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TABLE OF CONTENTS
STATE DIRECTOR NOTE
JULY 2015 THE TRAVEL ISSUE ISSUE 06
“Go West, young man, go West and grow up with the country.”
8 STRAIN OF THE MONTH INGRID
EDIBLES
MASS ROOTS
20 FINANCIAL
THE MARIJUANA SHOW SEASON 2
THE HEALTH CENTER UNIVERSITY HILLS
22 CANNA-NEWS
BANKS GETTING FLEXIBLE
26 CANNA-NEWS
DISPENSARY
SWEET GRASS KITCHEN’S PEANUT BUTTER & JELLY CUPS
16 CANNA-NEWS
12
10
FREE JEFF MIZANSKY
28 CANNA-NEWS EXPLORING WORLD FARMING
24 CANNA-NEWS CANNABIS VS. PHARMACEUTICALS
32 CANNA-NEWS THE SPOONIE PHENOMENON
36 VENUE
THE BOULDER THEATRE
Whether they’re attributed to Horace Greely, John Babsone Lane Soule or that time you smoked that really fat joint, the power of these words is undeniable. Currently less enlightened lands long in my rearview are forcing the hands of many who just wish to smoke and live well. Travelling away from the comfort of their regularly scheduled lives to embrace the freedom of choice we have in Colorado is a no brainer for so many new arrivals. For families with sick children, travel offers a chance at wellness. Removing the threat of prosecution for using a plant is more than enough to justify dropping everything and jamming over on I-70 without the slightest hesitation. Overlooked by many, upon setting course for the Rockies, are the limitations placed on future travel by strict anti-cannabis laws surrounding our borders. Coloradans are being held prisoner by their own independence. The neighbors are suing us because our leaves are falling onto their side of the fence and our guests don’t have anywhere to socialize. At least Oregon and Washington can hold each other up and commiserate together. The relative safety provided to cannabis consumers by the Centennial State is enough to lull some into a sense of comfort. But these are uncomfortable times and many continue to challenge the status quo and navigate their lives and country unconcerned with Federal Law. We are living in George Carlin’s State Prison Farms. Granted, Colorado is filled with grand views, powerful scenery, a healthy amount of majesty and sunshine radiating for days; but it’s not enough. Send me off forever but I ask you please, don’t fence me in! When forced to choose between attending an out of state wedding and personal well being, there is now more to consider than the just the open bar situation. Living in a place where a love for cannabis can be expressed with so many like-minded people makes it easier to forget that outlaw status will be granted as soon as a Grandma dies and you’ve got to head back for the funeral while refusing to leave your dabs at home.
38 CANNA-NEWS KABUKI FOX
This is no way to live; we loved our Grandmas too!
50
42 PIECES
LACEY ST. GEORGE
FEATURE
RICK SIMPSON
44 VENUE
SUMMER MUSIC VENUES
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50 PRODUCT
MARY’S NUTRITIONALS RESCUE TONIC
58 ROAD TRIP
COLORADO: IN SEARCH OF GOOD MEDICINE
ISSUE 06 THE TRAVEL ISSUE dopemagazine.com
64 CONCENTRATE
PLATINUM SOUR DIESEL x GIRL SCOUT COOKIE LIVE RESIN
Familial obligations notwithstanding, the choice to not leave Colorado for the discomfort of other states may twist some people’s perception of the cannabis community. Pay these jokers no mind. Their prescribed lives do not allow them the clarity to see things from other perspectives; the pharmaceutical effect if you will. Peering in all directions from the top of a 14er, it’s hard to reconcile that Banquet Beers and Silver Bullets can use the backdrop of the Rockies to push their wares to be enjoyed worldwide as the cannabis industry struggles to find ways to reach their consumers. It’s one of the drawbacks to having a Beer Baron for a Governor. We’ll continue to stay the course and skirt the law as our grandparents perish with dignity waiting for medicine that can save lives. Safe Travels. Stay DOPE, Emmett H.W. Nelson Colorado State Director
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
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JOSHUA KRAUS CHRISTI TURNER
EDITORIAL DIRECTOR
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DOPE is a free publication dedicated to providing an informative and wellnessminded voice to the cannabis movement. While our foundation is the medical cannabis industry, it is our intent to provide ethical and research-based articles that address the many facets of the war on drugs, from politics to lifestyle and beyond. We believe that through education and honest discourse, accurate policy and understanding can emerge. DOPE Magazine is focused on defending both our patients and our plant, and to being an unceasing force for revolutionary change.
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Ingrid
JOSH KRAUS
PHOTOS JAMIE KRAUS
Provided By: Good Chemistry
SCENT INGRID PRODUCES a sweet citrus
aroma with just a touch of skunkiness. Although a potent strain, its subtle scent doesn’t linger, demanding big whiffs to parse through its delicious complex scent.
FLAVOR A TOKE of Ingrid ignites a cloud of thick smoke, tickling the pallet with a sweet and sour tang. There’s a pronounced earthy foundation to the taste, and a tart, almost spicy coda, courtesy of its Hash Plant lineage. An enticing, spicy strain destined to be a flower connoisseur’s favorite. LOOKS INGRID IS known for its massive yields, coming in big, dense nugs carrying a heavy helping of trichomes and orange pistils. Good Chemistry trims their buds with artisanal precision, and the end product is one fine specimen. It should also be noted that, when compared to most other flowers of its caliber, Ingrid isn’t very sticky.
EFFECT AT NINE parts indica, a night with Ingrid pro-
AROMA RARELY HAS a strain smelled so clean and
invigorating. Enticing wafts of sharp pine and refreshing spearmint explode from this green fruit, transporting you to some untouched wilderness with coursing rivers and radiant foliage. To anyone who says they don’t like the smell of pot, give them a whiff of this.
duces a heavy and intensely relaxing body melt that’s more bed lock than couch lock. Yawns will be had and eyelids will put on weight. According to Good Chemistry, it’s the strongest strain they have, which is fitting, because just like grandma, you’ll fall asleep against all odds..
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8 |
lief to many of Denver’s medical marijuana patients. In fact, a handful of patients have told Good Chemistry that they’ve been able to remove two or three other prescriptions from their rotation using Ingrid. It is commonly used for sleep disorders, chronic pain, and PTSD, but it is also effective at treating muscle spasms and other ailments that arise from musculoskeletal issues..
ISSUE 06 THE TRAVEL ISSUE dopemagazine.com
GENETICS A DELIGHTFULLY heavy 90% indica
cross, the Good Chemistry exclusive strain Ingrid is a cross between the resin-rich Hash Plant and Northern Lights, a true pillar of the cannabis community. It might interest you to know that the strain is named after the grandmother of Good Chemistry’s CEO, and I’m guessing it’s due to the strain’s sedative effects, but who knows, maybe grandma used to puff like a steam engine.
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EDIBLES
All Grown Up with Sweet Grass Kitchen’s Peanut Butter & Jelly Cups A Next-Level Take On a Comfort Classic Donated by: Sweet Grass Kitchen AY BACK in the day, Mom would make my big bro and I each a
PB&J for our school lunch, with each one containing some degree of love. Fast-forward to a more complicated adult age, and these Peanut Butter & Jelly Cups from Sweet Grass Kitchen bring that familiar sense of ease with all the good love still added in, in the form of 10 mg of THC per recreational serving. Sweet Grass Kitchen always manages to nail down an excellent balance between potency and fresh-baked goodness, and these cups are no exception. A soft, yet slightly crumbly peanut-butter cookie crust features a delightful little dollop of jelly in the center for an actual PB&J taste. This unique edible was so delectable it was hard to practice selfcontrol by only eating one before my usual Trivia Thursday at the local brewery. After a quick onset an uplifting body buzz combined with a nice perma-smile. I stayed amusingly clear minded, racking my brain as to who or what exactly a Boutros-Boutros Ghali was. The only thing that gave any inkling of anxiety was whether my 1st place finish gift certificate would be enough to cover the bar tab. In summation, these Peanut Butter & Jelly Cups by Sweet Grass provide super-tempting taste and an even more delicious buzz, putting an elevated spin on a classic favorite.
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look more like a bare-bones bodega, entering onto the spacious sales floor of The Health Center in the University Hills neighborhood of Denver has you feeling immediately welcomed. Whether it’s the thoroughly informed staff, variety of edibles and concentrates, or the 45+ strains always featured and grown with love in their own facility, you will never have to return to one of those other stores that simply isn’t on the same level. Loyalty programs and daily promotions are always a big bonus here, but it’s the quality of the products that brings everybody back. Utilizing their own grow operation, The Health Center constantly puts out super clean, high-quality buds like White Girl and the very exclusive Sugar Cookies. Maintaining their own grow facility allows The Health Center to perfect their production methods, resulting in spectacular options like their solventless dry sift hash, featured in-store. Touring with master-grower Zach, he made it visibly clear how The Health Center is the anti-thesis of any sort of mass produced operation, where quantity can unfortunately be the primary focus.” The Health Center also carries in-demand products from top vendors in the industry. Need pain relief? A Mary’s Medicinal Patch or Apothecanna lotion should do the trick. Seeking a variety of edible choices from the likes of Sweet Grass, IncrEdibles, or Dixie? It’s all here for recreational shoppers and medical patients alike, alongside award-winning concentrates like the Pre-Jilly shatter with its unbelievable terpene profile. The bottom line is The Health Center features products you can trust and customer service in the know, with a massive variety of cannabis options that will convince any visitor they’ve come to the right place.
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CANNA-NEWS / BUSINESS WRITER
MassRoots
JOSH KRAUS
PHOTOS JAMIE KRAUS
The Cannabis Community’s Great Connector
IKE ALL game changers, the idea behind MassRoots began as a solution to a growing problem.
Cannabis users, like anyone else, want to share their experiences with each other, but the current roster of social networks is far from cannabis-friendly. Instagram is notorious for censoring cannabisrelated content, and Facebook doesn’t allow cannabis-related advertising. Furthermore, not too many users are keen on posting pictures of their latest bong rip to a social network that may include their rabbi, priest, or grandma. This was the topic of conversation between Tyler Knight and Isaac Dietrich one evening in April 2013. The two friends were smoking a joint in Knight’s Virginia home while discussing the cannabis community’s rocky state of
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affairs. Realizing there was no virtual space where cannabis users could safely interact, they thought up the idea for MassRoots: a social network exclusive to all things cannabis. “We wanted to come up with a completely separate social network for anyone who wants to talk about cannabis in any way,” says Knight, MassRoots’ Co-Founder and CMO. With the help of their friends Stewart and Hyler Fortier, the team tquickly developed a bare bones version of the app and released it that June. By September, it had accumulated over 7,500 users. Recognizing the app’s massive potential, Knight and company made the move to Denver, where they secured their first seed money from ArcView, a marijuana investor group. The next year saw MassRoots gain widespread
ISSUE 06 THE TRAVEL ISSUE dopemagazine.com
popularity and the backing of many cannabisrelated businesses. They expanded their workforce by hiring some of the best developers in the nation, and upgraded their office to a swank second floor suite in downtown Denver. Then they met their Goliath. In November 2014, after sitting pretty in the Apple App Store for fourteen months, Apple kicked them out. Apparently, Apple was concerned that MassRoots users would start posting illegal content, despite the fact that the app’s team policed their own content “better than any other social media,” according to Eric Vlosky, MassRoots’ VP of Account Services. Apple’s ban was a major setback, but MassRoots wasn’t giving up without a fight. Despite all their investors warning them not to bark up
Apple’s tree, the team galvanized their user base and sent Apple a petition with nearly 11,000 signatures. As news of the conflict spread, other cannabis businesses such as Weedmaps and the NCIA took up MassRoots’ battle cry, alleging similar treatment at the hands of Apple. And in February 2015, against all odds, Apple overturned the ban. “It was the first time there’s been an App Store policy change for anyone ever in history,” Vlosky says. The unprecedented victory led Apple to amend their App Store policies regarding cannabisrelated apps. While weed-friendly might be too strong a word, the App Store is currently
weed-tolerant, and that is a major step forward for a community that is striving for legitimacy. “The people that smoke cannabis, by and large, are law abiding, tax paying, wholesome citizens, and just because they want to go home and smoke a joint doesn’t make them a crimnal,” Vlosky says. “We want to enable them, with a place to have their voices heard.” The current iteration of the MassRoots app is sleek, intuitive, and operates much like Instagram in its functionality. The company, however, is hard at work developing new features and improving usability. Soon MassRoots users will be able to direct message each other, as well as more easily locate nearby users. “Since cannabis is such a uniquely social experience, users want to find people to smoke with,” Vlosky says. “They want to find people to share that experience with, so we’re trying to enable those connections as much as possible.” Cannabis culture is ripe with niches, and MassRoots is making it a priority to welcome
them all. Whether you’re into baking edibles, smoking connoisseur flower, or sampling the wide variety of concentrates, there’s a place for you in this growing virtual community. In keeping with this welcoming spirit, MassRoots recently went public, earning the first IPO of any cannabis-related company. Trading under the MSRT ticker symbol, it’s now possible for the everyday cannabis consumer to invest in the company. It seems as though MassRoots traffics in historical firsts. The first cannabis-specific social network; the first ever successful App Store appeal; the first publicly traded cannabisrelated company, all within their first two years in business. Whatever victories lie ahead for the cannabis community, you can bet that MassRoots will be leading the charge.
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Banks Getting Flexible, But Not Bending Over Backwards HE CASH -only can-
nabis business is a tricky – and scary - business to manage. Reports of trash bags containing thousands of dollars of cash being transported from dispensaries and recreation shops to sometimes questionable storage elsewhere, has the criminal element on the lookout.. and security companies on the alert. “There are a number of people that take chances with that,” says Steve Skinner, business development manager for Illinois-based Tactical Security. His company is launching into the cannabis protection business after years of working in other similarly dangerous industries like rare coins and jewelry. “There are some banks now beginning to take deposits, but we are also seeing some smash and grabs at a number of locations in Colorado and Seattle.” Making business safer for owners and public is part of the reason why the federal government – the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) - issued a guidance memo for cannabis businesses to work with banks in February, 2014. FinCEN writes the rules and regulations that U.S. financial institutions, like banks, credit unions, and money services businesses must follow to protect the U.S. financial system from money laundering and terrorist finance, having civil powers to enforce these rules and penalize offenders. Some of the priorities outlined in the guidance memo from FinCEN
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are it expects financial institutions cannabis industry two years ago. to perform thorough customer due During his presentation at the diligence on marijuana businesses Marijuana Business Conference and file reports that highlight inlast May in Chicago, he stated formation that is particularly valumany in cannabis business believe able to law enforcement. fixing the banking issue with Sifting through new rules to find marijuana, Congress should step how cannabis businesses can in and fix it on the federal level work with banks, is what former by legalizing marijuana. “Even if assistant director for the Office of Congress did Compliance legalize mariat FinCEN, juana across Tom Flem“As a result, the the country, ing, does. larger banks the statutory Fleming, now treat all cannabis regulatory heads his process that own company businesses has to be Tom Fleming as the black followed in and Associmarket. Smaller Washington ates, a conis not a fast sultancy firm community one,” he for banking banks are more said. “By compliance. likely to help the time a Tom has over law is passed 46 years of the cannabis and put into experience entrepreneur, force, and the in both the he said, but that proper agenfinancial means that they cy is selected services to regulate industry and are going to the industry, in the Bank have to do more we are talking Secrecy Act/ to monitor that four years Anti-Money before bankLaundering industry than ing would compliance they do with be enabled (BSA/AML). other industries.” under that process, and In his BSA/ I don’t think AML role, he cannabis was responbusiness owners are willing to wait sible for national compliance, for another four years.” all financial institutions across the country including banks, credit He proposes cannabis businesses unions, casinos, insurance combuild trust with banks by having panies, check cashing companies all the necessary documents that and “any institutions that had the banks require, helping to create a ability to move funds for other two way path of education between people.” He got involved in the
ISSUE 06 THE TRAVEL ISSUE dopemagazine.com
what the banks need and what the cannabis business should have to provide. “There are many records that a bank must maintain according to regulations, and all of this information is collected from bank customers,” he said, “and if the banks don’t comply, they face severe penalties and enforcement actions.” In total there are twelve specific reports that are required to be filed by financial institutions regarding their customers, including currency transaction reports for transactions in excess of $10,000. One particular problem for the cannabis industry is the suspicious activity report (SAR) used to protect banks from criminals. Since cannabis business is essentially coming from the underground black market, and doesn’t have a good reputation, he says much of their activity seems suspicious to many enforcement officials. In fact, the guidelines from FinCEN require banks file a so-called Marijuana Limited SAR filing, indicating they are doing business with a cannabis company but that is the extent of the suspicious activity they are involved in. “Some of the community banks and smaller financial institutions realize that there are actually two factions within the industry – the underground that has been doing business for some time, and a completely new entrepreneurial faction that has come into the business since it was legalized on the state level, that wants to make money and operate a legitimate business,” Fleming said.
WRITER DAVID HODES
As a result, the larger banks treat all cannabis businesses as the black market. Smaller community banks are more likely to help the cannabis entrepreneur, he said, but that means that they are going to have to do more to monitor that industry than they do with other industries. “It will be up to the cannabis business owner to show the banker that you are trustworthy in order to open an account,” he said. “Put policies and procedures in place to protect your business from abuse, and share those with bankers, so they see you are just as concerned about the threat of abuse to your business, as the bank is concerned about the abuse of their business. After all, they are processing lump sums of cash that represent many transactions they are not present for, so they are going to have to depend on you.” Following his presentation, Fleming pointed out that smaller banks are more likely to get involved because they feel they can manage the risk and know they can make some money. “It’s just a matter of those entities putting together a program that is sound enough to comply with accommodations under federal law and regulations,” he says.
Fleming says that more federal folks are getting into the business because of their background in the federal government. “They can help ease the transition for the financial institutions and cannabis-related businesses, and that is how you get change – effective participation and cooperation from different participants.” He says the fact that some states have legalized cannabis, and the fact the Department of Justice (DOJ) has indicated to its prosecutors to focus on some areas and let states handle others, suggests that the DOJ will tolerate what works effectively and legitimately under state law. What DOJ seems to be is essentially focused on currently is preventing the industry from going back underground, because then the government loses the paper trail, Fleming says. “Since we are looking at what we could consider a legitimate operating cannabis business under state laws, reporting that to law enforcement gives law enforcement the ability to not focus on them, but to focus on all of the other information they are getting regarding other cannabis activity not sanctioned by the state,” he says, “and that helps law enforce-
ment efforts; it’s a safety issue for individuals.” The prickly banking issue is one of the biggest roadblocks in creating and operating a cannabis business, but there are indications that change is underway. Andy Williams, CEO of one of the largest recreational cannabis stores in Colorado, Medicine Man, says that banks are now coming to him. Williams had attempted to work through the banking process first with Wells Fargo, then Bank of America, then a local community bank, FirstBank of Colorado, with varying success and ultimately failure. He says the bank they have right now is a local bank and fourth generation owned, and that they hired people to work with FinCEN guidelines as it interfaces marijuana business. While not allowed to reveal the bank, Medicine Man’s financial manager, Sally Van Der Veer wrote in an email that they are lucky to now have what they hope to be a strong banking relationship. “They follow all the FinCEN guidelines for compliance and so far have passed every check put forth by the banking regulators,” she wrote.
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Williams says there’s commonly a catch that banks have for working with a cannabis business, whether it’s higher fees or extra processes that they want to follow. “Banking seems to be finding ways to work with the FinCEN guidelines, or other ways to work with us,” he says, “So I see the banking business issue loosening up. It is definitely easier than it’s been in the last year to get a bank.” His advice to anyone needing to get a bank is to be honest. “Never lie. Be determined and don’t take no for an answer. It’s a lot of phone calls, and it’s trying to get to the right person who can make a decision like that. Try going local bank locations and talk to people about your story. If you have a compelling story, and personality that sells, then you can probably do it.” Fleming says that cannabis businesses have to make tough decisions, “It has to be totally aboveboard and transparent, being a service to clients operating only in those realms,” he says. “Make sure they are sharing information with their bank, because the bank and the cannabis business together are the front line of defense.”.
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CANNA-NEWS MEDICAL STRAIN OF THE MONTH
Free Jeff Mizanskey “Prior to Jeff’s arrest, he owned and operated a shop that specialized in fixing heavy equipment. He ran a business, had employees, paid taxes, and was a productive member of society. He had a wife and children and purchased a house, and he worked 5-7 days a week taking care of his family.”
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WRITER ADELA FALK
EFF MIZANSKEY is serving a life without parole sentence for a non-violent repeat offender cannabis only crime. He has applied for clemency, however, Governor Jay Nixon has failed to act. As of December 19, 2014 Jeff has served 21 years in Jefferson City Correctional Center. It currently costs taxpayers $57.18 a day to house Jeff, not including his medical expenses. Considering Jeff is 61 years old, his medical cost will continue to increase, and so will the cost of housing Jeff. As of date $436,905 has been paid by taxpayers to keep Jeff incarcerated. --------------- The math: 57*365 = 20, 805 * 21 = 436,905 Jeff received his High School Equivalency Certificate in Illinois in 1974. He joined the Air Force in 1975 and was honorably discharged in 1977 as a SGT. While in the Airforce he was a construction equipment operator, tractor operator, and a crane operator - He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal and Air Force Good Conduct Medal. Prior to Jeff’s arrest, he owned and operated a shop that specialized in fixing heavy equipment. He ran a business, had employees, paid taxes, and was a productive member of society. He had a wife and children and purchased a house, and he worked 5-7 days a week taking care of his family. Now Jeff still works at a shop in prison making $ .71 cents an hour. He makes desk, tables, and nurse stations that the prison then sells. The past twenty years he has been in that little cell, he’s watched violent criminals, rapists, and murderers that have “paid their debts” leave - sometimes just to return
PHOTO AARON MALIN DIRECTOR OF RESEARCH SHOW-ME CANNABIS
GRAPHICS 8THDAYCREATE .COM
a few months later. Like in the air-force, Jeff, while in prison, continues to earn awards and certificates- from The Intensive Therapeutic Community ---such certificates include-Expediter Crew Coordinator, Service Crew Coordinator, Senior Coordinator. Criminality Class , Impact of crimes on victims class. Winners Circle Award for a total of one year 8,640 hours of holistic treatment focusing on recovery from criminal thinking and addiction. Alternatives to violence, Commitment to change errors in thinking. ITC 12 week course in anger management and a Self Esteem Class. Jeff has children, grand-children, a family, and lots of friends in Missouri that want him home. He has supporters nationwide that want justice for Jeff. Jeff has received media attention from CNN, Riverfront Times, Show me Cannabis, Huffington Post, High Times, CBS St.Louis and other local news, as well as from civil rights groups and cannabis activists. Jeff will continue to gather support as more and more states legalize or approve medical marijuana. Currently, Missouri has introduced a bill that could free Jeff. HB 978 requires the Board of Probation and Parole to authorize the release of any offender who is incarcerated on August 28, 2015 who is serving a life sentence without parole for marijuana offenses. Jeff has served his time for the cannabis crime he has committed. In the interest of justice, free Jeff, because no one belongs in jail for a plant.
For more information please go to www.pow420.com
WRITE TO JEFF TODAY: JEFF MIZANSKEY # 521900 JEFFERSON CITY CORRECTIONAL CENTER 8500 NO MORE VICTIMS ROAD JEFFERSON CITY, MISSOURI 65101
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HEALTH MEDICAL STRAIN OF THE MONTH
Cannabis vs. Pharmaceuticals for Adult ADD/ADHD: Where Are We Now?
WRITER HEATH LASLO
GRAPHICS 8THDAYCREATE .COM
An Interview with ADD/ADHD Expert George Glade, ARNP
N RECENT years, the number of children and adults being diagnosed and treated with prescription medications for Attention Deficient Disorder or Attention Deficient Disorder w/ Hyperactivity (ADD/ADHD) has grown dramatically over the last twenty years. ADD/ADHD is a psychiatric condition marked by distractibility, hyperactivity, and impulsivity that can interfere with all aspects of a patient’s life. ADHD/ADD is estimated to affect 6-9% of children and subsequently 5-8% of all American adults. Since 1957, physicians have been treating patients diagnosed with ADD/ADHD with powerful stimulants, thought to work by increasing dopamine (a neurochemical) in the brain. These medications include Vyvanse, Adderal, Ritalin, and Concerta - all of which are similar to common methamphetamines in their mechanism of action. Like any drug, legal or illicit, they can cause a long list of side effects including appetite suppression, insomnia, anxiety, agitation, and even mania. It may seem counter-intuitive that patients with ADD/ADHD treated with a stimulant would experience a calming effect, but indeed many are able to focus on tasks, control impulsive and/
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or intrusive thoughts, and even sleep while taking these drugs. However while many patients respond to stimulants, many cannot tolerate them. Many instead have the tendency to “selfmedicate” with other substances known to boost dopamine such as cannabis, but many resort to drugs like nicotine and alcohol, or worse, cocaine and other highly addictive drugs. With an increasing number of case-reports surfacing regarding the usage of cannabis in place of traditional stimulants, we checked in with an ADD/ADHD expert. Reviewing the currently available empirical evidence, we discussed what other treatment strategies may be effective for ADD/ADHD. G. H. Glade is a psychiatric nurse practitioner practicing in the psychiatric emergency room in one of Seattle’s major trauma centers and maintains a private practice as well. Treating individuals with a wide variety of psychiatric disorders, he has a specialty interest in the treatment of adult ADD, publishing a number of books to help patients live productive lives.
DOPE: With the legalization of cannabis, have your patients been more forthcoming in disclosing their cannabis use to control their ADD/ADHD symptoms instead of traditional pharmaceuticals?
most reliable and consistent way for my patients to use cannabis. Another difficulty is that response is very individualized. The same strain may have different effects from individual to individual, so it’s trial and error for now unfortunately, until more research can be done.
GLADE: Conveying an attitude of being open and direct, I have always had a good level of disclosure by my clients. This goes back to discussions of cannabis use with my HIV positive patients, and they found cannabis useful in controlling wasting, and other disease related symptoms. Part of my assessment of all individuals I treat is to look at drug and alcohol usage, which can be very helpful in diagnosing adult ADD. A matter-of-fact investigation in an environment of confidentiality opens the door to people being very direct.
DOPE: With cannabis becoming increasingly available to the majority of people, either legally, or illicitly, what concerns do you have as a mental health care professional trying to provide optimal psychiatric care to your patients?
DOPE: There are numerous case reports and anecdotal stories of ADD/ADHD patients unable to tolerate the side effects of stimulants that credit their use of cannabis to becoming more successful productive members of society. Typical stories sight cannabis as helping them to complete college, or be successful in their professions, by allowing them to maintain focus on tasks and controlling impulsive or disruptive thoughts. Why do you think this is the case? GLADE: The difficulty we experience is there is a lack of good evidence-based scientific literature about the use of cannabis. It was only with the advent of the use of medical cannabis that the government allowed scientific investigation into the medicinal effects. Methamphetamine salts stimulants are known to activate dopamine in the prefrontal cortex. This is a similar action for cannabis, and thought to be the main mechanism of action. What we have in 2015 are many anecdotal reports from users. In this anecdotal reporting from my own practice, I’ve found people primarily use sativa strains to help regulate focus. Many of my clients report that after they were appropriately treated with psycho-stimulants they ceased using cannabis as a means of enhancing focus. For those who have used cannabis there are several trends that emerge. People are using high sativa based CBD strains…and they find a more rapid onset with inhalation, but the duration of response [with smoking] isn’t optimal. Edibles are very hard to titrate and find the right amount. Many commercial edibles do not list the cannabis strains that are contained within, likely because often they are a mix of numerous strains. Tinctures seem to be the
GLADE: With increased access, there is increased potential for abuse. 70% of people who have untreated ADD/ADHD at some point in their life will have a substance use disorder. This is not to say that for many people cannabis can’t be a useful intervention. For those that will use cannabis, certainly moderation is the best course. I’ve also seen individuals that use cannabis regularly and heavily have much in the way of motivational issues, and motivation is often already an issue for people with ADD/ADHD. The challenge for healthcare providers is to be well educated, not just about abuse but about how people use cannabis for health…whatever your beliefs are as a healthcare provider, the bottom line is you need to be well informed. DOPE: What are the other adjuncts to treatment that you see as important in the overall management of ADD/ADHD in adults? GLADE: I am a believer in a very holistic approach to addressing one’s ADD. Needed elements include things like life coaching. Learning actionable strategies to address difficulties with focus regulation is profoundly important. Fairly recently I wrote a book called Eating for Cognitive Performance. To use an old cliché, we are what we eat. We can also add to that when we eat and how much we eat. This is an evidence-based book that looks at the cognitive impact for both people with ADD/ADHD and people of neural typical brains of how and when we eat. Targeted use of exercise enhances focus beyond use of medications. Exercise has a role in mood regulation, but also regulation of focus. Additionally, I’m a strong proponent of meditation. With brains that have high thought productivity, it helps to have a skill set for slowing things down and relaxing the inherent busyness of an ADD brain. The effect is greater than the sum of its parts, and it’s really about people learning how to cope with ADD, but how to thrive with it.
“However while many patients respond to stimulants, many cannot tolerate them. Many instead have the tendency to “self-medicate” with other substances known to boost dopamine such as cannabis, but many resort to drugs like nicotine and alcohol, or worse, cocaine and other highly addictive drugs.”
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MEDICAL STRAIN OF THE MONTH CANNA-NEWS
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WRITER
PHOTOS
STEVE ELLIOTT
KAREN PAULL
(L to R): Karen Paull and Wendy Robbins.
FTER A success-
ful first season, “The Marijuana Show” — which calls itself “the first-ever reality show about cannabis” — is holding Season Two auditions. Dubbed the “Shark Tank for Ganjapreneurs,” the reality-competition show offered over $5 million to contestants in Season One. The show profiles weed entrepreneur hopefuls, giving each contestant the opportunity to pitch an idea to a panel of accredited investors, and then participate in a Boot Camp, aka Bud Camp, to develop a variety of cannabis technologies and products through mentorship, and ultimately access to millions of dollars in investment capital. Entrepreneurs who have unique products, an established business, permits, licenses, and sales are encouraged to audition to see if they can be the next Marijuana Millionaire. Wannabe Marijuana Millionaires should be able to present business plans and proof of licenses and permits, and they must be 21+ with valid ID. “Last season over $5 million was offered to contestants; this season we will offer a lot more,” said Wendy Robbins, co-creator and producer of The Marijuana Show. “This season will open up to dispensaries and growers, in addition to apps,
technology, hemp, CBD and cannabis accessories nationally. “We are also looking for the best edibles in the country,” Wendy told DOPE Magazine. “Who will be the next Dixie or Bhang? Winners of the edibles contest will have access to money, mentorship, marketing and a commercial kitchen and distribution in Denver.”
How It Happened
Wendy Robbins and co-producer Karen Paull were both cannabis users, and both were thinking over what might be a good marijuana idea, from a business standpoint. “Then we thought, ‘Oh my God, we could do a Shark Tank/ Apprentice for ganja entrepreneurs!” Wendy said. “So suddenly we had an idea. “In two weeks, we had 200 people come and audition in Denver, to do Season One, and out of those 200 we chose 10 people to go to what we call Bud Camp,” Wendy told us. “That was kind of like A to Z, how to run a cannabis business, staying legal, staying in compliance with regulations, all that stuff – and how you make a pitch, how to get investors.”
Gatekeepers of Dreams
“What we’ve done since Season One is now we’ve created the first home shopping network for cannabis products – lifestyle, CBD, hemp, and things like
that,” Robbins said. “We did that because people have great ideas, but they can’t distribute the products, or don’t know how. “In addition, we have national distribution through mass retailers for hemp, so CBD – if someone has CBD dog bones – which is something we are actually looking for right now – we can ideally get you into PetSmart and PetCo,” Wendy said. “No guarantees, but we’ve got those kinds of connections.” “We felt bad for people who couldn’t do this, or even those who might not be right for the TV show, but might still need investment,” Wendy said. “So for people who need investment, we have other opportunities to work with us to get ready – then when you’re ready, we introduce you to investors.”
Season Two Looking For Established Businesses
“This season, unlike last season, we’re really looking for more established businesses,” Wendy told us. “We’re looking actually for people who have dispensaries but need help; we’re looking for people who are fantastic growers, and they suck at doing the dispensary part.” Robbins said she and Paull have investors specifically looking for dispensaries. “So somebody that’s reading this, if you have the permits and licenses, and want an infusion of cash, we might be able to help them,” she said. According to Robbins, distribution might even go beyond Colorado for the right edible. “The reason I say that is that while we can’t go interstate, we can do a royalty agreement or something like that,” Wendy said. “We’re also looking for CDB edibles,” Robbins told me. “Someone like me, I prefer to use CBD; I have an issue with my back, so the second that I take CBD pills, my back feels fine. (I sometimes use a CBD spray). There’s no is-
sue and there’s no side effects.” Robbins points out that CBD products are allowed to cross state lines as long as they don’t exceed 0.03 percent THC. “And if any of the states don’t abide by that, then obviously we’re only going to go where it’s 100 percent legal,” she said. “Even if something doesn’t make it onto our show, we have access to major retailers,” Wendy said. “And they are actually looking for hemp-type products. We have access to Ace and Lowe’s; we have access to WalMart and Walgreen’s.” Season Two contestants already selected, according to Robbins, include an inventive vape hoodie, an 800 acre Indian casino grow/dispensary and spiritual retreat, a satellite channel featuring all cannabis programming, and a 100 percent hemp car – the first car since the Model T Ford to be made of hemp.
How To Audition For The Marijuana Show
The Marijuana Show can be viewed online and will air in the autumn of 2015 on Dish, Comcast, Xbox, Samsung, Roku and several other streaming sites reaching more than 50 million households. Cannabis entrepreneur hopefuls can audition online. Two-minute video pitches will be accepted from all over the country. Those interested in being on The Marijuana Show can go to TheMarijuanaShow.com/ auditions, or just look for the tab labeled “Auditions” on the site. “That will tell them exactly what to do,” Wendy said. “Ideally, someone would have a business plan, and have the financials,” Robbins said. “We have access to millions of dollars, which is crazy good, and more importantly, the right mentorship to ensure success.”
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DUTCH MASTERS
Exploring World Farming
S WE enter yet another
beautiful summer season, many of us will be enjoying the opportunity to experience new places and people through our travels and vacations. For the cannabis aficionado this affords us the opportunity to get a glimpse at new technologies in the world of commercial growing. We’ve approached an exciting time in the commercial growing arena, with new technological advances flourishing, surfacing on a daily basis from around the globe. With Asia being the world leader in agricultural output, many new technological advances have surfaced, as well as significant improvements on older concepts and methodologies. Singapore has been an important player in addressing the challenges of population growth, urbanization, and food production. Sky Greens, located less than twenty miles from downtown Singapore, is the world’s first commercial vertical farm. Consisting of large A-shaped rotating aluminum frames, the structures are housed in tall, compact greenhouses. While leafy greens
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are the primary produce farmed at Sky Greens, about one ton of produce can be harvested every other day, due to their radical footprint-reducing vertical design yielding 10x the production in the same amount of space. Mirai, a Japanese company committed to sustainability and efficiency, has built the world’s largest commercial indoor L.E.D. farm. Much like Sky Green, Mirai’s primary crop is lettuce and leafy greens grown under approximately 17,500 L.E.D. lights. Their facility gained notoriety in 2011 in the wake of the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami when they quickly obtained an abandoned Sony factory and began producing lettuce crops to address the sharply decline of their domestic vegetable supply. The facility stretches over 25,000 square feet and is packed with multi-tiered vertical growing beds, while also boasting a bacteria and pesticide free environment. Much like Sky Greens, yields are quite large - roughly 10,000 heads of lettuce are harvested daily. Europe has been making significant headway in agricultural
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automation. Holland, one of the most innovative nations in the field of hydroponics, has made radical advancements in the automation of ornamental flowers; a market they currently lead. Ter Laak Orchids has completely automated their production facility in Holland through the use of individual QR codes. Once cultured, each plant gets assigned a QR code that is monitored extremely close, providing information on overall quality and growth.The reason for such an uprise in automation amongst Dutch growers is due to the much higher cost of labor compared to other industrialized nations such as the U.S.Ter Laak Orchids has been committed to monoculture, which has made the automation process substantially easier to manage. With the cost of employees constantly on the rise, those in the commercial cannabis industry will begin to see the benefits of transitioning their largely monoculture crops to more automated systems as well. While the current world abroad is full of spectacular agricultural advances, those of us in the U.S. are also starting to see new commercial technological applications materialize. Green
WRITER COMMERICAL GROWER SERVICES
Spirit Farms has recently invested $27 million into a 3.25 hectare facility in Scranton, PA. It will not only house over 17 million plants at a time, but will also be the world’s largest vertical farm, with a production potential reaching 200 acres of farmland. Green Spirit Farms estimates that their production units will use 98% less water than traditional techniques, directly combating the droughts plaguing the U.S. recently. Expect to see some big things coming out of Pennsylvania in 2015! As the impact of overpopulation, urbanization, and cost efficiency become increasingly palpable, those of us cultivating cannabis on a commercial scale will be looking to become as sustainable and efficient as possible, while producing a high quality product. Wherever your summer travels take you, there will surely be plenty of innovation to inspire. The sooner we can accept and explore these technologies further, the sooner we will see some dramatic changes for the better in cannabis cultivation techniques.
- The CGS Team
PHOTO: SKYGREENS.COM
SINGAPORE
PHOTO: TOKYO TIMES
Sky Greens, located less than twenty miles from downtown Singapore, is the world’s first commercial vertical farm.
NETHERLANDS
Ter Laak Orchids has completely automated their production facility in Holland through the use of individual QR codes.
JAPAN
Mirai, a Japanese company committed to sustainability and efficiency, has built the world’s largest commercial indoor L.E.D. farm.
USA
Green Spirit Farms in Scranton, PA wil be the world’s largest vertical farm, with a production potential reaching 200 acres of farmland.
WEED AROUND THE WORLD WRITER R.Z. HUGHES
CANADA WALES USA
CONGO
RUSSIA
Canada Is Free to Consume The highest court in Canada has lifted a national ban on medibles. Since 2009, medical cannabis in Canada has consisted of dry flower and nothing more. The Supreme Court, however, found that this infringes on civil liberties and makes little sense. Inhaling smoke is bad for our lungs, but due to the infinite wisdom of bureaucracy, combustion was, until now, the only government sanctioned way to consume medicinal Mary Jane. This is a huge victory for patients across Canada. Those with respiratory issues, parents of seriously ill young children, and those that are smoke-averse, are rejoicing as common sense prevails over their great northern land.
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Windy City Windbags Four Chicago police officers have been charged with perjury in the 2013 arrest of Joseph Sperling, found to be carrying a pound of weed. As underhanded police tactics seem to have become commonplace across the nation it is encouraging, if not entirely surprising, to see these charges leveled. The cops in question claim they had smelled cannabis coming from the vehicle while waiting for his license and registration, but dash-cam footage showed that in fact, they proceeded to force Sperling out of the car, cuffing him immediately and beginning their search. The current desk-workers now face five years in prison if convicted, serving to set an example for other nefarious narcs.
PermaStoned Pygmies Researchers from Washington State University have published a study on the prevalence of cannabis-use among pygmy tribes in the Congo Basin. The Aka, one of the last societies of hunter-gatherers on earth and virtually untouched by modern ways of life, provide us with a unique lens on how humans may have interacted with psychoactive plants for the majority of our history. It is found that over 70% of Aka men smoke cannabis regularly, while only 6% of Aka women partake. They don’t consider it medicinal, using it instead for strength, vitality, and even to dance better. However, those in the tribe that smoked had far less intestinal parasites than their cleareyed cohorts. It is also worth noting that the heavy users in their group had significantly more THC in their system than the most chronic western smokers, bringing up the question “How can we get some Pygmy Haze?”
High School Teacher Grew Good Reefer
A Bong Fit for a King
Susan McKay, a celebrated chemistry teacher from North Wales, along with her son Michael, a prospective Olympic boxer, were caught in 2014 growing over 100 plants in their bed & breakfast, aptly named Tall Trees Country House. Susan has offered for her defense a litany of personal tragedies that drove her to manufacture cannabis on this scale; one son committed suicide, another was suffering from cystic fibrosis, and her husband had recently announced a child from a love affair. While this might sound like a plot perfect for Hollywood, the sad truth is that this successful and respected woman has to endure the obtuse machinations of justice due to the fact that cannabis isn’t legal, and people are still going to jail for a plant.
A treasure trove of some of the most luxurious pipes the world has ever seen has been unearthed in the Caucasus Mountains of southern Russia. Dating back to around 400 BCE from the Scythian kingdom, the solid gold bongs are embellished with engravings of painstaking detail. Analyzed residue from the pieces reveals both opium and cannabis. The Scythian people are well known for their drug-fueled rituals and pot-laden steam baths, thanks to Greek historian Herodotus. This discovery sheds an entirely new light on how truly important cannabis was to their culture, as solid gold craftsmanship often demonstrates an item imbued with enormous cultural value.
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CANNA-NEWS
Down the Rabbit Hole of Disability The Spoonie Phenomenon
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WRITER JOHNNY HALFHAND
Y HEALTH
problems have knockzed me off my game pretty significantly in the past few months. Bouts of worsening joint pain are hard to explain to people, even people who are very close and dear to me. It’s a difficult experience for anyone to understand. The pain itself is a hefty burden, but the lack of understanding is another added challenge that keeps many handicapped individuals with similar issues in the shadows. What I have found to be the most frustrating part of having a chronic illness, and a disability, is how inadequately prepared I feel for it, and how there is no short-and-sweet way to explain it all clearly. Sometimes I wonder why my sophomore health class didn’t have a class on living with chronic illness. How does one get by with health limitations? What is it like? What skill set would a chronically ill person need to develop to properly adapt? Fortunately today we have the internet. Social networking is allowing for unparalleled connections between the chronically ill across the entire globe, and a new body of literature is emerging through this dialog. Thousands of people
are connecting to each other on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and beyond, discussing the struggles of chronic illness, disabilities both visible and invisible, and how to explain them to others, adapt to them, and understand one’s own identity in a way that goes beyond the diagnosis. The most ubiquitous one today is the Spoon Theory. Lupus patient Christine Miserandino came up with The Spoon Theory while trying to explain her day-to-day routine to her curious best friend while eating at a diner. She grabbed all the spoons she could from the surrounding tables (which amounted to 12), gave them to her friend and told her that these spoons represented her day’s energy. Christine asked her friend what she’d like to get done in her day, who began quickly rattling off a list of chores and tasks. However Christine stopped her there and told her each of those tasks, even down to preparing a meal, taking a shower, or getting dressed can cost her spoons. After getting ready in the morning, her friend had only six spoons left to tackle her day’s ambitious to-do list. Thus, her friend realized how shrewd prioritization is an inevitable part of life for a Lupus
IF YOU HAVE A CHRONIC ILLNESS AND NEED HELP COPING, OR JUST NEED SOME EXTRA VALIDATION, CONSIDER CHECKING OUT THE FOLLOWING BLOGS AND REACHING OUT:
patient, as well as mindfully adapting to new difficulties that might emerge along the way. That day, Christine opened her dear friend’s mind up to her daily trials. The Spoon Theory took shape, and it has quickly become canon to patients of all sorts of chronic illnesses ranging from physical handicaps to mental illness. I too have shared this article with people dear to me to help explain how each day is challenging, and why so little appears to get done (from an able-bodied perspective). Not only that, but it helps the patient’s allies gain respect for the daily grind of the patient. An online community of the chronically ill has been growing around The Spoon Theory. Calling themselves ‘Spoonies’ (which sure sounds a lot better than merely ‘the handicapped’), they are popping up across the blogosphere and opening up about their experiences with each other. Patients compare notes on medications and therapies, as well as tips for day-to-day motivation. Many able-bodied individuals may frown on these confessions as being too “complain-y” and “negative,” which tend to be pretty pejorative ableist comments, but having this safe space online has helped this disadvantaged community grow,
GRAPHICS 8THDAYCREATE .COM
flourish, and find hope with each other beyond their diagnosis. The birth of the Spoonie movement not only serves to empower the chronically ill, but also to unite people with a broad range of limitations. It honors and validates those who struggle, who may not get recognition in more able circles, and provides important lessons from others suffering similar ailments. Whether one suffers from a mental illness like autism or depression, or a physical illness like multiple sclerosis, fibromyalgia, or Lyme disease, all must similarly meter out their energy and tasks, and find a delicate balance between one’s health and one’s responsibilities. Spoonies who use medical marijuana may find that puffing up might not be able to replenish spoons, but it at least it makes the crash at the day’s end a lot less unpleasant. A nice dose does wonders to take the edge off, allowing me to have a fun time chilling on the couch, watching cartoons, and laughing off the day’s stresses. Working through the endless, creative complications of chronic illness is a full-time job, so there is no reason NOT to enjoy one’s downtime!
Christine Miserandino’s Blog www.butyoudontlooksick.com The Spoon Theory Blog thespoontheory.tumblr.com The Hurt Blogger www.thehurtblogger.com
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VENUE
The Boulder Theater
OR A small venue, The Boulder Theater maintains a
large presence in the Boulder community. It first opened its doors in 1906 under the name The Curran Opera House, where it featured opera, musical productions, and silent movies. But as the country evolved, so did the theater, embracing new trends, styles, and cultural values. It’s no surprise, then, that The Boulder Theater has also embraced the growing cannabis community. Chris Peck, talent buyer for the theater, has watched the cannabis community through the lens of The Boulder Theater, and has seen cannabis users from every walk of life enter the venue.
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WRITER JOSH KRAUS
PHOTOS JAMIE KRAUS
“College students, young professionals, scientists, parents, grandparents; they are all taking advantage of it,” Peck says. Working for the theater has provided Peck with a unique perspective into the cannabis community’s variety of habits and tastes. For instance, he’s noticed that many showgoers prefer sativas rather than indicas, especially when using hash pens. This helps them avoid couch lock, staying energized throughout the night. Peck also kept tabs on which strains are more popular among showgoers. Jack Flash, Chem Dawg, and Grape Ape are just a few crowd favorites. While The Boulder Theater is certainly not the only venue in town, it provides one of the richest concert-going experiences you’re likely to
The Theater’s facade is designated as a Colorado Historic Landmark.
find anywhere. The sight lines are impeccable, the architecture is stunning, and the acoustics are divine. It’s also as cannabisfriendly as can be, while still remaining a smoke free venue. Case in point: the folks at Karing Kind Dispensary are frequently invited to the theater to educate people on cannabis use. You’ll often find their information table at appropriate events and shows. Peck has seen the positive effects of the venue’s cannabis-friendly attitude first hand. “I see a lot of polite users who sneak a puff off a pen, rather than burn flower. It’s just the nice thing to do if you are out and about.
CANNA-NEWS
Kabuki Fox HEN KABUKI Fox first faced epilepsy, it nearly ruined his life.
For nearly seven years following, he lived a dark existence, mostly holed up alone, barely able to speak of his loss and grief. That was back in his home in Miami. Slowly but surely, he began pulling himself out of that dark place, and surfacing to seek a change of venue and a new career. Having always been a cannabis connoisseur, he gravitated toward the rapidly expanding cannabis industry.
His particular interest in CBD from hemp seemed particularly strange to most people at the time. “It’s just hemp, it’s just rope, there’s not much you can really do with it,” he says folks would tell him, but eventually Fox found a small group of caregivers making medicine from hemp. He began to experiment as well.
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CHRISTI TURNER
CHRISTI TURNER
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situation was heart breaking for Fox, and he soon became her caregiver.
“I lost my second child to epilepsy,” he says. “It destroyed my marriage. It totally changed how I’d been living as a young married father. It took away a good part of my life.”
“I’d always had the idea of studying cannabinoid spectrums that weren’t really in the mainstream at the time,” he says, “like cannabidiol, or CBD from hemp.” This was at a time when the unique properties of CBD were only just being explored; the grower and caregiver community was still heavily THC-focused, so Foxt decided to take a trip out to California to learn about CBD.
WRITER
At that same time, he grew disappointed with the quality of the CBD grow operations he was seeing in California. “It was a real shame,” he says. “It looked like grass clippings, like simple backyard medicine, which was not acceptable.” So Fox set his sights on Colorado, where Amendment 64 had passed and more doors were open to him. There, he felt, he could make medicine while helping more young patients like the six year old with epilepsy. He came to Denver in 2013, and his Colorado caregiving business grew as awareness around CBD grew. “When you come to Colorado now, people know and respect CBD,” he says. “Just 18 months ago, it was pretty much seen as hemp,” and by the time he founded his caregiving business in Colorado, Fox had found a purpose for it - Making high-quality CBD-based medicine was this already a big deal, but really, he says, “I started this to raise company to raise awareness about epilepsy.”
“I started company awareness about epilepsy. When you come to Colorado now, people know and respect CBD. Just 18 months ago that wasn’t the case.”
It was around that time that epilepsy entered his life again – this time in the form of a six-year-old girl. Suffering from epilepsy, along with other disabilities, she was unable to verbally communicate. Her mother had very little control over her symptoms at the time, and it seemed like her THC-based medicine might have been partly to blame. “She really wasn’t getting the care that she needed,” Fox says. He describes caregivers who seemed more interested in getting their next payment than working with the girl and her mother to figure out whether the tincture was helping or exacerbating her condition. Witnessing the
He’s currently a caregiver for six young patients with epilepsy, four of whom fit the profile of his first young patient: non-verbal, special needs children with extreme forms of epilepsy, as well as other conditions, sometimes including autism. At this year’s Cannabis Cup in Denver, Fox (in collaboration with Shum-Met Bars) took first place for the CBD edibles category with a 160 mg banana cream-pie chocolate bar – one that parents of autistic patients say is incredible medicine.
“When they had bouts of rage, parents were telling us that with one chip of this chocolate, it’s abated,” he says. “It has a great calming effect, and it could replace tinctures or capsules, which the kids were really happy about – no kid wants to taste sour oil several times a day.” Now Fox is planning an expansion to Oregon, possibly in time to enter into the Portland Cannabis Cup this month. Really the move northwest is in response to the many parents and patients who have reached out to him in need of care and effective medicine. He’s following his calling. “Our whole point,” he says, “is to be able to help as many children as possible.
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MEDICAL STRAIN OF THE MONTH PIECES WRITER JOSH KRAUS
PHOTOS JAMIE ZILL
Lacey St. George Goddess of Glass ACEY ST. GEORGE , AKA Laceface Glass, never expected the fame she now bears in the glass smokeware industry, but now that she’s gained a podium, she’s not letting it go to waste. The Oregon-born artist is currently donating a portion of all her proceeds to various female-oriented charities and events. “Being a strong example for women has been a huge motivation for me to work as hard as I have been the last few years,” she says. St. George has been making pipes, as well as sculptural art and jewelry, for nearly a decade and in a largely male-dominated
www.lacefaceglass.com
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industry, her work stands out by embodying a richly feminine aesthetic. Her pipes are built in soft curves and wide angles, often featuring female figures and mythological symbolism. “The inner goddess is my muse. I tend to express myself metaphorically through my work, by creating female figures in various emotional and physical states.” Queen Isis, a stately piece she collaborated on with jewelry maker Jason Burruss, honors her muse by paying tribute to the Goddess of the Throne. Firestarter, a vibrant and richly colored creation, depicts a female head with a pyre of flames for hair, and the Cotton Candy Fairy is a swirling elegant study in pink glass. “The biggest contribution I would like to be remembered for is that in doing what I’m doing, other women will see that it is possible to do whatever you put your mind to in this world.”
Lacey plans to expand her work into glass sculptures for lighting and installations.
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TRAVEL WRITER
Summer Music Venues
CHRISTI TURNER
On the Front Range of the Rockies, Nature is a Stage hat’s better than taking in some great live music on a warm summer evening? How about surrounding yourself in Colorado’s most breathtaking landscapes where Nature’s acoustics enhance the sweet sounds of your favorite artists? Here’s a short list of can’t-miss venues along the Front Range providing divine outdoor music experiences this summer.
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RED ROCKS Morrison, CO You will always remember your first time at Red Rocks. With massive Creation Rock to the north, Ship Rock to the south, and the Front Range Rockies rising behind, you’ll struggle to keep your eyes on Stage Rock. The lovely acoustic capabilities of the colossal natural amphitheater are a rare treat, and probably why the site had been used for centuries by the Ute Indians. If at all possible pick a show on a clear night, with a full moon you can watch rise slowly in the east, behind the stage, as the music plays.
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PLANET BLUEGRASS Lyons, CO All this early summer rain in the Front Range can be an eerie reminder of the unprecedented September 2013 flooding and the havoc it left in its wake – especially for the town of Lyons, where the typically tranquil South St. Vrain River spilled over its banks and into streets and homes. The water even carried away one of Planet Bluegrass’s offices, submerging their property under four feet of water. This iconic riverside venue is now restored. Like much of Lyons after the floods they are stronger than ever, rebuilt largely due to the time, money and materials donated by local community members and the musicians who love it. Experience its renowned RockyGrass festival, the “center of the bluegrass universe” that descends on Planet Bluegrass’s twenty wooded riverside acres every late July (this year it’s July 24-26).
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THE MISHAWAKA Bellvue, CO If you visit these places in order, you’ll go from natural amphitheater, to riverside venue, and finally here, to Mishawaka: a riverside venue inside a natural amphitheater. Find yourself in the mountains to the northwest of Fort Collins, nestled in a Poudre Canyon paradise that first became a music destination in 1916, when a roaming musician fell in love with its magic, put down roots, and built a dance hall. Now the site boasts a year-round restaurant and bar, with a more intimate spring-summer concert amphitheater that holds750 people, compared to Red Rocks’ 9,000. Folks say the name Mishawaka, might mean “big rapids,” and the Poudre River that runs directly alongside the open-air venue definitely has its fair share. If you’re into Class III and Class IV rapids,be sure to check out the local rafting and kayaking scene after enjoying the music.
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1 MAP COURTESY OF GOOGLE MAPS
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PRODUCT WRITER & PHOTOS
Rescue Me! Mary’s Nutritionals Rescue Tonic
CHRISTI TURNER
Providing Sweet Relief From Too Much of a Good Thing HEN I tell the story of how I accidentally ate a monstrous brownie stuffed with weed, I usually start by saying, “I woke up dead.” Like some scene from Trainspotting, I was certain I was sinking into the mattress, and I was undeniably unable to speak. I did only what I could: rolled off the bed, crawled toward the bathroom with eyes squinted and head throbbing, projectile vomiting in the hallway. It was only the next morning, dry heaving and weak and suspecting food poisoning, that my friends confessed they were too high to warn me about the brownies they’d left out being “special.” One of them handed me a small bowl (for the bile); if only they’d handed me a bottle of Mary’s Rescue Tonic! The tiny bottle contains what may be the best formula on the market for alleviating “the discomfort and anxiety associated with the overconsumption of cannabis.” It’s a plant-based, vegan, proprietary blend of ingredients that tastes like cherry pie (okay, pie laced with a few mild tasting vitamins). It’s meant to be sucked down in a single dose, as soon as the unpleasantness rears its head, but can even be used in advance. For example, some judges at the last Denver Cannabis Cup used the tonic as a “reset” between rounds. The name, the pure botanical blend, and the bottle’s simple yet elegant artwork evoke visions of turn-of-the-century apothecaries, yielding a brand that’s appealing to cannabis users of all types. There’s even a Mary’s Medicinals line for those who want to try Mary’s award-winning cannabis care creations. Personally, I may have been too far-gone for any “rescuing” that day. Someone in a similar predicament can use Mary’s handy flowchart, best stored in the medicine cabinet beside a bottle of Rescue Tonic.
EXCLUSIVELY AT ALL NATIVE ROOTS LOCATIONS www.nativeroots303.com OR ONLINE www.marysnutritionals.com
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$10
CONCENTRATE WRITER JOSH KRAUS
Platinum Sour Diesel x Girl Scout Cookie Live Resin Provided By Viola Extracts LOOKS GOLDEN YELLOWand relatively translucent when compared with other live resins, the PSD x GSC resin is thin, glossy, and beyond sticky. Seriously, if Viola Extracts ever wanted to diversify their business model, they could branch out into glue traps without a hitch. This stuff is like the rubber cement of resins, and I mean that in the best way possible.
EFFECT THE UNHOLY alliance between Platinum
Sour Diesel and Girl Scout Cookie cranks the euphoria up to eleven, delivering an adrenaline shot of energy. In concentrate form, the effect is nearly immediate and smile inducing. As invigorating as cannonballing into a mountain spring, PSD x GSC can keep you buzzing all day.
FLAVOR DIESEL AND GIRL Scout might seem at
odds when it comes to flavor – after all, one is named after the stuff they put in cars and the other is named for America’s favorite sweet treat – but the two work surprisingly well together. The Diesel’s pungent, abrasive taste is tamed by Girl Scout’s wave of sugary sweetness.
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PHOTOS JAMIE KRAUS
$50-60 / GRAM
GENETICS EXTRACTED FROM freshly harvested flowers to better retain the plant’s flavor profile, the Platinum Sour Diesel x Girl Scout Cookie live resin, or PSD x GSC, sits at the top of the concentrate pyramid. Being the lovechild of cannabis’s prom king and queen doesn’t hurt either, and this live resin externalizes their euphoric traits.
AROMA
MEDICAL BENEFITS
EVERYTHING ABOUT this concentrate is extreme, right down to its smell. Unfolding the wax paper that cocoons this resin will unleash an explosive diesel aroma that just doesn’t quit. Even without knowing much about the genetics and extraction process, a keen nose will quickly pick up on the resin’s high terpene profile.
PSD x GSC’s uplifting attributes suggest it could be an effective treatment for depression and anxiety. Patients suffering from chronic fatigue will also benefit from the resin’s stores of energy, and just a couple dabs will supply you with hours’ worth of motivation and productivity.
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DR. FREE ADVICE
Rosin Tech
WRITER
Pressing Out The Gold
ANNABIS CONCENTRATES and the
extraction methods used to manufacture them are currently very popular, and a source of some debate among both medicinal and recreational cannabis users. One method, an old botanical extraction technique using heat and pressure, is currently seeing a resurgence in popularity. Rosin Technique or Rosin Tech is a doit-yourself, safe and easy way cannabis users can make their own concentrated hash oil at home, without using of expensive equipment or toxic solvents. The beauty lies in the simplicity of the technique. Heat and pressure applied to the cannabis for just a few seconds releases cannabinoid and terpenoid rich oil from the capitate-stalked glands on the plant. A flat-iron or hair straightener, parchment paper, and cannabis flowers are all that is required for this simplest of extractions. A stainless steel or titanium skillet dab tool can be used to collect the rosin droplets from the parchment paper, and a 4x4 square of silk screen, or a 25 micron pressing screen can be used when extracting rosin from concentrates such as ice water hash.
The amount of rosin one is able to extract from flowers is small (about a 10% return) in comparison to amounts attainable from concentrates such as ice water hash, with a 15
MATERIALS • Hair straightener or flat iron – preferably with a titanium surface and digital temperature control that will go as low as 200°F. A tee shirt press can also be used. • Non-stick parchment paper, preferably non-bleached, cut into 4x4 to 4x8 sizes. • Skillet or Dab tool • Filtering screen - a 25 micron drying screen or a piece of silk screen material, 4x4 – 4x8 • Cannabis - flower, trim, ice water hash (4-1 star), or any cannabis material containing oil.
- 40% return. The amount and quality of the rosin return depends on the amount of resin in the original material, the temperature, the amount of pressure applied, and the length of
DR. KIMBERLY FREE, ND
time the pressure and heat are applied. Low temperature and high pressure applied for a shorter duration yields the greatest return. Rosin, by definition, is the product of resin heated to vaporize out the volatile oils (essential oils) or terpene components. Industrially, rosin is derived from numerous plants, especially conifers. Pine rosin, distilled from pine tree resin, is used on violin and other string instrument bows to assist string contact when playing. Rosin is also used to make soap, inks, food coloring, adhesives, and varnishes. Historically, cannabis rosin has been used by both the ancient Egyptians and the Scythians. The definition is important here, as cannabis users from both medical and recreational worlds, seek the flavor and healthful properties of the terpenoids in cannabis. Terpenoid content can be retained within the cannabis rosin by using lower heat during the extraction process. Using higher temperatures will reduce the terpenoid content and result in rosin that is similar to cannabis CO2 oil in consistency and flavor.
PROCEDURE • Set temperature on flat iron. For flowers, good results are seen around 300°-320°F. For ice water hash, good results are seen with temperatures as low as 220°-230°F. The lower the temperature, the more terpenoids will be retained.
Place pouch in the crease of the folded parchment paper.
• For flowers – place 0.2 to 0.5 grams of cannabis into the crease of the folded parchment paper.
For flowers, 3-5 seconds is sufficient. A sound of sizzling will be heard, meaning oil is being released and evaporated. Release the pressure when you first hear the sizzle.
For trim or hash – place cannabis material onto the filter screen and wrap it tightly around the product, keeping the filter one layer thick. Twist the rest of the screen material tightly to securely contain the cannabis, as if in a small tight pouch.
• Place parchment paper containing the cannabis product between the blades of the flat iron and press as hard as you can.
For hash, 4-5 seconds is sufficient. A sizzling sound is not always present with the hash. • Remove parchment paper and cannabis from heat source and open
the parchment paper. Tiny droplets to a small puddle of golden oil will be left on the parchment paper. •Repeat this process with the same piece of cannabis or hash another 2-3 times on clean areas of the parchment paper or on a new piece. • Collect the oil drops with a skillet/ dab tool or a razor blade. The parchment paper can be placed in a refrigerator or freezer for a few minutes to harden the oil and make it easier to remove. • The oil gathered can be readily used as an inhalable, or stored for later use as an edible, topical or tincture ingredient.
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FEATURE WRITER SHARON LETTS
PHOTOS DANIJELA SMILJANIC
Rick Simpson: An Average Guy Changing The World One Plant And One Person At A Time. INCE 1946 the American Cancer Society has spent
more than $4 billion dollars on cancer research, and, as stated in its website, playing “a role in nearly every cancer breakthrough in recent history.” There is one breakthrough, however, the society has not been involved in; the research, development, distribution, and protocol for putting cancer into remission by ingesting cannabis oil. For that, we have Rick Simpson, and an army of enlightened and educated activists to thank.
Those like me who have used the oil, putting cancer and other serious ailments into remission, look at the society’s fundraising numbers in disbelief, as the cost of a 60 gram treatment of oil can be had for the cost of a pound of bud, solvent, and a few hours’ time. The protocol for the oil is so very simple. Ingest 60 grams of oil in 90 days with a stepped up dosing system to acclimate to the strong THC. An increasing number of patients report remission in some of the most invasive cancers, and other serious ailments gone, in less time than it takes to ingest it, and most say they feel better in weeks. “In reality, I am only the messenger,” Simpson writes from India, “The bigger shame is the public had to wait so long for an uneducated man such as myself, with no medical background, to bring them the real truth about the true healing powers of this plant.”
“But when you look at all the restrictions put in their way, one can hardly place the blame on them. For if they tried to do so, the corruption of our governments – and the rich elite who control them - would have done everything possible to destroy their lives and careers. “ Simpson speaks from a place of knowing, having been persecuted in his home country of Canada and the U.S. He travels now, a citizen of the world, spreading the good word about cannabis medicine as he goes. His story is an elusive one. Most know about the skin cancer that prompted his use of topical oils in the first place, but his health issues, and his need for the stronger oil really began in 1997 with a head injury on the job. “My injury left me with a condition called post concussion syndrome, causing me to have a very loud ringing noise in my head 24 hours a day since that time,” he explained “The noise prevented me from sleeping, and drove my blood pressure up to dangerous levels.” Vertigo became an issue, with falls common place. For five years Simpson said he took “every drug the medical system threw at me,” only worsening the condition. After a year of suffering he tried smoking cannabis to see if it would help.
Simpson is clearly frustrated with the powers that be keeping this medicine from so many, but he is also sympathetic, understanding why.
“To my surprise it worked much better than any of the medications they gave me. I then started asking doctors for a prescription, so that I might use the plant legally to help treat my condition. They all refused, saying that cannabis was still under study and that using it would pose a danger to my health.”
“There are so many others with the required training and knowledge in this field, who actually should have done this years ago,” he continued.
Simpson said he had worked within the hospital system in Nova Scotia for many years and trusted the system blindly, continuing to take “all the
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MEDICAL STRAIN OF THE MONTH Simpson said he went home and made a batch, but was fearful to take it initially. “It was very strong and I was still thinking about the danger to my health that the doctor had told me cannabis could pose, so I continued on with the use of pharmaceuticals,” he admitted. “Then in 2001 my doctor told me there was nothing more he could do for me, since he had tried all the medications at his disposal.” Having nowhere else to turn, Simpson said he began to ingest small amounts of the strong concentrate. “As I increased my dosage, it began to have remarkable effects on my health issues. Although the extract didn’t take the horrible noise away, it did allow me to get the sleep required, enabling me to live with this condition – which has caused many others to take their own lives.” By ingesting the strong oil, Simpson says it allows him to deal with the effects of his injury in a rational way, lowering his blood pressure, while quelling the pain of arthritis – another ailment he was dealing with at the time.
RICK SIMPSON BY ADREAM His bold art style is collected by many celebrities such as Kendrick Lamar, Chris Brown and new collector Dr. Dina “The Real Nancy Botwin. Get a Free Art poster at AdreamStudios.com
addictive and dangerous chemicals and poisons the doctors were dishing out,” even though they said they did more harm than good. “Smoking provided some relief, but I still could not get the rest I required, so in 1999 I asked my doctor what would happen if I were to produce a concentrated oil and ingest it as medicine,” said Simpson “He suddenly got a very strange look on his face, and admitted it would be a much more medicinal way to use the plant.”
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“In early 2003, I used the extract to cure the skin cancer I was suffering from after going through what I know now was an unnecessary, and unsuccessful, operation,” he said. “From then on, I guess you could say, ‘the rest is history.’”
Simpson insists that the gift of healing he stumbled upon that is working medical miracles for many others is from nature, not from him. “If people would just take the time to do a little simple research for themselves, they would see what I’ve discovered isn’t so astounding,” he said. “All I really did was take what was always known to be one of the most medicinal plants on earth and extract the resins, which contain the healing cannabinoids, from the bud material of the plant.”
A little backbone, Simpson said, is all that’s required to reject the absurd laws restricting cannabis and take responsibility for their own health and wellbeing. The way he sees it, big pharma won’t be doing this for us any time soon, because the profit margin on plant-based medicine just isn’t there. “Although continuing this crusade has brought more stress into my life, I still feel the issue is so important that if I were to back off a bit, I would find it hard to live with myself.” For the past three months Simpson has been in India, continuing to educate the masses about cannabis with great progress. “With so many using the extract now and successfully ridding
themselves of cancer and other horrible serious conditions, I think it’s safe to say we have the attention of governments everywhere,” he said. “Now the challenge is to force these governments to relinquish the strangle hold they have on their own people, allowing everyone to have free access to this natural, safe, and non-addictive medicine.” Simpson believes the plant will not only heal the world and its people, he feels the very truth of the plant itself will end the very corruption keeping it from the masses in the first place. “This plant belongs to all of us, and don’t let anyone tell you different,” he surmised. “When we set cannabis free, we will rid ourselves of the manipulation we have endured for decades. I would like to welcome everyone to this new and better way of life, where knowing of the uses [of cannabis] will give us a much brighter future.”
“In reality, I am only the messenger,”
FEATURE
The Cannabis Oil Phenomenon Healing The World, One Drop At A Time
OR CENTURIES
the people of this planet have had messengers evangelizing cannabis as medicine, bravely drawing a proverbial leaf in the sand just as persecuted Christians drew the shape of a cross in fear of retribution. One name stands out, connected with a strong type of oil most patients with access to plant material can make easily on their own. Cooked down using solvents such as alcohol, it seems to have to ability to quell even the most dreaded of diseases. Rick Simpson, and his namesake treatment, “Rick Simpson Oil,” or “RSO” has
long been a go to for many. This is the same stuff cooked up for this writer more than four years ago, responsible for putting my breast cancer into remission. While doing away with serious illness, and up to ten prescription meds in the process, I got my life back, becoming the healthiest I’ve been in more than fifteen years. Procurring a potent mix from the plant, Simpson started using it on his own terminal skin cancer, with great success. Some call Rick Simpson a saint, while some snarl at the attention he’s received. Either way, he’s shared the recipe with the world via word of mouth only, no small feat for a former Canadian engineer, but that’s the plant for you.
Biblical Beginnings Writer and researcher Steve Hagar is working on a book about the biblical origins, misunderstandings, and politics of cannabis in ancient times around the world. ”Cannabis, opium and ephedra played a large and as yet, uncelebrated role in ancient civilizations,” Hagar explained. “The [cannabis] plant was known as ‘Ma’ in China and Japan, and when mixed with milk became known as ‘Soma’ in India, and ‘Haoma’ in Iran. From Hagar’s work he’s found that Judea was at a crossroads of the east and west trade routes and the “spice” trail and the “wheat” trail to Rome, with politics and
commerce playing a role together, not unlike modern times. “Alexander tried to meld east and west by hybridizing the gods of both worlds,” Hagar said. “This trend continued after his death, and Christianity was initially a vegetarian culture influenced by Buddhism, Hinduism, and Greek elements all laid on top of a Judaic template. Cannabis was an early important part of all these cultures.” “The burning bush of the Old Testament was cannabis, as was the Holy Anointing Oil,” he continued. “Anyone who was wearing the oil was called ‘Christ,’ which simply means ‘anointed’ in Greek.”
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Every Seed Bearing Plant Then God said, I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth, and every tree that has fruit in it. – Genesis 1:29-30
In historian Chris Bennett’s book, “Cannabis and Culture,” he states the plant frequently shows up in the Old Testament (Exodus 30:23), when God commands Moses to make a Holy Anointing Oil of myrrh, sweet cinnamon, kaneh bosm, and kassia. Bennett writes the word kaneh bosm translates into Hebrew as
kannabos, or kannabus, meaning “with the root”,”kaneh” meaning “reed” or “hemp”, while “bosm” translates to “aromatic”. Bennett also penned The Soma Solution in an effort to explain the biblical beginnings of the Kaneh-Bosm plant mentioned in the Old Testament. “The word kaneh-bosm has been mistranslated as calamus, a common marsh plant with little monetary value. It does not have the qualities or value ascribed to
kaneh-bosm” he clarified,“The error occurred in the oldest translation of the Hebrew Bible, the Septuagint in the third century BC, and was repeated in the many translations that followed.” Bennett points to further evidence of cannabis in the Bible via Polish etymologist Sula Benet from the Institute of Anthropological Sciences in Warsaw. She’s expounded on several biblical mentions, stating, “The sacred character of hemp in biblical times is evident from Exodus 30:22-33, where
Moses was instructed by God to anoint the meeting tent and all its furnishings with a specially prepared oil, containing hemp.” The Lord said to Moses, “Take the following fine spices: 500 shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much of fragrant cinnamon, 250 shekels of kannabosm, 500 shekels of cassia – all according to the sactuary shekel – and a hind of olive oil. Make these into sacred anointing oil, a fragrant blend, the work of a perfumer. It will be the sacred anointing oil.”
Cannabis in Modern Times William Brooke O’Shaughnessy graduated from the University of Edinburgh Medical School in 1829. Traveling to India by 1831, he began working with the East India Trading Company as a physician. There he developed the technique of intravenous electrolyte therapy, successfully treating Cholera. He also introduced the telegraph to the country, but his discoveries regarding the medicinal properties of cannabis would change the way the world viewed plants as medicine forever. O’Shaughnessy tested the effects of various preparations on animals, then humans. Finding it safe, he administered it to his patients. He found cannabis had analgesic and sedative properties, treating rheumatism, quelling convulsions in an infant, and miraculously stopping severe spasms from tetanus and rabies. In 1839 O’Shaughnessy wrote his first paper on cannabis as medicine, reporting on the plant’s low toxicity, and effectiveness with pain relief, appetite stimulation, and ataraxia, as well as its antibiotic properties. His first publication was an impressive, break through, fourty page document. The medical cannabis journal O’Shaughnessy’s is the longest running weed publication in the world today.
REFERENCE MATERIAL: Dr. Rafael Mechoulam, Dept. of Medicinal Chemistry and Natural Products; Faculty of Medicine, Hebrew Univ. of Jerusalem, paincenter.
huji.ac.il/mechoulam.htm
The Soma Solution, Chris Bennett,
www.amazon.com/Cannabis-Soma-Solution-Chris-Bennett/dp/0984185801 Cannabis & Culture, Chris Bennett
www.cannabisculture.com/node/18935
Marijuana in Medicine (paper) Dr. Todd Mikuriya
mikuriyamedical.com/about/can_write.html Old Testament
www.lds.org/scriptures/ot?lang=eng O’Shaughnessy’s
www.beyondthc.com/ Author, Steve Hagar
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steven_Hager
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By the mid to late 1800s cannabis was used commonly throughout Western medicine. The Committee on Cannabis Indica within the Ohio State Medical Society published a report in 1860 stating successes in treating stomach pain, childbirth psychosis, chronic cough, and even gonorrhea. Dr. Fronmueller of Fuerth, Ohio expounded on its use, “I have used hemp many hundred times to relieve local pains of inflammatory as well as neuralgic nature, and judging from these experiments, I have to assign to the Indian hemp a place among the so-called hypnotic medicines next to opium; its effects are less intense, and the secretions are not so
much suppressed by it. Digestion is not disturbed; the appetite rather increased; sickness of the stomach seldom induced; congestion never. Hemp may consequently be employed in inflammatory conditions. It disturbs the expectoration far less than opium; the nervous system is also not so much affected. The whole effect of hemp being less violent, and producing a more natural sleep, without interfering with the actions of the internal organs, it is certainly often preferable to opium… “ The use of opium with cannabis was common, as cannabis was reported to lessen the negative side effects of opium. Antique medicine bottles often list the two herbs together, or more commonly, morphine was used, using them together for this reason. Sadly, when the hypodermic needle was perfected for use in the home in the mid-1800s, morphine, or opiates, gained popularity over cannabis because of its convenience. Cannabis was not found to be water soluble at the time, and therefore not injectable. Though the issue of water solubility is a moot point today, Sears and Roebuck began selling the needles in its catalog, and morphine, with all its negative side effects, won out. This happened much to the dismay of many physicians at the time. Many of them began protesting and writing papers in support of cannabis and its lack of negative side effects, but to no avail.
The Phoenix Tears Foundation Building Healthy Communities The Phoenix Tears Foundation began in 2003 to promote the education, research and advocacy of cannabis for the use in medical treatment. Its website hosts video clips on how to make the oil, how to dose with it, and everything in between. It’s a site many patients are initially referred to for help, and I personally refer my readers to it on a regular basis. Its mission statement page includes a tribute to Rick Simpson, creator of the oil, is someone who emerged as one of a coalition of many neighborhood-based civic, community and spiritual leaders who share the common vision of eliminating cancer, while building communities.” Its mission is lengthy, offering discussions with community leaders, government representatives, and medical professionals to educate, while providing a bridge between patients and those supporting them. That’s where the heart of cannabis reform issues lay, on that bridge between knowing and understanding cannabis as a medicine, and actually making access points work within communities to bring forth the healing and wellness.
“If marijuana were legal, it would immediately replace 10-20% of all pharmaceutical medicines.”
Its principals each have extensive backgrounds in cannabis as medicine, and all spend much time helping patients find, understand,
and/or make their own oil. The Foundation’s goals are lofty, offering to track patient activities with caregivers and medical professionals in an effort to enact “live” patient research studies. Working with other countries to enact testing and trials on products created, they continue to be a one-stop-shop for all things oil and healing, furthering Rick Simpson’s wishes to help the masses. The Foundation’s biggest project to date is the creation of a topical lotion, formulated to treat skin cancer. The foundation has teamed up with New Colombia Resources, Inc. in Colombia for real research, development and trials on live humans. They are currently in discussions with Cannabis Science, Inc. to oversee clinical trials on its products in Colombia. Phoenix Tears Foundation has also teamed up with Patients Out of Time, a U.S. non-profit dedicated to helping physicians get educated on cannabis as medicine. The organization helps critically needy patients, who may have been told there was nothing more to be done for their cancer or ailment by physicians. Within weeks of using the oil, the foundation reports “remarkable improvement,” even in terminal cases, and testimonials can be found within both organizations’ websites.
For more information on The Phoenix Tears Foundation, visit www.phoenixtears.ca For more information on Patients out of Time visit www.patientsoutoftime.org dopemagazine.com ISSUE 06 THE TRAVEL ISSUE
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Colorado: In Search of Good Medicine
Patient Profile: Anne Capucci, Multiple Sclerosis
HAT IF you had real illness, lived in a legal state, and still could not find your good medicine? That’s what my friend Anne Capucci of Denver has experienced since legalization hit Colorado over a year ago. Two years prior Anne hosted me for a work while I visited some of the top cannabis businesses at the time. I’d bring home an array medicines in the way of tinctures, salves, and oils, combined with sharing information of healing to my friend suffering in the beginning stages of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). According to Web M.D., Multiple Sclerosis is “a chronic disease that damages the nerves in the spinal cord and brain, as well as the optic nerves.” Translated, Sclerosis means “scarring” from extensive scar tissue created by inflammation and subsequent nerve damage, inducing “multiple”
Medicating Symptoms “I couldn’t walk without falling to one side, and I had to lock my hands together in front of me to keep balanced.” Anne began to rattle off the laundry list of symptoms, “I couldn’t use my right hand at all. I could think what I wanted my hand to do but it was just limp, and my right leg was dragging, causing me to trip most of the time I walked. Words were sometimes at the tip of my tongue, but I couldn’t communicate.”
WRITER & PHOTOS SHARON LETTS
symptoms, including loss of muscle control, balance, vision and speech; causing extreme weakness and numbness in limbs, with muscle spasms leading to difficulty in walking, frequent tripping, and falling, with the patient ending up ambulatory. My friend Anne is an extremely active person, shunning handymen and installing appliances and doing light remodeling herself. The day she first became symptomatic she pulled a leg muscle with little exertion. Upon taking a six week break from work, she began to experience severe nerve pain and electrical shocks up the left side of her body. This is how MS begins, with a collection of neurological and physiological debilitating red flags, oftentimes undiagnosed for months. She visited a chiropractor for relief from the pain, and it was them, not her doctor that took a guess on the diagnosis, some three months after the episode began.
After her doctors were on board, the first procedure offered was a shunt inserted into her arm for personal dosing of prescription medication. “They said the shunt would alleviate symptoms,” she explained. “They told me how to deliver the dose and clean the lines for five days. I never really felt much relief, but I did have a cold for four months straight – and
I never get sick. I’ve also never done well on synthetic medicine. It has to be natural, and even then it’s a debatable subject.” Anne said the doctors were “all over me” to have staff come to her home and show her how to inject herself every day for the rest of her life at a staggering costs of between $2,000 to $7,000 per month. A study from the University of Utah states, the average MS patient can live approximately 25 to 35 years after diagnosis, with death resulting not by the disease itself, but by “complications resulting from immobility, such as chronic urinary tract infections.” Basically, your body fails until it shuts down with some infection your immune system just can’t handle.
Got CBD?
Anne changed her diet to organic, doing away with wheat, gluten, and sugar in an attempt to control symptoms, or at least postpone another episode. She had any silver filings said to cause harm, removed. Acupuncturist’s tried to counter the pain, but she was still fearful of having a worse episode without real medicine to help her. “When Sharon came [out to visit] prior to legalization, I learned about the CBD side of the plant,” she said. “I had tried cannabis before, but couldn’t handle the high. With Sharon’s help I started going to dispensaries - there were plenty around! I found vials of oil for ingestion, tinctures that tasted good – all CBD only. I also found salves that helped with the pain in my legs, it was awesome!” Prior to legalization Anne said she could get a bottle of CBD oil for around $25. Once legalization hit she spent hours on the phone calling every dispensary seeking her illusive medicine. “They would always say, ‘We just had some, or we’ll get that in again next week.’” She became frustrated in her quest for CBD as she watched miraculous cures shared on national television, finding mostly ignorance at the dispensary counters. “It’s been more than a little frustrating. I can get CBD only candy,” she continued, “but I’ve got MS and need real medicine. If I want to get high there are tons of options, but that’s not my goal, and how do I know it’s CBD from cannabis and not hemp?”
Good question. The Hemp Industry Association of America (www.thehiaa.org) released a notice early on, as the CBD-only debate heated up across the country, stating it is impossible to get high amounts of medicinal CBD from hemp. Author Martin A. Lee was compelled to start online support group. Project CBD (www.projectcbd.org) was started to educate the public about the differences between CBD and hybridized cannabis. They also talk about some false claims people make about their hemp derived CBD. Project CBD issued a special report on the subject, naming names in the industry and calling out imposters. That said Daniela Vergara, a biologist with a doctorate in evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado in Boulder, who has been given a green light to study cannabis as medicine in depth, moved the conversation forward by acknowledging the work possible in modifying the Hemp plant itself, by raising its CBD numbers for the greater good. “I’m not sure how long it will take to breed a hemp plant able to produce high amounts of CBD, but it is definitely possible,” Vergara advised. “Getting the CBD higher in hemp is a similar process as what has been done with THC in the cannabis plant for the past forty years or more. We would just focus on the highest ratio of CBD in a certain hemp plant, then use that plant as parent for the next generation of offspring, increasing the CBD yield as we go.”
Charlotte’s Web The high CBD strain made famous by CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta and his documentary “Weed” (pt. 1), highlighting the Stanley brothers was not lost on my friend in Denver. She’s followed the good doctor’s and the brother’s trail of wellness with the plant, making her own quest even more frustrating.
When she finally followed-up for herself, she was sorely disappointed when told there was a waiting list, then she gave up on the strain altogether. That’s the problem with a new emerging market. Suppliers run out and Charlotte’s Web was being sought after at an alarming rate, with entire families moving their seizure-bound children to Colorado for real help. There were rumors, as well. Rumors the crop had failed, and that the brothers were adding industrial hemp sludge or oil to the mix, in a false attempt to garner CBD from another source. All were untrue.
In reality, one brother is indeed marketing imported hemp oil online for an inflated price, but that’s not the norm, and it’s not connected to the Realm of Caring Foundation, supplying CBD oil from Cannabis for real illness. The truth is the Department of Agriculture lessened the rules on CBD only. The new rule states if the THC content of the plant is below 0.03 mg. it may be called “Hemp,” and allowable to distribute across state lines. Charlotte’s Web weighs in at exactly 0.03 mg. of THC. In the end, semantics will help the masses heal.
www.colorado.gov/pacific/ agplants/industrial-hemp
With the waiting list lifted, and a guarantee for oil in its place, my friend has a second option on CBD only in Charlotte’s Web. She can sign up and receive a certain amount of oil per month for around $250 per, or $3,000 a year – a far cry from the $7,000 per month for the pharmaceuticals she was advised to take.
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Medicine Man A year prior to legalization Medicine Man was one of the largest grow and dispensaries in the Denver area with a 10,000 square ft. A state of the art facility, it’s run by two brothers, with their sister doing the books.
Andy Williams is owner of the operation, formerly an industrial engineer with a strategic and managerial background in Aerospace; while brother, Pete brings grow room finesse to the project. As the company has grown, more family members joined, with their formerly cannabis shy sister, Sally Vander Veer, (formerly treasurer) now proudly acting as president. The bottom line for me is Andy is the nicest guy I’ve
ever met in weed, and his family was all personable. I had high hopes Medicine Man could be a place my friend would feel comfortable in. Andy compares the family’s business as being the “Costco of weed”, offering up lots of good medicine at good prices with a smile. He didn’t prove me wrong. From the minute we stepped into the shop my friend felt at home. From Medicine Man Anne took home a CBD rich plant to grow for leaf, a tub of CBD rich lotion, and a bottle of Re-Leaf CBD 3:1 oil made by Sweet Mary Jane’s of Denver (the company makes several levels of CBD, up to 6:1). Her healing could finally begin.
Chamomile, the other Beneficial Plant From my feature on “Good Medicine” (Dope, May, 2015) we learned of chamomile and its similarities to cannabis. Among the many beneficial properties, it’s a pain-fighting, anti-inflammatory, antiinfection, anti-oxidant, anti-fungal, and an anti-bacterial kind of plant. The only thing chamomile lacks is the psychoactive properties cannabis offers via its THC. It induces calm, and in stronger doses aids in anxiety, induces sleep, and takes the edge off the THC. In other words chamomile, is a “buzz-kill,” as a stoner-friend advised. I knew my friend needed calming chamomile as much as she needed the concentrated CBD oil from cannabis.
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Herbs & Arts is a great apothecary shop in Denver. Owner John Kulsar has a well-stocked pantry and we were able to find the more medicinal Roman chamomile in bulk for around $7 an ounce. The Magical Butter company graciously helped by sending my friend a MB2 machine, and soon she was infusing coconut oil and chamomile at the push of a button, filling up capsules with a gadget that making 24 pills a pop. Taken in tandem with Sweet Mary Jane’s Re-Leaf 3:1 CBD oil, my friend reports she is sleeping soundly, with the chamomile taking the edge of any THC effects she may feel.
The Bottom Line The good news is my friend found enough sources for good medicine to choose from, and thanks to Magical Butter, she can make her own meds. She can be in control of her own health with some education. But she’s not out of the woods yet.
Plant-based medicine is the most proactive treatment you can practice. It takes a commitment of daily self-prescriptions to keep the medicine in your system. There is trial and error involved in the beginning, but the rewards are great. “I am so thankful Sharon took me to real places with real medicine,” she said. “Brook at The Growing Kitchen is an incredible person, with tons of knowledge. She explained to me the ins and outs of the company, how they started, and what they stand for, and Andy at Medicine man, with his entire family involved in helping others was inspiring to say the least.” Considering her lifelong battle with the illusive and progressive
illness, Anne now feels confident she’ll be able to get a handle on it with the help of the cannabis community in Colorado. “I used to love skiing with my hubby, dancing with friends, and walking the dog – but now even gardening takes a lot out of me,” she continued. “I limp and trip more often now, and that just doesn’t work for me, as I have a family to take care of, including a 92 year old mother living at home with us. I’m actually her caregiver! I don’t want to be in a wheelchair. Heck, I want to live!” Most patients interviewed for this feature who’s MS was put into remission by ingesting cannabis report being able to do away with all prescription meds in a six to eight week period. Those ambulatory for any length of time must work to regain strength enough to walk again, and have reported transitioning from wheelchair, to walker to walking on their own within a six month period.*
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ENTITIES AND TOPICS DISCUSSED, VISIT: The Growing Kitchen www.growingkitchen.com Medicine Man www.medicineman.com Herbs & Arts www.herbsandarts.com Realm of Caring (Charlotte’s Web) www.theroc.us Project CBD www.projectcbd.org Magical Butter Machine www.magicalbutter.com VISITED, DISCUSSED, BUT NOT PROFILED; The Farm www.thefarmco.com Karmaceuticals www.mmjkarma.com Native Roots www.nativeroots303.com New Hope Wellness, Edwards, CO (970) 569-3701 Sweet Mary Jane’s (CBD oil) www.Ilovesmj.com *Botanacare (many patients with MS helped, with records) www.botanacare.com
CANNA-NEWS
Epic Times for Cannabusiness ROM MAY 19-21st, a total of 2,103 attendees and 162 exhibitors packed into three exposition rooms in what organizers called an epic time for the cannabis business. This was the spring Marijuana Business Conference and Expo at the Hilton Chicago, which, even because of the location, amounted to history in the making. The first business conference for the organization was in held a masonic lodge during 2012 in Denver; the second at a horse track in Seattle. No other venues would consider hosting such an event at that time, but no more. Here it is today, hosted in a showcase hotel in the heart of a major U.S. city. This fourth national tradeshow event for the industry, organized by Pawtucket Rhode Island-based Marijuana Business Media (MBM), represented an industry working through one of its strongest years for business development, according to George Jage, president and publisher. Speaking during the opening session for the conference he pointed out “In the last six months, the industry has expanded by hundreds of millions of dollars and hundreds if not thousands of jobs,” Jage said. Being in Chicago was a way of helping the Midwest build momentum, he said, and his company was, in the end, a conduit and catalyzer. “Absorb as much as your brain can handle,” he advised the attendees. To add further proof that this was a serious business event, the keynote speaker was Steven Levitt, noted economist and bestselling author of the book “Freakonomics.” “You have chosen a path,” Levitt said to a packed ballroom. “You have made a choice. You have picked a spot for your opportunities where changes can happen and where you can do amazing things.” The facts and figures came hard and fast during the following presentation by MBM managing editor Chris Walsh. Sales in 2015 of marijuana in both dispensaries and recreational shops are expected to be $2.7 to $3.1 billion, he
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said. Election year 2016 is expected to be a big year for the industry, with six to a dozen ballot initiatives to legalize recreational marijuana. He said their data showed about half of investors are ready to invest $100,000 in cannabis businesses, while an impressive 26% are looking to invest $1 million plus. “There’s a lot more money coming in, and that money is coming from deeper pockets,” Walsh said. MBM data also shows 26% of cannabis companies become profitable within a few months. Profit margins for edibles and other infused products – the fastest growing segment of the market – is 25 percent. “Optimism abounds in this industry,” Walsh said. What followed the next three days was a flurry of activity on all of the exhibit floors, with the usual grow, vapor systems, and lab services offerings now in the company of more mainstream exhibitors. These gave the show the business punch it promoted with 4Front Ventures helping clients through regulatory issues to obtain licenses; Agrisoft Development Group with management software; consulting services from American Cannabis Company, Bulbulyan Consulting Group and MedMen; professional management services from MJardin; cannabis attorneys like Clark Neubert LLP; security systems from Kastle Systems, and insurance brokerage services from William Gallagher Associates. Presentations during the three day event were all about business, from going public to obtaining financing, and from banking updates to battling the black market, and beating out market competition. Josh Stanley, founder of Citiva Medical, is a nationally recognized medical marijuana advocate instrumental in creating Charlotte’s Web. He says that what was happening at the convention was what he believed was evidence of better scientific study on a large scale agricultural commodity that could help revive not only the American farm but the world farm system. “The genie has flown, she is out of the bottle,” he said. “We have
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WRITER DAVE HODES
an opportunity here. We are seeing the demise of the drug lords. And who is going to take advantage of that? I am thinking I am looking at a few of you right now.” Tripp Keber, CEO of one of the better known edibles brands, Dixie Brands, said he remembered like it was yesterday the first convention in Denver where there were maybe a couple of hundred people. “Then, in November 2014, at the third one in Las Vegas, I stood in front of almost 4,000 cannabis business executives,” he said. “So we are really evolving at hyper speed. And the important aspect of it is that it is a business.” He said that he believes half of the future growth in marijuana business will come from infused products, but every aspect of the business seems to be on a growth spurt. ”Nobody is going to succeed in this business by listening to one person, whether it’s me or others,” he said. “There is so much mindshare out there, so much intellectual horsepower, and I am pumped! I think fundamentally, the government is starting to acknowledge there’s a shift in our society.” Todd Denkin, CEO and president of lab testing facility, DigiPath, Inc., pitched his company to a group of panelists and investors during the conference’s Investor Pitch Slam. Acknowledging the power of cannabis to create national change he said “It offers new industry to the U.S. We don’t have industry here. We are consumers, we buy stuff. We don’t produce. That is why I think marijuana and hemp is going to change that.” Denkin says he calls this time in history “cannabis 2.0”. “It’s the beginning of a cannabis industry no longer run by criminals, outlaws and pirates. Those guys created the industry, but they were clearly breaking the law in order to make the money. The grower no longer has to hide behind closed doors anymore, in fact they brag now, so it’s a whole different shift in the cannabis space, and in the cannabis industry.”
HEALTH
Making Cannabis Oil A step-by-step photo guide N THE 70s we’d put a dab on top of a bowl of green and smoke it, or soak a bit of weed in it and roll a strong pinner. We called it “Honey Oil,” and it was said to be a throwback to the Holy Anointing Oil Jesus used in the Bible, with “The Christ” translating to “The Anointer,” or keeper of the oil. Rick Simpson had already developed a strong oil from cannabis, ingesting it for other health reasons when he was diagnosed with terminal skin cancer. After reading that tumors and other cancers were treated successfully in lab mice, he decided to dose himself topically. The growths, located in various areas on his body, cleared up quickly, and he’s been sharing the recipe ever since. To date the recipe for Rick Simpson Oil, now dubbed, “RSO,” has been paid forward around the world by word of mouth, healing the masses daily, and putting serious illness – including the worst cases of cancers – into remission.
Recently I profiled a wife who made the oil for her husband putting his prostate cancer into remission (Dope April 2014). She had the oil tested and found the best combination of THC, CBD (Cannabidiol), and CBN (Cannabinol) came from using the whole plant, bud, leaf and stems. Following is a step-by-step guide to making this strong oil. The solvent used is Isopropyl Alcohol, which is quickly gaining favorites with medicine makers, as it cleanly breaks down the plant material at a lower temperature. Please note cooking alcohol or other solvents is risky as it can be highly flammable and should be made outside with very good airflow. Please see the dosing sidebar for information from Mr. Simpson, and take care, for the THC or Tetrahydrocannabinol is fully activated, and until lower THC strains are made available to the masses one must be careful on dosing, getting used to the effects slowly to build up a tolerance.
For further information on making the oil, as well as testimonials and more, visit the Phoenix Tears Foundation, www.phoenixtears.ca
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CAUTION: The process for making this oil with this method must be done in a well-ventilated area – preferably outdoors. The precise digital induction unit used for this how-to ensures the temperature does not rise to unsafe levels, possibly causing an explosion. While this is the most common method, there are manufacturing companies now making closed-system units for safer processing.
7. Continue to slowly pour liquid into simmering pan a little at a time until it’s cooked down. Simmer until color turns dark.
1. Add one pound bud,
WRITER & PHOTOS
leaf and stem to bucket lined with a five gallon paint strainer bag.
SHARON LETTS
2. Add three and a
half to four gallons of Isopropyl Alcohol to plant material (fill up a five gallon bucket ¾ full).
3.
Stir material for three minutes only.
4. Lift bag up from bucket and strain.
HEATING ELEMENT: Used here: “Nu-Wave” inductive heating element, set to 265 degrees.
8. Continue to cook until mixture thickens into a dark brown, clear tar.
5. Strain once more with a 25-micron fiber mesh.
6. Bring to boil and
simmer, continuing heat at 265 degrees throughout the process.
9. Cook and stir until all bubbles (plant material/ solvent) are gone.
10. Cook until mixture is completely clear of any residual material floating on the surface, and solvent is “purged” from the mix. 11. Pour carefully into jars.
12. Color should be a clear, brown color.
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