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A Deeper Shade of Brown
Latino laugh legend Paul Rodriguez reveals how he stays relevant.
22 Capital-ism Sacramento, you’ve got work to do! 26 Self Reliance MMJ patients might need to save themselves— here’s how. 30 Frontiers of Science A federal cannabis researcher reveals the “pot patch.” 34 Flawless Execution Artist Erik Jones’ charismatic creations mystify and entrance. 38 Firmly Planted CSS makes music the old fashioned (and organic) way. 43 Bite This Looking for cool, creative eateries to sink your teeth into? We’ve got ’em.
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departments 14 47
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Letter from the Editor
Keeping patients informed (and entertained) is priority No. 1.
News Nuggets
Cannabis makes headlines here, there, everywhere—and we give you the scoop—PLUS our latest By the Numbers.
Ditch the tourists, hop on a riverboat and head to Battambang, Cambodia.
Profiles in Courage Our latest feature provides insight into the life—and struggle—of a medical cannabis patient near you.
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Destination Unknown
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LEGAL CORNER Los Angeles finally gets some rules and regulations—but will they stand?
Strain, Edible & concentrate Reviews Our ever-popular sampling of amazing strains, edibles and concentrates currently provided by your friendly neighborhood dispensary.
Healthy Living
A confirmed link between cannabis use and warding off diabetes.
Cool stuff
From the High Altitude Executive Vaporizer Pen to Revolights, if it’s a cutting-edge product or cool lifestyle gear, we’re all over it.
shooting gallery
Here are the green-friendly things we saw you doing around town.
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GREEN SCENE
There are healthy, natural ways to get rid of things that bug you this summer.
Recipes
Think drink! To usher in the warmer months, we’ve got the solution to your thirst. Cocktails for everyone!
entertainment reviews
The latest films, books, music and more that define our culture—plus Kevin Longrie’s best Liner Notes Ever!
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Vol 4 IssUE 12
letter from the editor Publisher
Jeremy Zachary
GET YOUR CLICK HERE
www.iReadCulture.com
Roberto C. Hernandez Editor-In-Chief
Editor-in-Chief
Roberto C. Hernandez
Arts & Entertainment Editor Evan Senn
Inside Information Some say The Gentleman’s Magazine, published in 1731 in England, was the world’s first magazine. There are some that say Erbauliche Monaths-Unterredungen (Edifying Monthly Discussions), published in Germany in 1663, was the first. Regardless, the history of magazines is a long and storied one that goes back, literally, centuries. Naturally, this publishing trend took root here, too. By the 16th century in America, the magazine
had arrived. Ben Franklin’s General Magazine is a good example. In another era, TIME, Ladies’ Home Journal and Reader’s Digest continued the magazine tradition with slicker, glossier packaging, plenty of photos and articles on a whole host of subjects—even controversial ones. For you trivia buffs, the most successful magazine in the U.S. was The Saturday Evening Post, first published in 1821. Life debuted in 1936. And I ran into a very fitting definition what magazines are: “regularly published storehouses of information.” That is a very apt description. And it’s one that applies wholeheartedly to the magazine you hold in your hands right now. CULTURE’s mission, like that of other respected, credible publications, is to do a masterful job of informing and entertaining its readers. That’s you. Every month, across the country, in every issue, CULTURE illuminates and enlightens patients and professionals. Don’t know what kind of strain is right for you? Check out our reviews. Trying to catch up on your state or city’s latest MMJ laws and regulations? Read our Legal Corner columns. Interested in seeing how our culture is mainstreaming its way into books, music and pop culture? Just pick up an issue, any issue . . . every issue. CULTURE takes its job very seriously. So it’s a concern when I hear about people trying to do cannabis magazines a disservice (just Google “Colorado” and “marijuana magazine” and “first amendment”) and make it harder for readers to get a copy. The last thing patients need is an obstacle to the best source of information out there. Remember, CULTURE is all about creating “storehouses of information.” CULTURE does it right. We show you and tell you stuff you’d likely never think to look for yourself. We take you to places you’ve never been to. We show you the books you want to read and activist groups you want to join. We introduce you to strains you want to sample and medical research you want to share with your doctor. We do this every month. Don’t believe me? Just pick up an issue, any issue . . . every issue. c
Editorial Contributors
Dennis Argenzia, Ngaio Bealum, Ashley Bennett, David Burton, Grace Cayosa, Jasen T. Davis, Alex Distefano, David Downs, Carolina Duque, S.A. Hawkins, John Hedrick, Lillian Isley, David Jenison, Liquid Todd, Kevin Longrie, Dan Macintosh, Meital Manzuri, Bruce Margolin, Sandra Moriarty, Damian Nassiri, Arrissia Owen, Paul Rogers, Lanny Swerdlow, Matt Tapia, Simon Weedn
Photographers
Steve Baker, Bettina Chavez, Kristopher Christensen, John Gilhooley, Amanda Holguin, Khai Le, PJ Russo
Interns
Kimberly Johnson, Derek Obregon
Art Director
Steven Myrdahl
Graphic Designers
Vidal Diaz, Tommy LaFleur
Director of Sales & Marketing Jim Saunders
Account Executives
Jon Bookatz, Gene Gorelik, Shane Harms, Justin Marsh, Beau Odom, John Parker, Dave Ruiz, Kim Slocum, April Tygart
Office Manager Iris Norsworthy
Office Assistant Jamie Solis
Online Marketing Evan Senn
IT Manager
Serg Muratov
Distribution Manager Cruz Bobadilla
Culture® Magazine is published every month and distributes 45,000 papers at over 1,200 locations throughout Southern California. No articles, illustrations, photographs, or other matter within may be reproduced without written permission. Culture® Magazine is a registered trademark of Southland Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. 2175 Sampson Ave. | Suite 118 Corona | California | 92879 Phone 888.694.2046 | Fax 888.694.2046 www.iReadCulture.com
CULTURE® Magazine is printed using post-recycled paper.
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THE STATE Los Angeles Councilman Rosendahl “would not be alive today” without MMJ
Los Angeles City Councilman Bill Rosendahl—who has gone public about his MMJ use—recently said that his cancer has gone into remission. And he says medical cannabis is the reason he’s still alive, according to the Los Angeles Times. “Without it, I would not be alive today,” he told the Times. The Westside councilman who was diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer had previously discussed undergoing 13 radiation sessions and 10 rounds of chemotherapy before realizing that such treatment were not helping. On top of that, pharmaceutical drugs that he was also taking at the time had very negative effects on his body, he said. Rosendahl was diagnosed with cancer of the ureter, which is a tube that connects the kidney and bladder. “I was able to get six hours of sleep a night uninterrupted and with no pain—that came from medical marijuana,” he told MedicalJane.com. After serving office for eight years, Rosendahl is stepping down. His chief of staff will take over his post July 1.
the number of dispensaries allowed in the city to 135. Under the terms of Prop. D, eligible storefronts that were already operating and registered with the city before a 2007 moratorium was enacted will be allowed to remain open. Proposition D, which captured more than 62 percent of the vote, raises taxes on storefronts by 20 percent, requires background checks on employees and requires that MMJ providers close between 8pm and 10am. Ordinance F had also proposed to raise taxes but placed no limits on the number of dispensaries allowed to operate (some dispensaries that began operating after 2007 supported F). Ordinance E is very similar to Proposition D (minus the new taxes), but was rendered moot once E’s backers decided to back the City Councilbacked Prop. D instead.
California Supreme Court: cities and counties can ban MMJ Despite a voter approved law that legalized medical cannabis and a political groundswell calling for much-needed changes and reform, the state’s highest court last month ruled that cities and counties have the legal right to ban collectives and other MMJ operations and storefronts. Since the ruling, federal and local officials have begun to renew efforts to shut down providers of medical cannabis.
THE NATION
group of nonsmokers for comparison, among other factors. Men have a four-percent chance of developing bladder cancer in their lifetimes, with the odds being one in every 26 people.
Anti-cannabis NY Assemblyman Steve Katz cleared of marijuana possession charge
New York Assemblyman Steve Katz—who serves on his state’s Alcoholism and Drug Abuse Committee and has voted against medical cannabis—has been cleared of all pot charges after agreeing to 20 hours of community service, according to The Journal News. Katz was found in possession of three and half grams of marijuana earlier this year after American Urological he was stopped by state police Association: Frequent in southern Albany County. The cannabis use linked to lawmaker was ticketed for unlawlower risk of bladder cancer ful possession and allowed to drive The American Urological Association found a strong link between frequent marijuana use and a lower risk of bladder cancer, reports USA Today. This conclusion comes at the end of an 11-year study. Researchers compared the cancer risk in more than 83,000 men who smoked cigarettes only, cannabis only—or both. Those that only smoked cannabis were least likely to develop bladder cancer. One researcher expressed doubts over the study, stating that the experiment lacked a control
Measure D gets the most votes—and creates a cap on storefronts
Voters in Los Angeles lent their support to Proposition D, an initiative backed by the City Council and some older medical cannabis storefront operators that will cap
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away. In a mailer to his constituents, Katz talked about how “our community has been stricken with an increase in drug use and drunk driving by our youngest citizens,” according to the New York Daily News. He has also criticized his community’s “struggle against illegal drug culture and the abuse of narcotics.” Katz has yet to reveal why he had cannabis in his possession to begin with.
Bowling For Equality
THE WORLD Colombia city officials turn to potent strain to battle homeless’ drug addiction
Colombia’s capital city is going to new, progressive lengths to tackle Bogotá’s drug-addicted homeless population, according to The Miami Herald. Many of the city’s poor and destitute are addicted to bazuco, a cocaine derivative that is just as addictive as heroin. Bogotá’s plan? Replace the bazuco with a
potent strain of cannabis. The cannabis is being supplied by a company called Cannamedic, which is run by former bazuco addict Camilo Borrero. The strain is carefully selected for its powerful psychoactive effects (or “high”) to help bazuco addicts deal with the symptoms of withdrawal and transfer their addiction to a benign plant. Bogotá’s homeless population is estimated to be about 9,500, and approximately 79 percent of it is addicted to bazuco.
by the numbers
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A low estimate of the number of growing businesses that currently produce cannabis for legal purposes: 2,000 (Source: The Wall Street Journal).
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The number of MMJ storefronts that, under the terms of Proposition D, could be allowed to remain open in Los Angeles: 135 (Source: Los Angeles Times).
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A high estimate of the number of growing businesses that currently produce cannabis for legal purposes: 4,000 (Source: The Wall Street Journal).
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The percentage of Latinos who say they favor putting caps on the number of MMJ storefronts in L.A.: 57 (Source: USC Sol Price School of Public Policy poll).
The approximate percentage of New Mexico MMJ patients who use medical cannabis to treat PTSD: 40 (Source: New Mexico Department of Health).
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The percentage of Christians who say smoking cannabis is not a sin: 70 (Source: U.S. News & World Report).
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The percentage of young Christians who support legalizing cannabis: 50 (Source: U.S. News & World Report)
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The percentage of votes cast against of Prop. D: 23.43 (Source: Daily News).
The approximate number of MMJ patients in New Mexico who registered for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): 3,600 (Source: New Mexico Department of Health).
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The estimated range of remaining MMJ storefronts that could face closure under Prop. D: 800-1,000: (Source: Los Angeles Times). The percentage of votes cast in favor of Prop. D: 62.57 (Source: Daily News).
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The estimated amount (in billions of dollars) of sales that legal cannabis growing businesses generated last year: 1.3 (Source: National Cannabis Industry Association).
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The number of MMJ patients in New Mexico: 9,090 (Source: New Mexico Department of Health).
This year marks the 6th annual Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Bowling for Equality in Palm Springs. Bowling for equality? Yep, that’s right. We said bowling for equality. But wait, it gets better—the theme is “Mad for Plaid.” Not only do you get to show everyone just how bad you are at bowling, but you also get to dress like a total nerd—or at the very least, a golf caddy—for a good cause. It’s pretty cheap to attend and HRC is a great organization that works hard for fair treatment of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Americans in our communities. The organization was founded in 1980, and mostly helps to analyze and elect fair-minded politicians and community leaders and helps to educate the public about LGBT issues. The event is a fundraising benefit for HRC and purchasing a ticket includes two games, shoe rental, delicious bowling alley pizza, unlimited fountain drinks and a one-year membership to HRC. They will also have prizes for winners, opportunity giveaways and a handful of other activities to keep the spirit lively. So put on those weird plaid pants from the back of your closet and show some love!
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Bowling for Equality. WHEN/WHERE: June 23 at Palm Springs Lanes. 68051 Ramon Rd., Cathedral City. INFO: Tickets are $35 for individual bowlers or $210 for a team of six. Visit www. hrc.org/palmspringsbowling.
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FLASH
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Three Bills Could Help End the California Crackdown
{By David Downs}
AB 473
AB 473 would begin the process of regulating California’s medical marijuana industry at a statewide level. Voters in 1996 and the legislature in 2003 approved quasi-legalized medical marijuana for patients, caregivers and collectives. But the details have gone unwritten. AB 473 begins that arduous process, chiefly by assigning it to the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control. Statewide regulation can help end local bans, Ammiano argues. “State regulation should reassure [local officials] and the federal government that dispensaries can operate safely, legally without
threats to the communities where they are located,” Ammiano says. “In fact, I think they will see that dispensaries often stabilize and contribute to their communities because of greater attention to security and increased tax revenues.” The bill’s supporters include the defense bar, the ACLU, the Drug Policy Alliance and others. The ACLU states the bill could get the feds off California’s back, noting states like Colorado with, “rigid regulatory schemes for the sale of medical marijuana do not suffer from the same rate of federal intervention.” Opponents include the CA District Attorneys Association, the CA Narcotics Officers’ Association, the CA Police Chief’s Association and others. The CDAA wants to keep arresting medical marijuana patients, caregivers and collective operators at police discretion. And they want to keep assisting the DEA in dispensary raids, they state. If patients want to control the political process, they’re going to have to lobby harder than the cops, watchers note. “People who want regulations—which should be anyone who wants there to be a safe, legal supply of MMJ—should let their newspapers and representatives know. This is especially true for people who live in districts where their reps are wavering—places where cities are banning dispensaries,” Ammiano’s office says. The bill has to get out of the Assembly by a May 31 deadline and, “We think it’s a favorable outlook,” an Ammiano spokesperson says.
Say What?
Get ready for a hot, punishing summer. Medical cannabis advocates and their allies in California will be pushing three new laws to protect and promote the besieged industry this June. Advocates are asking for patients’ help with letters to the editors of newspapers and calls to local representatives—especially in cities with dispensary bans. Both efforts can help pass some historic regulations of the $1.3 billion medical marijuana industry, increase its profits and legalize hemp planting. Moreover, the bills might help stem the waves of mass raids and ongoing patient arrests which have followed a May 6 California Supreme Court verdict. In the pivotal decision, the court upheld a city’s right to ban dispensaries. But the court also left an escape hatch in the unanimous ruling. “Nothing prevents future efforts by the Legislature, or by the People, to adopt a different approach,” the court stated. “[That] allows a big hole for the legislature to drive through,” says State Assemblyman Tom Ammiano (D-San Francisco). “To me, that sounds like a call for the Legislature to act.” Three bills could protect and enhance patients’ rights in California: regulation bill AB 473, collective protection bill SB 439 and hemp bill SB 566. Watchers say all three bills have a decent chance of passing through the Assembly and Senate this year and being signed by the Governor.
“. . . [My son is] going to know what [cannabis] is—and he’ll know the difference between being a child and not being able to use it and being an adult and knowing how to use it.” —Wiz Khalifa
SB 439
In the Senate, Senate President pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Sen. Mark Leno’s SB 439 protects “cooperatives, collectives or other business entities that operate within the Attorney General’s guidelines” from prosecution for marijuana possession or commerce. California cops currently arrest and prosecute lawful patients, caregivers and cooperative operators, due to a perceived legal ambiguity. SB 439 further clarifies that such activity is legal. Opponents include the police lobby, who thinks the bill will legalize for-profit marijuana sales. The bill passed the Senate May 20 and is headed to the Assembly. “There is good reason to believe that the governor will sign the bills if they make it to his desk, and the recent vocal support of the Lt. Governor should not be discounted,” says Amanda Reiman, statewide director for the Drug Policy Alliance.
SB 566
Lastly, Sen. Leno’s hemp bill SB566 is moving through the Senate and should be supported, Reiman says. The bill directs the state to start growing industrial hemp as soon as federally possible. Governor Brown vetoed the same bill because he claimed hemp cultivation was still illegal under federal law. “This bill addresses that by saying hemp will not be grown until allowed by federal law,” Reiman says. Reiman echoes other activists, saying that patients can do two things: “Make sure that their senator and assemblyman are supportive of the legislation and are going to vote yes on it; and talk to fellow advocates to make sure they are also going to support the bills in their communities. It is important for folks to understand that a big reason so many localities have banned dispensaries is because the task of regulating them without help from the state is daunting. We are hopeful that state involvement will increase access to safe cannabis for patients,” Reiman says. Both houses take their summer recess July 3. Sept. 13 is the last day to pass bills this year. c
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FLASH
“Play the Game”
Silver Linings Playbook
loads of sales taxes with the only safe access point in hostile territory, says Lanny Swerdlow, a Southern California MMJ activist.
The state Supreme Court ruling was a Setback—here’s how to make lemonade out of lemons {By David Downs} Into every social movement some rain must fall. For patients, that happened on May 6 when the California Supreme Court upheld the right of cities and counties to ban medical cannabis collectives operating in storefronts, known as dispensaries. Dozens of cities and counties like San Francisco and West Hollywood have regulated dispensaries, while many more jurisdictions ban them entirely. It’s been an issue of much legal contention, but the Justices unanimously agreed, “[State law] does not . . . mandate that local governments authorize, allow or accommodate the existence of such facilities.” As a result, dozens of cannabis outlets—primarily in Southern California counties like San Bernardino and Orange—will be closed in the coming weeks. But as dark as these
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days may be, plenty of silver linings exist, watchers note. The People. v. Riverside decision benefits regulated outlets in safe cities, tenacious delivery services and can even be a boon to the MMJ movement as a whole.
BUSINESS BOOST
Leading medical cannabis lawyer Robert Raich notes that regulated dispensaries in safe cities like Oakland, West Hollywood and Venice will have a bumper crop of customers. “It will certainly be a win for them,” Raich says. “Patients will be coming from all over the state in order to obtain those medicines.” Former Berkeley Patients Group operator and High Times Freedom Fighter of the Year Debby Goldsberry said patients would travel 60 miles to patronize the Berkeley club. And smart, enterprising cities like Chico, Merced, South Lake Tahoe or Stockton can generate
ROLLING SERVICE
The verdict is also a boon to medical marijuana collectives that deliver, many agree. Delivery services lack the conspicuousness of a storefront, and can cross city lines into ban towns. “They’re more discreet and harder to threaten,” says Raich. “That’s definitely the case,” says Don Duncan, a Los Angeles medical marijuana advocate. “There is going to be an explosion,” Swerdlow says. Increased delivery services will compete fiercely, and “the increased competition ends up being good for the [patient],” says the owner of Playbud Deliveries, serving the eastern Bay Area.
LEGAL CLARITY
The harsh verdict also serves up some much-needed legal clarity that can ultimately benefit the MMJ movement, Goldsberry says. For one, the verdict clearly indicates dispensaries are legal. “It’s great to hear it from the Supreme Court,” Duncan says. Not only are they legal, but their location is up to the discretion
Activism starts at the local level—even ordinary citizens can participate. If patients want a dispensary in their town, it’s their job to elect leaders who’ll support clubs, recall leaders who don’t, run referendums to block bans and pass initiatives to install regulations at the ballot box, says MMJ activist Lanny Swerdlow. “We need to the play the game.” of local leaders, the court ruled, not President Obama or the state legislature, says San Diego activist Cynara Velazquez. “It clarifies that this is a local regulatory matter, that cities have the rights to make their own laws,” she says.
LOCAL FOCUS
In small local races, MMJ voters have already made the difference: electing cannabis-supporter Mayor Bob Filner in San Diego; and getting rid of MMJ-enemy Carmen Trutanich from his job as Los Angeles City Attorney. When the L.A. City Council tried to ban clubs, organized patients overturned the ban and installed regulations for 135 dispensaries in a city election May 21. Referendums are planned for Santa Ana and Riverside. And the small Riverside Brownie Mary Democratic Club this May got the Riverside Democratic Central Committee to pass a resolution in support of statewide regulations on the industry. There are 57 such Democratic Central Committees in California that need a few MMJ folks to start a Brownie Mary Club and push the resolution, Swerdlow says. Such a show of broad, local, organized support gives politicians some backbone. “We need political clout,” he concludes. “Unless you want to live in a dry county.” c
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BUZZ
Strain For Pain University of Mississippi researchers are zeroing in on new ways to administer cannabis medicine {By Jasen T. Davis} nabinoids are the chemical compounds largely responsible for the plant’s beneficial effects. But while some rely on smoking for the relief of pain, nausea, anxiety, depression and insomnia, the doctor believes that such methods aren’t advisable. “There’s an inherent problem with the smoking of marijuana as a delivery system,” Dr. ElSohly says. “There are so many variables in the smoking process,” he adds. “It’s ludicrous to think you could come up with a dosage. The problem with smoking marijuana is that when you take even a single puff, you absorb so much all at once, which rushes into the brain and causes the side effects of smoking marijuana. If the high is too high, then you actually end up with the opposite activity of the high, which is the paranoia, the dysphoria and the problems associated with that.” So while patients across America might be puffing to ease
the pain, researchers at the UMMP are studying cannabis in order to isolate the precise compounds that have beneficial properties so that people don’t have to light up. For scientists like Dr. ElSohly, the question of whether or not cannabis is beneficial isn’t an issue. “Does it lower intraocular pressure
Say What?
You can say that Dr. Mahmoud ElSohly has a unique job. He is the director of the University of Mississippi’s Marijuana Project (UMMP), a research laboratory dedicated to growing and studying cannabis for the purposes of scientific research. And, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, this heavily-guarded, incredibly secure installation is also the one place in the entire country where federally-funded officials can obtain cannabis at all. Dr. ElSohly’s current work involves studying tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and its effects on the human body, particularly its propensity for pain relief. “There are many indications for which THC would be a good medicine if you have the right formulations and dosing,” says Dr. ElSohly. THC and other can-
“[E]verybody should be able to smoke pot.” —Susan Sarandon
Formula For Success
Dr. ElSohly has not only been the director of the UMMP since 1981, he is also the principal investigator for ElSohly Laboratories, Inc., a private organization currently working on patented formulas for various other THC delivery systems. In 2010, the doctor was awarded more than $200,000 in federal funds for his cannabis research.
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for glaucoma patients? Yes it does. Does it reduce anxiety? Yes it does,” he says. One recent breakthrough developed by Dr. ElSohly and his UMMP team is a THC patch (similar to a nicotine patch) that can be placed in your mouth, along the gum line, to administer a dose. Because the UMMP’s formula for the patch is much less synthetic than drugs like Marinol (a synthesized form of THC), it is a more reliable way to deliver the medicine. “We’re not really introducing anything strange to the body, other than the THC itself,” he says. “Because of the way it is absorbed it’s almost like it’s absorbed through the lungs, like the smoke. When you smoke, it goes to the lungs, to the whole, entire body before going to the liver. Unlike the oral [which] goes to the liver first and then goes to the rest of the body,” That means that MMJ patients may have another option in finding measurable relief without lighting up. “It looks like we have a successful product with good bioavailability and blood levels,” ElSohly says. “We have observed absorption for up to 10 hours.” For a lot of patients—especially asthma sufferers—that’s a great way to manage the pain without having to go up in smoke. c www.mpp.org/states/mississippi
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BUZZ
Colorful and
Charismatic The mystifying and magnetic artworks of Erik Jones {By Evan Senn} Brooklyn based artist Erik Jones is growing in popularity all across the nation. Recently featured on the cover of Hi-Fructose Magazine, Jones’s work is finally getting some of the accolade he deserves. Bright and colorful tornados of painterly abstraction paired with gorgeous realistic figures and portraits help give Jones his distinctive style and notorious images. He has been creating art for as long as he can remember, but only a few years ago His art practice is stepped out of the commercial art world and into fine art intriguing. The faces royalty immediately. he creates seem so His female series of paintings are breathtaking. Like colsoft and supple, with flawless execution and a sensuality that orful lions’ manes around sensual and meticulously detailed looks natural and provocative—like the soft smirk on the face faces and bodies, these women are of Mona Lisa, you can’t help but wonder delicate and natural with a wild sense of what she is thinking about. adventure and art around them. “I’ll typically start with watercolor for “I started working with nonreprea base color and render the skin colored sentational accents in my work around pencil, on top of the watercolor, “ he says 2009-2010,” Jones says. “Prior to that I was as he starts to describe his practice. “I abstracting the hair on figures in decorathen use water-soluble wax pastels on tive ways. That started to become a top if the pencil. These allow me to make crutch and I felt as if I was not developing very smooth gradations and introduce artistically. Not to mention everywhere new colors that colored pencils simply I looked, I would see a lot of other artist can’t produce. When I’m satisfied with doing something similar.” the wax pastel, I’ll use water-soluble oil His paintings hint at a minimalpaints on top of the pastel. This is usually ist sense of high end couture fashion. done for tinting highlights and shad“I became enthralled with conceptual ows—it also smoothes out any imperfecfashion designer,” he says. “I loved watchtions I couldn’t buff out with the pastel. ing runway shows where the model was Rest of the piece is done with a few covered in sculptural type fashion. I think different types of acrylics, each revealing Though not a medical cannabis it was the influence of both genres and a different look, such at the smudges, patient, artist Erik Jones says he my need to experiment which led me into drips, textures, etc.” believes in the accessibility of the what I am doing now.” After finding his With two West Coast exhibitions in medicine. “If people want to smoke, artistic voice, the pieces seemed to appear the books, and the recent success at let them smoke. Especially if you’re out of nowhere, and they just kept comScope Fine Art Fair and ArtPad SF Fair, sick—or just want to relax,” he says. ing. “I stopped dwelling on trying to make it seems like he’s not slowing down any Earlier this month, New York State’s money from my art and focused on what time soon. Keep an eye open for this art Assembly Codes Committee—by a I thought was beautiful and impressive,” star, and get swept away in his colorful vote of 16 to 6, approved Assembly he says. “In doing so it opened up my art and charismatic creations. c Bill 6357 which would legalize the to an entirely new audience. I’m simply use, possession and transfer of medidoing what I love now!” www.theirison.com cal cannabis by qualified patients. The measure passed its initial committee, the Assembly Health Committee, by a 21-4 vote last month. 34 CULTURE • JUNE 2013 V I S I T U S AT i R e a d C u l t u r e . c o m
“Let Them Smoke”
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On
TUNES
Human Nature
S Per fo ta 15 a rming ge t J The The Fo une atre nda i n Ang L eles os .
Brazilian rock band CSS goes organic with its new album These are somewhat heady days for Brazilian dance-rock band, CSS, as its fourth album, Planta, is also its first without former member and multi-instrumentalist Adrianao Cintra, considered a primary architect of the act’s sound. Recording Planta was a new adventure for CSS, indeed. “I think the most dramatic difference is actually that for the first time the producer of the record was not actually in the band,” notes guitarist Ana Rezende. “It ended up being a very positive thing because I think it’s very important to have someone from outside looking in at your process and trying to make it better. So, it was a really cool experience. It was such an organic process. It was very different, but it was a very positive thing because it was very cooperative.” Those “outside ears” belonged to David Sitek, who is also a multiinstrumentalist and a member of TV on the Radio. He’s worked with acts like Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Liars and Beady Eye previously, which made him the perfect producer to help CSS progress artistically. Having an outsider’s perspective also saved CSS some studio hours. “This record we did in the shortest amount of time, which we did not expect at all,” Rezende adds. The group traveled outside of Brazil to record Planta, which further nudged them away from its comfort zone. “We decided to go to L.A. to write for two months and not really anticipating that we wanted to do a whole full record,” Rezende
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recalls. “We just wanted to write a few songs.” Being away from home must have stirred up CSS’s creative juices, however. “It was so amazing to live in L.A. during that period of time that we ended up staying there for eight months and doing the whole record there,” Rezende reflects. Lyrically, CSS is not too complicated. The act certainly retains a Shonen Knife-like innocence and an open-hearted love of the simpler things in life. Yet musically, CSS came out of the São Paulo rave scene and then evolved into something more akin to a modern day new wave rock collective. The first single, “Hangover,” mixes synthesized dance sounds with more traditional Caribbean-styled horns. “I’d walk through the gates of hell,” they announce with heartfelt devotion, “as long as I’m with you.” It’s a Toni Basil-directed video that imagines what a rave at TV’s The Office might look like. “It’s very hard for us because I don’t know,” Rezende responds when asked to describe CSS’s sound. “We never conceptualize what we’re going to do or how we’re going to sound. And we grew up listening to many different kinds of music. We grew up listening to alternative rock from the ’80s and the ’90s, but also a lot of pop music. We also listened to a lot of older rock, like ’60s and ’70s rock. We’ve also listened to a lot of reggae. All these sounds fused into our Brazil brains and it comes out the way it comes out.” www.csssuxxx.com
Photo by Mariana Juliano
{By Dan MacIntosh}
A Perfect World Being from Brazil—a country ravaged by the international Drug War—CSS harbors fairly liberal views when it comes to drug policy. “I think people should be able to choose what they do with its bodies,” guitarist Ana Rezende says. “. . . In a perfect world, I’d like to see all drugs legalized. I fully believe marijuana should be legalized. I don’t see why alcohol is legal and marijuana is not.”
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Illustrations by Vidal Diaz
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Slater’s 50/50
Photo by Gabriela Mungarro
Bacon—one of the most savory and sweetest of meats. For SoCal bacon lovers, one need look no further than Slater’s 50/50 in Huntington Beach to satisfy their bacon craving needs. Its signature 50/50 patty is 50 percent ground beef and 50 percent ground bacon giving this burger one of the heartiest, and distinctive tastes around. Its flagship 50/50 Burger is topped with pepper jack cheese, avocado mash, a sunny side up egg and chipotle-adobo mayonnaise, and served on a soft, warm, white brioche bun. Some might fear that a half bacon burger might be intensely greasy and soggy, on the contrary, Slater’s 50/50 burger is moist and juicy while being anything but greasy. Pair your burger up with any number of succulent sides, including some of the best Deep Fried Jalapeños one can find in SoCal or the perfectly seasoned fries, and one of its ice cold beers from the extensive tap list and you’re in for the full dining experience. For a fresh new take on a classic, a pilgrimage to Slater’s 50/50 should be undertaken immediately. (Simon Weedn) slaters5050.com
The Pie Hole At times, Los Angeles’s culinary landscape can feel a bit overwhelming with all types of bizarre fusions and re-imaginings of various cuisines. With so many exotic choices, sometimes it can be a bit difficult to find the essential classics: a good hamburger or a delicious slice of pie. For pie, one need go only as far as Downtown Los Angeles to find the pie shop to end all pie shops: The Pie Hole. Nestled snuggly in the building that used to house the infamous Al’s Bar, The Pie Hole delivers some of the most tempting, delectable pies one can find in not just Los Angeles, but the entire country. Whether you’re in the mood for a savory treat in the form of their buttery and hearty Chicken and Cornbread Pot Pie, or something on the sweeter side of things, along the lines of their rich and spicy Mexican Chocolate Pie, its scrumptious and floral Earl Grey Tea Pie or its robust, showstopping Maple and Custard Pie (owner Matty Heffner’s favorite), The Pie Hole has it all. If there’s pie in heaven, there’s no doubt it’s getting it delivered fresh from The Pie Hole. (Simon Weedn) thepieholela.com JUNE 2013 • CULTURE 43
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destination unknown
Czech
A River Runs Through It Take a boat through western Cambodia to get the most Battambang for your buck We love Cambodia: friendly locals, tons of culture, a bit of grittiness and plenty of pretty sights to frame in the camera lens. There’s no arguing that a first visit to this beautiful country should include a trip to the famous Angkor temple complex in Siem Reap. However, when you tire of the giant crowds vying for the same, never-before-seen camera angle of heavily documented Angkor Wat, or the folks recreating their favorite frame from Mortal Kombat’s final fight scene, or the feeling of being followed by all those carved faces at Bayon Temple . . . go west, to Battambang. Battambang is Cambodia’s second largest city by population and home to well-preserved architecture from its French colonial past. It’s also a relatively short bus or car ride away from Siem Reap. But none of these contributed to our reason for visiting. We went because we heard we could get there by riverboat. The tranquil Sangkae River connects Siem Reap to Battambang. Every morning, between 7am-7:30am, an assortment of 46 CULTURE • JUNE 2013
roofed wooden boats—filled with tourists, locals and stuff—launch from the docks at nearby Chong Kneas. The boats wind their way through floating villages and around massive cantilever fishing nets, acting as both water taxi and sightseeing vessel. There’s a short stop at a floating convenience store for munchies or drinks, and then it’s off through more scenic water vegetation. From June to November, a.k.a. the wet season, this trip takes six hours. That’s the good version of the boat trip. The bad version happens outside of the wet season, when water levels drop and the boat captain must employ a long bamboo pole to push through formerly scenic water weeds. The bad version can stretch out over 12 agonizing hours, baking rooftop riders to a pungent crisp and threatening death by a thousand bored sighs. Toilet-free boats test bladder fortitude, forcing men to pee into their empty water bottles and women to curse their physiology. So, yeah, pay attention to the season or you’ll arrive at Battambang in a shriveled ball of rage.
By Dennis Argenzia and Edengrace Cayosa OK, now you’re in Battambang. What to do? Other than the boat ride, it’s the countryside sights that attract visitors. For transport, renting a bicycle is an option, but most people hire a motorcycle taxi driver, so as to avoid the state of “lost in a foreign country.” First is Wat Banan, a Buddhist temple ruin atop a 350+ stone-step staircase. With five mostly preserved “corncob” towers that were built in the 10th century, it is considered the “Mini Me” of Angkor Wat and is worth the burn in your quadriceps. From Wat Banan, you can see your next location: Phnom Sampeau, or the killing caves. Unfortunately, you cannot separate Cambodian culture from its bloody history; the genocidal Khmer Rouge communist party attempted to eliminate all forms of art or higher learning, and facilitated the deaths of over 2 million Cambodians through execution, torture or starvation. At Phnom Sampeau, thousands of Cambodians were slaughtered by being thrown through the cave skylights, and a shrine housing some of the victims’ skulls is a grim reminder of this horrific past. Understandably, after a visit to Phnom Sampeau, you might opt for something uplifting. If bats put a smile on your face, there’s Wat Baydamram, a Buddhist temple hangout for thousands of fruit bats. For those seeking inner peace, the Battambang Vipassana Centre offers silent meditation for 10(!) days. For the curious, there’s a ride on the infamous bamboo train: basically, the “train” is the equivalent of a bamboo daybed on old tank axles, powered by someone’s scooter motor. There’s just one pair of colonial-era tracks, so when two trains meet head-on, the daybed with the fewest riders has to give way by being disassembled and taken off the tracks. Fun! But for genuine soul sunshine, go to the circus presented by Phare Ponleu Selpak (PPS). According to its website (www. phareps.org), the PPS “is a cultural organization . . . that offers young people a way out of poverty by training them to become professional artists and performers.” If bats, meditation, trains and rehabilitated youth don’t do the trick, there’s the “Smokin’ Pot” cafe, where you can get some soothing, cannabis-infused eats. In addition, you can always turn to your moto driver or hotel owner, who would be more than happy to sell you green to end your day. c V I S I T U S AT i R e a d C u l t u r e . c o m
profiles in courage Patient: Sue Taylor
AGE: 65
Condition/ Illness:
Lower back pain; bulging disc 4 & 5
Using medical cannabis since:
Photo by Amanda Holguin
2010
Are you an MMJ patient from So Cal with a compelling story to tell? If so, we want to hear from you. Email your name, contact information and details about your experiences with medical cannabis to courage@ireadculture.com.
Why did you start using medical cannabis?
I started using cannabis because I believe in alternative natural medicines as opposed to chemically-based drugs. I am deeply disappointed with the pharmaceutical approach to healthcare that focuses on managing symptoms as opposed to wellness of the complete person. Leaving the Vicodin and other harmful drugs behind, I was introduced to cannabis. I am not a smoker and had never used cannabis. I was opposed to it because of my experience with Reefer Madness and the stigma of cannabis. I was excited that cannabis provided an alternative to pharmaceuticals, and even more excited because you didn’t have to smoke it. I use CBD-rich tinctures and topicals, and [an] occasional edible for pain, as needed. I also incorporated yoga and other activities, for a total holistic approach to healthcare. Cannabis is a natural medicine that allows me to live the invigorating inspiring life I desired as I age.
Did you try other methods or treatments before cannabis?
Unfortunately, the only methods that were pushed upon me for treatment [were] pills and more pills . . . Something inside of me knew that approach wasn’t going to work and, more importantly, my body wasn’t responding to the pills.
What do you say to folks who are skeptical about cannabis as medicine?
When I am doing a presentation about medical cannabis, there are always people who are dis-believers . . . My approach is “Cannabis is not for everyone.” I give information, you determine if it’s for you. If you are happy with your life and your health, so be it. I provide information on the many benefits from cannabis such as [it] relieves pain, insomnia, anxiety, skin conditions and much more. I share the many stories of people moving from death to life, because of the cannabis . . . healing truth is hard to ignore. c
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By Meital Manzuri
Proposition D:
Say What?
legal corner
“There are so many reasons to end the prohibition on marijuana.” —Rick Steves
Los Angeles finally has regulations that stick The Voters Chose
Los Angeles voters approved Proposition D, which caps the number of cannabis shops at 135 in the city and raises taxes on the operations. Prop. D received 63 percent of the votes on May 21, which is more than the simple majority needed to become law.
Long Overdue
For the past six-plus years, dispensaries and other MMJ industry members have had little-to-no direction from the city. Dispensaries, grow operations, delivery services and the like, have been getting raided and popping up, willy-nilly, because there were no regulations. After the May 21 elections, there are now regulations that create firm, enforceable boundaries.
Will it Stick?
In 2010, the city tried to pass a similar ordinance to allow these dispensaries to remain open, but legal challenges defeated the
city. When the city appealed this defeat, the appellate court overruled the lower judge’s opinion, and basically endorsed the city’s 2010 ordinance. By the time the appellate court rendered its decision, though, it was moot because the time frame for enactment of the ordinance had passed and the city could not enforce it. Although a legal analyst could find technical problems with Prop. D, its similarity to the 2010 ordinance, coupled with the overwhelming public support of the measure, a judge would likely let it lie. Therefore, the current ordinance will likely stand up to legal challenges.
Who Stays and Who Goes?
The city estimates there are approximately 135 dispensaries that qualify. These are dispensaries that registered with the city before 2007, and have not moved or been shut down. The hundreds of remaining dispensaries and collectives will have mixed reactions to the proposition. Some will sue the city, some will stay open under the radar and some will close their doors—willingly or forcefully. Due to the consolidated market, though, I am optimistic that those
who have been involved in the medical cannabis industry for the past decade will join forces to serve the patients of Los Angeles.
Will There be Lawsuits?
Yes, people will probably sue and we will stay tuned, but I am skeptical of large changes to Prop. D. While the dust is settling though, you can bet money that new issues and new litigation will spring up to further revolutionize this movement.
What About the Feds?
The feds have had to regulate Los Angeles for fear of a continued “Wild Wild West” atmosphere. Now that the city has made clear boundaries, the feds can back off completely or target those dispensaries that are operating outside of Prop. D. The 135 dispensaries are likely safe as long as they refrain from crossing state lines and stay within the spirit of California law. Also, as a TIME article title suggests, when it comes to full legalization, “It’s not if, but when.” Federal authorities will slowly withdraw the medical cannabis battle and full legalization is on its way! Here in California, 2016 seems to be the year! c
Meital Manzuri is a Los Angeles-based criminal defense attorney, speaker and consultant for patients, collectives and dispensaries. If you have questions about medical cannabis or any other criminal defense matters, she can be contacted via phone at (310) 601-3140 or manzurilaw.com.
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strain, edible & concentrate reviews GET YOUR CLICK HERE
www.iReadCulture.com
Bomm Baklava With my apologies to Pitbull, fans of the “sticky icky” will find something most excellent to rap about in the form of this Bomm Baklava from Eve’s Garden Collective in Van Nuys. Man, is this sticky icky— you’ll be licking your fingers! As any good baklava should be, this medible is lovingly fashioned from quality ingredients such as phyllo dough, walnuts, cinnamon, sugar . . . and 5.25 grams of THC butter. If you hate sticky fingers, stay away. But if you like your edibles syrupy and decadent, sweet and flaky, it would be difficult to suggest a better treat. The cannabis taste is ultramild and the effects are calming, soothing and full of ease for mind, body and spirit. Perfect for patients who need help sleeping/resting as well as those struggling with pain. Shouldn’t dessert always be first?
Firecracker Most patients choose their medicine based on quality, but it doesn’t hurt if the strain is so big and beautiful that you want to show it off to friends. From Downtown Patient Collective in Riverside, Firecracker is an indica-heavy hybrid with the aroma and flavor of dry red wine and a fast-acting stone that will sweep you off your feet. But almost as impressive are the buds themselves: Sticky, more blonde than green and as thick and long as Manzano bananas. While most oversized strains are lightly packed, Firecracker is dense—a single bud could easily take up an entire 1/8th-ounce supply. The effects combine the best qualities of indica and sativa by being both heavily relaxing and slightly exhilarating at the same time. If you’ve been desperately searching for a medicine strong enough to alleviate deep-seated pain but not so strong as to leave you sprawled uselessly on the couch, you’ll want to consider this variety. Patients with bone injuries or nerve damage will find it a positive godsend.
Mars OG Shatter The fruit of this 100-percent indica, Mars OG Kush, is famous among fans as being one of the most potent on the market—the kind that leaves you flushed and medicated to perfection. It also has a deserved reputation as a super-pungent smoke, like Diesel on steroids. The concentrate, a dusky-olive shatter from 30 Cap “Secret Garden” in Van Nuys, is chained lightning itself in potency, but with a silky-sweet taste and mellow, oak finish. Mars OG vaporizes into pure-white smoke almost instantly. It’s surprisingly easy on the lungs for a concentrate, making it a great medicine for patients with respiratory ailments or who’d just rather not spend their time hacking after every hit. Its indica qualities will also give patients with chemo-related nausea or glaucoma much to cheer about.
Legal Disclaimer
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Publishers of this publication are not making any representations with respect to the safety or legality of the use of medical cannabis concentrates. The reviews listed here are for general entertainment purposes only, and are intended for use only when medical cannabis is not a violation of state law. Please consume responsibly. Concentrates are legal and covered under Prop. 215 and SB 420, and they are considered a form of medical cannabis (H&S 11018). Without a doctor’s recommendation for medical cannabis, the possession of concentrates in California can be a felony (PC 1170).
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OG1 Kenobi
Cheese Word is that ADT in Anaheim is putting out some amazing concentrates, and after sampling this 90-percent-indica blend, we do not doubt it for a moment. A budder on the edge of being a wax, Cheese has the color and appearance of crumbs on crumb cake and, at room temperature, the consistency of nougat. The vapor is somewhat harsh, but as pleasing to the taste buds as leaf Cheese itself, with the flavor of cheddar and pine oil at once. We sampled it over two consecutive nights, and both times found the effects devastating. Cheese is among the heaviest of heavy-duty concentrates, so use responsibly, people. If you’re dealing with severe pain, such as from MS, endometriosis, cancer or neuropathy, you’ll want to make it your business to keep this on hand.
DC OG
A pure indica from Associated Patients Collective (APC) in Toluca Lake, OG1 Kenobi may be the only naturally occurring force in the universe that can make even Star Wars: Episode I enjoyable. The metallic-green, conical buds burn fast and evenly, which comes in handy when medicating before the movie starts is time-critical. The cinnamon-hot bouquet and crisp, clove aftertaste lends an air of spice where spice otherwise does not exist. But most importantly, the uppercut-to-the-chin effects last forever, which is exactly what you want when watching a film that never seems to end. The best way to describe OG1 Kenobi’s stone is trancelike, as it puts you into a kind of blissful state in which time has no meaning. If that sounds a bit overwhelming for your pain-relief needs, we recommend starting with a single hit to see what that does for you. It’s a truly outstanding remedy for a broad spectrum of ailments, including cancer, chronic pain, glaucoma, insomnia and migraines.
Liquid Butter OG A lot of knowledge, skill and effort went into producing this crumbly wax from Alternative Solutions in Los Angeles. Visually, it’s a marvel to behold, resembling diced golden raisins until you dab it on a hot nail or vaporizer and it reveals itself as nothing less than a top-quality, pure indica full melt. Full confession: We’ve never tried Liquid Butter in bud form, but if the flavor is anything like the concentrate, we’ll have to correct that soon. The solid wall of pain relief is mellowed by a luxurious sense of euphoria. Alternative Solutions lists anxiety as one of the ailments Liquid Butter is good for, but we’d add just about stress-related condition, including tension headaches, muscle spasms and insomnia. The intensity is deep enough to alleviate pain from cancer therapies and convalescence after surgery.
A good rule of thumb is that if find a medical cannabis provider with a great reputation, buy its house strain. DC Collective in Canoga Park gets excellent buzz from the community, and after sampling its specialty variety—DC OG—it’s easy to see why. A 100-percent indica, it gets high marks in every category to consider: aroma and taste (exotically musty, which strong notes of dark chocolate), appearance (expertly trimmed, turquoise-colored buds the shape of clover leaves) and potency (27.6-percent THC). DC OG is an extremely dense strain, to the point that a single nug should meet most patients’ medicating needs. It burns slow and hot, so we recommend using a pipe or vaporizer. All told, this is an excellent remedy for pain associated with AIDS/HIV, cancer and migraines, and as a treatment for anxiety and mood disorders.
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Making jokes about a commanding officer in the military is an easy way to get your ass shipped off to someplace freezing. Just ask comedian Paul Rodriquez. “There is an Air Force program called Tops in Blue, and you get to do the USO circuit,” says Rodriquez, who received his conscription notice two months before President Nixon ended the draft. “I did a routine about my commanding officer, who was very highly decorated. He had a limp caused by ejecting out of I think an F-105. Well, I said his limp was sexy, that he had a smooth walk like Ricardo Montalban. Everybody at the Air Force Base laughed, but my next orders were to Keflavik, Iceland.” The Mexico-born, Compton-raised comedian avoided fighting in Vietnam by enlisting in the Air Force, and cold weather aside, he believes his six years of service changed his life. “Getting drafted gave me an opportunity to get out of Compton and travel, and it opened up my ambition to do something,” says Rodriguez, who also lived through the Watts riots as an adolescent. 58 CULTURE • JUNE 2013
Down With Brown “The military was a good experience that I don’t regret at all. Oddly enough, I have been to more war areas as a civilian than I ever did in the Air Force. I have been to Iraq and Afghanistan entertaining the troops. I remember when the USO would come entertain us. I saw Kool and the Gang in Keflavik, and it was appreciated. When I am asked to go, I make the time, and I go out there and do what I can.” Rodriguez, who headlined the 2002 Original Latin Kings of Comedy movie, is currently headlining venues in mostly warmer climates as of late. The Latin star is performing material from his new comedic routine: Fifty Shades of Brown. “Fifty Shades of Brown is just a moniker for the different kinds of Hispanics that are here,” he explains. “I do a routine about how easy it is to take for granted that someone is a Mexican and the surprise when they are not. We are becoming more and more Central American, and the funny [element] is in the customs, the Chicano light as I call it. It encompasses all the things in the media right now… the immigration policies, the amnesty, the anchor
babies, the whole thing. It’s just a view from my perspective of change, which is never easy. It’s all of us trying to get along on this small piece of real estate.” Regarding the literary allusion, he adds, “People recognize the spoof of 50 Shades of Grey, and I touch on that, too, [such as] the differences between how the rich enjoy their sexual proclivities. It is a family show. There are no F-bombs, no profanity. It is a show that I could take my mom. I have done about eight shows now in different places, and it is going good. I am trying to get enough material for a special on one of the networks, and I think it is good to go.”
The Lucky Juan Since his breakthrough appearance in 1983’s D.C. Cab, Rodriguez has been a regular presence on television, the movies and the comedy tour circuit. Over the years, the comedian claimed several “firsts” for Latino comics, even if the ventures were not always successful. Norman Lear, arguably the greatest sitcom producer in history, chose Rodriguez to lead the 1984 ABC series a.k.a. Paulo. Though short-lived, V I S I T U S AT i R e a d C u l t u r e . c o m
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the Smithsonian-enshrined series was the first about a MexicanAmerican family on a major U.S. network. A few years later, he became one of the first MexicanAmericans to host a major TV game show when he replaced Bob Eubanks on The Newlywed Game. On the big screen, Rodriguez appeared in nearly 50 movies, and he became one of the first MexicanAmericans to write, direct and star in his own U.S. feature film, 1994’s A Million to Juan. His cram-packed resume even includes an international Spanish-language talk show on Univision and part ownership of Hollywood’s famed Laugh Factory (of Michael Richards rant fame). Throughout his career, Rodriguez has also been an activist for several causes, including the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, League of United Latin American Citizens and The Leukemia Society, among several others. Most notably, he is a tireless advocate for water conservation, serving as Chairman of the California Latino Water Coalition and earning the Humanitarian of the Year award from the City of Fresno.
prevent something that there is really just no way to control. The only people who benefit are those who use it illegally, those who are benefiting from it. The people who would be most against it are the drug dealers, really. The prices go down, and crime associated with it is taken away from them.” “Marijuana is going to be here no matter how much legislation you pass. People are going to use it, they are going to grow it and some are going to abuse it. I am not an advocate, but I am not against it. I am against the hard drugs. Those things are just devastating.”
Sheer Entertainment Rodriguez also addresses another hot-button issue: immigration. The comedian continues, “I was at the Arnold Schwarzenegger conference this week where Senators [John] McCain and [Michael] Bennett spoke about immigra-
tion. Like I told them, you cannot pass a law in America and expect it to work when the other side of the border is not being patrolled. Mexico is broken. There is a river of money and guns going over there, and it has created tremendous hardship. What happens with money, it corrupts officials on both sides of the border. I watch Border Wars, and I find it ironic that American immigration officers named Gonzales, Garcia and Hernandez are stopping guys named Gonzales, Garcia and Hernandez from coming over. It is really a very difficult problem that neither the Democrats nor Republicans seem to want to face. What the solution is to that I don’t know.” Rodriguez, who recently called attention to kidney transplantation with the 2012 award-winning web series Fixing Paco, might use comedy to help a cause, but he avoids getting political in his
“Traditional Medicine” He also seems happy to express his views on various subjects, including medical cannabis. Asked if legalizing medical use was good or bad, Rodriquez implies it is the wrong question, saying, “It doesn’t really matter if we are for it or against it. Like Arnold Schwarzenegger in the government said, it is not a drug, it’s a plant. What people don’t understand about Native Americans and Mexican Americans is that marijuana was never looked upon as a drug. It was medicinal. My mom used to use it. She put it in a jar with alcohol and used it for her rheumatism. It has been part of traditional medicine for a long time.” “The problem I see with marijuana is that they really haven’t figured out how to control it, how to tax it,” Rodriguez adds. “As soon as they do that, it will be good. I think it is a gigantic waste of taxpayer dollars to try and
If you’re paying attention to the skating scene right now, you’re probably familiar with Paul Rodriguez. We’re not talking about the comedian, but his award-winning son. Paul Rodriguez III (a.k.a. P-Rod) started skating when he was 12 and got his first sponsor three years later. He went on to become the record holder for most wins in the Street category in the X Games with four gold medals, one silver and one bronze. He later went on to take first place at the Tampa Pro competition, Street League Skateboarding and the Battle of the Berrics, riding goofy in the third. He hasn’t stopped with working on the half-pipe either; he’s a noted entrepreneur with his own brand, retail store and a private training facility. With all of this going on in his life, he still has time to be a father to his young daughter and he’s only 28 years old. The man is dedicated and still has more to offer in years to come.
//ON STAGE// Performing Sept. 13-15 at the Ontario Improv. 60 CULTURE • JUNE 2013
comic routines. “I am not a preachy guy [on stage],” he adds. “My shows are sheer entertainment.”
Staying Relevant Rodriguez can easily transition between his advocacy and entertainment because he has spent over three decades dividing his talents in productive ways. He is a multicultural, multi-generational star who has performed on stage and on television in both English and Spanish. The first Macintosh computer was not even on the market when he debuted in D.C. Cab, yet he has quickly transitioned into the digital age, which includes competing for search engine hits with his superstar skater son, Paul Rodriguez, Jr. The digital revolution can be difficult for veteran performers, but just like seeing the positives in getting drafted, the elder Rodriguez embraces the challenges of new technologies. “You used to have time to work on a five-minute bit for the Johnny Carson show,” he explains, “but now it is immediate. You are up on stage, and by the time you get home, it is up on the Internet. In a sense it is good because it forces you to think fresh, and it weeds out those who have [old] material. A comic [joke] is not like a song where it becomes your favorite the more you hear it. The first time you hear a joke, it’s funny, and the second time you might giggle, but the third time you wonder why it made you laugh. It all depends on the surprise on the punch line. For an older guy, it is a lot harder to stay hip and relevant and keep up with all the new languages and intricacies. In my case, I try to come up with material that suits my age. I try to explain grey hair, which is God’s way of saying you’re running out of ink.” Nevertheless, the comic whose work spans generations has shown he can reach them all. “My audience has grown with me,” he remarks. “I can look at an audience and tell they used to be the young ones that used to come. Now the baby boomers have bloomed, and they bring their kids to the shows. It really is so rewarding.” c
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What Can Brown Do For You?
Paul Rodriguez leverages his fame and fortune for good causes By Derek Obregon Paul Rodriguez takes making a difference very seriously. As part owner of the Laugh Factory in Los Angeles, Paul Rodriguez also donates his time to perform there every year for the venue’s annual Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners. Free food is dished out to those in need with an extra side of laughter. He performs for Comic Relief—and organization that’s dedicated to bringing laughter to all and fight poverty—whenever he gets the chance. And make sure you make time for Rodriguez’ yearly celebrity golf tournament. Even if your golf swing isn’t up to par, you can rest easy at the clubhouse knowing that 100-percent of the proceeds go to the National Hispanic Scholarship Fund.
Here are more examples of Rodriguez’s social consciousness and political activism:
2003
As a former enlisted man, Rodriguez is always willing to support the troops. During this particular USO Tour, Rodriguez shares the stage with the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders, Alyssa Milano, Lil Wayne, Kid Rock and more.
2007
He becomes chairman of the California Latino Water Coalition, an advocacy group dedicated to seeking solutions to water supply, infrastructure and farming issues.
2010
Rodriguez donates all of the proceeds from a show in Arizona to support the League of United Latin American Citizens and its efforts to fight Arizona SB 1070 case, a strict anti-immigrant law. Later this same year, he endorses GOP gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman.
2011
Performs with Los Lobos to benefit the César Chavez Memorial, a monument scheduled for an unveiling in Riverside this month.
2012
Rodriguez continues his support of the GOP by airing a radio ad supporting Mitt Romney. The comic’s reasoning? Obama’s administration backed efforts to protect a species of minnow . . . at the cost of cutting off water supplies to San Joaquin Valley farmers. c 64 CULTURE • JUNE 2013
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Without Borders
Paul Rodriguez might have the honor of starring in the first television show (1984’s a.k.a. Pablo) about a Mexican American family on mainstream American television, but it’s not the first time that a person of Latin distinction has garnered success at being the first. Here’s a quick list of other firsts by Latinos and Mexican Americans.
Juan Gomez, 1883
Pancho Villa, 1914
He was the first Hispanic American labor leader.
The Mexican revolutionary played himself in The Life of General Villa, a silent film directed by Raoul Walsh that was shot on location. Why did Villa star in the film? He needed money to fund the revolution.
Ritchie Valens, 1958
Roberto Clemente, 1973
Known as Richard Valenzuela to his family, this Chicano rock pioneer formulated the hit song “La Bamba.” When he died . . . so did the music. 66 CULTURE • JUNE 2013
This right-fielder (of Puerto Rican background) for the Pittsburgh Pirates was the first Latino inducted into the Baseball hall of Fame.
Octaviano Larrazolo, 1928
A Republican politician who served as the fourth governor of New Mexico, who later became a senator. He is considered the first U.S. senator of Mexican extraction.
Ellen Ochoa, 1991
An LA native who earned degrees in science and electrical engineering, Ochoa was also the first Hispanic into space.
Desi Arnaz, 1952
A renowned band leader in his own right, this Cubanborn entertainer is known largely for playing a longsuffering husband in I Love Lucy, a role which made him a big star for a network TV show. No further ’splainin‘.
John Ruiz, 2001
Known as “The Quietman” in pugilistic circles, Ruiz is the first Latino heavyweight champion whose career spanned nearly two decades. He defeated Evander Holyfield in 2001. V I S I T U S AT i R e a d C u l t u r e . c o m
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healthy living
By Lanny Swerdlow, RN, LNC
Marijuana Prevents
Diabetes and Slims Your Waist Obesity and diabetes are two of the major health epidemics plaguing Americans. Marijuana may turn out to be just what the doctor ordered to treat this seemingly intractable disorder that is shortening lives, decreasing the quality of life, filling up our nation’s hospitals and driving health care costs through the roof. Even though cannabis consumers take in more calories than non-consumers, recent studies have shown that those that use the plant are less likely to be obese, have a lower risk for diabetes and maintain lower body-mass-index measurements. Now a new study entitled “The Impact of Marijuana Use on Glucose, Insulin and Insulin Resistance among U.S. Adults” and published in the ever-so prestigious American Journal of Medicine has confirmed that people using marijuana are less likely to develop Type II diabetes, really do have smaller waist circumferences (1 1/2 inches smaller on average than non-cannabis users) and higher levels of HDL cholesterol, the ostensibly good cholesterol that lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease. The researchers studied the blood sugar-related effects of cannabis use among participants in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from 2005 to 2010. What they found, according to lead author and associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School Murray Mittleman, was “that current users of marijuana appeared to have better carbohydrate metabolism than nonusers. Their fasting insulin levels were lower, and they appeared to be less resistant to the insulin produced by their body to maintain a normal blood-sugar level.” All of these factors lead to a decrease incidence of Type II diabetes. What needs 68 CULTURE • JUNE 2013
to be noted and understood is that in order to achieve these benefits, a person must be currently using cannabis. People who are no longer consuming cannabis are no better off than people who have never used the plant. In addition to lowering the incidence of Type 2 diabetes, cannabis is enormously beneficial to the millions who have contracted this debilitating ailment. Peripheral neuropathy is a major problem associated with diabetes and the neuroprotective properties of cannabis are extremely effective in reducing the pain associated with this common and significant side effect. A 2007 study conducted on AIDS patients with peripheral neuropathy found that marijuana use reduced the pain by 34 percent.
“Cannabis is enormously beneficial to the millions who have contracted this debilitating ailment.” In addition to pain relief, the antiinflammatory action of cannabis can help lessen the arterial inflammation commonly associated with diabetes. Circulation is also improved as blood vessels are opened due to the vasodilator properties of the cannabinoids found in cannabis. Although not an anti-hypertensive in the same sense as an ACE inhibitor like Lisinopril, cannabis can aid in lowering blood pressure which is an important part of managing diabetes. The latest study on the fiscal impact of diabetes was done in 2007. This study estimated that for people with Type 2 diabetes national medical costs totaled $105.7 billion with indirect costs totaling $53.8 billion for a cumulative total of $159.5 billion. The cost would be considerably higher
now not only because of inflation, but because the number of people with diabetes continues to increase. In 2007, 23.6 million Americans had diabetes or 7.8 percent of the population. In 2011, the number had increased to 25.8 million or 8.3 percent of the population. The widespread use of marijuana would significantly reduce the number of people with diabetes thereby saving billions of dollars in health care costs. Besides preventing people from getting Type 2 diabetes in the first place, cannabis also improves the quality of life for the millions of people with this literally pandemic disease. A note of caution and common sense—don’t stop going to the gym and start eating all the Big Macs you want just because you consume cannabis. Exercise and proper nutrition are still the most important factors in preventing the onset of Type 2 diabetes—it’s just that if you take a few tokes before you eat and exercise and then take a few more afterwards, your chance of getting this disease is further diminished and your overall health will be improved. Listen every Monday at 6pm to Lanny Swerdlow, RN on Marijuana Compassion and Common Sense broadcast on Inland Empire talk radio 1050AM and simulcast at www.kcaaradio.com.
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GreenScene
Homemade and Natural Insect Repellents
Learn how to avoid pesky critters this summer the old-fashioned way {By NANCY POWELL}
Summer has arrived. The weather is warming up and it’s time to break out the outdoor gear, stock up on sunscreen and insect repellents and plan that next adventure into the great wide open. But before you run out to Target or Walmart for DEET-based sprays recommended by pediatricians, consider saving up for the trip and create a customized spray instead. The key to self-made inset repellents lie in understanding what makes those pesky critters tick. Flies and mosquitoes like certain smells, like fruity fragrances or foul-smelling rubbish (flies). Stagnant pools of water attract wasps and mosquitoes, and others like to burrow away behind ailing plants. Part of any insect-fighting strategy takes into consideration the avoidance of those “me, me, me” attractions. But it also turns out that humans can learn from their plant friends, who don’t exactly enjoy the itchy bites of their insect allies, and so they’ve evolved defenses to ward off pests. Luckily, most are safe and convenient for human consumption and act as effective counteroffensives in insect combat. Essential and plant oils make potent bug juice to keep insects at bay. A tablespoon or two of apple cider, citronella oil from Thai lemon grass, peppermint, cinnamon, lavender and mint are strong enough to prevent any potential tick or mosquito attack. The downside is the fragrance; the strong smells of some of these minty or vinegary oils can dampen your enthusiasm and have you reaching for the Chanel. In addition to warding off the vamps, garlic makes an excellent repellent. Its natural scent has enough power to ward off insects for up to six hours. If you know you’ll be outdoors for, say, a fireworks display or a beachside bonfire, add some aromatic garlic to a romantic dinner and you’ve got yourself a bug-free date night. It’s not that you should discard every single bottle of Off! and Cutter. But the skin-irritating properties and neurological deficits of a chemical developed by the U.S. military in the 1940s should give pause to sustained, long-term use.
A Recipe for Herbal Bug Spray from the Wellness Mama
Boil one cup of water. Add in 3 to 4 tablespoons of dried herbs (peppermint, spearmint, lavender, citronella, lemongrass or catnip, using at least one minty herb). Mix well, cover and then allow to cool. Strain the herbs out and mix with water and one cup of witch hazel or rubbing alcohol. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and store in a cool place. www.wellnessmama.com
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GET YOUR CLICK HERE
www.iReadCulture.com
cool stuff High Altitude Executive Vaporizer Pen The High Altitude Executive Vaporizer Pen is one classy piece of hardware. Resembling the type of fancy plume used to sign high-dollar contracts, patients can mix their hash oil with its fruit flavored emulsifiers (for discrete medicating) or use the interchangeable earwax attachment (if you like your concentrates cannabis flavored). A more efficient way to medicate, and a great way to get the most out of your wax.
Revolights Bike gear heads, unite! Revolights has just made your nocturnal pedal sessions a bit safer, a bit brighter. Enter Revolights City v2.O (now compatible for international cyclists and deeper-V wheel sets) features wheel-mounted LEDs (4-hour battery life) that detect your speed and blink as they pass the front or rear of the bicycle. Darkness, beware. (Full lighting system $229) revolights.com
Blade Runner Style LED Umbrella Finally—the only time it’s good luck to open an umbrella indoors! Ripped straight from Ridley Scott’s existential-sci-fi flick , these futuristic umbrellas are just the thing to keep you dry on the way to the noodle shop. Comes white or blue LED shaft. Say, you look rather Replicant-y . . . ($9.99-$24.99) www.thinkgeek.com
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Summertime . . . and the living’s easy. What better way to celebrate the warmest part of the calendar than a refreshing assortment of drinks, cocktails and other beverages destined to chase away the heat . . . bring on the good times. Let the fun start flowing.
By Aunt Sandy
Menu:
Dirty Bong Water Mint Julep Watermelon Sunset Orangeade Crocodile Fuzzy Navel
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. 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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FUZZY NAVEL
D ri n k m e!!!
2 measures Infused Vodka* 1 measure Peach Schnapps 1 cup orange juice Ice Peach or orange slices for garnish
Go t h e fwloitwh WATERMELON SUNSET 1 watermelon, halved and seeded 1/4 cup orange juice 1/4 cup Infused Simple Syrup** 1 teaspoon lime juice Watermelon slice for garnish
Shake all ingredients (except for the ice) together vigorously. Strain into a chilled glass and garnish with the peach or orange slice.
MINT JULEP 3 shots of Infused Bourbon* 1 tablespoon Infused Simple Syrup** Crushed ice Leaves from one fresh mint sprig plus an extra for garnish Put the mint leaves and Infused Simple Syrup into a small chilled glass and mash with a muddler or a teaspoon. Add ice and stir before adding the bourbon. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
DIRTY BONG WATER 1 oz. Chambord raspberry liquor 1 oz. Infused Coconut Rum* 1/2 oz. Blue Curaçao 1 oz. sweet and sour mix 1 oz. pineapple juice Ice
Scoop the melon flesh into a blender and add the Infused Simple Syrup, orange juice and lime juice. Blend until smooth and pour into a chilled glass. Garnish with the slice.
Hig h Sp i rit
Mix well and serve in small chilled glass over ice
CROCODILE
ur M a ki ni sgiopnos dec
2 measures of Infused Vodka* 1 measure of Triple sec 1 measure of Midori 2 measures of lemon juice Crushed ice
Mix all ingredients together and pour into a chilled glass.
ORANGEADE
Infused Liquor*
Cannabis Simple Syrup**
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice 1/2 cup fresh orange juice 1 cup Infused Simple Syrup** 1 cup water 1 orange, sliced 1 lemon, sliced
Liquor of your choice (rum, bourbon, vodka, etc.) ½ ounce of cannabis buds
1/2 oz cannabis buds 1 cup sugar 1 cup water
Fill a pitcher halfway with ice. Stir in the fruit juices, Infused Simple Syrup and water until combined. Add the orange and lemon slices to the pitcher.
Add the cannabis to a glass quart jar and fill with your choice of liquor. Place jar in a cool, dry place, shaking every day. Do this for about four weeks. Strain well and keep jar in a cool, dry place.
In a saucepan, sauté the buds in sugar and water over medium heat for 20 minutes. Strain the buds. Pour the remaining greencolored syrup into a glass container. Let it cool and refrigerate. Pour over fruit or fruit salad and let the syrup fully absorb. JUNE 2013 • CULTURE 77
Shooting Gallery
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www.iReadCulture.com
Million Marijuana March (Photos by Steve Baker)
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Shooting Gallery
GET YOUR CLICK HERE
www.iReadCulture.com
Aziz Ansari (Photos by Kristopher Christensen)
The proposition D Fundraiser (Photos by Steve Baker)
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Shooting Gallery
GET YOUR CLICK HERE
www.iReadCulture.com
OC NORML 420 Party (Photos by Steve Baker)
Legalize It screening (Photos by Steve Baker)
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entertainment reviews Sigur Ros Kveikur XL Recordings A little over a year since their last release, Iclandic trio Sigur Rós return with its seventh full-length studio release (eighth if you include the soundtrack to the Icelandic documentary Hlemmur), Kveikur. As one might expect, Kveikur is chock full of the beautiful post-rock soundscapes that Sigur Rós has built its reputation on. However, whereas previous albums were known for their ethereal qualities and minimalism, this new record can grow quite intense at times with heavier sonic qualities and even more expansive and enveloping production. Weaving together songs that seem to float as freely as a flock of birds amongst the clouds, and with tunes that blend massive, loaded textures that blanket you like a ferocious winter blizzard, Sigur Rós delivers another substantial record with Kveikur. Long time listeners as well as new comers to the band will delight in the still-dreamy and gorgeous voice and bowed guitar playing by Jón Pór Birgisson, all the while being blown back by the incredible atmospheric rhythm work of bassist Georg Hólm and drummer Orri Páll Dyrason. With nearly 20 years as a band to its credit, Kveikur further exemplifies why Sigur Rós is considered not just one of the best post-rock acts, but one of the greatest international music acts around today. (Simon Weedn)
California NORML Guide to Drug Testing By Dale Gieringer Regent Press Printers & Publishers Dale Gieringer has a political bone to pick with his short new book, California NORML Guide to Drug Testing. Right from the start, the reader knows exactly where Gieringer stands on drug testing. “One of the most insidious intrusions on Americans’ personal privacy and freedom in recent years has been the increasingly pervasive practice of urine testing,” he writes. No matter what your opinion of drug testing may be, however, Gieringer makes a persuasive case to support his opinions, complete with evidential studies to show that—even with the best intentions—today’s most common drug testing techniques fail to “measure fitness or impairment,” as Gieringer states it, “but rather the presence of certain drug residues that may have no deleterious effect at all.” Gieringer is convinced urinalysis—the most common drug testing technique—can’t detect THC. Therefore, Gieringer believes these tests, whether at the workplace or for drivers, may only catch chronic users or those that have used marijuana in the past week or so, instead of just the ones that used right before (or while) driving/working, making them clearly impaired. Gieringer begs the question: What, if any, is the value of a drug test that fails the test? (Dan MacIntosh)
Identity Thief Universal Pictures Dir. Seth Gordon Director Seth Gordon (Horrible Bosses, The King of Kong) brings us a slightly twisted take on the buddy comedy genre for his fourth directorial effort, Identity Thief. Starring Jason Bateman (Arrested Development, Extract, Horrible Bosses) as the victim, and Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids, Mike and Molly) as the crook, Identity Thief follows the wild and sometimes convoluted cross country excursion Bateman’s character, Sandy Patterson, must undertake to personally apprehend McCarthy—who plays the titular role—to restore his reputation. While the story can be a bit busy at times, especially with the inclusion of several unnecessary characters and plot lines, the movie makes up for it with the stunning comedic timing and delivery of Bateman and McCarthy. The film’s high points are a series of seemingly off-the-cuff exchanges between Bateman, McCarthy and supporting characters, Tony the Motel Desk Clerk, played by McCarthy’s real life husband Ben Falcone, and dive bar patron Big Chuck, played by Eric Stonestreet. Although, Identity Thief has faults, it delivers more than a few laughs with a nice sized helping of sweetness and humility. All in all, a great flick to throw on for a nice quiet evening in, either by yourself, or with a special someone. (Simon Weedn) 86 CULTURE • JUNE 2013
Juicy J in concert
It ain’t easy being juicy, er, Juicy. A couple of years ago, the rapper and member of Three Six Mafia talked about the challenge of balancing mainstream success with underground cred—especially when you team up with an herb-friendly hotshot like Wiz Khalifa. “Music grows. History repeats itself,” Juicy told hiphopdx back in late 2010. “I’ve always got my ear to the streets. There’s a lot of up and coming stuff that’s gonna blow people away coming soon.” The smooth and dapper Juicy—called “rap’s most hedonistic elder statesman” by FADER—will be the one blowing people away this year. His just-dropped track “Show Out” (feat. Young Jeezy and Big Sean) just grabbed 3 million views in a week’s time, and his upcoming full-length is currently booked for an August street date. With collaborations with Chris Brown, Trey Songz, A$AP Rocky and Yelawolf, this will be the Year of the Juice. And Juicy’ll bring the Dom. At least he did for 106 & Park.
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Juicy Js in concert. WHEN/WHERE: June 8 at House of Blues Sunset, 8430 Sunset Blvd., W. Hollywood. INFO: With A$AP Ferg. Go to houseofblues.com or call (323) 848-5100.
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liner notes Remember that scene in David Fincher’s cult classic crossover Fight Club where Ed Norton’s character beats a bleached Jared Leto within an inch of his life? There’s blood all over floors, hands, and faces when Norton’s voiceover drones, “I felt like destroying something beautiful.” Leto must have really taken the line to heart, because he set out to do the same thing to the entire Western tradition of music when he created 30 Seconds to Mars. Leto was not satisfied with thinking of his group—whose genre could be most closely described as scream-pop cry cry— as simply a band. “We’ve always thought about 30 Seconds To Mars not just as a band but an art project,” he told MTV in a recent interview. The singer has grandiose plans for what 30 Seconds to Mars, now some kind of collective, could become. It could be “a place where we would make music, we would make books, we would make art in general, short films, documentaries.” The band is set to release its new album Love Lust Faith + Dreams on May 20, but Leto wants to make sure everyone knows that “the music is the glue that binds it all together but its certainly not just about the music, it’s about community, it’s about a life.” When Leto says things like this, it makes me want to sign him up for the projected one-way journey to Mars planned for 2023. Meanwhile, in actual space, something profoundly cooler has happened. Commander Chris Hadfield, a Canadian astronaut who spent over half a year in the International Space Station, has just passed a celestial landmark in true glam fashion: he’s shot, sung and edited the first music video in space. Not just any song would do for such a milestone, though; Hadfield chose David Bowie’s “Space Oddity” not only for its on-the-point aptitude for the situation, but for its beauty and timelessness. Hadfield reentered our pale blue dot in mid-May, and is being welcomed as a hero in such a fashion that astronauts have not been for years. Now this may be because he had a pretty big web presence, tweeting from space and answering a lot of questions on aggregate sites like reddit.com. But I think credit should also
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By Kevin Longrie
be given to David Bowie himself for making every scenario in life better. If only we could send Bowie himself to space, that he might watch over each and every one of us. Down here on earth, good things are happening for the arts. Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine are giving $70 million to USC to start an interdisciplinary program for arts, design, entrepreneurship, and marketing. Dre wants to make new college graduates ready to take on the media landscape with all the necessary tools. No word yet on whether or not incoming freshman will be issued Beats by Dre headphones. Dr. Dre will probably give millions further to universities around the country over the next few decades, having buildings named after him so that no one, God forbid, forgets about Dre. The artist formerly known as the artist formerly known as Prince is rearranging his backing band, and he’s doing so in a fresh way. What I mean by that is that Prince, who turns 55 this year, has deliberately chosen young musicians to back him up because, he says, “I don’t have time for old people.” In an interview for the Star Tribune, he said “I want to work with young people. I have my legacy. It’s time for their legacy.” It’s understandable that Prince would
want a lot of energy in his stage shows which have, historically, been quite wild and frenetic anyway. It’s also understandable that he at least appears to want some new artists to solidify their legacy rather than established artists. But what doesn’t make sense is how anyone is going to establish a legacy by playing behind Prince who, although aging himself, is still one of the biggest pop stars of all time. Ask yourself: Who played guitar on Michael Jackson’s last tour? Drums? Playing for Prince is a good gig (unless you don’t want him to throw your guitar on the ground) and I’m sure it pays well; but it’s not going to launch anyone. The only name people remember from Michael Jackson’s last tour is the name of his official glove washer, Sir Patrick Stewart. c
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let’s do this Our picks for the coolest things to do around town
Complete Works of William Shakespeare Abridged, June 7-30 For those of you who fell asleep during English class (or those of you who enjoyed it), this is the show that makes classic literature fun again. No, seriously this is piss-your-pants funny. Repertory Theatre, Santa Monica www.santamonicarep.org
24th Annual Silent Film Festival, June 8
A nice alternative to the superhero/romantic comedy/sequel/ reboot you’d be watching otherwise. See timeless Buster Keaton onstage with a live orchestra backing his every antic. You know, like how grandpa saw it. Royce Hall, Los Angeles www.laco.org
8th Annual LA Wine Fest, June 8-9
While there are plenty of awesome things to see here like the celebrity chefs and the live entertainment, the main appeal lies in the over 500 wines and brews stocked for this event. Your inner drunk is showing. Raleigh Studios, Hollywood www.lawinefest.com
Cyndi Lauper, June 13
Okay, sing it with me now: Girls just wanna have fu-uuun. Now that you’ve got that out of your system, buy tickets to see her live. You know you’re a fan, I see your true colors. Greek Theatre, Los Angeles www.greektheatrela.com
Huck Finn Jubilee, June 14-16
We’re not sure if this is what Mark Twain had in mind, but this is fun anyway. Arm wrestling contests, fishing championships, hot air balloons and the best of bluegrass make this the perfect southern-style adventure. Cucamonga-Guasti Regional Park, Ontario www.huckfinn.com
Claremont Folk Festival, June 15
Folk singing, guitar lessons, protest songs, didgeridoo, drum circles and more? It’s folk, people. Rancho Santa Ana Botanical Gardens, Claremont folkmusiccenter.com/folk-festival/
Father’s Day Brunch, June 16
Show your dad how much you care by dragging him on to a
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haunted boat and making him eat for your enjoyment. Hey, at least he’ll like the food. The Queen Mary, Long Beach www.queenmary.com
An Evening with Classic Lily Tomlin, June 22
Got a thing for Lily Tomlin? Can’t blame you, she’s witty, talented, and one of the most enduring actresses in showbiz. She’s 72 and she’s back onstage, performing and answering your questions. The big question: what are you going to ask? Segerstrom Hall, Costa Mesa scfta.org
TacoLandia, June 23
Wish every day could be Taco Tuesday? Well, settle for an extra Sunday. Over 30 tacos from all over the world will gather in delight and devouring of one of the biggest contributions from Mexican culture. We feel sad for typing that. Hollywood Palladium parking lot, Los Angeles www.laweekly.com/tacolandia
A Conversation with Neil Gaiman, June 27
One of the most fantastical and prominent fiction writers will be speaking with Entertainment Weekly writer Geoff Boucher about anything and everything that comes to mind. When that mind belongs to the man behind Coraline, Stardust, The Sandman saga and The Ocean at the End of The Lane, you know you’re in for a treat. The Alex Theatre, Glendale www.alextheatre.org
Jo Koy, June 27-29
Forget for a moment that he’s a commentator on Chelsea Lately and remember that he’s one of the best stand-up comics out there. Offensive, ridiculous and utterly enjoyable, it’ll be nice to see him in his element. Ontario Improv, Ontario www.ontario.improv.com
Ice Cream Social, June 30
Nothing beats ice cream in the middle of summer. Beat the heat and head to this Victorian-style affair with carnival games, barbershop quartets and hand cranked ice cream. Yummy. Metropolitan Museum, Riverside www.riverside.ca.gov
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CULTURE Quiz
HEAD COUNT
?
Time to rev up your brain cells, folks. Take this official CULTURE quiz and test yourself to see how much you know about cannabis. For each question you answer correctly, give yourself 5 points.
more than Republicans?
is the name of the 4 What author of The New Jim Crow
who is pro legalization?
cannabis be effective to 5 What is Dronabinol? 2 Can treat diabetes?
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ANSWERS
A South Carolina lawmaker has recently proposed legalizing medical cannabis—true or false?
Democrats tend to favor 3 Do pro-cannabis legislation
1. True, state Rep. Todd Rutherford. 2. Possibly, according to recent British research. 3. Yes. 4. Michelle Alexander, associate law professor at Moritz College of Law, Ohio. 5. Another name for Marinol, a synthetic form of THC.
1
?
?
Now Rate Yourself: 5 points: A few classes at Oaksterdam University won’t even help you. 10 points: Are you even a patient? 15 points: Keep medicating. 20 points: Impressive. Almost ready for the big leagues. 25 points: What do you want—a prize?
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There may be some good news for patients suffering from obesity-related diseases. A natural medicine may be on its way—no more synthetic pills or invasive surgeries. According to United Press International, certain strains and combinations of compounds in cannabis might be able to treat diabetes and other obesity-related diseases. British researches and others grew cannabis and then utilized a combination of the plant’s chemical compounds—THCV and cannabidiol. The result? Cannabis can create an appetite suppressing effect—very different from the “munchies” phenomenon so commonly reported by cannabis patients and users. The research proved effective in testing on mice; THCV and cannabidiol boosted the animals’ metabolism, leading to lower levels of fat in their livers and reduced cholesterol in their blood stream. Though the appetite-suppressing effects only lasted a short time, the compounds also had an impact on the level of fat in the body and its response to insulin, a hormone that controls sugar levels in the blood. This is big news for the medical cannabis world and for any patients suffering from metabolic diseases. c
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Chuck Shepherd
News of the
Weird
LEAD STORY— CHARMING
; The beauty pageant each April at the Rattlesnake Roundup in Sweetwater, Texas, requires traditional skills like interview poise, evening-gown fashion and talent, but also some ability and inclination to milk and skin rattlers. High school senior Kyndra Vaught won this year’s Miss Snake Charmer, wearing jeweled boots one night for her country-western ballad, then Kevlar boots and camouflage chaps the next as she took on dozens of rattlers in the wooden snake pit. Vaught expertly held up one serpent, offered its tail-end rattles for a baby to touch, then helped hold, measure, milk and skin a buzzing, slithery serpent. A Los Angeles Times dispatch noted that Vaught hoped to be on her way soon to the Berklee College of Music in Boston.
THE CONTINUING CRISIS
ently including the appliance the restaurant used for mixing salad dressings and sauces—which was a table-model cement mixer. When health officials told the owner that it certainly was not “approved,” he immediately bought another, “rust-free,” mixer. (Health authorities had come to the restaurant on a complaint that a screw had turned up in a customer’s kabob.)
MODERN ANGLERS
; Chad Pregracke, 38, a Mississippi River legend, spends nine months a year hauling heavy-duty litter out of waterways with his crew of 12. He told CNN in March that he has yanked up 218 washing machines, 19 tractors, four pianos and nearly 1,000 refrigerators—totaling over 3,500 tons of trash—and has collected the world’s largest array of bottles with messages inside (63).
; That there are flea “circuses” is bizarre enough, but in March a cold spell in Germany wiped out an entire troupe of “performing” fleas, requiring the flea whisperer to secure replacements (because, of course, the show must go on). Trainer Robert Birk reached out to a university near MechernichKommern for 50 substitutes, which he apparently worked into the act over one weekend. (Fleas, with or without training, can pull up to 160,000 times their own weight and leap to 100 times their own height.)
; Eliel Santos fishes the grates of New York City seven days a week, reeling in enough bounty to sustain him for the last eight years, he told the New York Post in April. The “fishing line” Santos, 38, uses is dental floss, with electrician’s tape and Blue-Touch mouse glue— equipment that “he controls with the precision of an archer,” the Post reported. His biggest catch ever was a $1,800 (pawned value) gold and diamond bracelet, but the most popular current items are iPhones, which texting-onthe-move pedestrians apparently have trouble hanging onto.
; The owner of a restaurant in southern Sweden told authorities in March that the former owner had assured him that “everything had been approved,” appar-
OOPS!
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; Tyshekka Collier, 36, was arrested in Spartanburg, S.C., in March after she had rushed to her
son’s elementary school after a call that he was suspended. As she burst into the office, angry at her son for getting into trouble, she saw a pouting boy with his head down and slapped him, thinking he was hers. He wasn’t. (After apologizing, she then managed to locate her son and promptly slapped him around). ; When Evan Ebel was killed in a roadside shootout in March, it was clear that he was the man who had days earlier gunned down the head of the Colorado prison system (and his wife) at the front door of their home and then fled (and killed another man while on the lam). Ebel should not even have been free at the time, having been accidentally released from prison in January only because a judge’s assistant had mistakenly marked Ebel’s multiple prison terms to be served “concurrently” instead of one following the other (“consecutively”). (The supervising judge “extend(ed) condolences” to the families of Ebel’s victims.)
BRIGHT IDEAS
; Apparently feeling feisty after a successful stint in February hosting the Bassmaster Classic, local officials in Tulsa, Okla., announced in April that they were considering preparing a bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics. (The Winter Games sometimes get awarded to small venues, but never the Summer Games.) ; The Discovery Channel announced a new survival show to debut this summer, Naked and Afraid, dropping off a man and a woman (strangers), without tools or clothes, to fend for themselves on an isolated Maldives island. Among the previews: Ms. Kellie Nightlinger, 38, a self-described “ultimate survivalist,” finally thought after two weeks of nearly starving that she could attract fish close enough to be snatched up (as a New York Daily News reporter put it) “us(ing) her ladyparts as bait to catch fish between her legs.” Said a Discovery Channel executive: “Survival shows are so common now that it’s gotten more and more difficult to convince the audience that what they’re watching is something extreme.”
PERSPECTIVE
; Location, Location, Location: The New Delhi, India, neighborhood of Lutyens’ Delhi houses some of the richest people in the country in comparatively modest mansions, with the city’s real estate bubble inflating prices into nine figures, though home sales are rare, according to a March New York Times dispatch. In the similarly wealthy city of Hong Kong, in the “gritty, working-class West Kowloon neighborhood” where the laborers serving the rich live, about 100,000 dwell in pitiable housing, including the increasing number who rent what are basically stacks of wire sleep cages, measuring about 16 square feet each (and offering no protection against bedbugs). An Associated Press reporter found one tenant paying the equivalent of about $167 a month for his mesh digs.
PEOPLE WITH ISSUES
; Finally, Herson Torres was freed. As Bloomberg Business Week reported step-by-step in April, Torres was recruited by a “Defense Intelligence Agency operative” to rob a Virginia bank in order to test first-responder reaction times. If caught, Torres’s arrest would be removed, said “Theo,” the operative. The skeptical Torres asked advice of various authority figures, including two bemused lawyers, but “Theo” was able to calm them all with a dazzling display of CIA jargon and procedures. Torres was indeed arrested, and “Theo” indeed sprang him (but with a judicial order that was forged). Ultimately, “Theo” was revealed to be frustrated computer-techie Matthew Brady, 26, who lives with his mother and grandmother in Matoaca, Va., and despite his obviously world-class bluffing skill, he pleaded guilty in May and was ordered treated for his paranoid schizophrenia and delusional disorder.
NO LONGER WEIRD
; Even the editor of News of the Weird gets bored: (1) A man in his ‘70s in Burnaby, British Columbia, was rescued in January after being pinned for three days under V I S I T U S AT i R e a d C u l t u r e . c o m
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fallen debris inside his seriously cluttered home (with “ceiling-high mounds of garbage,” wrote the Canadian Press). (Ho-hum.) (2) In Lianjiang City, China, in January, Peng Xinhua, 101, joined a long line of returns-from-the-dead. Following a fall, she had become stiff and without a heartbeat, her two daughters said, and burial was scheduled. Just before the funeral, as relatives and friends were washing her body, Peng opened her eyes and calmly greeted them.
READERS’ CHOICE
; (1) A 5-year-old boy in rural Cumberland County, Ky., accidentally shot and killed his 2-year-old sister in April, firing his own .22-caliber rifle. The weapon (a “Crickett”) is marketed as “My First Rifle” by the Keystone Sporting Arms company. (2) Henry Gribbohm, 30, admitted in April that he had blown his $2,600 life savings trying to win an Xbox at a rigged ball-toss game at a Manchester, N.H., carnival, lamenting to WBZ-TV, “For once in my life, I happened to become that sucker.” (Gribbohm complained to the operator, but was given only a large stuffed banana as consolation. However, when news broke, an Internet website took up a collection and purchased the banana from him for $2,600.)
FRONTIERS OF PARENTING
; Caribou Baby, a Brooklyn, N.Y., “eco-friendly maternity, baby and lifestyle store,” has recently been hosting gatherings at which parents exchange tips on “elimination communication” —the weaning of infants without benefit of diapers (as reported in April by the New York Times). Parents watch for cues, such as a certain “cry or grimace” that supposedly signals that the tot urgently needs to be hoisted onto a potty. (Eventually, they say, the potty serves to cue the baby.) Dealing with diapers is so unpleasant, they say, that cleaning an occasional mess becomes tolerable. The little darlings’ public appearances sometimes call for diapers, but can also be dealt with by taking the baby behind the nearest tree. One parent even admitted, “I have
absolutely been at parties and witnessed people putting their baby over the sink.”
CAN’T POSSIBLY BE TRUE
; Washington, D.C.’s WRC-TV reported in March that a woman from the Maryland suburbs showed a reporter a traffic citation she had just received, ticketing her for driving in the left lane on Interstate 95 in Laurel while going only 63 mph—compared to the posted (“maximum”) speed of 65. The citation read, “Failure of driver . . . to keep right.” The station’s meteorologist noted that winds that day were gusting to 40 mph and that the woman might simply have been trying to control her car. ; The principal and head teacher at a Godalming, England, specialneeds school were reported by employees in March for allowing a student with self-harm issues to cut herself, under staff supervision. (Unsted Park School enrolls kids aged 7 to 19 who have highfunctioning autism.) Teachers were to hand the girl a sterilized blade, wait outside a bathroom while she acted out, checking up on her at two-minute intervals, and then dress the girl’s wounds once she had finished. The school reportedly abandoned the policy six days after implementing it.
DEMOCRACY BLUES
; The city council of Oita, Japan, refused to seat a recently elected member because he refused to remove the mask he always wears in public. Professional wrestler “Skull Reaper A-ji” said his fans would not accept him as authentic if he strayed from his character. Some masked U.S. wrestlers, and especially the popular Mexican lucha libre wrestlers, share the sentiment. (At press time, the issue was apparently still unresolved in Oita.)
UNCLEAR ON THE CONCEPT
; Passive possession of child pornography is not a victimless crime, authorities say, because by definition a child had been abused in the creation of the image, but that reasoning was no relief for New Zealander Ronald Clark, who was sentenced to three months in jail in Auckland in April for watching pornographic cartoon videos of short-statured elves and pix-
ies. A child-protection activist acknowledged that no child was harmed in the creation of the Japanese anime artwork, but insisted that it was still injurious because “(I)t’s all part of that spectrum.” Clark said he wondered if he might also be convicted for viewing sexual stick-figure drawings. ; John Leopold, the former county executive of Anne Arundel County, Md., serving 30 days in jail for illegally forcing his government security detail and another employee to perform personal errands, apparently wasted no time in March displaying a similar attitude toward his jailers. He quickly demanded that the jailers serve him a breakfast of Cheerios, skim milk, bananas and orange juice instead of the scheduled fare. (Last year, Anders Breivik, the imprisoned 2011 mass murderer of 77 in Norway, famously began a hunger strike when rebuffed over his 27-page list of demands, including Internet access and a series of menu and climate-control improvements.)
; Last year, according to Chicago’s WBBM-TV, Palmen Motors in Kenosha, Wis., sold a brand-new GMC Terrain SUV to an elderly couple, 90 and 89, in which the husband was legally blind and in hospice care, on morphine, and the wife had dementia and could barely walk. According to the couple’s daughter, it was her brother, David McMurray, who wanted the SUV but could not qualify financially and so drove his mother from Illinois to Kenosha to sign the documents while a Palmen employee traveled to Illinois to get the father’s signature (three weeks before he passed away, it turns out). An attorney for Palmen Motors told the TV station that the company regretted its role and would buy the vehicle back. JUNE 2013 • CULTURE 99
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