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Lady Laughter
Lily Tomlin’s decades-long career never goes out of style On the cover: Photo by Jenny Risher
18 TOP CROP The latest harvest forecast is simply golden. 22 PERFECT FIT How to find the right strain for the right symptoms.
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Our wrap-up of some of SoCal’s hellishly cool events for the spookiest night of the year.
28 WORD OF MOUTH Why is our federal government silencing its most outspoken cannabis critics? 32 BURNING LEARNING Tracking the most cannabisfriendly colleges in the country. 36 FRIENDS WITH BENEFITS The Beatles definitely did get help. 38 MAMA MIA! How mothers are majorly getting into the movement. 42 TOTALLY DRIVEN The new Forza Horizon game revs up to tap the everyday gamer. 44 IDYLL—WILD! Post-American Idol, Casey Abrams is charting his own course. 48 SAY UNCLE Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy says pill-popping is the real drug danger.
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departments 12
Letter from the Editor
It’s a very green time of the year.
14 54
52
News Nuggets
Cannabis makes headlines here, there, everywhere—and we give you the scoop—PLUS our latest By the Numbers
66
Profiles in Courage
Green Scene
74
Cool Stuff
Our ever-popular sampling of amazing strains and edibles currently provided by your friendly neighborhood dispensary.
Here are the greenfriendly things we saw you doing around town.
From sandless beaches to Russian tourists— Mũi Né is one quirky destination.
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Recipes
Leave the candy for the kids—this Halloweenthemed menu is a real treat!
Entertainment Reviews
The latest films, books, music and more that define our culture—PLUS Kevin Longrie’s best Liner Notes ever!
104 | News of the Weird 8 CULTURE • OCTOBER 2012
68
Destination Unknown
From Infyniti Scales to the double-duty Stacker Hydro LED Grow Box, if it’s a cutting-edge product or cool lifestyle gear, we’re all over it.
Photo Gallery
Damien Nassiri says the future of LA’s ban could be decided in March.
Strain & Edible Reviews
Our latest feature provides insight into the life—and struggle—of a medical marijuana patient near you.
Throwing away old Halloween costumes—now that’s scary!
LEGAL CORNER
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Letter from the Editor iREADCULTURE.com
Roberto C. Hernandez Editor-In-Chief
GET YOUR HITS HERE
Vol 4 IssUE 4
Publisher
Jeremy Zachary
Editor-in-Chief
Roberto C. Hernandez
Managing Editor Lynn Lieu
Editorial Contributors
Dennis Argenzia, Ashley Bennett, David Burton, Michael Carlos, Grace Cayosa, Jasen T. Davis, Stacy Davies, Alex Distefano, David Downs, Christopher Glew, James P. Gray, Lillian Isley, David Jenison, Liquid Todd, Kevin Longrie, Meital Manzuri, Bruce Margolin, Jane Mast, Sandra Moriarty, Assia Mortesen, Damian Nassiri, Arrissia Owen, Paul Rogers, Jeff Schwartz, Lanny Swerdlow
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Year of the Green Harvest is upon us. More states are preparing to join our compassionate family. And it’s an election year. Is it me or is this shaping up to be a year full of potential? Take a look around: our medical marijuana lifestyle and community is thriving. All across this great nation there is movement forward, progress being made and political advancement. Let’s start with harvest. With a fresh batch of crops flooding your local access points and collectives, there are a whole host of new strains available to patients and their needs. Check out David Down’s story in this month’s issue about the latest discoveries being made about what specific strains can be used to treat a specific medical condition. For patients, this type of information is important—if not critical. On the legislative front, the situation is no less different. Voters in Massachusetts will be asked to approve the legalization of cannabis for medical use. The situation’s the same in Arkansas. Kentucky is thinking about becoming an MMJ state. Like I said, our lifestyle is thriving. This November voters will be asked to choose their political leaders. Sure, Obama and Romney
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are keeping tight-lipped about MMJ—and Paul Ryan has mastered the art of flip-flopping on this issue—but its refreshing to see the candidates from two other major parties (Jill Stein of the Green Party of the United States and Gary Johnson with the Libertarian Party) speaking candidly and earnestly about the importance of medical marijuana rights. In the halls of Congress, no less than four bills designed to protect patients as well as our compassionate industry are being considered Three states—Oregon, Colorado and Washington—will have legalization measures on the November ballot. Our lifestyle continues to be embraced by the mainstream. Case in point: Lily Tomlin—the subject of this issue’s cover story—is starring in a new Reba McEntire show for ABC, playing a mother who uses medical cannabis. Yes, it’s a challenge—our community continues to be afflicted with cease-and-desist letters and pigheaded law enforcement action. But if you read the signs like I do, it’s clear that while we might lose a battle here and there . . . we are most assuredly winning the war. Medical marijuana is here to stay. The rest of the country is just catching up. c
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OCTOBER 2012 • CULTURE 13
News Nuggets THE STATE
UCLA: Number of MMJ shops far fewer than stated
Despite repeated claims by the Los Angeles officials that the city is home to more than 1,000 medical cannabis dispensaries, a new UCLA study reveals the existence of less than half that number. The report by UCLA’s Luskin School of Public Affairs isn’t just a matter of trivia: the Los Angeles City Council’s recent total ban on dispensaries was based in large part on the belief that the city was being overrun by cannabis shops. City officials even claimed to have sent letters regarding the ban to 1,046 separate dispensaries. But UCLA researchers, working off a list of supposedly extant dispensaries provided by the city, were able to determine the existence of only 472 cannabis shops. The study claims the researchers visited each of the reported locations within a threeweek period.
Activists force vote on LA dispensary ban
Activists intent on repealing the Los Angeles City Council’s total ban on medical marijuana dispensaries failed to collect the 27,425 voter signatures required to force a referendum on the law on an upcoming ballot. Instead, the activists submitted to the City Clerk 49,021 signatures—110 percent of the 14 CULTURE • OCTOBER 2012
number needed. As a result, city officials have put enforcement of the ban on hold and have until Oct. 7 to decide whether to place the referendum on the March 5 city election ballot or hold a special election this December. The possibility of a March 5 referendum raises the question of whether the dispensary question will affect the futures of numerous public officials vying for re-election that day, including eight City Council members, the mayor and city attorney.
Threatened dispensary sues LAPD Saying police officers threatened their clients with “severe repercussions” if they remain in business, attorneys for a Los Angeles medical cannabis collective have filed a lawsuit against the LAPD and the city for violating the state’s compassionate-use law. In the lawsuit, filed in September, attorneys for Collins Collective allege LAPD officers told the owners the shop would be forcibly shut down and the owners arrested if they continued with plans to open the facility—threats that were followed up by a cease-and-desist letter by city officials. The collective is asking the court for a temporary restraining order and permanent injunction against further city actions against the business, and for court costs. More than 70 lawsuits have been filed against Los Angles thus far as a result of City Hall’s handling of the dispensary industry there.
THE NATION VP candidate Ryan’s big pot day
Both presidential candidates have carefully avoided the subject of marijuana legalization this election season, but for one glorious day in September, we at least got to hear where one vice-presidential
challenger stood on the issue—in fact, we heard all three of his stances. Republican VP candidate Paul Ryan announced his first stance when he told Colorado radio station KRDO that he believed medical marijuana legalization was a matter for the states to decide. The statement represented not only a break with Ryan’s boss, GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney, who doesn’t believe in medical marijuana, but also a 180-degree flip by Ryan himself. Just a few months ago, he voted against giving states the right to decide on medical cannabis legalization. Or at least the statement would have represented all that, had Ryan’s staffers not retracted the statement just a few hours later, saying the candidate had misspoken, and provided Ryan’s third policy position of the month on the subject:
Apparently, the congressman does not believe marijuana should be legal under any circumstances.
Statewide legalization measures leading in polls
November is set to go down as one of the greenest months in U.S. history, as several major statewide cannabis measures facing American voters enjoy big leads going into the elections. In Washington, 57 percent of registered voters surveyed said they plan to vote yes on Initiative-502, which would regulate the production and use of small amounts of cannabis for recreational purposes. Some 47 percent of likely voters in Colorado say they’ll support
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the legalization bill Amendment 64, compared to 38 percent opposed. Finally, Question 3, which would bring medical marijuana to Massachusetts, has gathered the support of 58 percent of likely voters, with just 27 percent opposed. In Montana, a referendum on a 2011 law many see as a de facto repeal of the state’s medical marijuana program appears headed to go down on the side of pro-compassionate use forces. The law registered only 46-percent support among Montana voters in the latest poll.
THE WORLD Major cannabis rally squashed in Germany
What could have been the largest pro-cannabis public demonstration in Germany’s long history was shut down last month by a local government agency claiming the event would have been “of a commercial nature.”
The Cologne demonstration and parade had been planned for weeks and involved multiple cannabis advocacy groups, including the pro-compassionateuse organization Cannabis Als Medizin. But a local permitting council squashed the plan, saying that by listing major business sponsors on their websites, organizers had turned the event from political to commercial in nature. Several organizers told reporters they believe the council’s decision was made purely to silence unpopular speech.
By the Numbers
1
Number of voter signatures activists needed to collect to place a measure on the ballot that would repeal LA’s ban on dispensaries: 27,425 (Source: Los Angeles City Clerk’s office).
5
Actual number of medical marijuana dispensaries operating in the city of LA, according to a recent study: 472 (Source: UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs study).
Ratio of Americans older than 11 who admit to having used cannabis in the previous year: 1 in 10 (Source: Christian Science Monitor).
6
Number of dispensaries that would be allowed in Massachusetts should voters there approve Question 3 in November: 35 (Source: Telegram.com).
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7
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Number of Montana residents registered with the state as medical cannabis patients as of spring 2011: 30,000 (Source: New England Cable News).
3
8
4
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Cost (in dollars) to LA taxpayers for city officials to review the ban-repeal signatures: 60,000 to 250,000 (Source: LA City Clerk’s office). Number of medical marijuana dispensaries LA city officials say operate in the city: 1,046 (Source: LA City Hall).
Number of Americans who admit to having used cannabis at least once in their lifetimes: 100 million (Source: Christian Science Monitor).
Number of U.S. citizens who have been cited or arrested since 1970 for violating marijuana law: 21 million (Source: Christian Science Monitor).
13
2
Number of signatures activists actually gathered to place on the ballot a measure that would repeal LA’s ban on dispensaries: 49,000 (Source: Los Angeles Times).
10
Number of Montana residents registered with the state as medical cannabis providers as of spring 2011: 4,800 (Source: New England Cable News).
Maximum number of patients a Montana medical cannabis caregiver can have under state law passed last year: 3 (Source: Montana Department of Public Health).
Number of hours in September that GOP vice-presidential candidate Paul Ryan was on record as supporting cannabis legalization before he reversed his position: 18 (Source: Westword.com).
Melissa Etheridge in concert Heartland rocker Melissa Etheridge burst onto the music scene in the early 1990s with a self-titled album of raw, raspy confessionals and became an instant icon in the newly refurbished women in rock music scene (others included Toni Childs and Tracey Chapman). While that powerful genre would unfortunately be shortlived and give way to glitzy, glammy pop-pornsters, Etheridge’s fan base has never dwindled. Surviving in the same universe as her idols Bonnie Raitt and Bruce Springsteen (and conveying a top-notch reincarnation of the great Janis Joplin), Etheridge has managed to release 12 successful albums, win the fight against breast cancer, second-mother four children and snag an Academy Award. More than anything, Etheridge is the real deal—throwing her support behind all good causes and never shying away from telling both her own truths and those of humanity. She’s also wearing well, as rockers go, and at a spry 51 seems to have it all, and on her own terms. Craving an American Idol? This is the one you should be worshipping at your shrine. (Jane Mast)
IF YOU GO
What: Melissa Etheridge in concert. When/Where: Oct. 7 at Terrace Theater, Long Beach Convention Center, 300 E. Ocean Blvd., Long Beach. Info: Tickets $35-$100. Visit cc.visitlongbeach.com/ terrace.
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FLASH
Bumper
Crop The 2012 Outdoor Medical Cannabis Forecast: Golden {By David Downs}
We found one good thing about the end of summer: A bumper crop of exquisite, outdoor medical cannabis comes to market this month in California, offering a cornucopia of new, highly therapeutic hybrid strains, as well as decades-old classics. The year-old federal on crackdown marijuana businesses hasn’t dissuaded farmers, so much as financed them, sources say. In a perverse form of Farm Aid, federal enforcement is creating a “risk premium” that is stalling the once-free-falling price of outdoor. “People are planting more (lots more) but presumably the closure of hundreds of dispensaries has dried up pot elsewhere because prices are higher than anyone has seen in a while,” says Humboldt resident Kym Kemp, a marijuana expert and author of blog Redheaded Blackbelt. “I’m hearing $2,200 to $2,400 [per pound] for outdoor.” “Bidding wars for pot make the growers happy,” she wrote us. “Everyone is beaming about how prices were up.” “[Outdoor farming is] increasing every year, substantially,” says Charley Custer, operator of Tea House Collective, a Humboldt collective of expert, organic medical marijuana gardeners. Yet prices aren’t collapsing, and “lots of small producers are being forced to compete like never before,” he says. The upside, of course: discerning California patients with access to quality dispensaries can get a crack at literally the best sun-kissed cannabis on the planet, ever.
In stark contrast to a soggy, moldy 2011, the weather this growing season has been hot, dry, and divine, NorCal growers report. “The weather is lovely,” Kemp says. “Nothing but sunshine predicted through the next 10 days and hopefully that lasts through the first weeks of October.” Planted in the spring and harvested before the first fall rains, the all-female bushes can grow to 15 feet tall before workers chop ’em down mid-September through early October. Americans consume anywhere from 2,500 to 5,000 metric tons of the plant each year, and California
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leads in domestic production of indoor and outdoor. Custer said harvest time is a “a big economic event,” in the Emerald Triangle. As the feds sweep public lands for commer-
Say What?
PERFECT WEATHER
“I think it’s really absurd to be criminalizing possession or use or distribution of marijuana.” —Judge Richard Posner, Seventh U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals
cial pot plantations, the triangle also nurtures a legal, high-grade medical garden scene that ships to dispensaries statewide. Clubs down south used to sell only indoor, but the best outdoor growers have succeeded at pushing organic “sungrown” cannabis as a more wholesome and Earthfriendly alternative to indoor. For one, indoor grows consume an estimated $500 million in electricity each year, researchers estimate. And lamps can’t replace the sun, many say. “There’s absolutely no question that cannabis grown in full sun in good organic soil is better-tasting, lasts longer, smells better, has a more full effect than
lamp-grown cannabis. I don’t know anybody who has really been a long-term cannabis user who thinks otherwise,” says Steve DeAngelo, operator of Harborside Health Center in Oakland.
HIGHLY THERAPEUTIC
Name brands like Sour Diesel, OG Kush and Grand Daddy Purple, as well as new, highly therapeutic strains rich in cannabidiol (CBD)— the second-most common cannabinoid in the plant—will dominate this year’s crop, DeAngelo says. “High CBDs are becoming more sought after, but the regular strains—Super Silver Haze, OG Kush, White Widow, Blue Dream, Trainwreck are still standards,” Kemp writes. “TKO and Bright lights are a local favorite . . . I did just see an absolutely beautiful Coconut Kush that had sativa leaves but matured early.” Harvest season is also great chance for patients to sample exotic sativas that too long to flower and grow too big for a closet operation. “They don’t make any financial sense to grow indoors, but they come to us during harvest,” Harborside’s Steve DeAngelo says. NorCal and SoCal will experience harvest a bit differently it seems. Harvest is traditionally a downtime for dispensaries in NorCal, as cheap, homegrown dampens demand for premium club strains. c
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Just
What the
Doctor {By David Downs}
Ordered
FLASH
What Specific Strains of Marijuana are Right for my Symptoms?
What’s in a strain name?
Would Blue Dream by any other name smell just as sweet? More and more people are turning to medical marijuana for a natural alternative to pain medications, insomnia pills and other mainstream drugs with dangerous side-effects. While there is bulletproof scientific literature on the safety and efficacy of the active molecules in cannabis, little is known about which specific strains of cannabis might be right for what ailment. For the first time, patient surveys of all sorts have begun putting together the pieces. Whether dispensary questionnaires, cannabis competition surveys or consumer data left on sites like Leafly.com—some broad trends in strain indications are starting to emerge and complement what has been mostly anecdotal information.
CANNABINOIDS
According to licensed Berkeley physician Frank Lucido, two molecules—THC and CBD—have been proven to relieve a number of broad symptoms. According to a 2005 research review by Dr Ethan Russo, THC is a pain reliever, muscle relaxant and anti-inflammatory, while CBD has anti-anxiety and anti-psychotic effects as well as anti-inflammatory and immuno-modulatory properties. “Everything else is anecdotal,” Lucido says. That’s partially true because the federal government blocks any research into the medical effects of smoked cannabis on humans. Even if the feds did allow it, marijuana has 70 different cannabinoids in it, plus varying levels of cannabinoid acids and terpenes (aromatic oils).
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Also, every cannabis plant contains varying levels of cannabinoids. According to lab tests, the amount and ratio of cannabinoids in any given plant depends on its genetics (or strain) as well as how it was grown, processed and stored. THC levels can be anywhere from seven to 21 percent of the dry weight of medical grade cannabis, while CBD levels amount to anywhere from 0.1 percent to up to 16 percent of dry weight. It’s cannabis’ intense variability that is responsible for its massive list of indications, but also responsible for how little we know about what strains are good for what. Everything might be anecdotal, but the anecdotes are strong.
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SATIVA VS. INDICA
According to Rick Pfrommer, manager at Harborside Health Center in Oakland, medical marijuana strains can be divided into two loose categories, indicas and sativas. Sativas generally have a more energetic, cerebral effect, while indicas tend to create more lethargy and pain relief in the body. According to Dr. Kymron deCesare, laboratory manager for the UC Davis Department of Chemistry and laboratory manager at Halent Laboratories, calling something “sativa” vs. “indica” or even using its strain name is an “unreliable indicator” of its effectiveness on a certain ailment. There’s no clear line dividing sativa from indica— most plants are hybrids now— and strain names can be changed or misrepresented. Each person’s body may be different, too, Pfrommer says. “Some people get the complete opposite effects,” he says. That said, strong, solid indicas like Pure Afghan, Afgooey and Grape Ape are often recommended for neuropathic pain and insomnia. Also some sativas in the Jack Herer line have also been reported to treat back pain. “[Generally], many people find sativas to help with depression,” Pfrommer says. They are good for a mood lift before creative work.
DRILLING DOWN
Pain, insomnia and tension are the top three reasons why patients seek medical cannabis, according to a 2006 RAND survey. Let’s take a look at strains right for each one: • Halent is really bullish on strains high in CBD to treat neuropathic pain, and that includes Harlequin, Sour Tsunami, and Cannatonic. For musculo-skeletal pain, arthritis pain and age-related pain, Halent recommends juicing those same raw plants for their acids, as well as finding strains that test high in the terpene myrcene, b-caryophyllene and linalool. • For insomnia, patients want to stay away from pure sativas like Green Crack and Trainwreck, which can be racy and cause an elevated pulse. Stick with indicas, and indicadominant hybrids like Blackberry Kush, Blueberry, and King Louis Kush.
• For tension, stress and anxiety: hybrids tend to be the way people are going. Try blockbusters like OG Kush, Blue Dream and Jack Herer for starters. • Halent reports that patients suffering from ADD and ADHD are using high doses of THC to get a clear-headed, project-oriented mindset. Strains like Super Silver Haze can be just what the doctor ordered. Conversely, some patients can be made too anxious by ingesting high levels of THC, which can cause rapid heart rate, emotional hyper anxiety, dizziness and sometimes severe vomiting. Strains high in CBD like Harlequin can actually
bring down a patient who has consumed too much THC, by reducing the psychoactivity of THC in the body and increasing its duration. Halent also recommends strains high in THC-V, which is found mainly in South African sativas like Pineapple Purps and Durban Poison, because THC-V “effectively switches off the panic/ fight-flight effect in the brain . . . [making it] highly effective in the treatment of PTSD.” Scientists have also learned that myrcene—a terpene found in mango, Thai basil, lemongrass and beer hops—“speeds absorption of cannabinoids across the blood brain barrier, and increases the maximum concentration at receptors,” deCesare writes. You can get more medicated, quicker, by eating a whole ripe mango while eating cannabis or 45 minutes prior to inhaling it. c
WARNING People with a family or personal history of schizophrenia should stay away from cannabinoids, as they can precipitate a psychotic break in vulnerable individuals. Women trying to conceive, as well as juveniles should also avoid the plant, as it can affect conception and the developing brain. 24 CULTURE • OCTOBER 2012
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FLASH
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Is marching in a medical marijuana rally akin to consorting with violent neo-Nazis? It is according to the federal government, which is systematically silencing weed war critics with gag orders, travel restrictions and the threat of job firings. The increasing, disturbing trend within the United States is eroding the First Amendment, and giving the American drug war new parallels to communist Russia and China. FIRST AMENDMENT’S END Exhibit A this fall is the gagging of Bryan Epis, arguably one of the first medical cannabis club operators and growers under California’s Prop 215 to be tried and convicted in a federal court. The now-45-year-old, former resident of Chico, received 10 years prison, 10 years parole and a $15,000 fine for growing 458 plants. On July 25, Epis obtained a re-sentencing in U.S. District Court that knocked 30 months off his prison term, so he’ll be out in 2014, instead of 2016. But when Epis gets out, the federal government has specifically barred the popular symbol of drug law injustice from his First Amendment right to “advocate” for reform, according to Epis’ current counsel, Sacramento attorney John Balazs. “Epis agrees not to manufacture, distribute, possess, use, advocate or in any way be involved with marijuana regardless of whether federal or state law prohibit it during his incarceration, and or completion of 10 years supervised release,” the re-sentencing deal reads, Balazs said. Barring drug felons from associating with their old buddies or from using drugs is pretty common, Balazs says. In special cases, the courts have barred convicts from associating with neo-Nazi/ white supremacy groups. But gagging drug policy advocacy? “That’s un-American,” Balazs tells CULTURE. He told Epis’ federal prosecutor Samuel Wong that the condition violates Epis’ First Amendment right to free speech. During the re-sentencing meeting, Wong told Balazs convicts can wave their constitutional rights. The “no advocacy” condition came from above, Wong told Bala-
Bryan Epis
zs. Wong works in the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of California. Epis—who is locked up at Terminal Island Federal Correctional Institute near Long Beach, and has a family—took the deal. “I’ve been in criminal defense 20 years and I’ve never seen a condition like that. And I was surprised they asked for it,” Balazs says. “I assumed it was an individual, unusual, crazy request.” The request is looking less and less unusual, though. CHOKE MARKS Florida activist and convicted pot smuggler Robert “Black Tuna” Platshorn had been crashing around the country in 2012, agitating for legal medical marijuana with The Silver Tour— aimed at retirees. Platshorn made for compelling copy in the The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and elsewhere—indicted in 1979 and sentenced to 64 years, he had gotten out in 2008, and has been on “supervised release” (federal parole). For the most part, parole had been going
Attorney General Eric Holder
Robert Platshorn
smooth, he writes in an email from his home in Florida. His parole agent approved advocacy-related travel, and the use of cannabis oil on Platshorn’s newly formed skin cancer. But Platshorn’s parole agent died, and the U.S. Parole Commission’s new officers in 2012 have specifically stated: ‘“You are no longer permitted to travel to promote the legalization of cannabis without the express permission of the U.S. Parole Commission in Washington, D.C.,’” he writes. The U.S. Parole Commission has since denied Platshorn travel, forcing the cancellation of major speaking appearances. “Eighty percent of my meager income comes from out-of-town book signings and speaking appearances,” he says. “I am shackled by what they have started.” The U.S. Parole Commission started drug testing Platshorn again and barred him from using cannabinoids on his skin cancer. Failing a surprise urinalysis screen for cannabinoids could send the 70-year-old husband back to prison.
Former U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agent and LEAP spokesperson Terry Nelson
GROUPTHINK Federal officials don’t really need to coordinate to stifle free speech in America. It’s baked into the bureaucracy. Micah McCoy with the American Civil Liberties Union in New Mexico stated Aug. 14 that a First Amendment lawsuit against U.S. Customs and Border Patrol is ongoing, after it was filed on behalf of CBP employee Bryan Gonzalez in January of 2011. CBP terminated Gonzalez in October of 2009 for casually voicing his support for drug law reform to a CBP colleague. The colleague reported Gonzalez to superiors, kicking off an internal affairs investigation culminating in his dismissal, because he held “personal views that were contrary to the core characteristics of Border Patrol Agents, which are patriotism, dedication and esprit de corps,” according to an ACLU statement. Former CBP officer and spokesperson for Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), Terry Nelson, said thought-policing is endemic in law enforcement. The rank-and-file can be dismissed for writing a letter to the editor of a newspaper. “They’re firing them for having an opinion,” he states on a video interview on the LEAP website. “Just because you pin on the badge doesn’t mean you give up the right to free speech or the right to participate in government.” Balazs thinks Epis’ case, like Gonzalez’s, should be taken up by the ACLU. Balazs writes, “Putting aside the doubtful constitutional validity of a broad, no-advocacy condition, prohibiting U.S. citizens from lawfully advocating to reform our laws—on marijuana or otherwise—is bad policy and bad precedent.” c
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BUZZ
Degree of Success A rundown on some of the most cannabis-friendly campuses in the nation {By Alan schiano}
What is more humorous than discovering that Mrs. Dick Cheney (Lynne) and the South Park creators attended the same university? How about the fact that their school—University of Colorado Boulder—just got named the No. 1 cannabis college in the nation! Based on 122,000 student surveys, Princeton Review’s college rankings include a “Reefer Madness” section, and campuses in California, Washington and Colorado all made the list! University of California Santa Barbara (#10) We’re not sure what a hydrology major is, but we like how it sounds, and UCSB owns the 10 spot. The 19,000-student school claims such diverse alums as Michael Douglas, Jim Rome, former ambassador Joe Wilson and Black Panthers co-founder Huey Newton. Like most people, you probably assumed Sean Hannity went to DeVry, but the right-winger hosted a college radio show here and even worked with the evil ACLU after homophobic comments got his ass canned. This beachside school has been partying ever since. UCSB also landed a pair of No. 7s on the Hard Liquor and Party School lists. University of California Santa Cruz (#2) Jello Biafra was born in Colorado, but the Dead Kennedys singer pursued higher education at UC Santa Cruz, as did Rebecca Romijn, Andy Samberg and Klingon linguist Marc Okrand. Yes, that’s Klingon as in Star Trek. The
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forest-set school landed the No. 2 spot with good reason. You don’t see Bringham Young launching an online Grateful Dead archive or offering classes on Bob Dylan and the Beatles. The 16,000-student UCSC also hosts the annual First Rain event, a 23-year tradition in which students run naked through the campus during the first heavy rains of the year (we mentioned Rebecca Romijn went here, right?). As far as their popular 4/20 smokeout, a student named “Elly” told ABC News, “Everyone gets together and it’s a celebration of happiness and peace and springtime.” University of Colorado Boulder (#1) Following last year’s honors as Playboy’s top party school, UCBoulder now rocks the Reefer Madness at No. 1. This is a surprise since the CU staff used “stinky fish fertilizer” to suppress this year’s 4/20 smokeout. Ironically, the 4/20 site also hosted President Obama last month, though talk of college roof hits was noticeably
absent from the speech. As far as alum, only one can say her VP hubby shot a 78-year-old man in the face, but the 26,000-student campus can claim Apple cofounder Steve Wozniak, (Sid and) Nancy Spungeon and possible Cartman-inspiration Jonah Hill. Colorado College (#14) No. 14 on the Reefer roll call? Say it ain’t so. Last year’s crowned college dropped 13 spots, but it is still nice to see a Reefer school in Colorado Springs, home to Focus on the Family and more Christian music than the penthouse suite in heaven. The 2,000-student school also ranked No. 12 for “Birkenstock-Wearing, Tree-Hugging, Clove-Smoking Vegetarians,” so how is it we’re name checking the
Cheneys again? Mama Cheney and daughters Elizabeth and Mary all did their undergrad here, so forget gay marriage—Dick should be coming out for MMJ! Evergreen State College (#6) Located in Olympia, Washington this 4,500-student school was described as “a hippie college . . . that drew every weirdo in the Northwest” by ’70s alumnus and Simpsons creator Matt Groening. Of course, he attended Evergreen at the same time as Seinfeld’s “Kramer” (Michael Richards), and not every school names its sports teams after a local clam. Evergreen students are more likely to celebrate 4:20 than 4/20, so maybe the school deserved better than a No. 6 ranking? c
Getting Schooled
For you trivia buffs, here are the 15 other cannabis-friendly colleges in the country, according to The Princeton Review: Eckerd College in Florida (#3), Skidmore College in New York (#4), Green Mountain College in Vermont (#5), Warren Wilson College in North Carolina (#7), New York University in New York (#8), State University of New York – Purchase College in New York (#9), Bard College in New York (#11), West Virginia University in West Virginia (#12), Lewis & Clark College in Oregon (#13), University of Vermont in Vermont (#15), Guilford College in North Carolina (#16), Ithaca College in New York (#17), Sarah Lawrence College in New York (#18), Grinnell College in Iowa (#19) and Reed College in Oregon (#20).
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BUZZ
{By David Jenison} Still the Greatest: The Essential Songs of the Beatles’ Solo Careers, the new book by rock journalist Andrew Grant Jackson, has an intriguing premise. The author creates post-1970 Beatles albums by mixing together the best John, Paul, George and Ringo solo songs by year. In the book, Jackson discusses the backstory of each track, which surprisingly involved a lot of cannabis-related activity. This month marks the 50-year anniversary of the group’s first commercial single, “Love Me Do,” released in the UK on October 5 with a No. 17 chart peak. In honor of the band’s golden anniversary, CULTURE spoke with Jackson to learn more about the Beatles and the band’s greener smoking habits. Do we know who introduced the Beatles to cannabis? In 1960, the Beatles were given some weed in Liverpool, but George said it didn’t seem to do anything for them, though that was the night they learned how to do the Twist. For the next four years, they stuck to amphetamine pills and booze. When Bob Dylan heard “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” he thought they were singing “I get high” instead of “I can’t hide.” On August 28, 1964, Dylan met the Beatles for the first time at their hotel in New York City. They offered Dylan speed pills, but he said he preferred “cheap wine” and pot and then rolled a joint. They admitted they didn’t smoke, and he was shocked and asked, “What about your song about getting high?” John, embarrassed, told him the actual words. Did the band say that smoking helped the music? George said it allowed them to hear sounds they hadn’t been able to hear before. They started slowing down the electric guitar on “Ticket to Ride” and experimenting with the drums, which John later said was a heavy sound for the pop charts at the time. 36 CULTURE • OCTOBER 2012
Influenced by Dylan and weed, John’s lyrics started turning introspective on “Help!” and “Nowhere Man.” By Rubber Soul, they had the sitar on “Norwegian Wood” and started stretching the perspective of the cover photo, elongating their faces. For 1966’s “Rain,” John came home really stoned and put on the tape of the version they had recorded that day. He put it on backwards by mistake, and it blew his mind, so they started
putting backwards vocals and guitars on many of their songs. Ringo later said they didn’t record well when they were stoned, but it was good to smoke the day before so they’d have a creative memory to work with. Did the band take any action in support of legalization? By 1967, there were so many hit singles with drug references (“Day Tripper,” Dylan’s “Rainy Day Women #12 and 35,” the Stones’“Get Off My Cloud”) that the authorities were freaking out. Early that year, Mick Jagger was going to sue the British newspaper The News of the World for libel, so the paper colluded with Scotland Yard to bust the Stones. Nineteen cops went to Keith Richard’s house where the Stones, George and friends had been hanging out for the weekend. The cops waited till George left and then raided the place. The Beatles had been given medals by the Queen so they
were untouchable then. Keith was sentenced to a year in prison for allowing marijuana to be smoked at his home, and Jagger was given three months for having four amphetamine pills. Around the same time, Stones’ guitarist Brian Jones was busted for pot possession. The Beatles published an ad in the Times of London petitioning for the decriminalization of marijuana. A few days later, the Times ran an editorial calling for the Stones’ release, and the Stones were let off. Thirty years later, McCartney said he still favors decriminalization. “I Am the Walrus” makes an allusion to Norman Pilcher. Why is this guy famous? Sgt. Norman Pilcher was a detective who got a lot of press for busting the Stones, Donovan and hippies. John slipped that little “semolina pilchard” dig at him in a stream of surreal nonsensical lyrics at the end of 1967’s “I Am the Walrus.” The following year, John left his wife for Yoko Ono and got Yoko pregnant, and the two posed nude on an album cover together. A lot of public sentiment turned against him, and suddenly he wasn’t “untouchable” anymore. He got tipped off that Pilcher was going to bust him. He was staying in Jimi Hendrix’ place, and he tried to clean it top to bottom. Still, when Pilcher showed up with his dogs, he found 200 grams of hash, some traces of marijuana and a half gram of morphine. John thought Pilcher planted the stuff, which the detective was known to do. John and Yoko got dragged to jail, then had to return to court and push their way through a mob of 300 people. A few days after the arrest, Yoko had a miscarriage. John was afraid Yoko would be deported so he pleaded guilty and was fined
The Dirty Dozen: Bud References in 12 Beatles Songs “Got to Get You Into My Life” (1966) Sounds like he could be talking about a woman, but McCartney later said it was his tribute to weed.
150 pounds. In March 1969, George and his wife Pattie were busted on the day Paul married Linda Eastman. In 1973, Pilcher was sentenced to four years in jail for perjury. Didn’t McCartney stay out of the U.S. for years because of a marijuana bust? In 1972, McCartney released his third Wings single, “Hi Hi Hi,” about having sex with his woman and “getting hi hi hi.” It got banned from the BBC, and that year he started getting busted, first for bringing hash into Sweden and then for growing plants on his farm. He wouldn’t be allowed to play in the U.S. again until 1976. The other Beatles reunited on the song “I Am the Greatest” on the 1973 Ringo album, but it was recorded in L.A. so McCartney couldn’t join them. McCartney’s song “Band on the Run” was partly about how he felt musicians were being turned into outlaws just because they wanted to smoke instead of drink. In the earlier days, when the Beatles did
speed pills and Scotch, John in particular would stay up for days and become a mean drunk. McCartney said, when they switched to weed instead, everyone was mellow and they’d have great discussions.
In your book, you suggest the Beatles helped make cannabis more mainstream with the white middle class. How so? Marijuana had always been around, but it didn’t get into the media much before the ’60s, except with the 1936 film Reefer Madness and Robert Mitchum’s pot bust in ’48. It was under the radar with the bohemians and the jazz scene. Kerouac’s On the Road and the ’50s beatnik craze exposed it to more hipsters, but the Beatles were the most famous people on the planet in the’60s. Their Ed Sullivan appearances were seen by 73 million people in the U.S. when the country only had 193 million. By the time Sgt. Pepper came out in ’67 with pot plants on the cover and songs about being as high as Mr. Kite, tons of Baby Boomers investigated what it was all about. A great rock critic at the time named Nik Cohn wrote that McCartney was so cute with his baby face and big innocent eyes that he could talk about smoking pot or doing LSD and still be forgiven. McCartney gets flak for being the “un-edgy” Beatle, but they needed him doing the all-ages, kid- and parent-friendly music to be accessible to the masses. John was too angry and not enough of a teen heartthrob to do it on his own. When McCartney began touring the U.S. again in 1976, the six o’clock news covered him at airports shaking hands with the crowd with his wife and little kids in tow. While the Rolling Stones and most rockers made their image one of decadence, McCartney had a unique, reassuring image. He was perhaps the first family rock and roller, regular pot busts notwithstanding. c
“Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” (1967) The title is an acronym for LSD, but “the flowers grow incredibly high.” “A Day in the Life” (1967) “Found my way upstairs and had a smoke and somebody spoke and I went into a dream.” “Magical Mystery Tour” (1967) “Roll up for the mystery tour.” “With a Little Help From My Friends” (1967) “I get high with a little help from my friends.” “What’s the New Mary Jane” (1968) Mary Jane is slang for marijuana. “Get Back” (1969) “Jo Jo left his home in Tucson, Arizona for some California grass.” “Because” (1969) “Because the wind is high it blows my mind.” “New York City” (John Lennon, 1972) “Up come a man with the guitar in his hand singing, ‘Have a marijuana if you can’/His name was David Peel and we found that he was real/He sang, ‘The pope smokes dope everyday.’” “Let Me Roll It” (Paul McCartney, 1973) Self-explanatory. “Nobody Told Me” (Lennon, 1980) “Everybody’s smokin‘ and no one’s getting high Everybody’s flyin‘ and never touch the sky.” “The Song We Were Singing” (McCartney, 1997) “For a while, we could sit, smoke a pipe and discuss all the vast intricacies of life.”
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Not
BUZZ
Kid-ding Around Considering Moms for Marijuana’s membership, children figure prominently in the group’s philosophy. The group believes “our children should be educated on all aspects of cannabis; from the thousands of medical, recreational, industrial, agricultural, environmental, spiritual and economic benefits—to the repercussions, risks and history associated with the cannabis plant.” And good parenting always prevails when it comes to children’s exposure to cannabis: “Marijuana should not be used by developing minds under the age of legal consent, without parental guidance, as well as the recommendation and continuous evaluation by a licensed medical physician.”
Maternal
Instinct Moms for Marijuana lends a hand to show that cannabis cares {By Lainna Fader} Women—mothers in particular—are becoming a powerful new force in the ongoing campaign to legalize marijuana, with 8-year-old international advocacy group Moms for Marijuana leading the way. Founded eight years ago by Serra Frank, a student and mother of two, Moms for Marijuana seeks to educate ignorant lawmakers and the largely misinformed public about the safe use and the multitude of benefits the plant has to offer. The group—which has chapters across Southern California—also seeks to eliminate the stereotype that all marijuana smokers are dreadlocked hippies wasting their life away listening to reggae in their dorm rooms by presenting a more conservative, professional face to the movement. “It was a really good place for
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me because it’s a really positive group,” says Tricia Smith, leader of the chapter from Yakima County, Washington. She wholeheartedly believes that marijuana cured her stage-four cancer, which she fought without chemotherapy or radiation 20 years ago. It’s hard to believe, she admits, but it’s true, and she wants others who are in pain to know her story before resigning to suffering. “[Moms for Marijuana is] an informationspreading group and that was important to me because education was lacking in the cannabis field, which is filled with bigotry and hate and special interests.” Denver Chapter leader Lanette Johnson swears she was staunchly anti-drug until she turned 40. “I knew that it was medically legal here in Colorado, but I wasn’t sure how I felt about that because I grew up so antidrugs,” she explains. “I’ve spent
a lot of time in the health care field—I was the kind of person who needed proof. I believed in Big Pharma and scientific research.” But when traditional medications failed to provide her any relief from her chronic pain disorder, she gave medical marijuana a shot. It changed her life. But she decided to be open with her children about her usage, which proved tricky. Her younger son, who was still living at home at the time, aced the D.A.R.E. program while in school, so when she came to him and explained to him that she needed to use marijuana to manage her pain, he told her, “Wait, I don’t understand.” Seventy-five years of propaganda is still doing its job, Johnson realized. So she decided to offset the “half-assed” truths espoused by the program officers and teach her son about the very real health
benefits of medical marijuana. “In Colorado, it’s such a part of our culture now, “ she explains. “It’s part of our lives. We see it everywhere. It’s part of our economy. It might as well be legal—for all intents and purposes.” Moms for Marijuana continues to grow rapidly; its network is now global, which chapters all around the world. Moms for Marijuana has over 25,000 fans on Facebook and 6,000 on Twitter, and its online success has inspired the launch of a second community called Dads for Marijuana. “There is a need for this, for people who to say, ‘Hey, listen, it’s not just teenagers who use this and it’s not just for recreational usage,’” says Johnson. “We need to be realistic and honest about this plant. It has wonderful opportunities.” c www.momsformarijuana.com
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BUZZ
reveals that there is much road to be driven on here, but it’s all centered on the fictionally famous Horizon Festival (think Coachella with cars). With a very prominent do-what-you-want style of gameplay, you can choose to screw around, purposefully hit highway signs and perform burnouts for popularity points which help you get noticed by fans and thus earn wristbands to progress through the game. The open world is racing heaven where speeding is rewarded and all thoughts related to worrying about being caught by the cops are left in the dust of your favorite (insert car name here). The Horizon Festival acts as a hub for campaign direction which sends you out into the boonies of the desert. Drive past a marked festival spot and you’ll instantly jump into a traditional race against various cars and drivers— although I found that racing a Ford Mustang against a Mustang airplane is an enticing twist to a traditional racing competition. Forza Horizon is a very clear departure from the seriousness brought out by the smoothly paved tracks of a speedway and accelerates into driving freedom where players, from fans of the Ford Focus to Lamborghini, are given free rein to both terrorize and dominate the Horizon Festival as they please. c
Every holiday season offers up a slew of anticipated games to desire but games aren’t cheap—a challenge to getting the five-plus titles that I so desperately want to play. As consumers we have to find value in a game worth the $64.64 we’ll end up paying ($59.99 plus taxes). Racing titles aren’t normally my cup of tea which made my brief play through of Forza Horizon entertaining and honestly, insightful. Dan Greenawalt (Creative Director of Turn 10 Studios which worked on previous Forza titles) describes the theme and overall goal of the Forza series “To make gamers into car lovers and car lovers into gamers.” For hardcore fans of the series, this means that the atmosphere of this new installment will leave you wondering if it’s the Forza that you used to know (cue Gotye face paint). While the core of Forza Horizon still offers a variety of content with various authentic makes and models, the complete style of gameplay has changed to bring in less car-savvy folk. This leaves Forza Horizon set in the open-world landscape of a beautifully designed Colorado. The map instantly 42 CULTURE • OCTOBER 2012
Forza Horizon (Published by Turn 10 Studios and Microsoft Studios. Developed by Playground Games) will release exclusively on Xbox 360 on Oct. 23. Standard Edition, $59.99. Collector’s Edition, $79.99. For more info go to forzamotorsport.net.
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TUNES
Idol Thoughts American Idol finalist Casey Abrams embraces the simple life {By David Jenison} “Dude, that actually never came up once,” says American Idol finalist Casey Abrams when asked about a drug-referencing song choice on the show. The 21-year-old singer performed “With a Little Help from My Friends,” a Beatles-penned tune that lists getting high as BFF help. “They think about the stage setup before they even start to think about any of the lyrics,” he continues. “I obviously had to change the ‘F-word’ once in a song, but that was small. Maybe
they let it slip, but I thought it was cool that I got to sing ‘I get high’ on American Idol.” Abrams, who appeared on the transformational tenth season (hola J.Lo and Steve Tyler, adios Mr. Cowell), auditioned in his Texas hometown of Austin, but he has long been a California resident. With roots in two political polar opposites, the affable star seems a bit uncomfortable talking about medical marijuana, though he eventually opens up. “I don’t want to get in trouble, but I think it can help people,” he
remarks. “It seems like it helps a lot with cancer patients. I think people can abuse that power and take advantage of it, but why not have it around? That is my stance on things. There are more things to worry about than that, especially in L.A.. It should be the least of our worries.” For Abrams, life is certainly more excitement than worries after finishing in the Top 6 in the 2011 season. He notably survived an earlier round with a rare judges’ save, which should attest to his pure talent. He then hit the road with his unabashed passion for jazz, blues and old-time R&B on that summer’s 2011 American Idols Live Tour. As far as joining the competition, Abrams admits, “There was some cattiness and I did not trust a lot of people during the show, but all of that cleared up as soon as we all went on tour. I still hang out with all the contestants all
Home is Where the Music Is
Overall, Casey Abrams’ diversity and influences reflect the musician/multi-instrumentalist’s upbringing in a home that featured a vintage playlist and extremely creative parents. Abrams’ screenwriting mother plays piano and sings, and his father teaches film production at the Idyllwild Arts Academy in the San Bernardino National Forest. The son would attend the arts school himself and learn enough instruments to make George Harrison jealous.
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the time—Haley [Reinhart], Jacob [Lusk], all of them. Stefano [Langone] and I are two completely different personalities, but it is actually really fun to hang out with him.” Though he didn’t claim the gold, Abrams recently released his self-titled debut on Concord Music Group, the record company Paul McCartney calls home. The album features dual singles, “Simple Life” and “Get Out,” that highlight the singer’s range. He also recorded a “Hit the Road Jack” cover that would make for excellent American Idol exit music. Though the show exposed him to a wide audience, Abrams wanted to stay true to his ’50sand ‘60s-era influences on the album. Abrams headed to London to record with a trio of top producers, and he co-wrote and played several different instruments, including the bass, acoustic guitar, drums and Wurlitzer. “You have to go with what your gut tells you,” he says of the album. “We tried to put catchy melodies over music that a jazz musician would play. I think that is interesting for a person who does not necessary like pop but who does like cool changes and catchy melodies. It is basically a vibe thing.” Idol fan or not, most everyone can vote for that. c www.iamcaseyabrams.com
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TUNES
Yankee Pride {By Paul Rogers} From a distance, alt-country kingpins Wilco could look like freewheeling minstrels criss-crossing the country to bring their rootsy fare to the masses. Yet while the hard-touring sextet—which Rolling Stone has declared ”America’s foremost rock impressionists”—puts music front and center, a chat with founding frontman Jeff Tweedy reveals a pragmatic business head at the heart of creative collective that’s actually much more than just a band. “I just don’t believe in selling out—I think it’s a very elite concept,” says Tweedy, speaking from his Chicago home. “Where I come from— where my family comes from; where my dad comes from—that notion is almost incomprehensible.” Tweedy, who says his father worked on the railways for 46 years, is referring to the hearty backlash to his band’s licensing of several songs from its 2007 album, Sky Blue Sky, for use in a Volkswagen advertising campaign. Even over five years later, Chicago’s Beachwood Reporter echoed the sentiments of many fans and bloggers when writer Don Jacobson asked “Was the VW payday really worth sacrificing their integrity?” in an article earlier this month. “Well, it was good for our career,” Tweedy deadpans. “It was a way for us to be heard in a business and a world where we had very few avenues for that to happen.”
Real Pain
Their VW deal not only brought Wilco, which has never enjoyed substantial mainstream airplay, oodles of welcome exposure for its songs and a considerable injection of funds, but its critics also inadvertently gifted the band endless paragraphs of profile-raising press and blog publicity. “If [critics of the VW deal] want
Say What?
Wilco combines a business head with a creative heart
“I think [marijuana] should certainly be made readily available to folks for whom there is a legitimate medicinal need.” —Ben Affleck
to stay in this sort of altruistic fantasy world, they can, but Wilco helps a lot of people stay alive. We are a big band with a lot of our friends working for us and a lot of people depend upon us as their livelihood—and I feel much more satisfaction from that than from the idea that some song that I’m not even precious about to begin with has become I guess somehow sullied in someone’s eyes.” Wilco was formed by the remaining members of revered alt-country act Uncle Tupelo when singer Jay Farrar quit the band in 1994. Only singer/guitarist/songwriter Tweedy and bassist John Stirratt remain from Wilco’s original line-up, which is currently completed by guitarist Nels Cline, percussionist Glenn Kotche, multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone and keyboard player Mikael Jorgensen. Over the course of nine albums (including 2011’s The Whole Love), Wilco has earned a reputation for experimentation within the broad parameters of the alternative country and alternative rock genres. The band’s progressive, eclectic approach had web commentators dubbing it “the American Radiohead” by the turn of the Millennium. In 2008, Wilco enthusiastically supported Barack Obama’s presidential campaign, appearing on The Colbert Report to that end. Speaking of Obama, Tweedy shared with CULTURE his views on medical marijuana. “I think that [cannabis has] obviously been proven to help people, and I think that it probably will be legal in my lifetime across the board,” he says. c www.wilcoworld.net
Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy thinks pills are the real problem—not pot. “I’m much more concerned about the pharmaceutical industry and the epidemic of painkiller abuse,” he says. “That’s a lot closer to my heart and I know that kind of suffering, and it seems like it’s obviously a situation that, compared to the ‘War on Drugs’ which is really a ridiculous endeavor, that’s actually one area where the government could probably make significant changes overnight.”
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In light of recent reports of people turning to cannabis to treat their fibromyalgia, CULTURE took a look at a condition that is estimated to afflict roughly 5 million Americans:
Common symptoms of fibromyalgia include fatigue, difficulty sleeping, muscle weakness, headaches and chronic pain all over.
The disorder has no universally accepted treatment or cure. Thus, you will need to count on your family and loved ones for emotional support.
Give yourself 7-8 hours of sleep each night. Getting enough rest may help ease the pain and fatigue. So can moderate exercise, such as using a treadmill or yoga.
If you feel its right for you, consider using cannabis to treat fibromyalgia’s often debilitating symptoms. Consult with your doctor or a physician knowledgeable about medical marijuana.
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By Damian Nassiri
L.A. City Ban on Collectives Temporarily Suspended: Possible Vote in March 13 The City of Los Angeles’ ban on medical marijuana collectives has now been temporarily suspended and could soon be overturned. The ban was supposed to go into effect on Sept. 6. The City Attorney’s office had sent out hundreds of letters to collectives in Los Angeles warning them that if they did not close, they would face civil and criminal penalties, including a $2,500-a-day fine. What is disheartening is that the city used the tax money it collected from the dispensaries under Measure M in order to fund the operation, which consisted of sending the letters out, and were planning on using the rest of the tax money collected ($2.5 million) to file lawsuits and enforce the ban against collectives that remained open—essentially using the collectives’ own money to shut them down. The city was also threatening collective operators and their landlords with misdemeanor prosecutions if they continued to operate the collectives. However, patients and advocates were able to halt the ban by gathering 50,000 signatures and submitting them to the city. The 50,000 signatures were more than twice what was legally required in order to suspend the ban and force a referendum. The city has now temporarily suspended the ban
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while they count and verify the signatures. If the signatures are verified by the city clerk, then the City Council will have to decide whether to repeal the ban outright or place the issue on the ballot next year for a vote by the citizens in March 2013. If the ban is suspended, the City Attorney’s office has stated that the prior ordinance will go back into effect. The prior ordinance basically stated that no collective can operate unless it was a Pre ICO, meaning it is a collective that’s been in operation since before September 2007. In addition, Pre ICO collectives had to meet other onerous requirements such as being 1,000 feet from schools, parks, churches and
Say What?
Legal Corner
other sensitive use areas. The prior ordinance also allowed collectives to register to participate in a future lottery for the opportunity to register should the total number of operating collectives ever fall below 70. Many collectives registered for this lottery in February 2011. However, the lottery never occurred. The biggest problem with the current situation is that by its own terms, the prior ordinance sunsets, or expires, after two years (on June 6, 2012) unless extended by the City Council. If the Ordinance is not extended, all collectives must cease operation. The City Council, however, never extended the prior ordinance. Accordingly, from the view-
“Our marijuana laws don’t work, they cause great harm, they must be reformed.” —former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper
point of the city, all collectives must still cease operations, even if the ban is suspended. Violations of the ordinance are punishable as misdemeanors. The ordinance may also be enforced through nuisance abatement proceedings, i.e. lawsuits for public nuisance. At this time it remains to be seen if or how the City of Los Angeles—including the LAPD—will handle the collective situation. There have been reports that LAPD officers in the Topanga district in the Valley are arresting collective operators for having their shops open without licenses. It appears to be a police state at this point with different districts operating in totally different fashions. We all await the Legislature or the Supreme Court’s ruling to give us guidance on what cities and can and cannot do with respect to regulating collectives. c Attorney Damian Nassiri is the founding partner of the Cannabis Law Group, a law firm dedicated to the rights of patients, collectives and growers. His firm offers consultations and nonprofit incorporations to those who are interested in starting their own medical marijuana collective. You can reach Cannabis Law Group at (714) 937-2050 or visit the law firm’s website at www.cannabislawgroup.com.
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Strain & Edible Reviews
iREADCULTURE.com GET YOUR HITS HERE
BTY (Better Than Yours)
Straight out of the bottle, BTY—or Better Than Yours—makes the grand promise that it’s superior to whatever else you may have on your green medicine shelf. That’s a bold statement, to quote the late Vinnie Vega: Sure, this 100-percent indica, which we found at Green Cloud Collective in Moreno Valley, is a beautiful strain, with sage and hazelnut-colored, tapered buds and fuzzy, spear-shaped nugs. Flavor-wise, BTY’s spearmint bite and toasted rice finish is unique enough to stand out from the pack. But does it get you to the Promised Land? In a word: Yes. BTY packs a roundhouse of a punch, hitting you seemingly from out of nowhere and putting a stagger in your step. It’s what can only be described as a “consistent” stone—the intensity doesn’t build or plateau, but simply sets in fast and maintains a deep level of intensity for hours. That unwavering, “I can’t believe I’m still high” quality makes BTY a good remedy for chronic nerve pain and severe muscle injuries, and an excellent treatment for nausea and loss of appetite from chemotherapy.
Firewalker OG
We’d been aching to try this instant classic from Terra Holistic Collective in Garden Grove ever since hearing of its parental origins, the great Skywalker and Fire OG varieties. The product of this union is exactly what you’d expect, given the eccentric characteristics of donor strains: super-dense, marble-shaped buds, fuzzy-velvet green shot throughout with golden blond hairs and an earthy bouquet with decidedly dank under-notes. For all its sharp perfumes and spicy-hot flavor, Firewalker OG has an underlying sweetness that can only be the result of Skywalker’s Blueberry lineage. Billed as a pure indica, the strain’s stone begins as a blanket of warmth that stretches from the head down to the soles of the feet. After sampling it twice, we couldn’t help but notice a pronounced calming effect on the nerves and a slight numbness about the face and neck. Firewalker OG is, more than anything, a fabulous medium for chilling out after a hard day—just the ticket when dealing with stress-related anxiety and headaches, hypertension and anxiety disorders.
Melt in Your Mind Cheesecake
Do not underestimate this cheesecake. Seriously. Take our word for it—it’s that strong. The Melt in Your Mind Cheesecake, available from Access OC Caregivers in Santa Ana, we sampled was a paragon of potency and perfection, delivering top-notch pain-killing effects (courtesy of “12 grams of XXX butter in every pie!” according to the packaging) to every nook and cranny of our bodies. Even patients with very high tolerances for edibles reported the exquisite potency of this baked delight. This pie may be lovingly hand-crafted with cream cheese, lime (you’ll taste the zing!), vanilla and a graham cracker crust—but don’t let its creamy, dreamy appearance fool you. We recommend that patients (novice or otherwise) only eat a quarter of the pie the first time out. We sampled the entire pie and were figuratively and literally floored (paralyzed?) for a good two hours. If you need to knock severe neuropathic pain out of the ballpark, this pie will do it in spades. Be cautious, be safe.
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Tahoe
We don’t know how this heavenly indica-dominant hybrid from Greenhouse in North Hollywood came by its name, but like Tahoe itself, it possesses a powerful natural beauty. The buds are big and long—the result of thick, broad leaves expertly cured and trimmed—and hued an almost solid sea-foam green. The perfume is delicately sweet—almost cloying, like a hothouse orchid—with an equally syrupy flavor. We stopped counting the different fruits detected in the taste after lemons, blackberries and cherries. Tahoe produces one of those buzzes that start off so strong you hear a roaring between your ears before nature eases back on the throttle and leaves you in a state of thorough befuddlement. While that’s not exactly what you want when operating, say, a buzz saw, it’s a great way to deal with truly chronic pain, as when trying to get through the night when the arthritis is acting up or severe neuropathy is getting you down. The potency of the high is such that it’s also an outstanding mood lifter.
Cavi-Taffy
Earlier this year, CULTURE staffers were musing about caramels being “the next big thing” in edibles—a theory we based on the number of “chew”-type offerings we started seeing at collectives. Fortunately, The Closet in Riverside offers patients Cavi-Taffy edibles for those interested in exploring new advancements in cannabis ingestion. We sampled the 100mg Blue Dream and 200mg Cantaloupe taffies and were pleased and surprised at the results. Surprised because despite the fact that these taffies are made with CO2 hash oil, there’s virtually none of that acrid “spiciness” often associated with concentrates. And we were surprised at how much a small bit of edible will go towards medicating you from head to toe. Cavi-Taffy is no hammer blow to the head (or body). Instead, the effects—while strong and pronounced—come on gradually, like a warm velvet blanket slowly covering your body or warm maple syrup drizzling down the sides of your head. These are very strong—when they say 200mg they mean it—and definitely intended for severe discomfort and pain. Life is sweet again.
Alien OG
From Green Kiss Collective in North Hollywood, this formidable 100-pecent indica is positively otherworldly in beauty and strength. The bulbous, multicolored buds—fuzzy green on the edges, a riot of gold and orange at the center—are so steeped in resin that the nugs almost dissolve on the tongue. It burns fast and hot, producing prodigious amounts of billowing smoke and leaving behind bowls of perfectly white ash—signs of good flushing. The partly fruity, partly alkaline taste is as clean and crisp as its smoke, calling to mind a word not usually applied to marijuana: refreshing. Alien OG is far and away the strongest cannabis we’ve sampled in a while, yielding a kind of slipped-from-the-mooring, drifting-away sensation. If Major Tom had brought some of this bud with him, he’d have had a much easier time on his odyssey. Far from the psychedelic effects of sativa, the stone here is solid indica—sedative, muscle-numbing, down-to-the-bone pain relief. If you regularly suffer from arthritis, insomnia, nausea or chronic pain, this is the medicine you want to keep on hand.
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“I don’t know how we can have one law and the feds can have another, and can come in and do whatever they want to do.”
Photo by Brett Patterson
—On the federal crackdown
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9 to 5, the hugely-successful ’80s comedy starring Lily Tomlin, Jane Fonda and Dolly Parton was on television the night before I interviewed Lily Tomlin. I’d forgotten what a zany flick it was—particularly the scene where the trio share a joint and fantasize about offing their boss. In the blockbuster hit, Tomlin is—as usual—hilarious as the talented but underpaid, underappreciated and, when it comes time to get a long-awaited promotion, overlooked head secretary Violet Newstead. In real life Tomlin may have been underpaid on a few occasions, but she’s gotten lots of appreciation and enjoyed success on the stage and on screens both small and silver over the decades. And the smoky session in 9 to 5 isn’t the only time the comedian/actress—who was named by TIME Magazine as the “New Queen of Comedy” in 1977—has played a marijuana-using character. Just this past year, she played a pot-smoking mother on HBO’s hit Eastbound & Down and Web Therapy with Lisa Kudrow. This fall, Tomlin will play a mother who uses medical marijuana on a new ABC comedy Malibu Country starring Reba McEntire. She is truly a one-of-a-kind talent who has created dozens of memorable characters over her epic career . . . and she’s not done yet. I heard you’re from Detroit originally. Well I was in New York at the time. I would have gone from Detroit to anyplace. So when was this? I guess it was 1962. I got my Equity [theatrical actors’ union] card by getting into a mime show. Of course I was never trained as a mime . . . you better ask me direct questions or I’ll just meander. Sure, but I want to hear more about this. The whole mime thing fascinates me. (Laughs) Yeah, okay! I’d had success in college in Detroit at Wayne State University where I was in pre-med—which was a total joke. So I got into a college play where I had a walk-on, and I had to improve it every night and it was like a sensation. I was just fooling around, you know. Because I put on shows
all my life since I was a little kid in my apartment house. I didn’t know that people did that for a living. So when I got the opportunity to fool around on the stage, it was just normal to me; it just felt right. Seems like it’s worked out. You’ve won just about every award they made. You’ve got Grammys, Tonys, BAFTAs, Emmys and you’ve been nominated for an Oscar. Did I forget any? Yeah, you are. You’re just missing a load of them. Heh-heh. Well it’s a very impressive list of awards, and I don’t think there are that many comedians who have been recognized for their work in so many mediums. Would you say you’re a restless person creatively? Somewhat. (Laughs). Less so than I was when I was 30. I would like to be more creative in my own life. OCTOBER 2012 • CULTURE 59
“Sometimes they’re just wonderful serendipitous surprises. You get a notion for something and it just sort of springs to life.”
—on the inspiration for her characters
How do you choose what you’re going to do next? It’s kind of broken field stride. Some stuff comes to you happily. You want something more offthe-wall or something you haven’t done. The only current things at the moment are I’ve been playing Lisa Kudrow’s mother on Web Therapy [on Showtime] which I really get a kick out of because it’s improv’d and it’s so off-thewall. It’s very over-the-top. I play a very upper-class Bostonian who’s out of her mind. And then I’m also—I don’t know if you know this show—Eastbound & Down on HBO. Kenny f*#king Powers? Brilliant show. Oh, God. I didn’t even know it was on the air. I got this bid to do [Season 3]. Anyway, so I watched the whole first two seasons and loved Kenny Powers. I just fell in love with him. The first episode is such a classic, when his major-league career is over and they show him in a classroom being trained to be a substitute teacher. The guy behind him is on the phone talking about him and he says, “You’ll never guess who’s sitting in front of me. Kenny f*#king Powers! Yeah, he looks like shit. He looks like a big bag of mashed-up assholes.” I use that one as much as possible. He’s just outrageously great. So I did a couple of those. 60 CULTURE • OCTOBER 2012
I see you’re doing your famous one-woman shows around the country this year and into 2013. What do you have planned? It’s kind of my version of stand-up, but I always do characters. So I do 10 or 12 characters. And I use some multimedia in the show where I put pieces together sort of satirizing being a celebrity or a person who doesn’t know who she is because she does so many people. And I have clips where characters interrelate . . . I just try to make it fun. Do you ever putter around the house in character and forget who you are? No. (Laughs) Remember [’60s and ’70s era comedian and political impressionist] David Frye? Remember everybody said David Frye got into Nixon and he couldn’t get out? No, I’ve never had that problem. But they’ve said Jonathan Winters has gotten into character and kind of flipped. Johnny Depp did those pirate movies then started dressing like a pirate in real life all the time. Oh, he does. See? I should go around as Ernestine. If I did I would have my way everywhere. I wouldn’t mess with Ernestine myself. Your kooky characters are kind of your trademark. Where do you get the inspiration for these crazy creatures? I don’t know. Sometimes they’re just wonderful serendipitous surprises. You get a notion for something and
it just sort of springs to life. And other times you work like hell to make something make sense. And then of course I’ve done a lot of specials—in the old days with the television specials—and I would get a concept for a special and then I would try to people it. I did one special back in the ’80s, Lily For President?, when Reagan was in the White House. You know—an actor playing the president. I did everything. I was the filmmaker, I was the President, I was the secretary. Since then you’ve gone back to the White House, right? You were in The West Wing. Oh, yeah. I was four years on West Wing playing President Bartlett’s secretary. Good show. I like it when intelligent shows are successful on television. Yeah, I loved it. It was great. What do you think about the reality television . . . infestation? Now
they have shows about people who run truck stops and people who do tattoos . . . sewer cleaners. (Laughs) A certain amount of it interests me because you get to go into a world a little. It’s still show business. They’re making a show and somehow it’s a bit constructed. It has to be. Yeah, but they don’t have to pay actors or writers. Oh, yeah sure. That’s the big thing. They don’t get residuals or anything. It’s really tough for actors. Especially character actors. They can hardly make a living anymore. Not many people can pull off a one-man or one-woman show. Just getting up on stage and letting it rip. The gun goes off and you just start. How do you go about creating one of those? Do you ever get blank page syndrome? No, but I always say that to Jane [Wagner] my partner. She always
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says she has to face the empty page, and I say I have to face the full one! Yeah, of course. You think you’ll never think of anything again as long as you live, and you feel totally out of it. But then you get an idea, you get so inspired. I mean every time I decided to try a different culture type I’d be so excited—just on fire. I found an old box of tapes from when I was working on Edith Ann [Editor’s note: one of Tomlin’s characters, a precocious 5-year-old girl]—years and years ago—you know, cassettes. And I thought, “What are these?” And they were nothing but me talking into a tape recorder as Edith Ann. Just improv’ing; trying to create a life for her. And I’m like obsessive [going into character] for hours! Could you hear yourself slowly building her backstory? Yeah, you know trying to get ideas, and you use your own life and your own family and other kids in your neighborhood and you start to build a life for Edith. I had a lot going in because my Dad was a big gambler and a drinker, and I used to go to the bookie joints with him and the racetrack and the bars with him. And Sunday I’d go to church with my mother. So you experienced a whole spectrum of crazy people. My mom and dad were Southern—from Kentucky. They come up to Detroit to work. We lived in the inner city in Detroit in a predominantly black neighborhood in an old apartment house with every kind of person you can think of. It was a glorious childhood. Got any advice for aspiring young creative types who want to do it (singing) “my way?” You must know who [1950s and ’60s era stage and film actress] Mildred Natwick is—the character film actress? Well, when I was 18, people would say to me, “You know someday you’re going to get all of Mildred Natwick’s parts.” She was about 55 then. I said, “Well, I can’t wait that long.” So I had to create vehicles for myself. 64 CULTURE • OCTOBER 2012
“I don’t use everyday. I’m not that fresh and hip.” —On marijuana
So you think people should just get on with it, huh? Yeah. That’s what I did! Being famous was not that important— at least I certainly didn’t think it was. In fact, I thought it was an impediment. In those days, in my time coming up, we really were idealistic. We felt you should only do well by doing good. At least the people I hung with. Couldn’t agree more. Let me ask your opinions about some issues. I know you’re an advocate for marijuana legalization. Yes, yes. Of course. What do you think about the federal crackdown going on right now? I just don’t get it. I don’t know how we can have one law and the feds can have another, and can come in and do whatever they want to do. I wonder why the feds making such a big deal about it. Why do they care? I don’t either. Why do they care
about half what they care about? Any favorite kinds of cannabis? Strains? I wish I was that sophisticated. Do you have a doctor’s recommendation? No, I don’t! Can you get me one? I don’t have anything like that. I have to rely on the kindness of strangers. I don’t use everyday. I’m not that fresh and hip. Are you still an Obama fan? Well, I’m more realistic about it because I don’t know how anybody could have done much more. He comes in with a liability, too, because he’s the first black president, and I think he actually thought that what worked as an organizer in Chicago in the neighborhoods would somehow work with Congress. That he could negotiate in good faith? And come to some kind of compromise; some kind of nice understanding. Well, they’re just lethal. They’re crazy people. You can’t negotiate with crazy people. They are. They’re just off the deep end. It’s all such incredibly inflated BS about what they do profess to care about. That base. I’m really stunned, though, that they’re showing just how cruel and stupid they are. I mean they’re showing it so blatantly.
dialed In
One of Lily Tomlin’s memorable characters— which appeared on ’70s sketch comedy show Laugh-In—was Ernestine, an obnoxious and arrogant telephone operator who delivered very questionable customer service while manning a switchboard. With a severe hairdo and her “one ringdingy” one-liner, Ernestine was the last person you wanted to pick up the line when you dialed 0.
But I don’t see how anybody could have missed it! How could people be so dense? Oh, I know. Any kind of person with a little bit of alertness. But, nonetheless, now it’s just absolutely flat-out. I mean all this stuff they get standing ovations for (in the Republican debates). I start thinking maybe they know something I don’t. They know that Jesus really is coming back. Well, we have the conservative media led by Fox News, and they’ve spawned a whole section of the American public who have their own twisted reality—and it’s completely untethered from the real world. You can have a discussion with someone who has a different opinion. You can’t argue with someone who has their own facts. No, no you can’t. It’s impossible. You were talking about your partner Jane before. You’ve been together for a while now. Have you ever thought about getting married? No. Not necessary? Well, we’ve been together so long and people tell me it’s wonderful to have these public commitment ceremonies and have your friends over and all that. But we would never even get there on time. And I don’t even want to start. Where do you go with the wardrobe? How long have you been together now? 40 years. So, I guess marriage seems kind of redundant at this point? (Laughs) It does. I think we might like it . . . but it takes so much planning. www.lilytomlin.com
ON STAGE
Appearing Sept. 28 at the Smothers Theatre in Malibu and Sept. 29 at the Carpenter Performing Arts Center in Long Beach.
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Profiles in Courage
Photo by Kristopher Christensen
Patient: Jocelyn Alexis Smith AGE: 32 Condition/ Illness: Congenital adrenal hyperplasia and ADHD Using medical cannabis since: October 2011
Are you an MMJ patient from SoCal 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 MARIJUANA?
I have been on a lot of medication for my conditions and related complications since I was 15. After taking them for so long, you get familiar with how they affect your body and how harsh they can be. I did some research and sought advice from a friend in the profession of wellness. I decided to try [cannabis] for the first time in over a decade and the results were successful! The main symptoms of both of these conditions are sleep deprivation and pain . . . I have tried both indicas and sativas and found sativa to be more effective. This stimulates me much like Adderall, an ADHD medication, in the evening. It calms down my [hyperactivity] and allows me to focus better. I am also able to get a full night’s sleep.
DID YOU TRY OTHER METHODS OR TREATMENTS BEFORE MARIJUANA? After trying several psychiatric sleep aids, I found myself groggy, depressed and moody in the mornings. I am also steroid dependent due to my adrenal (disorder). If you have ever researched corticosteroids, you will find there are as many side effects as good ones.
WHAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT ISSUE OR PROBLEM FACING MEDICAL MARIJUANA PATIENTS?
Currently, the government is taking action against dispensaries and related providers to shut them down. Many patients are terminally ill and depend on the current process . . . There is much judgment and criticism against patients and I feel it’s important to educate the population, give demonstrations, show statistics and keep writing films and documentaries wherever permitted.
WHAT DO YOU SAY TO FOLKS WHO ARE SKEPTICAL ABOUT MARIJUANA AS MEDICINE? Do your research. Analyze the data. You will be surprised at the results! c
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Destination Unknown
Story and photos by Dennis Aregenzia and Grace Cayosa
If the exhilaration/terror of being dragged by a kite over deep water and swimming tourists doesn’t appeal, then there are Mũi Né’s red sand and white sand dunes just outside of town. In an ironic twist, the sandiest dunes don’t actually touch water, as Mũi Né beaches are subject to persistent heavy erosion that results in large stretches of concrete-tiled “beach,” thin swaths of real beach, and luxuriously maintained but exclusive resort beach. The red dunes rise up quite suddenly from the roadside and are, not surprisingly, reddish, pounded by wind and manned by cute Vietnamese kids offering plastic sheets for “sand surfing” (at a small
matter that you will continue to discover for several days afterwards, and 2) taking photos of atmospheric sand dunes in a windstorm is guaranteed to sand-blast your camera. The white dunes were more forgiving, if not a little harder to find. For those of us whose sand dune experience is limited to beach berms and movies, the white dunes are pretty amazing. Imagine taking thousands of tons of white sand, dropping them on a giant patch of flat scrub brush, and letting the results ripple beautifully. Granted, it’s not vast like the Sahara or the Gobi, but if you sit strategically between dunes—perhaps resting
bursting culinary experience. As previously mentioned, there’s just one main road going through Mũi Né, and as evening falls, you will find several open air seafood “restaurants” setting up on the beach side of the road. Owing much to its original identity as a fishing village, these dining establishments feature an impressive array of the day’s catch, including giant tiger prawns, shark, eel, periwinkle snails, conch, scallops and, of course, fish. It’s a simple affair: select your [still moving] dishes and then turn away as the barbeque man delivers the death blow via a quick THWAP! on the ground. Drinks are cold, condiments simple, tissues plenty and the seafood, ridiculously cheap and flavorful. When it’s time to medicate, the green is easy enough to find via xe om (motorcycle taxi) drivers—who also gladly offer prostitutes as well—and the cannot-be-specifically-named shishka clubs. However, local quality is generally mediocre, sporting more than the occasional seed, twig and whatnot, and the bribe price can be disproportionately high if the taxi driver you bought your stash from decides to turn around and report you to the police. Thus, many travelers pack their own. The quirks of Mũi Né—wind surfing near sandless beaches; sand surfing on inland dunes; gorging on affordable bounty from the sea;
fee, of course). We learned two very important lessons at the red dunes, both of which are blindingly obvious in hindsight, but hey, we were caught up in the joy of travel: 1) sand surfing is a sure-fire way to fill your netherbits with particulate
from the arduous climb—you could easily convince yourself that a nomad camel caravan is about to crest the hill. Once you’ve worked up a massive appetite cavorting in the sand, head back to town for a gut-
watching leggy Russian beauties catwalk between their 5-star resort and the Russian-owned trinket store in dental floss bikinis and stilettos—combine for a unique Vietnamese-cum-Little Moscow experience. Have at it. c
Double Impact
Vietnam’s MÙi Né mashes up tropical beauty with touches of Little Moscow The storefront sign reads: ТУРФИРМА. Now, one of us is monolingual, the other has a touch of dyslexia, and we’re both standing on the same southern Vietnamese coast, but we’re 100 percent certain that the sign is neither bizarro English nor bad Vietnamese, and that’s because we are in Mũi Né, a one-road resort town defined by gusting sea winds, sand dunes and Russian snowbirds. Located almost exactly between party beach Nha Trang and party city HCMC (aka Ho Chi Minh City or Saigon), Mũi Né has become increasingly popular as a Russian winter getaway (thanks to ТУРФИРМА or “tourist agencies”) and as the wind sport destination in Southeast Asia due to consistently strong sea breezes for more than half the year. Experienced kiteboarders and windsurfers flock to this town between October and May for a chance to launch off Mũi Né’s ever-shrinking beaches and make serious hang time, while beginners simply want to survive the first wipeout with dignity. The surge of the curious has given rise to several kitesurfing schools and shops, all easily identified by the presence of tan, toned instructors effortlessly assisting the floundering.
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GreenScene
Greening Your
Halloween {By NANCY POWELL}
Local retailers have stocked up for Halloween, and while it’s out with Charlie Sheen and the old Kate Middleton preexposure, it’s in for Prince Harry (although you probably don’t need to be hanging out at the costume shop for that one), the Avengers and rapper Psy, along with all the expenses that go with the cosplay event of the year. Come Nov. 1, all those costumes will go to the dumps, and, according to Seattle-based Green Halloween, it will occur at the rate of 6,250 tons, equivalent to the weight of 2,500 mid-sized cars. Instead of tossing all that material out, why not get “CIDER” minded? That is, Craft, Imagine, Donate, Exchange and Resell. You could start with Craigslist to find local sources for costumes or to resell or exchange those gently-used ninja jumpsuits or Star Wars pieces that have sat in your closet collecting dust these past few years. Families can also find gently-used costumes at Thredup (www. thredup.com) or at one of the many National Costume Swap sites (www. greenhalloween.org/CostumeSwap). Green Halloween organized the first swap back in 2010 and the event has since expanded to 27 states and two Canadian cities. Costume swaps mean less packaging, less waste and less toxicity to the environment. Plus, a swap is a good way to show off your “green” spirit while saving precious dollars. This year’s event is scheduled for Oct. 13. Speaking of healthy and safe choices, the FDA’s lax oversight of Halloween cosmetics certainly makes the case for creating your own home-grown face paints and gory props. Low levels of heavy metals like lead, nickel or chromium were found in face paint tests conducted by the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics (safecosmetics.org/ article.php?id=584) in 2009. In fact, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention discourages parents from using lead-based cosmetics on children. With this in mind, making your own non-toxic face paints and prop is fairly easy, and according to The Smart Mama (www.thesmartmama.com), all it takes are corn syrup, corn starch, gelatin, glycerin, shortening, flour and food coloring. Save your health, your dollars and the environment and make Halloween a do-it-yourself holiday. For more information about how to make non-toxic Halloween make-up, visit these additional websites: www.momsrising.org and watoxics.org. c 72 CULTURE • OCTOBER 2012
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Cool Stuff The Stacker Hydro LED Grow Box
Who wouldn’t like to grow like a pro? The Stacker Hydro LED Grow Box makes it easy for home cultivators who want to save space and energy. Equipped with two full-cycle grow chambers, full-spectrum lights and double the air filters, The Stacker is efficient (50 percent less power usage), allows for continuous growing and is available for soil and hydro. ($3,450) www.cabinetgrow.com
Infyniti Scales
Throw that lame keychain scale in the garbage! If precision is important, get a digital scale. But if you’re a baller, then Infyniti Scales’ line of officially licensed weighing products featuring Easy-E and the Notorious B.I.G. are sure to get plenty of hip-hop hooray. Pick up the 2Pac scale—it’s made to look like a CD case—and you’ll feel like a heavyweight. ($49.99) www.infynitiscales.com
Radio Silenz Headphones
Featuring real wood housing (available in Walnut, Cherry and Black Ash finishes) to provide a more natural sound, Tivoli Audio’s Radio Silenz Headphones offer excellent audio quality to the most pickiest musicphile. Plus the cool Defeat feature allows you to switch off noise-canceling and fade the audio so you can talk to someone without having to remove the headphones. Now that’s genius. (MSRP $159.99) tivoliaudio.com/radiosilenz
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CULTURE Recipes By Aunt Sandy
Why should kids have all the fun? Forget about the costumes and candy— this Halloween-themed menu is bloody delicious all on its own.
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:
Bloody Cocktail Bloody Mary Spider Cheese Ball Paella Pumpkin Bread Honey Canna Butter
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Paella
Makes six servings. 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 1 pound), cut into medium pieces Salt and pepper 1/2 cup Cannabis Infused Olive Oil** 2 chorizo sausages, sliced 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips 1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips 1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, diced 1/2 teaspoon of saffron threads 1 1/2 cup parboiled short grain rice 3 cups chicken stock (more if needed) 12-16 extra large shrimp, peeled and de-veined 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme 1 teaspoon minced fresh oregano 1 teaspoon minced fresh chives 3 teaspoon thinly sliced scallions
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. In a paella pan or large sauté pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat and brown the chicken and chorizo on both sides. Reduce heat to medium. Add bell pepper strips and onion and cook until softened. Stir in the garlic, saffron, rice and stock. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer until the rice is al dente. Add the shrimp, herbs and scallions. Cook until the shrimp are pink and opaque and liquid is absorbed. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Spider Cheese Ball Makes 16 servings.
Bloody Mary Ice 1 shot of Cannabis Infused Vodka 3 shakes of Worcestershire sauce 2 dashes of celery salt 1 dash Tabasco sauce (or horseradish) Tomato juice Stalk of celery Fill glass with ice. Add the vodka, Worcestershire sauce, celery salt and Tabasco sauce. Fill the rest of the glass with tomato juice. Garnish with the celery stalk. (Note: to make Cannabis Infused Vodka, add about 1/2 ounce of marijuana buds to a quart of vodka, store in a cool dry place, shake daily, let it soak for about two weeks and strain.)
Bloody Cocktail Sugar (dyed black with food coloring) Ice 1 shot of Cannabis Infused Vodka 1 shot of grenadine syrup 7 Up soft drink Rim glass with sugar, add ice, vodka and syrup. Fill glass with 7 Up.
2 8-ounce packages of cream cheese 8 ounces white cheddar cheese, shredded 1/2 cup Canna Butter* 3 tablespoons apple cider 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1/2 cup finely chopped red onion 1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper 1/2 cup poppy seeds 1 10-ounce package of refrigerated breadsticks 1 egg white, lightly beaten 6 ripe olives, sliced Assorted crackers
In a large bowl let the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and Canna Butter stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Add apple cider and nutmeg. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until well mixed. Stir in red onion and red pepper. Cover and chill for 4 hours. Place poppy seeds on a sheet of waxed paper. Shape cheese mixture into a ball and roll in the seeds to coat. Let stand 15 minutes. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside. For spider legs unroll the breadstick dough and cut each piece in half. Arrange each piece on the baking sheet bending each piece into a “z” shape. Brush breadsticks with beaten egg whites and sprinkle generously with remaining poppy seeds. Bake for about 10 minutes until browned. Place cheese ball on a large serving plate. Arrange six breadsticks around the cheese ball for spider legs, gently pushing breadsticks into the ball to secure. Use the olive slices as eyes (two or six). Secure the “eyes” with broken pretzel sticks. Serve with crackers. OCTOBER 2012 • CULTURE 79
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Honey Canna Butter
Pumpkin Bread
1 3/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1 1/3 cup sugar 1/3 cup soft Canna Butter* 2 eggs 1 cup cooked or canned pumpkin 1/3 cup water or milk 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 1/4 cup coarsely chopped XXXX 1/3 cup raisins Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and ground cloves. In a large bowl beat the sugar, Canna Butter and two eggs until light and fluffy. Add and beat in the pumpkin. Divide the sifted dry ingredients into three separate batches and add each batch to the egg-sugar-butter mixture, alternating with the addition of the water (or milk) and vanilla. Do not over beat. Fold in the XXXX and raisins. Pour batter into a greased pan and bake for about 1 hour or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Enjoy with your Pumpkin Bread 1 cup Canna Butter* 1/4 cup honey Soften the Canna Butter. Add the honey and whip. Serve with bread.
CANNA Butter* 1 cup unsalted butter 1 ounce low to average quality dried leaf marijuana or 1/2 ounce average dried bud 4 cups water Bring water and butter to boil in a small pot, lower heat to simmer. Simmer gently for about 1 1/2 hours. Mash and stir frequently to extract all THC from the plant material. After cooking, use cheesecloth to strain the butter/water mixture. Pour about 2 cups clean boiling water over the leaves in the strainer to extract every last drop of butter. Squeeze plant material well to remove as much liquid as possible. Chill the butter/water mixture in the refrigerator until the butter has solidified (1 to 2 hours). Separate butter from water and keep butter in the refrigerator (or freezer for longer storage) until needed.
Cannabis-Infused Olive Oil** 1 cup olive oil 1 1/4 ounces low to average quality dried leaf marijuana or 3/4 ounce average dried bud
Place cannabis in a slow cooker. Add oil. If necessary, add a little extra oil in order to just cover the cannabis. Cook on low for six to eight hours, stirring often. Strain through cheesecloth to remove plant material. For further purity, strain through a coffee filter. Store in the refrigerator for up to three months.
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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Shooting Gallery iREADCULTURE.com GET YOUR HITS HERE
311, Slightly Stoopid Unity Tour (Photos by Gabriela Mungarro)
Shoreline Jam (Photos by Kristopher Christensen)
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Shooting Gallery iREADCULTURE.com GET YOUR HITS HERE
BIG Industry Show (Photos by Michael Carlos)
Tomorrows Bad Seeds (Photos by Kristopher Christensen)
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Entertainment Reviews 10.6.3 OGX Montage One Stimulus One Music If boring, sold-out rap is an enemy that must be destroyed, Montage One has declared war with 10.6.3 OGX, an album straight from the hip-hop underground that is not the same ol‘ banal dross you’ve heard on the radio too many times before. Produced by MasterKraftsmen, Alchemist and others, Montage One’s latest full-length (release date: Sept. 25) features more than two dozen high-caliber artists including Phil The Agony, Planet Asia, Krondon and Madlib, making the work an instant collector’s item for the fan who wants it all. Montage One’s talent as a decorated lyrical veteran of the Likwit Crew and Gold Chain Military is on full display here, with songs like “Beat2Def,” a roaring blitzkrieg of a single full of groovy ’70s funk organ tones and wicked scratches that knock you down with the rhymes and out with the beats. Track “Return of the Assassin” also delivers with ominous opening acoustics, thunderous bass and that violent gangster-style you know you love. (Jasen T. Davis)
Henry Hemp #1 “Attack of the Spider-Mite Men” Story and art by Mike Tucker Revolutuck Comics Marijuana prohibition is serious business . . . but don’t they say humor is the best medicine (after cannabis)? With a gee-whiz approach to superhero storytelling, splashes of saturated colors and a wry sense of humor, Henry Hemp #1 comic book gleefully mixes Illuminati conspiracies, Jack Herer’s platform, gray aliens—heck, there’s even a black helicopter—into a tongue-in-cheek meta-fable promoting the salvation of the world through hemp and cannabis. The plot: an evil scientist (“Doctor Man-Spider-Mite . . . Head . . . Guy . . .”) attempts to take over the mystical land of Weedom with an invasion of hybrid spider-mites, prompting activist Henry Hemp to transform into Super Hemp to fend off the attack. Blending pulp-era dialogue (“Let me assure you that evil is very real.”), square-jawed optimism (“There will always be dark forces trying to put out the light of love, happiness and joy.”) and the ethos of underground comix, Attack offers comic relief and sobering facts: story of a world under siege by anti-marijuana forces is all too real. (Matt Tapia)
Jimi Hendrix Jimi Plays Berkeley: Berkeley Community Theatre, Saturday May 20, 1970 Legacy Some people are meant to sing. Some people are meant to create. Jimi Hendrix was unquestionably a man born to play guitar. Old fans and new recruits alike will have something to gain from watching this pseudo-documentary on the artist. Presented with footage of the man performing live alongside reactions from audience members, this film encapsulates what Hendrix meant to people and how he affected them. The audience experiences this as well: watching Hendrix perform his classics (“Purple Haze,”“Voodoo Child,” etc.) alongside improvised riffs and the most mind blowing rendition of “The Star Spangled Banner” proves that Hendrix was one of the most talented men to walk the planet—he was his music. The special features are scarce here, with only an interview with live-sound engineer Abe Jacobs and the uninterrupted concert performance serving as extras. This DVD has healthy nostalgia for long-term fans, and powerful material for new converts. You owe it to yourself, as a listener of music, to pick this up. (Joe Martone) 88 CULTURE • OCTOBER 2012
Shpongle Presents The Masquerade Simon Posford’s Facebook page describes psychedelic ambient project Shpongle as a “mildly Obsessive Compulsive Muppet that makes Music,” and let’s just state that there couldn’t be a better explanation. The English duo—made up of Posford and Raja Ram of The Infinity Project fame—is crossing the pond to bring you a pre-Halloween masquerade-themed night of mystery and wonder. Why not put our creative skills to work: dress up and spend a night in Hollywood enjoying the mindbending wonders that Posford and Ram will be cooking up. Also on the bill will be Younger Brother, which (again) counts Posford as one of its members along with fellow Brit and trance artist Benji Vaughan. You heard right—double the Posford, double the fun! If you’re familiar with Shpongle, expanding your mind will be par for the course, but because the journey’s soundtrack will be psybient-based, you can forget about trance’s incessant kick drums. Mellow out, free your mind and keep your mind on the eclipse taking place inside your cerebral cortex. Don’t forget to come back to Earth. (Gabriela Mungarro and Matt Tapia)
IF YOU GO
What: Shpongle Presents The Masquerade w/Younger Brother. When/Where: Oct 6 at Hollywood Palladium, 6215 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles. Info: Tickets $35. Go to www. shpongle.com.
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Liner Notes
By Kevin Longrie
Every year, private collectors buy and sell some of the world’s most valuable pieces of art. Picasso, Rembrandt and others have passed hands in the auction houses of the super rich. But you don’t have to have deep intellectual or artistic taste to want to spend a lot of money in an auction house; you could just buy ELVIS’ soiled underwear. At an auction in early September, several items from the King went up for grabs, including a pair of stained underwear worn at a show in 1977 and a Bible cherished by Mr. Presley for most of his life. The Bible was given to him in 1957 by an aunt and uncle. No word on who bought him the drawers. The Bible sold for £59,000 (about $94,000) to an anonymous call-in bidder. This was over double the reserve price set on the item. One reason that the item fetched so high a price is that the pages had annotations by the King about the King of Kings. That’s meta. The underwear, however, failed to meet the reserve price of £7,000. The sad part is not that no one was willing to fork over £7,000 for some used underwear worn by Mr. Viva Las Vegas himself; it’s that somebody out there was willing to spend £5,000 on them. I’m pretty sure they have vending machines in Japan for this kid of thing, bud. Cee Lo Green has been keeping busy in the entertainment industry. Once merely a voice, now he’s entering his third season as a coach on The Voice. He’s also recently signed a deal
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with NBC to create new projects for the network, including a scripted show that is somewhat based on his life: Everybody Loves Cee Lo? The show, in the earliest possible stages of development, would be written by Ali Leroi (Everybody Hates Chris) and would highlight his home life and his music career. He’ll probably have a zany best friend. There haven’t been many plot details released (because frankly the show is little more than an idea at this point), but if I had to guess I’d say it’ll unfold something like this: Cee Lo will see someone driving around town with the girl he loves. Conflict and comedy will ensue from that point forward. Dr. Dre is now the wealthiest man in hip-hop thanks in no small part to his headphones, Beats by Dr.
Dre. The headphones, which now account for more than half the sales of high-end headphones ($100+) in the United States, have given Dre the cash boost he needed to unseat Jay-Z, who previously topped the Forbes list. Jay-Z, it appears, should’ve been watching his throne. HTC, the mobile electronics company, paid 300 million for a controlling interest in Dre’s company last year, of which the Dr. himself collected 100 million. This also proves the importance of a doctoral degree; runners up on the list like P. Diddy, Jay-Z, and Lil Wayne do not have the credentials of the good Dr. Dre. They say great minds think alike. Genius is drawn to itself. Hemingway and Fitzgerald were
friends. That’s certainly the case with E.L. James, writer of the popular BDSM trilogy 50 Shades of Grey and the members of the Black Eyed Peas. In an interview with The Sun, James said that when she was writing the now famous sex scenes in the trilogy, she would often be listening to sexy songs to psyche herself up. “I have songs that I write sex to,” she said.” One of them is The Black Eyed Peas’ ‘Sexy.’ That is a very sexy song.” Yes, in order to write sexy things, James decided to listen to “Sexy” by the Black Eyed Peas because it is sexy. It’s a difficult line of logic to follow, but the results are apparent. One in every five books sold this year was from the 50 Shades trilogy. Though the song itself does not appear anywhere in the trilogy, there is still time to add it to the film’s soundtrack. c
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Uptown Whittier Zombie Pub Crawl-Astro Zombies A great gathering of zombies . . . from outer space? Yup, the theme is sci-fi this year and Whittier wants to go for a world record as well. While there will be musical acts, you’re really there to dress up like a zombie. Of course, outside of your office job for once. Oct. 20. www.facebook.com/ events/138599689612490/ KCRW’s Masquerade Ball Nothing says Halloween like ornate outfits and overly flamboyant masks. An annual event for over four years, the masquerade is always well received and is bound to deliver a good time. Just watch out for the Phantom of the Opera wannabes. Oct. 27 www.kcrw.com/events/ masquerade-2012 The Haunted Penthouse A VIP club that realizes the only thing that has to be scary about Halloween is how much you’re paying for drinks. Party at the Penthouse Club, guaranteed to 92 CULTURE • OCTOBER 2012
be one of the hottest spots this holiday. Make sure you’re in costume—“pretentious partygoer” does not count. Oct. 27 www.ournightlife.com Escape from Wonderland We’re going to be honest with you—his is a rave. If the obvious Alice in Wonderland motif wasn’t a dead giveaway, we’re letting you in on it now. If dancing to manic flashing light dressed as the Mad Hatter with someone handing you a pill that says “Eat Me” is your kind of thing, go for it. Otherwise, stick with the cartoon. Oct. 27. www.escapefromwonderland.com Kandy Halloween A Halloween party at the Playboy Mansion? You read that correctly. Tickets can be purchased online or by phone. True, they may cost an arm and a leg . . . but let me reiterate: a Halloween party at the Playboy Mansion. I rest my case. Oct 28-29. www.kandyhalloween.com
Old Town Haunt Now Pasadena can be intentionally scary! Descend into the catacombs of the Union Savings Bank Building and see the horrors that await you. Not only is the scare fest enhanced with sets from House of 1000 Corpses, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and more, but part of your ticket goes to charity. Goodwill being made from your fears? Spooky. Thru Oct. 31. www.oldtownhaunt.com Knott’s Scary Farm Celebrating its 40th Haunt, Knott’s is doing everything it can to up the ante of its previous terrors. In doing so the park created Trapped, a reservation-only interactive maze that is personally customized to your fears. Thru Oct. 31. www.knotts.com/ haunt2012 Queen Mary Dark Harbor 2012 Full steam ahead. Set your course for the Queen Mary’s damned harbor this Halloween to be a guest and party with the living in six stunningly horrifying mazes.
Hopefully the non-alcoholic spirits that haunt the ship won’t come and play. Thru Oct. 31 www.queenmary.com/ dark-harbor HARD Day of the Dead What kind of people would we be if we forgot Day of the Dead? In lieu of a typical haunted mansion, expect a grand party in Los Angeles State Historic Park with a huge array of bands prepared. The dead really should give them points for originality. Nov. 3 www.hardfest.com Long Beach Comic and Horror Con Miss Comic-Con this year? Trust us, this will more than make up for it. The Comic and Horror Con will have nerds in costumes that are meant to be horrifying (instead of by accident) with Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, industry leader Jimmy Palmiotti and more lined up to make appearances. Worth the trip. Nov. 3-4. www.longbeachcomiccon. com Compiled by Joe Marton and Derek Obregon
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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.
fruit, when eaten be1What forehand, can strengthen the
medicating effects of cannabis?
2
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What does DUID stand for?
Dogg and Willie 3 Snoop Nelson were both busted on
pot charges in the Texas town of Sierra Blanca. What other female musical artist was recently busted for possession of hashish there? marijuana treat 4 Can epilepsy? designer during 5 ANewfashion York’s fashion week
showcased prints incorporating images of marijuana leaves. True or false?
1. Mango. 2. Driving Under the Influence of Drugs. 3. Fiona Apple. 4. Research at Britain’s University of Reading suggests it can. 5. True. The designer was Rozae Nichols.
?
?
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?
ANSWERS
CULTURE Quiz
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Failure is Not An
Option Now, books aren’t just for rolling papers anymore. A new book entitled Too High to Fail by Doug Fine is getting some serious attention from some pretty well-known sources. Noted cannabis advocate and political comedian Bill Maher couldn’t give the book enough praise, and writer Michael Pollan tweeted Fine telling him the book was “very important.” So, what’s this book about? At 300 pages, Too High to Fail goes in-depth about how marijuana could revitalize the economy and how it could change everything. While this sounds like every conversation we’ve ever had with everyone else, Too High to Fail researches the history of the plant, the success of legal medical marijuana and all the potential impacts the crop could have on America. Besides, when has Bill Maher ever been wrong (aside from those few occasions on his show)? (Joe Martone) c
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(Can’t)
Kill Bill
Some people are determined. Some people refuse to give up. Then, there’s Bill Rosendahl. The L.A City Councilman has returned for reelection to a potential third term, and he’s been going through hell to get this far. He was diagnosed with cancer in July and has been doing everything he can to get better. He has undergone chemotherapy and radiation treatments—and he’s been alleviating the associated pain with the help of medical marijuana. If anyone’s a good candidate (pun not intended) for MMJ, it’s the councilman: he’s lost 45 pounds since his treatment began and MMJ has been helping him deal with the pain and get his appetite back. Bear that in mind when you go to the ballot this November. An elected official who has a personal history with MMJ and knows the healing benefits can be an ally. (Joe Martone) c OCTOBER 2012 • CULTURE 99
Harold & Kumar . . .
Help Obama? Considering President Obama failed to keep his medical marijuana promises, it seems odd to many that the Commander in Chief recently turned to actors Kal Penn and John Cho— known from the Harold & Kumar movies—to reach out to younger voters. A new television ad starts with Obama making a serious phone call, counting on the mysterious person on the other end of the line to help America . . . as the camera pans over and reveals Penn on the other end, sitting on the couch with Cho. The two are clearly invoking their stoner icon roles, chilling on the couch, laughing at cartoon sound effects. The connection is very deliberate, but is Obama courting the MMJ vote? On the bright side, at least he’s belatedly acknowledging marijuana culture. Romney can’t even handle alcohol or tobacco, much less marijuana. It’s going to be a sad November. (Joe Martone) c
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“Robert Mapplethorpe: XYZ” Outside of the art world, Robert Mapplethorpe is probably best known as the former lover of Patti Smith. In the art world, Mapplethrope was a well-known black-andwhile photographer capturing images of the likes of Andy Warhol, Deborah Harry, Richard Gere, Peter Gabriel and, of course, Patty Smith. In 1989, Mapplethorpe introduced a traveling solo exhibit that was to make a stop at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. When the works were revealed to several members of Congress, the museum refused the exhibition’s stop finding that the images offended the Congress members, sparking a national debate about taxpayer funded art and censorship. “XYZ” presents Mapplethorpe’s earlier portfolios of the same name from 1978, 1978 and 1981, respectively. The exhibition dives into Mapplethorpe’s most noted ambitions as a photographer: homosexual sadomasochistic imagery, flower still lifes and nude portraits of AfricanAmerican men. Together, “XYZ” along with the Getty Museum’s “In Focus: Robert Mapplethorpe” celebrate the joint acquisition of the Robert Mapplethorpe Archive by LACMA, the Getty Museum and the Getty Research Institute. (Lynn Lieu)
IF YOU GO
What: “Robert Mapplethorpe: XYZ.” When/Where: Oct. 21-Feb. 3 at Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. Info: Go to www.lacma.org or call (323) 857-6000.
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Word Up
Trichomes
Many of CULTURE’s strain reviewers will wax poetically about milky trichomes or gush about leaves bejeweled with forests of glistening trichomes . . . but did you ever wonder what a trichome exactly is? Trichomes are basically hair-like or bristle-like structures that can be found on marijuana as well as many other plants (plus certain microorganisms). They serve various important functions, such as helping plants with water absorption or as a defense against insects (lots of “hairs” prevent bugs from infesting). Some glandular trichomes, which secrete chemical compounds, can also provide a chemical defense. Here are some more trichome talking points:
The sticky coating of trichomes contains very important cannabinoids such as THC and CBD—some of marijuana’s active ingredients. While a thick layer of trichomes may indicate a potent plant, it’s not a guarantee. Cannabinoids are produced inside the heads of trichomes. Concentrates, such as hash, consist of compressed trichomes harvested from cannabis plants. That’s why it’s called a “concentrate”—it’s concentrated marijuana. There are three types of marijuana trichomes: bulbous, capitatesessile and capitate-stalked. Bulbous trichomes are the smallest (they’re made up of only a few cells) and consist of a “foot,” a “stalk” and a “head.” Capitate-sessile trichomes are larger, have a globular “head” and a spherical shape. Capitate-stalked trichomes are the most abundant and form during flowering. The color of trichomes (white, milky, etc.) can indicate if a plant is ready to be harvested. c OCTOBER 2012 • CULTURE 103
Chuck Shepherd
News of the
Weird LEAD STORY—INTRUDER (NOT) ALERT
; Are We Safe? In August, Daniel Castillo’s Jet Ski broke down in New York City’s Jamaica Bay, forcing him to swim to the nearest shore—at JFK International Airport. As Castillo roamed the grounds, he somehow failed to disturb the airport’s $100 million, state-of-the-art Perimeter Intrusion Detection System of cameras and motion sensors, stumbling into the Delta terminal before an employee noticed him. This happened two weeks after the
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now-notorious “peace” protest of nun Megan Rice, 82, and two colleagues, who cut through fences at the Oak Ridge (Tenn.) nuclear reservation’s Y-12 facility that houses more than 100 tons of highly enriched uranium. They braved numerous (though apparently unmonitored or malfunctioning) alarms and sensors for up to two hours before a lone guard stopped them.
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT
; Challenging Business Models: (1) In June, owners of the legal
brothel Stiletto in Sydney, Australia, revealed their multimilliondollar expansion to create the country’s (and perhaps the world’s) first “mega-brothel.” (2) Short-stay “love hotels” proliferate in Brazil, but in July in the city of Belo Horizonte, Fabiano Lourdes and his sister Daniela were about to open Animalle Mundo Pet, which they described as a love hotel for dogs. Owners would bring their mating-ready canines to rooms that feature the dim lighting and heart-shaped ceiling mirrors traditional in love hotels (to appeal to the party paying the bill, of course). ; Oh, Dear: New York City is the scene this summer of a particularly nasty turf war among ice cream trucks vying for space on the city’s choicest blocks. Most aggressive, according to a July New York Post report, are the drivers of Mister Softee trucks. Said a Yogo frozen yogurt vendor, “If you see a Mister Softee truck, you know bad things are coming,” including, reported the Post, such hardball tactics as cutting rival trucks’ brake lines.
CAN’T POSSIBLY BE TRUE
; The Treasury Department’s inspector general reported in August that the IRS doled out more than $5 billion in fraudulent income tax returns in 2011 (owing to its mission to provide refunds promptly without first vetting the claims). The agency “refunded” $3.3 million to a single address in Lansing, Mich. (supposedly the home of 2,137 different tax filers) and nearly $4 million to three Florida addresses (518 to one in Tampa, 741 to one in Belle Glade, and 703 to a post office box in Orlando). In all, refunds were claimed by, among others, 105,000 dead people.
SCIENCE ON THE CUTTING EDGE
-- “Pheromone parties” attract men and women seeking romance not via often-insincere conversation but based on the primal-scent signals emitted by each other’s slept-in T-shirts. Organizers have staged parties in New York City and Los Angeles and plan to expand, according to a June Asso-
ciated Press report. The organizers’ initial conclusion: People prefer lovers with a somewhat-different genetic makeup than their own, but not too different. ; In a study published in August, women with the feline-oriented Toxoplasma gondii parasite in their systems showed an elevated risk of depression and suicide perhaps caused by the brain’s being deprived of serotonin. Since toxoplasmosis is most often passed via handling of cat feces, women’s fondness for and time spent with cats might thus put them at greater risk than previously believed. (T.gondii is believed capable of reproducing only inside cats’ intestines, and might, hypothesizes prominent Czech scientist Jaroslav Flegr, have learned that the surest route to the intestines is by hacking into the brains of delicious rats and mice.) ; 100 Pounds or “15 Minutes”? Wesley Warren Jr., 47, of Las Vegas, suffers from rare elephantiasis of the scrotum, which accounts
for about 100 of his 400 pounds and severely hampers urination and sex. The Las Vegas ReviewJournal reported in October 2011 that Warren was on the verge of accepting an offer to cover the expensive corrective surgery, but when the newspaper followed up in June 2012, it found him hesitant because he had become accustomed to his celebrity status (TV’s The Learning Channel and “Tosh.0” program and Howard Stern’s radio show). Said he, “It was fun going to Los Angeles (for “Tosh.0”) in the big van they sent for me.” ; Researchers Having Fun: Scientists from the Primate Research Institute at Japan’s Kyoto University reported in an August journal article that they had given helium gas to apes (gibbons), which, predictably, made their voices goofily high-pitched. However, it was not a fraternity prank or lab assistant’s initiation, but a way for the scientists to determine whether the famously sonorous gibbons could yell just as loudly at a higher-than-natural pitch.
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The gibbons succeeded, showing a rare talent similar to that of the world’s greatest human sopranos, who maintain their booming amplitude by altering the shape of their vocal tract, including their mouth and tongue.
ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
; In July, the U.K.’s Wildlife Aid Foundation took in a dying, parasite-infested cuckoo bird, but by the time it had been nursed back to health, it had missed its species’ winter migration toward Africa. Consequently, according to BBC News, the foundation bought an airline ticket for a handler to carry the bird to Italy, where satellite tracking indicated it could meet up with the end of the migrating flock, and the handler released it. ; Latest Orangutan News: (1) Jungle Island zoo in Miami uses tricked-out iPads so that orangutans can order food by pointing at their choices on a screen. As zookeeper Linda Jacobs noted, “They have all the intelligence they need (but not) developed vocal chords and voice boxes.” (2) A Taru Jurug Zoo official in Central Java, Indonesia, reported in July that “Tori,” its famous, 13-year-old cigarette-smoking orangutan, had been moved with her boyfriend to an isolated island with recreational facilities so she could kick her nicotine habit. At Taru Jurug, visitors kept enabling her by tossing her cigarettes.
PERSPECTIVE
; It has been well known to the U.S. Congress that the Postal Service is guaranteed to run an estimated $5 billion deficit by the end of the year. Still, since the 112th Congress was convened in January 2011, no remedial legislation has been formally offered. However, during that time period, legislators have introduced 60 bills to rename post offices in their districts (passing 38 of them, which represent 17 percent of the legislation passed on all subjects during that time).
LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINALS
; Not Ready for Prime Time: (1) The thief who snatched the brand- new bike from Wheelworks 106 CULTURE • OCTOBER 2012
in Belmont, Mass., in August got away, but police saw surveillance photos of him when he returned to the store two hours later and asked to see some locks (presumably so he could secure the bike he had just stolen). Incredulous employees gave chase, but the thief ran faster. (2) Kristen DeCosta, 30, was charged with 17 recent burglaries around Somerset, Mass., in August. According to Police Chief Joseph Ferreira, DeCosta is perhaps the only perp ever not to understand that, since she was wearing a GPS ankle monitor (from an earlier arrest), all 17 break-ins were tracked.
UPDATE
; Bill Dillon, 52, was featured in News of the Weird in May 2009 and April 2012 for having served 27 years in a Florida prison for murder after a fanciful conviction based largely on “testimony” of doghandler John Preston’s “wonder” German shepherd that seemingly found precise, impossible scents exactly where prosecutors needed to find them. It wasn’t until 2009 that one central Florida judge challenged Preston—and exposed the dog’s incompetence. Dillon was exonerated, Florida’s governor apologized, and the state legislature provided generous financial compensation. And on July 18, musician Dillon accepted an invitation from the Tampa Bay Rays to sing the National Anthem before a game, including the now-ironic lyric, “And the land of the free.”
UNDIGNIFIED DEATHS
; (1) Jacob Kost, 23, was charged with murder after allegedly running down a man with his truck in Cornelius, N.C., in June following a barroom altercation. According to police, the two men were challenging each other as to which one had the best truck. (2) Within the space of a month, in Deep Gap, N.C., and Park City, Utah, 4-year-olds were killed when gravestones fell over on them. The North Carolina girl was at play in June at a Bible study camp.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
; The seaside city of Qingdao, China, is (as described in August
by NPR) “not a vacation community for superheroes” even though many beachcombers wear masks while lounging and sunbathing. The garments are “face-kinis,” or light cloth coverings that protect against the “terror of tanning.” While Western cultures celebrate skin-darkening, many Chinese associate it with lower-status, outdoor occupations, and a pale skin suggests having lived a pampered life. ; Fine Points of the Law: (1) Italy’s highest court ruled in July that one man’s telling another, in front of others, that he has “no balls” can be criminal conduct that warrants payment of damages. Said Judge Maurizio Fumo, such a comment places at issue male virility as well as competence and character. (2) In August, after an eight-day trial, a court in Hamburg, Germany, awarded money damages to a man who called another an “asshole” (arschloch) in a parkingspace dispute and fixed the payment at the equivalent of about $75,000. (Courts in Germany can
base the amount of damages on the transgressor’s income.) ; A Saudi Arabian agency is raising the equivalent of about $130 million to break ground in 2013 on an entire city to be managed and staffed by female employees, with three more such cities being contemplated. Raising women’s employment rate is a goal of the kingdom, where until last year, nearly all jobs were held by foreigners and Saudi males, including jobs as sales clerks in women’s lingerie shops. ; A centuries-old practice of China’s upper crust continues today, reported Slate.com in August, except with a bit more circumspection. Rich and/or powerful people on trial or convicted can still get away with hiring replacements to serve their sentences—but because of ubiquitous Internet videos, only if the replacements facially resemble the perps. Since the rich person winds up paying for his conviction (though a relatively small price), Slate called the practice (ding zui) sort of a “cap-and-trade” policy for crime.
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