Oregon by DOPE Magazine

THE 420 ISSUE APRIL 2017 FREE

DEFENDING OUR PLANT EVERYWHERE

FEATURE SEX WITH CANNABIS:

A GUIDE TO INTIMACY

TRAVEL SLOVENIA: A TINY

ALPINE HEMP LAND

LIFESTYLE WEED, PRAY, LOVE STRAIN GREEN DRAGON EDIBLE BHOMB CHELLY JELLIES CONCENTRATE DURBAN POISON STORE SERRA CANNABIS GARDEN PISTIL POINT

REACHES NEW HEIGHTS

ARTICLE TITLE

TAKING THE GUESSWORK OUT OF CANNABIS

BUILD

Brand YO U R

C U S TO M I Z E & ORDER Y

OUR

Packaging

Market

YO U R PR O DU CT H E L I O S P H E R E D ES I G N

@HEL IO _ O F F ICI AL

H E L I O S P H E R E D ES I G N

E: H e llo@H e lios ph ere . d e si gn | W: w w w. he li osphe re . d e si gn • Se at t le WA•

CONNOISSEUR’S COLLECTION PRESENTING FUNCTIONAL

A R T WO R K C R E AT E D T O E L E VAT E THE RITUAL OF SMOKING THE HERB Crafted of hand-blown glass and sustainable American Black Walnut with Jamaican-inspired accents.

AVAILABLE AT MARLEYNATURALSHOP.COM AND FINE DISPENSARIES, SMOKE SHOPS AND LIFESTYLE STORES NATIONWIDE.

WHOLESALE ORDERS: CONTACT AT (877) 292–7660 OR MARLEY@GNLN.COM

These products may only be used with legal smoking herbs and may not be used with tobacco products. Smoking may be harmful to your health.These products may not be sold to minors. These products have not been tested by the Food and Drug Administration

APRIL 2017 | THE 420 ISSUE

EDITOR’S LETTER T

his month DOPE Magazine will dive headfirst into new and unexplored territory. The 4/20 Issue is one of our most diverse content spreads yet. It is a first in many ways for us. Whether you’re here to read about the history of cannabis prohibition or the demise of the Girl Scout Cookie strain name, we’ve covered it all. Our incredible video team headed to Southern California to meet up with LA-born-and-raised rap artist The Game, who opened up about his cannabis business plans, childhood memories and how getting to the top required living by his own rules. Four sex and cannabis experts weigh in on why the two are simply better together, and how responsible cannabis use can greatly improve time spent between the sheets. Weed, Pray, Love will take you on a visual and spiritual trip through India and Nepal, while our travel writer explores cannabis in Slovenia. April is a celebratory month for the cannabis industry, the ideal time to get together with likeminded cannabis enthusiasts to celebrate the plant. Join us as we renew the spirited fight against prohibition, and celebrate the achievements already made along the way!

RECENTLY CORRECTED ARTICLES Rainbow #1 Glass Feature: DOPE Magazine incorrectly credited artist Trenton0o with the creation of the Rainbow #1 glass piece. T-Funk is the correct artist. We have featured the piece with correct reference to the artist in this issue. We regret the error. DOPEMAGAZINE.COM DOPE MAGAZINE AND THE ENTIRE CONTENTS OF THIS PUBLICATION ARE

QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? INFO@DOPEMAGAZINE.COM

TO ADVERTISE? $ WANT ADS@DOPEMAGAZINE.COM

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.

@DOPEMAGAZINE PROUD MEMBER OF

ANDREA LARSON @andy_ireland143 LEAD EDITOR

JAN DOMACENA @thirdoptic SENIOR DESIGNER

ZACH PHILLIPS OR STATE DIRECTOR NATASHA VIEIRA @natashie OR STATE COORDINATOR

KAITLIN MCMILLAN @mackeymil WA STATE DIRECTOR BRIAHNA NELSON W. WA STATE COORDINATOR

E. WA EMILY NICHOLS E. WA STATE COORDINATOR

AARON MILLER ALEX HALPERIN @weedweeknews ANDREA LARSON ASHLEY MANTA AJ AGUILAR / 8TH DAY CREATE @8thdaycreate BIANCA FOX CAITLIN CALLAHAN CHLOE SOMMERS DAVID BAILEY @dmb0227 DAVID HODES E. SOMES ERIC SKAAR JACOB UITTI JEFFREY RINDSKOPF JEFFREY STAMBERGER JENN LAUDER JESSE PERRY JORDAN TISHLER, MD JOSH NEUMEIER KATIE CONLEY KATIE SPIVAK

@latirlatir WEB DIRECTOR

KELLY VO @kevowriting KENYA KUSH LAURIE AND MARYJANE MATTHEW CRISCIONE MELISSA JOY @yourgreatestjoy MEGAN RUBIO MSKINDNESS B. NATE JACKSON NICK KARRAS P. GOTTI RADIOHASH RICARDO S. LOPEZ JR. RYAN BURKE RYAN HERRON SESHATA @seshatasensi SHASTA NELSON THE HOODWITCH THOM HUNTERS TOM DOMEK WILL KERSTEN WIND HOME

CHRISTINA HEINTZELMAN @Xtinagrams NATIONAL STATE DIRECTOR

LISETTE MENDES HR SPECIALIST

LIANE PETTET ACCOUNTING ADMIN

EVENTS

JIM LANGER DP/EDITOR

AARON MILLER ASHLEIGH CASTRO @hash_assassin BEN GARCIA CAITLIN CALLAHAN DENNIS MANESS EKEVARA KITPOWSONG EMILY NICHOLS JASON HORVATH JENA SCHLOSSER LAURIE AND MARYJANE MARK COFFIN MATT MCDONALD RESINTATED LENS RYAN BURKE RYAN ROBERT MILLER TC TIM URPMAN @TIM_URPMAN TINA BALLEW WIND HOME

TREK HOLLNAGEL STRATEGIC ADVISOR

JASMINE SMITH CORPORATE OFFICE MANAGER

DAMION REED VIDEO PRODUCER

JORDAN SWENSON DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

APRIL

FAUSTINE SAMEC DISTRIBUTION MANAGER

MARKETING

WEB

OREGON

W. WA

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

VIDEO

JENA SCHLOSSER @fillyoureyes CO STATE COORDINATOR

PHOTOGRAPHY

DOPE TERRITORIES

ANDREW FORD CO STATE MANAGER

NATHAN CHRYSLER BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

GLACE BONDESON

TASHA NGUYEN SOCAL STATE MANAGER

COLORADO

BEAU GREENER @credendastudios GRAPHIC DESIGNER

JOSHUA BOULET CONTRIBUTING ARTIST

N. CALIFORNIA

S. CALIFORNIA

JAMES ZACHODNI @james_zachodni CHIEF BRANDING OFFICER

BUSINESS

DOUGLAS PAYSSE AZ STATE MANAGER

ASHLEIGH CASTRO @hash_assasin NORCAL STATE COORDINATOR

NARISSA-CAMILLE PHETHEAN @narissa.camille GRAPHIC DESIGNER

JEIA VILLACIS @_jeia GRAPHIC DESIGNER

ARIZONA

EVAN CARTER PRESIDENT

CATINA LESAVOY EVENTS DIRECTOR

DANSEN DETRICK WA EVENTS AMBASSADOR

COLBY HAYDEN OR EVENTS AMBASSADOR TERA SHIMADA MARKETING MANAGER

DALLAS KEEFE @dallaskeefe SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

ZAK HUGHES AD SALES MANAGER

SR. ACCOUNT MANAGERS ERIC ERLANDSEN @ericerlandsen JASON ROSENBERG MICHELLE GLASSMAN @mishyjg

SALES

SHONTELLE REYNA COPY WRITER

DESIGN

DAVID BAILEY @dmb0227 COPY EDITOR KATIE CONLEY COPY EDITOR

DAVID TRAN @fathertran CEO

NAZ ALVAREZ CREATIVE DIRECTOR

2017

EDITORIAL

THE 420 ISSUE

ACCOUNT MANAGERS ANGEL AHMAD CHRIS STRAWDER CODY NASH DAN KUHN EDDIE KING JOSH DAVIS @oshgosh.josh ROMEY WOOD RACHEL REYHER RON PARISI RYAN BURKE TERRANCE MCDANIEL @t.thedopeman

DOPE MAGAZINE is a free monthly publication dedicated to providing an informative and wellnessminded voice to the cannabis movement. While our foundation is the medical cannabis industry, it is our intent to provide ethical and research-based articles that address the many facets of the war on drugs, from politics to lifestyle and beyond. We believe that through education and honest discourse, accurate policy and understanding can emerge. DOPE MAGAZINE is focused on defending both our patients and our plant, and to being an unceasing force for revolutionary change.

THE 420 ISSUE

TABLE OF CONTENTS APRIL 2017

28 COVER FEATURE THE GAME REACHES NEW HEIGHTS

14 20 26

CULTURE WEED, PRAY, LOVE BRANDING CANNABIS ELEMENTAL WELLNESS LIFESTYLE IS CANNABIS A POTENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT?

44 HISTORY THE PREJUDICES OF POT PROHIBITION 52 54 62 66 74

NEWS #END420SHAME SOCIAL MEDIA TAG @DOPEMAGAZINE NEWS WEED WEEK PRODUCT GRIND FOR A CAUSE COMIC JOSH BOULET

LIFESTYLE EXPLORING SEX, LOVE AND CANNABIS

TRAVEL SLOVENIA

SCIENCE THE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM

THIS AD STINKS.

Product Tag

Embroidery

These bags donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t.

carbidebags.com See the full line of odor-neutralizing CARBIDE bags at carbidebags.com

THE FUTURE

800-651-9598

OF ROLLING

INFO@FUTUROLAUSA.COM

C U LT U R E

THE WANDERERâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S GIFT WRITER / WILL KERSTEN

fter months of wandering India and Nepal, Chinmoy arrived at a small village in the Northeastern foothills of the Himalayas. He had come to hear talks on Buddhism by a spiritual master whom everyone called ‘Baba.’ Though Chinmoy didn’t know it yet, this is where he would receive his new name, learn to smoke ganja from the chillum, and be initiated into the Nath Lineage, a spiritual tradition whose oral history goes back thousands of years. As he walked to the ashram, an afternoon rain cooled his head and washed away the road dust from his body. Wild orchids perfumed the air, and rumbling waterfalls spilled into pools hidden from view. In the distance, the jagged, white peaks of the Himalayas reminded him of just how far he’d come. Chinmoy grew up in the suburbs of Evanston, Illinois, in what he considers an average 1980s, middle-class upbringing—shuttling between divorced parents, basketball games in the park, music lessons, summer camp. Perhaps not so typical though, was his relationship with a Tibetan refugee from India. When Chinmoy was ten, his mother sponsored the refugee, a Tibetan woman who came to be resettled in Chicago. “She was like an adopted big sister to me, and exposed me to Tibetan Buddhism,” says Chinmoy. Inspired by his close friend, he studied and learned all he could about Buddhism, and began to use meditation as a way to explore his introspective tendencies. He experimented with marijuana in high school, and by the time he was in college, he smoked regularly. He would walk to Lake Michigan, sit by the edge of the water, smoke

and stare out. “I would relax and project out onto the water, as if I could reach out with my vision and touch the waves, feel their lapping sensation and merge with them.” When he was 20, Chinmoy traveled to Amsterdam. On the wall of a coffee shop, he saw a poster of an elderly man with gray dreadlocks, wearing a loincloth and sitting cross-legged on the front step of a mud hut. “He held a large basket full of the most beautiful, green ganja buds. Across the top, the poster said ‘INDIA.’” Right then, he decided to someday travel to that holy land. At the ashram, Chinmoy was greeted by devotees in thin robes. One of them— an American—invited him in and said that Baba was taking a nap. The American showed Chinmoy to a room where he could drop his things and rest. Chinmoy sat and took everything in—the cool, still air, wafting incense and soft prayers coming in through the door—as thoughts of his past faded away. That evening, some devotees brought Chinmoy upstairs to the shrine room on the guesthouse roof. He looked out at the sunset and the valley below. “ There were steep cliffs and lush jungles sinking into a deep river valley. All around was bamboo swaying in the breeze, eagles soaring high overhead and birds darting in and out of the jungle,” says Chinmoy. Baba finally arrived. He wore a blue robe, had a dark beard and dreadlocks drawn up into a knot on the top of his head. In a thick Bengali accent, he asked how Chinmoy’s travels had been. He poured Chinmoy a small glass of brandy and they talked for a while. Then, Baba introduced Chinmoy to the chillum ceremony.

Spiritual cannabis use in India goes back to prehistoric times. Lord Shiva himself is classically depicted as smoking a chillum (a special Indian ganja pipe) and drinking bhang (a traditional Indian drink made from cannabis). In the Nath tradition, cannabis is approached with great reverence and discipline. It’s a holy sacrament, used only in rituals to facilitate meditation and heighten awareness of the ceremony. A devotee offered the chillum to Baba, and then called out the names of Lineage Gurus and of Lord Shiva, followed by “Adesh,” meaning ‘Order,’ and then they all chanted “Byom,” meaning ‘space’–invoking the quality of voidness. Baba blessed the pipe, took a few puffs and then handed it to Chinmoy. Chinmoy took the hit. “It is said in our teachings,” says Chinmoy, “that psychic energy, the energy of our thoughts, is carried through smoke.” They began to meditate. Soon after, Baba gave Chinmoy his ‘empowerment,’ a ritual in which the spiritual energy of the Guru is transmitted directly to the devotee. Later, Baba gave Chinmoy his Sanskrit name. This was Chinmoy’s initiation into the Lineage, joining the ranks of Nath Yogis going back countless generations. He stayed at the ashram for a few months, visiting holy sites and learning from Baba. And when it was time, Chinmoy returned to America, where he now lives with his wife on a small farm in the Midwest. Once a wanderer, full of doubts and anxieties, he now has the tools and context needed to walk the path with confidence. For those who feel the soul-tug of spirituality, and believe cannabis can help take them there, Chinmoy offers some wisdom: “Channel these experiences through meditation, or another activity that allows you to get absorbed in a one-pointed focus, like music, painting or running. One of the best things about using cannabis for spiritual development is the way it can help us focus our observation, but it’s important to exercise moderation. Cannabis shouldn’t be used as a crutch, and we shouldn’t conflate our ego thinking that we’re doing anything special or holy by consuming it. There’s an old saying in the oral tradition of India: ‘Drink, but don’t get drunk. Smoke, but don’t get doped.’”

BRANDING CANNABIS

ELEMENTAL WELLNESS WRITER / 8TH DAY CREATE / ANGELA-JORDAN AGUILAR

PHOTO / CHI KIN KO

“ OUR CHALLENGE WAS TO FIND A PERFECT HARMONY BETWEEN THESE APPLICATIONS WHILE EMPOWERING THE CHOICE FOR NATURAL WELLNESS.” 20

DOPE Magazine: What is the inspiration behind your brand? Elemental Wellness: In 2010, we launched with the slogan “The next generation of cannabis collectives,” we believed Silicon Valley was ready for a dispensary of the future. Our open, bright, spa-like atmosphere (many places had armed guards & bullet proof glass, at the time) was the first of its kind in our region. Silicon Valley is a place where business is often conducted on tablets and smart phones. Speaking directly to this new era of marketing and our membership base, we have integrated technology maintaining a strong online presence, through the website and social media applications, as we’ve evolved. Are there any special meanings to the colors or references in your branding and packaging? Fire, earth, air, and water are the foundational elements of our universe. From a wellness mind set, our behavior, emotions, and health are said to be influenced by these elements. ELEMENTAL WELLNESS Center derives its name from the idea that cannabis, a natural plant medicine, can help us stay in balance physically, spiritually, emotionally and mentally. How do you feel your brand and identity reflect the cannabis industry? The goal is to appeal to a truly diverse community of cannabis consumers. These patrons use the plant for a variety of reasons, including health & pain management, mental stability, creativity, and even adult recreation. Our challenge was to find a perfect harmony between these applications while empowering the choice for natural wellness. Cannabis is an element of Mother Nature, a gift of health and balance. In 2011, we positioned ourselves with a wellness minded approach flag shipping our tagline, “Your health is elemental.” In the process, two of our products were born, Elemental Seeds and Lucy Brand. Elemental Seeds packaging displays soil, seed, and the cannabis plant. Lucy portrays strong female characters, the Lucy mascots. We stay true to our roots and remind patients of the herbalist, seed to product approach we take when dealing with the medicine, while also displaying through our consumable product line that cannabis is about taking charge of your health. How are you making your brand distinguishable throughout the ever-growing cannabis industry? Our approach is to focus on the medicinal side of the herb. Our website is full of great reference material on cannabis, and we published the industry’s first “Guide to Understanding Medical Cannabis.” As the sector evolves, proper education will become even more relevant for our consumers; we will continue to be at the forefront of that. New market advertisement channels have started to support our community, and we are excited to explore these avenues as ELEMENTAL WELLNESS continues to breathe new life into cannabis distribution and consumption. “As we have watched this industry evolve rapidly, our future quickly became a reality.” Each month, we feature a brand that is shaping the modern image of cannabis through smart design and quality production. We’re always on the lookout and welcome submissions! Email bpalma@dopemagazine.com and let us know about your Canna Brand! WEBSITE - ELEMENTALWELLNESSCENTER.COM FACEBOOK - FACEBOOK.COM/ELEMENTALWELL

NEWS

GSC: A Cookie by Any Other Name Would Smell as Dank WRITER / CHLOE SOMMERS

n efforts to pave the way for legal cannabis nationwide, industry professionals are calling upon their cannabis colleagues to drop the infringing name of the ‘Girl Scout Cookie’ strain. “As we become more of an industry, we have to adhere to all the rules and regulations other industries have to adhere to,” Jaime Lewis, Founder and CEO at Mountain Medicine tells DOPE Magazine. There’s a lot at stake for state-legal cannabis markets as the industry matures into what’s projected to be a multi-billiondollar sector. A low-hanging fruit, the issue of trademark infringement, can be easily resolved by dropping the name from the cannabis vernacular. Lewis adds that it’s just bad business to use trademarked names. “Using brand names that are already trademarked shouldn’t happen. Because we’re so often in the public eye, we have a responsibility to hold ourselves to a higher standard and set the tone for newly regulated industries to come.” The naming of the ‘Girl Scout Cookies’ strain is a direct result of the underground ‘safe-space’ once created by the cannabis black market. Once hidden from the legal marketplace, the issue is now being brought to light. “Anytime we see our trademark we have issued a cease and desist letter,” a spokesman for Girl Scouts of America tells DOPE Magazine, “we’ve done it before and will do it again.” A nonprofit organization, the Girl Scouts of America pride themselves on teaching leadership skills to young girls. They sell Girl Scout Cookies to empower girls to do ‘extraordinary things,’ and they are sending cease and desist letters to some companies who are not respecting their trademark. Thought leaders and business owners are now left to answer for the naming issues that stem from decades past. Leah Heise is the CEO of Women Grow, an organization that works to empower female entrepreneurs in the cannabis space. She has

two daughters who have been Girl Scouts, and she agrees that it’s high time her industry ceases to use the name. “We need to start naming strains so that they aren’t attractive to children. It is part of the maturation process of the industry. The names also do not mean anything because there is no consistency from grow to grow, or state to state. We should have standardized strain profiles across the board based on strain genomics.” “We should not be using trademarked names without a licensing agreement,” she continues, “That, too, is a sign of a maturing industry.”

BUT WOULD A COOKIE BY ANY OTHER NAME SMELL AS SWEET? Fans of the high potency strain love it for its indica qualities, and it’s reported therapeutic benefits of relaxing muscles, easing pain and tension. According to a DOPE Magazine review of the cannabis strain by Khan Family Organics, ‘Girl Scout Cookies’ brings forth aromas of “spicy mint and sweet lavender followed by an unmistakable cookie scent, demonstrating this strain is a terpene powerhouse.” The term ‘Girl Scout Cookies’ has been a registered trademark (Reg. # 0964309) since 1936, and according to the Girl Scouts of America web site, “The use of official insignia, all of which is trademarked, is highly restrictive.” The Girl Scouts of America spokesperson says there hasn’t been any litigation against a cannabis company yet, adding that he finds most violators to be cooperative. However, they take trademark violation seriously. “I don’t think it happens frequently—a case-bycase basis. If you want to use the trademark, you have to come to us.” The organization’s spokesperson also tells DOPE Magazine that its ‘disconcerting’ to see the name used for a drug that’s intended for adults.

CEASE AND DESIST: DISABLE COOKIES “Our goal is to keep cannabis away from children, unless for medicine under a doctor’s care,” says Debby Goldsberry, Executive Director of the Magnolia Oakland dispensary. The California dispensary was one of the most recent businesses to receive a cease and desist letter form Girl Scouts of America. G o l d s b e r r y a g r e e s , i t ’s a c u t a n d dry issue – and they were in the wrong. “We knew this was coming,” she admits, “A lot of people think you can treat it like a parody, but it’s not funny; it’s violation of a trademark.” The dispensary renamed what product they could, returned some they couldn’t. Overall, everything with the name ‘Girl Scout Cookie’ was pulled from their shelves within an hour of the letter. She believes there’s always been a lot of discomfort in using the name, however, instead of addressing the issue, most people just rename it ‘Platinum Cookies’ or ‘GSC’. Magnolia Oakland isn’t the first, and probably not the last to get caught up in the trademark violation. “Everyone else may be quiet about it but we are an advocacy organization and

we’re trying to spread the word,” Goldsberry explains, “We sent a memo to our suppliers saying that we won’t accept products with that name—and they should change the name regardless, because they are bound to get the letter next.”

TAKING THE INDUSTRY FROM DARK, TO LIGHT “ We d i d n’ t re a l l y k n ow i t wo u l d b e a problem or not, now we know for sure,” says Goldsberry. The dispensary owner and longtime cannabis expert vows to reach out to other businesses and thought leaders, advocating to end the practice of carrying strains that infringe on trademarked names like ‘Girl Scout Cookie’ and ‘Gorilla Glue.’ In her defense, she says many people in the legal cannabis industry are from grow rooms, not business school. “We are more sophisticated lately, and this is something people should’ve known, there’s no excuse, the industry needs better naming practices.” “People should start right, and avoid mistakes that they know can happen,” Goldsberry says.

www.ocannabiz.com FeAtured keynote sPeAkers:

melissA etHeridge singer/songwriter, entrePreneur, etHeridge FArms

CHuCk underwood tHe generAtionAl imPerAtive inC

Hugo Alves

PArtner - CorP./ CommerCiAl, Bennett Jones llP

BruCe linton

Ceo, CAnoPy growtH CorPorAtion

mAyA elisABetH

Ceo wHooPi And mAyA owner & Founder oF om ediBles

dr. deidi meiri

PrinCiPAl investigAtor teCHnion isrAel institute oF teCHnology

trACy ryAn

Ceo, CAnnAkids

A RLTI FI CE LS ET YTLI ET L E

IS CANNABIS A POTENTIAL PUBLIC HEALTH THREAT? WITHOUT PROPER TESTING AND TRAINING, IT COULD BE WRITER / DAVID HODES

heck it out: Nearly a million dollars worth of Canadian cannabis was confiscated and destroyed when people using it to treat their medical conditions started getting sick, due to a fungicide that produced cyanide when the cannabis was burned. A California cancer patient with a failing immune system died from a fungal lung infection first thought to be a hospital-acquired infection, and is now suspected to be from the patient’s use of medical marijuana. A study by researchers at the University of California-Davis, including the doctor of the cancer patient who died, concluded that “the potential infectious risks of marijuana obtained from dispensaries has not been systematically evaluated,” and that it “unduly places patients unknowingly at risk for acquisition of severe infection.” In December of last year, about a quarter of the 263 concentrates entrants for the 2016 Emerald Cup were disqualified for pesticides when the lab testing them reanalyzed the samples with more advanced testing equipment. According to Kristin Nevedal, the director of the patient focused certification (PFC) program working with Americans for Safe Access (ASA), the time has come for better and more comprehensive training (or retraining) of cultivators and dispensary owners about safety protocols for cannabis cultivation and post harvesting. The protocols presented in the ASA certification program are derived from the American Herbal Products Association (AHPA). “We looked at the protocols for other similar herbal products and cannabized them for this industry,” explains Nevedal. Using those protocols for product safety, which involves monitoring and record keeping, will take some retraining in the industry, as cannabis farmers are still hesitant to keep records of what they grow and how they grow it. Before legalization, those records could have been used against them in a court of law. “They don’t come from a traditional farming background,” Nevedal says. “We have to teach these folks how to make a safe product, how to ensure that they aren’t cross-contaminating any other products, and

how to treat this like a medicine. We have to really change the mindset.” Labs testing cannabis are discovering that bugs, pesticides, molds and other toxins introduced in the cultivation and processing of the plant are more commonplace than expected –which is particularly relevant, given that medical marijuana is often used by patients with compromised immune systems, such as those undergoing chemotherapy. The cure? Better training for dispensary owners, budtenders, cultivators and anyone handling or prescribing the plant in regards to not just growing the plant, but running the business side of producing and distributing the plant. The ASA PFC training regime teaches the National Cannabis Standards, which are core industry standards, state laws and regulations, and product safety protocols developed by the AHPA from 2010-2013 through the organization’s Cannabis Committee Cultivation Working Group. PFC is the nation’s only certified program teaching the AHPA guidelines and the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia cannabis monograph. The monograph ensures the identity, quality, purity and potency of cannabis, as well as provides product safety by identifying safe levels of pesticides, metals and microbial limits. PFC was recently awarded a contract with the state of Maryland to train all compliance inspectors for the state’s medical cannabis programs, and hosts in-person dispensary staff trainings every week in their D.C. headquarters. The ASA recently completed a training session in February in Philadelphia for Pennsylvania medical cannabis cultivators and dispensary owners. Sales for medical marijuana are expected to begin in Pennsylvania in mid-2018, and are currently limited to pills, oils or ointments. According to Jahan Marcu, the chief scientific officer of the ASA who runs the training, some dispensary owners are surprised that a training course about handling and selling cannabis takes more than a few hours. “But it’s much like you were in a boat, and you looked at an iceberg and said ‘Nah, it’s not so big,’” he says. “I think because of the politics and certain uneducated beliefs and fears,

people have a prejudice that there is nothing there, that understanding cannabis should be simple. But the fact is that it’s a challenge for pharmacologists to study it, and it’s a challenge for quality control.” He says that, because this industry is not as big as the pharmaceutical industry, it’s time to more effectively lobby and have the ability to self protect become part of the cannabis industry. “It’s time to get serious about training and education,” he said, noting that one study by ASA showed that 80 percent of current industry training does not include medical or scientific information. “The survey also found that half of the dispensary staff are making recommendations to medical marijuana patients that exacerbate their condition, and increase the risk of liability of an organization.” The general public and regulators may think cannabis is simple due to the fact that they’re getting their information from federal agencies, which don’t have the most accurate information about cannabis. “Some of the information on the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) website is 30 or 40 years old,” Marcu said. “I don’t know about your health policy, but I prefer mine to be based on policy that is younger than me.” The ASA filed and recently won a legal request with the Department of Justice against the DEA to remove certain myths about cannabis from the DEA website – that it is a gateway drug, that it causes irreversible cognitive decline in adults, and contributes to psychosis and lung cancer. The ASA’s training is designed to get ahead of the FDA, when they eventually begin to accept the plant as a medicine. With certification training, businesses can show the FDA there is a structure for product safety protocols that essentially mirrors safety protocols for other types of botanicals that the FDA has already approved. “To me it’s not really a time of celebration in the industry,” Marcu said. “It’s time to get serious about training and education, because the next round of federal intervention is going to be different. They used to just kick in the door and raid people. Now they will be looking to see if you are a public health threat. And the key to preventing that is training.”

C O V E R F E AT U R E

THE GAME REACHES NEW HEIGHTS WITHOUT LOSING HIMSELF IN THE CLOUDS WRITER / NATE JACKSON

PHOTO / NOLAN FELDPAUSCH, DA YOUNG PARK & JIM LANGER

he Game holds his breath after a drag from the glowing red tip of cigar-sized blunt. Pondering the question of how long he’s been involved in the weed business, his mouth cracks with a smirk, his lungs full of smoke. He exhales his answer, along with a cloud that fogs up the room. We’re sitting near a large window in a building that houses the High Times’ office as well as multiple cannabis businesses including Green Street, overlooking L.A. “All my life,” he says, without the hint of a cough. There are few things that bring him pleasure like good weed— except hip-hop and his kids. It’s as much a part of him as the signature red star L.A. tattoo on his right cheek. Some might even say the bud business has always been in his blood. “It’s not like I woke up a year ago and decided to get into the weed industry,” says the 37-year-old rapper, born Jayceon Terrell Taylor, sporting a blue L.A. Dodgers cap, a black distressed Givenchy hoodie and grey sweats. “I think if you’ve been smoking weed or weed’s been in your life or the way I grew up where your parents are smoking weed, you’re already part of the weed industry.” The only difference now, he says, is that the laws now make it okay to sell a natural substance that’s been used for the benefit of humanity since its origin. But as far as rappers go, only a few have managed to make that transition successfully. And The Game is definitely one of them. Last year the Compton rapper made waves by announcing his co-ownership of Santa Ana dispensary known as The Reserve, making him the first celebrity to own one of 10 operations that sprang up in the wake of the city’s lottery for new cannabis dispensaries last year. The Game reportedly invested $1 million into the Reserve. Since then he says he’s more than tripled his

return on investment. He’s also become a spokesman for The Reserve brand and other cannabis-related industries, such as Green Street. In a post Prop-64 world, Green Street is one of the many businesses that connects the worlds of cannabis and commerce. In a swanky top floor office suite in the L.A. neighborhood of Miracle Mile, one of the company’s mini cannabis brand expos is in full swing on a rainy Friday afternoon. Stepping out of a pair of antiquated, manually operated elevator doors into the Penthouse-turned-office, a table of beautiful women sit by a fireplace in tight nightclub dresses, rolling joints of premium bud while a bustling crowd experiments with different pot products designed to get you good and stoned. Representatives of a cannabis-infused lemonade and edibles company offer free samples next to a professional masseuse doling out some tension-busting massages with THC-infused body lotions (which actually won’t give you a buzz, but feel damn good). Located at the top of a building that’s become a beacon for new businesses inside a vintage shell of Art Deco L.A., this pot party makes it easy to see the world through emerald-tinted glasses. For the Compton-born rapper, this lifestyle, which he might easily find at a cannabis convention or in the stylized fiction of a rap video, is a far cry from less glamorous days of getting high on chronic in his old Compton neighborhood starting in the late ‘80s. He took his first puff at age 7. Having older brothers around forced him to grow up fast, a little too fast the night his brother George, aka rapper Big Fase 100, put him up to it while their mother was out working at the post office on a graveyard shift. “I think he stole it from one of the bigger homies in the hood,” the rapper remem-

bers. “But this was chronic in 1987 when everyone was smoking stress, this was like a rare jewel, almost like finding a rare diamond in the middle of Africa.” As any third grader would, the first hit caused the rapper to nearly cough his lungs out of his chest. “I felt like I was gonna die,” he says laughing. “They was laughing at me like ‘get your bitch ass up, look at you’ and I’m like coughing going, ‘help me!’” Though he’s got plenty of weed stories to look back and laugh about, dealing with the impact of the government’s crackdown on pot in his old hood, and an overcrowded state prison system reminds him just how lucky we are to be living in this era of legalization. “Look how many people have been locked up for weed and how many people wouldn’t have been locked up for a small amount, maybe an ounce or two if it was now and they got pulled over,” he says. “And it’s just like when alcohol was illegal, the Patrons and Hennessey’s of the world were criminals, smugglers...as soon as it became legal, all those old brands are now the billionaires of the world. So anybody with any sense knows that now is the time to get involved.” Since investing in The Reserve, the rapper’s dispensary continues to churn out new cannabis innovations at a Wonka-like pace, including the Reserve’s potent strain of bubble gum kush he puffed on during the interview, which is sold in canisters that look like cat food, until you open them up. “It smells like bubblegum, and it doesn’t lose its scent, and the taste is crazy,” he says. “As soon as you pull it back you get a whiff of that bubble gum and you gone. That’s definitely one of my top five favorite strains.” It also comes in a potent strawberry banana version.

“...JUST AS GANGSTA RAP HAS GAINED MAINSTREAM ACCEPTANCE TO THE POINT WHERE IT’S BECOME UBIQUITOUS, [THE GAME] HOPES SOCIETY’S PERCEPTION OF WEED WILL FOLLOW SUIT.”

Aside from bud itself, Game’s partnered with G Farma Brands, which includes his G Drinks—his personal favorite line of cannabis products, including G Lemonade, a 100mg potable infused with liquid cannabis oil. “ They’re really potent,” the rapper warns, “definitely a sipper.” With a preponderance of pot products that resemble stuff kids might like—lemonade, bubble gum and candy—the Game’s role as a entrepreneur will soon collide with his role as a parent. When asked whether he thinks he would allow his three kids—ages 6, 9 and 13—to smoke when they’re older he says, his kid’s first time getting high will probably be their last. “Let’s just say if my son is 15 and he wants to take his first hit of the weed, I’m gonna make sure it’s the most crazy strain ever in life,” the rapper says. “He gonna feel like he ate a pack of edible gummies. I’d want them to have a terrible first experience and then have them be like nah, I’m cool, I smoked once with my dad, I’m good.” Though it sounds like a joke, for the Game there’s definitely an underlying hope that just as gangsta rap has gained mainstream acceptance to the point where it’s become ubiquitous, he hopes society’s perception of weed will follow suit. Of course, the amount of time that takes is irrelevant for a rapper who got to the top living by his own rules. “Forty years from now, everyone will have at least taken a hit of weed at some point in their lifetime,” the Game says. “Social acceptance comes with time and if you’re like me, you don’t really give a fuck how long it takes for other people to accept it because you don’t care and you’re gonna do you regardless.”

The culture of mainstream hip hop has always had an element of flashy extravagance, whether it be the hood-inspired dookie rope chain Run DMC rocked or the excessive “bling bling” of the early 2000’s, which resulted in Gold and Platinum from head to toe. Shine Papers have taken luxury to the next level with a product anyone can enjoy. Shine Papers are the world’s first 24k gold rolling papers, cones and cigar wraps. They’ve partnered with one of west coast hip hop’s kings, The Game, on a new line of cannabis products called ‘Pure Leaf,’ a luxury broadleaf wrap.

WRITER / SHONTELLE REYNA

LIFESTYLE

EXPLORING SEX, LOVE AND CANNABIS FOUR EXPERTS WEIGH IN ON THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SEX AND CANNABIS WRITERS / JORDAN TISHLER MD, ASHLEY MANTA (THE CANNASEXUAL), BUCK ANGEL, NICK KARRAS D.H.S.

hat does cannabis have to do with sex and love? DOPE Magazine sat down with a passionate group of experts in an attempt to unearth the relationship between the three. Whether you’re new to a relationship, looking to strengthen one (or many) or simply wanting to reignite a flickering flame, cannabis may help create a healthy, active and flourishing sex life. Cannabis acts as a catalyst in energizing sensuality, creating mutually satisfying, playful sex and increases awareness about your own needs and that of your partner(s). Cannabis has the ability to reduce stress and anxiety, two influencers of lackluster sex. Small amounts of cannabis introduced pre-foreplay can create an opportunity to connect with your partner on a deeper, more intimate level. Cannabis can amplify both mental and physical connectedness, and put us in touch with our needs. What follows is a series of short essays on how you can put cannabis to the test in your sex life. Whether you’re looking to experiment with new sexual desires or searching for a way to block out the stresses of everyday life that often lead to less-than-spectacular sex, this four-part feature will act as your guide to partaking in the sex you desire and deserve.

CULTIVATING INTIMACY AMONG BABY BOOMERS

HOW CANNABIS CAN SPARK NEW LIFE INTO LONG-LASTING PARTNERSHIPS WRITER / NICK KARRAS, D.H.S. | AUTHOR OF THE PASSI0NATE HIGH

s a counselling sexologist and cannabis coach, I see couples from all walks of life working through a myriad of issues relating to sex and love. Most often I hear they have lost desire or connection with their partner, and are unsure about how to restore passion and intimacy. This commonly occurs because of the stress and distractions of daily life—they have trouble letting go of it all, living in the present. I especially enjoy working with the older generation. Some are first-time cannabis users, but many have fond memories of using cannabis when they were younger, back in the ‘60s. With the onset of retirement and more free time on their hands, they often take stock of their lives and realize their senses have been dulled—there's no juice, no passion. The story they now have is a pared-down list of half-forgotten events that can be slightly embarrassing in the retelling. They come to me with basically two questions: what happened back then, and how can I recover some of those passionate feelings? Research presented at the Gerontological Society of America found that older married couples who still engage in sexual activity are more likely to report happiness in their relationships and with their lives overall, so it's no wonder that the 55+ age group are the largest demographic of new cannabis users. When couples don’t seek out and invite sensuality into their daily life experience, why would they be sensual while having sex? Rather than suggest new positions or techniques to have more sex, I encourage my clients to first experience some less challenging forms of sensuality. Take time to rediscover the simple pleasures: listening

to music, preparing a good meal, a leisurely hike. Awakened sensual awareness most often leads to mutually satisfying sex. Sex organically springs from that place. And all of those passions are enhanced when using cannabis. Science is now confirming all the incredible medicinal aspects of cannabis, but the powerful psychological benefits of the plant are often overlooked. When used in small amounts (microdosing), it facilitates a faster connection and creates an opening on a deeper level—it creates a Zen-like quality, grounding the couple in the here and now. One also notices the quieting of our inner censor, that voice that discredits and blocks rich intellectual, spiritual and sexual experiences. Another familiar hallmark of cannabis is laughter. Not only is laughter therapeutic for the body and mind, but it can also be a form of foreplay. It floods our bodies with dopamine, serotonin and endorphins, and that rush makes us want to cuddle and be playful. Sebastian Marincolo describes the “cognitive bouquet of effects” cannabis offers in his book High: Insights on Marijuana. He describes a hyper-focused attention, enhanced episodic memory retrieval, and enhanced pattern recognition, just to name a few. The hyper-focus keeps us in the moment and connected to our partner. It also gives accent to our surroundings — the ambience, lighting, the smell and sounds. I suggest that couples play the music they enjoyed when they first met, bring out old photographs to stir memories and reignite their initial passion. Enhanced episodic memory retrieval is great at bringing couples back to the exciting start of the relationship. During lovemaking on cannabis, pattern recognition can help identify a sexual rut and a sense of

your partner's mood. So turn off the television, shut down the Internet, hide the cell phone and plan to spend the night experimenting with your partner. Trust me, you can relive the glory days. Start by finding a good dispensary with a knowledgable budtender—someone who can provide knowledge about individual strains and suggest products. Every one of us has a unique physical and psychological makeup, so you may have to try different strains of cannabis to find which one works best for you. Be patient and enjoy—it’s a fun journey. I find one that one of the most pleasurable aspects of cannabis is the social element. Remember the fun parties and community we had back in the days? When it comes to cannabis, I can't overstate the fact that less is more. You want to get high, not stoned. So start out with very little and wait to see how you feel. There are so many different methods of enjoying cannabis today, from smoking or vaporizing to a plethora of edibles. I recommend staying away from the edibles until you know what you're doing, as it is very easy to take too much. Cannabis is legal now, so talk to your friends and share knowledge. You can also check out my book, The Passionate High, which is filled with how-to information and ideas on how to create a more passionate life. www.passionatehigh.com

4 WAYS TO USE CANNABIS FOR A BETTER SEX LIFE WRITER / JORDAN TISHLER MD

ost people think sex is awesome. I think most people would agree that the idea of sex is awesome, and that awesome sex is awesome…sometimes, however, the reality doesn’t quite live up to the hype. Sometimes you need a night where the sex is extra mind-blowing. How can we enhance our sex lives? Cannabis offers us some great options! Whether the day is stressful and you’re wound tighter than a drum, or you’re just looking to put the spark back into a wonderful, long-term relationship, cannabis can help. One of most common misconceptions about sex is that the only erogenous zones lay below the belt. In reality, the main event is between your ears. Even down-and-dirty, one-night-stand sex begins with the idea that it’s exciting and sexy—all of which are notions that reside, you guessed it, in your mind. Cannabis is known for influencing our minds and perspectives, and is similarly helpful in kick-starting some of the more physical aspects of sex, such as getting an erection or relaxing the vaginal walls. So, how can you introduce cannabis into your sex life?

1. SET THE MOOD Cannabis is a wonderful enhancer for sex. It cannot, however, do all the work. You’re gonna have to keep doing all those wonderful little things that turn you and your partner on. Whether that’s cooking a wonderful meal, drawing a bath, or pulling out that box from under the bed with the handcuffs and cat-onine-tails, this is the time to bring cannabis into the play. There are so many ways to use cannabis now, it’s a bit daunting. You could smoke, vaporize, eat, rub, spray, or even take Cannabis under your tongue! But, cannabis does behave a bit differently depending on how it’s used, so let me give you a few pointers. First, I don’t recommend smoking. Hey, I’m a physician, I don’t want you to have great sex and then die of lung cancer. It’s true that most data suggest that cannabis smoke won’t cause lung cancer but that data is not yet conclusive, so why go there? Vaporization avoids the whole smoke thing, while providing ease of use and rapid onset. Edibles and tinctures have wonderful properties for general cannabis use, but they can take so long to kick in that I don’t see them as super useful in the sex department. Do you want eat a gummy bear with your partner and then wait an hour to get it on? They’re also unreliable, so sometimes that might be 2-3 hours. That’s a mood killer in my book. Products like cannabis lubes and sprays are getting a lot of attention. They can definitely heighten the sensitivity of certain bits and bobs, so they’re worth checking out. Remember, though, that they don’t affect anything but where you put them, so they’re really not getting to the mind-aspect of sexuality – where we said the major action is. Also, remember that they, too, take 20-40 minutes to kick-in, so you’ll have to plan accordingly. Bottom line: I think that vaporized cannabis is the fastest, sexiest, most reliable way to

use cannabis to get yourself and your partner into the mood. Try This: Set your vape to 356’F (the magic number) and share it with your partner.

2. SET THE STAGE Unless discomfort is part of the play, an intimate setting and a comfortable, safe environment are key for good sex. Sometimes this means the bedroom, other times it might mean the kitchen table or the stairs, but no matter what, be sure it feels right. Cannabis helps us be “in the moment,” relax and enjoy the action. Poor attention to the setting will undermine the benefits of cannabis. You can “shotgun” with your vaporizer. Take a puff and hold it, then give your partner a very sexy kiss. Gently exhale into their mouth while they inhale the smoke you give them.

3. FOCUS This is a major area where cannabis can help. Cannabis helps us shut out the world, leave the day behind, move past the anxiety of performance or past injuries. Having set the mood and stage, now is the time to concentrate on your partner. Use the heightened sensitivity to touch that cannabis brings to extend foreplay, and touch areas that are not usually erogenous zones. Most men will find that cannabis allows them to get harder and last longer. Orgasm is usually much more intense. But for men,

dosage is key. A little goes a long way, and too much is, well, too much. I often say, “It’s hard to do the deed if your head is orbiting Jupiter.” Women generally find that dose is not as important. While you can certainly consume too much cannabis and feel uncomfortable, it usually doesn’t impede sexual activity.

4. BE MINDFUL Perhaps this should go without saying, but we should be aware of our partners’ needs and desires. This includes likes and dislikes among sexual activities, as well as having positive consent. It also means that after all is said and done, sex isn’t “over.” Subtle touch and cuddling are major contributors to the beneficial aspects of sexual communion. Cannabis will amplify these connections, both in your mind and body, so take the time to engage after orgasm. Now you know how to get started. Set the mood, set the stage, focus and be mindful. If you have more questions, I do couples and individual sexuality counseling with cannabis. For more information, visit our website: www.inhaleMD.com.

MY CANNABIS THREESOME

DO'S, DON'TS, AND MUST-HAVES FOR A SEXY, SAFE, MIND-BLOWING EXPERIENCE WRITER / ASHLEY MANTA

y Valentine’s Day present this year was a two-guys-focused-on-pleasing-me threesome, with cannabis added into the mix. It all started in mid-January, when my lover Bruno and I were having one of our afternoon delight dates. He rolled over and asked, apropos of nothing, if I’d be interested in having a threesome with him and Carter, a dear friend and fellow sex geek. In my thirty years on this planet, no guy I’ve dated has ever suggested having a threesome with another guy. I was floored, but found my words quickly. “Hell yes!” I exclaimed. Since all three of us are cannabis users and I have more weed than I know what to do with, I offered to supply the cannabis products for the evening. We also agreed to explore me receiving butt play, which is something I’ve historically found intimidating and unappealing. Having a successful threesome takes planning. After the initial invitation and scheduling were completed, we had two conversations in advance and then a longer conversation the night of the threesome. Although Bruno and Carter had never met in person, I’d played with Carter before, so he had a pretty good grasp of what I might enjoy. If that’s not your situation, I’d encourage you to create a Yes/No/Maybe list in which you list various sex acts and what category (yes, no, or maybe) they fall into for you. Share the list with the other partners, and voilà! You’re on your way to having an informed discussion about wants and needs. We decided to go out to dinner together before heading back to my house, so we had plenty of time to share our safe sex information (last time we were tested, barrier needs, safewords if necessary, etc.) as well as build anticipation for the main event. I would always suggest having a pre-threesome meeting (with clothes on) to go over logistics, especially cannabis-related logistics. Negotiate before you medicate, so once you’re in the threesome location you can jump right in. After we got back to my house, the real fun began. We blocked out 8pm to midnight on our calendars, so we had plenty of time. I changed into a sexy outfit, we dimmed the lights and lit candles, put on some mood music, and I packed us a bowl. I chose a sativa-dominant hybrid, OG Kush, for its euphoric effects, body buzz and heightened perception of sensory input. I wanted to feel everything and be present for it. Carter and Bruno each took a couple hits and I ate an edible—Snuggle Bites from Swerve Confections, another hybrid with Ayurvedic herbs to help enhance feelings of love and connection. My body was receptive to pleasurable sensations and I felt fully immersed in every moment. Next thing I knew, it was time for anal exploration! I had no expectations for this part of the evening, which I believe is the best way to approach butt play. I inserted a FORIA Explore suppository (60mg THC and 10mg CBD) about ten minutes before we started warming up, to give plenty of time for it to work. Carter put on a pair of gloves and got the lube ready while I got on my hands and knees, bending over a Liberator wedge (a firm cushion that assists with various sexual positions) with Bruno in front of me.

Bruno stroked my head and told me he loved me, and that he was excited to support me in this exploration. Carter is well versed in butt play, so he knew how to warm up my body in a way that felt safe and comfortable. He massaged my lower back, butt cheeks, and finally around my anal opening for a good twenty minutes before ever attempting to insert. Most importantly, he checked with me before he did. “Are you ready for my finger?” was an awesome way to both get consent (again) and remind me that I was calling the shots in this experience, which made me feel safe. He went slowly and tried different techniques, getting my feedback for each. The FORIA suppository made a huge difference. I felt much less discomfort than I’ve experienced in the past, but without a numbing sensation. Once we found a technique I enjoyed, he continued with the same method and stimulated my g-spot anally. Bruno reached over and handed me my favorite vibrator, the We-Vibe Touch, so that I could have clitoral stimulation. Thanks to their support and patience, I ended up having an orgasm while receiving anal penetration from fingers—for the first time in my life. Afterward we were all blissful and exhausted. The two of them held me, told me how much they both care about me, and expressed interest in repeating the experience sometime in the future. The last thing they said before we officially ended the evening? “Happy Valentine’s Day.”

SUCCESSFUL THREESOME NEGOTIATION

••Start with the question, “What is one thing that could happen/that we could all co- create to make this experience amazing?” ••Share “dream scenarios” and see where your interests overlap, and where they diverge ••Share your boundaries, safer sex needs, and potential turn-offs

BUTT BASICS • •Butt play is similar to edibles: start low, go slow! • •When it’s time for insertion, start with a finger and work your way up to larger objects • •If it hurts—stop! Listen to your body

SAFER SEX TIPS FOR GROUP SEX ••Use gloves for penetrating orifices ••Change gloves between holes and partners ••Make sure you only touch a toy or lube bottle with clean hands or fresh gloves ••Once a hand/toy/glove touches the butt, it doesn’t touch any other body parts ••Put lube in small, disposable condiment containers for portion and contamination control

THE FUTURE IS CANNABIS AND SEX

TRANSGENDER CANNABIS ACTIVIST BUCK ANGEL SPEAKS OUT WRITER / BUCK ANGEL

consider myself a human rights activist— with a twist. The twist is that I talk about sex as it relates to my body. Upon first read that might seem like a bizarre statement, so let me take a moment to explain. I am a transgender man—born female and transitioned to male over 20 years ago. Over the years I’ve found the thing that often sets me apart from others in the transgender community is that I am very outspoken about my genitals. I like to talk about my vagina—A LOT! I know what you’re thinking. Vagina? Yes, I still have a vagina. I proudly display it, and talk about it in my activism. My openness about my body has allowed me to live a very successful life. Advocacy for the transgender community has and will remain one of my greatest passions. It has been my life for many years. More recently, I have found a second passion—cannabis. I have been sober from drugs and alcohol for over 24 years—cannabis made my sobriety tolerable, and most importantly, possible. It was a game changer for me in regards to my anxiety and insomnia. I have a very busy life filled with traveling, speaking and advocacy engagements. I also film sex educational films, also known to certain circles as pornography. Throughout the years, my demanding schedule kept my mind running late into the night and I often had trouble shutting it off. Over time I became addicted to sleeping pills, and often found myself waking up in the morning feeling like crap. Then came

my introduction to cannabis. To be honest, I was originally afraid to consume cannabis, as I had been told it was a gateway drug and I feared it would lead me to begin using drugs and alcohol again. I had been free from the chains of drugs and alcohol for so long, and I didn’t want to ruin all of the years of hard work and dedication that led to my sobriety. But I decided to give it a try because I hated the prescription drugs I was consuming just to fall sleep at night. I’ve been using cannabis for almost five years now, and not once have I ever felt the need to use drugs or alcohol—my initial fears had been proven wrong. I am a man who believes in health and fitness; I eat great, I exercise regularly and I keep my brain free and clear. Cannabis has helped me stay focused and has aided in relieving my anxiety. Cannabis changed the quality of my life. I became a big believer in the plant. One of the most amazing benefits of cannabis I’ve discovered are its effects on sex. I love sex, and sex has been one of the main ways I’ve been able to connect with my body. I was already pretty engaged sexually, but when I discovered how cannabis brought my sexual experience to a whole new evel of fun, I was hooked. When I united cannabis and sex, I discovered a freedom from the anxiety that sometimes occurs when you are “in the zone.” I found I was able to focus on the sensations in my body without the after effects that some other

drugs can illicit. It’s an amazing experience that I believe can have profound, positive effects on our sex lives. With our new freedoms as legal consumers, sex and cannabis has become something to celebrate. I don't think we talk about it enough, or even have enough cannabis products marketed towards the relationship between the two. The sex industry is a billion dollar industry for a reason—it is natural for people to crave and partake in sex. The same can be said about the cannabis industry, and the potential of this union is mind blowing. These industries should be working hand-in-hand and learning from one another. As a man in both the sex and cannabis space, I have experienced anti-sex behavior from those who want to keep the two industries apart. I think the new generation of cannabis consumers have the ability to change that. My hopes are that this industry doesn't get taken over by the conservative right, who are so anti-sex that they won’t celebrate the sexual aspect of this new frontier. I am an activist, and will continue to fight for what I believe is inherently right. I will do all I can to fight against the close-minded desire to shut out the natural relationship between sex and cannabis. Sex is good; cannabis is good. Let’s stop shaming those who choose to combine the two in responsible ways. The future is cannabis and sex.

PRODUCTS WE LOVE WRITER / KATIE CONLEY

PHOTO / TREVOR BOONE

Sweatshirt, Hat & Beard Balm from Strain Printed

Xyrena Reefer Madness Perfume Collection

Colorado-based company Strain Printed utilizes vintage designs and cozy fabrics for their clothing line—a subtle fashion choice for cannabis lovers bored with Rasta colors and garish layouts. All their products are made on-site in Rifle, Colorado. Their screen printing process sets the design into the fabric itself, so your print won’t crack and chip after multiple wears. The Blue Dream Fleece Pullover, named after the ever popular Blue Dream strain, is made from 100 percent California fleece cotton. The Headband Cannabis Strain Snapback Hat is a one-size-fitsall structured hat, and the classic design allows you to display your cannabis passion in an understated manner. The Hemp Seed Beard Balm is made with Hemp Seed Oil and and a beeswax base, sporting a light, natural scent for all your beard sculpting needs. strainprinted.com @strainprinted Price: Sweatshirt $45-$46 Hat $22.99 Beard Balm $13.99

Xyrena’s Reefer Madness perfume collection pairs retro VHSstyle boxes and ‘80s designs with classic cannabis scents. Each of the three unisex fragrances, made from cannabis terpenes, evoke the notes of a specific strain. Blue Dream and OG Kush are earthy and understated, while Space Cake recalls a buttery vanilla cupcake. xyrena.com @xyrena Price: $74.20 each

Green Card Greetings

Forget Hallmark—send these quirky, cannabis-themed greeting cards to the stoners in your life. Not only will they put a smile on your loved one’s faces, they include a convenient baggy attached to the card, perfect for any extra “goodies” you may want to give. greencardgreetings.com Price: $4.99

Sploofy Personal Smoke Air Filter Say goodbye to lingering smoke. Whether you’re at your parent’s house or travelling in a non-legalized state, the Sploofy Personal Smoke Air Filter essentially vanishes the smoke you toke. One cartridge can last as many as 300 sessions. Simply exhale into the Sploofy filtration system, and poof! The smoke is gone. sploofybrand.com @sploofybrand Price: $19.99

7pipe Glass Blunt Never fumble on a roll again! Load your flower into the 7pipe Glass Bluntâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sleek chamber, then twist in the gold spiral top to complete your blunt. A chic, yet functional product made from high quality material to class up your blunt game. 7pipe.com & twisty.glass @7pipe Price: $49.99

Smokies Toke Couture Hair Clips These elegant hair clips are handcrafted by San Francisco-based artist Pilar Johnson and sold through her Smokies Toke Couture Etsy shop. Each clip is unique, and the styles vary from flower design to clip material, with choices of Tibetan silver, antique copper or gold tones. A lovely statement piece for the fashion-forward cannabis lover. @smokiesTokeCouture Price: $25-$55

Asche Locket Mill Keep what you love near to your heart. This Locket Mill from NYC-based company Asche is not only a sleek necklace, it doubles as a grinder and comes in 18K Gold Vermeil or Black Rhodium, with choice of a keyring or 30-inch adjustable chain. ascheindustries.com @aschenyc Price: $200 and up

HISTORY

THE PREJUDICES OF POT PROHIBITION

TRACING THE RACIALLY-CHARGED HISTORY OF AMERICAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S DRUG WAR WRITER / JEFFREY RINDSKOPF

“RACE HAS ALWAYS BEEN A CENTRAL FEATURE OF AMERICA’S MARIJUANA PROHIBITION.”

ne of the more disturbing developments of Donald Trump’s presidency has been his appointment of Alabama Senator Jeff Sessions—a man who once joked that he thought the Ku Klux Klan was “okay, until he learned that they smoked marijuana”—to the post of Attorney General. It’s alarming to think of our nation’s chief law enforcement officer espousing such antiquated prejudices, but perhaps not altogether surprising—for race has always been a central feature of America’s marijuana prohibition. “Rarely do you see that kind of candor about it, though,” Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes says of Sessions’ Klan remarks. A primary sponsor of Washington’s Initiative 502 to legalize recreational cannabis, Holmes recognizes that the federal government’s ongoing war on drugs has had questionable, even sinister, motives dating back to its inception. Pharmaceuticals are a valuable crop for industrial use. Though oriental-style hashish parlors already flourished in major cities on the East Coast, recreational use was most common among Mexican immigrants, whose numbers multiplied following the Mexican Revolution of 1910. El Paso, Texas became the first municipality to criminalize marijuana in a 1914 ordinance, not unlike an 1875 anti-opium law designed to target Chinese immigrants in San Francisco. Both provided law enforcement officials with a convenient excuse to detain, deport and otherwise persecute these new citizens. Sensationalist newspaper stories meanwhile painted marijuana users as violent criminals, helping to galvanize public opinion against Mexican immigrants and their “marihuana”—a simple colloquialism used to talk about cannabis or hemp. “Mexican, Crazed by Marihuana, Runs Amuck With Butcher Knife,” read one New York Times headline from 1925. Many of these stories ran in newspapers published by William Randolph Hearst, famous for his alarmist “yellow journalism,” whose motives were likely economic rather than racial. Holmes, like many others, believes Hearst’s goal in demonizing cannabis was to hurt the hemp industry, a potential competitor to the many paper mills he owned. “Hearst’s first order of business probably wasn’t to be racially discriminatory, but it sure was an easy means to serve his purposes,” Holmes says, illustrating the complicated motivations that can manifest as discriminatory laws. Much of the anti-drug propaganda, however, came from the federal government itself—specifically from Harry J. Anslinger, the first head of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, created in 1930. Throughout his 32-year tenure, Anslinger spread many fabricated police reports depicting violent crimes supposedly perpetrated by marijuana users, many of them with none-too-subtle racial themes.

ARTICLE TITLE “Colored students at the Univ. of Minn. partying with (white) female students, smoking [marijuana] and getting their sympathy with stories of racial persecution. Result: pregnancy,” a typical report reads. The unemployment and economic upheaval of the Great Depression only increased white Americans’ fear of their Spanish-speaking neighbors, likely accelerating the nation on its path to federal prohibition. By 1931, 29 states had outlawed cannabis, and in 1937, the Marihuana Tax Act criminalized recreational use at the federal level while imposing an excise tax on industrial hemp. The war on drugs as we know it today began in 1970, when the Marihuana Tax Act was replaced with the Controlled Substances Act, which ranked substances according to their harmfulness and potential for addiction. Marijuana was placed as a Schedule I drug by the DEA, the most restrictive category, ignoring the findings of the Shafer Commission, which recommended decriminalizing marijuana. This continued hostility towards cannabis users was more than just willful ignorance— rather, it was a political smokescreen for then-President Richard Nixon’s true aims. Former Nixon aide and Watergate co-conspirator John Ehrlichman memorably described the former president’s motives in 1994, saying: “[Nixon] had two enemies: the antiwar left and black people… We 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.” Of course, many of the officials tasked with enforcing the war on drugs aren’t aware of its racial underpinnings, but that doesn’t change the ways these laws disproportionately affect minorities. “With drug policy, you have to look at the impacts,” Holmes says. “There is no rule that says, we should have a disproportionate number of blacks incarcerated in our prisons, but we know that’s the effect.” Indeed, 13 percent of black American men have lost their right to vote as a result of drug incarceration, despite the fact that they use drugs at approximately the same rate as white Americans. In 1986, a black American was six times as likely as a white American to be jailed for drug-related offenses, and in 1996, twenty-two times as likely. The war on drugs originated as a camouflaged cultural war, and it continues today as an ever-expanding waste of taxpayer funds, with more than $40 billion spent on enforcement annually, and of human life, with more than 92,000 prisoners currently serving time for nonviolent drug offenses. The waste won’t end under Sessions’ rule, but hopefully that won’t stop Americans from pushing for a sensible drug policy, one without prejudice.

T R AV E L

SLOVENIA A TINY ALPINE HEMP LAND WRITER / SESHATA

lovenia has only two million inhabitants, and nestles neatly at the foothills of the Alps, just east of Italy and south of Austria. Due to its location, Slovenia has traditionally been at the mercy of historical great powers including Italy and Austro-Hungary. It was also an integral part of the Yugoslav Republic, and has enjoyed real independence for just thirty years. Slovenia is a great place to visit in and of itself. It has stunning scenery that is remarkably varied given its small size â&#x20AC;&#x201C; in the northwest, high Al-

pine peaks and stunning glacial lakes. Further east, myriad rivers and marshlands, interspersed among rolling foothills, valleys and plateaus. Slovenia is a popular destination for hiking, skiing, mountaineering, caving, cycling â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and enjoying the numerous thermal spas around the country. The country also has a small but respectable winemaking industry, with three major wine-producing regions. The Slovenians themselves are friendly, hearty and welcoming, with a real love of local wine and mountain sports!

“IN SLOVENIA, SMALL AS IT IS, IDEAS CAN TAKE OFF RAPIDLY – AND IT WASN’T LONG BEFORE [MEDICAL MARIJUANA ACTIVIST RICK SIMPSON’S] VISIT SPARKED NATIONWIDE DIALOG.”

Alongside this, Slovenia also has a small but thriving subculture of cannabis and hemp use. Traditionally, hemp was of crucial importance to the rural farming economy, and now efforts are being made to revive history. In fact, in the small Slovenian village of Trimlini, the annual hemp harvest incorporates traditional rituals practiced since ancient times. Slovenia also has a significant Cannabis Social Club movement, and attitudes towards cannabis use (recreational included) are generally relaxed. Laws are relatively lax, particularly compared to its Balkan neighbors to the east. There are signs that the whole region is moving towards liberalization, and Slovenia may be instrumental to that process. Some years back, Slovenian activists brought Rick Simpson to speak at a conference and spread the word about his oil. In Slovenia, small as it is, ideas can take off rapidly – and it wasn’t long before the visit sparked nationwide dialog. Soon after, and following intense debate, the Slovenian government finally opted to allow medicinal use of cannabis. Now, the ripples of this gradual movement are being felt throughout the Balkans. Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro and Romania have enacted medicinal cannabis laws – although many complain that laws are not yet comprehensive enough.

I’ve come on a short visit to Slovenia to check out the local scene although it’s quickly clear that I came at the worst time of year, as the wind and rain is relentless. However, the capital city of Ljubljana is beautiful whatever the season, and a great place for a weekend break. While I’m here, I hope to check out the local scene, but I’m hit by my first disappointment early on. The Country Estate Trnulja, a gorgeous hotel featuring bio-apartments made from hemp, is closed for the season. I’ll have to schedule another visit in the summer, as this was a destination I truly wanted to see. The hotel is surrounded by hemp fields, and the restaurant serves homemade delicacies such as hemp gnocchi. However, it’s not the only hemp house I have lined up. My friend Miha Lamovec, owner of the new company Hemp & Wood Construction, has promised to show me around his project. So on Saturday afternoon we make our way to Slovenske Konjice, a small town around an hour from Ljubljana. Lamovec’s hemp house project is absolutely stunning, and is undoubtedly the most impressive I have seen so far. Around 1775 square feet over two floors, the house will comprise three ensuite bedrooms, two reception rooms and an open-plan kitchen. Constructed using a proprietary technique developed by French company AKTA, this house had the hempcrete literally sprayed

T R AV E L

onto its timber frame! Using this technology, the process takes half as long as conventional methods. Later, driving back to the local train station so I can return to Ljubljana, Lamovec points out a vast area of hemp fields just minutes from his construction project. Although it’s winter, piles of retting hemp stalks lie in the fields. In summer, he tells me, the entire hillside is carpeted with lush, green hemp! Just one more reason to return here soon. On my last day in Ljubljana, I drop in to see the leader of the Slovenski Konopljin Socialni Klub, Jaka Bitenc. I haven’t scheduled a meeting, and I interrupt a patient discussion group that is deep in heated debate. Bitenc is an activist from the old school. He has been involved with the Slovenian Cannabis Social Club movement from the very beginning, and it was he that so famously brought Rick Simpson to the country to spread the word about RSO.

It’s quickly clear that Bitenc is too busy, and too much in-demand, to leave his group to talk to me. I say my goodbyes, make arrangements to talk later, and leave him to his discussions. Clearly, his patients’ needs take top priority – always a refreshing sight in this industry. Slovenia is a country that embraces transition (albeit sometimes slowly) and boasts strong public engagement. In a small country where ideas spread quickly, and politicians may actually respond, the possibilities for meaningful change are compelling. With both hemp and medicinal cannabis, an idea seems to have taken hold – and the next few years may see the birth of a whole new way of life.

NEWS

#END420SHAME THE COLLEGE HIGH WRITER / KELLY VO

ver and over again, marijuana has proven to have no boundaries in regards to race, age, or sex, but if I were to ask you to describe the “typical cannabis consumer,” more likely than not, they would look like a college student. It’s not a stereotype; it’s a fact. More 18 to 25-yearolds use marijuana than any other age group, based on statistics provided by the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. And, now, more college students than ever are getting high.

CANNABIS CONSUMPTION BY AGE

AGE

PAST YEAR

12-17

13.1%

12.6%

7.4%

7.0%

18-25

31.9%

32.2%

19.6%

19.8%

25-65

10.1%

10.4%

6.6%

6.5%

65+

1.9%

2.4%

1.3%

1.4%

2014

2015

PAST MONTH PAST MONTH 2014 2015

“MARIJUANA USE HAS A ‘LESSER IMPACT’ ON THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY THAN ALCOHOL AND BINGE DRINKING… ‘YOU DON’T SEE THE PROPERTY DAMAGE AND VIOLENCE AND GENERAL DISRUPTIONS.’” According to Monitoring the Future, a survey by the University of Michigan, between 2006 and 2015, the number of college students who consumed marijuana in the past twelve months increased from 30 percent to 38 percent. And the frequency of use is up too. One out of every twentytwo students surveyed stated that they used marijuana daily or almost daily. Truthfully, the trend isn’t that surprising. As more states legalize recreational and medicinal cannabis, it’s only to be expected that more college students would use, but should it worry you? Not that I can tell. Sarah Belstock, the Director of Health Promotion at the University of Denver in Colorado, told NBC News that, “marijuana use has a ‘lesser impact’ on the university community than alcohol and binge drinking… ‘You don’t see the property damage and violence and general disruptions.’” And there’s no indication that marijuana hurts grades either, reveals a study by Inhale Labs. Based on the survey, which interviewed 2,056 students from across the US, the average self-reported GPA of students classified as daily or near daily marijuana users was 3.2—0.1 higher than the average self-reported GPA of all students. Taylor Jones, a twenty-four-year-old graduate out of the University of Kentucky, is the perfect example of the college cannabis user. Not only did Jones regularly consume while in school, but he also volunteered, worked and participated in several organizations including Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity, eventually graduating with honors and earning his B.B.A. in 2014. “Marijuana helped me get through the stressful times throughout college,” said Jones. “The pressure in college to succeed can be sometimes overwhelming. Meeting deadlines, managing your time, and being on your own for the first time can be shocking. I used marijuana to tone down at the end of a hard day. It was a way to step out of reality and simply relax. And unlike with other substances, there were no negative side effects. It was also a much better choice than using alcohol. I remember living with friends who drank beer every night. They

always felt hung-over the next morning while I felt completely normal.” But for Jones, consuming marijuana wasn’t just about relaxation, he also used it medicinally to help him sleep when he really needed it. “I remember, on several occasions, I had to pull an ‘all-nighter’ studying so I could take an exam in the morning. During those times, I’d use marijuana to take a nap the next day.” Then, there’s the social component. Jones used cannabis as an excuse to hang out with friends and as a way to meet new people. “No matter their ethnicity or gender, marijuana was very popular at the University of Kentucky,” he remembered. “There was always paraphernalia at everyone’s house, it was always present at parties, and it was always something offered when you showed up at someone’s house to hang out. I met several friends through marijuana and continue to do so. It was very common to meet up with several friends to consume then go play basketball, video games or have a cook out.” For Jones, and thousands of other students just like him, consuming marijuana isn’t an excuse to “slack off” but a necessary part of the college experience: a way to relax, self-medicate, and have fun. And Jones has no plans to consume less now that he’s graduated. “I have continued to use marijuana medicinally,” he says. “And, I believe that over the next 10-20 years, the research will prove that marijuana has multiple health benefits for the average person. When you look at our society as a whole and see how we abuse substances (i.e. caffeine, alcohol, stimulants, or pain killers) and you take a step back and look at marijuana, it is easily the best option for alternative medicine to relax the individual. I think with legalization happening across the country, marijuana will become more and more accepted as an alternative to other abused substances in college.” If you have a story to share about cannabis as part of our #End420Shame series, use the hashtag on social media or email kellyv@dopemagazine.com.

According to Monitoring the Future, a survey by the University of Michigan: ••38% of college students said they had used marijuana in the past 12 months. ••4.3% of college students use marijuana daily or almost daily. ••5 out of every 10 college students have not used any illicit drug in the past year. ••Only 5% of college students indicated smoking cigarettes daily, compared to 19% in 1999. ••In 2014, 43% of college students said they have been drunk in the past 30 days, down from 48% in 2006

TAG US SOCIAL MEDIA

@Dopemagazine And have your photos featured here!

1 @1130artisans

2 @naturallyroyalgenetics

6 @renegadeart 11 @danizsensi.png

7 @twoheadsco

3 @moonmanchronics 8 @damerogue

12 @alpine_collective

4 @oregonbreedersgroup

9 @seattlesmokers

13 @nofearsnofucks

5 @futurolausa

10 @goshangocannabis

14 @greenwaygrown

15 @kattsjungle

SCIENCE

THE INS AND OUTS OF THE ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM WERE WE DESIGNED TO BE RECEPTIVE TO CANNABINOIDS? WRITER / MEGAN RUBIO

ave you ever wondered what causes the human body to react to the psychoactive effects of cannabis? Without a doubt, cannabis can be a potent drug. But there is a specific system that makes our bodies and minds more receptive to the effects of cannabis. This system is called the endogenous cannabinoid system, most commonly referred to as the endocannabinoid system. Only discovered recently, the endocannabinoid system is perhaps the most important system involved in not only establishing, but also maintaining human health. The system was aptly named with respect to the cannabis plant, which led to the discovery of this system within the human body. Endocannabinoids, as well as their receptors, can be found throughout the body, including in the brain, organs, tissue and immune cells. The key goal of this system, like many other internal systems, is to maintain a stable environment within the body, despite the influences of external environmental factors. Cannabinoid receptors exist throughout our bodies. Researchers have already identified two of the receptorsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;CB1, which is mostly present in the nervous system, glands and organs, as well as CB2, which is mainly found within the immune system. Endocannabinoids are substances naturally made within our bodies that stimulate these receptors. But the receptors also respond to the cannabinoids within the cannabis plant. Plant substances that are able to stimulate the cannabinoid receptors are referred to as phytocannabinoids. Though there are over 100 documented cannabinoids, the most recognized, well known and researched of those cannabinoids include delta-9-tetrahydrolcannabinol (THC), cannabidiol (CBD) and cannabinol (CBN). Research into the numerous cannabinoids that exist within the cannabis plant have barely begun to scratch the surface of the plantâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s medicinal potential. The different strains, comprised of varying cannabinoids, have been suggested as a reason why cannabis-infused substances seem to have the ability to treat a plethora of illnesses. The receptors, both CB1 and CB2, contribute differently to the stabilities within our bodies. As the cannabinoids are absorbed within the endocannabinoid system, the body is able to maintain a state of homeostasis. Dominance of CB1 receptors has been linked to increased perception of stress, anxiety, paranoia, as well as decreased pain. CB2 receptors, when predominant in the body, are associated with decreased inflammation and tissue injury, along with improvements to the metabolism and energy balance.

Cannabinoids, whether produced from within the endocannabinoid system or introduced into the body due to cannabis consumption, regulate numerous bodily functions. When the endocannabinoid system is being properly maintained, it aids in the regulation of sleep, appetite and digestion, mood, motor control, immune function, reproduction and fertility, pain, memory and temperature regulation. It is when this system is out of balance that our bodies become more susceptible to illness, or may result in the improper functioning of critical systems. Issues found to be a result of disharmony in the regulation of the endocannabinoid system include fibromyalgia and irritable bowel syndrome. This system was only discovered in the mid-1990s, and there is much research that still needs to be done. While researchers have made little progress in the United States, Israel leads the research on this topic more than any other country. The scientist who discovered the endocannabinoid system, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, was also the doctor who identified THC as the main active ingredient in cannabis. Some find the sheer existence of the endocannabinoid system to be evidence of cannabisâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; potential medical qualities. Our bodies, by design, are built to accept and flourish in the presence of cannabinoids. Despite this, there are still many unknowns about how and why the body functions the way it does in response to the outside introduction of cannabinoids. While our bodies produce their own cannabinoids, there is much left to discover about the cannabis plant and how its numerous cannabinoids impact the body.

x IGNITE YOUR 4/20 IN STYLE

com

e. op

ntd

a ew @w

or r st

in ail

e, e

ou ny

he et t

i PEN

g To

@wewantdope Get yours at wewantdope.com

2017

4th Annual

SCAN

For Inquiries Call 201-580-2050 Serving the Cannabis Industry from Coast to Coast.

NEW YORK

LOS ANGELES

BOSTON

JACOB K. JAVITS CONVENTION CENTER

LOS ANGELES CONVENTION CENTER

JOHN B. HYNES CONVENTION CENTER

JUNE 14 -16

SEPT 13 -15

OCT 4 - 6

GROWERS, YOU ASKED for more security.

WE LISTENED.

Emerald Harvest's new safety cap. Its tamper-evident ring guarantees product integrity. Safety cap with security ratchets Emerald Harvest products are available at all leading hydroponic retail stores. www.emeraldharvest.co

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has executed a harsh drug war that has led to thousands of deaths, many of them carried out vigilante style. Duterte critic and senator, Leila de Lima, was arrested on charges that she accepted bribes from drug smugglers. She called the charges “lies.” In addition, Duterte responded to a damning report from the group Human Rights Watch that “When you kill criminals, it is not a crime against humanity. The criminals have no humanity. G*ddammit,”

WEED WEEK WRITER / ALEX HALPERIN ILLUSTRATOR / JOSH BOULET

The same day Attorney General Jeff Sessions reversed President Obama’s policy not to incarcerate federal prisoners in private prisons. Private prisons are more dangerous than public ones but Sessions said they are necessary to “meet the future needs of the federal correctional system.” Meanwhile, a state bill co-authored by northern California Assemblyman Jim Wood would forbid local authorities from co-operating with the feds to prosecute state-legal marijuana activity, though neither Sessions nor Spicer specifically said that would happen.

An an ti-S em itic we b sit e ca lle d Th e Da ily Sto rm er su gg es ts th at op po sit ion to AG Jef f Se ss ion s’ dr ug po lic ies is a Jew ish co ns pir ac y. Re po rte r Ma dis on Ma rg oli n no ted th at th is ha s ro ot s at lea st as fa r ba ck as th e be gin nin g of th e dru g wa r. “Yo u kn ow it’s a fun ny thi ng , eve ry on e of the ba sta rds th at ar e ou t for leg ali zin g ma riju an a is Jew ish ,” Pre sid en Nixon sa id. “W ha t the t Ch ris t is the ma tte r wi th the Jew s, Bo b, wh at is the ma tte r wi th the m? I su pp os e it’s be ca us e mo st of the m are ps yc hia tris ts.”

White House press secretary Sean Spicer told reporters to expect a federal crackdown on REC. “I think there’s a big difference between medical marijuana versus recreational marijuana,” Spicer said. “That’s a very, very different subject.” Asked what this would mean in terms of policy, he said “Well, I think that’s a question for the Department of Justice,” which is led by prohibitionist Jeff Sessions. Spicer also compared legalization to the opioid epidemic.

Shares in penny stock Cannabics Pharmaceuticals turned heads after they spiked to an all-time high of $7.60 per share before crashing back. Analyst Alan Brochstein believes the run up was just “momentum trading” and that it’s a “worthless company.” Despite the hazards of penny stocks, the financial firm Viridian Capital Advisors found that cannabis stocks climbed 236% in 2016. One sign of growing investor interest is that a financial firm has filed to create the first cannabis-oriented exchange traded fund. It won’t invest in REC for now.

U.K.-b ased GW Pharm a releas ed data from a brain cancer clinica l trial indica ting prolon ged life expec tancy for patien ts treate d with a combi nation of THC and CBD. The trial was on patien ts with recurr ent gliobla stoma multifo rme, an aggre ssive brain cance r. Patien ts who receive d the combi ned therap y survive d for a media n of 550 days, compa red with 369 days for those on a placeb o. In other medica l news, a long awaite d clinica l trial testing MED on vetera ns with PTSD is underw ay.

PRODUCT

GRIND FOR A CAUSE CONNECTING THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY THROUGH DESIGN, CONSULTING, AND PHILANTHROPY

WRITER / KATIE CONLEY

PHOTO / PROVIDED BY GRIND FOR A CAUSE

THE PRODUCT •• Best-selling items are their grinders, silicone jars and hat pins •• Custom laser engraving and silk printing allows for a sleek and completely unique grinder. •• Grinders come in multiple sizes and materials, with 2 or 4-part configuration options

WWW.GRINDFORACAUSE.COM @GRINDFORACAUSE

rind For A Cause, the preeminent custom grinder wholesaler and distributor, aims to be the world’s first inclusive brand. They work with everyone from up and coming artists to super stars and brands within the cannabis, culinary and entertainment industry. Besides custom-engraved grinders, Grind For A Cause produces rolling trays, jars, dab mats, pins and other smoke accessories with everyone’s budget and quantity needs in mind. With an eye on community building, they don’t want to be known as just a grinder company.

DESIGN

CONSULTING

PHILANTHROPY

Whether a company has an order for 10 or 10 thousand custom accessories, Grind For A Cause wants to help bring designs to life. They utilize artists to collaborate with different brands, and can help with logos and overall art direction. Always wanting to be inclusive, Grind For A Cause will work with budget and quantity needs; price isn’t important for them, its connecting businesses and collaborating within the industry. They want to be the go-to for custom smoking accessories.

Whether it’s business to business or brand to brand, Grind For A Cause wants to help make the connection happen. Collaboration is key—after all, the cannabis industry will only continue to thrive if companies remain united and harmonious. They understand that one company’s success is a victory for the industry as a whole. Grind For A Cause even helped us here at DOPE meet with The Game for our cover story this month. Connections and consulting are key.

Grind For A Cause also hosts and sponsors charity events, both locally and wherever their clients happen to live. Grind For A Cause works with multiple Washington, D.C. organizations such as Thrive DC, a nonprofit striving to end homelessness, and the Capital Area Food Bank. They want to work with local charities and sponsor non-profits, with all the proceeds going to the organizations. Products aren’t the focus for Grind For A Cause—it’s their philosophy.

GROW

CULTIVATING SCIENCE IN SALIDA PURE GREENS ELEVATES THE CANNABIS STANDARD IN COLORADO

WRITER / DAVID BAILEY

PHOTO / JENA SCHLOSSER

PURE GREENS IS ADVANCING ADAPTATION

A core part of cannabis cultivation and the culture surrounding it has been the clandestine nature of the society—after all, it’s been highly illegal. As technology and resources have helped enforcement crack-down over the years, it has also helped growers and dealers avoid getting caught, the ironic development of which being the separation between agriculture and cannabis. What used to only be grown outside in fields and ditches has been brought inside into micro-environments, and over time has become completely unrelated to the practices and agricultural lineage from which it comes. Growers pushed boundaries and the thresholds of the plant itself in many ways. The yields and familiarity of the plant’s life cycle, through primarily anecdotal science, have been well documented, replicated and published thousands of times over. Our biggest drawbacks had gone largely unrecognized by the budding industry until the emergence of a legal, and thus, regulated industry. While large-scale agriculture has had the very necessary environmental regulations, cannabis growers have become accustomed to extreme electric use, unlimited water supplies, no run-off or fertilizer regulation and premixed and bottled nutrients use—not to mention building, fire and business permits. Not surprisingly, most of the legal market developed out of these practices and perpetuated them until they were forced to adapt, and many are still fighting these adaptations.

CHANGING THE FACE OF CANNABIS PRODUCTION Recognizing a gap in the market that ultimately left the customer without consistent or reliable product, Pure Greens has gone against the standard. Approaching cannabis with the same science and technology available to large-scale and industrial agriculturalists, added with the combined expertise and passion of cannabis growers, Pure Greens hopes to change the face of cannabis production and manufacturing into a more sustainable and ultimately efficient process. Currently operating with 11,000 ft² indoors, their upcoming approach to greenhouse production has yet to be matched. Expanding to what will be 250,000 ft² of canopy and fully automated, these aren’t your standard hoop house set-ups. Environmental control and fertigation (fertilization and irrigation combined) systems by Argus allow the otherwise outdoor-like setting to be controlled with indoor quality and consistency. If it starts to get too hot, the shade cloth pulls over. Still too hot? The wet wall, desiccant cooling system kicks on and changes the flow of the fans. Similarly, if the sun gets too shaded, a light meter reads the available micromoles and adjusts the supplemental lighting. That’s only the beginning. The fertigation systems have sensors throughout the greenhouses to monitor the moisture level, pH and EC of the soil itself. This information is fed to the computer controller which will then feed, water or adjust the needs of each individual section. It blends your nutrients, maintains your pH, waters your plants, keeps data and controls the environment all in one. But the advancements don’t stop there. Measuring annual light levels and average micromoles per square foot, the team recognized the regular over lighting that’s erroneously installed in many greenhouses. With the ample sunlight in sunny Colorado, not to mention the intensity they receive at 7,143 ft of elevation, Pure Greens was able to reduce their lighting density by 75 percent and only run the lamps an average of 25 percent of the time. Compared to their indoor operation, this is an increased efficiency of 16x! At the end of the day, you get a more sustainably grown and higher quality product, all for a lower cost. IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN COMMERCIAL GREENHOUSE SYSTEMS AND AUTOMATION, CHECK OUT LLKLINK.COM OR CGS-GROW.COM

THE MARRIAGE OF SCIENCE AND CULTURE Pairing science with culture has already separated and secured Pure Greens’ place in the Colorado cannabis scene. This next step will imbed them in the national marketplace and branch a new model for states coming on board. “Respect for the individual, customer, community and environment” are a mainstay of the cannabis culture, and are literally listed as their company core values. This is how you make a lasting difference. “Large-scale” and “mass-produced” pot has been touted for years as the fear of the home grower and a downfall of the environment. There’s certainly something to be said about artisanal, hand-crafted products, but there’s a difference between allowing Monsanto in the game and growing cannabis on a large-scale. Utilizing agricultural science has pushed growers towards an otherwise unattainable sustainability. Watering is maximized, nutrients and excess run-off are minimized, and most of all, electricity use is miniscule in comparison. Imagine all the extra time spent with the plants when these things aren’t taking up so much of the growers’ time! It’s time we create a sustainable face to this otherwise green industry.

RIVER GROWN, MOUNTAIN CANNABIS. AT ITS BEST. PUREGREENS.COM

photography by Jeremy Running BEST BRANDING / MARKETING Lunchbox Alchemy

BEST OUTDOOR / GREENHOUSE GROW Shadowbox Farms

BEST CANNABIS ASSOCIATION OCBC

BEST PRODUCT PACKAGING WYLD BEST STORE LOCATION Oregon’s Finest

BEST CANNABIS STORE ATMOSPHERE Moss Crossing

BEST TECH PRODUCT The Daily Leaf

BEST CANNABIS STORE PRODUCT SELECTION Canna-Daddy's BEST CANNABIS STORE STAFF Attis Trading Company - Gladstone BEST CONCENTRATE COMPANY Select Strains BEST EDIBLE COMPANY Lunchbox Alchemy

BEST TESTING FACILITY MRX Labs BEST TOPICAL / SUBLINGUAL COMPANY Empower Bodycare CANNABIS STORE OF THE YEAR Chalice Farms FEMALE BUDTENDER OF THE YEAR Julia Coatu

BEST GLASS BLOWER Goliath Glass

MALE BUDTENDER OF THE YEAR Ricky Burby

BEST GLASS STORE Mellow Mood

MOST CHARITABLE CANNABIS STORE MindRite

BEST INDOOR GROW Yerba Buena

AND THE WINNERS ARE!

BEST CANNABIS DESIGN FIRM KindTyme

OREGON SPIRIT AWARD Oregon Cannabis Insurance

BEST NEW CANNABIS STORE Serra - Downtown Portland BEST NUTRIENT COMPANY Emerald Harvest

PERSON OF THE YEAR Ted Wheeler THE EMERY AWARD Earl Blumenauer

The Second Annual DOPE Industry Awards Oregon took place on February 26 at the gorgeous Leftbank Annex in Portland. The event hosted 500 guests from the top cannabis industry companies in Oregon. The black-tie affair showcased awards in 25 different categories that were voted on by the public for over 60 days to determine the winners. The lifetime achievement recognition deemed the “Emery Award” was bestowed upon Oregon Congressman Earl Blumenauer for his lifetime of work to continue to normalize cannabis across the country. The glitzy event was hosted by the incomparable Kitty Kitty Bang Bang for a second year in a row in Oregon. Her opening musical performance from the film Reefer Madness kicked the night off while the band Excellent Gentleman acted as the perfect backdrop of music throughout the evening. All guests received swag bags stuffed to the brim with keepsakes from sponsors and even a custom glass piece donated by Mary Jane's House of Glass. The night would not have been possible without our amazing title sponsor Ionic Vapes along with our supporting sponsors; Pistil Point, 7 Point Law, Rich Extracts, Precision Extraction Solutions, THC Labels and The Cannabis Distribution Company.

For more from the 2017 Oregon DIA's visit diaor.dopemagazine.com

ARTICLE TITLE

TOP-SHELF CANNABIS | MINIMAL CARBON FOOTPRINT WORLD CLASS BREEDING | FAMILY OWNED & OPERATED @SHADOWBOXFARMS #FOLLOWMYPHENOHUNT Find Your Favorite Oregon Retailer at: WWW.SHADOWBOXFARMS.COM 76

Sweet Tarts #23 was selected from an original cast of 300 genotypes. This incomparably loud and beautiful ﬂower reeks of dark fruit and blood orange. It ﬁnishes with the hazy funk of its mother, a nearly black genotype of Durban Poison known as “The Durbs.” The potent dose of terpenes brings an energetic, uplifting and light-weight effect. Coming in 2017, Exclusively from Shadowbox

STRAIN

CHILLY’S GARDEN GREEN DRAGON I WAS THE ONE SLAYED!

WRITER / E. SOMES PHOTO / JASON HORVATH

hilly, a Master Grower in Eugene for almost 30 years and winner of multiple awards, has spent the last five years refining this 20-year-old strain in Eugene. It’s a Cambodian Landrace Sativa crossed with a New York City Diesel—ultimate perfection. Upon opening the package of gorgeous buds, the aroma reminded me of being at an outdoor summer concert. After lighting up, the flower produced a smooth citrus glow on the inhale with a bit of an earth-berry afterburn on the exhale. The all-over, uplifting buzz led to a blissful evening of relaxing jazz absorption as I sat fireside.

CBD

THC

WEBSITE: CHILLYSGARDEN.COM INSTAGRAM: @CHILLYSGARDEN

20.71% 1.18%

AVAILABLE AT TREE HOUSE COLLECTIVE 2419 NE SANDY BLVD PORTLAND, OR 97232 SPROUTLY 2270 W 11TH AVE EUGENE, OR 97402 DR. JOLLY’S 415 SE 3RD ST BEND, OR 97702 AND OTHER RETAILERS

TESTED AT: WESTSIDE ENTERPRISES

ARTICLE TITLE

H A P P I N E S S

W E L L B E I N G

DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T MISS EXCLUSIVE SPECIALS & INSTORE EVENT ON 4/20 & THE COTTON MOUTH COMEDY TOUR AT BOMBS AWAY 4/21

15% OFF APPAREL, ACCESSORIES & ELECTRONICS

HQ VOUCHER PRESENT COUPON TO RECEIVE SAVINGS LIMIT 1 COUPON PER PERSON, EXP. 5.15.17

NOW AVAILABLE ON BAKER FOR PREORDER AND FAST PICKUP

EDIBLE

BHOMBCHELLYS JELLYS LITTLE GUMMY DOES BIG THINGS WRITER/PHOTO / CAITLIN CALLAHAN

f you were fond of gummies as a kid, you’re going to get a kick out of these delectable treats. Initially created to give relief to patients who can’t or don’t want to smoke cannabis, founder Michelle Renee created a little candy that does big things. Each one of these bad boys packs quite a bit of THC—they come in 13, 50, 100, and 500 mg doses—and they offer fun, fruity flavors such as strawberry, apple and watermelon. Within 20 minutes of consumption I felt a call to adventure. There’s a warm, head-in-theclouds feel to their high. Colors were extra vivid, and sparks of creativity were flowing freely. Aside from medical patients, I would recommend these BhombChelly’s treats to music festival lovers, adventure seekers, or even Netflix and chill fans. Happy 420! INSTAGRAM: @BHOMCHELLYJELLYS

4.2% THC PER JELLY AVAILABLE AT NECTAR ON SANDY 3350 NE SANDY BLVD PORTLAND, OR 97232 CANNADADDY’S 17020 SE DIVISION ST PORTLAND, OR 97236 AND OTHER RETAILERS

TESTED AT: 3B ANALYTICAL 3banalytical.com

S u p e r i o r

F e r t i l i z e r

ARTICLE TITLE

C O N C E N T R AT E

SELECT DABBABLES —DURBAN POISON FROM SOIL TO OIL WRITER / MATTHEW CRISCIONE

PHOTO / JASON HORVATH

inner of the Best Concentrate Company Award at the 2017 DOPE Industry Awards, Select has been killing it in the cannabis game! Well known for their excellent vape cartridges, Select Strains recently debuted their new dabbable lineup, and the packaging is simply beautiful. The labels on the package double as stickers, so you can keep track of their various strains. The Durban Poison, like all Select products, are locally sourced from organic farms. Using the syringe to administer the dab straight to the nail is effortless. Just drip a clear, golden serving right onto your preheated surface of choice, and pull back a bit on the stopper. The effects go straight to the head and feel fantastic, giving you energy, alertness and a happy, euphoric outlook for the rest of the day.

WEBSITE: SELECTSTRAINS.COM INSTAGRAM: @SELECT_STRAINS

CBD

THC

81% 0.59% TESTED AT: PIXIS LABS pixislabs.com

AVAILABLE AT OREGON’S FINEST 1327 NW KEARNEY ST PORTLAND, OR 97209 NECTAR 10931 SW 53RD AVE

PORTLAND, OR 97219 AND OTHER RETAILERS

Boosts Creativity Kick-starts your day

An energetic and productive high

DO NOT OPERATE A VEHICLE OR MACHINERY UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF MARIJUANA

ARTICLE TITLE

KEEP MARIJUANA OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN

Thanks for the love! We are gushing with gratitude after taking home awards for “Best Branding/Marketing” and “Best Edible Company” at this year’s Dope Industry Awards. It was a fantastic night made unforgettable by you and we are beyond grateful for your nominations, votes and support!

› › › › › › › ›

Best Branding/Marketing - 2017 & 2016 Dope Industry Awards Best Edible Company - 2017 & 2016 Dope Industry Awards Best Shatter, Lime Apollo - 2016 Dope Cup Runner Up, Best Sweet Edible Medical - 2016 Dope Cup Best Savory Cannabis Edible - 2015 Oregon Dope Cup 2nd Place BHO, Headstone Shatter - 2015 Oregon Concentrate Challenge 2nd Place Live Resin, Golden Pineapple - 2015 Oregon Concentrate Challenge 3rd Place PHO, Blue City Diesel - 2015 Oregon Concentrate Challenge

Lunchbox Alchemy uses top-quality Oregon grown cannabis to handcraft all extracts and edlibles. Independent lab testing verifies the elevated standards we strive for: high potency with no, pesticides, fungus, or mold. We aim to provide effective, high-caliber cannabis products.

What’s in your lunchbox?

#lunchboxalchemy | 541-241-6786 | For more information visit lunchboxalchemy.com

“crafted”

Family C O M E H O M E T O T H E FA M I - L E A F

SPEND $150 & RECEIVE FREE T-SHIRT 89

STORE

SERRA

PURVEYOR OF QUALITY DRUGS WRITER / E. SOMES PHOTO / CAITLIN CALLAHAN

THE PEOPLE At Serra, the process of being guided through the cannabis selection is a completely unique experience. First you are greeted by a docent, rather than a budtender. Docents typically act as guides in museums and art galleries, and the term certainly aligns with the feel of the space Serra has created. The docent inquires into the â&#x20AC;&#x153;feelingâ&#x20AC;? the customer is interested in attaining via their cannabis experience, giving them a notecard with various options, choosing between relaxation, focus, creativity, happiness, pain relief and energy. The docent then suggests something based on your choices.

THE PRODUCT Serra has collaborations with several artists and companies to provide unique products specifically for the Serra stores. Summerland Ceramics of San Francisco designed a stunning creamy white bong for Serra that marries form and function. Soothsayer fashioned a gorgeous tamper necklace mimicking the tile stone and floral floor pattern of the shop. Serra even has their own line of dark and milk chocolate bars using Portland’s Woodblock chocolate. They also carry a line of joint rollers by Brandon King, whose inspiration came from finding his Grandmother’s wooden joint roller in her attic! Cool “things” aside…Serra’s sweeping selection of cannabis is impressive for both medicinal and recreational consumers. For pain control, try their Valentine X or Tangerine Biscotti flower. Those wanting a creativity boost, ask about the store’s Jack Herer option. On the non-smoking side, Serra carries vape pens by both Quill and Truth Serum. Sensual massage oil by Cure-All Dew as well as therapeutic soaking salts by Empower are in stock. Serra has truly thought of everything and created a beautiful space to deliver all things cannabis.

THE PLACE Walking up to the Serra building, built in 1889, you’ll find yourself stepping over a walkway inlaid with the words “Quality Drugs”— reminiscent of a time when marijuana was indeed regarded as a respected medicinal herb. Cannabis has attained a new level of reverence in the Serra shop, clearly displayed in the design and atmosphere of this downtown dispensary. Serra strikes a beautiful balance between an all-glass arboretum, a jewelry store and an art museum. High ceilings and a stunning wall of living plants welcome customers, while succulents in milk-white pottery are placed throughout the store.

220 SW 1ST AVE PORTLAND, OR 97204 HOURS: MON-SAT: 10AM-10PM SUN: 11AM-7PM TWITTER: @SERRACANNABIS SHOPSERRA.COM

ARTICLE TITLE

PHOTO BY: MARK COFFIN

T H E L I M I T E D E D I T I O N O X B LO O D D O P E N GET YOURS AT WEWANTDOPE.COM

Renee’s Herb Store

-There’s

An Herb For That-

Best Selection - Lowest Prices Highest Quality

Family Owned & Operated Custom Teas & Bulk Herbs Located in the Historic Nelscott Strip

3203 SW HWY 101 LINCOLN CITY OREGON

PRODUCT

BLUNTED OB ECTS FEMININE, STYLISH COUNTERCULTURE WEAR

WRITER/PHOTO / CAITLIN CALLAHAN

lunted Objects focuses on the counterculture surrounding the stylish, highminded individuals of the cannabis community. Their signature leaf aesthetic is a fashion-forward take on traditional stoner wear. Its creative origins can be contributed to owner and designer Melodie Ling. Melodie noticed there was a lack of upscale, feminine jewelry in the cannabis culture, and she set out to remedy this absence. The result: sophisticated, intricate gold and silver-plated brass pieces. To accentuate your inner gypsy queen or flower child, check out their dope selection of earrings, necklaces and more at BluntedObjects.com

AVAILABLE AT WEBSITE: BLUNTEDOBJECTS.COM INSTAGRAM: @BLUNTEDOBJECTS TWITTER: @BLUNTEDOBJECTS FACEBOOK: /BLUNTEDOBJECTS

ARTICLE TITLE

VISIT THE LARGEST SHOWROOM IN OREGON!

NEW SALEM, OREGON LOCATION CO MIN G SOON !

4550 COMMERCIAL ST. SE SALEM, OREGON â&#x20AC;¢ NEW LOCATION COMING SOON!

WWW.GR E E N C R OSS C A N N A .CO M Warning: Do not operate a vehicle or machinery under the influence of marijuana. Keep marijuana out of reach of children.

ARTICLE TITLE

YO U R T R U ST E D L O N G T E R M C O N T R ACTO R

Now g! Hi rin

NOW HIRING JOURNEYMAN ELECTRICIANS INTERESTED IN WORKING WITHIN THE MARIJUANA INDUSTRY Protect your investment with our critical backup technology. We provide everything from consultation to a turn key facility and so much more.

CALL DAVE ANDERSEN (503) 665-4327

$ DISCOUNTED PAYMENT OPTIONS

98 CCB 173153

24 7 EMERGENCY SERVICE

dave@andersenelectric.com andersenelectric.com

Open 7 Days a Week

www.freshbudspdx.com

GARDEN

PISTIL POINT

BIG VISION BASED IN CRAFT QUALITY WRITER / JENN LAUDER PHOTO / JASON HORVATH

hen Josh Schmidt saw the 300,000 square foot building Sid Gupta wanted for a Portland cannabis cultivation operation, his response was an automatic: “You’re crazy.” In all his years as a grower, Schmidt had never heard of an indoor facility that size, but Gupta was undeterred. Confident in his vision and his assessment of the rising potential in the Oregon market, he moved forward. With a bit of coercion, Schmidt eventually came around to Gupta’s big idea—and he’s glad he did. Together the two have built what they believe to be the biggest indoor grow in the state. Gupta, who honed his business acumen in New York’s restaurant scene, recognized an opportunity in Oregon cannabis that might have passed him by if he’d stuck to the East Coast. That’s when he enlisted Josh Schmidt, a veteran of California’s medical cannabis industry.

100

A highly trained grower with experience with outdoor farms in Northern California, Schmidt understood the intricacies of producing cannabis on a large scale and the adjustments necessary to thrive indoors. He brought a third partner and head cultivator, Sithat “Thui” Xaivong, another seasoned California grower, to develop the unique processes that have come to define Pistil Point’s products. It’s not just the company’s size that sets it apar t. According to Gupta, it’s also “amazing genetic lines, experienced growers, dedication to our craft and patience.” Schmidt adds: “Craft quality on a large scale, which is really hard to attain. We’ve got a boutique feel with a big production. That’s really rare.” They’ve found a ready audience in the Oregon cannabis community. The state’s experienced growers and access to coveted strains, combined with a culture that privileges craft, works to create a unique

environment: “It’s like the Japan of America,” Schmidt contends. “A crafty place, with a lot of intellect, a lot of really smart folks who strive to do the best for themselves and for the people.” Expansion is on the horizon for Pistil Point, star ting with recently acquired processing and wholesale licenses. They ’re also developing some exciting partnerships through connections in the e n t e r t a i n m e n t i n d u s t r y. D e s p i t e s u c h rapid growth, however, their core values won’t change. “Responsible consumption, responsible production, and responsible testing in order to create responsible medication,” Gupta emphasizes. “It’s not just about growing cannabis, it’s about educating patients and consumers about what cannabis is and how it can help.”

“IT’S NOT JUST ABOUT GROWING CANNABIS, IT’S ABOUT EDUCATING PATIENTS AND CONSUMERS ABOUT WHAT CANNABIS IS AND HOW IT CAN HELP.” – JOSH SCHMIDT, FOUNDER

101

ARTICLE TITLE

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

10 2

1244 S. Riverside MEDFORD, OR 97501

FROM THE

SOIL TO THE OIL And

SHATTER to Sugar

WE PROUDLY BRING YOU SINGLE PASS EXTRACTED, LONG CURING, SMALL BATCH PRODUCTS WITH DISTINCT NATURAL AND PURE FLAVOR.

1ST PLACE (FALL)

2015 OREGON MEDICAL CANNABIS CUP CONCENTRATES

2016

DIA AWARDS BEST CONCENTRATES BRAND

1ST PLACE (SPRING)

2015 OREGON MEDICAL CANNABIS CUP CONCENTRATES

LOOKINGGLASSEXTRACTS.COM 971.806.4875 PARTNERED WITH

103 ASK ABOUT US AT YOUR LOCAL OREGON DISPENSARY

ARTICLE TITLE

A FULL SERVICE CANNABIS MARKETPLACE

541.345.8904 • 1553 OAK STREET • EUGENE, OREGON HOURS: MONDAY – SATURDAY 9 AM - 10 PM • SUNDAY 11 AM - 7 PM 10 4 98

WANT TO INCREASE YOUR GRAMS PER WATT? CASH INCENTIVES FOR OREGON GROWERS Energy Trust of Oregon offers free technical services and cash incentives for improving the energy-efficiency of your grow facility.

Get more from your energy. Visit www.energytrust.org/cannabis. Serving customers of Portland General Electric, Pacific Power, NW Natural, Cascade Natural Gas and Avista.

LIFESTYLE

THERE’S A STRAIN FOR THAT

CANNABIS PAIRINGS FOR ENHANCED EXCURSIONS WRITER / JENN LAUDER

he remarkably diverse cannabis plant can induce a wide variety of effects and experiences. This makes it an ideal companion for almost any occasion—a natural enhancement for any event or activity. We’ve paired a few excellent strains with some of our favorite happenings across the legal landscape, from the Emerald City to Beantown.

Seattle is one of the most beautiful cities in the US, surrounded by water and with views of both the Olympics and the Cascades. But if you’re looking for otherworldly grandeur of the manmade variety, check out Chihuly Garden and Glass, an indoor/outdoor collection from the renowned eponymous artist. For an immersive experience try Yoga Under Glass, a unique program that draws inspiration from Chihuly’s creative vision, paired with the strain Alice in Wonderland. Noted for its energetic and euphoric high, Alice intensifies sensory experiences with slight psychedelic undertones—perfect for the union of introspective yoga and breathtaking art on a large scale.

Cannabis is best enjoyed outdoors, and that combination can be perfectly, beautifully attained in Oregon. The state boasts topnotch cannabis retailers and gorgeous panoramas. Beloved by many, featuring miles of hiking trails and pristine mountain vistas, the Columbia River Gorge is a can’t-miss natural wonder. Grab some XJ-13 and head to Multnomah Falls, where you’ll likely encounter crowds on a nice day but can easily escape the masses for a peaceful hike. A piney, citrusy hybrid, XJ-13 will keep you fueled up for your excursion while ensuring that your feet stay solidly underneath you on the rocky terrain—and that you can find your way back.

106

In the Bay Area, food is serious business. And because cannabis makes every meal magical, it’s the perfect accompaniment for a culinary tour through Berkeley’s Gourmet Ghetto. Home to such legendary establishments as Alice Waters’ Chez Panisse and the original Peet’s Coffee, the North Shattuck neighborhood was the birthplace of the farm-to-table movement and still offers tasty and innovative delicacies crafted from local ingredients. Puff on some Ghost Train Haze before you set out on your mission for the perfect California cuisine. This strain will stimulate your appetite while relaxing your mind, allowing you to savor all the delicious flavors you encounter.

When you’ve had your fill of the Denver cityscape but still have plenty of bud to burn, it’s time for a trek to Red Rocks. The naturally-formed rock structures create a spectacular open-air amphitheater that hosts concerts of all varieties throughout the spring, summer and fall. Whether you’ve got tickets for Chance the Rapper, Odezsa, or the Trey Anastasio Band, you’re going to want to bring along some Golden Goat. Ideal for social situations, its Island Sweet Skunk roots and Hawaiian sativa zip combine to produce the perfect dancing partner. Golden Goat’s energy boost will keep you boogying all night long.

A springtime visit to Boston is not complete without a stop at historic Fenway Park. And now that Massachusetts is a legal state, those Red Sox games are going to be a lot more fun. It’s no secret that baseball is a slow sport, so a mellow indica like Black Cherry OG is best. The atmosphere in Fenway is always abuzz with the sights, sounds and aromas of America’s pastime, and the Black Cherry will help you take it all in without feeling overwhelmed. Plus, its mood-enhancing properties make it highly unlikely you’ll care much about the outcome of the game.

Wherever you are, sometimes you just want to stay in. For those nights when you’re ready to get cozy on the couch for a Netflix marathon, curl up with a treasured book, or indulge in an athome spa treatment, Tahoe OG Kush is the way to go. Packing a powerful body high with an introspective edge, this strain will help you settle into your tranquil evening without the least hint of FOMO. It’s also likely that the Tahoe OG will induce an amazing night’s sleep, preparing you for more strain adventures in the morning.

107

ARTICLE TITLE

10 8

ARTICLE TITLE

110

PAY ROLL HUMAN RESOURCES WORK ERS COMPENSATION BENEFITS ADMINIS TR ATION TA XES Let us focus on the details, so you can focus on what you do best.

503.646.5716

wedohr.com

info@wedohr.com

111

LIFESTYLE

TAKING THE WORKPLACE TOKE BREAK ON 4/20 WRITER / RYAN HERRON

ay you need to step out of work for twenty minutes and catch a quick smoke break, but your coworkers aren’t exactly the type that can appreciate you’ve got something righteously dank stashed away, waiting to be smoked. Your approach is everything. By making a plan (or really, just going for it) you can step out of work for a few—and have a tight alibi, if anyone notices.

Create a Scene

The Stealth Approach

Look. I’m not telling you to pull the fire alarm (don’t do that) but you know the sort of thing that might get your office in an uproar. Maybe you had to bring your kid’s class pet to work, for instance. Pick something that will cause a stir, but stop short of evacuating the building. Conveniently at 4:10, the animal escapes. In the scramble to find the reptile or whatever, you can step out for a few. When you return, triumphantly waving a paper sack and exclaiming that everything is under control, you’ll hear a collective sigh. You’ve given the office something exciting to talk about and bought yourself a few minutes to step out. If someone asks to see the pet, just tell them that “it’s had enough excitement for one day.” Bonus points for saving the day, and being the kind of parent that takes care of the classroom pet.

This is so sneaky they’ll never see it coming. Have a clean-cut friend show up at your work with “just a few questions about your whereabouts on January 17th.” You’ll obviously need some privacy for your “interrogation.” When you return, feel free to act somber and sport a pair of sunglasses. Your neighbor hasn’t been seen in a few weeks and people are starting to ask questions. Chances are one of your neighbors is a shut-in anyway, so bonus points for not exactly lying.

112

The Heist Fix Something If you’re ok with a little strategic vandalism, then this next one is for you. Find that one weird item that’s absolutely necessary for your workspace, but so small and random that there isn’t a backup stashed away. Then apply just enough (too much) pressure. Oops! You feel terrible and won’t hear having someone else race out to the supply store. You insist. Head out to buy a metric temperature gauge and take the scenic route. When you return with the appropriate widget, you can effectively encourage them to ignore you by waving a receipt around for $0.47 and asking about being reimbursed. Bonus points if you bought a backup just so you can pull this trick again in a week or two.

Creating a plan to steal twenty minutes can take the whole morning, but for that precious bit of free time, it’s worth it. Identifying that perfect window of time is all you need to slip under the laser beams and step out for a few. Try to set up a few distractions. Crank the thermostat up, intentionally jam the printer, mention that you saw someone’s ex in the parking lot. Then drop some donuts in a communal space and spread the word on your way out the side exit. Leave a few decoy donut crumbs on your desk. If anyone asks, you were there the whole time. Bonus points for having munchies on deck when you return. Even with nosey coworkers keeping tabs on your every move, you should be able to pull any of the above off without breaking a sweat. Have your piece packed and ready to go, and stash an edible in your bag just in case your plan fails miserably. Happy planning!

113

ARTICLE TITLE

114

115

Use promo code 420 and save 10% off all packages

ARTICLE TITLE

Expires 5/1/17

Spring Sale

11 6

GLASS

T-FUNK “DO YO THANG”

WRITER/PHOTO / WIND HOME

ye catching bright colors meet flawless craftsmanship and excellent function. And we can’t forget those beautiful facets on the marble. This piece, made by T-FUNK with a little help from his wonderful lady and partner @lulubeadingbear, is absolutely outstanding. When I asked T-FUNK what inspired him to make this piece, he replied simply: “Reppin’ the Funk.” T-FUNK brings his own unique style to everything he creates. Although the Fillas technique he used has been around for a very long time, T-FUNK has created his own flavor that stands out from the crowd. He likes to call it “Funk In Tech Incorporated.” T-FUNK started to blow glass in July of 2006. He had been obsessed with glass as an art form for a long time, so it was natural for him to learn the art himself. His passion was immediate, and his skill grew rapidly. He learned from some greats in the industry, and has now become a well-known figure in the glass community. His work can be found all over, in both shops and personal collections. The best way to find an available T-FUNK piece is to contact him directly through social media. NAME OF PIECE: TOBRA

HE LIKES TO CALL IT “FUNK IN TECH INCORPORATED.” – T-FUNK

117

ARTICLE TITLE

11 8

ARTICLE TITLE

120

L i g h t Yo u r Fi r e

121

STONER ARCHIVES

WRITER / MATTHEW CRISCIONE

This year for 420 we took to the streets seeking out your best cannabis stories, in honor of the holiday. We ran into a lot of interesting people on our ventures and gathered a few of the best (and strangest) ones.

JASON HORVATH: “My first time I definitely got high! We were young, and it was fall in Virginia. We went behind a school and made a bong out of a Sunny D bottle…I think we even used the juice as bongwater. I don’t remember what was on the radio, but I remember feeling like I was in Star Wars, being pressed back into my seat. I watched the snow fall in the dim of the headlights. I was giggling with a perma-grin on my face the whole ride back into the city. I remember thinking, I want to do this every day of my life. It stills goes down in my book as one of my all-time favorite stoner moments.”

JULZ: “I have several stories, but this one recently happened to me. My friend had a headache and I offered him a dab for relief— dabs relieve almost anything! I was going to hand my friend the dab rig and noticed it was dirty. Not being a rude host, I cleaned out the rig for him. As I was cleaning I had the idea to take some of the re-claim oil that collected and apply it to a fresh gingerbread cookie. I thought to myself, ‘Wow, this is delicious!’ It was so good I decided to eat another, and another and another. Well, that day I was supposed to move stuff from a storage unit into my house. My roommates found me in bed almost crying saying, ‘I can’t feel my legs!’ Any time my friends are troubled I usually say, ‘Smoke some weed,’ so they thought it’d be funny to offer me bong hits as I slowly replied, ‘NO. MORE. WEED!’ The moving went as planned, except for me passing out on that bed for most of the time! That kicked my ass for a couple of days.”

KOLE KAFENTZIS: “The first time I ate edibles my cousin was heading out to the movies with his girl, and offered me some brownies he had stashed in his drawer. I ate one, and not feeling anything after 20 minutes decided to eat the entire stash. My family was coming over that day—we’re talking around 40 people. While my brothers and cousins were playing games and horsing around, I was laughing on the floor while my 12-year-old nephews were wondering what was wrong with me. Not much time passed until I was passed out, and 11 hours later I found myself making friends with a large pizza!”

1 22

NICK W.: “ The first time I convinced my mom to smoke with me was very memorable. This was before any of the testing that we do today. The bag I had must have been a sativa because my mom had a couple puffs and went straight to cleaning the house. A little while later a neighbor came to our cove by boat, asking about a dock repair. Mom thought it was the cops or someone trying to buy the house, she was hiding behind the couch in full paranoid mode. Now that we have all this information available I’ve shared some very relaxing moments with her, and have helped her solve some other medical issues by removing the stigma and mystery of cannabis.”

LEE POPA: “I have quite a bit of rock memorabilia. My friend is Paul Raven, the bass player from Killing Joke, may he rest in peace. The [Berlin] Wall came down in November of ‘89 and we went in January to do a gig. That show was the first rock show since the wall fell, and I was an American guy so I went with the English guys. When I saw Poland and everything like that, I could see that they had nothing. Plastic shoes. We had a bunch of cassettes and t-shirts, basically stuff we had stolen from the label to use on our trip. We thought we would be the ambassadors of swag to this recently freed nation and handed this stuff over to our local sound guy. He kept telling us, “I love you guys, anything you need.” We said, “Well, we’d really like to get some pot!” Now bear in mind that the KGB and the full military regime still hasn’t decided if this little experiment was going to last. And the police presence was noticeable. A couple of days pass, and we hadn’t seen the sound guy. We figured he skipped town, but Paul started yelling, “Oy, there’s ya boy” and our lost sound guy was there, ushering us to his Lada (the only car available in East Germany at the time), where he lifted the hood of the engine and pulled out an entire cannabis plant from the air filter. Still had the root ball attached! We were expecting a couple grams, not a six foot tall plant! Suddenly it dawns on us—we’re in a communist country, this could send us to jail! Speaking to the potency, John Bachtell—who is now the keyboardist for Ministry—said after smoking a joint, “I don’t know what they got, but they got it!” I ran into that sound guy at the Korn tour in 2007! He still lived in Poland, and said he still had some of those shirts as a testament to freedom in such an uneasy time.”

123

ARTICLE TITLE

124

125

ARTICLE TITLE

MMP PA EO TIE M TI

S NT

FINE MEDIBLES

FIRS T

TOP QUALITY FLOWER

CONCENTRATES

TWO LOCATIONS IN OREGON! TALENT 630 S PACIFIC HWY TALENT, OR 541-897-4577

SPRINGFIELD 1401 MARKET ST SPRINGFIELD, OR 541-636-3489

COME TO THE ONLY OMMP CLINIC ESTABLISHED & RESPECTED SINCE 2001

Madras 541-779-5235

1 26

Prineville 541-779-5235

FOOD

GRIDDLED DEVILED EGGS

AN EASTER BASKET TREAT FOR GROWN UPS WRITER / LAURA AND MARYJANE

n addition to having an Easter egg hunt this year, which would be totally awesome while under the influence, why not celebrate 4/20 with these over-the-top deviled eggs. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve had a good deal of experience with stuffed eggs, and honestly there was only one I found too bizarre to eat. That particular egg was filled with peanut butter and grape jelly, sprinkled with mandarin orange bits. Unless I was literally starving, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think I could be in a situation that would get me to eat it. This recipe, however, originally un-infused by a famed Portland chef, is in a category all its own. The fresh horseradish adds a surprising hint of fire, but it is the canna-buttered, griddled crust that will make you swoon. Any questions or comments, give us a shout at LaurieandMaryJane.com. We will be eggcited to hear from you. No yoke. (Sorry).

DEVILED EGGS Serves 6 6 large eggs, hardboiled and peeled

2 teaspoons freshly grated horseradish

1. C arefully cut the eggs in half, removing t h e yo l k s a n d p l a c i n g t h e m i n a small bowl. Set the egg white cavities aside. Add the mayonnaise, canna-butter, horseradish, mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper to the egg yolks and mix well. The mixture should be smooth and creamy. If you prefer, you can puree in a food processor for a perfectly smooth yolk mixture.

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2. F ill the egg white cavities with the yolk mixture, pressing down gently.

4 tablespoons mayonnaise 2 teaspoons cannabutter, softened

1 teaspoon white wine vinegar Salt and black pepper to taste 2 tablespoons melted canna-butter 1/2 cup breadcrumbs

3. D ip the stuffed eggs into the melted canna-butter, filling side down, then into the breadcrumbs. 4. P lace the eggs, crumb side down, in a nonstick skillet. Cook until golden brown. Serve warm.

127

ARTICLE TITLE

1 28

ARTICLE TITLE

13 0

E N T E R TA I N M E N T

4/20 FLICKS

MOVIE-ING BEYOND THE STEREOTYPE WRITER / JEFFREY RINDSKOPF ILLUSTRATION / BEAU GREENER

3. LIFE OF PI Life of Pi is a film about spirituality, storytelling, connection, the human will to survive and the intensely personal relationship between a man and his God(s). It’s also about an Indian family that owns a zoo, a boy stranded at sea with a man-eating tiger and an uncharted floating island that eats people. Beyond all that, it also displays some of the coolest visuals and best CGI effects ever put to film, including one psychedelic sequence just as trippy as the one from Doctor Strange—you know the one I mean.

4. EXISTENZ

hat makes a movie ideal to watch while stoned? According to most lists on the subject, the chief requirement is one or more characters who smoke weed, but I say screw that. Tastes may vary depending on the person, not to mention the pot, but the best 4/20 films are more of an experience – not just a movie. They’re visually interesting, thought-provoking, gut-busting, cringe-inducing, and above all, unique.

1. WAKING LIFE You know those rambling philosophical discussions you have whenever you smoke with your best buds? Waking Life is a movie made up of those conversations, each one more likely than the last to blow your mind. Even better, all of it is rotoscoped—animation with squiggly cartoon lines drawn on top of actual film—giving the whole thing a hallucinogenic, acid-fried quality that will keep your brain as busy as the discussions about dream-worlds, free will and the nature of time. Whoa.

2. DRIVE Drive is a movie drenched in intoxicating ‘80s style, from its sultry, synth-driven soundtrack to its vision of a Los Angeles that’s always basking in sunset or lit with cool neon come nighttime. Ryan Gosling barely speaks as the mysterious badass at the film’s center, but he doesn’t need to—the drama, the romance, the tension, and even the horror all come from the film’s hypnotic atmosphere, a gritty retro world any stoner would be glad to get lost within.

eXistenZ is a little like The Matrix as directed by David Cronenberg—a twisty sci-fi designed to make you question your reality, only this time with a self-referential story about VR video games that plug right into the base of the gamer’s spine. Jennifer Jason Leigh and a surprisingly hilarious Jude Law star in a movie that always seems to keep one foot in dark comedy, and another in disturbing bodily horror—the kind only David Cronenberg can create. If you don’t find yourself screaming “eXistenZ is paused!” after this head trip of a movie, you aren’t high enough.

5. IT FOLLOWS Being high makes you paranoid, and being paranoid makes horror movies way better. It Follows is a perfectly paranoia-fueling horror feature. The concept is so effectively scary it seems like an ancient urban legend—a sexually-transmitted curse that slowly but unceasingly follows you until it kills you, unless you pass it on to someone else. The movie is like a nightmare version of summertime filled with perfect jump scares, though even scarier is the feeling of being followed that’ll stick with you even after the credits roll.

6. THE LEGO MOVIE The Lego Movie shouldn’t be this entertaining, but it is. It’s lively and colorful and hilarious, so packed full of visual splendor and clever lines it’ll keep even the sleepiest of stoners awake. All of it builds up to one hell of a twist, the kind that makes everything that came before better, and speaks to the Lego-obsessed little kid in all of us.

1 31

ics

nic

az on

/a m

fly

/a m

fin

THIS IS YOUR LIFE. THIS IS YOUR CANNABIS.

FOREST GROVE HILLSBORO MOLALLA PORTLAND LAS VEGAS COMING SOON: CALIFORNIA FLORIDA PUERTO RICO

GoShango.com

1 33

GLASS

TRENTON AKA @TRENTON0O RAINBOW #1

WRITER/PHOTO / WINDHOME

h e n I a s k e d Tr e n t o n w h a t i n s p i r e d h i m to make this beautiful rig his response was “Unicorns, pots of gold, butter flies, kitties and leprechauns.” It’s obvious the passion a n d p e r s o n a l i t y Tr e n t o n e v o k e s w h i l e w o r k i n g with glass. He first started blowing glass in 2009 during the NBA playoff season. His inspiration for working with glass was smoking good weed and his mentors had the best weed in Arizona. The beautiful and colorful lines you see in this piece are called lip wraps which make up the entirety of the piece’s construction. Trenton started learning this technique while working in a production glass shop in 2011. He would practice in his free time trying to perfect the skill. He said his favorite thing about this piece is the Moire effect that happens when looking through the lines while turning the piece. To find out if this piece is available contact Trenton0o through his Instagram. He’s a super nice guy and is always happy to help you find a shop or collector who carries his work. This piece was made during the full moon, Friday the 13th 2017.

“I want to fur ther the glass community. I’m all about sharing knowledge and improving ideas. We are no longer in an age of secrets or tricks with glass. I strongly feel that glass technique and concepts will only become better and stronger through the sharing of ideas.”

1 35

LIFESTYLE

EARTH-SIGN TAURUS TO FIRE-SIGN ARIES | APRIL 9TH – MAY 3RD, 2017 WRITER / THE HOODWITCH

ercury goes retrograde. SoCal transit has such a bad reputation, but it is a normal pattern and cycle of life. In fact, Mercury retrograde is necessary for helping us shift our focus. Learning the role of Mercury is key. Mercury is the planet associated with all forms of communication— it rules over how we express ourselves, how we think and communicate our ideas and feelings to the outside world. It corresponds to different avenues, with various areas of application; its association with the lungs and hands in medical astrology, the media in a natal chart, and the electrical system in a car. In human beings, Mercury is identified with the nervous system and all forms of sensory

input. When Mercury goes retrograde, this planetary shift will actually help steer our focus away from expressing outwards, and into expressing inwards. Don’t be afraid to take the journey! When Mercury is direct, it helps us speak our truth and communicate it to the world. When Mercury goes retrograde, however, this planet gives us the opportunity to assess our truth and how we have been communicating it to the world. This dual process must happen in order for us to truly understand who we are, and how we choose to express or communicate this information.

Between the days of April 9th and May 3rd, 2017, start working on those deeper parts of the psyche—be gentle and honest with yourself. Mercury retrograde isn’t “negative.” It’s just that when we know our truth, we know who we are. Of course, it isn’t all rainbows and flowers. Mercury retrograde comes with the obvious annoyances, but they’re for our growth, despite how frustrating they can feel. Be patient, and expect the delays and errors in communication that are always associated with mercury retrograde. Be open and receptive to the lessons our lovely Mercurial teacher has in store for us by being mindful of the following: Don’t sign legal documents and/or major contracts. Expect travel delays, and give yourself some flexibility in your travel schedule. Be open to subconscious messages (the truth ALWAYS comes to the surface). Tell your ex you’re still not interested (pesky exes love making appearances during retrogrades). Go inward and truly use this time for deep introspection: grounding mediation, journaling, painting, resting. Release and explore all your emotions in a healthy, creative manner. Mercury Retrograde is in the Earthy sign of Taurus, which means it’s wise to use this time to budget your finances wisely. Grounding your energy, and using discernment is going to be key! For the next three weeks: breathe deep, take things slow and trust that inner voice!

13 6

MEDITATION MANTRA â&#x20AC;&#x153;The information shown during this retrograde will show me the way to break free from comfort zones and routines. This change of pace offers me a new opportunity to change my life direction appropriately. I am being shown ways to broaden my perspective by using my intuition.â&#x20AC;? Allow insights from your meditations to lead you into deeper relaxation, utilize candles, herbs, stones and oils to create your own rituals for selfreflection, peace of mind and mental clarity. Take no less than 15-30 minutes, preferably at the same time each day to sit with yourself over the course of this retrograde.

Mercury Retrograde essential oils: Vetiver (grounding), Patchouli (grounding), Lavender (stress-relief), Chamomile (relaxation, releases anger)

Mercury Gemstones for grounding and Mental Clarity: Smokey Quartz, Clear Quartz, Black Tourmaline, Purple Fluorite

Candle colors: Blue, Black, White

1 37

ARTICLE TITLE

13 8

1 39

ARTICLE TITLE

14 0

141

WRI

TER

LO P O S. D R A / RIC

. EZ JR

PHO

TO /

GH HLEI

CAS

TRO

142

grew up in a time when vinyl was going out of style or pretty much extinct due to cassette tapes and CD’s. I was obsessed with buying CD’s as a kid and as the times continued to change, all of a sudden, CD’s started to die out. The Internet changed music consumption. I used to joke about how I’m going to be that guy that’s glad he kept all his old albums instead of throwing them away because they were obsolete. I remember moving to Sacramento and seeing Tower Records while salivating at a chance to search through their Hip-Hop/ Rap section. I also discovered I lived down the street from The Beat on J Street. Crate diggers and music lovers agree there’s something special and different when it comes to physically buying music. A new generation of music enthusiasts discovered this old way of consuming music and resurrecting “records” or “vinyl” in the process, and according to long-time crate diggers, it’s more than just nostalgia. “Digital formatted music is widely accessible and easily stored,” says Todd Shima, “While it’s convenient, it makes the music one-dimensional. Diggers take their collecting seriously so my guess is popularity stems from newbie diggers entering or curiously participating in the culture. “ Shima, 46, has been around music all his life, always having records, cassettes, even 8-tracks since birth. Shima’s father is a guitar player. His family always had a “music room” including a drum set and other instrumental equipment. In the late 80s or early 90s he would start calling himself a “digger” or record collector.

“It was mostly Hip Hop records like Run DMC, Public Enemy, LL Cool J, to name a few,” Shima says, “Artists like John Coltrane, Grover Washington Jr. and labels like CTI and Blue Note were also a favorite to dig during those great times.” Marc Weinstein, 59, is the co-owner/founder of Amoeba Music and also started record collecting at a young age. His father worked in radio and television broadcasting, and brought home piles of LP’s and 45’s. Weinstein would play them on his own record player and by his teens, he had hundreds of records. Today as a record store owner, he has seen an increase in record buying in the last five plus years, since 2009 vinyl has gone from 20% of Amoeba’s sales to 50% of sales. “We have gotten so far removed from the “art” and the “experience” of listening.” Says Weinstein. “LPs afford the listener/collector an enhanced opportunity to get closer to the artist and the music. The more meditative space listeners get when they often sit and pay more attention, combined with seeing the art and the songs curated in the way the artist intends, makes the whole thing much more fun...not to mention the wondrous mid-century technology that everyone marvels at.” Sacramento has quietly been a haven for record collectors, starting with Tower Records where Dimple Records now resides. Tower was founded and based in Sacramento in 1960 by Russ Solomon. Continuing with places like The Beat and Records on K Street and then Broadway, that no longer exist, but are remembered fondly by self-professed vinyl slinger and record collector, Dennis Yudt, 53, who has been all over Sacramento’s music scene. Yudt was an Editor and staff writer for Tower’s Pulse Magazine, DJ’ed at the Cattle Club for four years, worked at The Beat for about four years and at Records on Broadway for 8 months, though he had been a customer for about 35 years. In addition, Yudt has been in bands since he was 15-years-old. “The BEST time for hitting crates were the late 80’s thru late 90’s because everyone was trading in their vinyl for

CDs, which all those people are now regretting,” Yudt says, “the golden Era, especially here in Sacramento, which is a great record town, in large part thanks to Tower being based here.”Today, analog culture is thriving. As a kid, one of my favorite things about buying CD’s was being able to read liner notes, before the Internet, that was how I learned who was making my favorite songs. There is a new generation addicted to crate digging and discovering the ways of “old heads” before them. “It’s not just about the records or the music,” Shima says, “ We get nerded out on the aesthetics- anything from reading liner notes, wowing about design on an album cover, to even caring if it’s original pressing, promotional, or reissue.” Yudt remembers the Beat’s heyday, having DJ Shadow come by and dig through boxes in a back room, DJ Shadow’s first album cover is straight out of Records on K Street, and Chuck D and Flava Flav of Public Enemy coming in talking to him about Free Jazz and shooting video footage that Yudt briefly appears in. Yudt says it’s getting harder to find good records these days because more people are doing it and they’re better educated. “There’s more resources, especially on the Internet, that makes it easy for anyone to become a digger,” says Yudt, “Of course, it can be an expensive hobby if you are looking for rarities but I’m just as happy with, say, a Curtis Mayfield album that I found in a thrift store for a buck than I am buying a brand new limited edition by Nurse With Wound.” Nowadays you can find Shima around town performing as DJ Boogalicious, or digging at Delta Breeze Records in West Sacramento. Shima offers friendly advice to newcomers about vernacular of record collecting because record enthusiasts loathe the word “vinyls” and wants newbies to know plural for vinyl is vinyl. “Does it matter to me? Not really, I’ve always called them records. I also call them vinyl. As long as it’s good, I’ll call them anything you want. It’s always about the music.”

143

ARTICLE TITLE

144

145

Guarding the Community ..Cannabis ..Cash for Oregon's Cannabis Community Since 2011

ARTICLE TITLE

@GTC_Security

www.GTCsecurityLLC.com 14 6

VETERAN OWNED and OPERATED

www.emeraldharvest.co

Kick-Start your harvest today!

Professional Kick-Starter Kits. Because you deserve an Emerald Harvest.

1 47

ARTICLE TITLE

HAPPY 420 OREGON

F I N D T H E G O L D E N T I C K E T S â&#x20AC;¢ S U M M E R 2 017 14 8