriented spiel. Followed by Benson’s “Countdown to 420” show. Cobbs Comedy Club, San Francisco, 8pm, 10pm (Countdown). www.cobbscomedyclub.com
Hempcon
Drop in at the San Jose Convention Center over the weekend to check out this threeday celebration of all things MMJ. Vendors repping collectives, products, information and more will be on the agenda. San Jose Convention Center, San Jose. Thru April 21. hempcon.com 58 CULTURE • APRIL 2013
The Bay Area’s dozens of legal, regulated dispensaries celebrate 420 with day-long specials, contests, prizes and events. Harborside Health Center in Oakland promises “all sorts of cool stuff”, while SPARC in San Francisco will have DJs, raffles, doorbusters and more specials. “It will be worth the line,” SPARC states. The Apothecarium has one word for the 4/20 blowout: “insane.” All across the Bay. Check dispensary Facebook pages and Twitter feeds.
Earth Day SF, 2013
The greenest city in North America celebrates Earth Day with three stages of music plus speakers, chef demos, eco fashion shows and much more. Civic Center Plaza, San Francisco, 10am6pm. Free. www.earthdaysf.org
Hippy Hill, S.F.
Every year, Golden Gate Park’s “Hippy Hill” hosts an epic 420 smokeout featuring thousands of people from crusty punks to tourists to dreadlocked devotees of an endless Summer of Love. Hippy Hill, San Francisco, 4:20pm. Free.
Memorial Glade, UC Berkeley
Hotbed of cannabis law reform Berkeley has an analog to San Francisco’s Hippy Hill—its Memorial Glade in the heart of campus should be quite foggy a little bit after 4 o’clock. Memorial Glade, UC Berkeley, 4:20pm. Free.
Glass Discounts
Head shops always get into the spirit on 420 with San Mateo’s The Cave offering 25 percent off the best glass in the Bay, and San Jose’s Paramount Imports holding a 420 sale with at least 20 percent off almost everything. The Cave, San Mateo www.thecavesmokeshop.com Paramount Imports, San Jose www.paramountimports.com
San Diego Padres vs. San Francisco Giants
Hey, batter, batter batter batter batter batter batter batter batter! Suh-wing batter! San Francisco’s World Series-winning Giants face off against the San Diego Padres at 6 p.m. in the gorgeous AT&T Park. Not an official 4/20 gathering, but a great addition to any action-packed day. He can’t hit he can’t hit he can’t hit. AT&T Park, San Francisco, 6pm. www.sanfrancisco.giants.mlb.com
Doug Benson - Live Album Taping
Benson follows up his “Countdown” with some guaranteed belly laughs and a special live taping of these two shows that deserve to be recorded for posterity. Cobbs Comedy Club, San Francisco, 7:45pm and 10pm. www.cobbscomedyclub.com V I S I T U S AT i R e a d C u l t u r e . c o m
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For all of California’s cannabis law reformists, advocacy groups and activists, it is ultimately elected legislators who initiate and enact meaningful changes to the legal status of the plant here in the Golden State. With input from Kris Hermes, spokesperson for Americans for Safe Access, and Dale Gieringer, director of Cal NORML, CULTURE took a look at some of Cali’s most green-friendly politicians and what each has done to improve compassion.
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Dana Rohrabacher
U.S. Representative, California’s 48th congressional district In contrast to most of his Republican colleagues, Rohrabacher has been an outspoken critic of federal prohibition. A member of the U.S. House of Representatives since 1989 (previously for California’s 42nd, 45th and 46th districts), he currently represents a district that includes Huntington Beach and Costa Mesa. “Rohrabacher has been the most vocal Republican critic of federal marijuana prohibition in the California Congressional delegation,” says Gieringer. “Last year, he sponsored an amendment to withhold funding from the Department of Justice for interfering in state medical marijuana laws.”
Tom Ammiano
California State Assembly, 13th district San Francisco Democrat Ammiano introduced the Marijuana Control, Regulation and Education Act in 2009, in the midst of the California’s budget crisis. “This legislation would generate much needed revenue for the state, restrict access to only those over 21, end the environmental damage to our public lands from illicit crops and improve public safety by redirecting law enforcement efforts to more serious crimes,” he said at the time. Though this first-ever bill fell short of passing the legislature, Ammiano appears undaunted. “Tom has a long history of support for marijuana reform,” Gieringer says. Ammiano, at press time, introduced a new bill calling for statewide MMJ regulations.
Bob Filner
Mayor of San Diego Democrat Filner was a staunch MMJ supporter while serving as the U.S. Representative for California’s 50th and 51st districts (1993–2012), but really stepped this up since becoming mayor of San Diego in December. “As a Congressman, he posted a perfect pro-reform record on marijuana issues.” Gieringer says. “Since becoming mayor, Filner has reversed the city’s long-standing hostility to medical marijuana by supporting the establishment of regulated dispensaries.”
Mark Leno
California State Senate, 11th district A former California Assembly member (2002–2008), Senate Democrat Leno helped create America’s first medical cannabis identification card program in San Francisco, which became a model for similar programs across California. “Leno co-authored SB 420, the Medical Marijuana Program Act, which was passed in 2003,” Hermes says. “Since becoming a senator, Mr. Leno has spearheaded legislation to protect patients against employment discrimination and he has strongly supported efforts to regulate distribution.”
Barbara Lee
U.S. Representative, California’s 13th congressional district Lee, a Democratic Congresswoman representing East Bay, has consistently co-sponsored cannabis reform legislation. “Rep. Lee endorsed Oakland’s path-breaking Measure Z ‘Tax and Regulate’ initiative in 2004, and has co-sponsored bills to end federal marijuana prohibition, medical and otherwise,” says Gieringer. Last year, along with eight co-sponsors, she introduced H.B. 6335, the Medical Marijuana Property Rights Protection Act, which seeks to “exempt real property from civil forfeiture due to medical-marijuana-related conduct that is authorized by State law.”
Mike Honda
U.S. Representative, California’s 17th congressional district Democrat Honda has represented a district which includes Santa Clara County and Silicon Valley in Congress since 2001. He co-sponsored (alongside Rohrabacher, Lee and North Coast Democrat Jared Huffman) perhaps the strongest federal marijuana reform bill to date, H.R. 499, the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2013. “Both Mike Honda and Barbara Lee have been strong supporters of medical marijuana, co-sponsoring legislation, signing on to key letters to government officials and pushing back against federal attacks in California,” says Hermes.
Bill Rosendahl
Los Angeles City Council, 11th district Diagnosed with cancer last July, Democrat L.A. City Councilman Rosendahl turned to medical marijuana for relief from crippling pain. Having already carried an MMJ card for a decade to treat neuropathy, in October Rosendahl successfully pleaded before the City Council to have its ban on marijuana dispensaries in the city repealed. “Where does anybody go, even a councilman go, to get his medical marijuana?” he asked of his colleagues, according to the Los Angeles Times. c APRIL 2013 • CULTURE 63
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edical cannabis patients and their allies celebrate an especially hope-filled April 20 this year: two states have legalized cannabis for adults over 21; there are now 18 compassionate states plus Washington D.C.; and nine states have pending MMJ bills in their legislatures. Arrests for cannabis in California have plummeted to their lowest on record, and the tide of the Drug War appears to be receding. But how exactly we got to this point is probably unknown to most 420 revelers, experts say. “We forget our history,” Proposition 215 founder Dennis Peron says. “And when you don’t know, you might repeat it somehow.” Broadly speaking, California upended a century-old international drug control order with Proposition 215 in 1996, followed by SB 420 in 2003, as well as a string of hard-fought victories in court from 1996 until today. California has always been a land of firsts—first banning cannabis in 1913 before the United States followed suit in 1937. In 1971 President Nixon declared an all-out War on Drugs, while in the Bay Area the Hippie movement preached peace, love and mind expansion. Peron got a taste of the Summer of Love while shipping out to Vietnam. Drafted by the Army, he had joined the Air Force and survived the Tet Offensive in Saigon. Refusing to kill Vietnamese, Peron was assigned morgue duty for a month. “I’m 20 years old, I’ve never seen a dead person. That month I saw 25,000 dead people. I came out of my closet and found out who I was,” Peron said. Peron returned to San Francisco to the nascent gay community in The Castro and that community grew during Reagan’s “Just Say No” ’80s as the Hippies became Bay Area establishment. When AIDS began ravaging The Castro, the counter-culture’s old friend cannabis lifted spirits and slowed wasting due to AIDS. Nurse “Brownie” Mary Jane Rathburn became a global cause célèbre— getting repeatedly arrested for delivering medical cannabis— sometimes in the form of infused brownies, hence the nickname— to AIDS patients. “She let people know providers weren’t crazies running through the streets selling drugs; they were grandmothers, nurses, family members, and caregivers,” said Debby Goldsberry, founder of the Cannabis Action Network. In 1991, Peron pushed San Francisco to pass Proposition P, a symbolic legalization of medical cannabis that other California cities copied. Peron opened the San Francisco Cannabis Buyer’s 66 CULTURE • APRIL 2013
Collective and got raided and jailed for it. The California legislature passed two MMJ bills, only to see Gov. Pete Wilson veto both of them. When Peron lost his lover, Jonathan West, to AIDS, he dedicated the historic initiative to him. “I did it all for him. I loved that guy. He died so fast. We were going to be together forever. I missed him so much. Dedicating Prop 215 to him gave me life, and gave me something to not be so miserable about and it gave me hope,” Peron says. The Compassionate Use Act passed Nov. 5, 1996 with 55.6 percent of the vote: essentially saying that patients and caregivers have a medical defense in court against prosecution for certain crimes like possession and cultivation. Part of Prop 215 passing was reform efforts, but part of it was a cultural change, said historian and author Martin Lee, who wrote the 2012 title Smoke Signals – A Social History of Marijuana. Reefer Madness propaganda had begun to ring hollow, and Drug War fatigue had set in, he said. “Generally, political change happens after cultural change, not vice versa, and marijuana is a prime example of that,” Lee says. Law enforcement opposition to Prop 215 was light, Goldsberry said, but the cops’ response to its passing was severe. The last 16 years has been an uphill battle for every inch of rights that cannabis users enjoy, Goldsberry says. In 2003, state Sen. Mark Leno’s SB 420 extended legal protections from patients and caregivers to collectives and cooperatives, giving rise to modern storefront dispensaries. Ongoing court victories have affirmed that doctors have a First Amendment right to recommend cannabis, that patients can lawfully transport the plant, and avoid arrest with a state MMJ ID card, that seized plants must be returned to lawful patients. Dispensaries have affirmed their right to exist, and take cash payments. In 2008, President Obama’s “Ogden Memo” was interpreted as a federal truce with medical cannabis, and California dispensaries bloomed. But by Oct. 2011 that truce was over, and federal prosecutors have shut down hundreds of access points since then. The federal crackdown continues to this day, but it’s on shakier ground than ever as two states move forward to implement full legalization. “The hippies had an agenda in the ’60s and all of our agenda was met,” Peron says. “We wanted to end discrimination against minorities. We wanted women’s rights. All those things came to pass. But we didn’t forget about marijuana. I feel like there’s hope. For me, this is as far as we’ve ever been. I see the light at the end of the tunnel and I think it’s going to happen in my lifetime.” c
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cool stuff Mothership Fabergé Egg If you’ve never had the good fortune to gaze upon something from Scott Deppe’s legendary Mothership studio . . . then today’s your lucky day, friends! Thankfully, the good folks over at The Cave Smoke Shop in San Jose got their hands on some stellar examples of that fine line—such as Mothership’s flagship Fabergé Egg sporting a craftsmanprecise water chamber and sacred geometry percolator. ($1,200-$1,600 clear glass, $3,000+ worked glass) thecavesmokeshop.com
Beer Mug Oil Dome It might not be Miller Time—but patients can always find time to make it a bud night. Check out this beautifully crafted Beer Mug Oil Dome (from the masterful hands and studio of Todd “Chile” Ortega and Laura Burke) available at Bulldog Lifestyles in San Jose. This is an expertly sculpted piece, a bit whimsical—and an instant conversation starter once it’s time to medicate. ($100) www.bulldoglifestyles.com
7 Stars Louisiana Style Boss Sauce – Medicated BBQ Pitmasters has nothing on this. If you’re ready to gas up the grill, why not invite your fellow patients and treat them right by dribbling ample amounts of this medicated 7 Stars Louisiana Style Boss Sauce over beef, chicken—whatever meat catches your fancy. Available in a 10-dose bottle containing 500 mg of hybrid THC. Kick up your next Q up a notch and flame on! ($20 5oz. bottle) 7starshhc.com
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Sandy Moriarty is the author of Aunt’ Sandy’s Medical Marijuana Cookbook: Comfort Food for Body & Mind and a Professor of Culinary Arts at Oaksterdam University. She is also the co-founder of Oaksterdam’s Bakery.
Menu: If we’re going to be celebrating the greenest day of the year, let’s kick it up a notch with this fabulously rich and fulfilling menu. Treat yourself right . . . after all, 420 is a special occasion . . . and only comes once a year.
By Aunt Sandy
Chicken Cordon Bleu Green Bean Bundles Chocolate Chip Cookies
Green Bean Bundles Serves eight 3 14 1/2-oz. cans of whole green beans, drained 8 slices bacon 6 tablespoon Canna Butter, melted 1/2 cup brown sugar 3 cloves garlic, minced Gather beans in bundles of 10 and wrap each bundle with a half slice of bacon. Arrange bundles in a lightly greased 13-inch by 9-inch baking pan. Mix melted Canna Butter, brown sugar and garlic in a small bowl and spoon over bundles. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake 20 more minutes.
Serves eight 8 chicken breast halves, skinned and boned 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon white pepper 2 eggs, beaten 1 cup milk 4 (1-ounce) slices cooked deli ham, cut in half
4 (1-ounce) slices Swiss cheese, cut in half 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1 1/3 cups fine dry breadcrumbs 4 teaspoon Dijon mustard 4 teaspoon softened Canna Butter Vegetable oil
Place each piece of chicken between two sheets of wax paper. Flatten each breast to quarterinch thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine eggs, salt, pepper and milk mixture. Spread 1/2 teaspoon of Dijon mustard and 1/2 teaspoon softened Canna Butter over each breast. Place a ham slice and cheese slice in center of each piece. Fold short ends of chicken over ham and cheese and roll up, beginning with the unfolded side. Secure with wooden picks. Dredge chicken in flour, dip in milk-egg mixture and coat well with breadcrumbs. Cover and chill for 1 hour. Fill a heavy skillet with about a half-inch of vegetable oil and heat. Add rolled-up chicken and pan fry over medium heat. Drain well and place in a baking dish in a 350-degree oven for 20 minutes or until golden brown. 70 CULTURE • APRIL 2013
Chocolate Chip Cookies Makes 2 to 3 dozen depending on the size. If you want to make an extra special treat, use these cookies and a few scoops of vanilla ice cream to make ice cream sandwiches! 1 cup Canna Butter, softened 1/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup brown sugar, packed 2 eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 2 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 5 1-ounce packages instant vanilla pudding mix 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 12-oz. package semi sweet chocolate chips Beat Canna Butter and sugars until light and fluffy, blend in eggs and vanilla. Combine flour, pudding mix and baking soda. Add to butter mixture, blending well. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls on to ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 375 degrees for 8 to 10 minutes or until golden. Place on wire racks to cool. Legal Disclaimer
Publishers of this publication are not making any representations with respect to the safety or legality of the use of medical marijuana. The recipes listed here are for general entertainment purposes only, and are intended for use only where medical marijuana is not a violation of state law. Edibles can vary in potency while a consumers’ weight, metabolism and eating habits may affect effectiveness and safety. Ingredient management is important when cooking with cannabis for proper dosage. Please consume responsibly and check with your doctor before consumption to make sure that it is safe to do so.
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For our complete recipes go to ireadculture.com.
Chicken Cordon Bleu
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entertainment reviews Iron & Wine Ghost on Ghost Nonesuch Records
Ghost on Ghost, Iron & Wine’s fifth studio outing, is a noticeable contrast to Beam’s last two albums. As Iron & Wine’s last album, 2011’s Kiss Each Other Clean, was essentially Sam Beam’s attempt at what might be considered a mainstream pop album, it’s no surprise that the release might have been an anxious endeavor to create. However, Ghost on Ghost may succeed where Kiss Each Other Clean failed, by creating a highly produced and well polished Iron & Wine album that still sounds as relaxing and unintimidating as Beam’s first two acoustic records. The one true constant through all of Beam’s work that is just as present as ever on Ghost on Ghost is the man’s beautiful—at times ethereal—warm wind on an autumn day voice that appears just as strong and majestically now as it did at the beginning of his career. Additionally, the new record sees Beam still experimenting with his sound by incorporating jazzier influences. All in all, Ghost on Ghost seems to show Beam having a good, fun time on this record. Ghost on Ghost is what Beam described as a “reward” to himself after his experiences with making his last two albums, and that feeling of relaxation and relief certainly shines through. If anyone was concerned about the direction Beam was headed, this release should put those worries to rest. (Simon Weedn)
Rastafarian Children of Solomon: The Legacy of the Kebra Nagast and the Path to Peace and Understanding By Gerald Hausman Bear & Co. If your knowledge of Rastas begins and ends with your worn copy of Bob Marley’s Legend . . . then, my friends, you need a culture bomb thrown at your front door. No, dear friends, the ideas and concepts behind the Rastafarian movement that took root in Jamaica during the 1930s go way beyond reggae music and giant spliffs—though they are connected. Here, author and storyteller Gerald Hausman tells the stories of Rastas, or the “Children of Solomon,” in his and their words. From farmers to healers, to Rasta elders and fisherman, Hausman uses colorful words and first-hand experience to powerfully describe his subjects: “Mackie [McDonough] knows his history, his story; and his face is a finely carved mask of inscrutable character. He can stare down a stump, as the expression is, and he fears no man or woman . . .” Or in the case of Horace “Winston” Churchill: “His twinkle-eye and easy smile could charm a snake, and probably have.” Hausman’s Rastas leap beyond the confines of any mere album cover. Even Bob’s. (Matt Tapia)
Alanis Morissette Live at Montreux 2012 Eagle Rock
Alanis Morissette’s debut international album, 1995’s Jagged Little Pill, was commercially gargantuan (selling over 33 million copies) to the point of overshadowing the thoughtful Canadian-American singer’s very robust career since. Filmed in high-def at Switzerland’s famed Montreux Jazz Festival last July, this 17-song set serves as a reminder both of Pill’s potency (including album standouts “Ironic,” “Head Over Feet” and breakthrough single “You Oughta Know”) and Morissette’s rare staying power (featuring songs from her most recent album, 2012’s Havoc and Bright Lights). Though her very worthy backing instrumentalists can evoke one of those safely “rockin‘” suburban church bands, and the Montreux crowd is more polite than impassioned, this competently-shot concert finds the inner-peace-exuding Morissette in fine, sometimes snarledflecked voice and versatile mood, from a furrowed-brow take on “Oughta Know” to a positively beaming “You Learn.” Choosing to document a performance at a revered jazz fest suggests an ongoing quest for credibility in the lingering wake of a blockbuster pop hit. (Paul Rogers) 72 CULTURE • APRIL 2013
Green Day in concert Do you want to be the minority? The group of people who are stuck at home with nothing to do because they didn’t buy tickets to see Green Day? We understand your concerns—some of you out there might think the band has gone soft ever since American Idiot was played on every radio station in the world. Our advice to you is three-fold: one, stop being such a damn hipster; two, they’ve always had greener interests at heart (pun intended, where do you think the name came from?) and three; Green Day is more hardcore than ever. They’ve just released a trilogy of albums taking them back to their punkrock roots—no concept album B.S. that came with AI or 21st Century Breakdown. Plus, Billy Joe just got out of rehab, which is the ultimate status symbol for any rocker. Green Day is more hardcore than ever- an impressive feat considering that the bands’ collective age averages at 40. You thought April 20 was the only “green” day?
IF YOU GO
What: Green Day in concert. When/Where: April 16 at the Greek Theatre, Gayley Rd., Berkeley. Info: Tickets $55. Visit tickets.berkeley.edu or call (510) 642-9988.
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let’s do this Our picks for the coolest things to do around town Modest Mouse, April 10
This mouse makes the loudest noise of all and the once-indie band with countless fan favorite songs needs no introductions. The band doesn’t play that often, so catch ’em now before we all “Float On” to a new destination. The Fox Theater, Oakland www.thefoxoakland.com
The Airborne Toxic Event, April 11
Anytime you can get an orchestral sound coming from an alt-rock band, you know you have a symphonic combination that’s striking all the right chords. Carve out some time for The Airborne Toxic Event and breath easier. The Warfield, San Francisco www.thewarfieldtheatre.com
Suicidal Tendencies, April 11
It doesn’t take “Cyco Vision” to see that the new lucky number for Suicidal fans is 13. It’s been 13 years since the last ST album, and this is the 13th release with 13 new songs. Still want a Pepsi? The Regency Ballroom, San Francisco www.theregencyballroom.com
Cypress Hill, April 19
“Hits from the Bong.” “Stoned is the Way of the Walk.” “I Wanna Get High”—these are just the first three songs that came to mind. You know Cypress Hill, you know what it raps about. You know the drill. ’Nuff said. The Regency Ballroom, San Francisco www.theregencyballroom.com
Bay Area Craft Beer Festival, April 20
Over 30 of the top breweries west of the Mississippi will come together for an afternoon dedicated to the sudsy stuff. Make it a perfect combination by trying food from local vendors and listening to Petty Theft rock the classic hits of Tom Petty. John Muir Amphitheater, Martinez www.bayareacraftbeerfestival.com
Earth Day San Francisco Eco-Fashion Show 2013, April 20 Green is the new black and a place that is green friendly (in another way) will have the largest eco-friendly fashion show in North America. Many of the leading artists, models, stylists, jewelers and more will present their upcycled works here. Civic Center Plaza, San Francisco www.earthdaysf.org
The Romane Event Comedy Show, April 24
A night full of laughter is exactly what you can expect from an
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“anything goes and probably will” type of environment. Famed cannabis comic Ngaio Bealum is the hilarious headliner of the night in a place where the talent is high and the drinks are cheap. Make-Out Room, San Francisco www.makeoutroom.com
Bacon Babes and Bingo, April 25 Time to learn about the three Bs—“bacon” is the free and delicious snack that will be available to pig out on, “babes” will put on a burlesque game show for those looking for something more tantalizing and “bingo” will be played all night for some great prizes. Café Du Nord, San Francisco www.baconbabesandbingo.com
The 56th San Francisco International Film Festival, April 25-May 9 Cinema appreciation will never the same once you discover the innovation and beauty of 200 new films. Fifteen days with 14 juried awards and $70,000 in cash prizes being divvied out is a blockbuster you don’t want to miss. Various locations, San Francisco www.sffs.org
Soldiers of Jah Army, April 27 The Soldiers of Jah Army, or SOJA as you might know them, are bringing back the reggae revolution. It strives to tell good stories with its groovin‘ beats and aims to keep the legacy of folk and Marley music alive. The Warfield, San Francisco www.thewarfieldtheatre.com
ArtHouse. April 27 Come and make yourself at home as you get a guided gallery tour full of hands-on art activities. This event is free, and there will be plenty of original artwork for sale along with live performances, music, food and more. San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art, San Jose www.sjica.org
14th Annual How Weird Street Fair, April 28 Come celebrate a carnival of peace where the name is Weirdi Gras and all things weird aren’t just encouraged—they’re expected. Grab your magic beads at the door for special discounts as you get bombarded with elaborate costumes, marching bands, music, art and a special flash mob performance. Downtown San Francisco www.howweird.org
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CULTURE Quiz HEAD COUNT
?
Time to rev up your brain cells, folks. Take this official CULTURE quiz and test yourself to see how much you know about cannabis. For each question you answer correctly, give yourself 5 points.
the federal government for its cannabis policies? pop-punk band 4 Though Green Day’s name was
cannabis inspired, the group’s frontman, Billie Joe Armstrong, recently admitted abusing what?
1 cannabis decriminalized in cannabis help cancer 2 IsPortugal? 5 Can patients?
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ANSWERS
the theoretical 3 Name physicist who has criticized
1. Yes. 2. Yes. 3. Dr. John Schwarz. 4. Alcohol and pills. 5. Yes. It can stimulate the appetite and relieve the pain and suffering caused by either the cancer—or the chemo and radiation.
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Did Toni Braxton ever admit to smoking cannabis?
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Now Rate Yourself: 5 points: A few classes at Oaksterdam University won’t even help you. 10 points: Are you even a patient? 15 points: Keep medicating. 20 points: Impressive. Almost ready for the big leagues. 25 points: What do you want—a prize?
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Chuck Shepherd
News of the
Weird LEAD STORY—HOLY HANDGUNS
; One of the many decisions greeting Pope Francis, as Salon. com pointed out, is whether to officially recognize a Patron Saint of Handgunners—as urged by a U.S. organization of activists for more than 20 years. According to legend, St. Gabriel Possenti rescued an Italian village from a small band of pillagers (and perhaps rapists) in the 19th century by shooting at a lizard in the road, killing it with one shot, which supposedly so terrified the bandits that they fled. No humans were harmed, activists now point
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out, signifying the handgun was obviously a force for good. The head of the St. Gabriel Possenti Society has noted that, however far-fetched the “lizard incident” may be, it was rarely questioned until U.S. anti-gun activists gained strength in the 1980s.
CAN’T POSSIBLY BE TRUE
; Though Americans may feel safe that the Food and Drug Administration approves a drug only for certain specific uses, the U.S. Court of Appeals in New York ruled in December that drug company salespeople have a First Amend-
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ment right to claim that drugs approved for only one use can be marketed for nonapproved uses, as well. Doctors and bioethicists seemed outraged, according to the Los Angeles Times, generally agreeing with a University of Minnesota professor who called the decision “a complete disgrace. What this basically does is destroy drug regulation in the United States.” ; Denials of disability allowances in the town of Basildon, England, near London, are handled at the Acorn House courthouse, on the fourth floor, where afflicted people who believe they were wrongly rejected for benefits must present their appeals. However, in November, zealous government safety wardens, concerned about fire-escape dangers, closed off the fourth floor to wheelchairusing people. Asked one woman, turned away in early February, “Why are they holding disability tribunals in a building disabled people aren’t allowed in?” (In February, full access resumed.) ; Among the helpful civic classes the city government in Oakland,
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Calif., set up earlier this year for its residents was one on how to pick locks (supposedly to assist people who had accidentally locked themselves out of their homes), and lock-picking kits were even offered for sale after class. Some residents were aghast, as the city had seen burglaries increase by 40 percent in 2012. Asked one complainer, “What’s next? The fundamentals of armed robbery?” (In February, Mayor Jean Quan apologized and canceled the class.) ; We Must Kill This Legislation Because Too Many People Are for It: In February, the North Carolina House of Representatives Rules Committee took the unusual step of pre-emptively burying a bill to legalize prescription marijuana (which 18 states so far have embraced). WRAL-TV (Raleigh-Durham) reported Rep. Paul Stam’s explanation: Committee members were hearing from so many patients and other constituents (via phone calls and emails) about the importance of medical marijuana to them that the representatives were feeling “harassed.”
INEXPLICABLE
; Two teachers and three student teachers at a Windsor, Ontario, elementary school somehow thought it would be a neat prank on their eighthgraders to make them think their class trip would be to Florida’s Disney World, and they created a video and PowerPoint presentation previewing the excursion. The kids’ exhilaration lasted only a few days, when they were informed that plans had changed and that they would instead be visiting a local bowling alley. Furthermore, the teachers captured the students’ shock on video, presumably to repeatedly re-enjoy their prank. (When the principal found out, she apologized, disciplined the teachers, and arranged a class trip to Niagara Falls.) ; Solutions to Non-Problems: (1) Illinois state Rep. Luis Arroyo introduced a bill in March that would ban the state’s restaurants from serving lion meat. (2) Georgia state Rep. Jay Neal introduced
legislation in February to ban the implantation of a human embryo into a nonhuman. Rep. Neal told the Associated Press that this has been a hot issue in “other states.”
UNCLEAR ON THE CONCEPT
; Imprisoned British computer hacker Nicholas Webber, 21, serving time for computer fraud, hacked into the mainframe at his London prison after officials allowed him to take a computer class. Like most prisons, the Isis facility attempts to rehabilitate inmates with classes to inspire new careers, but apparently no one made the connection between the class and Webber’s crime. (One prison staff member involved in the class was fired.) ; Dustin Coyle, 34, was charged with domestic abuse in Oklahoma City in January, but it was hardly his fault, he told police. His ex-girlfriend accused him (after she broke up with him) of swiping her cat and then roughing it up, punching her, elbowing her and sexually assaulting her. Coyle later lamented to po-
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lice that she and he were supposed to get married, but for some reason she changed her mind. “If she would just marry me, that would solve everything,” but, according to the police report, he would settle for her being his girlfriend again— or a one-night stand.
THE REDNECK CHRONICLES
; Gary Ericcson, 46, was distraught in January at being charged with animal cruelty in shooting to death his beloved pet snake. He told the Charlotte Observer that he is not guilty, as the dear thing had already passed away and that he shot it only “to get the gas out” so that other animals would not dig it up after he buried it. He said he was so despondent (fearing that a conviction will prevent him from being allowed to have even dogs and cats) that in frustration he had shot up and destroyed a large cabinet that housed his Dale Earnhardt collectibles.
PERSPECTIVE
; First-World Products: The DogTread Treadmill is a modification
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of the familiar exercise machine in homes and health clubs, with special features for dog safety—a helpful invention in a nation in which over half of all pet dogs are too fat. (A somewhat higher percentage of cats is overweight, but it is unlikely that marketing a cat treadmill has ever been considered.) The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention points out that pets can develop type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoarthritis, and that the problem stems from insufficient exercise and overindulgent owners. (The DogTread Treadmills sell for $499 to $899.)
READERS’ CHOICE
; (1) Teri James, 29, filed a lawsuit recently in San Diego against San Diego Christian College because it fired her for being pregnant and unmarried— a violation of specific employee rules. She said the firing was obviously illegal gender discrimination because her job was quickly offered to the next-most-qualified candidate—James’ fiance, who was openly cohabiting with James
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all along and is the baby’s father. (2) In a Philadelphia courtroom in February, alleged assault victim John Huttick was on the witness stand tearfully describing how miserable his life has become since he lost his left eye in a barroom fight with the defendant. Right then, however, his prosthetic eye fell out. The judge, certain that it was an accident, quickly declared a mistrial (especially since two jurors, seated a few feet away, appeared sickened).
DOPING ON ICE
; Leaders of the ice-fishing community, aiming for official Olympics recognition as a sport, have begun the process by asking the World Anti-Doping Agency to randomly test its “athletes” for performance-enhancing drugs, according to a February New York Times report. However, said the chairman of the U.S. Freshwater Fishing Association, “We do not test for beer,” because, he added, “Everyone would fail.” Ice-fishing is a lonely, frigid endeavor rarely employing strength but mostly requiring guile and strategy, as
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competitors who discover advantageous spots in the lake must surreptitiously upload the hauls lest competitors rush over to drill their own holes. Urine tests have also been run in recent years on competitors in darts, miniature golf, chess and tug-of-war, and in 2011, one chess player, two minigolfers and one tugger tested positive.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
; A frequent sight on Soweto, South Africa, streets recently is crowds of 12-to-15-year-old boys known as “izikhotane” (“boasters”) who hang out in their designer jeans, “shimmering silk shirts, bright pink and blue shoes, and white-straw, narrow-brimmed fedoras,” according to a February BBC News dispatch. Flashing wads of cash begged from beleaguered parents, hundreds may amass, playing loud music and sometimes even trashing their fancy clothes as if to feign an indifference to wealth. Since many izikhotanes’ families are working-class survivors of apartheid, they are mostly ashamed of their kids’ behavior.
“This isn’t what we struggled for,” lamented one parent. But, protested a peer-pressured boaster, “(Y)ou must dress like this, even if you live in a shack.” ; India’s annual “Rural Olympics” might be the cultural equivalent of several Southern U.S. “Redneck Olympics” but taken somewhat more seriously, in that this year, corporate sponsorships (Nokia and Suzuki) helped fund the equivalent of about $66,000 in prize money for such events as competitive pulling using only one’s ears or teeth. “We do this for money, trophies, fame and respect,” one ear-puller told The Wall Street Journal in February. This year, in the four-day event in Punjab state, the 50,000 spectators could watch a teeth-lifter pull a 110-pound sack upward for about eight seconds and an earpuller ease a car about 15 feet. ; Weird Japan: (1) A generous local businessman recently graced the city of Okuizumo with funding for replicas of two Renaissance statues (Venus de Milo and Michel-
angelo’s David) for a public park. Agence France-Presse reported in February that many residents, receiving little advance warning, expressed shock at the unveiling of “David” and demanded that he at least be given underpants. (2) Fax machines, almost obsolete in the U.S., are still central to many tech-savvy Japanese families and companies (who bought 1.7 million units last year alone), reported The New York Times in February. Families prefer faxes’ superiority to e-mail for warmly expressing Japan’s complex written language, and bureaucrats favor faxes’ preserving the imperative of paper flow.
LATEST RELIGIOUS MESSAGES
; The 14 guests at a jewelry party in Lake City, Fla., were initially incredulous that home-invader Derek Lee, 24, meant to rob them, but when they saw that he was serious (by putting his gun to the head of one woman), the hostess went into action. “In the name of Jesus,” she shouted, “get out of my house now!” Then the guests
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chanted in unison, “Jesus! Jesus! Jesus!” over and over. Lee, frightened or bewildered, sprinted out the door empty-handed and was later arrested. ; The president of the National Black Church Initiative told the Associated Press in January that its pastors are generally free to ordain new pastors as they wish, and that consequently Bishop Wayne Jackson of Detroit did nothing wrong in his ordination ceremony (which was surreptitiously video-recorded and uploaded to YouTube), even though it consisted of Jackson in robes, praying while lying on top of the new bishops, who were also praying. (The AP noted that Bishop Jackson had been the target of that’s-so-gay YouTube comments.) ; Yet Another Fatwa: Saudi cleric Sheikh Abdullah Daoud, in an interview in February on al-Majd TV, decreed that female babies should wear full-face veils (burkas) to help shield them from sexual advances. (According to a former judge at the Saudi Board of Grievances, Saudi
authorities have issued standards for fatwas, thus urging people to ignore “unregulated” ones such as Skeikh Daoud’s.) ; In January, Lhokseumawe City, Indonesia, drafted new ordinances, including one that prohibits women from riding motorcycles with their legs straddling male drivers, since that would tend to “provoke” them. A proponent said the ban “honor(ed)” women “because they are delicate creatures.” Immediately, some authorities denounced the legislation, pointing out that riding “side saddle” is much more dangerous in cases of sudden swerves and collisions. As of press time, the mayor had not decided whether to implement the ordinance.
QUESTIONABLE JUDGMENTS
; In February, an off-duty Tampa police officer and an off-duty sheriff’s detective from nearby Hernando County were awarded the sheriff’s office’s highest honor, the Medal of Valor, for exemplary bravery in an October incident
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in which a 42-year-old naked woman was shot to death by the officers. The woman was holding a gun and had made threats, and a 5-year-old boy was inside a truck that she wanted to steal. However, even though a neighbor had simply wrestled the woman down earlier, the officers still thought their only move was to shoot to kill. Said the woman’s brother, “They shot a mentally disturbed, naked woman. Is that valor?” ; In 2011, Julian Pellegrino pleaded guilty to DUI involving serious bodily injury to Mark Costa in Chicopee, Mass., and was sentenced to serve 18 months in jail, but that did not deter Pellegrino from filing a lawsuit in December, demanding $1.1 million for Costa’s somehow “caus(ing)” his car to collide with Pellegrino’s. Pellegrino (with a broken neck) was actually more seriously injured than Costa, who sued back, asking nearly $200,000. (In 2010, while Pellegrino was awaiting disposition of the case with Costa, he pleaded guilty to another DUI.)
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FETISHES ON PARADE
; Paul Jamrozik, 63, was arrested in Upper Darby, Pa., in January and charged as the man who lured a 12-year-old boy into his home and, under the guise of pretend-podiatry, spritzed his feet with athlete’sfoot spray and tickled them before performing an exam of his ears and nose with medical equipment. When the kid asked to leave, according to the police report, Jamrozik withheld his shoes until he promised to bring his friends by the next day to be examined.
LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINALS
; Lee Wildman, 35, and Adrian Stanton, 32, pleaded guilty in connection with a burglary at Durham (England) University’s Oriental Museum, in which they heisted artwork worth the equivalent of about $2.7 million and hid it in a field in April 2012. However, they have been unable to help authorities locate the bounty (even with the reward of sentence-reduction)—because
they have forgotten exactly where they stashed it. Eventually, hikers unconnected with the case discovered it and notified police. Said Judge Christopher Prince, “This is not an offense that can be described as sophisticated.”
READERS’ CHOICE
; (1) Two brothers, celebrating a winning lottery ticket in Wichita, Kan., in February, bought a stash of marijuana, but then, attempting to light a bong using butane lighter fluid, one accidentally blew up the family home. That brother was hospitalized with second-degree burns, and the other was arrested for marijuana possession. (2) Megan Thode, 27, went to trial in February in Easton, Pa., suing Lehigh University, accusing a professor of illegally discriminating against her with a C-plus grade in a class in 2009 in the school’s graduate counseling program, in which a B was the minimum required to continue. Thode demanded $1.3 million for future damage to her career (but not a tuition refund—as she had matriculated for free because her father is a Lehigh professor). Four
days after the trial began, the judge ruled against her.
MAKING OUTSOURCING WORK FOR YOU
; A Verizon risk team, looking for data breaches on a client’s computers, discovered that one company software developer was basically idle for many months, yet remained productive—because he had outsourced his projects to a Chinese software developer who would do all the work and send it back. The employee earned several hundred thousand dollars a year, according to a January Los Angeles Times report, but paid the Chinese worker only about $50,000. The risk team eventually learned that sensitive company information was flowing to and from Chinese terminals, leading the company to suspect hackers, but that traffic was merely the U.S. employee (obviously, “ex-employee” now) sending and receiving his workload. The U.S. man showed up for work every day, but spent his time leisurely web-surfing.
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT
; One of Britain’s most famous
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“madams” announced in January that she was coming out of retirement to set up a brothel exclusively catering to disabled people and the terminally ill. An ordinary brothel would be illegal in the town of Milton Keynes (45 miles from London), but Becky Adams insists that the government could not shut hers down without illegally discriminating against the disabled. ; Advances in the Service Sector: (1) In January, the Japanese marketing firm Wit Inc. began hiring “popular” young women (judged by the extent of their “social network” contacts), at the equivalent of $121 a day, to walk around with advertising stickers on their thighs. (The stickers would be placed on the erotic “zettai ryouiki”—the Japanese mystical area between the hem of a short skirt and the top of long socks.) The women must be prepared to endure men hovering closely to read the ads. (2) According to news reports in November, New York City physician Jack Berdy was doing a brisk business adminis-
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tering Botox injections (at up to $800) to poker players who were hoping to prevent facial expressions that might tip their hands. ; Ingenious: (1) London’s The Independent reported in January that Dean Kamen (who famously invented the Segway, a standing, battery-powered scooter) had developed, along with a Pennsylvania medical team, what appears to work as a “reverse feeding tube” that will vacuum out up to 30 percent of any food in the stomach before it is digested and converted into calories. After installation of the stomach “port,” the diner could operate the device without daily medical help. (2) The Polish cosmetics company Inglot announced in January a nail polish ideal for Muslim women, in that it can withstand the five-timesdaily hand-washing required for prayers. (Normally, devout women wear nail polish only during their menstrual periods, when the hand-washing is not required, but polish thus signals menstruation and therefore embarrasses modest women.)
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