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Punk to the Core
Hardscrabble icon Henry Rollins tells it like it is. Just stand back. Cover photo by Heidi May
7 PG. 2 20 A Question of Cleanliness There has never been a better time to demand clean, lab-tested meds. 24 Bite This! Discovering new kinds of edibles . . . one restaurant at a time.
Photo by Kevin Morra
38 Leave a Tip Extreme concentrates call for extreme heat— but please take precautions.
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departments 14
12 News Nuggets
Cannabis makes headlines here, there, everywhere—and we give you the scoop—PLUS our latest By the Numbers.
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Letter from the Editor
Concentrates might be the latest trend . . . but they’ve been around for centuries.
Morocco’s magic includes the (in)famous “Hippie Trail.”
Profiles in Courage Our latest feature provides insight into the life—and struggle—of a medical cannabis patient near you.
Strain, Edible & concentrate Reviews Our ever-popular sampling of amazing strains, edibles and concentrates currently provided by your friendly neighborhood dispensary.
Healthy Living
Concentrates are safe, but caution— as with any medicine—is key.
Cool stuff
From the Magical Butter botanical extractor to California Finest Premium Grade Marijuana Cigarettes, if it’s a cutting-edge product or cool lifestyle gear, we’re all over it.
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42
Destination Unknown
shooting gallery
Here are the green-friendly things we saw you doing around town.
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GREEN SCENE
Got travel plans this summer? Here are some ways to dump the pump.
Recipes
Whether you rock the gas, the charcoal, the electric (George Foreman, anyone?) or the portable, fire that grill up!
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 5 IssUE 1
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
Ancient Medicine One of the things that strikes me about medical cannabis is that it is—to quote an old song—“a manysplendored thing.” No matter what your condition, no matter what your ailment, no matter what symptom or disease is affecting your quality of life, there’s a form of cannabis for it. For many patients, smoking flowers is the go-to medicating method. For others who can’t or don’t want to inhale smoke there are edibles. Those who want to keep cannabis’ psychoactive properties at bay can turn to topical creams or perhaps CBD-rich strains that are high in body relief, low in head change. But what about patients who are seriously suffering from heavy-duty ills and conditions, such as neuropathic pain or that down-to-thebone pain from cancer and/or chemo? What then? Patients who need to reach for the big guns also have something to turn to, something that, when all is said and done, has been around for centuries actually: concentrates, glorious concentrates. You see, while budder, wax, oil, shatter and other forms of concentrates seem to have exploded in popularity in our community over the past couple of years . . . really, they are all just new forms of ancient medicine. Hash (or hashish) is the original concentrate . . . or to put it another way, concentrates are the refined, new-school versions of the stuff Nepalese workers have been hand rubbing for centuries. Yes, I said “centuries.” We started with temple balls . . . now we have globs and dabs. In fact, the history of hash being used for medicinal (as well as recreational) use goes back to at least the 3rd millennium BC, according to some scholars. Don’t assume that the popularity of concentrates is something new—it’s not. Consider this: During the 1840s in Paris, a group of writers, aesthetes, poets and similar types would gather to experiment with hashish. And the group was far from shy when it named itself— what else—The Club of Hashish-Eaters (these guys were ingesting edibles!). French writer Charles Baudelaire wrote a book in 1860 that
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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, Nancy Powell, 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, Kim Cook, Gene Gorelik, Justin Marsh, Beau Odom, , John Parker, Dave Ruiz, April Tygart
Office Manager
detailed his experiences with hashish. American writer Fitz Hugh Ludlow, in 1857, wrote The Hasheesh Eater. In the U.S., roughly between the 1860s and early 1900s, legal hashish smoking parlors (a Turkish influence) became the rage. At one point, hashish was so revered in Arab lands, that one poet lavishly praised its fabulous properties: . . . its intoxicating aroma conveying to you by way of your nostrils its exhilarating effect. No wine or tonic could generate Such a heavenly sensation. “Heavenly sensation.” I like that. We’ve come a long way, concentrates . . . but in a sense, we’re right back where it all started, no? For patients, concentrates (which are just another form of MMJ, remember), offers us relief, healing and the quality of life that no wine or tonic could generate. Enjoy our 710 Issue!!!! c
Iris Norsworthy
Office Assistant Jamie Solis
Social Media Manager 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
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THE STATE California Supreme Court: Police need warrant to open cannabis-smelling mail
Even if a mailed package smells like there is cannabis inside of it, police and law enforcement officials must have a warrant to open it. That’s according to a June 27 ruling by the California Supreme Court, the Los Angeles Times reports, which rejected a prosecutor’s argument that opening a danky package in the mail is warranted. Police are generally entitled to seize evidence in “plain sight,” but the court rejected Santa Barbara County prosecutors’ “plain smell” argument. Police had seized a FedEx package after a company employee reported smelling cannabis. The package contained 444 grams of cannabis. “Because there was no justification for an immediate search of the package once it was seized, the police had no derivative authority to search the package later at the police station without a warrant,” according to Justice Gordon Liu’s ruling.
mayoral colleagues at the US Conference of Mayors in urging the federal government to respect local cannabis laws, according to the San Francisco Chronicle’s “Smell the Truth” blog. The conference passed a resolution saying “that federal laws, including the Controlled Substance Act, should be amended to explicitly allow states to set their own marijuana policies without federal interference; and that until such time as federal law is changed, The United States Conference of Mayors urges the President of the United States to reexamine the priorities of federal agencies to prevent the expenditure of resources on actions that undermine the duly enacted marijuana laws of states.” The resolution had 18 co-sponsors, including Oakland Mayor Jean Quan and San Leandro Mayor Stephen Cassidy. Filner has been publicly pushing for a reasonable MMJ ordinance to benefit San Diego patients, caregivers and neighborhoods. “Mayor Filner has been a very vocal supporter of marijuana reform, Tom Angell, chairman of advocacy group Marijuana Majority, told San Diego CityBeat. Marijuana Majority was the group that lobbied the mayors to pass the resolution. “He campaigned on these issues, and it’s good to see him following through on those promises and taking a leadership role on this.”
THE NATION
THE WORLD France takes the first step in clearing the way for cannabis-based medicines
Viva le France! The country that gave us the Statue of Liberty and saved our butts during the Revolutionary War has found ACLU: Cannabis-related its compassionate side. France arrests and enforcement is recently modified its public health racially biased code to allow the use of cannabisArresting people for having canbased medicines. Up until now, nabis wastes billions in taxpayer non-industrial uses of cannabis money and discriminates against had been prohibited. However, African Americans—even though cannabis-based medicines must blacks and whites use cannabis at still be approved by the country’s roughly the same rate, according National Medical Safety Agency. original research by the ACLU. The changes allow “the producMore than half of all drug arrests tion, transport, export, possesin this country are related to can- sion, offering, acquisition or use nabis, according to the group’s of specialty pharmaceuticals that research. Of the 8.2 million arrests contains one of these (cannabisbetween 2001 and 2010, nearly 90 derivative) substances.” percent of them were for simply possession. The research also indicates that, despite the roughly same rate of usage, blacks are nearly four times more likely than whites to be arrested for cannabis. In Iowa, Washington, D.C., Minnesota and Illinois, African Americans were 7.5 to 8.5 times more likely than whites to be arrested. The ACLU estimates that about $3.6 billion was spent on enforcing cannabis laws.
California mayors: Back off, federal government! San Diego Mayor Bob Filner—a vocal supporter of MMJ access— recently joined other California
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But even with these changes, observers and cannabis medicine proponents expect it will be some time before such medicines made their way into the hands of patients and the sick. “The law allows us above all to unblock the process of launching research into cannabinoids,” Philippe Gaertner, a spokesman for a French pharmacists union, told English-language French news site The Local. “I’m not sure we’ll have these medicines on the market quickly.”
Sawdust Art Festival’s 47th Annual Summer Show
Former Mexican president Vicente Fox supports legalization, regulation
Mexico’s former president (and former Coca-Cola executive), Vicente Fox, publicly announced his support for legalizing and regulating cannabis, arguing that it would deal a blow to violent drug cartels by taking away their profits. The former head of state even suggested he would consider cultivating once the plant was legalized. “I am a farmer,” Fox told reporters at his Fox Center in central Mexico’s Guanajuato state. “Once marijuana is legitimate and legal, I can do it.”
Fox was president of Mexico from 2000 to 2006 for the conservative National Action Party. Roughly three years ago, he joined several other former Latin American leaders to advocate for cannabis decriminalization. “Marijuana with adequate controls and with legalization can perfectly well be an operating, legal industry [in Mexico] that would take millions of dollars away from the criminals,” Fox said.
by the numbers
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The amount of money (in millions) that former Microsoft manager Jamen Shively raised to create a cannabis business and brand in Washington state: 10 (Source: CBS News).
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The amount of monthly profit (in dollars) Shively’s business plan says each of his “pot stores” would generate: 120,000 (Source: CBS News).
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The number of California mayors (including those from San Diego and two Bay Area cities) who signed a pro-cannabis resolution at the recent U.S. Conference of Mayors: 18 (Source: reason.com).
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The estimated amount of money (in billions of dollars) that U.S. states spend every year on enforcing cannabis laws: 3.6 (Source: Yahoo News).
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The number of U.S. cities represented at the conference: 1,309 (Source: U.S. Conference of Mayors).
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The total number of U.S. cannabis arrests (in millions) since 1965, cited by the conference: 22 (Source: NORML).
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The total number of U.S. cannabis arrests (in millions) since 2011 alone: 757,969 (Source: Marijuana Majority).
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In grams, the amount of cannabis police found inside a package related to a June 27 California Supreme Court ruling against warrantless searched: 444 (Source: Los Angeles Times).
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The amount of money (in billions) spent on raciallybiased cannabis arrests: 3.6 (Source: Sacramento Observer)
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The percentage of drug arrests in 2010 that were for cannabis: 52 (Source: ACLU).
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The number of people (in millions) arrested for cannabis between 2001 and 2010: 7+ (Source: ACLU).
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The number of lives lost in Mexico due to drug cartel violence: 70,000 (Source: The Huffington Post).
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The length (in months) of the relationship that a qualified patient from New Hampshire would need to have with a physician before being approved for MMJ: 3 (Source: ConcordPatch).
The Sawdust Art Festival is one of the most well known art festivals around, bringing thousands of people from all over to visit the beautiful beach town of Laguna Beach and explore local artists and craftsmen. This year, Sawdust celebrates its 47th year, and will feature the fine art and craft of over 200 Laguna Beach artists—sure to be the highlight of your summer adventures. Art enthusiasts, collectors and novice artists have come to the Sawdust since its inception in 1966 for the unique mix of fine art and craft. Gems to be found at the Sawdust can include handblown and fused glass, painting, jewelry, wood and metal sculpture, scrimshaw, photography and much more. The artists involved in Sawdust are eager to share their creative process with visitors, and encourage conversation and interaction. The Sawdust Art Festival is a non-profit art organization dedicated to educating the public and promoting the art created in Laguna Beach. So head to the ocean and enjoy some Sawdust!
IF YOU GO
WHAT: Sawdust Art Festival WHEN/WHERE: June 28– Sept 1. 935 Laguna Canyon Rd., Laguna Beach. INFO: Admission $4-$20, children under 5 free. Free trolley service to and from parking lots. Visit www.sawdustfestival.org. JULY 2013 • CULTURE 17
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BUZZ
Chemical Imbalance It’s never been more important to demand clean, pesticide-free medicine {By Jeffrey C. Raber, Ph.D.}
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types of purposes and may be applied at different times, through different means and may be used to different extents. The state of California researched this issue and determined that because the federal Environmental Protection Agency has not established which chemicals may be applied on cannabis crops to which extent, no such chemical use will be legal within the state of California as currently there are no state laws for that purpose either. Ultimately, all pesticide use in California is therefore illegal. To help regulators and our community understand the potential impact of pesticide use on the plant, we sought to understand whether or not various chemical residues may be harmful via inhalation by a patient under typical use conditions. We took four different chemicals (two being bifenthrin and paclobutrazol, which are the most commonly found in our current screen of over 30 different chemicals which may be applied to the plant during cultivation) and put them on cannabis flowers in known amounts.
Say What?
The next step for full acceptance and proper reintroduction of cannabis into today’s society involves access to contaminant-free products. As cannabis moves from being an illegal and unregulated product towards becoming legally regulated and well accepted in a large variety of forms a thorough understanding of what regulations make sense and why they make sense is necessary. It is well understood that cannabinoids and terpenes, most of the predominant chemicals present in cannabis, are relatively safe to humans. What we are more concerned with is what else may be going along on our cannabis that could cause harms to humans who consume these products? We also must keep in mind the plant material can be utilized in a large number of different fashions including via inhalation and direct oral consumption. Therefore, anything added to “help” cannabis grow and thrive is of considerable concern. One primary area of this type of concern is the use of pesticides, or other chemicals, on the plant during its growth cycle. It is noteworthy that while it is often referred to as pesticides in fact the laboratory’s goal is to look for chemical residues, which can be pesticides, rodenticides, insecticides, herbicides, fungicides and even plant growth regulators. As the naming implies different types of chemicals are used for different
“[Cannabis] keeps me sane and happy.” —George Michael
We then put that flower material in three different inhalation devices and used a mechanical lung set-up to inhale and trap the smoke vapors for quantification. We determined almost 70 percent of a chemical may be inhaled by a consumer using a short hand-held glass pipe. That was quite alarming for sure but a cotton filter within one apparatus was quite effective at mitigating that exposure, but it was still imperfect. Confirming we can inhale these chemical residues, we should now see more patients demand that their “clean” meds be verified by an independent laboratory, and regulators should be prompted to include these testing provi-
sions within their state’s regulations. Ultimately, this will remove public health and safety concerns that may arise from contaminated medical cannabis supplies. Considering this new insight, and reviewing that there have been many negative reports publicized about the potential harms from cannabis found in large metastudies, it begs the question: Were those studies not only of “illicit” cannabis that may also have been contaminated? This is a significant question because contaminated “illicit” cannabis is very different in terms of health impacts compared to clean and regulated cannabis? Let’s see some studies of wellregulated cannabis in the future to really understand this plant’s potential impacts properly. It’s too important not to get it right. c www.hindawi.com/journals/ jt/2013/378168 Jeffrey C. Raber, Ph.D., is president and co-founder of The Werc Shop, an independent medical cannabis testing laboratory. For more information, visit thewercshop.com.
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Haven Gastropub
Nestled in lovely downtown Orange sits an absolute gem of a restaurant and bar, Haven Gastropub. Boasting a menu that goes well beyond your usual bar cuisine, Haven has garnered a reputation for itself not only with an array of mouthwatering foods, but also with its excellent selection of craft beers and fine cocktails. One need only sit down and try its renowned black truffle-infused, three cheese Mac n’ Cheese in all of its silky, creamy, insanely flavorful glory to know that you’ve come to the right spot. Other delicious treats range from starters, like its crispy, savory and spicy Fried Pig Ears, and its amazing take on a Canadian classic, its hearty and rich Lamb Neck Poutine with dijon lamb gravy and cheddar cheese curds. The main courses are no slouch either, like its much-loved Haven Burger or the unbelievably robust Lobster Flatbread. Haven stands out as being the real deal, with amazing food and drinks prepared with care, and a wonderfully friendly staff to boot. (Simon Weedn) havengastropub.com
Pann’s Restaurant If you’ve ever cruised up La Cienega Boulevard from its beginning in the heart of Crenshaw, then chances are you’ve passed by passed by the long running Pann’s Restaurant with its eye-catching “googie” style architecture and signage. However, what most don’t realize is that they are passing by one of the best old-style diners in all of Los Angeles. Featuring a menu of classic diner cuisine, all of which feature fresh ingredients prepared with warmth and care, Pann’s has been proudly serving its little plates of heaven for over 50 years. Whether you’re a Southerner looking for the Country Fried Steak smothered in thick and savory country gravy that you’ve been missing, a man or woman on the go looking for a quick burger in the form of Pann’s well known Dreamburger or just a nice spot to enjoy an old fashioned breakfast, lunch or dinner, Pann’s has it all. For those looking for an amazing array of old style meals prepared exceptionally well, Pann’s is the classic L.A. restaurant you’ve been dreaming of. (Simon Weedn) www.panns.com 24 CULTURE • JULY 2013
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Simply Dab-ulous
One of the fortunate things about the world of medical cannabis is that there is something there for everyone: flowers, edibles, tinctures, topicals . . . and concentrates, glorious concentrates! In honor of this potent, centuriesold form of medicine that patients are turning to in droves, CULTURE presents our inaugural “710 Issue.” While the names, consistencies and types vary, let us never lose sight of one critical fact: concentrates are medicine. Enjoy.
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ISSUE The Traits of a Good Concentrate A Patient’s Guide to Hash, Wax, Budder and Beyond By David Downs Hundreds of thousands of patients across the country are using more and more hash, kief, “wax,” “shatter” and other forms of concentrated medicine. The explosion of concentrates’ popularity is only equaled by how unregulated the market is. As a service to CULTURE readers, we consulted experienced concentrate buyers from leading dispensaries nationwide—as well as the best hash makers and lab managers testing the stuff—to develop a “Patient’s Guide” for determining the traits of a good ‘trate.
+ ANCIENT FUTURE
Hand-rolled hash (charas) as well as dry-screened (kief) and watersieved (bubble hash) concentrates have existed for millennia, historians note. But over the last three years hash-makers have adapted for cannabis industrial processes similar to those used to extract vegetable oil, as well as vanilla or essential oils found in coffee and other food items. These methods all use some medium (a solvent, cold water, C02, etc.) to strip off cannabis’ external glands—called trichomes. Trichomes contain the plant’s psychoactive and therapeutic molecules, like THC and CBD, plus aromatic molecules called terpenes. Terpenes give OG Kush and Grand Daddy Purple their distinctive smell. Concentrates are divided into non-solvent (kief, bubble hash) and solvent. The names of solvent types of concentrates come from their consistency (and, to an extent, appearance): wax, budder, shatter and oil. Patients add concentrates to joints or bowls, or vaporize them on a health stone, nail, skillet or in a vape pen. Ideally, trained chemists in a lab-grade setting are using safe, Class 3 edible solvents like n-butane or isopropyl alcohol to strip trichomes from the plant. Then, controlled heat and atmospheric pressure is used to purge all residual solvent from the concentrate. But the field is unregulated, so in reality, “this stuff is so all over the place,” says Dave Hodges, owner of All American Cannabis Club in San Jose. Hodges buys hash for the 3-year-old collective and uses about a gram of wax a day. “The best concentrates start with the best herb,” notes Rhett Jordan, owner of Native Roots Apothecary, as well as Rasta Bubble and Native Roots Extracts in Denver, Colorado. That means fresh trim or bud that is free of pesticides, fungicides and other contaminants. 28 CULTURE • JULY 2013
+ FLAME TEST
Most club buyers use a flame test to see how a concentrate reacts. The best solvent hash vaporizes in a “smooth boil,” says Jordan. Sizzles, pops and crackles indicate water, residual solvent or other issues. Concentrates should not catch fire—or spark. “I call it fireworks,” says Moore. “That is a bad sign,” Jordan adds. V I S I T U S AT i R e a d C u l t u r e . c o m
+ SKUNK FUNK
+ FOLLOW THE LIGHT
Even with a great strain, shoddy hash-making can lead to mold. It’s a plague on bubble hash, says Josh Wurzer, owner of SC Laboratories, which tests thousands of California concentrates per month. Mold on hash is often white, furry and appears in a main patch. The smell is a dead giveaway. “It smells like sour milk,” says Paul Moore, manager for The Healing Leaf Collective Garden in Lake Stevens, Washington. Solvent-based concentrates don’t have the same mold problems as bubble hash, says Wurzer, but wax, budder, shatter and oil can come with their own special baggage. “Light color, dry texture and good smell,” is Hodges’ short-hand for good solvent hash.
Pure THC-A is a crystalline solid that is translucent white, amber or cream, and crumbly—and the best waxes are just that. Wax and budder should be as light as possible, and semi-translucent. “Lighter is better,” says Hodges. Strain type and the trichome color can influence a concentrate’s hue, experts say, but if it’s a “dark, black blob,” Wurzer says, something is off. The color may be plant pigment, leaf, dirt, the effect of excess temperature or—worse—mold. Shatter should be as clear as stained glass and have “no bubbles,” says Jordan. “No bubbles, definitely not in shatter,” says Moore. Bubbles mean water or residual solvent, experts say. “And water equals mold,” says Hodges.
+ NOSE KNOWS
The best-made concentrates will “capture the essence of the flower,” says Wurzer. Waxes and budders are the most aromatic and shatter is the least, but will smell like its source strain when vaporized. Shoddy solvent hash makers use cheap butane or propane contaminated with sulfur, mercaptan and other chemicals whose telltale smell is a dead giveaway. “It just stinks like a leaky heater,” Wurzer says. “That smell is an indication that it’s toxic.”
+ GHOST OF THE FLOWER
Great hash should taste “strictly like the strain it came from—whether it be an OG or a Haze, you can tell,” says Moore. Sub-par product can taste stale, bitter, burnt or chemical-laden. And solvent hash should never be stored on wax paper, Hodges notes. “It’ll taste like a f*#@ing candle.”
+ MORE THAN A FEELING
Wax should be dry and crumbly, experts state. Gooeyness or wetness in a wax, budder or shatter indicates the presence of something other than trichomes. Shatter should generally behave like glass at room temperature and shatter or snap. The consistency of different types of oil varies widely. Hodges examines oils by smearing a dab out on a piece of white paper, looking for light color and zero particulates. The best oil is Clear Concentrate, says Rick Pfrommer, manager of Harborside Health Center in Oakland. Totally seethrough with zero residual solvent, “Clear is just phenomenal,” he says.
+ WHERE AND HOW TO GET
Read online reviews of concentrate sellers on Yelp, WeedMaps, StickyGuide and elsewhere, Pfrommer says (CULTURE’s concentrate reviews are also an excellent source of information). Patronize established businesses that test for residual solvents like Harborside Health Center does. And grill your budtender, says Moore. “If you’re asking a lot of questions and your budtender doesn’t know, maybe they should,” says Pfrommer. c
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ISSUE
+
Over the past few years, there has been an explosion in the use of concentrated cannabis around the U.S. Unfortunately, an actual explosion in San Diego earlier this year has given rise to a lot more prosecutions in California for manufacturing a controlled substance, a nonreducible felony with a possible 3-7 year prison sentence. While many other cannabis states do not have the same severe penalties as California, those who are thinking about making concentrates or extracts like BHO should be aware of the legal and health risks. I wouldn’t be doing you justice if I did not begin by reminding you that cannabis is a Schedule 1 substance under federal law meaning it is illegal all of the time. No exceptions. cannabis is classified on the same level as black tar heroin to the feds. In the 20 states that have MMJ laws and the two states that have adult-use laws, consumers are provided various legal protections which allow them to benefit from the use of cannabis. These laws are constitutional, but do not override federal law. It is advisable to consult with an attorney in your state before doing anything with marijuana to ensure compliance with the law. In California, patients may use, possess, cultivate, transport and purchase cannabis. Patients participating in a collective may cultivate and sell cannabis in aggregate amounts so long as the operation is
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run in a not-for-profit manner. The California Appellate Court recently ruled that patients may possess (and presumably use) concentrated cannabis. However, there is currently no law providing for the creation of this lawful concentrated cannabis which begs the question—where does it come from? This past January, a 22-yearold man allegedly blew up his hotel room near SeaWorld in San Diego while trying to make butane honey oil (BHO). According to media reports, the man ended up fighting for his life in the ER, while two others were injured. Police believe several boxes of butane canisters caught on fire from a lit cigarette. The case was submitted to the District Attorney’s Office for prosecution. There have been many reported cases throughout California of individuals lighting themselves on fire while attempting to make BHO. Law enforcement agencies have seized on these tragedies in the media to push for more enforcement against individuals making all forms of concentrated cannabis. In their ongoing “War on Drugs,” police agencies are twisting the science of marijuana concentrate processing in order to punish individuals with harsh prison sentences and deny them a medical marijuana defense in court. Under California Health and Safety Code 11379.6, any person who “manufactures, compounds, converts, produces, derives, processes or prepares . . . by chemi-
cal extraction . . . any controlled substance . . ” can be punished by imprisonment of three, five or seven years. There is currently no MMJ defense to this offense in California. Enacted in the 1980s, the purpose of this law was to protect people from the chemical explosions caused by meth labs. For that reason, the law only applies to individuals that are manufacturing a controlled substance by chemical extraction process and not through any other method. This is a critical distinction scientifically when applying the law to cannabis. Despite the passage of MMJ laws, cannabis remains a controlled substance under California law. So for purposes of manufacturing laws, it is the equivalent of meth, PCP or heroin. However, as most cannabis consumers know, concentrated cannabis (even if made with butane) is still cannabis. Unlike meth production which utilizes several chemicals to create a new chemical, concentrate is made with the marijuana plant which contains THC. The substance at the other end of the process is still THC, merely in a concentrated form. Importantly, the process of making concentrate is a physical extraction process not a chemical process. This is the critical fact that police often try to mislead the public on. Manufacturing concentrate always utilizes some form of solvent to extract the THC. Some forms of solvents include butters (a lipid), cooking oil or water. Over the past
several years, concentrate makers have become more experienced and are using substances such as butane or CO2 to extract the THC. While butane is highly flammable and may contain harmful residue, it is apparently possible to utilize commercial food-grade butane which may have less chemical residue. Whatever the substance that is used (water or butane), the process is the same—THC is physically extracted from the plant by using a solvent. The real question then becomes what is a “chemical” under California law? Is butter a “chemical?” If so, then a seriously ill patient who makes herself some medicated brownies could be sent to prison for seven years. A scary thought. c
Lance Rogers is an attorney licensed to practice in California and federal courts. The Law Offices of Lance Rogers, APC is a full-service law firm in San Diego with expertise in business litigation, corporate law, V I S I T U S AT i R e a d C u l t u r e . c o m criminal defense and civil rights litigation. Go to www.lrogerslaw.com.
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ISSUE
Tools of the Trade A rundown on the devices that unlock your curiosity about concentrates By Jasen T. Davis
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For any patient, concentrates such as hash, melt, kief, budder and wax are potent alternatives to the usual practice of inhaling burning, dried leaves to medicate. While smoking concentrates can be done with glass or paper, the real benefit is that patients with allergies or asthma who imbibe this type of medicine can use “cleaner” methods such as atomizers, vaporizers and skillets to avoid exposing their respiratory systems to smoke. CULTURE talked to Alexandra Sussin, a patient, business entrepreneur and website administrator for an MMJ-tracking website, for some info about the ins and outs of concentrates and ingesting them. The first method, the skillet, is simple. You place the concentrate on a metal plate that is placed under a bell-shaped device (usually made of glass) attached to a tube, very similar to a standard water pipe. The metal plate is heated with a flame source, the concentrate smolders and magical medication happens. “I own a skillet,” says Sussin. 34 CULTURE • JULY 2013
“I love it, but the only downfall is that the oil can drip off of the skillet if it’s hot enough.” To catch any drips, she medicates with a domeless titanium nail. “It can be a little messy, but it’s easy to use,” she says. Consisting of a waterpipelike glass globe and tube-like rig complete with an opening in the side, the globe and nail method employs a nail (heated with a blowtorch) that is touched to a dabber (dental pick-like tool) placed within the opening. The hot spike simmers the concentrate, which is inhaled through a pipe that is attached to the other side. “I suggest using a titanium nail. Some people like using a glass nail, but they can break,” Sussin says. Sussin says she likes titanium nails, although quartz is another option. “Wickedsands.com sells great Globe and Nail rigs for around $50.” The name atom smasher pipe evokes the image of a complicated, science-fiction device capable of either lighting up or wiping out the entire Eastern Seaboard. The truth is less dazzling. “It’s just a bubbler, kind of like a cross between a [water pipe] and a judge’s gavel. It’s great for smoking wax or budder,”
Sussin says. A drive through Los Angeles never fails to include the sight of mile after mile of twentysomethings, often standing outside of quiet offices or on street corners, discreetly puffing on high-tech, pen-like devices before they go back to work. Their stylish secret is the portable vaporizer or vape pen. “There are so many on the market today,” Sussin says. “Omicron is one, the Atmos Vaporizer Pen is another. I’ve personally used those.” Aside from being convenient, odorless and discreet, part of the reason vaporizers are the preferred method over smoking for asthma sufferers all over is because the medicinal qualities of cannabis are released as steam—not smoke (you’re welcome, lungs)— thanks to the fact that the concentrate is heated beyond 350 degrees. “It’s like smoking an e-cigarette,” Sussin says. “My favorite is the 710Pen, because it’s so easy
to fill. There are a lot of cheap ones out there. Some pens can only smoke concentrates, and can’t smoke [flowers], but the Atmos Vaporizer Pen can do both.” In the final analysis, which gets Sussin’s biggest vote? “What I use most often is the skillet, but on the road it’s all about the vaporizer,” she says. In the cutting-edge world of MMJ, there’s something for everyone, something for every occasion.
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ISSUE
Concentrates 101 By Charmie Gholson As “dabbing” builds in popularity, concentrates have become more widely available. Many patients find high potency medical marijuana concentrates particularly effective in treating chronic and debilitating conditions. One “dab”—or small glob of concentrate— vaporized in the morning can alleviate the symptoms of Crohn’s disease or multiple sclerosis, for example, for a good part of the day; whereas smoking flowers would be required much more frequently to achieve levels of relief. Throw in the added benefit of a delivery method that offers folks fast, powerful relief without having to combust plant matter and it’s no wonder patients across the country are turning to these highly potent cannabis extracts instead of smoking flowers. Concentrates are produced by separating the active ingredients, trichomes and resins, from the cannabis plant. Three common methods for doing so are dry sift, solvents and solvent-less methods.
+ TYPES
Dry sift methods have been used for thousands of years. Trichomes are extracted by filtering cannabis through silkscreens and collecting the crystals. This substance is called kief, which can be pressed together to form hash. Bubble Hash (a solvent-less method) is made by churning or blending flowers, trimmings and leaves in a large container with ice and water. The cold temperature and vigorous mixing separates the cannabis resin from the plant. Then it’s filtered out, collected, dried and cured. Bubble hash can be vaporized, rolled into a joint or smoked out of a pipe. Solvent extracts: Use of solvents such as alcohol, CO2 and butane to chemically extract cannabinoids. Butane Honey Oil or BHO is one of the more widely available and popular solvent extracted concentrates. According to Dablife.com, BHO is a “concentrated cannabis extract made by pushing liquid butane (which liquefies easily) through a tube packed with frosty buds. The resulting solution is a mix of oils, waxes, cannabinoids, terpenes, and sometimes chlorophyll.” (Note: this procedure is complex and we’re very much over simplifying, so please don’t try this at home without proper instruction and ventilation. Also, in some MMJ states, BHO is illegal to make, but not to possess) BHO can be dried and whipped into “budder,” which is waxy and dry. Wax is made using butane gas as the extraction solvent. Texture and 36 CULTURE • JULY 2013
color are key factors in determining the quality of the wax—the more golden and crumbly, the better. Wax that’s dark and contains liquid may contain leftover solvent and plant matter. In CO2 extraction or Supercritical Fluid Extraction (SFE) the solvent is pushed through the plant matter at a high pressure and separates the matter precisely, which isolates only the purest essence of the cannabis. The result is pure, transparent, amber oil.
+ DABBA DO
Once the concentrate is made, you can now “dab” which is the term used for dropping or dabbing small amounts of the concentrate onto an astronomically heated surface, and then inhaling the vapors. The special glass pipes used for dabbing are known as oil rigs. The oil is dropped onto a nail (typically made of titanium) heated with a blow torch until it reaches the perfect temperature, then the concentrate is vaporized and smoked. You may also use a vaporizer pen (or vape pen) which is more convenient and easy to use than an oil rig, although both methods produce roughly the same effect. Concentrates do carry some concerns such as: safety during processing; ensuring the product is tested and free of solvents; legality issues, but by taking proper precautions with ventilation while producing the concentrates, as well as ensuring the solvents are all removed from the material, the use of concentrates can provide health benefits and relief to the folks who need it most. c V I S I T U S AT i R e a d C u l t u r e . c o m
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Combustion Junction A powerful, glass-powered flame is just the thing to help you season that brand new T-nail and sample that new crumble wax . . . but it’s also a tool that can scorch the bejeesus out of you if you aren’t careful. Be careful. Ingesting concentrates shouldn’t involve burns or injuries. Here are a few tips and suggestions when it comes to using a torch.
Illustrations by Vidal Diaz
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Read the instructions. Make sure you know how to shut off the blowtorch before you use it the first time. Ideally, use a torch with a safety toggle or a similar feature to prevent unnecessary ignition.
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Always ignite the torch when the device is pointed away from the body. Hold on to the torch tightly— avoid accidentally dropping it on the floor.
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Keep anything and everything flammable away from the area you are medicating in. Especially items made out of paper or fabric. If it can burn or go up in flames, keep it away.
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Lastly, treat the blowtorch like a loaded gun. Don’t put your hand (or any other body part) in front of the torch. Don’t point it at anyone else, either.
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destination unknown
By David Jenison
Blazing a Trail The “Hippie Trail” and Rif Mountains are just a few examples of Morocco’s magic Back in the day, Paul Bowles, Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac, Tennessee Williams and the Rolling Stones all spent time in Morocco, a popular stop on the infamous 1960s Hippie Trail. William S. Burroughs, who heavily indulged in the ancient cannabis confection majoun while living in Tangiers, even made the Moroccan city a main setting in his epic novel Naked Lunch. Instability during the so-called Years of Lead caused setbacks, but the African country regained its footing in the ’90s, and the New York Times declared “A ‘Hippie Trail’ Stop Goes Mainstream in Morocco” in 2006. The country’s popularity is on the rise, and cannabis culture is a major attraction. Lonely Planet: Morocco writes that the U.S. is the only country to produce more cannabis, and the United Nations says Afghanistan only recently surpassed Morocco as the largest producer of hashish. Today, travelers walking Morocco’s magical streets will repeatedly hear offers of kif or kief, which is local slang for cannabis and hashish. Those who medicate often head to Chefchaouen in the northeastern Rif Mountains, which is where the bulk of the cannabis is grown. Hikers can trek past enormous kif fields, though the response from cannabis cultivators can range from 42 CULTURE • JULY 2013
direct sales to throwing rocks. Production in the Rif region dates back to the 15th century and was tolerated up through King Mohammed V, who took the throne following independence from France and Spain in 1956. Cannabis became illegal in the 1970s, and the U.S. and European Union continue to put pressure on the government to eradicate fields and punish offenders. In 2003, the U.K. Guardian claimed that cannabis is unofficially Morocco’s top foreign-currency earner, so that annoying Starbucks hipster will probably shave his crusty beard before the Moroccan government seriously cracks down on kif. Still, what crackdown does exist can adversely affect careless tourists. Here are the kif-related rules for tourists: Absolutely do not try to take cannabis out of the country, even on boats to Spain, as the international pushback from border seizures forces Morocco to punish “smuggling” with severity. Inside the country, only carry enough that can be easily tossed at the first sign of risk. Police officers tend to excuse tourists with a fine, but jail time is a possibility. Try to avoid buying from city street vendors as they often overcharge or inform the police, and do not buy while already medicated because hustlers like to take advantage of the potentially paranoid. Instead, be proactive in connecting with
like-minded locals (taxi drivers do not count) who can provide assistance in purchases or invites to partake in safe settings. Cannabis culture is huge in Morocco, and locals might even smoke publically in bars, but tourists should always exercise caution and common sense. The Rif Mountains will be high on many readers’ list, but where else should an erstwhile traveler visit? Film buffs might enjoy Rick’s Café in Casablanca, while fans of the Beat Generation should hit Tangiers. Riad-filled Marrakesh is the country’s international tourism calling card and the inspiration for Crosby, Stills and Nash’s “Marrakesh Express,” while the rock archways of Legzira make it the country’s most beautiful beach. Several national parks also dot the Atlantic coastline, but those willing to get really sandy can head south to experience the Western Sahara desert by camelback. Just as Turkey straddles Europe and Asia, Morocco is a gateway country for Europe and Africa, and its resurgence continues to attract Western tourists. Moreover, it is an excellent place to experience the kif that inspired many of the 20th-century’s most brilliant literary and musical minds. c www.visitmorocco.com
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profiles in courage Patient:
Gina Garcia
AGE: 39
Condition/ Illness:
Anorexia, chronic pain and severe nausea, panic/anxiety disorder
Using medical cannabis since:
Photo by Kristopher Christensen
April 2007
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?
First and foremost, I’m not someone who wants to take pharmaceutical drugs for my issues. I feel more comfortable using Mother Nature’s gifts of herbs to aid me in my illnesses. I feel grateful to have this alternative to prescription medications, and it has wonders for me and my health.
Did you try other methods or treatments before cannabis?
Yes. For many years I was taking prescription medications for my illnesses. I had a negative reaction and horrible side effects to all of them. Twentyseven medications later—and feeling like a guinea pig—it was suggested by my psychiatrist to become a patient. So glad I did!
What’s the most important issue or problem facing medical cannabis patients? I would have to say the federal government and [its] regulations.
What do you say to folks who are skeptical about cannabis as medicine?
I always go back to my teenage years when my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer. I watched her in so much pain and agony as this disease slowly took her life. With all the meds she was put on, the cannabis was the only thing that allowed her to hold down her food and help her to sleep a little more comfortable. I am grateful cannabis was available to her while she was here. c
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strain, edible & concentrate reviews GET YOUR CLICK HERE
www.iReadCulture.com
Face Off From its oversized buds to its cut-you-down-to-your-size stone, Face Off may be one of the best new thing to come out of the early summer harvest. A 100-percent unadulterated indica from Next Door Wellness in Los Angeles, this artichokegreen strain isn’t so much dense as heavy with resin—its nugs stick to your fingers so aggressively you’d think you were handling a Christmas tree. The aroma is more cloyingly sweet than sharp, the taste more like freshly cut rosemary than pine. As its name suggests, Face Off’s cerebral effect is positively face-melting, but it’s much more complex than just that. The deep-seated buzz also has a sativa-like mood-lifting quality to it. That’s a tremendously useful combination, as severe pain is often associated with severe depression. All told, Face Off is a tremendously efficacious remedy for patients undergoing chemo or radiation therapy, MS or migraine sufferers or those living with HIV or AIDS.
Chubby Bar Ever since chocolate’s ancestor emerged from Mesoamerica in the form of a bitter drink fit for the Aztec gods called xocoatl, modern man has been perfecting and reimagining this divine sweet into a variety of forms. The Chubby Bar—available at Foothill Wellness Center in Tujunga—is an excellent example of what you can do with something with ancient roots and bring it up to date for the discerning patient. Lovingly made out of milk chocolate and infused with two grams of indicapowered cannabutter, the Chubby comes divided into a dozen squares—talk about convenient dosing. The flavor is deep and rich, the texture silky smooth—a melt-inyour-mouth delight. Patients, as always, use caution when sampling this edible, we recommend no more than 2-3 squares (high-tolerance patients might want to try half the bar) at first—lest this knock you out like the Spanish conquest. Upon sampling, this edible gently washed away back pain, muscle aches and transitioned us beautifully into shut-eye land. Patients also use this for arthritis, migraines, insomnia, spastic muscles and for relief from the ills of cancer, chronic pain and AIDS/HIV.
Jolly Rancher Billed as a 100-percent indica, Jolly Rancher from Green Mart in Wilmington is pure avocado green and has a glassy sheen to it very much like the candy for which it’s named. It’s a very moist wax, so you may want to refrigerate it before using for easier dabs. We heated a dab of it in a vape pen with the cap off to see what happened: It transformed instantly into pure white vapor, and when it was gone, it was gone totally—a fine fullmelt if there ever was one. The vapor retains the complex flavors of the Jolly Rancher flower—sweet and herbal, with notes of lemon, berries and eucalyptus. We found the euphoria—as colorfully psychedelic as quality sativa—lasts more than four hours on just two hits. The strength and duration of this wax makes it a wonderful medicine for patients with chronic, lingering pain, such as that associated with rheumatoid arthritis, muscle spasms, colitis and fibromyalgia.
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Fire OG A dark, dank and delectable pure indica from Downtown Discount Center in Los Angeles, Fire OG has a rusty hue to it that hints at the considerable amber hairs in the host flower. But while Fire OG the strain produces a smooth, earthy smoke very much like Lebanese hash, the vapor from this concentrate hits incredibly hard—a single hit will reduce you to a quivering, coughing heap. It’s effects are also thorough and complete, packing one of the most intense potent punches we’ve seen in a long while. Fire OG has just the right consistency for fans of vaporizers—it’s as moist as a wax can get without dissolving into a sticky, gooey mess. That makes for easy-to-measure dabs, which is exactly what you want with a strain of this intensity. Its potency is such that it’s a godsend for patients with serious illnesses like cancer, multiple sclerosis or HIV/AIDS. But if you have lung issues or seeking mellower effects, use caution and due diligence.
Art’s OG This humble reviewer doesn’t know Art, but if this indica-dominant hybrid is any indication, he’s a fun-loving guy who’s fond of chocolate. From Sherman Oaks Holistic Oasis in North Hollywood, Art’s OG really does have a perfume and flavor strongly suggestive of fine cocoa—rich, bittersweet and sun-roasted. The fluffy, plumsized buds and spiky nugs continue the chocolate motif with their darkly muted hues—deep-forest green tinged with mahogany red. Art’s OG is the epitome of a “happy” strain—it elevates you to a euphoric place where the creative juices rush in waves and even the worst Will Ferrell movie seems insanely funny. The strain burns very hot (and keeps burning until it’s either cashed or tamped out), so we don’t recommend it for patients with respiratory ailments. But it’s a first-rate home treatment for mood disorders, arthritis pain, nausea, PMS and insomnia.
SAGE As we’ve noted before, the hallmark of a top-shelf concentrate is it preserves the best qualities of the flower from which it came. By that criterion alone, SAGE—a 100-percent sativa from The Healthy Choice in Van Nuys—deserves its place alongside the best premium medicinals. Amber yellow, with a bouquet and aftertaste reminiscent of fresh sage (though its name stands for Sativa-Afghani Genetic Equilibrium), it’s the very essence of the powerhouse strain that produced it. SAGE goes from wax to heady vapor instantly. The head effects are so overwhelming—much more like an indica than sativa— they can only be described as “of the scrambled-egg brain” variety. Patients with severe muscle pain or migraines will adore it, as will those wrestling with nerve injuries or arthritis.
Legal Disclaimer
Publishers of this publication are not making any representations with respect to the safety or legality of the use of medical cannabis concentrates. The reviews listed here are for general entertainment purposes only, and are intended for use only when medical cannabis is not a violation of state law. Please consume responsibly. Concentrates are legal and covered under Prop. 215 and SB 420, and they are considered a form of medical cannabis (H&S 11018). Without a doctor’s recommendation for medical cannabis, the possession of concentrates in California can be a felony (PC 1170).
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Photo by Ben Swinnerton
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Ever since the death of Mark Twain in 1910, the country has been in constant need of homegrown, brutally honest authors to gaze upon our world with X-ray perception and tell us the real truth of how we are doing things right or wrong, regardless of who we are or the extent of the backlash. Henry Rollins is a musician, performer and writer that has been doing just that with his regular journalistic contributions to magazines such as Details, LA Weekly, Vanity Fair and The Huffington Post. Along with his stand up comedy, spoken word performances and YouTube series, “WordswithMeaning!” Rollins’ critical observations have been the perfect vehicle for a sustained, uncompromising assault on hypocrites, idiots and pundits on both the left and the right at a time when everyone else seems to be lining up to kiss a large amount of corporate and/or government ass to make a buck. Although the term has been used so many times it is nearly a cliché, “Renaissance Man” is the best way to describe the modern American philosopher known to the world as Henry Rollins. He’s been the lead singer of the legendary hardcore punk band Black Flag, and was the frontman for the critically acclaimed, commercially successful Rollins Band. He’s also performed alongside Robert DeNiro in Heat, played a cop hunting down Charlie Sheen in The Chase, appeared on David Lynch’s cult classic Lost Highway, and held his own as a central antagonist on the cable TV epic outlaw biker series Sons of Anarchy. While Rollins was doing all of that he also won a Grammy for Get in the Van: On the Road with Black Flag, and authored the spoken-word classics Black Coffee Blues and Think Tank. After getting his start in radio in 2004, Rollins had been heard many times over the airwaves, where he combines knife-sharp analysis with cutting-edge music for the massively perceptive. What’s next for a man with a career as intricate, illustrious and revolutionary as Henry Rollins?
I am sure you have a lot going on right now. What projects are keeping you busy? The super boring job of proofreading and editing a lot of material. One of the books I have coming out is easy to wrap up, but the others will take a lot of surgery. Editing books takes a lot of time in between working, meetings and auditions. That’s what I do when I’m not touring. I’m also looking for employment. It’s hard to imagine a person as prolific as yourself looking for a job. It’s a non-tour year. Last year I did nearly 190 shows. It gets to the point where shows are still coming in, but the tour is booked so your calendar gets pretty marked up. Now it’s a non-tour year, I’m in this interesting position of having some solid jobs, I have a lot of contract stuff to do, but I still have to look for employment.
That necessitates pitch meetings and auditions. Yesterday I was in a line 30 people long auditioning just for a microscopic role on a television show. We’ve mostly been pitching ideas for shows that I might be plugged into. It is an interesting position, one year you are the guy, you are on the billboard, the marquee and the next year you are in line hoping some casting person who doesn’t know you will throw you a bone. It’s good, though. That it keeps you humble. What kind of show would you want to do? I could easily imagine you as the History Channel equivalent of Anthony Bourdain. I’d like to do a show that tells you where and how the history books got it wrong—just an entire series where we point out the facts and reveal how history is written by the winners, so of course the winJULY 2013 • CULTURE 51
Photo by Ben Swinnerton
white area. It’s always in the grey. That’s obviously the case in a lot of places. Since we are already there, why not just legalize it? It’s stupid how someone with cancer pain has to worry about being arrested. If marijuana can help, why wouldn’t you want them to feel better? Why would you be okay with them being in pain? If you can help someone, right now, why won’t you? We are supposed to promote the general welfare; it says so in the Preamble to the Constitution.
ners give themselves a white hat. For example, if you tell a person in rural American that we lost the Vietnam War, you’ll be eating your dinner through a straw in your neck because he’ll break your jaw. But if you go over to Vietnam today, the Vietnamese have moved on. They are very sure they won that war, because they survived it. That’s how they think. “We are still alive, so you didn’t beat us.” What I mean is . . . there are a lot of ways to look at any historical event. You don’t touch cannabis, but you support its legalization. What is your honest opinion about this controversial topic? Smoking marijuana, in my opinion, is a monumental waste of time, but I’m not going to slap it out of your hand. But I not only want it legalized, I want it decriminalized. At least then you won’t go to jail for smoking it. I see marijuana as just another stimulant. I fear alcohol. It fuels a guy up so he punches his wife and drives his car into a tree. I’m afraid of a person buying two AR-15s and shooting up a shopping mall . . . that guy should get marijuana. I fear stupidity in America more than I fear someone buying weed. My question is: Will the states 52 CULTURE • JULY 2013
have the intestinal fortitude to retroactively free the black prisoners who are unfairly incarcerated for using marijuana if it’s legalized? Why is it that cannabis is still illegal in America? Because brown-skinned people grow, sell and use it. A lot of those Fox News assholes smoked it in college, but now they use coffee and martinis, so it’s only for faggot hippies. “I’m a responsible chemical dependent. I use booze. It’s just five martinis.” Pot, by comparison, is messy. You are buying a plant from someone that is not in a vacuum sealed, federally-approved package at the local 7-11. Besides, everyone out there is buying weed right now, anyway. Why not just legalize it? What is the cannabis legalization movement doing wrong? [T]he reason why the legalization movement is such a clusterf#@k is because there is no clear political plan. The first time I saw medical marijuana, I was at a friend’s house. His mother would smoke these government-approved medical marijuana cigarettes. My friend would steal them. Medical marijuana is never in a black or
What is your best advice for proponents of cannabis legalization? As a non-smoking, marijuana decriminalization proponent, I would go at in as sensibly and legally as I could. Take into account the people who oppose you. They count on you to be unkempt, sloppy, illegal and high. Don’t go into an intellection battle high. Go in with your facts and figures and stats tattooed on your brain pan. When you do that, an opponent will still have to respect you for it. Fortunately, the world is changing. The President actually mentioned the word “gay.” That set a precedent. In 100 years they will talk about Barack Obama and how he said, “Gay brothers and sisters.” That took a lot of brass. In a political world, if you say that you smoke cannabis you might as well be say you like to make it with little kids and sheep. All the other side has to say is,
“My opponent wants your son to get high at school.” Why can’t someone say, “My opponent likes wine so he wants your son to get drunk at school.”? But they are elected officials. They are in a very precarious position. I get a second chance, if I screw up. They don’t. If someone loses an election, he doesn’t get to come back. You can say you back gay marriage, but that is as red hot as you get. Saying yes to marijuana has to no longer be seen as “He said what!?” Your country is changing very rapidly, though. If I was writing for a cannabis-based magazine, I would be showing that marijuana smokers are not the funny characters the media always depicts, but that they are doctors and lawyers . . . professional, responsible people, just like the people who drink four beers and watch the game after working at the office all day. In this transition to a weed economy, there is going to be a drunken sailor syndrome. When you take a sailor off the boat he’s going to drink his paycheck. There’s going to be a transition. As Joseph Stalin said, “When you cut wood, chips fly.” Someone will abuse weed. It’s going to happen. They are going to drive recklessly, have THC in their blood, and a bunch of people will overreact because of it. But let’s face it, cannabis is already out there. Legalizing it will not change it too much. c henryrollins.com
Henry Rollins activism knows no bounds. Whether it’s championing for gay rights—he once hosted a “WedRock” benefit concert in support of same-sex marriage—to helping out with veterans causes, Rollins is passionate straight down the line. The writer/performer took up the cause of the “Memphis Three”—a case involving the unjust imprisonment of three young men accused of murder. The “Three” were finally released in 2011, after 18 years in prison, with Rollins saying, “My joy at hearing the news is however tinged with frustration that it took so long and that there is a person or persons who still need to be brought to justice.” 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
Concentrate
Concerns
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evolutionarily primitive parts of the brain, regulates breathing, cardiac rhythm and other critical life functions. As there are no cannabinoid receptors on the brain stem, there are no life-threatening consequences no matter how concentrated the cannabinoids may be. However unlikely, the possibility of a person becoming disoriented, confused or even passing out means the recreational use of concentrates should be done in an environment where these reactions can be safely mitigated. An overdose of cannabinoids is more akin to a bad trip than a life-threatening condition. The multiple health benefits of having concentrates available is enormous and far outweighs any possible negative reactions. Although there are no studies showing any significant long-term consequences of heavy cannabis smoking, inhaled smoke irritates the lung’s mucus covered lining. Inhaling concentrates dramatically lowers this exposure and lung irritation because there is no smoke and you inhale far less frequently. The regular ingestion of cannabis over one’s lifetime has been documented in many studies to inhibit and delay the onset of cancer even in people whose genetics or lifestyles make them prone for developing this disease. In multiple studies the cannabinoids found in cannabis have been shown to selectively target and kill cancer cells.
Say What?
Concentrates are controversial. Mainstream legalization activists fret over bad publicity while cannabis aficionados hail its medical and recreational prowess. Much of the criticism of concentrates has come from the dangers of some of the extraction processes rather than the concentrates themselves. Decrying the use of concentrates because of a dangerous process fails to recognize that the process is only dangerous because of prohibition that makes the licensed, regulated and safe production impossible. Think of how dangerous manufacturing gasoline for cars would be if everybody had to produce gasoline in their basements. The potency of concentrates can be of concern because, unlike unprocessed marijuana where it is physically impossible to consume enough to overdose, the potency of concentrates leads to potential “overdoses.” When the term “overdose” is used here it is not an overdose in the sense of ingesting too much alcohol, caffeine, barbiturates or morphine. Overdoses of these substances have life threatening consequences such as cessation of breathing and/or cardiac arrest. There have been reports of people consuming cannabis concentrates and becoming disoriented, confused and passing out. In fact this accounts for the only known death caused by cannabis as a man took a dab, passed out, fell and hit his head on concrete. No matter how concentrated the cannabis is it is not going to kill you. The active ingredients in cannabis are cannabinoids which are taken up by cannabinoid receptors found throughout our bodies—found everywhere except on the brain stem. The brain stem, one of the most
“hi guys, i smoke pot. ok guys, bye.” —Frank Ocean (via Twitter)
Whereas all current cancer killing drugs kill many of the healthy cells around them as they kill the cancerous ones, the cannabinoids found in cannabis selectively target only the cancerous cells and have no effect on non-cancerous cells. To be effective the concentration of cannabinoids has to be very high as it’s not just a couple of cancer cells that need to be killed. Smoking cannabis bud just won’t cut it—massive amounts of cannabinoids have to be ingested. The only way to ingest massive amounts of cannabinoids is through concentrated cannabis oil. Rick Simpson Oil is a well-known example with many cancer patients crediting their recovery due to its use. Legalization advocates fear that police and drug war zealots will use concentrates as a red herring to frighten voters. Their fallacious claims of cannabis being a gateway drug, inducing criminality and causing white women to seek sexual relations with non-white males have been vanquished with the truth. Any attack on concentrates must also be countered with the truth as concentrates are another product of the cannabis plant essential for our health. c Subscribe to the free cannabis email newsletter authored by Lanny Swerdlow, RN, by sending an email to lanny@ marijuananews.org. He can also be contacted via phone at (760) 799-2055.
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GreenScene
A Hybrid a Day Keeps the Gas Tanks at Bay Test drive a green rental car on your next vacation or before you buy {By Nancy Powell}
Bad weather in the Midwest and political unrest in the Middle East have threatened to send gas prices skyrocketing once more, just in time to suck our summer vacation budgets dry. Now you might be entertaining the idea of downsizing to a more fuel-efficient vehicle or rethinking that extended road trip planned for later in the summer. Why not kill two birds with one stone by renting a green vehicle to test drive while on that summer road trip? Green vehicles generate fewer pollutants while netting anywhere from 48 to 60 miles per gallon (compared to the U.S. average of 24.8 miles per gallon). Plus, most of these green rentals won’t cost you much more per day than renting the cheapest economy vehicle on the lot. And the nice thing is that most major rental car companies have at least some form of green rental, whether it be a Toyota Prius, Smart Car or Ford Fusion. You just have to know what to look and ask for before you sign away on the dotted line. Consider your travel plans. Are you planning to drive across the United States or simply a few hours up the coast? Where and how far you go will dictate your choice of rental. Electric cars have limited driving ranges when fully-charged. Although most can be recharged simply by plugging into a regular household outlet, you don’t want to be stuck in BFE with a dead-on-arrival vehicle. If your destination is fairly local, the electric Smart Car or Nissan Leaf might be a good tester for you. However, if you’re planning to go the distance, stick with a hybrid, like the Toyota Prius, Chevy Volt or Ford Fusion. Hybrids work largely by operating on electricity within city limits, but they switch to gas when traveling larger distances. Plus, hybrids will still cost you less in the long run at the pump than a regular passenger vehicle. Rental companies usually carry a slim selection of green vehicles, making planning ahead an absolute necessity. Some dealerships rent cars out several months in advance, and some won’t rent the vehicle to you if inventories run dry, despite the fact you had advanced reservations. Make no mistake. Rental cars offer great opportunities to try before you buy. Plus, if you wanted to rent an efficient vehicle for a trip, there is no better budget pleaser than a car that makes fewer stops at overpriced roadside pumps. c For some green car rental suggestions, go to www.ireadculture.com.
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GET YOUR CLICK HERE
www.iReadCulture.com
cool stuff California Finest Premium Grade Marijuana Cigarettes Remember when we used to dream about the day when cannabis was legalized in this country, and how we imagined being able to purchase a box of joints from the corner store as easily as a pack of Marlboros? That daydream is reality. California Finest has achieved greatness on the strength of its “finest hand rolled California bud.” Each box comes with five 1-gram cigarettes in indica (OG Kush, Grand Daddy Purple), hybrid (Blue Dream) and sativa (Train Wreck) varieties. Talk about California dreamin‘ . . . www.californiafinest420.com
Audiowood Barky Turntable If a record plays in the middle of a forest with nobody around to hear it, does it make a sound? It will if you’re spinning your vinyl on this made-to-order item that bridges the gap between naturalistic aesthetics and the needs of music aficionados. Each turntable is handmade from ash, and each one is thoroughly unique. Mother Nature never sounded so good. ($1,500) www.audiowood.com
Magical Butter Think you need to be a chemist or a cook to create some powerful concentrates? With time-tested power of the Magical Butter botanical extractor, you’ll be at the top of the class creating your own homemade oils, tinctures, lotions and more. Open the lid, put in your botanical ingredients, press a button, let it cycle and pour out the good stuff through a filter. Done. It doesn’t get easier than this. ($174.95) magicalbutter.com
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Sandy Moriarty is the author of Aunt’ Sandy’s Medical Marijuana Cookbook: Comfort Food for Body & Mind and a Professor of Culinary Arts at Oaksterdam University. She is also the co-founder of Oaksterdam’s Bakery.
Menu:
Grilled Shrimp Makes 4 servings 25 large uncooked shrimp, unshelled, slit and deveined 3 cups dry white wine Juice of two lemons Black pepper to taste 6 shallots, chopped 4 garlic cloves, crushed 1/4 cup Cannabis Infused Olive Oil* 6 skewers, soaked in water for two hours Combine all the ingredients (except for skewers) in a medium-size bowl. Stir to coat the shrimp thoroughly. Let marinate at room temperature for about three hours. Skewer about four shrimp per skewer. Place on the grill, over medium heat. Turn when sides are pink. Baste with the remaining liquid (marinade) to keep shrimp moist. They are cooked when firm and pink in color.
Cannabis Infused Oil* 1 cup cooking oil 1 1/4 ounces low to average quality dried leaf cannabis or 3/4 ounce average dried bud
Place cannabis in a slow cooker. Add oil. If necessary, add a little extra oil in order to just cover the cannabis. Cook on low for six to eight hours, stirring often. Strain through cheesecloth to remove plant material. For further purity, strain through a coffee filter. Store in the refrigerator for up to three months. 60 CULTURE • JULY 2013
Grilled Shrimp Cheesy Polenta Barbeque Broccoli
By Aunt Sandy
Cheesy Polenta Makes 4 servings 6 cups water 2 teaspoons salt 1 3/4 cups yellow corn meal 3 tablespoons Canna Butter** 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan. Add salt and gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook until mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender. Stir often for about 15 minutes and turn off the heat. Add the butter and cheese and stir until melted. Serve immediately.
Barbeque Broccoli Makes 6 servings 3 heads of broccoli 1/3 cup Cannabis Infused Olive Oil* 1 garlic clove, finely chopped 1/4 onion, finely chopped Juice of 1 lemon Cut off broccoli stems 1 inch below the florets. Starting at the stem end, slice each broccoli head lengthwise into 3 slabs. In a large baking dish, whisk together the Infused Oil, garlic clove, onion and lemon juice. Coat the broccoli on both sides with the mixture. Let marinate at room temperature for one hour. Preheat the grill to medium heat. Remove broccoli from the marinade, shaking off excess liquid. Grill covered for about 3 minutes on each side, until lightly charred and crispy-tender.
Canna Butter** 1 cup unsalted butter 1 ounce low to average quality dried leaf cannabis or 1/2 ounce average dried bud 4 cups water Bring water and butter to boil in a small pot, lower heat to simmer. Simmer gently for about 1 1/2 hours. Mash and stir frequently to extract all THC from the plant material. After cooking, use cheesecloth to strain the butter/water mixture. Pour about 2 cups clean boiling water over the leaves in the strainer to extract every last drop of butter. Squeeze plant material well to remove as much liquid as possible. Chill the butter/water mixture in the refrigerator until the butter has solidified (1 to 2 hours). Separate butter from water and keep butter in the refrigerator (or freezer for longer storage) until needed. Legal Disclaimer
Publishers of this publication are not making any representations with respect to the safety or legality of the use of medical marijuana. The recipes listed here are for general entertainment purposes only, and are intended for use only where medical marijuana is not a violation of state law. Edibles can vary in potency while a consumers’ weight, metabolism and eating habits may affect effectiveness and safety. Ingredient management is important when cooking with cannabis for proper dosage. Please consume responsibly and check with your doctor before consumption to make sure that it is safe to do so.
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For our complete recipes go to ireadculture.com.
Gas or charcoal, sauce or dry rub—no matter what your preference, it’s always a good time to fire up the ol‘ barbecue this time of year. If it’s grillin, expect your weekend get-together to be thrillin‘. Try out this scrumptious, backyardfriendly smorgasbord of delish dishes, courtesy of your neighborhood friendly briquette.
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Shooting Gallery
GET YOUR CLICK HERE
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Stagecoach Country Music Festival (Photos by Kristopher Christensen)
Sahtyre in concert (Photos by Kimberly Johnson)
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entertainment reviews The Transplants In A Warzone Epitaph After eight long years, punk rockers Tim Armstrong, Travis Barker and Rob “Skinhead Rob” Aston return with their long awaited third Transplants record, In A Warzone. While the project has always been characterized by a blending of punk rock, hip-hop and at times, dub and reggae, In A Warzone sees the band making more of an attempt at a straight forward punk album by the trio. While the band’s self-titled debut and follow up Haunted Cities could at times be a little heavy-handed with conventional hip-hop’s topics of excess and the high life, Transplants seem to have little time for that on In A Warzone. The record’s style and delivery are more urgent and each song seems to be more about the group’s worried views on society and world events than the guns, girls and drugs that were common themes on previous releases. The music itself is heavy-hitting, insistent and at times a bit abrasive, easily bringing to mind the wars—both literal and metaphorical—that the band sings about. All in all, this is a record that will most definitely appeal more to the fan of the punk rock side of The Transplants’ music. However, fans of its hip-hop flavor need not be disappointed, there are still several tracks that incorporate their brand of rack, just a bit on the heavier end of things. (Simon Weedn)
Protect Your Garden: Eco-friendly Solutions for Healthy Plants By Ed Rosenthal Quick American Publishing When Ed Rosenthal talks, people listen. And when Ed writes a book, naturally, growers sure as hell pay attention. And they should. Rosenthal’s been schooling the masses on how to grow the best cannabis and his latest tome, Protect Your Garden, offers novice green-thumbers an effective tool to keep pests, diseases and environmental stresses from mucking up your lovely crops. As scientifically grounded as a biology textbook, yet easy to follow due to its airy layout, large print and an abundance of photos, protecting your green without harming Mother Nature just got ridiculously easy. Moles messing with you? Try predator urine or castor oil. Want to keep your plants free of the tobacco mosaic virus? Keep cigarette butts far, far away. Say “later days” to toxic pesticides and “hi” to natural solutions for your indoor, outdoor or greenhouse grow. (Matt Tapia)
Swimming to Cambodia Cinecom Pictures Dir. Jonathan Demme Finally, after many years of waiting, Shout!Factory have made writer, actor and monologist Spalding Gray’s masterpiece Swimming to Cambodia, available on DVD. Directed by Jonathan Demme (Philadelphia, Silence Of The Lambs), the film version of one of Gray’s most famous monologues was originally shot in 1987 and features an interesting score by renowned experimental performance artist and musician Laurie Anderson. The monologue itself revolves around Gray’s stories and observations about his experience acting in the role of U.S. Ambassador’s Aide in the 80’s masterpiece, The Killing Fields. The stories see-saw between humorous adventures with a zany film crew, Thai marijuana, prostitutes and deep, heavy, emotional observations and history lessons about the bombing of Cambodia, the rise of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, and the ensuing Cambodian Genocide. At times, the film can get a bit tedious and confusing with Gray’s delivery of this material which comes in his slightly manic, East Coast, mile-a-minute talking style. However, Gray manages to always hold it together, giving breaks and beats at appropriate times to allow the audience to soak in the massive amounts of information he puts out. For the average person that has never seen a one-man show, Swimming to Cambodia might take a bit of getting used to. However, for the patient viewer, one is rewarded with a gripping, captivating story delivered with unparalleled craftsmanship by one of the world’s great monologists. (Simon Weedn) 66 CULTURE • JULY 2013
Kush Expo Medical
Marijuana Show With the scorching level of heat Southern California patients have been subjected to the past few weeks, the time is ripe to seek solace and shelter from the solar rays . . . and get indoors in the cool comfort of our compassionate community. Head to the OC for the Kush Expo Medical Marijuana Show why don’t ya? All our best buds, industry friends and partisans will be there, representing every angle of our community. Check out the latest vape pen designs, scope out some cutting-edge hydroponic technology and chat it up with grow experts and advocates that feel and think like you do. For those that love a little healthy competition, the Kush Cup will gather together the movers and shakers who will be determined to see their meds come out on top. Not surprisingly, considering the recent quantum uptick in dabbing, two new categories have been added to the Cup: Best Wax and Best Oil. Best Product is another new category, but rest assured your ol‘ faves—Best Indica, Best Sativa, Best Hybrid and Best Edible—will also be there. Beat the heat—be here.
IF YOU GO
What: Kush Expo Medical Marijuana Show. When/Where: July 6-7 at the Anaheim Convention Center, 800 W. Katella Ave., Anaheim. Info: Tickets $14 online, $20 at the door. No MMJ card or recommendation needed to enter the event, but they are required to enter the 420 Medicating Area. Go to kushexpo.com.
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HEAD COUNT
?
?
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?
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.
Name the Channel Orange music artist who revealed that he was gay and uses cannabis?
conduct?
2
Cannabis can combat depression. True or false?
Kimmel Live!?
conduct MMJ research?
many clinical trials 4 How did these UC San Diego Miley Cyrus suggest 5 Did she uses cannabis on Jimmy
1. Frank Ocean. 2. True, based on a recent University of Kentucky study. 3. 13. 4. Six. 5. That seems to be the case.
1
?
how many years was 3 For UC San Diego funded to
ANSWERS
CULTURE Quiz
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The godfathers of “stoner metal” are back in action! Black Sabbath—the band that single-handedly helped bring metal to the masses—recently launched its world tour (on April 20, naturally) in preparation for the release of a new (wait for it) studio album, 13. The band is sporting its original line up of Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, and the new release picks up immediately where the band left off with eight sprawling songs (five of them are over eight minutes long) that will get fists pumped and devilhorns thrown. “God Is Dead?,” the lead single from 13, includes some of Osbourne’s most probing and controversial lyrics to date. He drills deep into questions about God’s place in the order of things as troubled times give way to terror attacks in the name of religion. This reunion could not be sweeter—for them or for us. Sabbath has several North American dates lined up for August, including shows in San Francisco and Irvine, and Los Angeles on Sept. 3. www.blacksabbath.com c
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Chuck Shepherd
News of the
Weird LEAD STORY— EYE OPENER
; Chengdu, China, barber Liu Deyuan, 53, is one of the few who still provide traditional “eyeshaving,” in which he holds the eye open and runs a razor across the lids’ inner surfaces. Then, using a thin metal rod with a round tip, he gently massages the inside of each lid. Liu told a reporter for the Chengdu Business Daily in April that he had never had an accident (though the reporter apparently could not be enticed to experience the treatment himself, preferring merely to observe), and a highly satisfied customer reported after-
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ward that his eyes felt “moist” and his vision “clearer.” A local hospital official said eye-shaving can scrape away scar tissue and stimulate the eyes to lubricate the eye sockets.
CULTURAL DIVERSITY
; One of April’s most popular Internet images consisted of face shots of the current 20 contestants for Miss South Korea—revealing that all 20 appeared eerily similar, and Westernized. Commented one website, “Korea’s plastic surgery mayhem is finally converging on the same face.” Wrote a South Korean commenter,
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“Girls here consider eye surgery just like using makeup.” Wrote another, “I loved this episode of The Twilight Zone.” The country has the highest rate of cosmetic surgery per capita in the world. ; Michinoku Farm of Tokyo finally agreed in May to withdraw its whale meat dog chews, but only after angering environmentalists for having favored the country’s pampered canines over endangered North Atlantic fin whales, which were the source of the chews. The meat was purchased from Iceland, which openly defies the international moratorium on whale meat. (Japan officially disagrees with world consensus on which species are endangered.) ; A marriage-encouraging initiative in the Sehore district of India’s Madhya Pradesh state awards gifts and financial assistance to couples agreeing to wed in mass ceremonies, but the country also suffers from a notorious toilet shortage. Consequently, the district announced in May that to qualify for the government benefits, the groom must submit to officials a photo of himself beside his own toilet to prove that he and his wife will have home sanitation.
LATEST RELIGIOUS MESSAGES
; Recurring Theme (People Purporting to Speak for Islam): (1) A Saudi judge ruled in April that it was finally time for Ali al-Khawahir, 24, to suffer for stabbing another boy in the back when Ali was 14. The victim was paralyzed, and under Saudi justice, Ali must also be struck with paralysis or else raise the equivalent of about $260,000 to compensate the victim. (2) Saudi cleric Abdullah Mohamed al-Daoud in May urged his 100,000 Twitter followers to “sexually harass female cashiers” to discourage them from working outside the home. (He is the one who urged in February that babies be veiled to protect them from sexual harassment.) ; Closer to God Than You Are: (1) Crystal McVea, author of a recent book chronicling her near-death experience, told a Fox & Friends TV host in April that among her most 74 CULTURE • JULY 2013
vivid memories of the incident was getting so close to God that she could “smell” him. (2) In May, Anna Pierre, a candidate for mayor of North Miami, Fla., announced on her Facebook page that she had secured the endorsement of Jesus Christ. That would be doubly fortunate for her since a month earlier, she had complained that unknown people had been leaving bad-luck Vodou-ritual feathers, food scraps and candles on her doorstep. (Jesus’ stroke is apparently not what it used to be: She finished seventh in the race.) ; Religious Messages From All Over: (1) A catering company in Leicestershire, England, became a holy site in May after the Hindu owner found an eggplant that resembles the elephant-headed Lord Ganesh. He said that he prays to it now twice daily and has so far welcomed about 80 visiting worshippers. (2) As part of his recent U.S. tour, the Dalai Lama, introduced to a University of Maryland audience by Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley, greeted the governor on stage by rubbing noses with him.
QUESTIONABLE JUDGMENTS
; Expectant North Carolina parents Adam and Heather Barrington (who is due in July) have disclosed that they will accept underwater midwifing from the Sirius Institute of Pahoa, Hawaii, which arranges for the mother to swim with dolphins pre- and postnatally. “It is about reconnecting as humans with the dolphins so we can . . . learn from one another,” said Heather. Said Adam: “Dolphins are very intelligent and healing, which . . . calms mother and baby . . . “ Biologists writing for the Discovery Channel, however, reminded readers that underwater births are extraordinarily dangerous and that dolphins are “wild animals” that gang-rape female dolphins and “toss, beat and kill small porpoises.” Said another, the Barringtons’ plan is “possibly the worst idea ever.” ; Local Governments at Work: (1) Washington, D.C., began registering its dogs this year by their primary V I S I T U S AT i R e a d C u l t u r e . c o m
breeds and, faced with many owners who claimed not to know their dog’s heritage, quixotically settled on the Mexican hairless dog, or “xoloitzcuintli” (pronounced “show-loweats-QUEENT-lee,” according to The Washington Post) as the breed that will be listed in city records for those dogs. An official said the decision might encourage owners to learn more about their dog’s breed. (2) Of all the businesses that could fall out of favor with a local government, it was the restaurant Bacon Bacon that was shut down in May by the city of San Francisco—because of neighbors’ complaints about the smell! (The fragrance of bacon is widely experienced as entrancing all across America.) A petition to overturn the ruling was underway at press time. ; More than 50 Iowa sex offenders have open-carry gun permits, thanks to a 2-year-old state law that requires any disapproving sheriff to demonstrate “probable cause” in advance that a sex offender will use a gun illegally in order to reject his application. Before that, a sheriff could use a sex offender’s previous felony conviction as sufficient cause. Said Washington County Sheriff Jerry Dunbar, “(J)ust the presence of a gun on a hip could be a threat to get (sex-crime victims) to cooperate.”
PERSPECTIVE
; Congress established the Interagency Working Group in 2009 to set guidelines on advertising healthy foods to children, and public comments on the guidelines are now being posted. General Mills appeared among the most alarmed by the IWG proposals, according to its comments on the Federal Trade Commission website (as disclosed by Scientific American in May). Of the 100 most commonly consumed foods and beverages in America, GM asserted, 88 would fail the IWG standards, and if everyone in America started following the health recommendations, General Mills would lose $503 billion per year in sales—unless, of course, it altered part of its product line.
LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINALS ; Dennis Gholston, 45, with outstanding traffic warrants in Pennsylvania, decided in May
that, even though alone in his car, he could not resist using a high-occupancy vehicle lane (HOV) on the New Jersey Turnpike near Carteret. His decision was even more unsound because, according to the officer who stopped him for the HOV violation, Gholston was hauling about $4,000 worth of heroin in the car, and he was charged with intent to distribute.
A NEWS OF THE WEIRD CLASSIC (DECEMBER 2009)
; But What If the Device Falls Into the Wrong Hands? A 55-year-old British man whose bowel was ruptured in a nearly catastrophic traffic accident has been fitted with a bionic sphincter that opens and closes with a remote controller. Ged Galvin had originally endured 13 surgeries in a 13-week hospital stay and had grown frustrated with using a colostomy bag until surgeon Norman Williams of the Royal London Hospital proposed the imaginative operation. Dr. Williams, who was interviewed along with Galvin for a November 2009 feature in London’s Daily Mail, wrapped a muscle transplanted from Galvin’s leg around the sphincter and attached electrodes to tighten or loosen its grip.
VERY PERSONAL HYGIENE
; Orestes De La Paz’s exhibit at the Frost Art Museum in Miami in May recalled Chuck Palahniuk’s novel and film Fight Club, in which lead character Tyler Durden’s principal income source was making upscale soap using discarded liposuctioned fat fetched from the garbage of cosmetic surgeons (thus closing the loop of fat from rich ladies recycled back to rich ladies). De La Paz told his mentor at Florida International University that he wanted only to display his own liposuctioned fat provocatively, but decided to make soap when he realized that the fat would otherwise quickly rot. Some visitors to the exhibit were able to wash their hands with the engineered soap, which De La Paz offered for sale at $1,000 a bar. JULY 2013 • CULTURE 75
THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT
; As recently as mid-May, people with disabilities had been earning hefty black-market fees by taking strangers into Disneyland and Disney World using the parks’ own liberal “disability” passes (which allow for up to five relatives or guests at a time to accompany the disabled person in skipping the sometimes-hours-long lines and having immediate access to the rides). The pass-holding “guide,” according to NBC’s “Today” show, could charge as much as $200 through advertising on CraigsList and via word-of-mouth to some travel agents. Following reports in the New York Post and other outlets, Disney was said in late May to be warning disabled permit-holders not to abuse the privilege.
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for her dog that remained trapped in the blaze.
UNCONVENTIONAL TREATMENTS
; Researchers writing recently in the journal PLoS ONE disclosed that they had found certain types of dirt that contain antimicrobial agents capable of killing E. coli and the antibiotic-resistant MRSA. According to the article, medical “texts” back to 3000 B.C. mentioned clays that, when rubbed on wounds, reduce inflammation and pain.
LEADING ECONOMIC INDICATORS
; After setting out to create a protective garment for mixed martial arts fighters, Jeremiah Raber of High Ridge, Mo., realized that his “groin protection device” could also help police, athletes and military contractors. Armored Nutshellz underwear, now selling for $125 each, has multiple layers of Kevlar plus another fabric called Dyneema, which Raber said can “resist” multiple shots from 9 mm and .22-caliber handguns. He said the Army will be testing Nutshellz in August, hoping it can reduce the number of servicemen who come home with devastating groin injuries.
; Until recently, apparently, gene mutations were considered merely freaks of nature, but that was before Myriad Genetics obtained binding U.S. patents for mutations it discovered—now known as BRCA-1 and BRCA-2. Those mutations were in the news in May when actor Angelina Jolie announced that she had chosen to have a double mastectomy based on the presence of the cancer-causing mutations, which she had learned of through a Myriad Genetics test costing about $4,000. There is no price competition for the test, due to the patent, and Jolie, along with oncologists and OB-GYN doctors, fret that the test is too expensive for tens of millions of women around the world whose lives could be saved by knowing their status.
; “Ambulance-chasing” lawyers are less the cliche than they formerly were because of bar association crackdowns, but fire truck-chasing contractors and “public adjusters” are still a problem—at least in Florida, where the state Supreme Court tossed out a “48-hour” time- out rule that would have given casualty victims space to reflect on their losses before being overwhelmed by home-restoration salesmen. Consequently, as firefighters told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel in May, the contractors are usually “right behind” them on the scene, pestering anxious or grief-stricken victims. The Sun-Sentinel found one woman being begged to sign up while she was still crying out
; Archeologists discovered in May that a construction company had bulldozed 2,300-year-old Mayan ruins in northern Belize—simply to mine the rocks for road fill to build a highway. A researcher said it could hardly have been an accident, for the ruins were 100 feet high in an otherwise flat landscape, and a Tulane University anthropologist estimated that Mayan ruins are being mined for road fill an average of once a day in their ancient habitats. Said another, “(T)o realize” that Mayans created these structures using only stone tools and then “carried these materials on their heads” to build them—and then that bulldozers can almost instantly destroy them—is “mind-boggling.” 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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