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departments
18
Bob Speaks!
Pop culture icon Kevin Smith dishes on his secret to staying organized. On the Cover: Photo by Ben Leuner/AMC
6 Letter from the Editor Our federal government is wrong . . . but not always. 8 News Nuggets Cannabis makes headlines here, there, everywhere—and we give you the scoop—PLUS our latest By the Numbers. 14 Strain & Edible Reviews Our ever-popular sampling of amazing strains and edibles currently provided by your friendly neighborhood dispensary. 22 Destination Unknown It’s wet, it’s wild—welcome to the playground for the rich and beautiful: Uruguay’s Punta del Este. 23 Profiles in Courage Our latest feature provides insight into the life—and struggle—of a medical cannabis patient near you. 24 Cool Stuff From a Waffle-Making Typewriter to Vans x Metallica Signature Shoes, if it’s a cutting-edge product or cool lifestyle gear, we’re all over it.
features 10 A New Beginning San Diego considers giving dispensaries the green light.
26 Recipes Spring has sprung—and so will this light and refreshing menu inspired by Mother Nature’s greenest season. 28 Entertainment Reviews The latest films, books, music and more that define our culture.
12 Starting a Riot Sublime With Rome is still qualified to represent.
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MAY 2013 • CULTURE 5
letter from the editor
Vol 4 IssUE 11
CULTURE Publisher
Jeremy Zachary
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Roberto C. Hernandez Editor-In-Chief
A
Study in
Contradiction
Editor-in-Chief
Roberto C. Hernandez
Managing Editor RJ Villa
Arts & Entertainment Editor Evan Senn
Editorial Contributors
Dennis Argenzia, Omar Aziz, Ashley Bennett, Jake Browne, David Burton, Michael Carlos, Grace Cayosa, Jasen T. Davis, Alex Distefano, David Downs, Carolina Duque, Charmie Gholson, Michael Gifford, James P. Gray, Lillian Isley, David Jenison, Liquid Todd, Kevin Longrie, Meital Manzuri, Sandra Moriarty, Damian Nassiri, Keller O’Malley, Denise Pollicella, Paul Rogers, Lanny Swerdlow, Arrissia Owen, RJ Villa, Simon Weedn
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Cannabis has no medicinal value. Cannabis has medicinal value. Which one of these statements is true? Ask someone who has studied cannabis and you’ll get a pretty clearcut answer: the chemical compounds of the cannabis plant offer a whole host of health benefits. It does have medicinal value. But ask some of the narcocrats running the federal government— say the Drug Enforcement Administration, the White House, etc.—and you’ll get the same ol‘ party line, ripped straight from the pages of the Controlled Substances Act: “no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.” And yet . . . and yet . . . our own federal government contradicts itself. Yes, the same government that tells us cannabis cannot be used as medicine is the same government that provides hundreds of pre-rolled joints to the four surviving participants of its Compassionate Investigational New Drug Program—a program that’s been in place since the 1970s and was specifically set up to provide Americans with government-grown cannabis to treat a medical disorder. When President Obama was interviewed by Barbara Walters last year, all he could lamely say when asked
about legalizing cannabis is stuff like: “this is a tough problem” and “There are a number of issues that need to be considered.” Meanwhile, as patients suffer through life, seek relief and clamor for access to a plant that grows naturally, there are other folks who spend their time sharing and dispensing the truth. Just ask the National Cancer Institute or the National Institutes of Health, and these agencies will talk to you about cannabis’ “direct antitumor effect” or about the patients who were able to “obtain relief” for their cancer or neuropathic pain . . . thanks to cannabis-derived medicine. Talk to the National Center for Biotechnology Information or the National Library of Science and they’ll share with you info about how “moderate marijuana use is associated” with reducing the risk of cancer. Did I mention that these last four organizations I just mentioned are part of the federal government? So if our own government can’t make up its mind—who can patients turn to and trust with factual, relevant information about medical cannabis? You’re holding it in your hands right now. To San Diego, the newest member of the CULTURE family, enjoy your first issue. c
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recently voted 4-1 in favor of an San Marcos ban on dispensaries continues, gets initiative that would authorize and extended another 10 months regulate dispensaries throughout
San Marcos’ moratorium—a type of temporary ban—has been extended into early 2014, U-T San Diego reports The City Council approved extending the moratorium by 10 months and 15 days last month; it prohibits dispensaries from operating until around January 2014. The council can adopt one last one-year extension once the current one expires. San Marcos has banned dispensaries since 2006. It’s current moratoriums are a response MMJ patients suffering to a pending California Supreme from AIDS, nerve disorder Court decision that will weigh in victimized by DA’s Office on the question of whether or Ramona residents Dennis and not cities and counties can ban Deborah Little will go to trial over dispensaries outright or only their right to grow cannabis in their regulate them using land-use and homes, according to U-T San Diego. other rules. A decision could come The Littles, who are retired and as soon as May 5. in their 60s, were charged with The moratoriums, according felonies by District Attorney Bonnie to San Marcos City Attorney Helen Dumanis last November after a DEA Holmes Peak, gives the council raid of their home. time to craft local MMJ rules and In the preliminary hearing ordinances—especially relevant in last month, the Littles presented the event the Supreme Court rules a doctor’s recommendation for that cities are not permitted to ban medical cannabis that was less dispensaries. than a month out of date. Dennis suffers from a nerve disorder Dispensary initiative still on while Deborah has AIDS. Despite the November 2014 ballot this evidence, the judge for La Mesa encouraged that the couple take a The ballot initiative that would misdemeanor plea for possession allow dispensaries is still a go and sales. The Littles agreed to go for La Mesa, according to the La to trial. Mesa Courier and Americans for Americans for Safe Access Safe Access. has vocally defended the Littles, The La Mesa City Council detailing their story and stating, “If our most vulnerable citizens are not protected under the Compassionate Use Act passed in 1996, the will of the voters of California is therefore being ignored. We must get behind Dennis and Deborah Little and all defendants victimized by the DA’s office.”
THE STATE
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the city. However, the decision will ultimately be but in the hands of the people to a vote. The initiative will not be on the ballot until November 2014.
THE NATION Attorney General: Massachusetts towns and cities cannot enact MMJ bans
Cities and towns in Massachusetts cannot enact bans on MMJ dispensaries, according to a decision from the office of Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley, according to 90.9 WBUR. Such a ban—Coakley’s decision read—would “frustrate the purpose” of the medical cannabis law—Question 3—voters approved last November. Cities, however, are permitted to enact zoning bylines and other dispensary regulations, according to Assistant Attorney General Margaret Hurley. Hurley said Massachusetts’ MMJ law “could not be served if a municipality could prohibit treatment centers within its borders, for if one municipality could do so, presumably all could do so.”
medical cannabis industry could be facing some changes. State lawmakers have proposed HB 3460, a bill that aims to regulate surplus MMJ as well as ensuring that qualified patients can receive the medicinal plant. This bill also requires a background check for business owners, as well as documentation of how much MMJ a facility receives and from which state-registered grower they get it from. If passed, HB 3460 would also require MMJ outlets to test their cannabis products for impurities.
Maryland Gov. Martin O’Malley says he is likely to approve cannabis “research centers”
Maryland might become the next compassionate state. State lawmakers last month approved a bill that would allow MMJ programs to set up shop at participating medical research centers in the state, USA Today reports. Gov. Martin O’Malley has said he expects to sign the bill into law. The
Oregon introduces new medical cannabis regulations Oregon’s largely unregulated
V I S I T U S AT i R e a d C u l t u r e . c o m
programs are not expected to be operational until 2016. A participating medical research center would be required to specify the types of conditions it would treat and the criteria by which patients would be allowed to participate. The center would provide all patient and caregiver data to the state health department. The department could make this data available to law enforcement. State Delegate Dan Morhaim told USA Today that Sinai Hospital in Baltimore and John Hopkins have expressed an interest in participating or are considering it. “Maryland has taken a small step in the right direction, but more steps are necessary for patients to actually obtain the medicine they need to alleviate their suffering,” Amanda Reiman, a policy manager for the Drug Policy Alliance, said in a statement.
THE WORLD UK researcher: Crime and drug use do not increase because of cannabis reform
Foes of cannabis—who claim that there is a distinct link between cannabis use and crime—have no friend in UK criminologist Alex Stevens. The criminology professor recently refuted several media reports claiming that reducing penalties for cannabis possession has led to increases in drug use, crime and health problems, saying such statements are unfounded and based on faulty data, among other things. In fact, Stevens says cannabis use and crime actually decreased since the plant was reclassified in 2004 by the government as a less dangerous substance. Steven cited the British Crime Survey—which estimated crime fell by 17 percent since 2004—and the “Survey of Smoking, Drinking and Drug Use Among Young People in England,” to back up his conclusions.
by the numbers
5
Mayor Bob Filner’s proposed fee (in dollars) to operate a new dispensary in San Diego: 5,000 (Source: San Diego Chapter of Americans for Safe Access).
6
The percentage of Americans who say cannabis should be legalized: 52 (Source: Pew Research Center).
7 1
The percentage of Americans who say cannabis should remain illegal: 45 (Source: Pew Research Center).
The number of San Diego locations proposed for the Medbox MMJ vending machine: 30 (Source: U-T San Diego).
in 1991: 78 (Source: Christian Science Monitor).
10
The percentage of Americans who supported legalization in 1969: 12 (Source: Gallup Poll).
11
The estimated number of cannabis users in Uruguay: 150,000 (Source: Bloomberg BusinessWeek).
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The monthly cannabis “ration” (in grams) that a Uruguayan 18 years+ could register for from the federal government: 30 (Source: Bloomberg BusinessWeek).
2
13
3
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The estimated dollar amount (in billions) that legal cannabis sales will generate this year in the U.S.: 1.5 (Source: The Huffington Post).
The number of Medbox machines currently in operation in California, Colorado and Canada: 100+ (Source: U-T San Diego). The percentage of the sales or excise tax proposed for medical cannabis transactions by San Diego Mayor Bob Filner: 2 (Source: Voice of San Diego).
4
The percentage of sales tax that Oakland charges for medical cannabis transactions within city limits: 5 (Source: Voice of San Diego).
8
The percentage of Americans who were pro-legalization in 1991: 17 (Source: Christian Science Monitor).
9
The percentage of Americans who were against legalization
The estimated dollar amount (in billions) that legal cannabis sales will generate by 2018: 6 (Source: The Huffington Post).
Aziz Ansari If you’re one of the funniest people on a vastly underrated show (seriously guys, Parks and Rec needs more love), you’re not going to rest on your laurels. That’s why Aziz Ansari has been taking his act on the road. The wild comedian knows his life is far from the normal (or something resembling it) that it used to be, but that hasn’t changed the fact that it’s ripe for humor. Sexting for him has become more dangerous than ever and the dumb people at the bar are stupider and more prone to Murphy’s Law than ever before. With a style than blends the bluntness of the late Mitch Hedberg and the aggressive whimsy of Louis C.K., Ansari shows that you don’t need cameras on you to be incredibly funny. Are you fat, brown and on the ground? Go to the show and find out what that means. I’m not printing it here.
IF YOU GO
What: Aziz Ansari. When/Where: May 6 at Civic Theatre, 1100 Third Ave., San Diego. Info: Tickets $35. Go to www.sandiegotheatres. org or call (619) 570-1100.
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“I th orig ought t th inal th he Cou at the C ing nci ity was l passed strictoo t.”
Photo courtesy of San Diego CityBeat
FLASH
New Regulations in San Diego’s MMJ Community MAYOR BOB Filner helps to find balance for everyone {By Jasen T. Davis} Seventeen years ago California voters turned Proposition 215 into law, allowing patients with medical issues to use cannabis as a treatment for their ailments. Since then despite an often aggressive stance by the federal government and local law enforcement agencies, a medical patient’s right to choose cannabis has flourished in other states throughout America such as Colorado and Washington. In the City of San Diego, however, patients have had a difficult time finding politicians and law enforcement officials who fully understand the rights of ordinary citizens to make use of medical
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cannabis under Proposition 215. As a result, people with crippling arthritis or terminal cancer have found themselves without medication as dispensaries were raided, operators were arrested and collectives were closed. But as time passed, elected officials noticed that voters weren’t as rabid as they were when it came to enforcing antiquated laws in the wake of new legislation that protects medical cannabis, including Proposition 215. As a result, politicians like San Diego’s Mayor Bob Filner have stepped forward to defend the rights of medical cannabis patients. Mayor Filner has drafted a new
proposal for an ordinance to allow medical cannabis collectives to operate in areas designated for commercial and industrial use in exchange for a $5,000 annual permit fee and a 2-percent sales tax. Collectives must also be at least 600 feet from schools, parks, child care facilities, playgrounds and other collectives. In exchange for these concessions, legally operating dispensaries can look forward to existing in a future without raids and arrests. Mayor Filner has been meeting with medical cannabis industry experts about the ordinance for months, working out the details while at the same time juggling the competing interests of patients, operators, and law enforcement officials in an attempt to guarantee a citizen’s right to safe access. On April 22, Mayor Filner is scheduled to present the ordinance to the San Diego City Council. “How do you guarantee access to those who need it on humanitarian grounds but protect against problems that we know arise, whether it’s access to children or intrusion on neighborhood quality of life?” Mayor Filner said in a recent interview with U-T San Diego. “So you have to find a balance and that’s what we’re trying to do here. I thought the original thing that the City Council passed was too strict,” Mayor Filner said, referring to past council attempts to regulate medical cannabis dispensaries seemingly to the point of nonexistence. “I thought that some of the things that (Americans for) Safe Access wanted were too open so we had to try to find a balance,” he added. Eugene Davidovich, coordinator for the San Diego Chapter of Americans for Safe Access, supports Filner’s work but hopes that voters are paying attention. “As with any legislation, folks have raised concerns about portions of the proposal, including tax, limited zoning and ID card requirement,” Davidovich says. “If reason prevails, San Diego will soon be back on the path to permanent safe access as the voters intended 17 years ago.” c
A
Show of
Support The San Diego Chapter of Americans for Safe Access is urging patients to attend the April 22 City Council meeting where Mayor Bob Filner is scheduled to present proposed medical cannabis regulations for the city. “Show your support for safe access, sign in to speak, bring your story or reason why patients deserve safe, local, reliable access in your district,” read an April 11 post on SDASA’s website. The public meeting is scheduled for April 22 at 2 pm at San Diego City Hall, 202 C St. San Diego. All speakers will have one to two minutes to speak.
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TUNES
What
TheyGot
ON S Aug TAGE u Slee st 3 at Amp p Trai n hit Chu heater i la Vi sta. n
Sublime With Rome start a musical rioT {By David Jenison}
Before Sublime with Rome performs at the Sleep Train Amphitheater in Chula Vista in August, the sun-soaked band will headline the Spring Back to Vail party this month in Colorado. The World Pond Skimming Championship is part of the three-day event, and it challenges skiers to launch themselves from a ramp and hydroplane across a frigid pond without sinking. SWR frontman Rome Ramirez is pondering the challenge. “That is pretty bad-ass, and I have never even skied before, so this would even be funnier [for people] to watch,” laughs Ramirez before sending out some local love. “Colorado is one of the states where the most fans come out and interact with us, so it is always a blast.” Drummer Bud Gaugh left the group in late 2011, so bassist Eric Wilson is the only original member, but all SWR current set lists feature the band’s standard mix of Sublime classics and new material from 2011’s Yours Truly. After frontman Bradley Nowell passed away in 1996, Gaugh and Wilson continued playing Sublime songs as the Long Beach Dub Allstars for another five years. In 2009, the duo joined forces with Ramirez, then 20 years old, and started playing the songs again under the Sublime name. Using the original moniker caused a stir, prompting the name change to Sublime with
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Rome, but most fans welcomed the band. Nearly four years later, the nostalgia has turned into an escalating fanbase. “We plan on taking the band as far as we can take it,” says Ramirez, adding that they will start recording a new album by the year’s end. “We will always, always, always retain the roots of the band, play their classic music and stay within the vein on new songs, but we will also challenge ourselves as artists to grow.” Ramirez grew up with Sublime posters on his wall, so the music naturally influenced his style, but he claims he isn’t trying to channel Nowell when writing new material. “I feel like that would be 100 percent unoriginal of me, so I just try to write the best music I can with these guys,” he explains. “I try not to take in all the criticism and the comparisons when I am in the studio because I don’t think it helps me write any better.”
Given to the chance to showcase his talents with SWR, Ramirez is now penning tunes for other artists like Enrique Iglesias, and he expresses gratitude for the chance to escape what he calls a string of “shitty jobs.” Ramirez is disappointed, however, that this will be the first year in which SWR is not playing a 420 show. “If we are not playing, I
am probably going to stay at my house and medicate,” says Ramirez, then changing topics to medical marijuana. “I am a huge advocate. I have friends who used to be asthmatic who started smoking marijuana, and now they don’t have to go buy inhalers.” c sublimewithrome.com
Walmart . . . Weed? Sublime with Rome guitarist/vocalist Rome Ramirez says he prefers a
middle ground between cannabis’ sometimes conflicting status here in California and beyond. “I like the median where it is legal but not legal; you can get busted but it’s just a slap on the hand,” he explains. “What I don’t want is to see it get mass produced by Philip Morris and put inside a carton and sold at liquor stores. Then there would be Pepsi Marijuana, and I could see a Hannah Montana brand sold only in Walmart. That would just be the worst shit in the world.”
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strain & edible reviews
Chronic Catering Co. Lemon Bar When life gives you lemons, you could make lemonade… or just add eggs, flour, sugar, one gram of bubble hash, infused butter with 240MG of total active cannabinoids and you will end up with a Chronic Catering Co. Lemon Bar from Nature’s Alternative Care in La Jolla. This medicated edible was delicious. The lemon bar came caked with powdered sugar. It tasted sweet and tart, but nothing too overpowering. The crust was a little thicker, almost cookie like, that snapped and crumbled when bitten into. At just about 30 minutes after ingesting half of the bar, there was a noticeable body and perception change. Your thoughts slow down, accompanied by a euphoric feeling. Half the bar is a solid dose for anxiety, chronic pain, joint and muscle pains, migraines and nausea. Eating a full bar is a perfect way to treat insomnia. For your safety, Chronic Catering Co. has their edibles tested by SC Laboratories.
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Brutus OG “Eh tu, Brute?” In a wide sea of different OG names and strains, the Brutus OG that Medicated Collective in Pacific Beach carries is definitely an indica to look out for. The trichomes on these buds look like shiny light bulbs. The earthy scent of the bud gives off a strong aroma of a fresh pine forest. Squeezing these sticky buds produces a strong citrusy smell. Taking a closer look with a magnifying glass, the trichomes looked a lot like morning dew on the buds. Affecting both body and head with a quickness, it is easy to see how Medicated Collective measured its THC levels at 24.3 percent. Brutus OG hits heavy when consumed, with a solid lung expansive quality to it. The cerebral effect is almost instant, followed by calming effects to the body. This makes this strain a great choice for arthritis, chronic pain, insomnia, migraines, muscle spasms, nausea and even PMS.
Tokyo OG Hold a nug of Tokyo OG from Point Loma Patients Association in San Diego up to a light and the trichomes will sparkle like the downtown skyline of Tokyo at night. These nugs are excellently cured, dense and full. Point Loma Patients Association tested the THC levels of this indica strain at 22 percent. First inhale gives a true lung expansive light choke, but nothing too overwhelming. Tokyo OG is known for its very relaxing effects that continue to set in over several minutes. See where one or two tokes take you at first. This strain does a good job of quieting the mind, allowing one to focus. It does a good job of managing anxiety, with an overall calming effect. It is a great strain for pain relief and certainly helps stimulate appetite. The piney smell and its spicy lemon taste is what you look for in a proper strain of OG Kush.
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Being Blunt
Filmmaker and cannabis icon Kevin Smith dishes about why he converted to the cannabis cause by David Jenison
If Hollywood horror movies taught us anything, it’s don’t bully the wrong kid if don’t want him to slash everyone to bits at the high school reunion. Enter Kevin Smith, the indie filmmaker who got a seat at the Hollywood table but not on a Southwest airplane. The indie icon plans to retire the director’s chair in 2014, but he’s basically donned a hockey mask for his current slate of podcasts and live events. He humorously trashes Bruce Willis, Tim Burton, Jon Peters and others he worked with, and God help the person who admits too much, like the assistant who said Prince shops for his clothes in the boys department. His regular podcasts include “Hollywood Babble-On” and “Jay and Silent Bob Get Old,” and his classic Q&A events are often released on DVD. Many of his films are stoner classics, but if he gets his wish to make Clerks 3, it will actual be his first comedy movie as a regular cannabis user. Naturally, this interview begins with Smith’s late-age conversion.
You did not become a regular cannabis user until Seth Rogen got you into it at age 38. This begs the question, what references did you use for your stoner characters and dialogue? What a great question because, in looking back, the present me wants to call out twentysomething-year-old Kevin Smith as a f@#kin’ fraud. “You don’t know what you are talking about, man!” When I watch those movies now and hear the references to weed and stoner culture, it is clearly written by somebody who thought, “I don’t know what I’m talking about, but I’ve heard these words.” Now I would re-write it a bit different, and those flicks would spend a lot more time talking about weed. There would always be this moment when someone soliloquies like Linus talking about Jesus in A Charlie Brown Christmas, but in this instance, the soliloquy would be about weed and how good it is and how everyone should get off its back. Thank God I didn’t have that much education [on weed], or we would have spent a lot more time dealing with it back in the day. As far as references, a lot of it was just guesswork, and some was based on stuff [Jason] Mewes would say during his brief tenure as a stoner before moving on to heavier stuff. I based the character of Jay on who he was at age 16 or 17. That was Mewes as a crazy force of nature. There was a panel in this
old Dennis the Menace cartoon book where the neighbor Mr. Wilson saw Dennis walk by and said, “There goes that Mitchell kid. He’s like a sonic boom with dirt on it.” I loved that, and I always remembered it, so whenever I heard of Mewes, I was like, “There he goes. He’s a sonic boom with dirt on it.” I lost the thread of the question. What were we talking about again? What references you used for your stoner characters. Oh God, we got so far-flung from that. Basically, it was the Jason Mewes of my youth. I remember everything he would say. Your brain freezes things that it recognizes as currency, and you cannot spend it because you don’t know it yourself. Whenever I heard something, I was like, “I’m going to pack that away. This is inside information. This is one of those stoners, and he knows the terminology.” It was like having an insight into a
“Naturally, [cannabis] should not just be for people who are terminal cases. It should be for anybody.”
culture that I wasn’t a part of, but it was definitely a young, 16-year-old Jason Mewes who fully informed all my marijuana references in those movies, even up to the ones later in life. By Clerks 2, I still wasn’t a stoner. Was I? No, I did Zack and Miri [Make a Porno] after that. Do you believe in the legitimacy of medical marijuana use? Oh, hands down, absolutely, in terms of the physical comfort, in terms of inducing appetite in those who don’t have. Set aside the physical medicinal, the psychological medicinal you cannot discount. What it can do for somebody, where it can take them, and I’m not just talking about, “Hey man, it’ll take you on a whacky high journey.” Think about the people for whom medical marijuana is usually recommended, and you are talking about extreme cases. I don’t think I’ve encountered anything in my life that has made me more okay with the notion that one day I’m going to pass from this world than marijuana. If someone is going through something medically traumatic or facing down their end, heavens, [give them] anything that is going to make the transition easy. Naturally, it should not just be for people who are terminal cases. It should be for anybody. It rearranges your mind. At least it did for me. For years, people fed me the same propaganda that you’ll smoke weed and sit there on MAY 2013 • CULTURE 19
the couch and just watch movies, but for me, it is a great organizer. How does cannabis make you more organized? If you think about the brain as a series of folders that you keep creating, weed for me is like a program that puts them all in order alphabetically and allows you to prioritize what is important. That is how I’ve been able to spin so many plates the last few years. My medicinal problem is that I have problems sleeping, and if that is doing it for somebody who has mild medicinal needs like myself, imagine what it can do for people who have absolute medicinal need. Instead of filling them with yet another synthetic narcotic put together chemically in a lab . . . I don’t want to get all stoner on ya, but there is a reason it just grows naturally. It doesn’t have to be produced. It’s not like, “It can only grow in a certain place.” I think nature is always trying to take care of us, and it provides at all given times. We have cannabinoid receptors in the brain, which don’t have many other uses. It points to, I believe the idea that weed is something we are all naturally supposed to be ingesting. Of course, it has a cultural stigma, but that seems to be slowly sliding away. Tell me about the Q&A events you do around the country. I grew up listening to comics. My father worked at the post office, and he would bring home all these comedy records. He said he bought them from a friend who sold them out of his trunk at lunchtime, but I bet my old man took a few from the Colombia Records Club as they came through the mail. I love comedians, and I have too much respect for what they do to ever consider myself in the same league. Those cats have a real job, and I’m a carpetbagger. I just consider myself, “Oh, I made those movies and answer questions about them,” but the podcasts and live stuff enable me to be more like a comic. I am able to be more observational and tell more 20 CULTURE • MAY 2013
“I believe the idea that “cannabis” is something we are all naturally supposed to be ingesting. Of course, it has a cultural stigma, but that seems to be slowly sliding away.” stories, like, “When I was working on the Prince documentary . . .” You really take it to celebrities in these events. Is the idea to let people see what happens behind the curtain in Hollywood? Yeah, totally. You should pull back the curtain. When I started doing the Q&As, I always felt I needed to answer questions the way I would have wanted them answered. I have been to a few panels and Q&As, and nobody wants to dish. For me, I would want to know details. I would want to know who is an asshole and who is not. You also have “Hollywood Babble-On” with Ralph Garman, which features segments like Movies That Will Suck. How do you pick which segments you do each week? Ralph is definitely the author of “Hollywood Babble-On,” and I’m the guy who sits there and reacts. The content changes every week based on the news, of course, but we hit all the favorite bits. I know he swapped out Creepy Clown for doing the Green Lantern oath
through a variety of different voices and characters. You can totally expect David Bowie, and I’ll be grabbing my own boobs and trying to suck them, as per usual. Do you think Clerks 3 will happen? I’m happy to do the movie. I love these characters, and I built my entire adult life—in the imaginary world, in the real world—on the backs of Dante and Randal. I have stories to tell, and I have one that closes it all up. Jeff Anderson, who plays Randal, absolutely has to signoff and jump onboard. He is Randal. It’s not like you can just recast him, and why would
Too Fat to Fly
What’s the price of cheap airfare? Apparently, harassment and discrimination. Smith was removed from a flight after being judged that he was too obese to fly safely, though Southwest tried to justify this with contradictory (and privacy violating) statements. Smith dubbed them “The Greyhound of the Air” and has not flown with them since.
you want to? It is a journey that a few of us have taken together over the last 20 years. That would be me, Jason Mewes, Jeff Anderson, Brian O’Halloran, Scott Mosier and David Klein. If I can keep that core together, I have something special to begin with, but I couldn’t imagine doing it without Jeff. His whole thing is, “I didn’t want to do the second one, and then we did it, and I liked it a lot. But for the same reason I didn’t want to do the second one, and now at the crossroads of the third, why do we need to do it? Is there a need to tell the story?” I guess he is our Jiminy Cricket who keeps us honest. We are hopefully slowly cruising toward a 2014 start and finish, so I essentially have a year to convince him. The story is good. The story will convince him once he reads it—hopefully, hopefully—but I have a backup plan. Russians don’t take a dump without a backup plan, as they told us in The Hunt for Red October, so you always got to have something to back you up. 2014 is the 20th anniversary of Clerks, and we’re going to mark it in some way. Hopefully it will be with a movie, but if not, it will be with something else. c www.facebook.com/ YesThatKevinSmith, seesmod. com/groovymovie 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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destination unknown
Czech Vantage
Point
Uruguay’s Punta del Este offers travelers South Beach-style sights and soundtracks “If you want to get wild on the beach, the place to come is Punta del Este,” said actress Natalia Cigliuti in a 2001 Wild On E! episode showcasing Uruguay’s top destination. That year, LeBron James played for the Fighting Irish, the first Harry Potter debuted in theaters and Shaggy topped the music charts (twice), while Punta del Este’s international draw was primarily from Buenos Aires and south Brazil. The crowds were wild and wealthy, but it was media outlets like E! that took the town global. A dozen years later, North American and European jetsetters join the Punta crowds for a party that’s sexier, ritzier and more exclusive than ever. “It is a playground for rich and goodlooking people,” says Tamie Sheffield, a world traveler who brokers tickets to select Playboy Mansion parties. “Punta was just for South Americans before, but now it’s worldwide. If you happen to be ‘in the know,’ the villa parties are absolutely insane.”
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Punta del Este is a South Beach-style city that sits on a peninsula, but the designation typically refers to a stretch of coastline extending 20 miles northeast to Jose Ignacio. Along the way, La Barra is a Hamptons-meets-Ibiza town whose famed Bikini Beach overflows with perfectly bronzed Brazilian and Argentine women and self-important men trying desperately to meet them. DJs spin house music on the sand to provide a daytime soundtrack, and when the clock strikes midnight, meticulously groomed crowds flock to the local clubs. Punta’s fame clearly stems from its glitterati-packed nightlife and unfairly blessed bodies because the local beaches are solidly mediocre. Still, the scene goes bonkers from mid-December to early March, and to quote the Lonely Planet travel guide, “Tan it, wax it, buff it” before even considering a visit. With an underwhelming beach, Punta sounds like a hotspot with a limited shelf life, but its enduring legacy is diverse and multi-generational. Brigitte Bardot, the
By David Jenison
Rat Pack and Che “Freakin‘” Guevara were all early fans, and more recent visitors include Bob Dylan, Madonna, Robert De Niro, Simon Le Bon and Leonardo DiCaprio. Colombian singer Shakira rocks a ranch in Punta, and Naomi Campbell and Gisele Bundchen are rumored to have vacation homes. The travel press now calls it the “St. Tropez of South America,” though there are drawbacks to a crowd that admires Kim Kardashian more than Exene Cervenka. Punta del Este, for some, sounds more hellish than shelling out $17 to see Schwarzenegger in The Last Stand. Rented sports cars, yacht-packed marinas and the $100-million Trump Tower construction all feel faker than that rug sitting atop ol‘ Donald’s dome. Still, CULTURE readers who disdain the “scene” may soon have another reason to visit. By the year’s end, Uruguay is likely to become the first country to legalize cannabis. Uruguayan president Jose Mujica is the leading proponent for a new law that would allow citizens to purchase, possess and/or grow established legal amounts. The 77-year-old leader, who donates 90 percent of his salary to charity, believes that cannabis prohibition enriches organized crime, promotes violence and drains the state coffers, and the government launched a three-month public forum on April 4 to educate its citizens. Proactive ideas include a National Cannabis Institute that directs the income from sales into education and health. The proposed law only applies to citizens, so Amsterdam-style “coffee shops” may not emerge, but it is a symbolic step for a continent weary of ineffective U.S. drug war tactics. In the meantime, cannabis is readily available in Punta del Este, and discreet smokers are typically left alone.
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profiles in courage Patient: Jakki H
AGE: 32
Condition/ Illness:
Neurofibromatosis Type 1
Using medical cannabis since: 2003
Are you an MMJ patient from San Diego with a compelling story to tell? If so, we want to hear from you. Email your name, contact information and details about your experiences with medical cannabis to courage@ireadculture.com.
Why did you start using medical cannabis?
I started using medical cannabis because of my NF1, which is a tumor disorder that causes tumors to grow along the nervous system. My disease is very painful and unpredictable, my neurofibromas range in size and location on my body. I have had eight surgeries to remove countless tumors throughout my body; from the top of my head to the bottom of my feet—some weighing as much as 8 pounds.
Did you try other methods or treatments before cannabis?
I have always had chronic pain, and for years had been misdiagnosed. I have been given pretty much every pharmaceutical for pain—from patches, to shots, to pills . . . I have found healthier ways to ingest my medicine, such as vaporizing with my Extreme Q or eating my favorite edibles like the Peanut Butter Swirl Trikom Treats I eat to relieve my pain and relax my nerves in a safe, healthy and delicious way.
What’s the most important issue or problem facing medical cannabis patients?
I believe that, unfortunately, most people are ignorant to all the benefits of this plant, and if their only source of information is a media that refers to medical cannabis as “pot” or “weed” and the medical edibles I eat—like Trikom Treats—as “pot laced” brownies and not seriously as medicine, it is unlikely anyone will give this wonderful plant the chance and credit it deserves.
What do you say to folks who are skeptical about cannabis as medicine?
First I mention [that] I understand their reservations and then share my story with them about how it has completely helped me cope in a natural way with the pain I experience daily. c
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cool stuff Waffle-Making Typewriter Typewriters may be retro . . . but waffles never go out of style! Enter Chris Dimino’s Waffle-Making Typewriter— made with the body of an actual Smith-Corona Coronamatic typewriter. It started off as a one-off and will soon be mass-produced. Would you like some maple syrup to go with your QWERTY? www.chrisdimino.com
Sena Bluetooth Bluetooth headsets are a safe bet when it comes to keeping in touch on the road. Now motorcycle enthusiasts have something that works for their lifestyle in the form of this Sena Bluetooth Headset that allows hands-free phone use and a built-in FM tuner. You can even keep in touch with other riders with a built-in intercom system. ($239) www.senabluetooth.com
Vans x Metallica Signature Shoes Be the master of your feet with this shoe collab brought to you by Vans and Metallica. These kicks here were inspired by bassist Robert Trujillo and his easy-going, hard-rockin‘ lifestyle. ($80) www.vans.com/metallica.
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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: Whether spring brings us sunshine or snow, it’s always a good time to celebrate the season that reminds us of nature’s fabulous powers of renewal and rebirth. To ease us away from winter’s grip, we’ve come up with this light, refreshing menu. Season’s greetings.
By Aunt Sandy
Soupe a l’Oignon (French Onion Soup) Sweet Tea Apple Crisp
Sweet Tea
4 bags of your favorite tea 1 quart of water 1/4 cup Cannabis Infused Simple Syrup Ice cubes Spring of mint, lemon wedge, etc. as garnish Combine water and your favorite tea bags in a glass jar. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Remove the tea bags and add Syrup. Serve over ice cubes. Garnish with mint, a lemon wedge . . . or Infused Rum.
Apple Crisp
Serves eight 1 1/2 lbs. (about 5 cups) yellow onion, thinly sliced 3 tablespoons Canna Butter 1 tablespoon Cannabis Infused Oil 1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon sugar 3 tablespoons flour 2 quarts of boiling brown stock (or canned beef bouillon) 1/2 cup dry white wine, cognac or dry sherry Salt and pepper to taste
Cook onions slowly over low hear in a heavy bottom, 4-quart covered saucepan with the Butter and Oil for 15 minutes. Uncover, raise heat to medium and stir in salt and sugar (it helps the onions to brown). Cook for 45 minutes, stirring frequently, until onions have turned an even, deep golden brown. Sprinkle in the flour and stir for three minutes. Turn off the heat and blend in the boiling stock (or bouillon). Add the wine, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Simmer partially covered for 45 minutes. Set aside uncovered until ready to serve. Then reheat to simmer. 26 CULTURE • MAY 2013
Serves eight 4 cups sliced tart apples 2 tablespoon lemon juice 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1/2 cup brown sugar 1/4 cup Canna Butter 1/2 tablespoon salt 1 tablespoon cinnamon Vanilla ice cream (optional) Bake in an ovenproof dish that you can serve at the table. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Pare, core and slice apples into a 9-inch pie pan or dish and add lemon juice. Work the flour, brown sugar, Butter, salt and cinnamon with a pastry blender or with your finger tips. The mixture must be worked so that it does not become oily. Spread these crumbly ingredients over the apples. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot or cold and garnish with a scoop of vanilla ice cream if desired. 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.
V I S I T U S AT i R e a d C u l t u r e . c o m
For our complete recipes go to ireadculture.com.
Soupe a l’Oignon (French Onion Soup)
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entertainment reviews She & Him Volume 3 Merge Records Hipster queen Zoey Deschanel, and neo-folkster/alt-country genius M. Ward have returned with their ensemble She & Him, to bring us their third installment of original and gorgeous material. Volume 3, much like their previous two albums, is a wonderful return to the glory days of classic, large-sounding pop records, like the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds or any album that Phil Spector produced. Volume 3 also shows Ward and Deschanel evolving their sound to incorporate more contemporary influences and styles. The enveloping sonicsoundscapes of soaring string arrangements and swirling background vocals are still intact, along with vintage-toned guitars and basses. The record seems to be less of a tribute to their influences than previous efforts, and more of a distinctive vision for the duo that draws on classic stylings while creating something wholly unique. Volume 3 shows continued growth from She & Him and proves that the group is more than just a pair of famous names, but instead a songwriting and production duo of which to be in awe. (Simon Weedn)
Memoirs of Dennis Peron: How a Gay Hippy Outlaw Legalized Marijuana in Response to the AIDS Crisis By Dennis Peron & John Entwistle, Jr. Medical Use Publishing House Upon first impression, Dennis Peron comes off like a disrespected pothead, complaining about the way life has (mis)treated him at the start of his biography, Memoirs of Dennis Peron: How a Gay Hippy Outlaw Legalized Marijuana in Response to the AIDS Crisis. However, when this wide-ranging book eventually gets to the section where Peron fights for passage of California’s Proposition 215, the Compassionate Use Act of 1996, where marijuana is “legalized” as medicine— particularly to help heal the pain and suffering caused by the AIDS epidemic in Peron’s San Francisco hometown—his image is subtly transformed from that of a loser, into a true leader. This book is part biography, part marijuana legalization manifesto and Peron (with John Entwistle’s editorial help) sometimes cannot decide if he’s writing a political opinion piece or a life story. However, it’s difficult to blame Peron for his tendency to digress because political causes are his life story, so the book would be incomplete without these various activist elements. With these editing flaws aside though, this book nevertheless offers an essential historical snapshot of one peaceful warrior in America’s lengthy war on cannabis. (Dan MacIntosh)
Cloud Atlas Warner Bros. Siblings Lana and Andy Wachowski (The Matrix Trilogy) return, along with Tom Tykwer (The International, Run Lola Run), to direct what was thought to be an un-makeable film adaptation of bestselling novel Cloud Atlas. Along with an exquisite cast of stars including Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Susan Sarandon and Hugh Grant, who take on a variety of rolls, the Wachowskis and Tykwer majestically weave together six unique stories that stretch across the fabric of time to show how the actions of an individual can ripple out to affect the actions of those in the future. In what can be best described as a period-piece meets folk-tale meets sci-fi action movie, the directors manage to create a film that is both lucid and well thought out. The only thing that can take a bit of getting used to is the narrative style, which jumps between periods and stories from time to time, without warning. However, for the viewer who can adjust to the unique storytelling, the reward is a gorgeous and epic tale, which not only dazzles the eyes, but also presents an interesting philosophy on human existence. For these reasons, Cloud Atlas is definitely not one to miss. (Simon Weedn) 28 CULTURE • MAY 2013
Ne-Yo
Channel 933’s 2013 Summer Kick Off Concert Do you have boring tastes in music? Like, you still listen to the same music you did 10 to 20 years ago? Well, that’s why they made radio, so you could diversify your tastes. What? You want to see them live? Fine, you’re lucky that Channel 933 is having its most popular artists in concert this summer. Hip-hop stars Ne-Yo and Trey Songz are headlining with pop darling Demi Lovato, but the lineup doesn’t end there. America is going to get a taste of the other side of the Atlantic with British sensations Olly Murs, Cher Lloyd, One Direction Competition, The Wanted and more. We might as well call this one a British invasion, but one of the more melodic ones of the past several decades. You only get one summer this year, so you might as well start it off right with loud music, great acts and even better friends.
IF YOU GO
What: Channel 933’s 2013 Summer Kick Off Concert. When/Where: May 10 at Sleep Train Amphitheatre, 2050 Entertainment Cir., Chula Vista Info: Tickets $30-$110. Go to www.channel933.com or call (530) 743-5200.
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Let’s Do This Our picks for the coolest things to do around town San Diego Surf Film Festival May 8-12
More than just videos of bros hangin’ loose and catching killer swells, this film fest will have live music throughout the weekend, food, beverages and countless sick events—between a Friday night after-party at the Griffin to a beach clean-up and party Saturday morning, these amazing films are not the only part of this weekend you’ll be looking forward to. Bird’s Surf SHED, San Diego www.birdssurfshed.com
San Diego Botanic Garden Chocolate Festival Sat, May 11
Chocolate and flowers? No—Valentine’s Day is not here AGAIN . . . it’s the San Diego Botanic Garden Chocolate Festival! And it’s just in time for Mother’s Day. Stop by and find great Mother’s Day gifts, beautiful plants, activities for the entire family and of course—chocolate! San Diego Botanic Garden, Encinitas www.sdbgarden.org
The San Diego Jazz Festival May 24-26
Looking to relax with your hunny or looking to find some romance by the sand? The San Diego Jazz fest has a lineup that will put everyone in the mood. La Costa Resort and Spa, Carlsbad www.lacosta.com
Gaslamp Music and Art Festival Sat, May 25
Head down to everyone’s favorite district for a day of art and music you’ll never forget. There will be free live music all day— from Paddy’s Pig to the BuzzBombs, there’s something for everyone. You can’t have an art festival without fashion, so don’t miss the Summertime Fashion Show or the live painting exhibit. And did we mention there will be plenty of drinks and savory dishes to top it off? It will be a perfect day for art and music in the Gaslamp District. Gaslamp Quarter National Historical District, San Diego www.gaslamp.org
Green Day’s American Idiot Tues, May 28 thru Fri, May 31
A musical that is based on the multi-platinum Grammy Awardwinning album American Idiot by Green Day is already guaranteed to be amazing. Come watch as three young friends face the hardest part about growing up—will they follow their dreams and made it big or stick to the comforts of suburbia? San Diego Civic Theatre, San Diego Sandiegotheatres.org MAY 2013 • CULTURE 29
Chuck Shepherd
News of the
Weird
LEAD STORY— UNDOCUMENTED LIVING
; Undocumented immigrant Jose Munoz, 25, believed himself an ideal candidate for President Obama’s 2012 safe-harbor initiative for illegal-entry children, in that he had been brought to the U.S. by his undocumented parents before age 16, had no criminal record and had graduated from high school (with honors, even). Since then, however, he had remained at home in Sheboygan, Wis., assisting his family, doing odd jobs and, admittedly, just playing video games and “vegging.” Living “in the shadows,” he found it
almost impossible to prove the final legal criterion: that he had lived continuously in the U.S. since graduation (using government records, payroll sheets, utility bills, etc.). After initial failures to convince immigration officials, reported the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel in March, Munoz’s lawyer succeeded—by submitting Munoz’s Xbox Live records, documenting that his computer’s Wisconsin location had been accessing video games, day after day, for years.
GOVERNMENT IN ACTION!
; Among the lingering costs of U.S. wars are disability payments
and compensation to veterans’ families, which can continue decades after hostilities end. An Associated Press analysis of federal payment records, released in March, even found two current recipients of Civil War benefits. Vietnam war payments are still about $22 billion a year, World War II, $5 billion, World War I, $20 million, and the 1898 SpanishAmerican war, about $1,700. ; Each year, Oklahoma is among the states to receive $150,000 federal grants to operate small, isolated airfields (for Oklahoma, one in the southern part of the state is so seldom used that it is primarily a restroom stop for passing pilots). The payments are from a 13-year- old congressional fund for about 80 similar airfields (no traffic, no planes kept on site), described by a February Washington Post investigation as “ATM(s) shaped like (airports).” Congress no longer even requires that the annual grants be spent on the actual airports drawing the grants.
PERSPECTIVE
; Some Third-Worlders eat dirt because they are mentally ill or have no meaningful food. However, diners at Tokyo’s upscale Ne Quittez Pas eat it because it is a trendy dish prepared by prominent chef Toshio Tanabe. Among his courses are soil soup served with a flake of dirty truffle, soil sorbet and the “soil surprise” (a dirt-covered potato ball). (Spoiler alert: It has a truffle center.) Tanabe lightly precooks his dirt and runs it through a sieve to eliminate the crunchiness.
POLICE REPORTS
; In some jurisdictions, a driver can be presumed impaired with a blood alcohol reading as low as .07 (and suggestively impaired at a reading below that), but according to a WMAQ-TV investigation in February, some suburban Chicago police forces allow officers to work with their own personal readings as high as .05. (While officers may be barred from driving at that level, they may not, by police union contract, face any discipline if they show up for work with a reading that high.) 30 CULTURE • MAY 2013
; From the Blotter: (1) Arlington County, Va., police reported in February that a resident of Carlin Springs Road told officers that someone entered her home and stole chicken from her simmering crock pot—but only the chicken, leaving the vegetables as they were. The report noted that they had no suspects. (2) Prison guard Alfredo Malespini III, 31, faces several charges in Bradford, Pa., resulting from a marital dispute in March, when, presumably to make a point, he tried to remove his wedding ring by shooting it off. (The ring remained in place; his finger was mangled.)
FETISHES ON PARADE
; Serving Pediphiles: In March, a 19-year-old New York University student described to the New York Post her one-night experience last year as a foot-fetish prostitute at a spa in which men paid a $100 entrance fee plus $20 for each 10 minutes of fondling and kissing young women’s feet. She said the men wore business suits, which they kept on the whole time, and that the dressed-up women had to first pass a strict foot examination by the “pimp,” seeking candidates with the desired “high arches and small feet.” She guessed that more than two dozen men patronized the spa during her shift and that she earned $200, including tips.
READERS’ CHOICE
; In March, Jose Martinez pocketed an $8,000 settlement with California’s Disneyland after he was stranded on a broken It’s a Small World ride for a half-hour in 2009. Because Martinez is disabled, he could not easily be rescued and was forced, he said, to listen to the “It’s a Small World” song on an endless loop until help arrived. (2) A woman and her son doing yard work at their home in Texarkana, Texas, in March “cleverly” dealt with a menacing snake by dousing it with gasoline and setting it afire, but of course it slithered away— under brush next to their house. Moments later, according to an Associated Press dispatch, the home caught fire and burned down, and their neighbor’s house was heavily damaged. 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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