DOPE Magazine - Arizona - The Art Issue - September 2017 by DOPE Magazine

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SEPTEMBER 2017 | THE ART ISSUE

EDITOR’S LETTER F

rom the marches for Women’s and Civil Rights to the emblazoned protests for People with Disabilities and LGBTQ+ equality, art has motivated, inspired and even perpetuated the movements through their toughest times. It’s central not just to our social history here in the U.S., but to us as humans throughout time. Art is a way to relate to others beyond our temporal limitations. Every September DOPE Magazine highlights the role of art in our lives and the many forms it can take. Saber, world-renowned graffiti artist and canvas painter, shares with us his intimate story with cannabis, his love for L.A., family and his daily battle with epilepsy as he continues to express himself and create. The Seventh Letter collective, home to some of the most elusive artists, including Saber, opened its doors introducing us to the passionate stories of The Grandfather of Graffiti, Chaz Bojórquez, former tattoo artist and exuberant graffiti artist 2Shae, mixed-media visionary Kenton Parker and more of a ‘newcomer’, though he’s got a lifetime of art under his belt, French-L.A. transplant Sebastien Walker. Through these artists we explore the commitment it takes to be a graffiti artist and the influences that drive them. If you’re down to get around this month, travel with Jonah Tacoma over to NorCal’s Cannabis Cup or fly with Seshata to explore the artisan history of Greece’s hash first hand. We’ve even tackled Las Vegas’ new trajectory toward Amsterdam stardom! Dive into some transforming and inspiring art in the pages of 2017’s Art Issue. Stay DOPE! The DOPE Editorial Team

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THE ART ISSUE

TABLE OF CONTENTS

SEPTEMBER 2017

CULTURE IS VEGAS THE NEW AMSTERDAM?

LAW CAN A PATENT PROTECT A GOOD IDEA?

CULTURE SPACED OUT RACE: WORLD NATIONS COMPETE FOR RECREATIONAL SUPREMACY

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EDITOR’S CHOICE HOLLOW PIPES

TRAVEL THE GOLDEN YEARS OF HASH: WILL GREECE RETURN TO ITS HASH-MAKING PAST?

COVER FEATURE SABER: THE ARTISTS’ ARTIST

PROFILE PUPPYTEETH

FEATURE THE SEVENTH LETTER: WHERE ARTISTIC EXPRESSION MEETS DIALOGUE

LIFESTYLE DOPE ON THE ROAD WITH JONAH TACOMA

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SABER

F E AT U R E

THE ARTISTS' ARTIST WRITER / ANDREA LARSON PHOTO / JORDAN SWENSON

alking down the concrete hallway on the fourth floor of a repurposed door warehouse in the L .A. Arts District is Saber. He has recognizable movement—arms sway in a particular pendulum fashion and his feet turn out ever so slightly. His pants are spackled in paint. Periwinkle, purple, white and red smudges, splatters of his last few pieces of work, linger on his Carhartts. Once-pristine white tennis shoes are battle scarred with thick spray paint. If those shoes could talk… Saber, known to his family and friends as simply Ryan, comes from a family of artists— both in the literal and figurative sense. Amid the graffiti world he is known as The Artists’ Artist. When asked if the nickname is flattering, Saber states seriously: “Compliments are great. They keep you going. But I think I’ve always liked the idea of craft, and painting is a wonderful craft. My parents and grandparents were artists, so I have this lineage of painting. Add the graffiti to that and it becomes more motion-based . . . it’s a whole different tool— it’s most of your body being used.” Saber is part of a collective family called The Seventh Letter (TSL). You may know him as the graffiti artist who, in 1997, rolled his name, “SABER,” on the banks of the L.A. river. It’s the largest piece of graffiti that has ever existed—it was buffed in 2009, and all that’s left is its legacy. But that’s the point. There is something special about a painter who knows that their work will inevitably be destroyed—whether it’s by another hand, the weather or time—the work in its original form will vanish. Saber, his blue eyes lighting up, explains: “We’ll [graffiti artists] throw

wildstyles off the top of our heads that are complete utter beautiful fucking pieces of work done on the spot, and we can turn our backs and it’s destroyed the second we leave. That’s the essence of it. It’s there now, and beautiful, like a beautiful plant that grew where it wasn’t supposed to.” Like a weed growing through a crack in the pavement.

DAY ONE

DOPE Magazine flies down to L.A. to visit Saber in his natural habitat—the streets of L.A., as well as his home in Pasadena where he lives with his wife and two kids. Acting as our tour guide for a full 48 hours, Saber takes us on an eye-opening journey through the L.A. Arts District, Skid Row, Highland Park and the Fairfax District. Saber sits shotgun for the tour and talks about the city from his perspective—pointing left and right, spouting off bits of useful information in rapidfire sentences. We cruise past a staircase in our silver minivan that leads to the Fourth Street Bridge, which has been recently painted with colorful ascending serpents. “That’s Pepper’s staircase. He’s been minding those steps for years. He’d be fucking pissed about this mural,” Saber notes, referring to the staircase recently painted by John Cuevas, commissioned by community stakeholders to ‘beautify’ the steps. Pepper lives on the streets and has a majority of his life. Ryan has been friends with Pepper for years. Ryan then wonders aloud whether Pepper is still alive. Living on the streets of L.A .is no easy feat, and with it comes a diminished life expectancy.

Our tour continues. We stop by a small workplace studio, meeting up with other members of TSL . Garments of all colors and materials hang on rolling racks in an other wise empty space. Saber pulls a char treuse puffy coat from the rack painted with black letters that read: “Artwork Rebels SABER.” It’s part of a collection Saber is completing for a line called “The Drug Against Wars,” and will be available for sale in high-end department stores like Barneys this fall. We continue on, arriving at Downtown Patient Group (D.T.P.G.) where 2Shae, another TSL veteran, has painted his “WEEDHEAD” character on the wall—a larger-than-life mural with Mickey Mouse-esque gloves and a huge nug in place of its head. 2Shae hands out stickers and pins to the D.T.P.G. staff while discussing the next mural he has in store for the dispensary’s walls. A s t h e s u n s e t s o n t h e s t re e t s o f a precariously cool L.A. day in late July, we head to the corner of Santa Fe and Violet Street on the border of the L.A. Arts District and pull into a parking lot. Peering down from us is a massive graffiti piece titled Perseverare. Disappointed by the cars in the lot disrupting our view of the piece in its entirety, Ryan hops out of the car to get a closer look at his and Zes’ collaborative work for MSK/ AWR. The piece pays homage to the legacy of graffiti in L.A. A van pulls up alongside the mural and a man steps out wearing graffitiladen clothes. He’s a fan of Saber and has been driving past the mural since its inception, hoping to get a glimpse of Saber and Zes. It’s his lucky day. Saber reaches out to shake his hand and thanks him for his support. I begin to understand the role that Saber and artists like him play in this city—they’re luminaries. Back in the van, we settle in for the drive to Pasadena to drop Saber off at home. Since being diagnosed with epilepsy, Saber no longer drives. It isn’t safe. Saber discusses the debilitating seizures that have landed him in the hospital on too many occasions to count over the last 15 years: I am facing much bigger challenges with my seizures. Terrible, life-threatening seizures. Bad ‘grandma’ seizures. Every time I have one, I wake up hours later and have a bigger frontier in front of me. The healing aspect of cannabis and CBD on epilepsy is fascinating. We’re going to find out what’s really happening. To have the option of treating myself with cannabis is amazing. I constantly live in fear, and it sucks. If cannabis is going to allow me to flourish and make more art, then hopefully everyone wins, in that sense. Life is fabulous. I have two beautiful children and I’m making art, but there are challenges and these seizures

are fucked up. It’s taught me a lot about life with empathy, and seeing other people in emergency rooms. I have been in a lot of emergency rooms. He asks if we want to drive through Skid Row. I peer into the backseat to see if the crew want to take the journey, and they respond that it’s up to me. I’m in, despite some hesitation for feeling like a bit of an asshole who wants to see the realities of Skid Row. I put my foot on the gas and ask, “Left or right at the next light?” Looking out the passenger side window, Saber suddenly shouts, “There’s motherfuckin’ Pepper, man! Pull over!” We pull off to the right and Saber hops out, quickly walking down the street. I keep looking for him in the rear view mirror and finally catch sight of Saber’s recognizable gait. Pepper approaches the van and shakes our hands. When Saber introduces us as DOPE Magazine, Pepper immediately wants to talk about weed. His raspy voice, paired with the deep lines on his face, light up with excitement. Pepper is alive and well, still tending to his block of the Arts District. Saber gives him all the money he has on him, a couple of water bottles, a few t-shirts and a ball cap that we have with us in the car. We say our goodbyes to Pepper and head out into the sunset to d rive through Skid Row. We approach the edge of Skid Row, and Saber points at a few tourists entering the west side of Skid Row via Alameda Street. “These people have no fucking idea what they ’re about to walk into,” Saber says with wavering concern. We push along, Saber looking left and right, making note that the area must’ve had a recent “clean-up.” Sweeps, as they’ve come to be called, are the city’s attempts at cracking down on the homeless population—removing “abandoned” makeshift shelters, blankets, cooking utensils and anything else they can get their hands on. As we roll through the area that’s little more than four square miles, Saber points out men and women sweeping the sidewalks and tells me to keep going, making ‘California stops’ (barely tapping the breaks) at lights and stop signs. When we leave the area I am taken aback by the proximity between the rich and poor. We take a right turn, and within a block or two I see a woman walking her Chihuahua—the pup is wearing four sparkly blue shoes. Within another half a block there are designer-clad twenty-somethings waiting in line for iced coffee and trendy restaurant appetizers. It’s a real mind fuck. Saber says, “In LA we have a humanitarian crises happening right now. The homeless situation is unprecedented.”

DAY TWO

We get to Saber’s around 11am and he’s ready to be caffeinated; his kids are full of energy and often keep him up until the wee hours of the morning. I’m curious how his life and mission as an artist has changed since embarking into fatherhood. I know what real life is about. I am less selfish and self-centered. I used to thrive on self-destructive behavior. “Me first” down a dark hole with two kids doesn’t work. Now it’s not about me. Now it’s coming down to creating a life for myself. The art world is a tricky fucking place. A strange enigma. A multi-billion-dollar industry with its own laws, regulations and influences. It’s almost impenetrable. Its strategic. I walk into places looking like this and I don’t give a fuck. Cause I am just who I am. But it’s about securing a future now. I didn’t give a fuck before. But this is my job, what I do for a living and this is my practice—it’s everything. My family revolves around it now. This is my boy’s painting (Saber picks up a painted canvas). He was busting out, only three years old. My daughter is a beast, too. My daughter is six, my boy is three, and I am learning all about them. It’s a whole new world. The challenges are to beat this epilepsy and beat the art game, and I am going to do it for them. I want to secure my legacy as an artist.

We roll over to his favorite Pasadena café, and while standing in line Saber runs his hands through the display coffee beans, chomping a few down for good measure. “This is how you get caffeinated,” he laughs. We’re headed to Chaz Bojórquez’s house. He lives in Highland Park, and the beauty of the San Rafael Hills blows me away. Chaz’s home is beautiful, and we’re lucky enough to catch his wife before she runs out for errands. In his garage studio, Chaz pens a piece for us right before our eyes. Known as the Father of Graffiti, Chaz is humble, kind. He spent a lot of his youth creating art during the civil rights and early feminist movements. He pulls out a plastic-wrapped book and gently slips an X-Acto knife between the case and its pages to open it up. He makes a small note, signs the endpaper and hands it to Saber—a gift. In his room, Chaz points to a colossal canvas painted with wispy clouds. “I did that when I was very young,” he says, nodding his head. Saber and Chaz share a joint, chat about the friends they share, their current and upcoming projects. Saber pulls his phone from his pocket and shows Chaz pictures of his kids. “I can’t believe how old they are now,” Chaz smiles in disbelief. Two legends in the graffiti community, Chaz and Saber are old friends. Chaz reflects upon his relationship with younger artists in the graffiti community, including Saber, and says, “I needed roots. I was on my own in the graffiti community for twenty years. They became my children.” As we drive out of Highland Park for our cover shoot with Saber, the realization that The Seventh Letter is more than just a collective of graffiti artists sits heavily in my thoughts. It’s a subculture that an outsider simply can’t quite grasp. That evening, I ask Saber about graffiti as a catalyst for political and social issues. He says: The act of graffiti is already activism and an effort for social consciousness. Some people don’t realize that. It’s engrained in graffiti. The beauty of graffiti is that the elitism comes with hard-earned work. We’re all brothers. Any race, creed or place in society can partake in this. If they fight hard, they are accepted. There is a bigger idea of proving what you’re worth, not what you’re perceived as. Do the work, show your goods, create positivity around your work and it doesn’t matter who you are. That’s the beauty of it. For a full version of Saber’s interview with DOPE Magazine, visit dopemagazine.com/saber

F E AT U R E

WHO WILL BE AWARDED THE TITLE: VICE CITY? WRITER/PHOTO / KATIE CONLEY

ith recreational cannabis taking off in Las Vegas, will Sin City soon rival Amsterdam, Europe’s cannabis capital? Both have long been considered vice-indulging destinations, and having traveled to each place, it’s clear they offer visitors similarly endless avenues for debauchery. Could Vegas soon dismantle Amsterdam’s claim to fame as the weed and vice capital of the world, or will these cities forever be united in their respective avenues of depravity?

Weed Amsterdam has been synonymous with weed since the 1970s, when the government ceased to officially criminalize the drug. It wasn’t legal, but gedogen, a Dutch term that, as author Russell Shorto explains, means “technically illegal, but officially tolerated.” There are cannabis cafes throughout the city, typically referred to as coffee shops. They are so prevalent that most restaurants have signs specifying no indoor smoking—and they’re not referring to cigarettes. Unfortunately, with the rise of gun violence aimed at coffee shops (most incidents occur after the shops are closed, however) and Party for Freedom house leader Geert Wilders’ anti-coffee shop stance, the future of cannabis in Amsterdam is unclear. In Las Vegas, however, the recreational cannabis industry is just getting started. The medical market has been in operation since 2015, and recreational began in July of 2017. Although it remains unknown if visitors will ever be able to puff away while playing cards at the casino, plans are currently in the works. Public consumption has been an issue in every legalized state, and particularly vexing for tourists who travel specifically to purchase marijuana, yet can’t legally consume in public or their hotel rooms. The Clark County Green Ribbon panel, which consists of leaders in Nevada’s gaming and cannabis industries, respectively, hopes to one day see consumption lounges in casinos and hotels. Tourists could consume in style and comfort, mirroring the Dutch practice that led to its reputation as a cannabis mecca.

Sex L i ke m o s t E u ro p e a n c o u n t r i e s , s e x i s n’ t a t a b o o t o p i c i n the Netherlands. In our Westerpark Airbnb, my friend and I found a porno sandwiched between Bridget Jones’s Diary and Love Actually in the DVD library, seemingly at home among the other romcoms. Amsterdam is host to numerous sex shops, sex museums and the Rossebuurt, or Red Light District. Perhaps most well-known in the district are the women behind glass windows—walking through a condensed few square blocks, more than 300 windows, most of them on street-level, reveal scantily-clad women waiting for business. The district was bustling with tourists when I visited, all seemingly hoping to get a peek of the strange sight, including families and a surprising number of young children. The atmosphere was lively, even amiable. My friend and I decided to check out the Casa Rosso, famous for its sex shows and welcoming attitude. For €50 you get a ticket to a show that goes on all night—you can stay as long as you like, although the 90-minute program repeats itself—and drinks pour in unlimited fashion from the bar. My first-hand knowledge of the Red Light scene in Vegas is less colorful. Nevada’s legal brothels aren’t as accessible as they are in the Red Light District in Amsterdam, which is centrally located. In the state of Nevada, counties with less than 700,000 residents can host brothels, which excludes Las Vegas’ Clark County. Those looking for legal sex work must therefore travel outside the city limits to one of nearly twenty brothels in the state. Escort services and strip clubs are easily accessible on the main Vegas drag, however, and remain a staple of the economy, if not the main reason many travel to the city. A Bachelor and Bachelorette party destination, the Vegas sex industry may be less accessible than that of the Rossebuurt, but is almost synonymous with the city itself. Will Vegas become the new vice capital of the world? Who knows how Vegas’ transition to recreational cannabis will fare, and if it can match Amsterdam’s status as a ganja paradise. Here’s hoping Vegas rec goes smoothly and safely, and allows tourists yet another level of fun in Sin City. Is it the new Amsterdam? Well, yes and no. Would I prefer to go to Amsterdam rather than Las Vegas? Of course. In Amsterdam, tears welled in my eyes as I stood mere inches from Tree Roots, believed by scholars to be Van Gogh’s last painting before his death. In Las Vegas, I puked in a hotel lobby bathroom while “Cheeseburger in Paradise” blared above me. And yet, as with everything, the experience in either town is what you make of it. You can go to Amsterdam and view fine art, or a sex show; you can go to Vegas to see award-winning performances, or lose your kid’s college fund on a game of Craps. Can one replace the other? You’ll never know until you visit. So get packing!

ARTICLE TITLE

F E AT U R E

WHERE ARTISTIC EXPRESSION MEETS DIALOGUE WRITER / ANDREA LARSON

PHOTO / JORDAN SWENSON

n the Fairfax District of L.A. sits The Seventh Letter flagship store and gallery. The walls bloom and burst with colorful framed art, and in the back of the gallery hundreds of cans of spray paint sit stacked six feet tall in small cardboard boxes, waiting patiently to be unwrapped. Walking up the staircase, I peer around the corner into the room on my right—nervousness creeps into my bones. Sitting at the table a group of artists and their friends chat and banter, everyone is so engaged no one really looks up—except for Willie T. A baker’s dozen of doughnuts and small containers of two percent milk wait, anticipating the next taker. Condensation clings in small droplets on the kindergartensize plastic milk jugs—a reminder that Saber, the DOPE video crew and I are late to the party. Willie T. plucks the doughnut box from the table and carries it over our way in an entertainment-like fashion—he has the better late than never look in his eyes, but his smile puts everyone at ease. At the head of the table sits Casey. Saber refers to Casey, better known as Eklips, as the “first era.” Casey’s head tilts back and he laughs in pure enjoyment. If I didn’t know better, I’d say it’s been some time since this group was together as one. Just as they should be. Saber, Casey, Eddie, Sebastien, 2Shae, Willie T. and the crew invite us into their space with open arms and joints pass from hand to hand. The smoke is so thick in the room, someone actually mentions the lack of visibility from one end of the table to the other.

The Seventh Letter and its founder, Casey Zoltan, who also started AWR / MSK (which merged as one in 1999) have been fighting the war on graffiti since they were teens. Work by TSL artists can be found in cities across the globe and most TSL members will tell you that graffiti, as both an art form and lifestyle, saved their life. There are as many risks as there are rewards in the graffiti world. Saber, one of TSL’s most recognized artists, has broken bones and risked jail time for his craft. He shares, “I’ve had a lot of fucked up injuries doing this shit. Painting the river piece (the largest piece of graffiti ever created), I blew my knee out.” For the TSL artists, the city is their canvas and panning the city scene for the next place to plug in a painting is the norm. These days, the crew is more cautious of where their paint lands and they’ve made a sincere effort in creating art that is in compliance with the law. Graffiti has deep roots, they stretch and tangle themselves in a world unseen by most of us. As Chaz Bojórquez put it, as long as the human condition suffers, there will be

graffiti—it isn’t going anywhere as a form of artistic expression or dialogue. There is still a very strong resistance to graffiti as an art form, and despite artists like Chaz having work on display in museums like the Smithsonian, many art critics and curators have a difficult time accepting graffiti as a valid art form. They clearly haven’t spent enough time with the members of The Seventh Letter. If they do, they will realize that most graffiti artists hone and develop their skills as writers, typographers, storytellers, sculptors or painters—just to name a few. Beyond that, a graffiti artist, from my minimal understanding, is an individual who makes sense of the world around them through visualization. Each time they embark on a new project, it is done in an effort to bring light to situations that are screaming for attention. What follows is a series of interviews DOPE Magazine conducted in July. We couldn’t be more thankful to have been accepted into the lives of The Seventh Letter artists, if even for a brief time.

Shae has a way of making you feel comfortable. Throughout the day I watch his eyes pan the room, it appears he’s looking to make sure that everyone is at ease and having a good time. He’s a bit of a jokester, too, using opportunities that pop up to tease me or the video crew. I like this about him. He’s like a pesky older brother you can’t help but love. At one point during our interview, he says, “Am I talking weird?” He then proceeds to tell us that he’s just had surgery on the roof of his mouth, and has “like 20 stitches.” This makes the room laugh, and we assure him we never would’ve noticed if he hadn’t said anything. DOPE Magazine: From a young age, you’ve understood typography. Is typography what inspires you as a tattoo and graffiti artist, painter, etc.? 2Shae: Lettering and sculpting is needed in graffiti and tattooing. Pushing lettering to different styles of lettering. It came naturally to me. It’s important within all of the elements in all of my favorite pieces of art. If I had to put stuff in order I wouldn’t say I love doing my typography, I love doing lettering. The “Jack of all trades, master of none”-type bullshit. I feel I am really good at illustration and blending lettering forms with it. Finding that and typography played a huge role in my growth. I like creating logos. I would put illustration work first. It’s hard to describe—it’s not just about characters, but about creating content within a piece. There’s a saying that if you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room. You borrow a similar saying: “If you hang around with nine broke motherfuckers, you’ll be the tenth.” How is this applicable to your world? Are you constantly striving to be surrounded by those who inspire and motivate you?

But don’t you think it’s true? If you’re in a room with 10 of your friends and everyone is bummed out, and no one wants to do shit, then you aren’t gonna do shit. But if you’re with nine of your friends and they all wanna go crazy—even if you don’t want to—you’ll get dragged out and love it! If you want certain things, you should surround yourself with those people. I always try to surround myself with the best people. Sometimes it’s your friends, and sometimes it’s not. One day I wanna be celebrating in a room with a bunch of motherfuckers I don’t know. I am gonna have money, and all my real friends will be there.

Has there been a time when you felt like, “I’ve plateaued, I need to find a new room to be in.” What steps do you take to get motivated? I do still have the same groups of friends. A lot of stuff getting together and idea bouncing . . . you idea jot, go crazy and stuff [pauses]. I think I got lost ‘cause I am high as fuck. You got me on some college shit or something! What the fuck was that all about? You know what side of the brain I use, fucker! [laughs]. Plateau, though? No way, I could never do that. Look around at the talent in this room (referring to surrounding TSL artists). Trying to find new stuff and new content to stay alive within [this world] is very hard. Especially right now . . . art is everywhere—it’s so boom, boom, boom because of social media. A lot of people who might not have been recognized years ago can be found and start a career. That’s good for everybody. You say that there are three things you focus on while painting murals: expressions, patterns and movement. Has this focus allowed you to build your own trajectory as a graffiti artist? Why do you put an emphasis on expression, pattern and movement? Those three elements—if you grab those within a drawing, you’ll win. If you can hit people with patterns, their eyes will register that. Especially color patterns. The movement is always something people enjoy. Moving blended with subtle, abrupt stopping is right now, too—my illustrations are poster setups—good lettering, an energetic action scene. Like a book cover—it appeals to so many different things. The letter styling, the painting on the front and the energy. A lot of artists tap into the darker side of emotions through their graffiti. You tend to make light of dark situations in your work. What inspires your direction? If you can tap into different emotions, like the Pillhead character—I came from a weird life of that. My parents were fucked up, and I always thought that that was normal. Then I grew up and realized it wasn’t. When I dug into that and played with that world for the last two years, it’s been self-healing. It’s been dope because I can tell people are appreciating the art and it’s resonating with them. I know what punchlines to hit. With art, when people find that spot in them and release it—depressing, sad, beautiful, energetic—no matter what it is, that it’s probably some of their best work and probably some of the best times that they’re having. What’s your relationship with cannabis? I’ve smoked bud my whole life, since I was nine or 10. I didn’t smoke heavily until junior high or high school. From then on I was considered a stoner dude. I didn’t touch the other ones ‘til later on. Weed has always played a part in my life. It puts you in a world—getting high and drawing. You get everything prepared, and all you have to do is ink. And if you get stoned, it puts you in that mood. People use different things—alcohol—I just use weed. It’s safe. I can’t lie, drugs play a big role in my art. Sometimes I am scared that being too sober could stale it out, or make it not as creative or weird. That’s what I ride on—having stuff hidden in stuff. The layers of art on top of each other and the weirdness is created by being high, letting my imagination do what it does. Not to say it wouldn’t happen sober, but I’ve never really put effort into that. My mouth is dry as shit! [laughs].

hen we show up at Kenton’s studio he is sitting with a couple of friends, passing around a joint. They had just got back from happy hour, and I am glad to see that Kenton is relaxed. He’s known for unapologetically saying what’s on his mind in rapid-fire sentences—I’d been nervous about this interview since leaving Seattle. Across the room sitting on his desk are two miniature sculptures. One is a tiny replica of a Chanel storefront, which I recognize from my research. On the floor are pieces of his By Any Means Necessary installation—barbells made of concrete are slipped on old broom sticks and random pieces of wood—a comical ode to self-improvement. His work is very much a reflection of his storytelling process, and he’ll be the first to tell you that he has is very aware of his ad nauseam attention to detail—he is a Virgo, after all. DOPE Magazine: I read that you like to speak in rapid fire sentences laced with expletives. Have you always been a fast talker, and does creating art help you to slow down? Kenton Parker: I’ve definitely always been a fragmented-sentence talker. I think someone said I was kinda like a stick of dynamite. Which I actually agree with . . . I’ll say to my girl or something, “You have to listen to the whole sentence before making up your mind.” Most people don’t have enough patience for me [laughs]. One of your installations is entitled, “Always Sorry - Flower Shop.” Your work seems to be influenced by life’s challenges, heartache, emotion. Can you explain your process when you create something new?

I feel like my work is always super content driven, but also extremely journalistic. When I’m dead, you’ll be able to go through the whole thing and say, “Oh shit, this is what this kid was going through.” All the starburst paintings are about individual people—mostly girls—that I [have] dated or gone out with. Or family members and friends. All of the installations are about putting things on pedestals. The flower shop was like, shit, I get in trouble so much with girls that my credit card was on file with the flower shop. It was always a joke to me—“always sorry.” . . . A girl told me once, “Why do you always give me flowers when you’re in the doghouse? I want flowers when you’re not in the doghouse!” I was like, “Oh, fuck.” And I learned a giant lesson on that. The Always Sorry Flower Shop was one of my funnest and best installations, ‘cause it hit such a homerun—with guys, mostly. From a beauty aspect it was gorgeous; the plants in the front lived and died and got replaced every week or whatever. You had this sense of life and death. The roof was always living, so you got this whole sense of the lifecycle. Flowers are super fragile, and I compare people to flowers. You’re fragile . . . I remember the first time I showed it, four days before the show I had to go home and put my dog down, then fly back and do this show. I put his collar in that installation. It was a really big deal for me at that point in time. That installation was super powerful and impactful to me.

You liken your work to a journalist enterprise, and you free write every day. Do you think that you’d ever do a written piece, or something outside of your typical art form? The text pieces, which is the freewriting that I do—it’s all on 8x11 sheets of paper. There are thousands of them. They’ve actually been a really cool concept. Freewriting was always the equivalent, to me, of getting through a thousand different ideas . . . I started showing them with my gallery primarily in Miami, and we started selling sheets of paper with things written on them. I sold one that said, “I’ll see it when I believe it.” It later became a mural in Miami, and did really well. It’s about manifesting your own dreams . . . Some of the text pieces are really stupid, and some are emotional—a lot of them are vulgar, and a lot of them are straight out of the mouth. Ah, man. I just fucked that fucking shit up! A lot of them, when I am going in and out of relationships, will be about girls and raw emotions. I think what you get from freewriting is the rawness of it, which I like. I just got to co-write this TV pilot, which was really, really cool. It’s with my writing partner, Harrison James. It was really fun to write. I don’t know if I could do a book, but the pilot was fun—coming up with dialogue and stories . . . I would leave my art studio, go there to write, and it was like going to soccer practice. It’s been really cool. Why L.A.? Why art and graffiti here? I feel extremely fortunate to have traveled a lot with my family. My dad was in the military, and we got to live in Korea and across the U.S., mostly living in Northern California. I went to college in San Diego, and at that point we had started a nightclub—me and two partners—we were 18, and I am 48 now, so that was [around] 1989. After graduating, it was natural to move to L.A. to keep that business going. Also, I felt like I had gotten stuck in this sand trap in San Diego, and had done everything I could do . . . I’ve been [in L.A.] 25 years now, and I’ve seen it grow. L.A. is fucking cool. What is your relationship to cannabis? How do you use it in your creative endeavors? Growing up in NorCal, weed was always around. When I was super young, in Grass Valley and Chico, in the mountains—it wasn’t talked about. But it was clear that it was around. As it’s been getting more and more popular, the legal and the illegal are starting to even out a little bit . . . It will be legal here in January 2018—relatively soon—and I think it is what it is. I think it’s a good thing. It’s funny, too, ‘cause I know a lot of L.A. people that would never have anything to do with marijuana, and now they want someone to pick them up oil or a CBD product. Or they need a product for their dog. It’s truly weird, because I feel like I always grew up around pot . . . I do think it makes you more creative. Who knows, I come to work every day whether I am stoned or not. I was a heavier user earlier on in my career, when I was younger. Now I appreciate the days that I get to do it a little bit more.

ebastien is eloquent. He speaks rhythmically and purposefully— like a metronome. When we show up at The Seventh Letter offices, he is drawing a character in a book while those sitting adjacent to him watch intently. I tap him on the shoulder a few times to introduce myself, but he’s in his element and doesn’t even notice. Willie T. finally gets his attention and he jolts back to reality with a big smile on his face, reaching out his hand to greet me. I was told from the get-go that if we came to L.A., we had to interview Sebastien—and he did not disappoint! DOPE Magazine: You were raised by artists. How did they pave the path for your artistic endeavors? Sebastien Walker: Both of my parents are artists. My dad is an opera singer and my mom is a pianist. I was raised in a ‘not regular’ household because of that. They always pushed my sister and I to go either direction we chose—creative or not. My sister ended up writing and I ended up drawing, so I guess we found our own way of expression, which wasn’t music . . . My parents always pushed us to whatever endeavor we desired, sports or whatever. They wanted us to do what made us happy. Your work is heavily influenced by Franco-Belgian comic books. Fluide Glacial and Heavy Metal, for example. Much of your work is entrenched in the storytelling process that inspires you. Yeah, most of my work is really heavily influenced by FrancoBelgian comics. It’s more than just comics, to me it is a whole subculture that is for the connoisseur, people that are educated about it. It wasn’t like the ‘cool teenager’ thing to know about. Then it basically wrapped around the storytelling you can find in my work. I think more than storytelling, my work is about quick, humoristic puns and making something that looks like it’s made for children but speaks to adults. You received your first comic by a gentleman you were sitting next to on a plane. You had been peeking at it and he handed it to you as a gift. Do you think your trajectory would have been different if you hadn’t had this chance encounter with a stranger? I don’t think it would’ve have turned out differently, ‘cause I would have been exposed, eventually, to that magazine. [That stranger] started it earlier. I met some friends who were really into comics later and [they] educated me further. What’s funny is that I distinctly remember the name of the [magazine]. The magazines are a compilation of a lot of cartoonists. One is called Édika, a guy known for drawing really big-chested women. It’s really an innocent drawing looking at it, but not innocent at all. I think I would’ve ended up guided in that direction—I would’ve ended up being exposed to those comics.

You just wrapped up an exhibit at The Seventh Letter in April of 2017. It took you quite some time to put this collection together. A decade? I did my first solo show this year and I have been in L.A. for a decade, but I haven’t been painting on canvas for a decade. I haven’t been committing fully for a decade at all. For quite a few years now I’ve been committed. Initially I was working ad agencies and doing graphic and t-shirt design—which wasn’t pleasant to me. Slowly I took up painting because I was scared of the canvas at first. It took me awhile to get to the brushes and start painting at home. Not even to show it at the beginning— as a personal, satisfying meditative thing. Then slowly I took it really seriously and gave it my everything. [My] first solo show [is] long overdue, but not really. I really did want to do it in the right setting, which is here at TSL, with the right people. Showing the right amount of work and not just having a party. It’s easy to have an opening and show a few paintings, but I wanted to make a statement. Out of all the places where you could live and work, why L.A.? Why is this the place you call home? It took me a few years to accept that L.A. is home, but for what I am doing, it’s where it’s happening. I don’t think there is anywhere else where it’s happening quite like this, except maybe N.Y., San Fran, Miami. To me, I live in L.A. because when I moved to America it was here or N.Y. New York felt too much like France, too much like Paris. I needed to be in something really different. I see people in France who I used to admire as a teenager— artists—who are still struggling and still at the same point. The audience is bigger here. Maybe more open-minded as well. I didn’t really choose L.A., but I couldn’t have chosen better. Detroit pops up a lot when you research graffiti. In the past, the communities there have been really accepting of graffiti. They find graffiti to be beautifying their city. What are your feelings on Detroit? Of course, I’ve heard about Detroit in the graffiti world. It was a destination to go to—‘cause you could paint anywhere at some point. I don’t think that’s so true anymore, because of what’s happening in the communities. A French dude got shot there years ago, he was painting and they found his body two years later in a factory. His name was Zoo Project. I know that Detroit is a city that was great for artists because of cheap rent and destroyed places that you could take advantage of. I think that now it’s more complicated, and at some point I wanted to go, but I am not too sure about it now. Of course, it sounded like a painter’s fantasy—stopping on the corner and painting anybody’s house—I just don’t think that’s the case anymore.

“WHEN YOU PAINT, YOU WATCH PAINT DRY A LOT, AND POT DOES WELL TO FORGET ABOUT TIME—AND ART IS ABOUT FORGETTING ABOUT TIME.” – SEBASTIEN WALKER OF TSL

The first person that you met from TSL was DAME. How did you two meet? Has he been a mentor? The first person I met from TSL was DAME MSK / AWR. We slowly became friends. We met painting at an event—he was looking at me from afar and judging my work in a positive way. We ended up speaking and we had a lot of values in common, and then we ended up grabbing a beer and going to one of his friend’s concerts. We slowly began hanging out and painting again. Through that I ended up meeting some other TSL dudes and going through some openings and meeting everybody. Then I went to [the Electric Daisy Carnival] in 2013 with everybody, and that’s where I felt acceptance by the family. DAME has always been one of my best friends in L.A. He’s a really interesting dude with a great sense of humor. A good one. What is your relationship with cannabis? I’ve been smoking cannabis—I started with hash—for 20 years every day, pretty much. I am 35. I smoked my first joint when I was 15. It is something, to me, that is part of my daily life. I don’t think it’s an incredible thing—it’s another substance. Some bodies respond well, some don’t. My body is well used to it and I think in my process with art, cannabis became part of my creative process. Not that I need it, but I smoke cigarettes as well. It’s part of a rewarding little break. When you paint, you watch paint dry a lot, and pot does well to forget about time—and art is about forgetting about time. Pot is great for that!

haz is a global traveler. A bit of a nomad. He’s been working diligently as a graffiti artist since he penned his first piece in the ‘60s. His wisdom is palpable and his appreciation and love for the craft is evident in the works of art that hang from the walls in his home that he shares with his wife Christina. He continues to be a voice of reason in the graffiti community and after many discussions with other graffiti artists it’s clear that he is one of the most respected and valued artists in the graffiti arena. DOPE Magazine: You studied calligraphy under Master Yun Chung Chiang, and there aren’t necessarily many people in the graffiti world that have gone to art school. How did that influence and shape you? Chaz Bojórquez: When I went to art school, I was a Ceramics major. This was the time with the hippies, around ’67. The Vietnam war was going on. J. Edgar Hoover was the head of the FBI; there was the civil rights movement. Going to art school, as the only Latino person in ceramics I felt very isolated, but it taught me to study the fundamentals of art. Number one, drawing—you need to learn drawing, ‘cause if you can draw, you can build it. It’s a foundation of structuring ideas in your mind. Also, I met a lot of friends there . . . during lunch we would all [have a] break, the whole school—it was a small institution—Chouinard Art Institute, in downtown L.A. We would go on the roof and light up, and I would end up supplying [weed for] some of my teachers, and they would give me some extra canvases for painting! It was a really friendly, hippy-ville time. It opened up my mind about what kind of artist I wanted to be. You’ve been credited with playing a large role in the Chicano Urban Arts Movement, but it seems like you had resistance from some groups. It was around when I did my first tag, around 1969. The Chicano movement was happening. They were muralists. They were putting out imagery, and I was trying to find myself with my work. I had never shown in a gallery and I was beginning to do graffiti and graffiti art—actually put it on canvas. That concept was really new at that time, and it wasn’t well accepted. I took my first painting to East L.A., to a Chicano gallery—I thought I would be accepted. These Chicanos were painting low riders and the community, and I wanted to be those guys. But when I took my paintings in there, they said, “Chaz, this is not art, this is gutter art. This is antiChicano. Chicano art is about family, religion, farm workers, border issues, suppression…that is what Chicano art imagery is.” What I was doing was against that, and they wouldn’t show my work. A few years later I ended up in Hollywood, and the 01 Gallery. Robert Williams, the godfather of Whack Cartoon and CA Zap comics and Big Daddy Roth—he did Ratfink. Those guys embraced my work. Americana underground.

Turbulence continues to drive people to create graffiti: “As soon as society’s ails disappear, then graffiti will go along with it.” You will never get rid of the ails of society. Graffiti comes along with that. They found graffiti in the pyramids, in Pompeii—graffiti is a way that we leave our mark. I found graffiti when I was in Istanbul. I went to the Hagia Sophia church, it was a mosque, the first church from the Byzantine era. When the first Crusades happened around 10,000 AD, they went to that church to pray. I knew that these were probably 14, 15, 18-year-old kids, and I knew that they would leave graffiti. I looked for it and I didn’t see it, so I went upstairs and looked over the balcony, to look down into the foyer of the big church. I said, “If I were to do graffiti, I would do it underneath this bannister.” It was a foot wide. As I looked under the bannister, I found scratchings, dates, names—Arabic names, too, because the Persian empire finally came and destroyed Istanbul. There’s graffiti everywhere. You’re considered one of the oldest living, continually working graffiti artists. What are some of the positives and negatives that have come with age? I am considered the longest, continually working graffiti writer in the history of graffiti because I started in 1969. A lot of people started in ’67 or ’69, and I give them a lot of credit, but they stopped doing art. I continued. In my work, I always progressed. I found that what I could bring to my graffiti now is a long history, a sense of the civil rights which gave me self-reliance and identity. I don’t need anyone to tell me what to do. Graffiti is an art form that you don’t need permission [to do]. I can be who I am and in your face—I was not making art, I went for 20-25 years without crews, magazines, videos, no support system, no galleries. No one believed in graffiti when I was doing it, but it made me feel that what I can do comes with a sense of freedom. What is your relationship with cannabis? Let’s talk about weed. Weed was a big taboo in Latino families in the ‘50s. I always knew it. My father and his brothers were all from Tijuana. They were all born on both sides [of the border], so we had dual citizenship. They thought they were Frank Sinatra. Dressed up all of the time, and constantly bringing liquor across the border. When we’d visit my Grandparents, they would be loading the door panels and taillights [of the car], filling them with gin and vodka . . . It was this lax morality about ‘legal’ and ‘illegal.’ Except when it came to marijuana . . . The first drug I took was peyote with the shamans, the Indians from Nayarit. I finally relaxed into a bed/hammock late that night, and I [saw] a dot of red roses [start to fall] all over me that night. The next two days, because it takes some time to recover, they gave me some weed and it was not only soothing and relaxing, it opened up my mind—it brought on the same feelings as the peyote. So in some ways it was magical. Weed was always magical. But coming back to the U.S., it was extremely taboo . . . I use weed for creativity. It doesn’t bring creativity, but it makes me detached from all the other issues that I have, or deadlines . . . Painting is a job. But I cannot be open and detached without the weed. Most of my major work that I’ve done in-studio has been with marijuana. Also coffee. What’s next for Chaz? In September I am curating a show called SoCal Masters of Style, [which] comes under the banner of California Locos, a small group of five of us elder artists from Chouinard [Art Institute]—from surf, skate, hot rod, jazz, performance art and graffiti. We represent the West Coast lifestyle. Out of that we’ve expanded to bring in the other Locos, which includes Mr. Cartoon (head of the Chicano black and grey tattoo style), Estevan Oriol (photographer of the gangsters), and Shepard Fairey, the most recognized [graffiti] artist in the world. Robert Williams, the godfather of ZAP Comix and the publisher of Juxtapoz Magazine. Slick, a graff writer who is internationally opening up doors in China. And we have several others, including myself . . . it’s going to be a lovefest of who we are. Sep 16th in Chinatown. Everyone is invited!

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DOPE ON THE ROAD T R AV E L

NOR CAL’S CANNABIS CUP AND THE FUTURE OF THE GREEN RUSH WRITER/PHOTO / JONAH TACOMA

t was almost midnight as we loaded our gear into a rented Ford Expedition. The trip from Tacoma, Washington to Santa Rosa, California, would be just over 12 hours if we made good time. Our destination: the Northern California Cannabis Cup. The roads were empty as we slipped onto I-5 heading south, and the sun was already rising when we said goodbye to Oregon, crossing the northern border into California. A large metal sign announced our entrance. Famed as much for its green rush as its gold rush, California is no stranger to cannabis, and I am no stranger to Nor Cal. Growing up in small-town Colorado, the young writer in me yearned for more adventure, and I found it the summer before my fifteenth birthday. Summoning together my courage and my life savings at the time, a small fortune just under $300 dollars, I purchased myself a one-way bus ticket bound for Weed, CA, recruited by a friend, lured along by promises of beautiful Nor Cal girls and an abundance of cannabis—two things in short supply in the quaint farming town of Delta, Colorado. We made good time as we continued our journey south, and it wasn’t long before the familiar sight of Mt. Shasta came into view. Looming like a snow-covered guardian of the North, the mountain marked the entrance into California’s sacred land; a beautiful and mysterious place known for its rich traditions and strong cannabis culture. It was here that a young runaway would find his place in the world, and seeing this familiar giant stirred up old memories of my childhood. Growing cannabis is a way of life here, and there was no shortage of work to be found back then, even for a boy of fifteen. The Emerald Triangle had brought fame to the region, much of it unwanted if you talked to the old timers who spent their summers deep in the hills, but the spirit of the Emerald Triangle extended much further than the three counties of Mendocino, Humboldt and Trinity, reaching its green tentacles all the way from Shasta to Stockton.

We continued our push south, the pine trees eventually giving way to giant, lumbering redwoods as we turned off I-5 to link up with the Oil Ranch crew in Guerneville, a tiny town situated high in the foothills outside of Santa Rosa, where the festivities were set to begin the following day. The party was in full swing when we arrived, and we fell in place with the others alongside the fire, happy to be off the road. Rising with the sun the next morning, we were back on the freeway, excited for the day to come. As we arrived at the Santa Rosa fairgrounds, we ran into third generation Farmer Crockett, Owner and Founder of Crockett Family Farms. “Cannabis in California has a lot longer history,” he explained as we spoke during setup. “We have seed lines that go all around the world, businesses in Amsterdam, Spain, Chile and the United States. The cannabis industry is emerging into a multibillion-dollar industry.” He paused to instruct an employee, then continued: “The small guys should be able to grow as much as they can consume, or more. I’m against limits—I’m for the small guy—but I’m also a capitalist. If you got a good product, you should be able to build a business as big as you can build it.”

The Northern California sun was already rising high in the sky when the gates opened at noon, and visitors to the cannabis cup began to file in. We asked attendee Marty Hoyt why he came out for the cup. “I consider this the event of my lifetime,” he replied. “A year here wouldn’t be enough time for me to be satisfied. I will be trying to partake in any cannabis cup I can.” Grower and activist, Adam Orenstein, AKA Kyle Kushman, creator of the infamous strain “Strawberry Cough,” was also on hand representing his Veganics line of nutrients. Seeing our company gear, he happily exclaimed, “What up, DOPE!” The mood turned festive as the cup began to take full swing. “I don’t like semantics. I like honesty and truth and integrity. Now we can all be honest businessmen,” he said, motioning to the sprawl of booths around us. “That’s what it’s about. You know what I want to say to all the people—the doubters, the haters, whatever you want to call them? There’s a bunch of real estate out there, and if people like you and me and the good people of this community don’t take up this real estate, then all the bad guys are going to take it.” The energy at the cup is palpable: cannabis

in Northern California means possibility. The possibility for change. The possibility for growth and economic mobility. At the end of the day, America was a Monopoly board, and all the squares had hotels on them. Cannabis was a new square, something like Park Place, and for the time being it belonged to the people that had fought for it. As the sun set on the final day of the cup, I was left with mixed feelings about the future of Nor Cal cannabis. Would small-plot farming in the hills be sustainable when weed was being grown by the acre next to the grapes below, and by companies investing millions of dollars to stake their claim in California’s green rush? Preparing for the long ride home, I was reminded of the optimistic words of famous hash maker Frenchy Cannoli earlier that day: “You have something in California that is unique, the France Bordeaux region of cannabis. You have legalization—now you have to use it.” For more of Jonah Tacoma, visit: dabstars.com Instagram: @jonah_tacoma

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Beauty in the Hustle and Bustle

INTERVIEW

AN INTERVIEW WITH MINIATURE SCULPTURE ARTIST RYAN THOMAS MONAHAN INTERVIEW / DAVID BAILEY & BEAU GREENER

PHOTO / GRANT LECHNER

yan Thomas Monahan is an ar tist most known for his miniature sculptures: gritty, grungy street scenes completed in painstaking detail. A designer by trade who now enjoys success as a full-time artist, Monahan utilizes his knowledge of various fine art forms to create his stunning facsimiles. His pieces have been featured in Denver’s Black Book Gallery, and as part of the “COWBOYLAND” exhibition at heliumcowboy in Hamburg, Germany. DOPE Magazine: You have a background, or current ground you could say, in graphic design. What inspired the move to such physically involved creations, especially in addition to a full-time job? Ryan Thomas Monahan: Well, I have a strong fine art background that likes to poke through often [laughs]. I think after working as a full-time designer for seven years I started to miss working with my hands. After working behind a computer all day, I would come home and not want to even see a computer screen. I would build little maquettes of things, and eventually started to make little robots and buildings, which kind of manifested into what I’m doing today. You have said many times that your work is fictional. Other than the obvious inspiration, what enticed you to create these particular scenes? Is there a personal significance outside of your artistic expression with these pieces? Yeah, for sure! I have always had a love for the grungy/shitty look; I like to think back to my time living in cities and seeing these types of locations firsthand, and I feel like I have a connection with it. Aside from the seedling that starts the idea, it’s pretty much just a cool subject to look at. I think everyone can connect somehow with the subject matter, either good or bad. Is there a certain design, or part of a design, that you enjoy creating or sculpting the most? I really love the final stages of a project—when all the hair pulling and stress is over, and it’s just putting the finishing touches on them. Up until that point it can be pretty rough tackling the many issues I create for myself, working in such a laidback manner! What’s the average completion time for a piece? What has taken the longest amount of time?

What was it like growing up? Have you always been artistic, did you have familial encouragement? Growing up was pretty badass for me—I had the “cool” parents. They knew I was artistic as a small child, they supported me pretty much the whole way. When other kids were out in the sprinklers playing, I was inside drawing, so I’ve been making art for close to 30 years nonstop. It has always been my number one focus. Now, as an adult, I have to remind myself that my art has to take a seat next to my personal life at times; marriage, family, house. What scale do you work in, and why do you choose that specific scale? I like to work in various scales, but the scale I’m most known for is 1/24 scale, which is half dollhouse scale. The more I explore my art, the more I want to gravitate towards other scales and sizes. I hate the idea of being backed into a miniature corner and having to do one size forever. I started breaking out of that mold with some of my recent work, and I plan to just expand that more and more. Where would you like to see these miniatures take you? Say, in five years? Things are going pretty well right now. I just started doing my fine art full-time from my home studio, and I really am enjoying it. I would love to get involved in the movie industry working on practical effects, I think that could be great fun. Does cannabis play any part in your creative process? Yeah, for sure! I’m a habitual smoker, sooooo…cannabis is a part of my everyday process! I really enjoy smoking before I begin work the most, though—it helps bring me into the zone and really get to business on stuff. I’ve always been a productive pothead— from day one it’s been like a fuse to my creative cannon. I view the world better, differently. To view Ryan Thomas Monahan’s art and see what he’s up to, check out: WEBSITE: RYANTHOMASMONAHAN.COM INSTAGRAM: @WHAT_THEHELL

It really depends on how solid of a plan I have—and how much time I allocate on that certain piece. On average, I’d say it takes about 3-4 weeks to complete a larger-size piece. The most time-consuming project has been the Adult Bookstore I did, “Humboldt St.,” that had a lot of interior details that took a lot more time to achieve than the average piece. Your overall portfolio is very creatively diverse. What are your main inspirations in life? To wake up every morning and create something that didn’t exist before. I’m inspired by everyone around me, doing the daily hustle—either in an office or an art studio, doesn’t matter. I think I always get amped up to make anything when I see people being productive. Stay hungry for it.

L AW

CAN A PATENT PROTECT A GOOD IDEA? 7PIPE’S TWISTY GLASS BLUNT GOES VIRAL WRITER / SCOTT PEARSE PHOTO / PROVIDED BY 7PIPE

Pipe created a product they call a ‘twisty glass blunt.’ Using the age-old technology of an Archimedes screw, herb is moved along the length of a glass tube to create a fresh hit. It’s a simple but powerful innovation. A video of 7Pipe’s twisty blunt quickly went viral, and has been viewed more than 26 million times. For designer and company founder Jeffrey Han, the success of the product was hard-won through a long design process, but his product’s simplicity quickly became its biggest weakness. “It’s so simple, it’s a tube and a screw,” Han explains. “That makes it easy to copy.”

COPIED AT THE SOURCE Stopping Chinese manufacturers from reproducing 7Pipe’s design and selling copies on websites like Alibaba is effectively impossible. The city where 7Pipe manufactures their product in China also hosts hundreds of other factories doing very similar work. When a product is a hit and global demand rises, these other factories quickly step in to fill the demand gap.

HOW PATENTS WORK In the United States, a patent gives its holder a limited monopoly to prevent others from making, using or selling the invention. We created patents because innovation is in the greater good. We incentivize companies to push products and processes to the next level by allowing patent holders to profit from their innovation. For successful designers like Han, filing patents is part of their process: “I’ve been patenting my designs for years, but nothing had ever gone viral before. Thankfully, when I designed the twisty, I was in the habit of patenting my designs.” Despite having filed and received a design patent, counterfeits of 7Pipe products soon began to appear. Han laments that patents themselves provide little protection, noting that “when you get a patent, it doesn’t prevent anyone from replicating and selling your design, because you need to enforce the patent.”

CEASE AND DESIST Neil Juneja is managing partner at Gleam Law, a practice specializing in intellectual property. He explains that patents are only as powerful as their enforcement effort: “You go after everyone inside the United States, meaning you hit the wholesaler and every shop that carries it and sue them. Make it so that nobody will go near copies of your product. Now, when the counterfeit products hit the border, nobody will touch it.” While patents are difficult and expensive to enforce, the threat of a lawsuit alone is enough to make offending businesses think twice. As Juneja puts it, “Nobody wants to become involved in a patent lawsuit.” Legal action can also be used to create business opportunities for the patent holder, even in a market flooded with copies. “You do a one-two punch, you send a cease and desist to a company saying you need to stop selling this counterfeit

product or we’re going to sue you, but if you want to sell the real, legal product—we can do business.” Juneja also offers another solution to the problem; by applying to the International Trade Commision (ITC), it is possible to attain a ‘limited exclusion’ order. Companies can then use this order to direct US Customs and Border Protection to stop shipments of infringing products as they are being imported, literally leaving the products on the dock. Though this process is effective, it can cost “up to a million dollars,” according to Juneja, and involves using private detectives in China to trace shipments to factories. As with many aspects of the growing cannabis industry, there is a lot at stake as the industry takes shape. “Right now, many of the patents we’re seeing are basically a land grab, says Juneja. “As our industry becomes larger, it will become more profitable to enforce these patents.”

THE GOVERNMENT HOLDS AN EARLY PATENT ON THE MEDICAL USE OF CANNABIS Perhaps the best-known cannabis patent is patent no. 6,630,507. This patent was filed by the National Institute of Health on behalf of the United States government in 1999. The patent sought to establish the use of cannabinoids as neuroprotective antioxidants. The patent was a lightning rod for medical cannabis advocates who wondered why the government would own a patent on using cannabinoids as a medical treatment, yet continue to discredit cannabis.

CONFRONTING THE ISSUE

UNAVOIDABLE TRUTH

For 7Pipe, the battle to control the market for their patented design requires constant vigilance, and they are often confronted face-to-face with companies breaking patent law. “At an industry trade show in Las Vegas,” Han recalls, “we visited the Chong’s Choice stand, and on their counter was a pile of Chong’s Choice branded twisties for sale. We confronted them and they responded, as many companies do, ‘We didn’t know it was patented. Everyone else is doing it.’ Along with three other companies, we sued them all on the second day of the trade show.” When asked why Han thinks companies are willing to break patent law, he responded, “Maybe they don’t know it’s patented, but maybe the lure of quick profits makes that decision [for them].”

Business is hard; it’s not enough to simply have a good idea. You must take that idea and push it through challenges. The job is not over once you’ve gotten the product to market, and it’s a shame, but working to protect your product from competitors can be just another cost of doing business. At the end of the day, the easiest way to avoid being copied is to be original. “We need to innovate to show people that we’re still alive and the leader in our niche,” says Han. “But we’re also hiring a full-time general council.”

WEB: 7PIPE.COM TWITTER: @7PIPE INSTAGRAM: @7PIPE

A R TCI U C LT L E UTRI ET L E

SPACED OUT RACE

WORLD NATIONS COMPETE FOR RECREATIONAL SUPREMACY WRITER / WILL KERSTEN

ith over half the United States enjoying legalized marijuana—at least in some form— we all wonder when it will be opened up at the federal level. And we’re not the only country with that prize in sight. Canada is about a year away from full legalization, with new laws and a recreational industry ready to go. Spain is getting there, with its world-renowned cannabis culture growing more and more mainstream. And Uruguay is there—at least, legally speaking—flawed as their system may be. What’s the ultimate scenario here? First, complete legalization. We should be able to grow, sell and

UNITED STATES Let’s start with ourselves. Twenty-nine states have legalized in some form—eight with full-on recreational adult-use laws. With states like Washington, Colorado and Oregon leading the way, we have the most exciting, robust commercial cannabis market in the world, and product development through the roof. That alone makes us a contender, but with Schedule I status still holding us back, we’re a long way off from national legalization. Hopefully, state by state, we’ll evolve a better system and see a cohesive, national policy within ten years.

consume weed freely, without excessive taxes or restrictions. Second, there needs to be a robust, open economy; entrepreneurs need support and freedom to develop this new industry to its full potential. Third, we need to be able to grow our own. We owe it to ourselves as a society to free up this amazing plant for everyone. It’s inevitable. One nation will be the first to legalize recreational cannabis with an open, functional system that benefits everyone. The question is, who will it be, and how long will it take? While not an exhaustive list of countries in the race, we’ve narrowed it down to the main six in the running.

URUGUAY

THE NETHERLANDS People flock to Amsterdam to sit in coffee shops, roll up spliffs laced with hash, and pass the day away while high in public. Cannabis use is so open and tolerated in The Netherlands, it’s easy to forget that growing weed there is strictly illegal—and has been for decades. Recently, Dutch lawmakers voted on a bill that would legalize cultivation and the sale of marijuana to coffee shops. If it passes, the Netherlands will surely have a bigger seat at the table as a leader of the cannabis world.

Uruguay is the first country in the world to legalize recreational marijuana. If you’re a citizen, you can buy weed from pharmacies and drug stores and grow up to six plants for personal use. But the system is far from ideal. It’s so heavily regulated that many refuse to participate, preferring the ease and “freedom” of the black market. This way, they avoid the most unpopular aspect of Uruguay’s model: anyone who wants to buy or grow their own cannabis must sign onto a national registry of pot smokers. This invasion of privacy is a deal breaker for many, which some say could cause the system to fail.

ARTICLE TITLE

SPAIN Spain is one of the most weed-friendly countries in the world. In many areas, public consumption is tolerated, and as long as it’s for personal use, anyone can grow their own. Spain has a rich and vibrant cannabis club scene, with more than two hundred clubs in Barcelona alone. Because they’re a decentralized nation with independent, autonomous communities, each region can set its own marijuana laws and standards. As these areas continue to grow and develop their cannabis cultures, it’s easy to predict that Spain will legalize sometime in the near future.

JAMAICA Marijuana has flourished in Jamaica since the mid-1800s, when it arrived with indentured servants from India. ‘Ganja’ took root on the island and became an integral part of island culture and the Rastafarian religion. Even so, it has been illegal there for decades—and until recently, punishable by harsh fines and prison sentences. In 2015, Jamaica passed the ‘ganja law,’ allowing people to grow up to five plants at home and transport up to fifty-six grams at a time. Exceed that, and it’s a fine of about five US dollars. Jamaica is clearly moving in the right direction, and as their cannabis industry emerges from the shadows, they’ll surely join the ranks of legalized nations.

CANADA Canada is perhaps the closest to the legalization finish line. Their government recently approved Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s bill to legalize recreational marijuana on a national level. It allows for home grows, adult-use dispensaries, and, depending on the province, on-site consumption. It’s scheduled to go into effect in July of 2018, and when it does, Canada is poised to become the world superpower of legal weed. With an already robust medical market, and hordes of investors pouring money into building Canada’s recreational industry, there’s nothing in the way to stop our neighbors from the north winning the Spaced-Out Race.

Whoever reaches the goal first, it’ll be a victory for us all. Just as each state in America serves as a test-case for legalization, so it will be with countries as a whole. We can look to Uruguay and see what works on a national scale, as well as what doesn’t, and we’ll soon have Canada to model as a larger example. The lofty ideal of cannabis uniting the planet may someday be reality, and not just another pipe dream.

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1964 SUPPLY CO. ORGANIC CANNABIS, OUT OF THIS WORLD PRODUCT ART WRITER/PHOTO / 1964 SUPPLY CO.

WEBSITE: SUPPLIEDBY1964.COM INSTAGRAM: @SUPPLIEDBY1964

e named ourselves the 1964 Supply Company to showcase the year that Professor Mechoulam discovered the THC molecule, the psychoactive component in cannabis. The year 1964 is also emblematic of a time when people started relaxing about, well, the way we like to relax. It marked a time of change as public opinion began to shift from “Reefer Madness” to “mad about reefer.” Today, the legalization and democratization of cannabis is re-opening the dialogue for change in our society. The 1964 Artist Series was born out of a desire to create a one-of-a-kind, limited-release collection that celebrates craftsmanship, authenticity and innovation at the highest level. To achieve this, 1964 Supply Co. asked some of today’s most prominent visual artists to interpret the effects of a particular cannabis strain and turn their experience into a remarkable piece of art. “Our artist series is a powerful reflection of 1964’s passion for creativity and self-expression,” notes CEO Jesse McConnell, “built on an authentic approach to crafting a high-quality product. You’ve got innovation, sustainability and bona-fide community roots all tied up in this beautiful package that celebrates modern cannabis culture.” Our growers, Rubicon Organics, boast high-tech greenhouses that can achieve consistent results at the highest quality while producing at the lowest cost per gram. Rubicon’s Washington greenhouse, currently under construction, is set to hold one of the largest footprints in the state. Upon completion of the first phase this year, the facility will be 40,000 square feet with an additional 60,000 square feet planned for 2018. The company’s goal is to manufacture product that is sun-grown in organic soil using its own proprietary organic fertilizer, completely free of pesticides or harsh chemicals. The company is also developing a multi-acre, high-tech greenhouse facility in California, where it will use proprietary techniques to grow premium, quality product.

ABOUT THE ARTIST, JEREMY FISH Jeremy’s art tells stories with symbols in a way that is simple, yet profound. An illustrator and fine artist, his work has weaved itself into our social fabric. His illustrations for the 1964 Artist Series include an owl-cocktail hybrid creature for OG Sour Diesel and a rabbit for our Girl Scout Cookie Thin Mint. Jeremy’s artwork aspires to “find a balance between all things cute and creepy; the tension created by contrasting amounts of both good and evil.” He was drawn to crayons at an early age, and art became his passion and career. Inspired by Dr. Seuss, Jim Henson, Mike Giant and Jim Phillips, Jeremy is always looking to push boundaries. He was intrigued by the 1964 Artist Series project and “test drove” certain strains, making illustrations based on taste and how the strains made him feel. Jeremy currently resides in North Beach, aka Little Italy, and loves his San Francisco home of the past 20 years.

INTERVIEW

THE DARKLY COMEDIC WORLD OF JAIK PUPPYTEETH INTROSPECTIVE AND DEVASTATINGLY HONEST LINE DRAWINGS WRITER / ANDREA LARSON PHOTO / TOM HSU aik Puppyteeth, an artist located in Vancouver, B.C., has written for VICE Magazine. His work—typically one-panel line drawings— displays a darkly comic, abjectly absurd world laden with ‘50s camp sensibilities. Prints of his art can be found at jaikpuppyteeth. com or on his Instagram, @puppyteeth. Be forewarned—Jaik’s work will make you laugh, then quietly reflect on your own endless insecurities and existential dread. Enjoy! DOPE Magazine: VICE has requested your dating expertise on occasion. Was this a surprise to you? Are you known in your circle of friends as a dating expert? Jaik Puppyteeth: I honestly think the fact I have such a bad track record with relationships makes me charmingly unqualified to comment on them. I like critiquing relationships because I am nosy and no one should listen to my advice, anyway. Do you consider some of your work to be narcissistic? Is narcissism where you find your inspiration? I like to focus my work around my problems and insecurities. If it’s narcissistic to talk about how flawed I am, yes, I guess I am inspired by my narcissism. You created a regularly-occurring panel called Pidgeys. Is there something about pigeons we can learn from? Why pigeons? Pidgeys originally started with things I overheard people talking about at parties and restaurants. If I hear someone say something funny, I’ll jot it down and turn it into a comic. Pigeons are just the conduit I use to bring them to life. What’s on the horizon for you creatively? Anything that our readers should stay tuned for? I’m really excited for the next couple of books I have planned! The more I make, the better they get. I am also working on new shirt designs and other merch, too! Plus some secret projects that are gonna be really fun! To view Jaik Puppyteeth’s art and see what he’s up to, check out:

WEBSITE: JAIKPUPPYTEETH.COM INSTAGRAM: @PUPPYTEETH

A R TEI DC ILTEOTR I’TS L CE H O I C E

HOLLOW PIPES WHERE FUNCTION MEETS FASHION

WRITER / LUNA REYNA PHOTO / COURTESY OF BRITTA AMBAUEN

f you’ve picked up DOPE Magazine, chances are you’ve owned a glass pipe at some point in your life. They’ve been staples of cannabis culture for as long as many of us can remember, but when Britta Ambauen decided to revisit cannabis as an adult, she wanted something to fit her growth and personal aesthetic. Unable to find what she was looking for, and being the artistic soul that she is, Britta decided to make her vision a reality— something artistic, and a little feminine. “Functional art objects,” as she calls them. Hollow Pipes were formed from this concept. The designs were “inspired by Scandinavian furnishings and Japanese wabi-sabi ceramics: clean lines paired

with natural curves, smooth textures and ergonomic shapes” define her pieces—pipes like nothing you have seen before. Hollow Pipes are all hand-formed in clay, then sent to be slip casted. Everything from the pipe to the wooden boxes they come in are handmade right here in the U.S. At a time of major normalization for the plant, Hollow Pipes are more than common smoking devices. Moving past the age of hiding away your pipe and stash of dirt weed in a shoebox under your bed, Hollow Pipes have captured a much more mature, sophisticated style. Hollow Pipes are beautifully unique, and can artfully rest on your coffee or bedside table.

PRICE: $58 WEB: SHOPHOLLOW.COM INSTAGRAM: @SHOPHOLLOW

REVIEW

VELVET SWING

TWITTER: @VELVET_SWING INSTAGRAM: @VELVET_SWING VELVETSWING.COM

CANNABIS ENHANCED SENSUAL LUBRICANT WRITER / DOPE STAFF PHOTO / COURTESY OF VELVET SWING

esigned by two incredible women, Velvet Swing offers par tners of all genders the opportunity of long, strong orgasms—with occasional tingling and coolness experienced by some fans. The lovely Mistress Matisse swung by our office to drop off a handful of samples, and the DOPE ladies couldn’t wait to get their review on—let the orgasms begin!

REVIEW 1 I’ve written my Velvet Swing review to be subtly entertaining—unlike the experience I actually had with this product—which was fantastically entertaining! After trying on my own and with a partner, I’m partial to using this lube solo. The instructions said to focus on the outer area of the vaginal zone—which I did. When used with my partner, I didn’t find the lube to be as effective as when I used it on my own. Maybe we didn’t concentrate on the area enough…I don’t know, but it just didn’t amplify much during our session. On my own, however, the lube was a different story. After applied to the instructed areas, I didn’t feel cooling, burning or even tingling, which was okay by me because I tend to think that’s what all the other products do—burn or cool. So I continued on my way and found that it sped up the process. I didn’t find it especially lubricating, but the applied area was overall more sensitive and amplified the road there; the destination came quicker and was more intense. I’ve used it a couple times since, and look forward to more uses! -Piper Sclarin

REVIEW 2 I come into most situations with a bit of skepticism and was pleasantly surprised and invigorated with my Velvet Swing experience. The hardest part of the session was waiting the twenty minutes suggested before getting my groove on. My lady bits were much more, shall we say, prepped for the experience and my orgasm was both longer and stronger than usual. For the price, I would recommend this product to friends. As a bonus, men who are uncircumcised can benefit from the lubricant as well. -DOPE Staff Member

REVIEW 3 I’m going to preface this by saying this was my first time using a cannabis-infused lubricant. As instructed, I used 10 pumps 30 minutes prior to self-pleasure. I actually really liked the texture of this product; it was not as slimy and oily as most lubricants I have used in the past. Within five minutes, I began to feel a warming sensation, and I have to admit that the warming sensation definitely made me hornier as the 30-minute time clock ticked down. I did not apply it to my actual toy, but the ten drops I had already applied provided enough lubricant to not need any more. I have to say that I was able last much longer than usual and the buildup was intense, so intense that I thought I was going to have the biggest orgasm I’ve had in a long time, but right at that moment when you’re expecting to explode…it just fizzled out. There was no explosive moment of climax. It felt great, but I was a little disappointed at the end. I will definitely use it again to see if there are different results. -Mass Chaos

REVIEW 4 The velvet swing product has been my go-to sensual lubricant whenever I need a pick-meup. It is very subtle, with a pleasant warming sensation. It says to wait at least 20 minutes after application before you can expect to feel anything. After 10 minutes, there was a very tingly numbing effect that I promise you I wasn’t mad about. The fact that this lubricant is water-based is essential. No sticky mess, and you can enjoy it solo or with your partner. Velvet swing is a win in my book, and I plan to have it reside for some time on my nightstand! -Mercedes McCaw

-100mg THC | 33mg CBD -Takes around 20 minutes after application to feel effects, peaks around the 40-minute mark and lasts anywhere from 2-4 hours -Water soluble and latex safe

T R AV E L

WILL GREECE RETURN TO ITS HASH-MAKING PAST? WRITER/PHOTO / SESHATA

e have covered the topic of Greece with interest over the last year here at DOPE Magazine, and in June of 2017 we were the first to break the news (in English) of the legalization of medicinal cannabis in this Southern European nation. Now, we will take you on a journey back to Greece at the turn of the 20th century, to tell you a surprising tale of a half-forgotten history—the golden years of Greek hashish. From several key sources, we know that Greece had a thriving trade in hashish from the mid-19th to the early 20th centuries. One important source of information comes from the writings of the infamous French adventurer and smuggler, Henry de Monfreid, in his 1933 book La Croisière du Hachich (published in English in 1935 as Hashish: A Smuggler’s Tale). De Monfreid goes into remarkably rich detail regarding the hashish industry in Arcadia, a small and unspoiled corner of southern Greece whose histor y and mythology stretches back to the longdistant past. He recounts the details of a journey made to the town of Steno, an hour east of the city of Tripoli, which is the capital of both the regional unit of Arcadia and the wider Peloponnese region: “All the farms in this district prepared hashish; it was their chief industry. Each estate had its brand, quoted on the market, and there were good and bad years, exactly as for wines.”

De Monfreid describes the procedure for buying hashish in Steno, as well as providing detailed descriptions of how the farmers of Arcadia grew the cannabis and made the hashish: “In the middle of the room was a sort of table consisting of a very fine metal sieve set up on four legs. On it the hashish was being thrown in spadefuls . . . Women with their heads swathed in handkerchiefs were spreading out and sifting the powder.” This process is remarkably close to the methods still employed by the majority of hashish producers in Morocco’s Rif Mountains today—as is the method of bagging, stamping and pressing of the hashish into blocks: “Madame Petros was sitting before a

sewing-machine, feverishly running up little white linen bags. These she passed to a woman who stamped an elephant on them with a rubber stamp. She . . . filled them, weighed them with great care, and finally tied them up. They were then put in neat piles into a great press . . . a muscular workman tightened the vice and the sacks flattened out slowly until they were like square pancakes four centimetres thick.” From De Monfreid’s descriptions, the cultivation of cannabis was done according to strict principles: “The fields in which the hemp grows are carefully weeded and all the male plants are pulled out. The female plants which remain cannot therefore bear seeds, and the result

is that the leaves become fully charged with a resinous matter. The secretion of this sticky substance is further increased by breaking off the tops of the plants as they grow.” It is thought that the climate of this region in Greece is particularly conducive to the cultivation of fine-quality cannabis, especially in the mountains, which enjoy abundant rainfall, hot, dry days and cold, clear nights. This combination of hot days and cold nights is well-known in growing circles to be ideal for maximizing the production of resin, so it is likely that the hashish produced in the region was indeed of very high quality. De Monfreid’s accounts are corroborated by various other sources—here, an article written by the Greek news site (“Time Machine”) goes

into extensive detail about administrative practices related to cannabis (translated from Greek): “In 1870, the laws of Arkadia and Argolida were favorable to the cultivation of eco-friendly cannabis and hemp. From the mid-19th century, Tripoli constituted a center for the cultivation and marketing of hashish.” “Immigrants from the East, such as Egypt and Cyprus, taught the Orchomenos Municipality of Mantineia the methodology of its cultivation, by ministerial order... in 1904, the production in Mantineia was 5,000,000 oke. The hashish was exported to Egypt and the Middle East. Its reputation ranked it among the best in the world. Most seizures in Tunis, Tunisia, were stamped with seals from Greek factories.” According to this source, the decline of the Greek hashish industry began in the 1920s, following pressure from the British—who may have pushed the issue either to reduce hashish consumption among the Egyptian workforce, or to pave the way for exports of Indian hashish to become dominant in the global market. At this point, India was a British colony, and Egypt had been occupied by British forces for several decades. In 1925, a decree formally banned the trade for ten years; ten years later, the Greek dictator Metaxas was in power, and had already begun to crack down heavily on hashish use. In 1932, the trade was prohibited altogether. The Greek hashish industry of the 19th and early 20th centuries was clearly one of remarkable sophistication and quality, and its eventual decline due to the spread of prohibition throughout the globe is undoubtedly a tragic loss for the international cannabis community. However, the enthusiasm towards liberalization of cannabis laws occurring throughout much of the world is beginning to infect Greece as well, and there has been a series of positive legislative changes in recent years, with announcements on medicinal cannabis being only the latest developments. With this in mind, perhaps it will not be so long before the workshops of Tripoli can open up once more, and Greece can resume its place as one of the world’s foremost producers of fine-quality cannabis and hashish. This article was written with the assistance of The Museum of Cannabis in Athens, Greece.

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INTERVIEW

CANNABIS COMMUNITY PROVIDES EDUCATION FOR THE ELDERLY WRITER/PHOTO / WEED BETTY

ith an increased elderly population as more and more baby boomers retire, it makes sense that people are starting to take an interest in medical marijuana as an alternative to narcotics. But where are they to turn to for accurate information about how to use cannabis? Jeff Riedel, Community Outreach Coordinator of Sun Valley MMJ Certification Centers, and Kathy Inman, Executive Director of MomForce AZ, are teaming up to provide free education about cannabis to assisted living communities throughout the valley. MomForce USA is a nonprofit organization, and Sun Valley MMJ Certification Center has five locations in Arizona. As part of their community outreach, they started their own road show, educating residents on what medical marijuana is, what it may be used for, and more importantly, how to use it safely. “As a nonprofit for cannabis education, harm prevention and whole-health solutions, MomForce works to help our neighbors

realize renewed health by trying cannabis as a natural alternative to prescription drugs,” stated Inman. Riedel and Inman recently visited Red M o u n t a i n M u l t i g e n e r a t i o n a l C e n t e r, giving a 90-minute presentation called “Understanding Cannabis for Higher Health.” The seminar focused on the history of cannabis, environment advantages, medicinal cannabis, current regulations and natural healthcare solutions. “People need to understand that the benefits [of cannabis] are not going to come overnight, because oftentimes they are oversold,” explained Riedel. “They also need be cautious about using it, and be more proactive in their healthcare management when they decide to use medical marijuana.” M a ny o f t h e a t t e n d e e s a r e n ew t o medical marijuana. According to Riedel, by the time the seniors come to one of these events, they are ready for alternatives to narcotics. The attitude of several of the 70+ crowd has been, “Well, it won’t kill me!”

Many still have the negative “Reefer Madness” stereotype regarding even medical marijuana. However, once they hear examples of how it helps people, that’s when they begin asking more in-depth questions: “How is it going to help?” and “What will it do for me?” They also asked questions for loved ones who could not attend the lecture. Over time, community outreach programs like this can continue to help on multiple fronts. With the elderly benefiting from lower opioid use and increased quality of life, and as more people come to understand the medicinal benefits of the plant, we can more effectively achieve the normalization of cannabis. SUN VALLEY MMJ CERTIFICATION CENTERS WEBSITE: SVMMJCC.COM MOMFORCEAZ WEBSITE: MOMFORCEAZ.ORG TWITTER: @MOMFORCEAZ

“PEOPLE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE BENEFITS [OF CANNABIS] ARE NOT GOING TO COME OVERNIGHT, BECAUSE OFTEN TIMES THEY ARE OVERSOLD . . . THEY ALSO NEED BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT USING IT, AND BE MORE PROACTIVE IN THEIR HEALTHCARE MANAGEMENT WHEN THEY DECIDE TO USE MEDICAL MARIJUANA.” – JEFF RIEDEL, COMMUNITY OUTREACH COORDINATOR

PROFILE

ERIC HERRMANN MOTORCYCLES, CASTS AND CANNABIS WRITER & PHOTO / JESSE PERRY

orn in 1955, Eric Herrmann grew up in Chicago, the youngest of four brothers. Raised in a machine shop by his blue-collar parents, Herrmann developed an affinity and understanding for mechanical parts from an early age. He also exhibited great skills as an artist. Although these skills were not necessarily nurtured by his parents initially, his creative side continued to flourish in those formative years. By age 12, it was obvious Herrmann had caught the gear-head bug. After winning his first motorcycle the same year, he retired his petal-bike permanently, and despite a lack of encouragement from his family and teachers, he continued to pursue his passion for the arts. It wasn’t until his teenage years, when Herrmann designed a logo for his father’s shop, that they realized “there might be something more here.” Armed with the approval of his father and his own self-confidence, Herrmann broke family tradition and attended college for art, including Triton College of Fine Art, the Art Institute of Chicago and finally Arizona State University. It was at ASU where he truly developed into the man and artist he would become; traveling from job to job and class to class, brushes and paint strapped to the back of his bike, Herrmann was a sight to see. Over the next few decades, Herrmann followed his dream and honed his craft as an artist, biker and entrepreneur. He developed his brand, met his wife and started a family. Of course, life wasn’t all fresh acrylic and axel grease, either—Herrmann certainly had his hardships. Throughout his riding career, Herrmann sustained more than 40 broken bones. His injuries included broken legs, broken arms, broken fingers and toes; breaking his left shoulder three separate times, dislocating his leg and even breaking all of his ribs at one point, leaving him in an upper body cast for eight weeks. Needless to say, Herrmann’s third constant in his life, outside of paint and pan-heads, seems to be pain. In addition to his injuries, Herrmann has also undergone numerous surgeries and procedures. “Not only can they be painful, but that many visits to the hospital are time consuming, costly, stressful and draining” says Herrmann. “The prescriptions I was being given made it so I couldn’t paint, either.” Considering Herrmann spent more than eight hours a day painting, 200 days on the road and was responsible for supporting his family, he had to find a solution.

ARTICLE TITLE

A child of the ‘60s, Herrmann was no stranger to cannabis. “But,” he admits, “I had only enjoyed it for its recreational purposes at that point.” Years later, the decades of damage on his body were taking their toll, threatening his way of life. Herrmann says he “turned to cannabis for its medical benefits. It allowed me to get through the day, stay creative, keep painting and keep moving, while appropriately managing my pain. Cannabis has absolutely allowed me to continue doing what I love to do.” Today, Herrmann gets in a lot less

WEB: ERICHERRMANNSTUDIOS.COM INSTAGRAM: @HEMPSTERS_AMERICA

accidents and spends more of his time out of casts. He still feels the wear and tear of his years of passionate living, however. Tense muscles, stiffness, aching pain and pounding soreness are just a few of the side effects he deals with daily. Thankfully, with the progression of today’s cannabis Industr y, Herrmann has been able to manage his pain with even greater success. “After eight hours of painting, my arm freezes up on me. A medicated gummy bear works better than 20 ibuprofens.” The addition of products such as concentrates, tinctures and edibles hitting

the market has made it possible for him to dose his medication more accurately, which in turn allows him to function professionally, support his family and follow his dreams. Although Herrmann will always paint iconic imagery of the biker lifestyle, a portion of his work has shifted to honor the quality of life that cannabis has returned to him and his family. With his new lease on life and his sons, Ian and Dustin, by his side, Herrmann is riding hard into the horizon of cannabis.

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INTERVIEW

JUST BLAZE

ERNIE PARAZA ON STREET ART, PARAPHERNALIA AND CANNABIS CULTURE WRITER/PHOTO / WEED BETTY ust Blaze is a street art staple in Phoenix. The store overloads your senses with walls of color, glass, streetwear and graffiti art. Ernie Paraza opened Just Blaze in 2005, then focused solely on street art supplies. Now they also carry clothing and glassware. A close friend who passed away motivated Paraza, who says it’s best “to not waste the life I’ve been given, and try and make everyday count.” The name Just Blaze is a reference to spray painting, and how he and his friend liked to ‘just blaze’ and paint as young adults. Originally, Paraza’s concept was to sell urban art supplies, and saw nobody in the business doing it as Paraza had envisioned. The head shop was quickly added, as he’s an avid smoker. He admits he “didn’t fully understand that portion of the business right away.” The art gallery and clothing developed over the years as the business grew and connections were made with other like-minded people. Before the legalization of medical marijuana, the industry was very stigmatized. He recalls having a hard time finding locations to rent that would allow a cannabisrelated business. Most of the places he rented before the current Just Blaze location were small, and situated in less-thandesirable areas. Over the years, many have gained a better understanding of medical marijuana and

its patients, enabling the growth he sees in today ’s industry. He said, “I hope our customers view Just Blaze as a reliable source for information, and for the best products that are available to our lifestyle … [I] really feel that we are providing a quality service to people who need professional advice about how to consume medical marijuana.” Paraza does his best to stay abreast of the industry, always learning and keeping an open mind amid the constant changes he’s seen over the past 12 years in street art and cannabis culture alike. He also aims to stay true to why he started Just Blaze in the first place. As a medical marijuana card holder, Paraza’s been consuming cannabis for years, noting that it helps him mitigate stress and anxiety. “Medical marijuana has helped us all in being creative,” he stated. “It relieves you of the stress of doing something wrong. If you feel like creating something, you just do it, with no worries. Usually this is when the best art happens, by just letting loose and relaxing.” Just Blaze allows anyone to come and paint in the graffiti yard, as well as hang their own art in the gallery, free of charge. The goal is to help people be inspired and put their stuff out there for others to see. He accepts everybody’s work; it’s Paraza’s belief that true art is in the eye of the beholder.

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