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THE TECH ISSUE

AUGUST | DOPE MAGAZINE

FROM THE EDITOR A

s technology continues to further entwine itself in our lives, it becomes more and more incumbent upon us as Americans to ensure that its influence, on balance, is DOPE as opposed to degenerative. In the cannabis industry as well as in smartphones, there are those hard at work to make sure consumers get what consumers want as efficiently as they can — but whether or not that’s always a good thing is a topic we explore in this year’s Technology Issue.

Our resident techno-skeptic, Jeffrey Rindskopf, has penned a triple header. First, he outlines the various ways in which an increasingly powerful array of big tech companies have managed to erode privacy worldwide. In the realm of genetics, he also muses on the inevitable incursion of genetic technology, such as CRISPR, into the cannabis industry. On the other hand, he’s also reporting on the cutting edge of VR technology, not as a game platform, but as a tool for psychotherapy.

On the cover is Pamela Hadfield, the co-founder of HelloMD. Hers is the first digital healthcare platform constructed with cannabis consumers and medical patients in-mind. As an example of technology welltailored to a specific and often ostracized group of people, it’s an invaluable service, almost as remarkable as Hadfield, herself.

Whether to go off the grid, or upload yourself into the mainframe is your decision, and not one anyone needs to make right away. But when you do, we hope you’ll be glad you picked up our Technology Issue, just to be that much more informed. And until then, as always, stay DOPE.

When it comes to cannabis, no technologies may be more applicable to the everyday patient than extraction, the process by which cannabinoids and terpenes are removed from cannabis plant material, and infused into edibles and other consumable products. But how exactly do we perform these two essential functions? There are many ways, and lucky for you, dear reader, we’ve got a guide to them.

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THE TECH ISSUE

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FEATURES 034 SCIENCE

CRISPRed CANNABIS READY OR NOT, MOLECULAR GENE-EDITING IS ALREADY CHANGING AGRICULTURE 040 TECHNOLOGY

THE GENETICS OF CANNABIS TRUTRACEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S SOFTWARE IS PROTECTING PRODUCERS AND PATIENTS THROUGH TRACKING TECHNOLOGY 046 POLITICS

THE NEW AMERICAN SPACE RACE TO BOLDLY GO WHERE NO BUDGET HAS BEFORE

052 FEATURE

BIG TECH BUZZKILL HOW SILICON VALLEY IS FAILING CANNABIS 058 TECHNOLOGY

FROM SOIL TO OIL THE TECHNOLOGIES BEHIND CANNABIS EXTRACTION AND INFUSION 064 CULTURE

PRIVACY IN THE AGE OF DATA HOARDING FACIAL RECOGNITION, BIG DATA AND NEW SOCIAL NORMS 070 HEALTH

VIRTUAL PSYCHIATRY HOW VR STORYTELLING COULD TRANSFORM MENTAL HEALTH

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igital healthcare platform HelloMD caters to a global network of patients and cannabis consumers. Since its inception in 2014, the cannabis-meets-tech venture has quickly become the largest online platform for online medical consultations, educational content and guidance geared towards helping patients make informed decisions about medical marijuana. Tech entrepreneur Pamela Hadfield co-founded HelloMD with her husband Mark after she discovered the benefits of medical cannabis, recognizing the need for education, accessibility, and ending the stigmatization of cannabis use. “You’ll find me out and about enthusiastically evangelizing HelloMD and therapeutic consumption of cannabis,” her LinkedIn bio declares. Hadfield is forthright about her own medical cannabis use, how it’s changed her life, and how she believes HelloMD will create true cannabis reform through education in the U.S. and around the globe. “We have the largest question and answer platform in cannabis,” Hadfield says. “We’ve been called the Quora of cannabis.” DOPE caught up with Hadfield on a recent weekday morning as she was wrangling her kids, readying herself for a three-week hike on the John Muir Trail, and preparing for the next phase of HelloMD: a new app, live stream and game show called Hello Trivia, where people all over the world will be able to play for cash prizes while learning about cannabis and wellness. Hadfield shared her thoughts on cannabis and parenting, her hopes for 2020 and beyond, and why HelloMD sits in the perfect educational sweet spot to help people along on their cannabis journey.

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DOPE Magazine: You changed your thinking about cannabis when you were introduced to medical marijuana, is that right? Pamela Hadfield: I’ve been around cannabis for pretty much my whole life. Whenever the joint was passed, I smoked the whole joint, so I never felt great. At a certain point, I said, “You know what? This just isn’t really working for me,” so I hadn’t partaken in it for years and years. Then stereotype and stigma, at some point, sort of got baked into my head, no pun intended. I was suffering from migraines that had been ongoing for 25 years. I’d tried every traditional pharmaceutical. I had gone to every doctor. If you know anyone with migraines, or you have them yourself, you know that pharmaceuticals don’t really work. They just treat the symptoms, and they often make you feel like a zombie. I ended up on Vicodin, and that was the only thing that was allowing me to be functional. I had three kids under the age of four. I was working full-time supporting the family. Then somebody said, “You should try medical marijuana.” And I just rolled my eyes. But at that point ... I called it my medication of last resort when it should have been my medication of first resort. I ended up getting my medical recommendation, which was a disaster in my mind. How so? I walked into a cannabis clinic feeling like, “I can’t believe I’m doing this. Marijuana doesn’t work for me. Why am I here?” It was a waiting room in a chiropractor’s office that was taken over probably one day a week. There were literally 10 people in there, cheek to jowl. The woman behind the desk was calling for people’s licenses: “Pamela Hadfield, are you here?” There was nothing about it that felt private or discreet. It didn’t feel professional. It didn’t feel real. It felt like every sort of stereotype that you would think of getting your medical marijuana recommendation — that it was a joke. When the doctor came out … I really do laugh every time I think about it. He’s in Tommy Bahama, hair in a ponytail, and he’s got a big crystal on his neck. And the first thing he says to me is, “Congratulations for getting your medical marijuana recommendation.” I thought, “It’s stranger than fiction. This is exactly what you’d think it would be, but even more so.” I will say, he did give me a thorough consultation, and some good advice. I said, “I’ve never felt comfortable being high. What can I do?” He said, “You don’t have to get high. You can have CBD.” Within three months, I was managing my pain with a high CBD vape pen and a high CBD tincture. Within six months, I didn’t have another migraine, and I haven’t had one since. As soon as I started to feel that I was getting on top of the pain management, I said, “What’s going on here?” I’d never been able to get ahead of the pain. All I’d been able to do was numb the pain as it started. That’s what led me to thinking: I was so wrong. How could my thinking, and my assumptions and my perception be so inaccurate? And, if I’m having this experience, there must be a lot of other people that could potentially have this experience. That’s when I started the process of educating myself. That would have been in 2013? What a wild six years you’ve had.

It’s been really amazing to evolve and to develop with the industry. Through that, we’ve also understood that when people come to cannabis, they’re coming at different points within a journey. We really wanted to home in on how to help people, wherever they are. DEFENDING OUR PLANT EVERYWHERE

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When you created HelloMD, you were already in the process of making a telemedicine platform? Correct. We had a telemedicine platform. We were curating the best of the best: the best cardiologist, the best neurosurgeon, doing videos to allow people to do direct consultations with physicians. We were also at a point where we realized we needed to scale with serious VC funding. That’s when we ran into this opportunity and realized: not only does our platform work perfectly for this, but this is something we can transition into. We saw that there was nobody else active in the space. And I felt so passionate about it. You were new to cannabis; you weren’t really connected to the industry in any way. It seems like quite a leap, so what was your process? I mean, naiveté, right? I was thinking about my own personal struggle and journey and dependency on Vicodin. When cannabis not only cured my migraines, but I had decreased anxiety, I was sleeping better, and I went from a state of disease to a state of health. That put me in a position of power over my own life, and also my work life, and where I wanted to take that. If you find yourself incredibly passionate about something, and you feel like you can transition your work life and how you spend most of your days to encompass that, it’s almost like nothing will stop you. To get back to your question, absolute naiveté, because if you know what I know now about the cannabis industry, I would have definitely thought more than twice about it. I think my biggest concern at that time was wow, this seems like this might be a steeper learning curve than I thought. It still felt like there was this edgy gray area. I think it took HelloMD getting into the position of being successful as a business for me to realize I’m not alone here. I’m hearing the same thing back from thousands of people. How did you pull your team together? Due to our history as entrepreneurs in the tech industry, the tech platform was, more or less, the easy part. The harder part was finding an executive team at that time — in 2014, it wasn’t easy to recruit high-quality players within the cannabis industry who understood a tech play. We were one of the first pure technology plays in the cannabis industry at that time; we were more or less a Silicon Valley startup. The team grew organically, but the interesting part is, most of the team that we brought on at that time wouldn’t list on LinkedIn that they worked for us. It’s like being the old broken toy at the bottom of the toy box. And then suddenly in 2018, we’re like the shiny new toy. It’s a very weird experience. Now that several states, including California, have shifted into legal cannabis marketplaces for anyone over 21, how do you speak to people about the difference between medical marijuana and adult-use cannabis?

I think of California as one of the most progressive anomalies in the world. Now that we are more or less a global company moving into emerging medical markets, I would say that California, and even Canada, are anomalies that we may not see repeated for quite some time. Most of the emerging markets, I believe, are going to be maintaining a position more heavily on the medical side on a global level. But in terms of the difference between adult use and medical, I think that the way that we have labeled this plant is erroneous because it’s not that black and white. It’s not that it’s just medical use or just adult use. It’s sort of a fluid spectrum. A lot of people who start out on the medical side realize that it relaxes them, and once they become comfortable with consumption, they might use cannabis on a Friday night to relax. Does that make them adult use, or are they medical? Maybe they’re somewhere in between. DEFENDING OUR PLANT EVERYWHERE

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We’ve been pushed into labels. What I love about cannabis is that it’s taught me about the way I perceive things in life. The labeling has been put on us by regulators, and people who don’t necessarily understand the use of the plant. That’s not to blame, but we’ve adopted the terminology as if that’s the way it is — and I don’t think it is the way it is. Obviously, you’re focused on the business. Is there any time left for advocacy work on cannabis reform? The goal has always been to have HelloMD be the number-one resource for cannabis health questions and concerns. We’ve expanded into Canada, we’re opening up in South Africa, we’ve got our sights set on the U.K. and others. And we obviously still care about the United States, because that’s where we live, but we think about it more on a global level. Our biggest mission is to onboard millions of new patients and consumers onto our platform for the purpose of education. If we create digestible cannabis education, we’re going to be able to change people’s perceptions who aren’t necessarily cannabis-friendly, and we’re going to educate people who are coming towards cannabis. I think it’s only through education that we’ll be able to create true reform. What’s surprised you most about the cannabis space? The thing that I find most surprising is how quickly things have changed, but also my perspective has changed from being focused on the California market. All of a sudden, you realize what a global movement is occurring right now; it’s unfolding in front of us. France just announced that they’re going to have a two-year medical marijuana program. If you had said that a year ago, people would’ve said absolutely no way, France is way too conservative. And it’s going to be moving into Asia next. I find what’s going on in Canada absolutely fascinating, and how the licensed producers are moving around the globe with such enormous amounts of money. This is an enormous, big industry that’s exploding. One of the things that is happening is the push towards CBD being touted as a sort of cure-all. How do you see the role of HelloMD as an educator on the CBD boom? CBD transformed my life, but I’m always very cautious when I talk about CBD or cannabis in general to say that [CBD is a cure-all]. I’m always cautious to say that I don’t stand behind the notion that cannabis is a silver bullet. Cannabis is a very complex plant, and CBD in and of itself is complex. There are so many potential therapeutic benefits that it may hold. One of the things about CBD that I find remarkable is that you have to take it for some time to actually feel the benefits. It builds up in your system. I’ve learned since I started this business, that most people are not willing to do that. People want to be given something that’s going to solve all of their problems — but you really do have to come to the table and be willing to try, to experiment, and fail and try again. Like with so many other things in life. Cannabis to me is a tool within your wellness toolkit to be used towards general health that can really propel you forward, but it’s not necessarily the one thing that’s going to change your life.

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O n t h e n o t e o f i n t e g ra t i ve m e d i c i n e : m u c h o f the conversation is shifting towards therapeutic psychedelics at the moment. Would you be willing to include them on the HelloMD platform someday? I think therapeutic psychedelics are the next frontier. They’re extraordinarily powerful. In terms of HelloMD’s involvement with psychedelics, we have our hands full with cannabis. I’m a huge supporter of MAPS and Rick Doblin, and where psychedelics are going, and I believe in 2020 that there will be expanded access clinics throughout the United States for MDMA and possibly psilocybin — that’s what I’ve been told. I think that it’s going to be another sort of cataclysmic shift in people’s perceptions and assumptions. The need for education about not only cannabis but therapeutic psychedelics, is growing. There’s a tipping point, as with everything in life, and I think that we’re not at the tipping point with psychedelics — we’re at the point where awareness is coming to the fore. I think the tipping point with cannabis has happened. Are you familiar with Geoffrey Moore’s “Crossing the Chasm?” I am not. It’s a book that came out in the ‘90s. The point with “Crossing the Chasm” is, with every new technology there’s a point of early adoption, and then you have this chasm of problems that need to be solved. And until those problems are solved, you’re not going to have mainstream adoption. I think cannabis is at that point [of early adoption], and for us to cross the chasm and get to the point where we have everyone adopting it, we have to solve the problem of education, which is where HelloMD squarely sits: right in that educational sweet spot, being able to help people along on that journey. One of the things that people worry about is the fear of incarceration, or losing their children, when it comes to using cannabis, even legally. Could you address breaking the stigma around cannabis use and parenting?

I can speak from the first person in terms of cannabis and being a parent. I had to make a decision whether I was going to have both feet in the cannabis industry and be “out.” At that time, there were so many people that were being made an example of, that I was incredibly concerned. Over time, it becomes a part of who you are. Cannabis has allowed me to accept who I am as a person and be much more forward and empowered about my ideas and opinions, and not hide behind anything — because I can’t, really. That’s translated into me having a very honest conversation with my children about cannabis, and drug use in general. I can’t say that my kids are any different than any other person’s kids. I can only say that we are very clear about what we do for work and why we do it, but also that it’s not appropriate for kids at their age to be consuming. In terms of incarceration and social justice, there are still many people serving life sentences and behind bars today. It’s disgusting. If we are going to move forward as a nation and have cannabis legalization continuing to move forward state-by-state, the records of those people that are incarcerated should be expunged.

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Could you tell us more about your routine with CBD and THC consumption, and why microdosing is especially important to you? Larger doses of THC have never worked for me. I learned early on in terms of managing my medical condition that higher doses of CBD sublingually with a tincture worked well. So, I take a 20:1 tincture, 20 parts CBD to one part THC, twice a day, usually between 20 and 30 milligrams. My tincture of choice is Rosette, which I think is really great. It provides a noticeable effect for me. Everyone’s different, of course. At night I’ll typically take 2.5 milligrams of THC because I feel like it really helps me get a good night’s sleep. I’m about to go hike the John Muir Trail, which takes 21 days, and my routine will change a little bit based on my physical activity. I plan to microdose THC throughout the day, maybe one milligram of THC every hour, if that. When I microdose, it helps to manage muscular pain that I might be feeling or lower back pain. I’ll be taking my regular amounts of CBD, and I’ll microdose the Atlas Edibles beverage powdered drink through my Camelbak. That contains 10 milligrams of CBD and four milligrams of THC. Can you leave us with any news about what’s coming up for HelloMD? We’re super excited. We started a new series called “Ask A Doctor,” where our chief medical officer does a series on epilepsy, or migraines, or chronic pain. This led to the development of an app that we’re about to release, which will also have a live stream, which is a game show called Hello Trivia. It’s going to be released in mid-August. It’s essentially what we call incidental learning. We want people to come to the app, play the game, and learn about cannabis and wellness. Through that, they’ll be able to win cash prizes, and a portion of every game will go towards a charitable organization. We’ve picked out amazing hosts who are well-versed in cannabis. Each show will last about 10 minutes and will allow people to have fun while also learning. And I like the fact that it’s transitioning us into a different type of learning. We’re going to be hitting a much more millennial crowd — 21-plus obviously, but a younger crowd. What are your hopes for 2020? I’d like to continue to see us grow and thrive on a global level. It’s important to continue to touch people’s lives in educating them on the power of cannabis. I feel like it can save lives. There’s so much misinformation out there and so many people who, whether they’re on opiates like I was, or other drugs — if they can transition to something more benign — can really improve their quality of life. From a personal perspective, doing the John Muir Trail is a big step for me living my life. I just got my motorcycle license. So, personally, wanting to enjoy life, live it moment-to-moment and enjoy the journey — not be so goal-oriented. Good luck with the hike. Thank you. I have such a California moment coming up on Friday. My friend is a Kundalini teacher, and she’s told me, “You need to come to my house because we have to do a visualization about your happy journey.” I said, “okay, anything that helps, I’m there.” Every little bit.

Yep, every little bit. DEFENDING OUR PLANT EVERYWHERE

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SCIENCE

READY OR NOT, MOLECULAR GENE-EDITING IS ALREADY CHANGING AGRICULTURE

WRITER | JEFFREY RINDSKOPF

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he most powerful genetic technology in history has arrived, and ever yone is trying to figure out what they can do with it. Humans have been messing with DNA since the dawn of civilization in the form of agriculture. Raising plants and livestock let humanity perpetuate desirable traits and screen out undesirable ones long before the discover y of DNA, reshaping our food and environments in a manmade spin on natural selection. In the 20th century, we learned to intervene more directly with the invention of restriction enzymes, which extract and insert foreign DNA strands from one species into another. But CRISPR goes a step beyond. T h e a c r o ny m i s t h e c o m m o n s h o r t h a n d f o r a n ew c l a s s o f molecular tools that makes altering DNA in people and plants alike easier than ever before. Where restriction enzymes can only slash away or add in generalized s e q u e n c e s i n a n o r g a n i s m’s genome, CRISPR is precise down to the specific gene one wishes to alter or insert. It’s already being used to make pest-resistant crops, biodegradable plastic, climate change-reversing plants, antidotes to natural poisons, self-terminating mosquitoes and – in one illicit case – two HIV-resistant Chinese babies. Since altering native DNA t h e o re t i c a l l y l e a ve s n o t ra c e , regulators at the USDA have given CRISPR a free pass for agricultural use, considering it a faster method to achieve the same results as selective breeding. Though few CRISPR-enhanced products have made it to consumers, companies are experimenting with and

gobbling up patents for promising new applications like increasing rice crop yields, curing a genetic virus in tomatoes and creating allergenfree peanuts. The cannabis industr y is no exception. By letting scientists and businesspeople obser ve c h a ra c t e r i s t i c s a t s e e d - l eve l , genetics are a fast-track to realizing the plant’s potential as a medicinal, recreational and industrial crop. After decades of prohibition, the long thaw of legalization has already jump-started knowledge on this front by bringing research out of the garage and into the lab with advents like marker-assisted breeding. Still, CRISPR could present another exponential leap in innovation, letting breeders create market-ready strains with predetermined characteristics faster than ever before. According to CJ Schwartz, CEO of Sunrise Genetics — responsible for creating the first map of the cannabis genome last year — cannabis may already be approaching its upper threshold for THCA. However, production of other “cannabinoids of interest” still has room for “substantial improvement,” and CRISPR could breed plants that greatly overproduce specific ones like CBG to investigate their medical potential. Though his company doesn’t employ CRISPR nor any other genetic modification technology, Schwartz also hopes C R I S P R c a n e x p e d i t e h e m p’s “agronomic” potential, boosting yields and outdoor resilience to reduce this and other industries’ carbon footprint. “CRISPR is a powerful technology,” says Schwartz, who holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry, “but it relies heavily

on genomic knowledge of a particular species … One first needs a specific gene target in order to effect changes in its behavior.” On account of this, the research community will need to continue developing genomic resources and give CRISPR more precise targets, to catch up with non-marginalized crops like corn and soybeans. There usually isn’t one gene corresponding directly with each observable trait – nature tends to be more holistic than that. Single DNA edits could have unintended consequences if the interacting genes’ functions haven’t been studied or characterized, especially since many of cannabis’s most agronomically important traits are polygenic or determined by multiple genes. As with the cannabis genome, we also need to understand more about CRISPR itself to ensure its safe and effective use. “If these strains don’t hold up to the standards … of natural cannabis, they may present a problem for the overall gene pool if used for breeding,” explains Schwartz. “While a single gene edit via CRISPR is not technically considered to result in a GMO, it certainly bears close resemblance to technologies that make people very uncomfortable.” Despite the USDA’s go-ahead and some studies showing subsequent generations of CRISPR-ed plants free from genetic disruption, others have shown its use cause undesired gene deletions and complex rearrangements of foreign DNA, potentially even turning cells cancerous when gene-editing humans. “We need to better understand this gene flow before we can be assured there are no off-target effects,” says Kevin McKernan, CSO and founder of Medicinal Genomics, another cannabis genomics company whose work may inform CRISPR’s use, even if they don’t use it themselves. “[But] people are not waiting for better references, and CRISPR Cannabis is here if you look in the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).” McKernan is more worried about the legal side-effects of CRISPR for cannabis than the biological, fearing it could lead to monopolization of modified strains by the well-funded negatively impacting small entrepreneurs – an age-old problem for new

agricultural technologies. Creating strains not found in nature gives them a better potential for patenting, but this ownership of living plant genetics could result in diversitystar ved monocultures and costly legal battles if, say, some patented pollen was to land on a neighbor’s crop, or another farm stumbled upon the same genetics naturally. Schwartz has similarly expressed concern over this “pharmaceuticalization of medical marijuana,” which could maximize profits but stifle sound research and transparency. The rush to patent CRISPR-modified cannabis has already begun. On the books are promising space-age applications like plants that grow cannabinoid-producing trichomes in their vegetative state and watersoluble cannabis that metabolizes itself so your liver won’t have to. Alarmingly, another patented strain shows improved resistance to the glyphosate – the active ingredient in Bayer (formerly Monsanto)’s artificial pesticide Roundup, ruled in several recent court cases to cause non-Hodgkins lymphoma. This implies cannabis could be at risk of becoming just another bottom line-focused facet of big ag, rushing to monetize new technologies like CRISPR even at the expense of consumer safety. There are efforts to push back on this trend like the Open Cannabis Project, which is archiving thousands of strains to prevent them from being patented and the plant’s biodiversity legally restricted. Though stopping CRISPR’s use now could be the equivalent of trying to put Pandora back in her box, McKernan emphasizes that products should differentiate between natural selection methods like marker assisted breeding and polyploids, CRISPR edits that just delete genes, and CRISPR edits that introduce foreign DNA, at least until their varying effects can be better researched and regulated. That way, consumers will be equipped to decide with their own purchases what they value in cannabis genetics. For an industry long starved of credibility, it could be that we don’t need more rushed commercial applications, but more scientific fact, even if it takes a little longer to realize our loftiest goals with the plant.

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TECHNOLOGY 40

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hen people hear the word blockchain, they often think of the rise of cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, but TruTrace Technologies (“TruTrace”) is using blockchain to track cannabis from seed to the hands of medical patients in Canada – specifically from a testing and supply chain perspective. They wanted to develop a dynamic supply chain visibility solution that could implement a blockchain solution into their framework, allowing TruTrace not only to protect the data surrounding cannabis, but cannabis consumers and patients at large. So, who is validating these transactions? With cryptocurrency, a large group of decentralized miners (millions of computers across the world) track the exchange of cryptocurrency every time it passes “hands,” so to speak. When it comes to tracking cannabis genetics among a myriad of other data points, the blockchain miners with TruTrace ensure validity via a “trusted node network,” according to TruTrace CEO Robert Galarza, who states that the various players (governing bodies) along the way include pharmacies, licensed producers and in this instance, Health Canada. It is not an open mining solution that’s tokenizing the support of the chain itself, but rather a network of stakeholders looking to create a better level of trust when it comes to the sale of medical cannabis in Canada. With TruTrace, the industry stakeholders are the ones who govern the body and manage the ledger. Software solutions and SaaS models can then be built off that particular chain in an effort to access information. The inspiration behind TruTrace came from an inherent issue that they saw in seed to sale tracking systems without proper inventory identification. They knew that genetics was the key to a larger tracking solution and they knew that the future of medical cannabis across the globe would eventually come down to identifying, tracking and verifying the genetics and source of cannabis strains.

Galarza. That type of information from a medical cannabis perspective is just not available yet and, in most cases, the small amount of information that is available is not easily accessible. As there is a multitude of suppliers of medical cannabis in Canada, all of whom are in competition with one another, it makes sense to have a third-party testing and validating the source and genetic code of the cannabis that is available to patients via prescription. With TruTrace’s software, there is visibility into what medical cannabis is available to patients from an infrastructure perspective.

CONSUMER SAFETY + INTEGRITY TruTrace’s software platform, StrainSecure™, tracks cannabis strains at every testing point. With thousands of strains on the market and with more being created and bred every day, it’s important that a pharmacist can ensure that the cannabis they are giving to a patient is, in fact, the cannabis that has: A) been prescribed to the patient; B) worked for the patient historically; C) came from its noted origin or production facility and D) has been verified using the plant’s genetic variation. Why can’t we simply continue calling strains by their names in lieu of testing their DNA? There are more than 500 known chemical compounds in a single cannabis plant and upwards of 1.3 billion genetic markers, which means that while numerous breeders/producers may call a strain Super Lemon Haze, the DNA of the strains may be different – and often is. In short, StrainSecure™ is offering product verification, protection from unintentional misappropriation and intellectual property detection for genetics and strains. This is relevant for growers, processors, medical

TRUTRACE LAUNCHES A PILOT PROGRAM IN CANADA In July, TruTrace announced a partnership pilot program with Shoppers Drug Mart (Shoppers) – the Canadian equivalent of CVS or Walgreens. They currently have 1,300 pharmacies across Canada, and as cannabis is federally legal in that country, Shoppers wanted to implement software that could “guarantee product quality and genetics throughout the supply chain from genometo-patient.” Much like any other pharmaceutical or OTC medicine, patients need to know that the medication they are taking is, in fact, the medication they were prescribed. This is true for pharmacists as well. “Pharmacists have a very specific mandate as far as understanding medicines [is concerned]. TruTrace came in with a mission to critically pool all necessary inventory data, secure that data and allow that data to be easily accessible. Pharmacists really liked this. [Pharmacists] are used to being able to scan a barcode, open their specific [pharmacist software], see a DIN (Drug Information Number) or the NDC (National Drug Code) number (here in the US) and see all of the information associated with the pharmaceutical [or OTC] product [that they are giving to a patient],” states

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Dr. Gina Conte collects samples for genetic certification of Cannabis cultivars with Dr. Adel Zarei of WeedMD.

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E.COM ME ME ME

storefronts, physicians, state/province and federal regulators, and, most importantly, the consumer. As Canada is putting product into the marketplace, TruTrace wants to ensure that standards and measurements are put in place to protect producers and educate consumers all while ensuring that the transactional middlemen, like testing facilities, throughout the supply chain are also part of the checks and balances process. This ensures transparency for the consumer.

TRUTRACE + STRAINSECURE™ FUNCTIONALITY Cannabis producers may be curious as to the functionality of the SaaS that TruTrace has available on the market. Once a producer is registered and onboarded the software is straightforward and doesn’t take much in the way of maintaining. The team at TruTrace also offers customized solutions for each producer to ensure that the functionality of the software is designed with each production facility in mind. Not all grows’ daily operations are the same, and TruTrace knows that. From production summary reports to quick and simple testing data input, TruTrace has solutions for a myriad of operational tactics, ensuring that the software makes each step in the production of cannabis seamless while reducing tedious tasks. Once a strain has undergone a Master Registration process, a purchaser looking to validate the DNA of the strain before a purchase can expect a three-day turnaround from a verified lab. TruTrace has cut the time down for this type of verification from weeks to days. This is one of many reasons that TruTrace’s software is such a valuable resource for both suppliers and pharmacies.

THE SCIENCE BEHIND STRAINSECURE™ GENETIC TESTING TruTrace’s Director of Genetics, Dr. Gina L. Conte, PhD is the brains behind StrainSecure™ genetic implementation and testing. Dr. Conte received her PhD and conducted her Postdoctoral Research at the University of British Columbia where she made significant discoveries in the role of genetic evolution, speciation, mate choice, adaptation to climate gradients and the accumulation of mal-adaptive mutations populations. She serves as the CSO at both Cannametrics and Lighthouse Genomics, Inc. As the Director of Genetics, Dr. Conte is

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responsible for genetic testing and cannabis variety verification for the platform’s SaaS. She also ensures that the cannabis testing facilities that TruTrace partners with are reputable, efficient, following regulations to the smallest detail all while implementing standardized testing processes and procedures. In the cannabis space, there are numerous methods of genetic testing being employed. As part of the TruTrace team, Dr. Conte employs a genetic testing method where she looks specifically at the SNP array or “snips” in the DNA of the plant(s). In humans, snips are the most common type of genetic variation. Snips occur along stretches of DNA, and each snip represents a single DNA building block called a nucleotide. In humans, there are millions of snips in our genome. They are often found in the DNA between genes and can act as biological markers. Sometimes snips are unique, and sometimes they are very common. Snips are the reason why the physical appearance of cannabis, susceptibility to disease and response to treatment of said disease often differ from plant to plant. The most important thing to know about snips is that they offer valuable insight into cannabis building blocks and help determine one plant from another. In addition to genetic testing, TruTrace also looks at potency and terpene standards utilizing cannabis testing facilities that have been verified as a StrainSecure™ Certified Lab Partner. Currently, StrainSecure™ verifies the presence or absence of the cannabinoids: THCA, CBDA, CBD, CBGA, CBG, CBCA, CBC, CBN, THCV and CBDV – that list continues to grow. They are also testing for the most relevant terpenes including limonene, linalool, myrcene, caryophyllene, alpha-bisabolol, borneol, Delta-3 carene, eucalyptol, nerolidol and pinene, among others. The reason for implementing these as base standards within medicinal cannabis is because they have all shown to elicit a biologic response. TruTrace is confident that this requirement will propel the industry to more clearly define the difference between recreational and medical cannabis, differentiate products that can be classified as “safe” by having undergone a specific testing regime, and further the development of products that can be used for targeted medicinal purposes.

POLITICS 46

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n 1966, the United States spent $5.9 billion on space exploration. In today’s dollars, that’s over $44 billion, or close to five percent of the federal budget. The space race with Russia to be the first country on the moon, a solar echo of the Cold War, drove government spending on NASA to levels it hasn’t seen since and probably never will reach again. But for all his Orwellian interference with government science and research into climate change, President Trump seems to be a fan of outer space. Earlier this year he authorized the creation of a new division of the Air Force called the United States Space Force, even releasing a vintage tee on his campaign store – perfect for the discerning MAGA hipster who liked red hats before they were cool. Merchandising aside, Trump has also supported space by announcing an extra $1.6 billion in the proposed 2020 budget for NASA activities, with the goal of returning America to the moon by 2024. The extra money would go a long way towards establishing the technical foundation for exploration of the moon, which Trump oddly categorized as “a part of Mars” in an opaque June tweet that suggested a preference for NASA to emphasize the Red Planet. NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine called the $1.6 billion boost a “down payment” that “gets us out of the gate in a very strong fashion.” The new moon initiative is codenamed Artemis, a double-entendre that represents both the twin sister of the Greek god Apollo, namesake of the original moon missions, and the program’s intention to put the first female on the lunar surface. Despite the positive press and public goodwill that the new moon mission stands to generate, critics say it will require exponentially more money than current levels of funding – dollars that are not likely to materialize in the current political climate, especially considering the controversy over their proposed source.

MOON TECHNOLOGY FOR THE 21ST CENTURY Bridenstine has spoken publicly about the importance of private partnerships for getting back to the moon. Of the extra money earmarked for NASA in 2020, about $1 billion is set to be spent on a lunar lander developed in partnership with American aerospace companies. Three companies have already been awarded preliminary contracts totaling over a quarter of a billion dollars. Strategic documents on the administration’s website show that another $651 million will be invested in developing the Space Launch System (SLS), NASA’s update to the Space Shuttle, and Orion, the spacecraft that astronauts will use to travel beyond Earth’s orbit. The other big piece of the puzzle is the Lunar Orbital Platform Gateway (LOPG), more commonly referred to as the lunar gateway. Defined by NASA as an “orbital outpost,” the LOPG is intended to be a base from which the administration can dock and refuel spacecraft, collect and analyze samples all while providing temporary habitation for astronauts. In May, the Colorado-based Maxar Technologies was awarded a contract to develop power, propulsion and communications technologies for the LOPG, which is “targeted to launch in 2022.” That timeframe was provided by Cheryl Warner, lead public affairs officer of NASA’s Moon to Mars program. DOPE got in touch with Warner to learn more about what this technology entails and how her administration plans to handle an ambitious shortening of its deadline.

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“We’ve expedited a number of procurement activities to meet this challenge, and continue to make progress every day,” she says. “We’re working with American companies on designing, studying and soon, developing a new human landing system staged at the Gateway for expeditions to the lunar surface.” While Warner admitted that additional funding would be required throughout the next decade, she seemed optimistic, noting, “a refined estimate will be submitted as part of the fiscal year 2021 President’s budget request.” NASA is awaiting the estimate. She also told us that while American leadership is at the forefront of the new mission to the moon, there is plenty of room for collaboration with other countries. “ESA [European Space Agency] is providing the service module for our new deep space crew capsule, Orion, and the CSA [Canadian Space Agency] is the first to formally commit to building the Gateway with us in lunar orbit.”

BUDGET CONCERNS MAY ABORT THE MISSION

For all the optimism and tangible signs of progress NASA has made on the new space race, much uncertainty remains to be cleared up before we can set foot on the moon again. In the spring, media outlets reported that NASA insiders were telling the White House to expect a $6 to $8 billion annual price tag for the new moon program. Bridenstine shot down those rumors, but other experts have predicted the cost could be as high as $25 billion per year. Keeping costs down is one thing, but getting a Democrat-led House and a GOP-controlled Senate to agree to cover those costs may be an even bigger struggle. A May feature by The New York Times science reporter Kenneth Chang called it “unlikely” for astronauts to return to the moon in 2024. Much of the problem stems from the Trump administration’s proposed source for NASA’s $1.6 billion windfall: Pell Grants, the federal program that provides scholarship money to low-income students. While the Pell program is currently running at an $8 billion surplus, reporting by VICE News indicates that if Trump’s proposed 2020 budget were enacted, including extra funding for NASA, the Federal Pell Grant program would be crippled and need $1 billion in federal money to survive past 2021. In an era when student loan debt is now over $1.5 trillion, and the GOP’s sweeping tax cuts have already cost the government nearly $2 trillion, many lawmakers on the left don’t like the optics of taking money away from poorer college students to fund a literal moonshot. Critics also point out that NASA projects have a history of delays and cost overruns. In 2018, the U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that NASA’s major human and robotics programs had an average delay of 12 months and a cost growth of 18.8 percent. “If President Trump wants to invest in NASA, he should support bipartisan efforts to raise the spending caps to pay for it,” said Sen. Patty Murray (WA) the chief Democrat on the Senate Appropriations Committee who called Trump’s proposed budget “dead on arrival.” Presidential candidate Kamala Harris tweeted that the White House plan to slash Pell Grants was “backwards.” Rep. Steve Cohen, a Democrat from Tennessee who sits on the House’s Science, Space and Technology committee, tweeted that he supports “restoring funding to @NASA, but that cannot come at the expense of lowincome students. Raiding Pell Grant funds to boost #NASA’s budget is foolish.” Compounding all the uncertainty, arguably the program’s most important proponent – President Trump – will face a competitive election next fall. A Democratic president taking office in 2021 may have different views on space exploration goals. Even if the 2024 moon landing never happens, the proposed timeline could still offer a starting point for negotiations to give NASA more money than it’s had in some lean years earlier in this decade. And if all else fails, at least you can still rock your Space Force shirt. DEFENDING OUR PLANT EVERYWHERE

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FEATURE 52

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“F

acebook is an idealistic and optimistic company ... and, as Facebook has grown, people everywhere have gotten a powerful new tool for staying connected to the people they love, for making their voices heard, and for building communities and businesses.” Facebook founder Mark Zuckerburg painted this rose-colored portrait of his social media company last April, in front of the U.S. Senate’s Commerce and Judiciary committees. He discussed how social justice movements use the network to recruit and organize, charities use it to raise money and businesses use it for growth and job creation. He’s not wrong: like it or not, major tech companies like Facebook, Google and Apple are players in almost every part of our world. They help keep loved ones connected and provide rapid updates on global news. But in the last few years, society seems to have realized that if you draw back big tech’s PR curtain of positivity and heartwarming baby videos, the levers are being pulled by shareholders and corporate leaders ruthlessly pursuing profits while doing their best to avoid government interference at all costs. DOPE has already discussed the downside of this approach as it relates to things like social justice and police work. But the negative impacts are also felt in industries with legal grey areas. Even in an era of online strain databases and digital dispensary menus, the relentless pursuit of power playing out in the boardrooms of Santa Clara has left cannabis trampled underfoot by tech, reinforcing outdated and incorrect stereotypes of the plant. All this for a crusade that looks more futile with each passing day: allowing tech companies to maintain full autonomy over the way their creations are governed.

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How is Big Tech Throttling Cannabis?

Last summer, Marijuana Moment reported on Facebook “shadow banning” the official page for California’s Bureau of Cannabis Control, the agency responsible for regulating the Golden State’s legal marijuana industry. A shadow banned page is not removed, but instead is hidden from search results and restricted in organic reach. This is a practice commonly used for right-wing extremists and fake news pages, not official state departments. In April, it was reported that a Facebook group for medical patients in Maryland had been taken down, despite the community only discussing the plant and explicitly disallowing any talk of sales or distribution. These moves reflect a simple motive. “If you go back to Mark Zuckerberg’s hearing last year, the people who dissected that did a beautiful job pointing out how desperately Facebook is trying to avoid regulation,” says Ricardo Baca, former editor of The Cannabist and founder/CEO of Grasslands: A Journalism-Minded Agency. Baca, who has been called one of the most powerful people in America’s marijuana industry, moderated a panel about media regulation at this year’s National Cannabis Policy Summit in Washington, D.C. He spoke with DOPE by phone about how big of a challenge it still is for even nonplant-touching cannabis businesses to use major technology networks. “[For big media companies] it’s an easy call – weed is [federally] illegal in the United States of America, so, therefore, they are not going to allow these businesses to buy ads or sponsor posts on their platform,” says Baca. The issue doesn’t end with Facebook – until 2015, Apple did not allow any apps related to cannabis, and still only allows access to users in legal states. Earlier this year, Google made headlines when they announced they would not allow any apps to process cannabis sales, even in legal states with recreational industries. Even if social content isn’t directly related to the plant itself, big tech companies are erring on the side of caution. Baca told us a story of how he hand-crafted hundreds of incense packets to use as promotional merchandise and attempted to boost an Instagram image of them but was rejected – ostensibly because the incense packets had the name of his company, one that works with a federally illegal industry. There’s bipartisan agreement that things need to change with the way we regulate big tech companies. Multiple prominent Democratic presidential candidates have called for an investigation into breaking up Facebook, while President Donald Trump himself has tweeted multiple times about social media censoring or unfairly banning conservatives. No matter how many pictures of budding plants or greenthemed apps tech companies remove from their platforms, it appears that federal judgment day will soon be upon them. In the meantime, cannabis companies will continue to suffer as a key channel for business success in today’s era remains restricted or completely cut off. However, some experts are hopeful it won’t be this way forever.

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A Brighter, More Digital Future

Many in the industry feel federal legalization will be something of a cureall for the problem tech companies have with cannabis. “People generally feel that federal legalization is key,” Baca says. “I believe that most of these issues will be solved when that does happen ... most of the issues exist because of the current state versus federal clashes. They happen in every sector, with every agency.” And despite the challenges, plenty of creative, ambitious entrepreneurs are using the power of tech to build connections and provide industry access to people who may have otherwise been cut off. Sirita Wright, an experienced digital marketing consultant and actress, co-founded EstroHaze to connect women and communities of color to cannabis. “We use storytelling via technology to achieve that,” Wright tells DOPE through email. “A key reason why we started EstroHaze was because we were not seeing black women represented in the mainstream cannabis conversation ... so it’s been important to create content that reflects that, and serving up the content on the platforms where our audience is most active is crucial. Instagram and Facebook have been especially awesome,” she says. While tech’s restrictive policies on cannabis and related content may make life difficult for businesses that depend on the plant, that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for them to thrive online. And with federal legalization on the horizon, companies in our fledgling industry may soon get a fair crack at the opportunities Zuckerberg boasted about to Congress last year, creating a much bigger pie for everyone to cut a slice from.

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TECHNOLOGY

FROM SOIL TO OIL

THE TECHNOLOGIES BEHIND CANNABIS EXTRACTION AND INFUSION WRITER | BRUCE KENNEDY

ot that long ago two of the most common ways for cannabis consumers to enjoy their weed was by either smoking it or eating it – and often eating it meant swallowing home-made, gritty and not-very-good-tasting brownies, cookies and other baked goods. But years of covert tinkering by potheads, agricultural students, biochemists and others, along with the rapid state-by-state spread of legalization, has created a multi-billion-dollar industry not only for cannabis but also for cannabis extracts and infused products. According to a report released last year by Arcview Market Research and BDS Analytics, sales of cannabis concentrates in the United States are estimated to reach $8.4 billion by 2022 – and those concentrate sales are expected to come close to matching sales for flower. Steve DeAngelo, a cannabis activist who’s also co-founder and chairman emeritus of the Oakland, California-based Harborside cannabis chain, told DOPE that vape pens alone now account for around one-third of sales at many dispensaries. “And that’s a product category that didn’t really exist five years ago,” he says.

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THANK MOTHER NATURE FOR TRICHOMES In terms of extraction, “Mother Nature was very kind to us when she designed the cannabis plant,” says DeAngelo. Most of the active ingredients in cannabis, he explained, including the ones containing the plant’s psychoactive, aromatic and therapeutic properties are contained in trichomes: the sticky crystalline structures that sit on the plant’s surface. “The point of every extraction method is to detach the trichomes from the underlying vegetable material,” he continues, “taking away as little of the underlying vegetable material as you can.” Here are some of the better-known extraction methods.

C02 EXTRACTION “C02 is carbon dioxide, what you exhale,” says Christopher Moder, a biochemist and product development specialist at Dixie Brands, a well-known producer of THC and CBD-infused products. C02 extraction is not a new science. It’s been used for decades to create decaffeinated coffee. The process involves taking canisters of the gas and pressurizing them into a supercritical state – which means the C02 is now more of a liquid than a gas. Once it’s heated, Moder added, the pressurized C02 “starts to work more like water or any other solvent.” The pressurized, heated and liquefied C02 is then added to finelyground cannabis. It creates a cannabis “tea,” which like regular tea steeps for a while in the solution before being pumped out into different extraction chambers at different temperatures – to create a variety of extracts with differing qualities (from powders to a taffy-like concentrate) and different oil content, aromas and potencies. C02 is a very clean, environmentally-friendly and effective way of extracting cannabinoids, but typically it is just the first step of the extraction process. Additional steps, such as an alcohol wash, are also needed. Those second-phase extraction processes also strip out much of the plant’s terpenes, the organic compounds that give marijuana its flavor and that reportedly have some beneficial properties. The majority of those terpenes can be put back into C02-extracted concentrates if needed, for example, to give vape pen oils their appropriate flavors. And as DeAngelo notes, “there are many people who like C02 extracts for edible cannabis; because when it removes the terpenes, it also removes some of the flavor challenges that you have with other types of cannabis extracts.”

BUTANE EXTRACTION Hydrocarbons are the leading compounds found in petroleum and natural gas. And the hydrocarbon most often used for cannabis extraction is butane, which is relatively inexpensive but highly flammable. When used as a solvent in a pressurized heating system, butane can be a very effective way to concentrate both terpenes and cannabinoids – creating a full-spectrum extract that can be used in vape pens, RSO or dab rigs. “It tends to have a higher yield than the C02,” says DeAngelo. “but the capital investment in a safe and effective butane extraction facility is significantly more expensive than in a C02 facility.”

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ETHANOL EXTRACTION Alcohol has been used for millennia as a solvent in the production of essential oils and tinctures. It is also very effective as an extraction medium for cannabis. But ethanol alcohol, which is commonly used in alcohol extraction, has properties that cause it to extract water-soluble components such as bitter-tasting chlorophyll, along with the desired cannabinoids and terpenes from the cannabis plant. As a result, those using ethanol alcohol as an extraction method often need to add additional refinement and purification processes to make their end product clean.

WATER EXTRACTION One of the most natural extraction methods involves putting cannabis into very cold water, sometimes with ice, then agitating the mixture and screening out the vegetative materials. “There are many cannabis connoisseurs who prefer that kind of extraction,” says DeAngelo, “because like butane extraction it has a very rich terpene profile and a high level of potency, although not as high as butane.”

INFUSIONS Cannabis-infused edibles and beverages are one of the fastestgrowing parts of the cannabis industry, and there’s a very strict science when it comes to ensuring that the cannabinoid content is evenly distributed throughout those products. According to Scott Riefler, chief science officer at SōRSE Technology in Seattle, it’s not just a matter of “dumping the (cannabis) oil in … putting it in a blender and hoping that everything distributes.” Even distribution can be especially difficult in cannabis-infused beverages – where manufacturers are required to ensure that the consumer is getting the same amount of THC or other cannabinoids in each measured amount. This problem isn’t unique to the cannabis industry, however. It also applies to store-bought oil-and-vinegar salad dressings or popular cappuccinos-in-a-bottle. The solution, like in those commercial products, involves the use of emulsifiers: additives that stabilize and evenly distribute the cannabis infusion in the beverage or dried product.

NEW TECHNOLOGIES COMING ONLINE

Riefler tells DOPE that there are new technologies, such as more water-compatible emulsions, that are changing the face of the infusion industry. And scientists are also working on ways to make consuming cannabis more like drinking a beer – with the intoxication taking effect within minutes of consumption and then wearing off in 90 minutes to two hours. “I’m of the belief that once this market gets to a place where a major consumer company gets involved, you’re going to see these new technologies exploited on a large scale,” he says. For his part, DeAngelo believes we are only at the beginning of what he calls a cannabis renaissance when it comes to exploring the science of cannabis edibles, infusions and extractions. “We can look forward, as cannabis consumers, to seeing really a parade of […] innovations and new products and new formats coming online over the course of the next couple of decades,” he says. “Because cannabis has been illegal since the birth of modern technology … there’s just a vast arena for that technology now to meet this ancient plant.”

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TECHNOLOGY

FACIAL RECOGNITION, BIG DATA AND NEW SOCIAL NORMS WRITER | JEFFREY RINDSKOPF

acial recognition software is coming soon to a schoolyard near you. The Lockport City District of Niagara County, New York, will soon become the first in America to install biometric cameras throughout campus buildings, thanks to a state “Smart School” grant aimed at countering the threat of gun violence. The high-tech change has been criticized not only as “inefficient and expensive,” but also as an unprecedented invasion of students’ privacy. “Normalizing mechanisms of surveillance and control catalyzes the criminalization of the school environment,” notes Toni Smith-Thompson, an organizer of the New York Civil Liberties Union, “and could make school hallways feel more like jails.”

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Schools aren’t the only place where surveillance methods are becoming more sophisticated, and traditional privacy expectations more endangered. Facial recognition cameras are already being used by law enforcement at stoplights, sports stadiums and airports to target administration critics and nab criminal suspects, despite their propensity for false matches disproportionately affecting people of color. While public agencies justify ramped up surveillance in the name of security, private tech companies do it for ad revenue, refining their abilities to psychologically profile — and maximize profits made off — every individual consumer. Retailers like Target and Walmart use in-store Bluetooth tracking to record our buying habits and send advertisements to our phones accordingly. Now it’s not just your favorite websites or Google Home device that record and store your every preference and vocal command indefinitely; it’s your fridge, your thermostat, your children’s dolls. These companies collect and hoard increasingly unfathomable stores of personal information with little to no accountability for how it’s handled, leaving users vulnerable to third-party trackers, targeted misinformation campaigns and data breaches. Hacking risks are especially high in the cannabis space given its spotty legal status and retailers’ tracking of sensitive medical and financial info, with one breach exposing 4,500 orders from Canada’s Ontario Cannabis Store last November. If anything, though, the developing cannabis industry is held to a higher standard of consumer protection than most. A far larger breach went unpunished, for example, in the case of political consulting firm Cambridge Analytica (CA), which harvested data from millions of Facebook profiles without consent to aid in Donald Trump’s 2016 presidential bid. While former CA employees moved to Trump’s 2020 campaign under the new banner of Data Propria, Facebook similarly got off scot-free for illicitly sharing users’ info and private messages with more than 150 other partnered companies, among them the Russian search engine Yandex and Chinese telecom giant Huawei. Despite repeated promises to “do better,” Facebook’s actions indicate their opposing commitment to ever-expanding surveillance, taking out preliminary patents to analyze your facial expressions, determine what shows you’re watching, guess your socioeconomic status and predict when your friends will die. When private companies abuse users’ ignorance about data protections without suffering consequences, it sends a message that it’s up to users to protect their own privacy in a realm persuasively designed to strip them of it, abdicating the public sector’s imperative to protect consumer rights against predatory companies when mere market competition isn’t enough. In the narrative of these data-gathering conglomerates, socalled “surveillance capitalists,” this is all a good thing. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg proclaimed privacy was no longer a “social norm” in 2010, a sentiment echoed by international

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security professor Richard J. Aldrich’s 2015 TEDx Talk titled, “Privacy is Dead: The Future is Fabulous.” The year before, Google’s thenCEO Eric Schmidt voiced another common argument against privacy protections, saying, “If you have something that you don’t want anyone to know, maybe you shouldn’t be doing it in the first place.” Yet a majority of Americans feel differently, according to PEW Research, and consider it “very important” that they maintain their privacy. So why hasn’t it stopped us from entrusting the same few untrustwor thy companies with virtually all of our most personal information and correspondence? No doubt ignorance and convenience play a part, incentivized as we are given rewards discounts and free access – one part of the online realm that was always too good to be true – not to mention the impenetrable legalese of their terms and conditions. But as the internet has become increasingly essential for everyday life, there’s been little choice for many but to accept the likelihood that everything we do online or in public is being watched, with the immediate gains of the global community and professional opportunity outweighing obscure and widely-distributed consequences down the road. Now, in civil society as in elementary schools, we’re seeing on a massive scale what loss of privacy looks like. In one recent study, teens’ fear of being tracked discouraged them from seeking out sexual health information online, a stark contrast to the assumed anonymity of the web’s early days. The algorithms that determine what we see online have deepened social divisions by creating “filter bubbles” that insulate us from opposing viewpoints, while giving governments and companies the tools to discriminate on any criteria they choose, like excluding older populations from job ads. In China, the ruling Communist Party (CCP) utilizes AI-powered DNA databases and mandatory surveillance apps to preempt dissent and intern political opponents or religious minorities. Instead of any liberalizing effect, data collection gave the CCP a previously unimaginable means of social control to serve their goal of “stability maintenance.” This is because, far from existing in a vacuum,

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privacy is foundational to most basic human rights, like freedom of speech, association and thought. Without it, we’re constrained from exploring ideas outside the mainstream and voicing private criticisms by the fear of judgment or public censure from all directions. Just like carrying a smartphone or being in a crowded room, the knowledge of being watched takes up mental energy, leaving less of what psychologists call our “cognitive load” for creative or independent thought. A world in which every private company, public organization and person can know anything about anyone else wouldn’t be a utopia – it would be exhausting. To avoid this, Americans need to stop letting innovation lead them by the nose to a new age of “privacy nihilism,” letting the security and advertising industries that stand to profit most from new tracking technologies define the conversation and accelerate their adoption. With the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California’s Consumer Privacy Act last year, the Western world is moving towards a more advanced understanding of data as a new kind of currency – like paper currency, defined by our own valuation of it – and institutional transparency as essential to personal privacy. We can’t control what others know about us if we don’t know what info companies collect, or how they can use it. While there’s no one paranoid ruling organization driving surveillance expansion in the United States as in China, it could be that the presence of such technologies makes paranoids of us all. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and in the wake of Cambridge Analytica, it’s hard to deny the immense power amassed in personal data – the power to change how people see the world, and thus, to change the world. Even if Facebook and Google launched with good intentions and behaved as any other profit-driven company would be expected to, their vast archives of data have become like enormous power vacuums, bound to be abused if left unchecked. We always assumed Big Brother would create the surveillance state, but what if the surveillance state could create Big Brother?

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FOR YOUR SUMMER SMOKING PLEASURE TWO DEVICES WORTH CHECKING OUT

WRITER | ANDREA LARSON

PHOTOS | JORDAN SWENSON

LINX EDEN We’ve reviewed Linx products in the past, and they never disappoint. The Linx Eden was designed with the health-conscious in mind. Crafted from medical grade stainless steel and featuring an all quartz chamber the Eden provides a clean and smooth smoke. Its convection heating element allows the heat to circulate evenly. It’s easy to disassemble for cleaning and can be used in tow with Linx Lava Plates for vaporizing dry material and extract simultaneously. With a one year warranty and a price tag under $100, the Eden is a win all around.

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VITAE CUSTOMIZABLE BONGS From the base to the connecting rings, everything on a Vitae bong is customizable. You can choose from three different bases, a myriad of percolators, an array of mouthpieces and multiple accessories. The bongs arrived here at the office in sleek gray packages, and we had a blast putting them together. Who doesn’t love having smoking accessory options? Vitae believes in transformation – for every glass module sold the Vitae team plants a tree. This is a bong you’ll want to leave out on your coffee table and share with your guests!

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HEALTH 70

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n the early ‘90s, psychologist Albert “Skip” Rizzo was trying to rehabilitate cognitive function in brain injury patients with workbooks and pen-and-paper exercises – tools one might expect more from a special education class than a psychiatric treatment center. Then one patient, a frontal lobe-impaired 22-year-old, came in with a Game Boy, playing “Tetris.” “This is a guy I couldn’t motivate for more than five minutes to stay focused, but there he was lasered in on this Game Boy,” Rizzo recalls. “That was the first lightbulb that we could start using digital technology to motivate and engage people.” He became one of many medical professionals at the time to recognize the early potential of virtual reality (VR) to help diagnose and treat a wide range of mental health issues. In 1995, Rizzo accepted a research director position at USC’s Institute for Creative Technologies to launch a new kind of cognitive rehab, supplementing the old analog and talk therapy tools with VR simulations. “Now the technology has caught up with the vision,” he says. So, what is the vision? Given that most health concerns are inseparable from one’s environment, Rizzo calls VR “the ultimate Skinner box,” meaning it can create safe yet emotionally evocative experiences to serve virtually any assessment or treatment approach imaginable. These therapeutic programs could be uniquely reliable for evaluating patients in the subjective world of mental health, wherein up to 85 percent of conditions can go undetected, according to the World Health Organization. VR could bridge this gap in awareness and improve diagnoses by letting providers monitor patients’ physiological reactions to virtual scenarios, resulting in better treatment outcomes down the line. At Exeter University, a “mirror game” requiring subjects to duplicate the movements and expressions of a virtual avatar aided early detection of schizophrenia. In a similar vein, University of Oxford researchers are developing a VR-based test that gauges subjects’ reactions to neutral social situations for instances of paranoid thinking. Another study from Cambridge University diagnosed early Alzheimer’s-related spatial impairments more accurately than the current gold standard method, just by having participants don an HTC Vive and retrace their steps along an unmarked L-shaped path. Another area where VR offers proven advantages is “extinction learning,” a method for overcoming fear and emotional trauma by gradually desensitizing one to the source of their anxiety. Though patients know these experiences aren’t real, that doesn’t change the preconscious response and fear activation of their limbic systems, manifesting in increased heart rate and production of the stress hormone cortisol. Our emotional command centers naturally suspend disbelief even when our logical minds know better, putting VR on par with real-life exposure therapy in clinical effectiveness, but with none of the travel costs or physical danger. While early programs were calibrated to extinguish common phobias like fear of heights (balancing on a plank between skyscrapers), flying (sitting on the runway in a commercial aircraft) and spiders (progressing through increasingly realistic arachnid encounters), advancements in tech have allowed researchers to tailor more complex experiences, like crowded streets to stimulate social anxiety or traumatic memories for PTSD. Starting in 2003, Rizzo modified a VR shooter game into an exposure tool called “BRAVEMIND” for veterans to reprocess their traumatic experiences, whether relating to IED blasts or sexual assault, with a therapist virtually recreating the memory as described.

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“Most treatments out there for PTSD don’t have a lot of empirical evidence,” explains Rizzo. “The ones that do so far are ones that help a person focus on addressing the trauma, not avoiding it.” The same principle seems to apply for another trial use of VR to treat schizophrenia. Traditionally, therapists advise patients to ignore auditory hallucinations, but a University of Montreal research team instead helped them create and interact with virtual avatars for the voices in their heads. While four of 19 subjects quit after the first session, the remaining 15 rated each interaction less frightening than the last, and their hallucination-related distress dropped an average of 5 points on a scale of 20 by the study’s end. More recently, Rizzo and others have taken VR a step further, exploring something increasingly unheard of in American healthcare – prevention. “BRAVEMIND” was retooled into the awardwinning training simulation “STRIVE,” or Stress Resilience In Virtual Environments, preparing military members for the trials and traumas of combat before they’re deployed. Standing atop a vibrating platform in an immersive headset, recruits experience 15-minutes episodes at the midpoint of which an “emotionally challenging” event occurs based on real combat situations, such as the death of a civilian child or beating of a woman for infidelity. The scenario pauses, and a virtual “mentor” pulls players aside to help them process the event and teach physiological coping strategies, like deep breathing with a pair of onscreen lungs. “We’re trying to engage people in stuff they normally get by way of death by PowerPoint,” says Rizzo. “We know experiential learning with a story sticks in the brain way more than somebody telling you in a lecture.” Other psychological applications where VR has shown promise include weakening cravings that drive addiction and relapse, reducing body size overestimation in anorexia patients, imparting job interview skills to the autistic or formerly incarcerated, distracting from acutely discomforting procedures like chemotherapy and teaching mindfulness in ways that can engage and offer relief for even chronic pain sufferers. Some VR treatments are already rolling out to clinicians’ offices and consumers – “BRAVEMIND” and “STRIVE” are being donated by the charity SoldierStrong to VA offices across America, while the company Limbix offers $200 monthly subscriptions for a headset with their range of medical-grade VR apps.

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Yet this ability to literally shape and heal human minds has mainly been overshadowed by commercial excitement for VR video games, not that Rizzo minds. Gaming industry investment has driven the technology to new heights in sensory immersion and new lows in cost – from $15k for a full setup in the ‘90s to $200 for a standalone headset today – giving it a clinical edge over pricier techniques like neuroimaging. Now, however, Rizzo considers the incubation period for VR over and stresses the need to distinguish between entertainment versus health-related applications, lest business motives get in the way of credible science and set back public acceptance of the technology. There are many ethical considerations still to be sorted out as well, like ensuring providers have adequate training on the tech as well as patients’ needs and establishing safeguards for self-administered VR treatments. “We’re not building games here,” Rizzo emphasizes, “we’re building experiences.” But at the same time, that gaming element may be the key to VR’s revolutionary potential for healthcare. Effective treatment means nothing if people don’t use it, and the allure of VR, demonstrated time and time again in preliminary studies, could actually drive engagement and education in mental health as a whole. Just as the introduction of flight training simulators in the ‘30s led to a precipitous drop in aircraft accidents, this could be another immersive practice tool to minimize real-world distress, but with a universal scope and appeal well beyond that of any Game Boy.

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WRITER & PHOTO | JESSE PERRY

HIT AND RUN BY MAC 1 A TOPSHELF TESTAMENT TO TRUMED’S BOUTIQUE BUDS

ungent aromas of skunky haze and sweet earth punch me in the face as I open my boutique bag of Mac 1 buds from TruMed. The soft, spongy nugs look otherworldly, covered with green and purple leaves accented by wild, fiery-orange hairs under a blanket of fuzzy, frosty crystals that break apart with ease. My first inhale is smooth, tasting of zesty orange peel and cheesy diesel. Moments later, I feel the cerebral buzz building behind my eyes, giving me an accelerated burst of creative energy that motivates me and shifts my mood into the next gear. I’m productive for hours before the indica side of the flower kicks in. Suddenly I feel my muscles release their tension as a potent relaxation barrels through my nervous system in a rush of satisfying relief, leaving my body and mind stranded in a state of euphoria that carries me through the rest of my day.

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WRITER & PHOTO | JESSE PERRY

UNCLE HERBS CHILL PILL A MORNING PILL TO TAKE YOU HIGHER

feel like Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m reaching for a multivitamin when I select my 100mg Chill Pill Day Cap just after waking up. The soft, vegan-friendly gel cap squishes between my fingers as I pluck it from its tube, and goes down smooth, complimented by a subtle sweetness. Then, I go about my morning routine and forget all about taking my daily dose, until about 45 minutes later when the potent little pill begins to take effect. My heart beats faster as the full spectrum effects begin in my chest, vibrating out to my extremities before finding its way to my head and settling behind my eyes. The cerebral sativa qualities blend with my tendency to overthink, giving me a new focus and confidence to carry out my day, free from worry. My body floats as my minds feels uplifted and laid-back. Despite a long to-do list, my day goes by seamlessly.

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CONCENTRATE

WRITER & PHOTO | JESSE PERRY

SKYWALKER OG “RELEAF” IS IN A GALAXY NOT SO FAR AWAY

fter a long day of fighting the dark side, I find I’m stressed and am having difficulty sleeping. So, I reach for my glittering Skywalker OG cartridge (Skywalker x OG Kush) from Curaleaf and take a few long drags, filling my lungs with a creamy plume of vapor tasting of sweet jet fuel and familiar piney kush. Immediately I can feel my stress and anxiety vaporize as heavy waves of euphoria blast through my body, starting behind my eyes, moving quickly to my arms, legs and chest. The tense grip on my muscles is released as my neck and shoulder pain fade into a black void, replaced by a sensation of bliss and belonging. I sink deeper into the couch, and a guilt-free grin spreads across my face. Before long, I feel myself drifting into deep space, and I wake in the morning feeling ready for whatever the galaxy brings my way.

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LOVE, CARISSA OFFERINGS: Lollipops Chocolates Gummies Capsules Cookies Honey Brownies

Coming Soon: We will soon introduce a line of vegan and gluten free cookies, and savory offerings including crackers as well as some other new premium offerings.

"LOVE, CARISSA CANNABIS EDIBLE PRODUCTS ARE SUPREME." -Leafly

Now available everywhere

Visit our Website standardedibles.com

Standard Edibles is home to the Love, Carissa™ brand of premium medibles. We purchased the domain Standard Edibles because the Love, Carissa brand is helping set the standard for cannabis infused edibles. At Love, Carissa™ we mainly focus on these top selling products: Honey, Brownies, Lollipops, Chocolates, Cookies, Capsules, and Gummies. Unlike just about every other edible producer in Arizona, we don’t use distillate. Instead, we use kief infused coconut oil. This process is of course more arduous and less cost effective, but we believe the patient gets a much better edible experience this way. Most importantly, all cannabis product is sourced from the same producer in order to ensure absolute quality. We not only source all of our product from one cultivator, we also make our medibles the same exact way each time. Anything different than that will make for an inconsistent taste and potency. That is what we believe separates a Love, Carissa product from many others. That is why Love, Carissa is a premium brand, and that is why Love, Carissa is proud to set the standard in edibles.

STORE

WRITER | TYLER HURST

PHOTOS | JESSE PERRY

PATIENT-CENTERED CARE AT NOVA DISPENSARY REQUIRED TESTING MEANS PEACE OF MIND

THE PEOPLE

ADDRESS

Nova Dispensary opened its doors in April of 2017 and was initially staffed by co-founders and Auburn University graduates Conor Counselman (president) and Alex Mixon (vice president). The two found themselves working 80-hour weeks for the first six to eight months. Since then, Nova Dispensary has grown into a 15-employee operation. After hiring a general manager with 13 years of experience at J. Jill, they’ve seen sales uptick as products went from languishing in drawers to more customer facing. “Patient-centered care, quality products and knowledgeable staff are the three pillars [we employ] at Nova. We have it on the wall, to remind everybody every day the level of service and competence they’re going to receive while visiting Nova,” shares Mixon.

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1911 W BROADWAY RD #23 MESA, AZ 85202 (480) 912-4444 HOURS: MON–SAT: 9AM–9PM SUN: 9AM–7PM WEBSITE NOVAMMJ.COM FACEBOOK @NOVAMMJ TWITTER @NOVAMMJ

THE PRODUCT The dispensary takes patient safety seriously, even if it compromises sales. “We absolutely require that all our vendors test, specifically with flower, but we do require initial potency testing on edibles and concentrates. We have internal butane, propane standards, based on other state [requirements]. [Everything has to test] under 500ppm for residual solvents,” says Counselman. Mixon says that Nova does allow as high as 1,000ppm for sauces and diamonds, but that’s the very top of the acceptable limit. “We’ve had people who’ve tried to deliver us batches at 14,000ppm before and we sent it straight back. A lot of our vendors know that safety, potency and testing are very important to us,” says Counselman.

“PATIENT-CENTERED CARE, QUALITY PRODUCTS AND KNOWLEDGEABLE STAFF ARE THE THREE PILLARS [WE EMPLOY] AT NOVA. WE HAVE IT ON THE WALL, TO REMIND EVERYBODY EVERY DAY THAT’S THE LEVEL OF SERVICE AND COMPETENCE THEY’RE GOING TO RECEIVE.” – NOVA DISPENSARY VICE PRESIDENT ALEX MIXON

THE CULTURE “We built the store with the intention: if your grandmother found out tomorrow she had cancer, where would you send her?” says Counselman. Without outside investment, Nova is free to operate more like a pharmacy, instead of a heavily profit-focused business. “We understand that it’s a business, you still have to make money, but if a product works better than another product, we’re going to push you to the product that works better,” says Counselman. “It’s fantastic that we have the freedom as owners of the business to make a decision like that.”

REVIEW

THE NEXT STAGE IN CUSTOM CANNABIS

WRITER & PHOTO | JESSE PERRY

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ver wonder what it would be like to choose your very own mixture of cannabis distillate and terpenes to craft a personalized vape pen? Us too! Now, there’s an answer to this inquiry in the form of Darwin’s Custom Cartridge Bar, located at Arizona Natural Selections of Scottsdale. There, you can personally select your own additives to create an individualized blend that works specifically for your endocannabinoid system. I step up to the well-lit bar lined with apothecary bottles, terpene vials and lab tech as Jenny Corso, Darwin’s lead scientist, hands me a checklist of ingredients to mark off for my custom cartridge. The list includes four selections: Base Distillate, Terpenes, Terpene Blends and Flavors. For my 710 milligram, triple-distilled, CO2-extracted cannabis oil base, I choose the 1:1 CBD:THC ratio. For my terpene, I scroll through seven selections and go with the citrusy D-Limonene. I pass on the tempting Limited Edition Terpene Blends and Limited Edition Flavors (derived from natural terpenes and flavors) that include formulations like Beer and Irish Coffee and move to Flavor, choosing between options ranging from Hawaiian Pineapple to Fresh Berry. I land on fresh Lemonade, ensuring I get a zesty mix of uplifting compounds that will leave me feeling exhilarated and productive. The process starts by heating up the pure distillate in a dry bath, which decreases the viscosity of the oil. This allows the distillate to be mixed with the other natural flavors and terpenes using a vortex mixer. “Now I’m going to add the flavor and terpenes directly to each tube of oil that contains the prescribed amount of THC,”

says Corso, “then I’ll inject it into the correctly sized cartridge, and we’ll have a tasty treat.” I watch, wide-eyed as the process unfolds before me. Corso’s hands move over the vials with practiced precision as she fills her micropipette with various liquids and injects them into the appropriate tubes. Moments later, the crafted mixture is lifted once more into the syringe before being injected into its cartridge, creating the final product. The result is a perfectly blended, shimmering, honey-hued liquid that has me salivating with anticipation. I’m not disappointed. My first pull reveals exactly what I hoped it would: an uplifting, full-spectrum entourage effect. The potent vapor vibrates through my body, relaxing my muscles without putting me on the couch, while my cerebral static fades away, leaving me feeling perfectly at ease and ready for my day. This is the future of craft cannabis — a scientific method with a melody to its process that has a precise payoff in the end.

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DARWIN’S TERPENE SELECTION ß-Caryophyllene AROMA: black pepper and hops mood enhancing, calming, analgesic, anti-inflammatory

α-Humulene AROMA: hops, wood and spice appetite suppressant, anti-inflammatory

D-Limonene AROMA: citrus energizing, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory

ß-Myrcene AROMA: lemongrass, bay and hops THC synergist, motor relaxant, analgesic

α-Phellandrene AROMA: ginger, cinnamon and turmeric antidepressant, alertness, aphrodisiac

Linalool AROMA: lavender, basil and coriander sedative, motor relaxant, anxiolytic

Pinene α and ß AROMA: pine, sage and earth memory improvement, alertness, anti-inflammatory

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GARDEN

WRITER & PHOTOS | JESSE PERRY

ARIZONA ORGANIX CULTIVATION

WHERE TECHNOLOGY AND TECHNIQUE GROW TOGETHER

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THE BUSINESS Arizona Organix is a 15,000 square foot indoor boutique cultivation that sits anchored in the heart of the Phoenix Metropolitan area and has been servicing the community since 2012. The operation has remained actively involved with city and state legislature since 2010, to improve access to medication through education and transparent business practices.

THE FACILITY The space hosts 5,000 plants between 12 flowering rooms, four mother rooms, one clone room, and a 2000 square foot onsite lab with a harvest every 10 days producing an average of 30 pounds of flower per week and a ‘substantial amount of concentrates’ for its Glendale dispensary. The cultivation draws from a seed bank of nearly 300 phenotypes and typically has 70 strains growing at any given time, with the introduction of two new phenotypes per week. “We can grow really high-quality products when we get ahold of solid genetics,” says Director, Ben Myer. “We know we can kick out something our patients will desire, so we’re willing to try some of the lesser known strains.” This means patients can find favorites like Blue Dream or God’s Gift, as well as discover unique strains like Forbidden Shoes, Purple Lamborghini and their exclusive claim to fame, Papas OG. Technique coupled with technology allows the staff to move seamlessly from seed to sale employing innovative machines like their automatic water dosing system for delivering pharmaceutical-based salt nutrients, to their electronic Polemaster environmental system for maintaining an optimum temperate environment, to their industrial Birdfeeder for accurate processing and packaging of products.

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“WE ARE COMMITTED TO CREATING A CONSISTENT PRODUCT THAT ALLOWS OUR PATIENTS TO LIVE FULLER, MORE VALUABLE LIVES AS THEY DISCOVER MORE EFFECTIVE TREATMENTS THAT SUIT THEIR INDIVIDUAL NEEDS.”

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– ARIZONA ORGANIX DIRECTOR, BEN MYER

THE FUTURE Currently, Arizona Organix is in the process of remodeling their Glendale location to better suit the needs of their patients. Additionally, they are also adding two new laboratories to their cultivation site; one will focus specifically on processing THC distillate and concentrates, while the second lab will spotlight CBD based concentrates for the growing demand. We are committed to creating a consistent product that allows our patients to live fuller, more valuable lives as they discover more effective treatments that suit their individual needs,” Myer explains. The team also has expectations to triple in size as the market approaches recreational status, which will include a three-story cultivation facility built entirely out of shipping containers that is based on U.S. military technology.

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or compliance officers working at farms and grows like Ana Ruben, inventory is an integral part of their job. Making sure every piece of the cannabis plant is accounted for from seed to sale and farm to dispensary is necessary and grows need to track inventory for financial reporting purchases. That’s where things get complicated. Many grows use Quickbooks to reconcile their sales with the state. The problem is, Quickbooks doesn’t always interface directly or seamlessly with seed-to-sale software for grows like LeafLogix, BioTrackTHC, LeafLink or MJ Freeway. Reconciliation can be completed via exported CSV files, but that opens up room for error. “[You] have to know what you’re looking for, what parameters to set. Once you know you’re pretty solid, but it needs to be taught,” says Ruben, who used MJ Freeway and then BioTrackTHC. Ruben has worked in the industry as a retail manager and since 2013 has maintained the role of grow compliance officer since 2015. But even the most techsavvy are running into problems with SaaS (software as a service) solutions that aren’t quite customized enough to meet all Arizona’s reporting requirements. “For a couple of years now, one of the state compliance things is to know whether the batch originated from a seed or a clone. When you actually do that process of putting in a new plant or seed, you indicate that at the inception, but there’s no report it has that will spit that information out to you later,” Ruben continues. Active in 36 states and two countries, BioTrackTHC has over 2000 locations while tracking over $18 billion in sales so far. Arizona has no software requirements, so grows and dispensaries here are using BioTrackTHC by choice. Some cannabis grows are looking for more while currently getting less from other software vendors. DEFENDING OUR PLANT EVERYWHERE

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“There’s not a single software out there right now, that I’ve seen, that can do everything we need it to,” says Item 9 Labs CFO Bobby Mikkelsen about the need for a combined inventory and financial tracking software designed for grows that process cannabis products. “I believe LeafLogix, really all the cultivation software, are going to do a good enough job for the cultivation side. It’s the processing side that they’re not built for. That’s what we’re doing, we’re taking bits and pieces of all these different things, putting it together, adding processes, adding labor, packaging it and shipping it out.” Mikkelsen’s team performs inventory tasks daily by hand with monthly reporting, which informs his business. “Daily inventory tasks include counting materials used in the production process as well as inventory created that day,” Mikkelsen iterates. It’s imperative that the inventory reported in the system accurately represents the physical product available. “Ideally, it would be an ERP [Enterprise Resource Planning] system, but we’re too early in the industry. It hasn’t gotten far enough away from the taboo that any real software company has come in and done something. It’s going to take that or somebody who specifically wants to write killer software, someone who’s really passionate about that kind of project,” continues Mikkelsen, who is planning to switch from Quickbooks to Sage Intacct. The latter can write integration plugins Mikkelsen needs to help run all of the entities under the control of Item 9 Labs Corporation, which has entities across the country. Alex Hodder, general manager at Item 9 Labs, thinks Arizona should do more to at least cut down on options. “I really wish the state would just pick a seed-to-sale system, or two of them, so the state could train us on what exactly [it is] they want and what their requirements are. […] When they come out and start asking questions, they have no idea what system we’re using or any experience with it, so they’re asking us questions,” says Hodder. “It should be reversed, they should be the experts in the tracking systems and teaching us, not us teaching them.” BioTrackTHC is working on a 2.0 version to be released in 2019. It will have Quickbooks integration already built in, as opposed to their current CSV export options built with Quickbooks in mind, according to Director of Marketing and Communications Jeff Gonring and VP of Sales Steve Flaks. Active in 26 states and six countries, BioTrackTHC, has over 2000 locations while tracking $18 billion in sales so far. These issues aren’t limited to the cannabis industry — it would be challenging for any SaaS to create customized versions of their flagship software that adhere to so many different state regulations. Now that the demand is there, who will step up?

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