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I N T E R N AT I O N A L M AY 2 0 1 6 | T H E G R E E N I S S U E
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he word “green” stretches far and wide into varying shades of money, sustainability, and of course— cannabis. The Green Issue of DOPE Magazine is an exploration of the many shades of green that are building an industry that is purposeful, profitable, and environmentally aware. As cannabis continues to emerge from the shadows of state law, it has become a greater part of the public conversation on environmental footprints. This month at DOPE Magazine , we’ve taken on the topic of sustainable and responsible cannabis cultivation and shed some light on the complexities growers and manufacturers face. As the industry expands, so does its impact, and we’re proud to bring you the latest trends in green growing. By reflecting on our industry’s current practices, we can help shape a sustainable future for cannabis and work to end the stigma encountered by those who make the choice to partake. Our cover story with former NBA star Cliff Robinson challenges the preconceived notion that athletes and cannabis can’t be teammates. Throughout professional sports associations, cannabis usage is hotly debated, with some leagues still refusing to bring the conversation to the table. Personal freedoms are restricted and wellness-based treatments are scoffed at, from the locker room to the privacy of each athlete’s home. We were lucky enough to interview Robinson in Portland, Oregon—the city where he made a name for himself. His passion for reframing the conversation about athletes and cannabis is contagious, and his all-star status provides an impactful perspective. More exciting still are his plans for what could end up being the first official cannabis athletics brand, “Uncle Spliffy.” For many of us, May is synonymous with sunshine, which means it’s time to get back outdoors. Contributing writer Scott Pearse begins his dope bicycle tour this month. He will be riding from Seattle to San Diego to visit cannabis businesses and farms. Follow @dopebicycletour on Instagram and visit dopemagazine.com to see the shenanigans he experiences along the way! Sharon Letts is at it again—this time on a road trip through the California desert. She spends a day with Jeannie Herer, reminiscing on the life of the legendary Jack Herer, a name that instantly brings to mind the sweet scent of his namesake strains, recognizable by their piney fragrance. There is a unique kind of satisfaction in the fact that our plant is slowly but surely making its way into the light. While we celebrate the successes that got us here, we are beginning to tackle the more difficult conversations surrounding cannabis’ impact on our planet. Everyone has their own opinion on how cannabis should merge into mainstream society, with sentiments ranging from how it’s cultivated to how it’s profited from. Although cannabis consumers may differ in how we want things to take shape, at the end of the day, what matters most is that we’re able to have this conversation together. How dope is that?
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T H I S I S YO U R B R A I N O N D RU G S IS CANNABIS ACTUALLY DECREASING INTELLIGENCE? WRITER / BIANCA FOX
RECENT STUDY CLAIMS THAT cannabis use in teenagers does not decrease intelligence. The University of California, Los Angeles and the University of Minnesota conducted the study that was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. For the study, two intelligence tests were given to 3,066 participants, who took the test first between the ages of 9 and 12, then between 17 and 20. The study states that some had either tried or used cannabis on a regular basis. Researchers studied test scores and found that there was no decrease in intelligence following use. Specialists William Eidelman, MD, a Hollywood doctor who prescribes medical cannabis, and Louie Yu, MD, an international medical consultant, support the use of medical cannabis to treat ailments. They analyzed the study and concluded that occasional recreational use of cannabis should not decrease intelligence. However, both doctors had strong opinions about the effects of long-term everyday use. “I think the study itself looks well done and valid,” said Eidelman. “It is not a surprise to find no changes in intelligence, although the question of dose may be significant. If the dose is low, it doesn’t say what a higher dose might do. I have my doubts about the earlier study that did show negative IQ changes.” Yu, a specialist in orthomolecular medicine, has witnessed both the positive and negative effects of cannabis. “This study states that cannabis does not decrease intelligence and it does,” Responded Yu. “I’ve seen the effects of it long term. But that is if someone is smoking it every day, for most of the day. If someone is smoking it only recreationally to relax at the end of the day, to help them eat, at nighttime to fall asleep, or on the weekend for a night out, then there would be no decreased intelligence.” Anecdotally, they had confided that they were not as smart as they used to be. If only used occasionally, however, cannabis helps stimulate the brain and its creative pathways. It is a sleep aid, allowing the brain to function better the following day. It also helps to boost melatonin.
“It is true that the levels in the brain, which have to do with the neurotransmitters that process information and the speed in which you process information, can be supplemented by marijuana use,” Yu added. “We have found that smoking marijuana helps increase the production of dopamine and acetylcholine production in the brain, which is really more brain processing speed and power.” It also depends on the strain that is being used, Yu said. To stimulate the brain and inspire creativity and increase intelligence, con-
“IT IS TRUE THAT THE BRAIN, WHICH HAVE THE SPEED IN WHICH INFORMATION, CAN BE BY MARIJUANA USE.” sumers should use the sativa strain. Eidelman and Yu share the same belief that there should be thousands of studies on cannabis and its effects on the body and brain, especially its healing properties.
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proposed ballot initiative in Colorado would limit THC levels in “marijuana and marijuana products” to 15 or 16 percent. Average flower potency is about 17 percent in the state, while the THC level in concentrates is much higher. Proponents of the initiative argue that what’s known of the effects of cannabis is for products containing low THC levels. If passed, the initiative could have sweeping consequences for the industry, especially concentrate and vape pen manufacturers.
he United Nations will hold its first General Assembly Special Session on drugs since 1998. At the last meeting the theme was “A drug free world – we can do it.” The lead-up to this year’s meeting suggests that the tone will be much more focused on harm reduction and decriminalization. In the weeks leading up to the meeting, the British medical journal The Lancet published a long report suggesting that incarceration is among the most serious public health concerns associated with illegal drugs.
H
arper’s Magazine featured an interview with John Ehrlichman, a former aide to President Richard Nixon who died in 1999. The Nixon administration, “knew we couldn’t make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with marijuana and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities. We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did.”
T P
esticide-related recalls continued in Colorado and have spread to Washington state, the second most mature U.S. cannabis market. The issue is immensely complex, largely because there’s no consensus on which cannabis pesticides are harmful and in what amounts. Furthermore, most legal states lack a large enough testing industry to conduct widespread testing. So far, two Washington companies have been fined. In Colorado, there were seven recalls in March alone, according to the Denver Post.
W
he U.S. Supreme Court voted 6 to 2 not to hear Oklahoma and Nebraska’s lawsuit against Colorado’s cannabis industry. This came after President Barack Obama nominated Merrick Garland, a moderate, to replace conservative justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court. Garland received a generally warm reception from the cannabis community based on a ruling he made that scientists, not lawyers, should decide the merits of medical marijuana.
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study found a genetic basis for increased risk of cannabis dependence and that it tends to affect people at risk of severe depression. Critics pointed out that one of the lead researchers has ties to pharmaceutical companies that have an interest in keeping pot illegal. Another study found that heavy cannabis use is connected to downward mobility in both wealth and status. A third study found that the cannabinoid CBD, “induces rapid-acting antidepressant-like effects.”
K
BRANDING BUD
WRITER / DAVID PALESCHUCK, CLS, MBA
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HE RECENT HEALTH MOVEMENT and the mindset fueling it have changed the way we eat and think about our food and our food chain. Organic, non-GMO, gluten-free, and pesticide-free are trends that affect our eating habits as well as our health and well-being. Similarly within the cannabis sector, many producers are working to create healthier products. Some are acting upon their desire to produce healthier products in line with their brand promise. Others see a consumer demand for healthier products and are responding to it, while some simply opt to use approved pesticides according to state rules and regulations. Examples of recent health trends in the cannabis sector include moving away from food grade polyethylene glycol (used for cutting cannabis oil) to natural hemp or coconut oil instead. There is also a trend of moving away from artificial flavors such as cherry and watermelon and reintroducing natural terpenes like myrcene, limonene, and pinene for flavor instead.
“TODAY, THE HONOR SYSTEM IS BEING USED IN THE PSEUDOREGULATED MARKET. RANDOMIZED PESTICIDE TESTING SHOULD BE ADDED TO THE CURRENT TESTING PORTFOLIO; AND CANNABIS COMPANIES SHOULD BE FULLY TRANSPARENT ABOUT WHAT INGREDIENTS AND ADDITIVES THEY USE IN THEIR PRODUCTS. THE MORE TRANSPARENT, THE BETTER.” TOBIAS COUGHLIN-BOGUE, THE STRANGER
PHOTOS / MARK COFFIN
“A LOT OF RESEARCH GOES INTO PESTICIDE ALLOWANCE AND PESTICIDE LABELING FOR AGRICULTURAL CROPS, BUT BECAUSE CANNABIS IS FEDERALLY ILLEGAL, AND IS SMOKED, NOT INGESTED, THERE IS LITTLE COMPARABLE RESEARCH RELATING TO HUMAN HEALTH EFFECTS.” JESSICA CORCORRAN, SOUND HORTICULTURE
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The concept of growing for production while reducing and eliminating pesticide use is on the rise. Growers are now using beneficial microbes, mycelium, and other integrated pest management techniques. Legally, cannabis cannot be called “organic,” no matter how environmentally friendly the cultivation practices used to grow it. The term is federally regulated and the USDA does not recognize cannabis as a legitimate agricultural crop. Furthermore, the EPA won’t test pesticides used on cannabis as long as it is considered a Schedule I drug.
As cannabis supply chains continue to lengthen, it is increasingly more difficult for consumers to “know their grower.” With no connection to the producer, how does a consumer know for certain which products are grown without using chemical fertilizers or toxic pesticides? Clean Green and Certified Kind—both organic cannabis certifications—are influenced by global organic standards. They draw upon the principles of organic production articulated by the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements and are similar to the organic regulations of the United States, Canada, the European Union, and Mexico. Much like the USDA National Organic Program for traditional agricultural products, the whole life cycle of the plant is considered, from seed selection to harvesting and processing. They also analyze the soil, nutrients, pesticide use, mold treatment, and dust control.
BRANDING BUD
INHALATION OF PESTICIDE RESIDUES Some think that complications related to pesticides are normal for a young industry. Very little peer-reviewed research has been published on the health and safety risks associated with pesticides on dried cannabis. However, tests that have been performed show cause for significant consumer concern, particularly with medical patients or those with elevated risk factors. “High pesticide exposure through cannabis smoking is a significant possibility, which may lead to further health complications in cannabis users,” noted researchers in Determination of Pesticide Residues in Cannabis Smoke, a study in Journal of Toxicology. Other concerns surround the concentrated levels of pesticides in extracted oils. Still, a concern that pesticides could upset the balance between the industry and the federal government lingers.
“WE HAVE AN INCUBATED ENVIRONMENT WE’RE ALLOWED TO OPERATE IN RIGHT NOW. IF WE OPEN UP OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE TO USE DANGEROUS THINGS ON PLANTS, IT BECOMES AN EMBARRASSMENT AND WE INVITE MORE SCRUTINY. IT WOULD BE A HUGE STEP BACKWARD.” DEREK PETERSON, CEO, TERRA TECH
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“THERE HAS BEEN NO ACTUAL TESTING TO VERIFY THAT THE FINAL CANNABIS CONSUMABLE DOES NOT CONTAIN ANY PESTICIDE RESIDUE. IN FACT, UNTIL RECENTLY THERE WERE NO LABS ABLE TO PERFORM CANNABIS PESTICIDE TESTING, WHICH OF COURSE KEPT THE PUBLIC UNAWARE THAT OUR CANNABIS CONTAINS PESTICIDES.” MURACO KYASHNA-TOCHA, CANNABIS SAFETY ACTIVIST Due to the Washington State Department of Health’s proposed rules for “compliant” products, including requirements for pesticide residue testing, Washington’s labs have been gearing up to offer such services in order to meet the state’s July deadline for retailers to begin offering compliant products to medical patients. Some pesticide products are systemic, meaning a certain degree of the chemicals will remain with the plant throughout its life and will exist in clone cuttings of these plants too. Even though this is the case, the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board does not make any allowances for this, considering any pesticide presence a contamination.
The EPA has reported that almost one billion pounds of pesticide are used annually for agricultural use. Unlike our food products, cannabis is usually inhaled, not consumed and broken down by our digestive system. Because of that, Washington lawmakers want to ensure that there is no serious impact on the lungs and respiratory system. However, as long as cannabis is considered and classified as a Schedule I drug, there will be limited data on pesticides and their effects on cannabis consumers.
A BREAKDOWN OF PESTICIDE PRODUCT CATEGORIES FEDERALLY REGISTERED PESTICIDES Unless determined to be minimum risk and exempt from registration, herbicides, insecticides, rodenticides, antimicrobial products, and bio-pesticides must undergo the EPA’s formal registration process, which includes a scientific assessment of the active ingredient that is included in pesticide products. ORGANIC PESTICIDES Pesticides allowed for use in organic production must be evaluated by the National Organic Standards Board for their essentiality, impacts to human and environment health, and compatibility with other organic practices. In general, natural pesticides are allowed unless specifically prohibited, and synthetic pesticides are prohibited unless specifically recommended by the NOSB. FEDERALLY EXEMPT MINIMUM RISK PESTICIDES Minimum risk pesticides under section 25(b) of FIFRA are not required to undergo the federal registration process if they have undergone safety testing. PESTICIDES EXEMPT FROM A TOLERANCE The EPA determines certain pesticides are exempt from a tolerance on a food crop based on toxicity and exposure data specific to the pesticides’ use pattern. Not all 25(b) pesticides are exempt from a tolerance.
David Paleschuck, a Seattle-based entrepreneur and marketing expert, has had a long career in marketing, branding, licensing, and partnership development. He has worked for world-class consumer brands including American Express, MasterCard, PepsiCo, and Microsoft. He is currently writing a book called Branding Bud: The Commercialization of Cannabis, available in late 2016. Contact him at david@newleaflicensing.com.
EVENTS
DO P E EV E N T S WRITER / JENIKA MAO
PHOTO / PROVIDED BY THC FAIR, CWCBE
MARIJUANA BUSINESS CONFERENCE & EXPO May 9–11 Orlando, FL
T
he Marijuana Business Conference & Expo has an outstanding reputation of bringing together thousands of industry executives, major investors, and entrepreneurs to make partnerships and combine markets. There will be a large number of vendors present and ready to show off their latest products and services. Q&A sessions will be available with keynote speakers as well as all new presentations.
CANNABIS WORLD CONGRESS & BUSINESS EXPO June 15 New York, NY
T
he Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition, a business-to-business tradeshow, will be held in New York City for the first time ever this year. There will be many new features provided by exhibitors and sponsors as well as cutting-edge solutions for owners and managers in this quickly growing industry. Attendees will be offered exposure to potential partnerships and investors.
THC FAIR May 14–15 Corvallis, OR
A
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accessories. The fair also serves as an outlet for professional expertise on horticulture and grow shops, information on recreational laws, medicinal dispensaries, medicinal uses for patients, as well as edibles and hemp products.
FA R M E R TO M REVOLUTIONIZING CANNABIS, ONE FED AT A TIME
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WRITER / PATRICIA BENNETT
PHOTO / PATRICK BENNETT
hen federal agents visit a pot farm, it’s not by invitation—but it was this time.
1 Tom Lauerman, affectionately known as Farmer Tom, invited federal researchers to spend several days at his hippie grass-land (medical cannabis farm) in Vancouver, Washington to evaluate cannabis processing procedures. It was the first and only known time the feds have conducted friendly business on a privately owned pot farm. This is a big deal: the only federally approved cannabis research facility was established at the University of Mississippi in 1968. Late in October 2015, four agents of the CDC’s National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) made their way to the pot farm’s “secure location,” according to the official documents—a point that gave Farmer Tom a chuckle. Also present was T.J. Lauritsen from the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW). Together, they were establishing safety standards and best practices for medical cannabis and cannabis workers by conducting a Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE). Lauritsen said he selected Farmer Tom for the HHE after collaborating with him on some worker training materials. The union thought his small farm would be a good baseline entry for the feds to become familiar with the product and not overwhelm them with a large warehouse grow. “I never thought in my life that by the time I turned 55, we would have federal agents welcomed onto my farm—asking to come to my farm—and I’d get to educate them about cannabis. It simply just blows my mind,” said Farmer Tom. It is surprising, given the federal government’s official stance on cannabis, a “most dangerous” weed.
2
HOW IT ALL WENT DOWN “TJ was telling me these things take a long time, but we started the conversation in May [2015] and in June we had our first phone call,” said Farmer Tom. The call revealed that the CDC agents knew nothing about cannabis. Farmer Tom invited them to the farm to introduce them to the community so they’d know what to expect from the proposed evaluation. That first trip was in August 2015. Everyone got along great, he said. They even went out for beers together. “They looked on as we smoked weed throughout the day and saw that we were fully functional and engaged.” As farm workers and federal agents got to know one another, the mood relaxed. Folks would hang out and chat in the outdoor kitchen, just a few steps from a charming art collection
and a display of the season’s myriad squash varieties. This working farm grows cannabis, but it’s just one of several crops. Ever present and holding the show together was Farmer Tom’s wife and partner, Paula. NIOSH agents outfitted Farmer Tom and a few others in “sniffer” vests that measured the air quality surrounding the workers. The air quality inside the processing greenhouse was also measured for comparison to the ambient air of the farm. As workers trimmed bud, they wore a specialized glove with sensors to measure frequency of movement, analyzing for potential repetitive motion issues. Various surfaces were swabbed looking for potential contaminants, such as molds and other allergens. Results are expected to take nearly a year.
1. Farmer Tom’s trimming skills are measured using a specialized glove to evaluate standard procedures and potential problems, including repetitive motion.
2. Investigators determine a baseline of average productivity for a professional trimmer by timing and weighing the resultant product as part of the Health Hazard Evaluation by NIOSH.
“MY POSITION ON THIS IS JUST TO NORMALIZE CANNABIS. ANY WAY YOU CAN GET THE FEDS OUT HERE—IF YOU CAN GET THEM OUT HERE—IS A HUGE STEP.”
3
HOW FEDERAL AGENTS CAN VISIT A CANNABIS FARM Cannabis is still federally registered as a Schedule I narcotic, placing it among the most dangerous. The qualification means that there is no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse. “For us, it’s because it’s a legal workspace in the state of Washington,” said NIOSH spokesperson Christy Spring. “We received a valid legal request from a legal employer. So it’s not a matter of judging whether or not the product being manufactured is legal as much as the fact that under the state law this is a legal workplace. Our interest is the occupational health and safety aspect of it. There has been a lot of curiosity, but we’ve heard no criticism.”
“The HHE process is initiated by a request for safety guidelines from employers, employees, or unions,” said lead field investigator James Couch. “NIOSH can either point them to existing information for their occupations or choose to do a new evaluation. In this case, cannabis is fairly new, especially in the occupational health world. There’s really nothing out there.” Farmer Tom’s request was considered to be a “novel” workplace exposure, ripe for an HHE. Indeed, Couch conducted a literature review and found no other information from any other federal agency looking into the cannabis industry. Speaking with Couch, it’s easy to see the val-
ue of the HHE program. There just aren’t a lot of research groups with a rapid response that’s capable of getting ahead of these emerging occupational hazards and getting out into the field to look at real-time exposures. Even in the world of legalized cannabis, Farmer Tom is a pioneer. There aren’t many small farm grows. The majority of farmers use pesticides and harmful chemicals, but Farmer Tom is setting the bar higher for the entire industry. “I think it’s all about baby steps,” he said. “My position on this is just to normalize cannabis. Any way you can get the feds out here—if you can get them out here—is a huge step.”
3. Farmer Tom’s organic operation was chosen as the first ever to be evaluated by federal agents due to the simplicity of a small natural setting. Here Blue Rino soaks in ample sunshine and fresh air.
T H E S O LV E N T O F S U RV I VA L H EALING THROUGH CO 2 WRITER / BIANCA FOX PHOTO / AJ FABRIZIO
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he cannabis industry is witnessing a resurgence of powerhouse solvent CO2, and it’s a magical moment. DOPE sat down with AJ Fabrizio, the chief research officer at Terra Tech Corp. The first publicly traded company involved with cannabis farming and cultivation, Terra Tech Corp. has over four decades of experience in their field and is at the forefront of CO2 technology.
HISTORY AND FORMATION OF CO 2 The history of supercritical carbon dioxide goes back further than cannabis extraction, Fabrizio said. It started off in 1822, when the idea of a supercritical property was discovered. French physicist Charles Cagniard de la Tour was the first to discover that every substance had a critical temperature and pressure at which it will cease being a liquid and turn into a gas. “[Cagniard de la Tour] discovered through this principle that substances could go into a supercritical point. ‘Super’ meaning above the critical point,” Fabrizio said. “There has been a resurgence in the usage of CO2 as a solvent, specifically because of the cannabis industry,” Fabrizio said. “Before, it was a relatively expensive technology to design and implement. It was used to extract other plants’ essential oils. Since cannabis is more profitable and more valuable, it allowed for a renaissance of CO2 extraction.”
THE PRODUCTION OF CO 2 Liquid CO2 has a different density than supercritical CO2, which is a gas. Depending upon what oils are being made, and whether it is a crude extract, the manufacturer may aim for the essential oils as well as amino acids and other nutrients. According to Fabrizio, “The reason why people utilize CO2 is because it can wear many different hats. It can create many different types of extracts that will have different constituents within it. By varying the pressure and temperature, it offers an enormous amount of versatility.”
CO 2 EFFECTS AND POTENCY Potency varies depending on extraction conditions. One can create the terpene conditions, whether the goal is to extract 100% THC or 40% THC. This opening allows for the presence of other chemicals, leading to nutritional or medicinal elements. From a connoisseur’s standpoint, Fabrizio appreciates the more potent oils. From a medical standpoint, there is a lot to be said about the less potent oils. “For instance, if you were an epileptic patient, there are many benefits to using CBD [instead of THC], but there are also many nutritional and medicinal benefits when you create an extract that is rich in amino acids and other essential oils,” Fabrizio said. “One of the cool things about cannabis, to my knowledge, is that it is the only plant that carries every essential amino acid and every essential oil. So it is a complete source of protein and essential oils from the plant kingdom.”
“THE PHILOSOPHY OF TODAY’S WORLD IS THAT MEDICINE IS NOT THE SAME AS NUTRITION. BUT IN REALITY, UP UNTIL THE ADVENT OF PHARMACEUTICAL MEDICINE, MOSTLY ALL MEDICINE WAS NUTRITIONALLY BASED.”
CO 2 OILS IN HEALING The effects of cannabinoids and terpenes on human nerve and muscle cells have been researched by medical professionals, albeit in a limited manner due to the federal Schedule I classification of cannabis. The results are as consistent as they are encouraging. Crude extracts that have terpene and cannabinoid infractions, and amino acids have a significant amount of nutritional benefits. CO2 oils represent what some consider to be an ideal mix for traditional human nutrition. “That is one of the cool things about cannabis,” Fabrizio said. “It really blurs the line between what is medicine and what is a nutritional supplement. The philosophy of today’s world is that medicine is not the same as nutrition. But in reality, up until the advent of pharmaceutical medicine, mostly all medicine was nutritionally based. The crude extracts really represent more of what medicine was pre-pharmaceutical medicine. It is a superfood.” To explain the effect cannabis has on healing nerve degenerate diseases, Fabrizio said that we must consider why the diseases are occurring. Alzheimer’s and multiple sclerosis are great examples. “Basically, imagine that your nerves are like wires: when wires are bundled together, they have insulation on them and they work well,” Fabrizio said. “With your nerves, the proteins act as insulation. With MS, your nerves are stripped of those proteins; it’s like stripping the insulation off of bundles of wires. So when signals come down these wires, they short-circuit. Cannabinoids repair the stripped wires or cells that have lost their proteins on the outside and rejuvenates them. Some research has pointed in the direction [that cannabis can reverse] MS. With Alzheimer’s, it is the same thing.”
F E AT U R E
ONE MAN’S ATTEMPT TO CURE CANNABIS-INDUCED PARANOIA WRITER / REILLY CAPPS
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ANNABIS IS MONEY. People are getting rich off its meditative calm, its pain-soothing medicine, and its hilarious fog. But only one dude ever tried to get rich because it causes paranoia. Writer Bryan Basamanowicz knows paranoia. He has felt paranoid about slow-moving cars, modern art, and a Starbucks muffin. A key incident happened in college when Bryan drank beer and toked. Soon after, he discovered he couldn’t burp. Or sneeze. Or yawn. Naturally, he concluded that he was going to explode, like a seagull tossed an Alka-Seltzer. Unable to burp, he rushed to the emergency room. The medical professionals auscultated his midclavicular line and recommended a prescription remedy of zero milligrams per day of weed. Howard Stern quit smoking because of the paranoia. John Cusack says that when he’s high, he thinks everyone hates him. Not long ago, a sweet older woman in Boulder shuffled to the counter in Karing Kind and sheepishly pushed an edible across it. “I ate half and it scared me,” she said quietly. “Can you throw it away for me?” But Bryan is no old lady—and he’s certainly no quitter. His friends all smoked. He felt creative when he was high. So Bryan sought solutions, but he was shocked by what he didn’t find. No antidotes. No remedies. No books. “There’s an enormous paucity—a lack of discussion— when it comes to bad experiences on marijuana,” Bryan said. High Times celebrates the laughter, but never the tension in the jaw. Snoop Dogg raps about California love and California bud, but never nagging self-doubt. “I don’t like to tell people,” said Patty Lawrence. Lawrence is particularly embarrassed about her paranoia because she works for a cannabis company, Floracy. “When I smoke at parties, suddenly I don’t know what to say and I don’t know how to excuse myself and everything is awkward.”
GRAPHICS / JAN DOMACENA
The ancients weren’t quiet about the mixed effects of cannabis. It causes “laughter,” “amazement,” and “astonishment,” they wrote. But it also “produces senseless talk,” as al-Kindi wrote, and “phantoms beset the mind,” Pliny wrote. However, things are different now. “There’s already enough bad stuff out there among people who are anti-marijuana,” said Sarah Miles, an aromatherapist known as the Cannagramma. Her clients complain of cannabis-induced anxiety. “We don’t want any of them to know that any of it’s true.” But by not addressing their problem, are quitters missing out? Missing out on cannabis’ ability to make music, movies, and emotions richer and deeper? And is the cannabis industry missing out? How much money is being lost from those too paranoid to buy? In 2012, Bryan glimpsed this opportunity and he seized it. He moved to Vancouver, the cannabis capital of Canada, and founded Marijuana Paranoia Management Coaching, the first and only service of its kind. He scribbled a thin book called Handbook for the HighFunctioning Paranoiac and hawked it for $25.
There is, in fact, a great demand. Bryan’s YouTube channel received 370,000 views. Emails flooded in. Clients arrived. Despite having no training in therapy or counseling, Bryan approached “paranoia management coaching” as seriously as Freud. Clients completed a super-long intake form, which asked about their experiences of being stoned: “disruption in goal-directed sequencing” and “people seeming to drop hints about me” and “guilt, fear or inadequacy about one’s inability to make sound judgments.” It even asked whether clients were breastfed. That is one theory: if mom didn’t breastfeed you, Sour Diesel will make you worry that you forgot to lock the garage door. Here’s another theory: plant breeders long bred THC into plants like it was the cure for cancer. And although THC is magic at Alt-J concerts, it makes some nervous. Older stoners have noticed the change. “When I was a kid you could just smoke a joint for a while,” said Louis C.K. “Now you take two hits and you go insane.” Meanwhile, breeders largely ignored a possible cure for cancer: CBD. CBD is an anticonvulsant. You’ve seen all those cute kids stop seizing on Charlotte’s Web. In fact, anticonvulsants calm everyone; prescription drugs Klonopin and Ativan are anticonvulsants. Studies show CBD can calm rats, soothe psychotic patients, and chill out the socially anxious. And two recent studies showed CBD blocks the anxiety-causing features of THC. “Most of the people who take our CBD feel relief from anxiety,” said Alexis Korybut, president of CBDRx in Colorado. Worriers love high-CBD strains like Cannatonic and Harlequin. “Green Crack used to send me into panic attacks,” said Matt Duncan, director of the organization CBD May Help. “Yet you move into the softer strains with more CBD, and none of that happens.” CBD companies are sprouting up everywhere. “In two years we’ve gone from a startup to a half-million pound company,” said Lisa-Marie Marais, co-founder of Britain’s UK CBD. A shift is happening. But not everyone experiences CBD as a panacea. The Denver Post’s pot critic, Jake Browne, who could gracefully address congress while blazed, got paranoid on high-CBD Harlequin. This surprised him. It was like “headbanging at a Jack Johnson concert.” Even Korybut said that CBD
actually makes anxiety worse in about 5% of his users. On Leafly, I’ve never seen a single strain score zero for anxiety. Even Charlotte’s Web rates high. Bryan Basamanowicz tried so hard to wipe out paranoia. He would do an introductory session sober, then other sessions stoned. He had no office, so sessions happened on the beach, in dispensaries, and in patients’ homes. During the sessions, Bryan meditated with clients and asked them all kinds of questions. “When has marijuana had positive effects in your life?” “How is your relationship with your mother?” Mostly, he let people talk. Two of his clients emailed me that it worked. Others said their paranoia was invincible. “It would probably help if the person who was doing the counseling had some professional training,” Bryan said. “Still, there is no true cure for marijuana paranoia.” Marijuana Paranoia Management Coaching shuttered two years ago. Over the two previous years, he sold about 500 books and coached 28 clients. Each paid between $20 and $40 a session and the average client attended three sessions. That’s not Snoop Dogg money. Bryan Basamanowicz couldn’t even cure himself. A year after he quit coaching, he ate edibles and went to an art museum, where an African art exhibit was too intense to handle. He hasn’t touched cannabis since. He moved out of Vancouver, found steady work and a nice, sober girlfriend. He converted to Catholicism for her. Rasta colors used to hang on his wall; now, there’s a crucifix. Everything potent is dangerous. Nuclear power plants melt down. Campfires burn forests. Drugs are similar. Effexor ruins your sex life; Chantix gives you nightmares. And LSD, mushrooms, and ayahuasca can make you profoundly uncomfortable—and also change your life. People are like that. Bryan wanted all of the good parts of weed and none of the bad, but he ended up getting neither. He remains—high or sober—a little paranoid. When I first called him for an interview, he asked me not to use his last name. We can report that Bryan now burps regularly, yawns appropriately, and sneezes consistently. And, according to the medical literature, so does every other cannabis smoker.
“EVERYTHING POTENT IS DANGEROUS. NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS MELT DOWN. CAMPFIRES BURN FORESTS. DRUGS ARE SIMILAR.”
WRITER / MEGHAN RIDLEY PHOTO / MARK COFFIN
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HEN CLIFF ROBINSON BUSTED out his celebratory dance moves in the locker room following the Portland Trailblazers’ 1992 win of the NBA Western Conference Finals, he likely didn’t know that the “Uncle Cliffy” dance would one day serve as the roots of his own legal cannabis. After all, this was approximately 20 years before cannabis was legalized, and Uncle Cliffy hadn’t even been officially busted for smoking pot yet.
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Cliff Robinson’s NBA career is an amalgamation of accolades and infractions that set him apart from the crowd of usual suspects within professional athletics. He played professional basketball for 19 years and suited up for five different NBA teams. His NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award in 1993, a handful of suspensions, and his quintessential headband have defined him as a standout citizen of the professional basketball world. He even joined Dennis Rodman’s team on the ever-curious “basketball diplomacy” trip to North Korea to play in front of Kim Jong-Un in 2014. While there were many milestones in Robinson’s career, a few cannabis-related incidents provide a colorful splash to his reputation. The whistles blown on Robinson include a 2001 arrest for driving under the influence and marijuana possession while he played for the Phoenix Suns and two separate violations of the NBA’s anti-drug policy—once in 2005 as a Golden State Warrior, and again in 2006 as a New Jersey Net. Robinson is not one to defend his rule-breaking actions, but that doesn’t stop him from eloquently dismissing the nature of his reputation as an NBA pothead. “To tell you the truth, I didn’t care,” Robinson said. “It wasn’t like I was blatantly smoking in the locker room or coming into the locker room smelling like marijuana. I just tried to work around my schedule and do it when I could.”
T H E B U S I N E S S O F B A N N E D S U B S TA N C E S Amid the confusing business of banned substances in professional sports, everything from performance-enhancing pharmaceuticals to plants mingle on a nonsensical roster. Robinson was familiar with the complicated state of affairs. “You can put yourself in a position where you can be taken off the court,” he said. “I’m not an advocate of guys partaking in substances that are on the banned substances list for any job or association that they may have. But people do it. I did it.” Despite the fact that cannabis use is prohibited by the NBA, the organization isn’t known for a harsh anti-pot dialogue, especially when compared to similar professional sports organizations such as the NFL. In fact, rumors are already circulating that the NBA could approach the medical cannabis conversation at the collective bargaining table in 2017.
“The NBA went through a stretch where it had a bad reputation as far as drugs were concerned,” Robinson said. “But it was more on the cocaine side. From that standpoint, they had to try and clean up their act, and they did that. I think Magic and Larry Bird did a tremendous job of changing the perception of the NBA, and just bringing back the excitement of the NBA. Once I started playing, guys started getting busted for a little bit of marijuana. I got busted for a little bit of marijuana. Some of the other Blazers in the ’90s got taken off the court for marijuana use. I think the ’90s had a pothead culture in the NBA.” With the cannabis movement rapidly evolving in realms of naturopathic medicine and recreational legalization, the authority to disqualify potential participants due to the fact that they are professional athletes certainly becomes less solid. Robinson spoke candidly about how he benefitted from consuming cannabis. “I hate taking pills,” he said. “And when I played in the NBA, the pills always came with, ‘Oh, you have to make sure you eat,’ or, ‘Don’t take it at this time.’ You know cannabis, I always used it as a way to settle my stomach and relax. And now, with the different products that are out there as far as topicals and things like that, I think it falls perfectly in line with people who have an active lifestyle.”
“I’VE ALWAYS FELT THAT THE NEGATIVE STIGMA PUT ON PEOPLE BECAUSE THEY SMOKE MARIJUANA HAS ALWAYS BEEN UNFAIR.”
T H E R E S U R R E C T I O N O F U N C L E S P L I F F Y When New York Post writer Peter Vecsey applied his skills as a wordsmith to the case of Cliff Robinson’s cannabis use by cleverly coining the term Uncle Spliffy, his humor was applauded—but his foresight was overlooked. Ten years later, the cannabis athletics brand could soon be back in the locker room it was conceived in. “We’re in the beginning stages,” Robinson said. “I’ve always been passionate about it [and] it’s always been a part of my life. I’ve always felt that the negative stigma put on people because they smoke marijuana has always been unfair. It’s unfair for anybody who has reached a certain level to be labeled as a pothead just because they may partake in cannabis products.” While the future of cannabis and athletics remains cloudy, Robinson proves to be optimistic that the movement is making strides towards a game-changing win for professional athletes. “The more guys that step out there and be part of the conversation, especially current guys, it’s gonna work out,” he said. When a meeting ends with a character like Cliff Robinson—an NBA All-Star known for his sixth man skills, locker room dancing, and cannabis smoking—one can’t help but wonder if he’d be willing get down on the details of the “Uncle Cliffy” dance moves. Upon inquiring, he chuckled, then calmly puffed his joint of legal weed and said, “I forgot how it goes. They say when you smoke too much cannabis, you can lose a little bit of memory. So that’s the memory I lost.”
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CA L I F OR N I A D E S E RT FU N, SU N, AND A LITTLE GREEN WRITER & PHOTOS / SHARON LETTS
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OUTHERN CALIFORNIA IS BASICALLY a desert, with no water sources to speak of. Travel two hours east of Los Angeles into Riverside County—otherwise known as the “Inland Empire”—and you’ll hit miles and miles of sand, cactus, and energy-producing windmills as far as the eye can see. The once sleepy town of Desert Hot Springs is located 10 miles east of upscale Palm Springs and has had its share of hardship. A scandal with past community leaders led the city into bankruptcy. Longtime city council member and former mayor Scott Matas stepped up to the podium in the middle of the mess, offering up a solution: allow Desert Hot Springs residents to grow and sell cannabis. But first, they needed to end the city ban. “In 2008, we had a local gentleman operating an illegal dispensary,” Matas said. “He had cut a hole in the security door and was selling cannabis out the hole of the door. We decided to put a moratorium on cannabis businesses at that time and wait and see what others in the area would do.” When the City of Palm Springs began giving out permits, Desert Hot Springs stepped up. “We lifted the moratorium and now have four dispensaries open and doing very well,” Matas said. “The stigma from the public is that you are going to have crime because people are buying pot, but it’s just not true. We have little to no crime to speak of surrounding the cannabis businesses. They are all run very professionally.”
In a historic first, the city allocated land specifically for use in cannabis operations, which will include farming operations, medicine producers, and ancillary providers of equipment used in the industry. “When we realized California would legalize it, we wanted to be one of the first cities—not realizing we are the first city to permit it,” Matas said with a smile. Two years ago, a tax measure to include cannabis in the city’s tax base was successfully adopted. Dispensaries pay a 10% tax on sales and a cultivation tax of $25 per square foot up to 3,000 square feet, with $10 per square foot thereafter and no limitations on square footage. “It’s a little high right now, but we are the first and we feel we’ll be able to adjust it later,” Matas said. “The largest operation to obtain a permit is one million square feet.” California’s square foot limit for cultivation is just 2,500, but Matas said developers are planning mixed-usage buildings to allow and compensate. “We are thrilled out here,” Matas said. “We believe that with what’s entitled to us, we could see upwards of $20 million in revenue once everything is up and running.” With a yearly operating budget of $14 million to run the city, Desert Hot Springs is looking at a greener future in more ways than one, and its own residents are destined to benefit.
City Counsel member and former mayor, Scott Mata, shares the city’s vision of a future with cannabis.
HEALING HELP & TRIALS Green Leaf Wellness is one of the four dispensaries operating within Desert Hot Springs. While the city is getting ready to go big, Green Leaf Wellness is already helping patients heal, with documentation to prove it. Its “Tier 3” program enlists cancer patients, with permission to work with their oncologists. Cannabis oil is provided at no charge, and markers are analyzed and checked. They provide additional beneficial compounds as needed. “With no actual research and studies to go by, we are stuck in this catch-22, so we decided to do our own trials, collecting data from our patients’ doctors with their consent,” said program administrator Ian Armstrong. “An oncologist may call with a patient’s markers and we’ll take a look and say, ‘Oh, the patient is low on B12.’ We can infuse B12 and B6 into their medication.” Customizing cannabis medicine is quickly becoming a trend as more discoveries are made on various levels of CBD and THC in a treatment. Anderson said they are finding out about CBD to THC ratios all the time for specific ailments, hence the controlled documentation.
Robert Van Roo and Cody Henderson, Co-Founder of Palm Springs Safe Access with moss art from Northern California.
ORGANIC SOLUTIONS
“THE STIGMA FROM THE PUBLIC IS THAT YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE CRIME BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE BUYING POT, BUT IT’S JUST NOT TRUE. WE HAVE LITTLE TO NO CRIME TO SPEAK OF SURROUNDING THE CANNABIS BUSINESSES. THEY ARE ALL RUN VERY PROFESSIONALLY.”
Jim Camper was one of the first to receive a permit to operate a dispensary in neighboring Palm Springs. His mother Mickey LaTorre is not a patient, but she was decorating the attractive Asian-themed lobby and shop areas when I arrived. Other relatives work in the shop alongside longtime employees who have been with Camper from the beginning. The shop initially and notoriously opened in Desert Hot Springs seven years ago, moving to Palm Springs after the city enacted its ban. Today, they are welcome back, which Camper feels is a sign of the changing times of cannabis prohibition. The extensive cultivation operation produces more than 20 strains of flower. At one time, Camper said he was focusing on organic and pricing the flower the same as non-organic, with little luck in moving it. “I couldn’t figure it out,” Camper said. “Patients just didn’t care if it was organic or not, so we stopped the process.” The shop is well stocked, carrying a large supply of every kind of medible, tincture, oil, lotion and more. Silver-haired patients came and went (Palm Springs is a big retirement community), and the majority of patients presenting for medicine were senior citizens. One woman in her 70s said she was looking for salve to topically treat arthritis. “I’d say most of the patients we help are retired and dealing with aches and pains, or worse. It’s a myth only young people visit dispensaries to get stoned,” Camper said.
TESTING 1, 2, 3 New to the Palm Springs cannabis community via Grass Valley are Robert Van Roo and Cody Henderson, co-founders of Palm Springs Safe Access, one of five permitted collectives and cooperatives in the city—and one of the most beautiful. Aside from the hi-tech appearance of the shop, Van Roo said the two are really just country bumpkins trying to make a difference for many. His start in the industry began for personal reasons. “A friend of mine was using cannabis oil to treat AIDS,” Van Roo said. “He suffered from additional side effects from pesticides found in the oil. At that point, I decided I would advocate for clean medicine.” Van Roo said he and Henderson were instrumental in Palm Springs’s implementation of a page on its website specifically designed to post test results from local producers of cannabis products and flower. Random sampling and tests are conducted by an independent lab contracted with the city. The irony of demanding testing is that farmers, dispensaries, and medicine makers have to pay for it, and they all struggle as it is to keep up financially in one of the most highly taxed industries. “Make no mistake, the struggle is real for most of us in the cannabis space, especially in California,” Van Roo said. “We battle to make ends meet, constantly working against the same odds as every other dispensary.” Van Roo added that unfair banking practices, excessive taxes, and competing with folks who simply don’t play by the rules are commonplace. With legalization on the horizon in California, the outposts are quietly getting ready for business and then some. The good news is that the healing is already happening.
HERER AND THERE JEANNIE IN TH E DESERT WRITER & PHOTOS / SHARON LETTS
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HEN THE LATE, GREAT Jack Herer (pronounced “terror”) passed away, a void was felt in the hemp and cannabis community that has never quite been filled. Just five days short of 4/20, Jack left us on April 15, 2010 of complications from a heart attack the prior September. His wife Jeannie was by his side. On the day of his passing, 14 states were legal for cannabis as medicine, including his home state of Oregon. Thankful he passed on Oregon soil in his hometown of Eugene, Jeannie said it was the hardest thing she ever had to go through, but the community who loved him was there for her. “I really miss seeing him and hugging and kissing him all the time,” she said from her home in the desert. “But I don’t think I’ve been without him, exactly. I feel like he’s still here with me—even though I can’t see him.” Jeannie said she’s happy living in the desert. Her family moved to Carson City, Nevada when she was just a teenager.
The City of Desert Hot Springs has allocated 8.82 acres of city annexed desert land in the shade of Mount Jacinto.
Robert Van Roo, co-founder of Palm Springs Safe Access with, moss art from Northern California behind him.
“AS FAR AS HEMP GOES, I KNOW JACK WOULD HAVE BEEN SUPER EXCITED THAT IT’S BEING PLANTED AGAIN.”
“I smoked my first joint and fell in love in the desert. Since then I’ve lived in Phoenix, Palm Springs, and Las Vegas. I guess I’m just a desert rat,” she laughed. For nearly 40 years, Jack advocated for the right to use cannabis and to replant America once again in hemp, stating the plant had the ability to “save the world.” That it was food, fuel, shelter, and clothing, and imperative to our survival as a species. Many today know now he was spot-on. As for hemp’s comeback, Jeannie said, “It’s about dang time! I am concerned about the limits being placed on everything, though—even THC now. Really? But, as far as hemp goes, I know Jack would have been super excited that it’s being planted again. He’d love hempcrete for houses, hemp filament for 3D printers, and hemp cars. Everyone will be happier and healthier once hemp is used as a supplement in all our foods.” Jack brought the conversation to the masses, penning The Emperor Wears No Clothes, a best-selling manifesto that helped clear up the misinformation laid before us. Jack’s tireless work and travel got the truth out to the masses. As relevant today as the day it was written, this book has been widely translated and is easy to find. Jeannie said Jack voted for Obama, and trusted in the campaign promise of “hope”. He heard the newly elected president declare he would not prosecute cannabis patients or their caregivers in legal states on the campaign trail—the same exact message Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton is delivering from the podium now.
Jeannie Herer (shown here wearing a hemp shawl) lives in the California desert with her late husband’s spirit with her.
Herer missed witnessing the most raids this country has ever seen by the DEA on legal medical entities in voter-approved states, with 70 legally run dispensaries shut down during President Obama’s first term alone, with mandatory five-year sentences for all. “Jack was pretty hopeful when we voted for Obama,” Jeannie said. According to Jeannie, Jack Herer hasn’t missed anything. She believes he’s watching over us, as focused on green healing and wellness as he always was.
EXPLORING TH E GREENEST COAST FROM SEATTLE TO LOS ANGELES
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HERE ARE 1,420 MILES between Seattle and Los Angeles. Beginning May 24, our roving reporter, Scott Pearse, will be on the road and endeavor to cycle them all. Punishing winds, narrow highway shoulders, torrential rain, inconsiderate motorists, sleeping outdoors, angry dogs, and hills will all be part of a day’s work for the world’s first “weed bicycle tourist.” Scott will visit dispensaries along the way and meet the finest budtenders in Washington, Oregon, and California as well as interview West Coast cannabis activists. He’ll find the underground locations where cannabis devotees are gathering, visit heritage gardens and the luminaries who cultivate them, and learn about the businesses that are shaping our market today. He’ll also cycle 50 miles every day for a month. The adventure begins at DOPE HQ in Seattle. The route will take Scott through Tacoma down to Portland, the emerald triangle down Central California and finish on LA’s Venice Beach. Scott Pearse is a veteran bicyclist who successfully completed a trans-America Philadelphia to Los Angeles bicycle tour. When DOPE Magazine asked what he’s looking forward to most, Pearse replied, “Firstly, I’m hoping I don’t get too many
rainy days, and I spend a lot of time with the wind at my back. I’ve never visited the Pacific Northwest before, so I don’t really know what to expect. However, I’m looking forward to being surrounded by green, trees and otherwise. I’m especially excited to see what’s on the Oregon coastline. I anticipate the Redwoods blowing my mind. I’m hoping to get some life advice from those elephant seals slobbed out on the beaches of Central California. But the real joy of cycle touring isn’t the sights. It’s the people that you remember. I’m looking forward to meeting our readers and the guiding forces of cannabis culture.” If you’d like get involved in Scott’s journey, follow @DOPEbicycletour on Instagram, where he’ll regularly post updates from the road. Visit the DOPE website dopemagazine. Magazine com/dopebicycletour to watch the journey unfold through stories, photos, and videos.
CA LY X O P E N S A O N E - S TO P - S H O P TH E FOREFRONT OF THIRD-PARTY CANNABIS DISTRIBUTION WRITER / MEGAN RUBIO
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ITH THE EXPONENTIAL GROWTH of the cannabis market, a wider array of products—and forms of consumption—are becoming increasingly available. With so many new products comes increased competition and a saturated market, which makes it difficult for new products to get seen by patients. One new company hopes to bridge this gap. California Holistic Transfer and Cannabis Rep Network joined together to create Calyx, a budding powerhouse. Calyx could eventually be a one-stop-shop for distribution, transportation, marketing, and promotional needs. There are plans to open at least one or two other offices in the upcoming months, depending on the company’s growth. California Holistic Transfer is a distribution company and Cannabis Rep Network provides marketing and representative services. With the companies now working together, they can serve as the link between producers and retailers and cater to both sectors. Headed by Dakota Sullivan, the Cannabis Rep Network has established connections with hundreds of retailers throughout California, enabling them to provide tours for brands looking to break into the market. The tours typically introduce five non-competitive products to 50 to 100 stores with a flat fee per store. Retail outlets and dispensaries are given samples while the rep network takes care of all the follow-up, from answering questions to facilitating the purchase of the product. Along with marketing and promotional services, the Cannabis Rep Network also gathers information based on feedback from stores and consumers. They use a mobile recording platform, which gathers information on the type of shop (medicinal or recreational), its location and competition in the area, and buyer reactions to the products. The representatives go into stores prepared to handle objections and
capture that data, which may be new information to the brand. It serves as a real-time reporting system so that brands are as up-to-date as possible on how to meet the needs of dispensaries in their target area. It is a great service for any sales team. The Rep Network was also built to provide the best options available to consumers. Before the Rep Network decides to represent a brand, they conduct research on the financials, gross production, and compliance history of each potential client. They even obtain lab results from the brands and confirm them with the lab to ensure they only promote products of the utmost quality. California Holistic Transfer began distribution with more than 40 brands and 300 products in several California markets. The business model is widely appealing since it allows a retailer to purchase more than one brand from
“THE PROCESS IS DESIGNED TO CONNECT CANNABIS PRODUCERS TO A PARTNER WHO CAN GO INTO STORES AND PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT THEIR PRODUCTS. IT ALSO PROVIDES DISPENSARIES WITH A SUPERIOR LINE OF PRODUCTS THAT ARE FULLY COMPLIANT.”
a single distributor, significantly cutting down on the amount of time that retail store employees have to spend on orders. It also eliminates suppliers arriving at different times of the day, keeping employees free to give more time and attention to customers. It is convenience at its best. The process is designed to connect cannabis producers to a partner who can go into stores and provide information about their products. An additional benefit is that the process also provides stores with a superior line of products that are fully compliant. With a presence throughout California and a foot in the Colorado market, the leaders of Calyx are setting their sites on Oregon and Washington. They could potentially be a household name in legalized states within the next few years thanks to their foresight in providing a much-needed service to a growing industry.
L A RGE - S CA L E S U S TA I NA B I L I T Y TH E EMPHASIS IS ON LIGHTING WRITER / DAVID BAILEY
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S CANNABIS PATIENTS, ENTHUSIASTS, and growers, we all love our plant and the way it brings us together. Culturally, cannabis has been fought for hand-in-hand with almost all “green” initiatives since the 1960s. Because of this, it’s ironic that the green plant we love so much and finally get to grow legally isn’t being grown with the environment in mind at all. With our market finally expanding across several states and pushing forward throughout the nation, we’re faced with a bit of a contradiction many haven’t yet realized. Cannabis is leaving one of the largest carbon footprints of any agriculturally produced crops. Where did we go wrong?
So much of what we have learned about growing cannabis has come from its prohibition. When you have to focus as much attention on the security and concealment as you do on the plants, you spend a lot of money and energy to stay safe. Everything needed to grow cannabis—from lamps to grow mediums to nutrients—have all been directed toward guerilla grows or small indoor medical grows. Further exacerbating the situation, there has historically been a very limited selection of resources to learn from and no one to answer questions. Our passion for the medicinal potential of cannabis has kept us growing, but the continued development of chemical agriculture alongside the War on Drugs has pushed us further and further from sustainable agriculture. Like most of us, I didn’t realize that there was a path beyond conventional methodology during my first few years of growing. I thought only hydroponic stores carried nutrients relevant to cannabis and the best way to grow strong, heavy yielding plants was to find the best line of nutrients and follow their instructions line by line. When I started feeling the environmental tug, I made sure to buy only organic nutrients, thinking I was making a profound difference. The reality is that the only green thing I was doing was growing a plant. A truly sustainable garden would grow with naturally occurring light, soil, and nutrients. The garden would replenish the environment around it during and after its growth cycle through the symbiotic decomposition of plant material. Carbon would be fixed into the soil via the root system and out of the atmosphere, reducing the impacts of climate change. What a world that would be! From the ground up, most cannabis growing techniques on the market today simply aren’t sustainable. The products either can’t be reused or recycled, or it is difficult to do so. Many of us err on side of throwing out used soil after each crop, creating wasted materials and wasted money. Hydroponic, NFT, and aeroponic setups can reuse the same medium for years, usually expanded clay or
stones. Yet, while these systems save on water consumption, they require processed nutrients that oftentimes don’t have an organic option as it would be too thick and inconsistent for flowing systems to handle. In food production, water has always been our most treasured resource. Modern cannabis growing has its roots indoors, and it would appear we’ve all gotten a little too used to our faucet mentality. Ebb and flow and drain to waste systems, though reliable and easy to build, are among the biggest wastes of both water and nutrients. With modern water filtration and reclamation technology, largescale facilities are able to return the majority of water lost during the process back into circulation. Intelligently designed irrigation ultimately leads to less waste and healthier plants, regardless of the size of the garden. The biggest use of electricity indoors is easily lighting and air conditioning. While the simple answer would be to use the sun, it’s not that easy. The demand for year-round cannabis is substantial, but the reality is most places don’t get the amount of sun required to grow season after season. Whether you use supplemental lighting or a removable roof, any amount of sun can help save money. Large agricultural facilities often have retractable roofs for that very reason. Though a lot of technological advances have held us back in sustainability, the lighting industry is actually making progress. With the advances made in plasma and LED lighting, growers can finally attain the intensity and spectrum required without the huge electrical footprint. Reducing our electrical use in lighting also means we reduce the amount of heat produced by those lamps. Less heat equals less air conditioning, and therefore fewer resources are required to maintain. Being attentive to how we grow and what we use to do it will ultimately allow for distinct regional flavors and specialties much like those we see in the wine industry. Being sustainable is good for business: in the end, less loss and less waste equals more profit.
BEING SUSTAINABLE IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS: IN THE END, LESS LOSS AND LESS WASTE EQUALS MORE PROFIT.
TECHNOLOGY
F I R E F LY 2 TH E LAU NCH OF A COMPACT SEQUEL WRITER / RADIOHASH
PHOTO / ASHLEIGH CASTRO
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irefly recently introduced its compact sequel, Firefly 2. It is discreet in odor and exudes elegance, class, and style. Firefly 2 can be used in conjunction with a free app, available for iOS and Android. The app operates through Bluetooth and allows users to customize heat settings for loose-leaf flower as well as concentrates and oils. Firefly is known for on-demand vaping with style. The amber glowing glass ring bowl now comes in a lighter, sleeker, and easier to clean portable vaporizer. Still in league with the larger sized loose-leaf and dual purpose vaporizers, its size feels comfortable and secure in the hand. This generation shed its ancestor’s heavy stainless steel body for magnesium alloy, losing a little over than half the weight. The cover is still cleverly held together by magnets, but the air path is an improvement upon the first generation. Firefly got rid of that complicated, maze-like crevice area near the bowl, where material and vapor gel would gum up the system. Along with air path improvements to the cover, the bowl and mouthpiece have also evolved. The original Firefly has a six-hole bowl behind a screen, while Firefly 2 does away with the screen and employs a bowl with an increased number of smaller holes for smoother airflow.
TECHNOLOGY
“NO WORRIES HERE ABOUT GOING TO A MUSIC FESTIVAL OR ON A HIKING OR CAMPING TRIP: SIMPLY CHARGE UP BEFORE YOU HEAD OUT.”
This also allows for more even heating of the material. As with Firefly, Firefly 2 remains nearly odorless. The Firefly 2 is simple to clean. Just use the wet cleaning pads included in the cleaning kit, a double-sided brush, and the two plastic picks (for air holes and corners), and you can have Firefly 2 like new in a matter of minutes. When you run out of cleaning pads, alcohol is a
good alternative, and there is also the option to buy another Firefly cleaning kit. By using a mirror base for their surfaces, Firefly found a clever way to inform users when it’s time to clean. Firefly 2 also features a removable battery: a very welcome feature for those who like the security of a backup battery for long outings. No worries here about going to a music festival or on
a hiking or camping trip: simply charge up before you head out. The vaping experience of the Firefly 2 is very pleasurable and flexible. The user can start off with near invisible low-temp draws that release all the aroma-therapeutic flavors of the terpenes and work their way up to roasty, toasty temps that free CBD and flavonoids, as well as give more visible vapor.
D E F I N E “ORGA N I C ” TH E CANNABIS MOVEMENT IS STUC K ON LABELING
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T WOULD BE A TRAVESTY for most cannabis enthusiasts to find out that their bud was grown in a toxic way. Consumers want products that are natural and safe, but sometimes cannabis consumers get something tainted. Tens of thousands of cannabis plants were seized in Colorado last year because they had been treated with pesticides outlawed for use on cannabis. Lawmakers in Colorado are now pushing to create “pesticide-free” labeling for cannabis products so consumers can be more aware of how their product was grown. In addition to labels, certifiers would be brought in to assess individual growing operations in the state.
PHOTO / IAN WILLIAMS
Tim Cullen, CEO of Colorado Harvest Company in warehouse grow
Chris Van Hook thinks this is a great move. Van Hook is the program director of the Clean Green Certification Program, which inspects cannabis based on the standards set by the USDA National Organic Program. Though authorities have been cracking down on pesticide use, he believes it is still an issue in Colorado and beyond. “There’s a lot of pesticides used in these large indoor warehouse grows,” he said. Cannabis cannot be labeled as “organic,” since the term is controlled by the federal government, and the federal government does not accept cannabis as a legitimate crop. “It’s important for the consumer to know that when people are telling them their marijuana is organic, they’re really saying to the world, ‘We know nothing about the organic program,’” Van Hook said. As a USDA accredited organic certifier, he should know. The legality issue is also one of the reasons many pesticides are not supposed to be used for cannabis cultivation, as the EPA hasn’t approved any pesticides for cannabis. Clean Green does everything an organic certifier would do, but they can’t get a cannabis cultivator the true organic certification. The company inspects everything from how the cannabis is grown and processed to how it’s labeled. “I would like to see [cannabis] fall under the same category that all organic produce falls
under,” said Tim Cullen, the CEO of Colorado Harvest Company. He knows that won’t happen anytime soon, so he agrees this is a step in the right direction. His products are currently labeled as “naturally grown,” since “organic” isn’t an option yet. “Consumers [in Colorado] reached a point where they’d like to have a deeper level of understanding about what’s in and on the products that they’re buying,” Cullen said. There is a multitude of natural solutions for deterring pests from cannabis. Van Hook recommends using predator mites and ladybugs to prevent pests from ruining cannabis plants. He said once you can see pests with your naked eye, you’re pretty much screwed. Cannabis cultivators should be careful not to bring trimmings from an outside grow to their growing area without quarantining and treating them first. Van Hook said people make this mistake a lot, and it can cause pests to get into their grow. He recommends treating the trimmings with amine oils, Safer Soap, or Organocide. He also said it’s important to maintain very clean trays, pots, and other surfaces that will come in contact with the plant. Colorado isn’t the only state where organic growing is a major factor for cannabis growers. Michael Sassano of Nevada’s Green Cross of America said all cannabis grown in the state is done without pesticides. “Colorado is a little behind the newer states like Nevada,
where it’s automatic that [cannabis] has to be pesticide-free,” he said. Interestingly enough, Sassano said growers will try to get away with using harsh pesticides. “It doesn’t matter, technically,” Sassano said, “if there was pesticide on the cannabis before, because once you burn it or turn it into liquid, nobody’s ever going to know.” One of the biggest concerns among some growers is what could happen if cannabis was legalized federally and bigger corporations started getting into cultivating it. “Monsanto could suddenly decide they’re going to modify strains and get into doing what they did to the American food source,” Sassano said. “I think the larger corporations, the Philip Morrises, could care less about the industry, and they would be looking for delivery devices and just getting it into hands,” he said. “And they’d probably be enhancing it with multiple chemicals, like [they do with] their cigarettes.” Until the federal government accepts cannabis and allows it to be labeled organic, current policies will be approached in a patchwork fashion, with each state making its own rules. Luckily, Colorado cannabis consumers are on their way to getting some idea of what’s going in their bodies. The last thing you want when you’re getting high is to be paranoid about toxic chemicals—or Monsanto.
“MONSANTO COULD SUDDENLY DECIDE THEY’RE GOING TO MODIFY STRAINS AND GET INTO DOING WHAT THEY DID TO THE AMERICAN FOOD SOURCE.”
I N T E RV I EW
E N D I N G T H E WA R O N D RU G S AN INTERVIEW WITH TED LEWIS WRITER / PAUL MUCHOWSKI
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PHOTO / COURTESY OF TED LEWIS
ED LEWIS IS THE HUMAN rights program director for Global Exchange, an international human rights organization dedicated to promoting social, economic, and environmental justice around the world. Last month, Ted organized an “End the Drug War Caravan for Peace, Life, and Justice” to coincide with the Special Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGASS) on the World Drug Problem. We caught up with him to ask a few questions.
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DOPE Magazine: What is the War on Drugs? Ted Lewis: The War on Drugs is a government-led attempt to eradicate the production and transit of drugs into the United States. It is a mistake of colossal proportions that has been going on for the past 50 years and has led to the mass incarceration of those involved in drug trafficking and use and a countless loss of lives. It is something that shouldn’t have happened if we had paid closer attention to American history and our experience with the prohibition of alcohol, 13 years of which created criminal networks, higher murder rates in our major cities, and international trade that led to the criminalization of a significant sector of the American working population. The War on Drugs was the result of misguided politicians like Richard Nixon, who hated the idea of young people getting out of control [by] smoking pot and having sex. The tragedy is that the drug war has not put a dent in drug trafficking and use, and has probably increased it. The War on Drugs has not worked on any level, except to create a means to imprison and destroy the lives of young black and Hispanic men without having to call it racism. DM: What attracted you to fighting the War on Drugs as an important political cause? TL: In the 1990s, I began work on human rights issues in Mexico, particularly with respect to voting rights. This happened to coincide with Mexican cartels taking over the illicit drug trade from countries like Colombia. The drug war that ensued became the main driver of what quickly became a human rights nightmare.
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DM: What lessons can be learned from the Q legalization and regulation of cannabis for medical and recreational use in the United A States? TL: I think it is a bit too early to make strong conclusions, but what is abundantly clear is that it did not cause society to abruptly fall apart in cities that legalized cannabis, as predicted by those who supported the War on Drugs. By most metrics, it appears to have been a successful experiment that has raised awareness of safe cannabis use. DM: Although a large number of Americans believe that cannabis has medical benefits and should be legalized, many still have reservations about legalizing harder drugs. Are these reservations justified? TL: I am not a legalization advocate per se, be- Q cause legalization alone is far too simplistic. You cannot just legalize drugs. It has to co- A incide with close government regulation and public health programs that give addicts access to drugs in the presence of health professionals, where they can be treated medically to lose their dependence. When we are dealing with drugs that have no obvious medical benefit, like heroin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, we should not encourage their use, but rather actively discourage their use while mounting public health campaigns to help those who are addicted to these harmful drugs to get off of them. The current system is terrifying because capital controls the markets and addicts have virtually unrestricted access to drugs, but basically in the complete absence of any medical help. Research studies in animals clearly demonstrate that rats with unlimited access to drugs like cocaine become significantly less drug-dependent in the presence of social interaction, exercise, alternative stimuli, etc. Right now we keep addicts in deprived circumstances in the depressed zones of our major cities and marginalize them. For many, selling and using drugs are the only escape.
DM: Tell us about the Caravan for Peace, Life, and Justice. TL: I previously organized caravans to raise awareness for human rights in Latin America. In the last decades, drug trafficking escalated in these countries, and so did human rights abuse. In essence, drug trafficking became the main driver of human rights abuse. We hope that the caravan will help ignite an important conversation surrounding a failed drug policy and help raise awareness at the international level on the human rights abuses that the drug war is responsible for by letting the victims of these abuses have a voice. We hope that these voices will be heard and serve as a call to action for members of the United Nations to influence a more rational drug policy. DM: What message would you like to get out to cannabis community? TL: People in the cannabis industry should take a moment to reflect on how the War on Drugs has hurt our country and will continue to do so unless we come up with compassionate, evidence-based policies that will create novel approaches to dealing with substance abuse. Cannabis users understand the dire need for drug policy reform. I am asking them to come out of their comfort zone to be leaders and help shape future policy changes. The legalization of pot is only the first step to real reform that could have a big impact on human lives.
“THE LEGALIZATION OF POT IS ONLY THE FIRST STEP TO REAL REFORM THAT COULD HAVE A BIG IMPACT ON HUMAN LIVES.�
P RO D U C T S W E LOV E WRITER / MEGHAN RIDLEY
PHOTO / KRISTEN ANGELO
PHOTO STYLIST / MALINA LOPEZ
2 1 THE HIGH RISE COMPANY Cannabis apparel is only getting more creative and these guys are snagging a lot of style points for their clever take on cannabis culture. Their headwear comes with slightly more discretion, while their tees leave less to the imagination. AVAILABLE AT: THEHIGHRISECO.COM
2 LIGHTERBRO MULTITOOL
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With a slogan that states “be prepared for anything,” this fine accessory line is more or less half pocketknife, half lighter. These are far more than your average lighter and poker combo, with everything from a bottle opener to screw driver options included.
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AVAILABLE AT: LIGHTERBRO.COM
3 CUSTOM HERB GRINDERS Yes, we live in a day and age where your cannabis grinder can have a unique style all its own. These laser engraved gems can be completely personalized, making text and logo designs for one of your most essential smoking accessories a fun way to refine your grind. AVAILABLE AT: @CUSTOMHERBGRINDERS
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APRIL SHOWERS BRING MAY FLOWERS, WHICH IS WHY YOUR CANNABIS STYLE MUST BE ON POINT WHEN STRUTTING INTO THE MONTH OF MAY.
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4 7 PIPE TWISTY GLASS BLUNT
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This classy piece of pipery is something you’ll definitely want to smoke out your friends with. A gold, sleek design makes spinning your cannabis into the tube a gorgeous sight, and options to smoke as either a blunt or through your bong give inhalation options. AVAILABLE AT: 7PIPE.COM
5 SHELL PIPES BY CHASE HARDMAN As the summer months start to creep up on us, festive options for consuming cannabis such as these shell pipes are great ways to spice up your next session. They come in a variety of colors and seashell shapes, so coordinating with your beachwear is definitely an option. AVAILABLE AT: @HARDMAN_ART_GLASS
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CA N NA B I S 2.0 A SMART BOMB FOR YOU R CANNABINOID RECEPTOR WRITER & PHOTOS / REILLY CAPPS
COMPANIES LABOR TO CRACK THE CODE AND DELIVER THE PERFECT HIGH
Jon Cooper, CEO of the company Ebbu, with some of the equipment his company uses to create what he calls Cannabis 2.0.
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HESE AREN’T PREACHERS SINGING the Lord’s Good News. They’re entrepreneurs. Their white vestments are lab coats. Bliss, relaxation, and contentment aren’t heavenly states, they’re products. These scientists are selling paradise—fluffy clouds from the tip of a vape pen that lift you into the most angelic, clear-eyed, divine kind of consciousness.
EBBU
“RESEARCHERS AND SCIENTIFIC STUDIES SUGGEST TERPENES MIGHT REPRESENT, IN THE WORDS OF ONE STUDY, AN “EXTENSIVE PIPELINE OF NEW THERAPEUTIC PRODUCTS.”
“We’re working to create the next generation of cannabis,” said Jon Cooper, CEO of ebbu, which promises a breakthrough in cannabis science. “It’s Cannabis 2.0.” ebbu is one of a handful of companies researching and marketing highly-calibrated combinations of cannabis chemicals like THC, CBD, and various terpenes. By manipulating the chemicals—particularly the terpenes—they’re building targeted mood-changers: smart bombs for cannabinoid receptors. In the hills above Denver, the ebbu laboratory boasts five PhDs and experience in commercial drug discovery using cellular pharmacology and clinical psychopharmacology, whirring centrifuges and steel tubes. Their computer screens graph the chromatographic profile of hamsters’ ovarian cells injected with terpenes. This is real science. According to Cooper, customers will be able to purchase experiences by early 2017. “You’ll be able to walk into a store and purchase the experience you’re looking for,” he said. ebbu plans to offer Chill, Bliss, Energy, Giggle, and Create. On its website, ebbu asks, “How do you want to feel?”
CHOOZE “We distil out the essence of marijuana, and give back to you whatever kind of experience you want,” said Charles Jones, founder of the Colorado company Chooze. In this Cannabis 2.0 space, Chooze appears to be most ready for market. Their product is called LucidMood, and you can try it at one of their tasting parties. First, you vape what they call the Base, a 50-50 mix of THC and CBD, and get a buzz. Then you vape a small pellet made of non-psychoactive hemp, a pellet doused in molecules Chooze believes are subtly psychoactive. These pellets are called “moods.” Relaxation is a popular one. One of its main ingredients is the terpene linalool, common in the relaxing lavender plant. “You’ll have the high you want,” said Dave Georgis, Chooze’s COO. He said you can tune your mood like you’re tuning a radio. “No paranoia, no social awkwardness, no more standing in front of the fridge for five minutes wondering why you came in. And certainly no hangover.” Some slightly older, slightly tweedy non-stoners I met said that Chooze’s LucidMoods prevent the anxious feeling THC gives them. For instance, one besuited lawyer who normally doesn’t touch cannabis happily told me, “I feel like I can think on this ‘mood.’”
THE SATIVA SYMPHONY The idea is quickly spreading that a cannabis flower, when smoked, is like a piece of music: each molecule plays one part in the orchestra. THC is like the bassline or the drumbeat. Dabs and shatter, which are almost pure THC, have a driving, pounding rhythm. Big league pot smokers love that bubbling intensity, the way metalheads love Iron Maiden. These secondary molecules present in natural cannabis—cannabinoids like CBD, CBG, and THCV, and terpenes like myrcene, pinene, linalool, and more—are each considered to be an instrument playing another melody. There’s little hard science on this. Decades of observational data strongly indicate more research is needed. While many botanists are growing heirloom cannabis strains to revive Mother Nature, these entrepreneurs aim to out-engineer her. They’re betting boatloads of money that they can isolate the cannabinoids and terpenes, run blind taste tests to figure out which instruments play which notes, master the chords and scales, and be the Yo-Yo Mas of cannabis.
CAN IT BE DONE? If these companies can succeed, they’ll better the world and make a lot of money. Researchers and scientific studies suggest terpenes might represent, in the words of one study, “an extensive pipeline of new therapeutic products.” Cannabis investors are excited. A few others remain skeptics. “It’s a very crowded space, and everybody thinks they’re gonna nail this,” said Michael Backes, author of the highly regarded Cannabis Pharmacy: The Practical Guide to Medical Marijuana. “What’s fascinating so far is that there hasn’t been a lot of successful mimicry,” Backes said. He argued that re-jiggered cannabis is like Crystal Light, while natural buds are like lemonade. In other words, no company is delivering an effect substantially sweeter than what nature provides.
CANNA-NEWS
THE TRUTH AB OUT C ANNAB IS ADVOC ATES WRITER & PHOTO / KELLY VO
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EARLY 69 MILLION Americans over the age of 12 have tried cannabis, and yet over 700,000 individuals were arrested for cannabis violations in 2014. It doesn’t make sense. There’s a disconnect between the perception of cannabis and reality that’s not only frustrating, it’s harmful. The goal of DOPE and our #End420Shame series is to shine a light on cannabis. We want to share the true stories of cannabis use and advocacy so you can make up your mind—without the propaganda.
Roni Stetter is just one of millions of people who have used cannabis to change their lives for the better. Her story is unique, but at the same time, it’s nothing new. If you have ever spoken to other cannabis users and advocates, you know that they’re not drug addicts. They’re real people with real problems who have found a real solution. When she was 15 and already an accomplished athlete, Roni tried her first joint. Little did she know that it wouldn’t be her last. At 16, Roni injured her spine along the L5 vertebra, the lowest vertebra in the spine. It was a debilitating injury that caused longterm pain. After years of physical therapy, cortisone shots, electro-stimulation, and pain pills, Roni couldn’t get back on her feet. The medication and therapy didn’t help, and worse, the side effects left her with weight gain, anxiety, and depression. It wasn’t until she started medical cannabis that she got back the life she loved. “To be honest, I’m not even fully sure what kind of life I would have if it weren’t for cannabis,” Roni said. “I may not have even finished college. After my back injury, I experienced a great deal of anxiety and depression, living out my days in pain. Since I started using cannabis regularly, it seems those problems are behind me.” It was the drastic change that cannabis had on her life that turned Roni into an advocate. In 2010, when the California ballot included cannabis legalization, she jumped on board. “I proudly spearheaded the campaign on my college campus, working early mornings, nights, and weekends for free,” Roni said. “Though it didn’t pan out that year, I grew very strong in my testimony as a patient and advocate.” “Now, I believe that all use of cannabis is medicinal—from PMS and cramps to depression, AIDS, and chemotherapy side effects,”
Roni said. “Nobody should be excluded from the benefits that cannabis brings to society; it can help everyone who needs it.” Roni couldn’t help but promote cannabis use considering how drastically it had improved her life, and she wanted to get involved as much as possible. After college, she got a job in a PR agency and later moved to a technology startup. But it was when she was offered a job in the cannabis industry that her passion came to life. “When I was presented with the opportunity to join a media startup covering the business and economics of cannabis, it was my chance to exit a world where I didn’t quite fit and use my skills to inform the masses,” Roni said. “I jumped at the chance. Now, I feel I’m living my true purpose every day.” For Roni, the road has been natural and easy. “Beyond the weird looks from people I’ll never see again, I’ve been pretty lucky,” Roni said. Her friends and family have supported her path, but she knows others who have had to struggle for every step. She has seen friends lose family and relationships due to cannabis, and she has been personally frustrated with her inability to help loved ones who have allowed the stigma and skepticism to hold them back from the medical help they need. In the end, if Roni could do one thing to promote the cannabis movement, it would be to educate the masses. “I’d love to get the word out about all the minor and household applications for cannabis and hemp,” Roni said. She would love to show those individuals suffering from illnesses, pain, and medical side effects how effective cannabis can be at treating and improving their symptoms. “No matter what issue I have, I always find some kind of cannabis treatment that makes me feel great, and that’s not something I can say when I’m looking for things at the drugstore,” Roni said.
Roni Setter is a cannabis blogger, consultant, and advocate. She lives in San Diego, where she educates others about the benefits of cannabis use and advocates for social change. You can find her work on her blog The Hurt Guru at rawnstet.guru.
“NOW, I BELIEVE THAT ALL USE OF CANNABIS IS MEDICINAL—FROM PMS AND CRAMPS TO DEPRESSION, AIDS, AND CHEMOTHERAPY SIDE EFFECTS. NOBODY SHOULD BE EXCLUDED FROM THE BENEFITS THAT CANNABIS BRINGS TO SOCIETY; IT CAN HELP EVERYONE WHO NEEDS IT.”
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S PA N NA B I S 2016 HIGHLIGHTS FROM EU ROPE’S BIGGEST CANNABIS FAIR WRITER & PHOTOS / JENNIFER MACFARLANE (SESHATA)
SEED BANKS FROM AROUND THE WORLD
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HE 13TH ANNUAL SPANNABIS World Cannabis Conference was held March 13 to 15 in Barcelona. Having grown significantly over the years, the Spannabis Conference now attracts over 30,000 visitors annually and over 500 businesses are represented. Throughout the weekend, the weather remained bright and sunny and reflected the upbeat atmosphere at the venue. Cheerful Spanish music was performed on the main stage, surrounded by dozens of food stands that sold everything from Moroccan mint tea and pastries to Italian handmade pizzas. Fira de Cornellà is the usual venue. Though it is large and accommodating, the stands were somewhat cramped this year. Narrow passageways were almost constantly blocked by human traffic. Spannabis may need an even bigger venue soon!
Many of Europe’s most popular seed banks were represented, including Barney’s farm (a major sponsor of the event), Sensi Seeds, T.H.Seeds, DNA Genetics, Green House Seed Company, Dutch Passion, and The Devil’s Harvest Seeds, which won first place extract for OG Reek’n, a cross between their own Kuchi male and Rare Dankness’s Wardareek’n female. The emerging powerhouses of Ripper Seeds, Eva Seeds, and Genehtik put Spain on the cannabis growing map. Genehtik scooped up the award for Best Seed Bank, while Ripper Seeds and Eva Seeds each won in 2013 and 2012 respectively. Another up-and-coming European seed bank to watch is Amsterdam’s Lady Sativa Genetics, which has won several cups over the last three years. This year, they picked up second place in the Extracts category for their Orange Diesel butane hash oil. Only a handful of American seed companies were in attendance, but the ones that made it were certainly solid names: Rare Dankness, Humboldt Seed Organization, and House of the Great Gardener were all represented, along with up-and-comer Moxie Seeds & Extracts.
THE SPANISH EXTRACT GAME IS STEPPING UP When it comes to extracts, Spain has shown massive improvements in recent years, and their extract artists can now easily claim to be as professional and as experienced as their American counterparts. Nerd Creations is certainly a name to watch out for. It is a collaboration between Italian extract artist Nerd Extracts and U.K. breeder True Canna Genetics. Another is Oil Hunters, a Madrid-based team of extract artists that took first place in the Solvent category at the Dab-a-Doo, a popular European cup that is the brainchild of Mila at the Pollinator Company.
T R AV E L
PRODUCTS & PARAPHERNALIA APLENTY
2016 SPANNABIS WINNERS BEST SEED BANK: GENEHTIK BEST NUTRIENT: PHOSPHODERMA PLANTA SUR BEST HEMP PRODUCT: CANNABEER BEST PRODUCT: XPOSITOR00 BOX BEST CULTIVATION EQUIPMENT: BLACK SMART POT BEST STAND: GENEHTIK EXTRACCIONES (CONCENTRATES) 1ST PLACE OG REEK’N (DEVIL’S HARVEST SEEDS) 2ND PLACE ORANGE DIESEL (LADY SATIVA GENETICS & EXTRACTEDBYSMOKEY) 3RD PLACE LIVE RESIN (NERD CREATIONS) RESINAS (HASH) 1ST PLACE OG KUSH (GROW CASTELLET) 2ND PLACE JACK LA MOTA (PARKE DE EXTRACCIONES) 3RD PLACE CHAMA 71 (GROW IN HOUSE, VALLIRANA) INTERIOR HIDROPONÍA (INDOOR HYDRO) 1ST PLACE UNDERDAWG OG KUSH (T.H.SEEDS) 2ND PLACE EMPEROR OG (CALI KUSH FARMS) 3RD PLACE CHEMVALLEY COOKS (TRUE CANNA)
SPAIN’S CANNABIS SCENE IS DEVELOPING RAPIDLY In recent years, the Spanish cannabis industry has progressed in leaps and bounds. First springing up around 2010 with social clubs, campaigners were able exploit a legal loophole that effectively permitted smoking in private members’ clubs. Now, there are over 700 clubs throughout Spain, with at least 200 in Barcelona, and over 50 in Madrid, turning the nation into a prime destination for cannabis tourism. However, Spain is far less open to tourism than either the long-established Amsterdam coffee shops or the newly flourishing recreational dispensaries of the U.S. Many clubs implement members-only policies (and many also operate on residents-only policies), making it difficult for tourists to obtain cannabis without an existing member to refer them. With a little perseverance, most tourists find that their cannabis-related needs are met, but it’s a far cry from walking into whichever coffee shop you please. Time will tell how the scene evolves. However, Barcelona is shaping up to equal or even surpass Amsterdam within a few short years.
The sheer variety of products on offer was staggering, with paraphernalia, accessories, clothing, grow equipment, extraction systems, and healthcare products all well represented. I loved the French-made Pure Extract Bags from Parke de Extracciones and also thought AnnaBís had some fantastic products. The wildly popular hat makers Grassroots California were in attendance, operating a tiny stand that was mobbed for the duration of the event. Sharing their stand was Abscent Design, a San Francisco-based maker of smellproof bags. A product worthy of mention was the Sublimator, a vape system that claims to go “beyond vaporization” to supply the user with a smoother, purer flavor and effect—a claim that I found to be true. Also present at the Sublimator stand was the fascinating Nicolas Trainerbees and his wife Marguerite. As his name suggests, he trains bees to feed on cannabis plants and produce THC-infused honey!
SPANNABIS: AN EVENT WORTH TRAVELING TO Yet again, Spannabis has shown itself to be one of the most rewarding and enjoyable cannabis events in the industry, and as Spain’s cannabis industry continues to open up, it’s only set to get better. Barcelona is a wonderful city with a huge amount to see and do, and a stay here is greatly rewarding at any time of year. If you plan to attend next year’s Spannabis, make sure you stay at least a week to get immersed in this beautiful city.
INTERIOR BIO (INDOOR BIO) 1ST PLACE DIESEL BROWSER (NERD CREATIONS) 2ND PLACE RIPPER BADAZZ (LA GROW SABADELL) 3RD PLACE OG KUSH (GROW CASTELLET) EXTERIOR (OUTDOOR) 1ST PLACE LILI (GRAMOVATIO) 2ND PLACE CHEESE (TIERRA MADRE) 3RD PLACE SLEX (GREENHOUSE)
“TIME WILL TELL HOW THE SCENE EVOLVES. HOWEVER, BARCELONA IS SHAPING UP TO EQUAL OR EVEN SURPASS AMSTERDAM WITHIN A FEW SHORT YEARS”
S U S TA I N A B I L I T Y
D R AGO N F LY E A RT H M E D I C I N E SUSTAINABILITY IN SHARING WRITER / DAVID BAILEY
T
HESE DAYS, SUSTAINABILITY usually brings to mind buying organic food, avoiding plastic bottles, and shopping locally. Most of us have never seen sustainability in action, but it can be achieved in our own backyards! Dragonfly Earth Medicine, a small family company of five, has turned this dream lifestyle into reality. All their food, water, shelter, and cannabis is produced on-site using a flourishing closedloop growing system. Josh and Kelly felt the tug of organic life in the early ’90s. From backyard gardens to farmers’ markets, they took advantage of all the resources around them, but ultimately wanted more. With the social climate of Oregon increasingly urbanizing, British Columbia seemed like a better place to start a family. Coming from a large city with everything at their fingertips, the countryside was a drastic change. The gardening they learned in Oregon had the benefit of local manure, soil amendments, and bottled nutrients, but their new home was hours from everything. Using what was available, they began studying homesteading books, Korean and Japanese farming techniques, and playing cause and effect until they found what they needed. By composting nettle,
PHOTO / DRAGONFLY EARTH MEDICINE, JOSH KELLY, SKYE SARVIS
grass clippings, weeds, and other plant materials, they quickly cultivated a healthy, thriving garden. It didn’t stop there. Needing to provide more food while safely growing their cannabis, they began tilling gardens hours into the countryside. As you can imagine, they weren’t hauling hundreds of pounds of compost and nutrients by foot. Following some of their early lessons from Korean farming, they began playing with fermentation to help make nutrients available as well as increase bioactivity in the soil. They also began brewing whole plant ferments from nearby alfalfa, nettles, and comfrey. The results were astounding. In 2007, Dragonfly Earth Medicine wanted to share what they had learned by releasing their first line of nutrients derived from organically produced plants. Using their nutrients as a starting point, their end goal isn’t a customer, but a partner. Consumers have to learn how to brew aerated compost teas with indigenous plant life. With open sourcing of both products and percentages, Dragonfly ultimately wants consumers to make their own plant brews and ferments without their help. After all, sustainability is sharing.
THE RAPID GROWTH OF THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY HAS MADE IT THE FASTEST GROWING SECTOR OF THE UNITED STATES ECONOMY, SIGNIFICANTLY IMPACTING NEARLY EVERY INDUSTRY.
CWCBEXPO 2016
NEW YORK CITY - JAVITS CENTER
JUNE 15-17, 2016
The cannabis industry’s premier brands and thought-leaders will be at the only show that focuses on the advocacy of the businesses behind the cannabis industry. Will you? The CWCBExpo is the leading forum for: Dispensary Owners, Growers, Suppliers, Investors, Medical Professionals, Government Regulators, Legal Counsel & Entrepreneurs
VISIT WWW.CWCBEXPO.COM TO REGISTER TODAY
EDUCATION Learn how to navigate regulatory, legal, financial and logistical challenges. DISCOVERY Explore the technology and services that are revolutionizing the cannabis industry. NETWORKING Meet face-to-face with the top manufacturers and innovators in the industry. GROWTH Gather the keys that you will need to profit in the cannabis industry.
TA L K S W I T H E D
DO P E D ON TH E HIGH ROAD WITH ED ROSENTHAL WRITER & PHOTOS / MEGHAN RIDLEY
E
D ROSENTHAL HAS BEEN blazing trails in the cannabis movement for decades. Nowadays, his deeply rooted advocacy is serving as a vehicle to travel the high road of legal cannabis—where there are joints to smoke and business to conduct around every corner.
A STOP BY MEDI-CONE Experimenting in the garden has been a major pastime for Rosenthal for years, and the technological advancements surrounding the many facets of cannabis cultivation leave a lot of room to continue one’s education. His visit to Medi-cone provided an opportunity for their team to try the GreenBroz trimming machine. As the photos demonstrate, the high-quality results point to an intriguing innovation in the cannabis industry.
MAKING DEALS AT THE CALIFORNIA CANNABIS BUSINESS EXPO The California Cannabis Business Expo, sponsored by Marijuana Investor Summit, was held at the Hilton Hotel in San Francisco’s Embarcadero. It was an interesting mixture of investors and entrepreneurs. People were there to pursue their dreams to work with their favorite substance and the results were tested upstairs, in closed rooms, or outside in a park adjacent to the convention center. The event itself was smoke-free except for a few futuristic vape pens, and Grand Daddy Mike, a Harvard graduate, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the show’s producer, Randy Shipley.
SPENDING TIME WITH THE LADIES When Rosenthal isn’t making his rounds in the cannabis industry, he can be found tinkering in his garden. A longtime grower who has authored a multitude of books on cannabis cultivation, his green thumb has a hand in many successful grow operations throughout the world. After all, Rosenthal isn’t considered the Guru of Ganja for nothing.
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N O RT H E R N CA L I F O R N I A M AY 2 0 1 6 | T H E G R E E N I S S U E E D I TO R I A L
EVAN CARTER President
T
he 1920’s, often referred to as the roaring 20’s, were a time of liberation in our country’s rich history. It is a decade best remembered for unparalleled prosperity and a bee’s knees’ cultural scene. This period also signifies a time of land and agricultural disputes leading to the prohibition of alcohol. The 18th amendment made it illegal to make and distribute alcohol, but not to consume. This tale sounds all too familiar, and it’s easy to draw modern parallels to the prohibition of cannabis. Speakeasies grew out of a desperate need for thirsty patrons, and one easily identified the establishment by a green door. It was the only advertisement patrons needed, and generally kept the authorities away. In the year 2016, we identify cannabis collectives via the green cross, which is green-lighting a movement fighting for cannabis access. Those green signs hidden in plain sight all over California are our secret password, our safe places. This May we focus on all things green, from One Fifty Collective in Pacifica, to Absolute Extract’s THC soft gel capsules for discrete medication, we’ve given everything in this issue the green plus sign. With Mother’s Day on the horizon, we feature the perfect gift for mom: a line of cannabis infused bath products from Om Edibles. We chose Aquarius Cannabis’ Golden Gateway Headband as the strain of the month because of their unparalleled standard for testing, ensuring that patients receive the best quality medicine on the market. We take a trip to Humboldt County and visit True Humboldt, a network of local farmers dedicated to the tradition of quality. Because of the prohibition of cannabis, there are few regulations on safe growing practices, but the companies we call dope ensure that patients’ needs come first. In the name of Defending Our Plant Everywhere, it’s important to focus on sustainable growing practices that keep patients healthy. Here we are, merely 4 years away from 2020, and on the potential dawn of another roaring 20’s: the green rush. We can look to our history books to avoid the mistakes from the past, and push the movement forward in the best light by continuing to build a community that no longer needs to be talked about in hushed voices. Keep it conscientious, keep it positive, and keep it dope!
JAMES ZACHODNI @james_zachodni Editor-in-Chief / CBO JESUS DIAZ National State Director KAMERLY TYLER @kamfucius CA State Director ABIGAIL ROSS @abigaileross National Content Manager MAKENNA O’MEARA @makennaomeara Managing Editor
V I S UA L S &
BUSINESS
EVENTS &
BRANDING
& SALES
ADMIN
DAVID PALESCHUCK VP, Licensing & Brand Partnerships BRANDON PALMA @brandonpalma Art Director
DAVID TRAN CEO
SANDRA SEMLING Events Director
NATHAN CHRYSLER Business Development
JENIKA MAO Administrative Event Coordinator
TREK HOLLNAGEL Strategic Advisor
GLACE BONDESON
CHRISTINA HEINTZELMAN Executive Assistant
@latirlatir Web Director Graphic Designers JAN DOMACENA @thirdoptic NARISSA-CAMILLE PHETHEAN @narissa.camille
STEVE DELIMA Financial Controller Associate Sales Managers JASON ROSENBERG NICHOLAS FREEMAN
KINSEY LITTON @kinseymaei Corporate Office Manager ASHLEIGH CASTRO CA Office Manager DALLAS KEEFE @dallaskeefe Social Media Director KATE KELLY @k8mindset Distribution Manager
Contributing Photographers ASHLEIGH CASTRO JESSIE HOROWITZ
RACHEL KAMLET CA State Editor ZACHARY HOLLAND @skipthatrip Copy Editor MEGHAN RIDLEY @miss_ridley Online Editor ZAK HUGHES Web Ad Coordinator Contributing Writers ASHLEIGH CASTRO @hash_assassin BLAZE ROBINSON DEBBY GOLDSBERRY @debbygoldsberry RON MULLINS THOM HUNTERS @mrforetwenty THOMAS FINELL
I N S TAG R A M
DOPE MAGAZINE is a free monthly publication dedicated to providing an informative and wellness-minded 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.
@ D O P E M AG A Z I N E
Kamerly Tyler | California State Director
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DOPE Magazine and the entire contents of this publication are copywritten by 2016 DOPE Magazine LLC. All rights are reserved and the information contained herein may not be reproduced in any manner, in whole or in part, without written permission from DOPE Magazine LLC.
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PHOTO / ASHLEIGH CASTRO
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RINKING HOUSE OF JANE’S hot chocolate is the culinary equivalent of wrapping yourself up in your favorite blanket. Velvety, chocolate goodness combines with the soothing effects of cannabis to create a perfect elixir. If you like to freshen up your hot chocolate with the invigorating and sweet taste of mint candy, House of Jane offers a mint variety. It has an equally refreshing finish. The hot chocolates come in small, discreet packaging. Their boosters are suitable for those seeking low dosages and are a fantastic addition to hot coffees and teas. Whenever House of Jane is brewing up something, count me in!
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The perfect accompaniment to a comfy couch and a movie if you enjoy the higher dose. If you are looking for a nice way to enjoy a discreet treat during the day, try the lower dose booster for a day appropriate boost.
CANNA-NEWS
CA N NA L AW CONCERNS ABOUT LEGALIZATION WRITER / KELLY VO
T
HOUGH THE LEGALIZATION OF recreational cannabis in California is not a problem, how that legalization is put into effect could be. The Adult Use of Marijuana Act is a great step in the right direction, but it’s not perfect. To make sure you’re prepared for the new market, we spoke with four experts and asked them to share their concerns.
CONCERN #1: EQUALITY “Like it or not, marijuana sales have been supporting low-income communities for decades,” said Lynne Lyman, the California state director of the Drug Policy Alliance. “Creating a legal market could take those jobs away. It’s going to take a lot of time and intentionality to help the people who are currently operating in the illicit market to transfer into dispensary workers, cultivators, license holders, etc.” The issue is also that the California legal cannabis market is going to be attractive to big businesses, and unless the initiative puts provisions in place, “there’s an opportunity for well-funded, profit-driven groups to monopolize the California market and squeeze out the small businesses and family farms that have long been operating in the state,” said Tiffany Wu, attorney at Harris Moure.
CONCERN #2: LOCAL BANS Already a major concern is the local ban issue, which has had a large impact on the medical market under the Medical Marijuana Regulation and Safety Act. Currently, over 180 localities in California have blocked or are in the process of blocking cannabis. The issue is, “if you give localities too much power, you start denying equal access based on zip code and geography,” said Lyman. “So, people should be paying attention to who their elective representatives are and making sure that their representative knows that they don’t want marijuana production to be banned in their city or their county.” Unless the new legal initiative takes power away from municipalities, California residents could be fighting the same battles for access to recreational cannabis in their zip code as they are facing now.
CANNA-NEWS
“LIKE IT OR NOT, MARIJUANA SALES HAVE BEEN SUPPORTING LOW-INCOME COMMUNITIES FOR DECADES,” SAID LYNNE LYMAN, THE CALIFORNIA STATE DIRECTOR OF THE DRUG POLICY ALLIANCE. “CREATING A LEGAL MARKET COULD TAKE THOSE JOBS AWAY.”
CONCERN #3: OVERREGULATION
CONCERN #5: FEDERAL CONFLICTS
While a certain degree of regulation is expected and necessary, too much regulation can be detrimental to the cannabis market. Tomer Grassiany, CEO of The Art of Edibles, worries that the implementation and control of the new market could create a broken system. “We want to operate in a competitive cannabis market that would eliminate the black market. But, over taxation, excessive fees, and burdensome steps along the way can keep prices up and drive both consumers not wanting to pay high prices, as well as smaller growers, to turn to the black market,” said Grassiany. “We have to be careful about the message and implication of over-regulation. Whether it’s packaging and dosing that restrict the use of fresh ingredients, to possession limits.”
Unclear rules or enforcement by California can also lead to conflicts with federal and local governments. “Right now, states must enact robust legalization efforts. Otherwise, they run the risk of federal interference,” shared Daniel Shortt, a legal intern at Harris Moure in Seattle, Washington. If the initiative passed in California doesn’t match what the Federal Government envisions for regulation, it could lead to a failed legal market. “The Federal Government has stated that it will not interfere in states with strong and effective marijuana regulatory and enforcement systems that protect expressed federal priorities,” said Wu. “As more Californians take advantage of state legalization and jump into the marijuana market, they could be subject to raids and shutdowns by the Federal Government without a strong state regulatory system in place.”
CONCERN #4: PERPETUATION OF STIGMAS Alongside over-regulation is the fear that cannabis use, possession, sales, and growth will be treated too harshly. The last thing the legal market needs is an initiative that would treat cannabis harsher than alcohol, particularly because too many restrictions would reinforce the stigma. “For example, the idea of restricting the maximum amount a person can possess sends confusing and negative signals about cannabis, which maintains the notion that cannabis is more harmful and dangerous than alcohol—the very same stigma we are trying to break,” said Grassiany. “It’s already perfectly legal and socially acceptable for a single person to throw a party and purchase as much alcohol as they see fit. Yet for cannabis, a law is being considered that would impose fines and possible jail time for acquiring and carrying similar amounts of cannabis for yourself or others.”
CONCERN #6: PERPETUATION OF STIGMAS Creating a legal cannabis market in California is a complex and multi-layered process that won’t be implemented overnight. For voters, the most important thing you can do is educate yourself about the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (the leading legalization initiative), so that you can make a well-informed decision. And if the AUMA doesn’t suit your ideas of a legal market, attend meetings and learn how your interests are being addressed and what you can do to get involved.
LYNNE LYMAN is the California state director for the Drug Policy Alliance. She leads the DPA’s criminal justice reform work in California and oversees all aspects of the organization’s policy and advocacy work in the state.
TIFFANY WU is an attorney at Harris Moure in San Francisco, California. She joined the Canna Law Group in 2016, a dedicated practice group with cannabis business attorneys.
TOMER GRASSIANY is the CEO of The Art of Edibles in Los Angeles—a cannabis collective that promotes holistic healing, wellness, and creativity.
DANIEL SHORTT is a legal intern at Harris Moure in Seattle, Washington. He’s a third-year law student at the University of Washington and is a frequent contributor to the Canna Law Blog as well as UW Cannabis Law and Policy Blog.
DISPENSARY
ONE FIFTY COLLECTIVE MEDICATION BY TH E BEACH WRITER / RON MULLINS
STORE
O
N SAN FRANCISCO’S PENINSULA south of downtown lies the sleepy oceanside community of Pacifica. There, just a few blocks from the beautiful Rockaway Beach tucked in near the freeway, One Fifty Collective has operated since early 2015. Inside, the storefront has been recently remodeled with textured hardwood floors and bright walls featuring a variety of work by Bay Area artists. The dispensing area was expanded to include separate workstations for patient confidentiality. One Fifty Collective also provides a lounge on-site with everything patients need for medicating before taking a walk on the beach.
446 OLD COUNTY RD #150 PACIFICA, CA 94044 MON–SUN 10AM–9PM ONEFIFTYCOLLECTIVE.COM
PHOTO / ASHLEIGH CASTRO
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While the space is modest, it is packed with a variety of excellent medicinal choices. The menu features over 70 strains ranging from a $20 to $60 donation per eighth plus tax. Flowers offered include Grape Ape, Master OG, Red Dragon, Jah Goo and some really nice Blue Cut Cookies. There is a full stock of extracts with over ten brands including BJ Extracts, Cashmere Concentrates, and Hyde Street Shatterbox. Their shelves hold over 20 edible brands including OM, Kiva, Kushy Punch, and EdiPure.
One Fifty’s staff are dedicated to providing safe access to affordable medicine within their community. Not only is their concentrates bar a great chill spot, One Fifty also hosts a live rosin squish demo that teaches patients how to extract their own pure cannabis oil and better understand terpene profiles. Even rosin demo host Allie Butler admitted, “I buy my hash at One Fifty Collective, they have some great weekly deals. Ice waxy Wednesdays—buy one get one half off. Love it.”
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T RU E H U M BO L DT GROWING CANNABIS AND COMMU NITY WRITER / BLAZE ROBINSON
PHOTO / COURTESY OF TRUE HUMBOLDT
O
VER THE LAST YEAR, 60 Humboldt farms have banded together to start True Humboldt, an agricultural co-op dedicated to growing quality, environmentally responsible cannabis. The Humboldt Sun Growers Guild, the powerhouse behind the True Humboldt brand, has already seen a major milestone. On January 26th, the Humboldt County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the county's first-ever regulations on the commercial cultivation of medical marijuana. “Farmers will come out into the light and talk to regulatory agencies, get permits, and not be afraid to do it,” said Sam Shull, manager of the Humboldt Sun Growers Guild. With the possibility of state legalization this November, Humboldt farmers are starting the conversation about how to work together to keep their cannabis culture local and sustainable. “Being in a cooperative protects our culture and our way of life. I hope Humboldt can stay Humboldt, because it’s a way of life we all enjoy.”
“BEING IN A COOPERATIVE PROTECTS OUR CULTURE AND OUR WAY OF LIFE. I HOPE HUMBOLDT CAN STAY HUMBOLDT, CAUSE IT’S A WAY LIFE WE ALL ENJOY.” -SAM SHULL MANAGER OF HUMBOLDT SUN GROWERS GUILD
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AbsoluteXtracts gel caps are made with coconut oil, which due to its high saturated fat content improves THC absorption
A
BSOLUTEXTRACTS IS NOW offering their amazing THC extract in soft gel capsules. Starting with their sun grown, pesticide-free Northern California bud, the company uses a supercritical CO2 method to create a quality THC concentrate. The flowers used for the gel caps are not strain specific but are made with indica dominant hybrids. Gel caps come in three dose strengths: 10 mg, 25 mg and 50 mg. I was already a fan of AbsoluteXtracts and their quality concentrates, and was thrilled to hear that they have branched out into gel capsules. With their new gel caps, AbsoluteXtracts resolved all of my concerns about concentrates. These caps are a simple, odorless way to medicate I sampled both the 10 mg and 25 mg gel capsules. It took two and a half hours for my 10 mg dose to take affect. The high came suddenly—one minute I was going about my day and the next I felt noticeably relaxed and happy, as if I had just smoked from a pipe. The capsules definitely helped with physical pain and appetite stimulation, while I remained mentally clear. The effects lasted for about three hours, and it was a very pleasant experience. For me, the 25 mg capsule did not feel much different than the 10 mg. I felt relaxed and euphoric and felt relief from back pain. I did not notice a start or a finish, only that I felt really good for the rest of the day. A friend who also tried the 25 mg capsule said that the dose felt extremely strong. Please use caution and go slow when ingesting THC concentrates, as everyone reacts differently.
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MAGNOLIA WELLNESS
10MG 24COUNT - $48 25MG 24COUNT - $72 50MG 24COUNT - $96
161 ADELINE STREET OAKLAND, CA 94607 EMERALD PHARMS 13771 S. US-101 HOPLAND, CA 95449 SPARC SF 1256 MISSION STREET SAN FRANCISCO, CA
Use caution when trying this product. Effects can take up to three hours to kick in and can last for up to 6 hours, and starting with a low dose is recommended.
AbsoluteXtracts is a seed-to-shelf company that grows its own flowers to ensure quality at every step Capsules contain only three ingredients: cannabis oil, coconut oil, and gelatin.
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HE LADIES AT OM EDIBLES have done it again. We fell in love with their CBD Sipping Cacao and we brought them back just in time for Mother’s Day to talk self-care, relaxation, and bathing with THC. “A lot of women don’t get enough time for self-care. I think human beings don’t,” said Maya, of Om Edibles. Taking a bath is already an act of self-care, but the inspirational ladies at Om Edibles have taken relaxing baths one step higher. By mixing THC with other nourishing ingredients such as Epsom salts, Argan oil, therapeutic grade essential oils, and Himalayan salt, Om Edibles has made products that nourish body and soul.
1 MEDICATED EPSOM SALTS –$12 Offered in: Lemon Ginger & Eucalyptus, Fragrance Free/Sensitive Skin, Lavender, Rose Geranium, and Athletic Formula
2 MEDICATED BATH FIZZER–$14 Offered in: Lavender, Oatmeal, Honey Calendula, Deep Forest Pine, Creamy Neroli, Rose Geranium
3 MEDICATED BODY OIL–$36 Offered in Lavender, Rose Geranium, Musk and Fragrance Free
The quality of ingredients matters even more in a bath because they are being absorbed by the body’s largest organ, your skin. Many mainstream bath products use harmful chemicals to make their product a certain color or fizz longer. Medicated THC baths deserve a category of their own—they are not edibles or topicals, they are not psychoactive, but are still extremely powerful. Om Edibles believes medicated baths are for everyone, and they are committed to making health-conscious products ranging from floral and fragrance-free, to deep forest pine scented. Maya, one of the creative brains behind Om Edibles, explained that cannabis is a super-plant capable of medicating the body both inside and out. THC as a topical is indeed super: it is an analgesic. It helps relieve pain, is antimicrobial (kills harmful microbes), an antispasmodic (reduces twitches and muscle cramps), and an anti-inflammatory (reduces swelling). In addition, THC’s antibacterial properties have been known to kill drug-resistant staph bacteria.
My favorite Om Edibles topical was their lavender body oil. I like to use it as lotion, putting it on my face and hands right before bed. The lavender scent calms the nervous system and the mixture of THC and argan oils leaves my skin feeling nourished and soft for days after. My mother, who is 64, is a big fan of the Rose Geranium Epsom salts. She loves the health benefits of the magnesium and trace minerals so much that she has made her medicated foot soak a bedtime routine. The THC oil makes her feet feel, “pampered, soft, and nourished.” Om Edibles gives her an opportunity to pause, relax, and appreciate her feet for all that they have done that day. Thanks to Om Edibles for making this Mother’s Day gift a no-brainer! Om Edibles is an all-female cannabis collective, turning their organic sun-grown Northern California flowers into amazing medicine. Keep an eye on these inspirational ladies, they have more great products in the works.
AVAILABLE AT 1841 EL CAMINO 1841 EL CAMINO AVE. SACRAMENTO, CA, 95815 CANNABIS BUYERS CLUB OF BERKELEY 3033 SHATTUCK AVE. BERKELEY, CA 94705 PURPLE HEART PATIENT CENTER 415 4TH ST. OAKLAND, CA 94607 AND OTHER LOCATIONS
MAYA’S GUIDE TO TRUE RELAXATION: Cozy up to a cup of Om Edible’s CBD sipping cacao. Mix with half hot water and half hemp milk.
Get a medicated massage with one of the four medicated body oils (Maya recommends Rose Geranium). Wellness bonus: your masseuse will also feel the benefits of a medicated massage— THC oil staves off stiff and achy hands.
After the massage, head to the tub. Soak with either a medicated bath fizzer or medicated Epsom salts. Feeling extra luxurious? Combine bath products (Maya likes to use a medicated bath fizzer with the Lavender Epsom salts).
Accompany your medicated bath with a joint, while listening to the music of your choice.
Enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep. No need to apply lotion at bedtime, the THC oil works as a moisturizer for skin and hair. Wear it to bed and wake up with soft smooth skin.
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S AVA : S M A L L B U S I N E S S P L AT F OR M H EALTH, WELLNESS, SELF-CARE AND COMMU NITY WRITER / DEBBY GOLDSBERRY
W
hen she founded Sava, Andrea Brooks set out to help mainstream cannabis with an Etsy-like platform to educate patients about the medicine. “In our design of the site, we wanted to create as intimate [a] connection with providers as possible,” said Brooks. “Each provider has their own page where they can discuss how they source their medicine, how they make their product, and what inspired them to enter the cannabis industry.” This transparency is the key to Sava. They demystify medicines by educating patients about the process, from plant to final product. Brooks’ background is in the nonprofit sector. She created and assessed fair housing programs for more than a decade in San Francisco, and was a member of the Commission of Animal Control and Welfare. When a severe injury left her with nerve damage and doctors labeled her permanently disabled, a friend’s homemade cannabis tincture changed the direction of her life. She started using it every day, avoiding her prescribed pain drugs, which had left her feeling depressed and thinking, “nothing was going to heal my body.” She was soon inspired to start Sava. “I started meeting small business owners in the cannabis industry, who had great products but were having a problem getting their products out,” said Brooks. She is the solo founder, but has combined her talent with a team of designers and developers to create “a platform that supports community.” Sava is an e-commerce platform that provides a place for collectives to showcase their products. Currently 24 different providers use the site, each with varying product lines, with more expected over the next few months. Well-
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known companies such as Om Edibles, the Hepburns, and Bloom Farms are featured on Sava, along with lesser-known collectives like Little Green Bee— makers of cannabis massage oils, and Treat Yourself—providing vegan “Pop-Tartelettes” and paleo banana bread. “A lot of suppliers want to get their products out there,” reflected Brooks. “The best part of the work is learning about the founders, and how they got into the business.” Sava uses focus groups and patient input to determine which products and companies to support. “We work with those who have been patients for a long time and those who are new to find the right products for each group.” CBD products are a favorite at Sava. “All of our products are well received, but CBD tinctures do really well,” said Brooks. “We find patients are focused on CBD, so we have a variety of products for them, including topicals and tinctures. Having a variety is important.” Sava believes this platform is an essential means to engage members of the community. “There are so many stories to share,” said Brooks. “It comes back to creating a diverse community moving forward, so we try to get engagement from people who have been in the industry for a long time to share their knowledge. We are looking at that variety of voices out there, and trying to get them out to the public.” Brooks believes in educating people, and by providing this platform Sava plans “to do our part in breaking down lingering stereotypes and reaching new audiences.” They will continue to educate, reach out to, and support small producers of products until the stigma of cannabis medicines is over, and until each person can find the product that helps them.
“Sava’s mission is to connect patients with providers of high-quality handcrafted goods and to educate them on using cannabis effectively. By offering a platform that supports community, Sava allows patients to learn about who they are purchasing from, how their products were made and how best to use cannabis for health.” – Andrea Brooks, Sava
“TRANSPARENCY IS THE KEY TO SAVA. DEMYSTIFYING THE MEDICINES BY EDUCATING PATIENTS ABOUT THE PROCESS, FROM PLANT TO FINAL PRODUCT.”
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