DOPE MAGAZINE WA ISSUE #50 OCTOBER 2015 "THE HEALTH ISSUE" by DOPE Magazine

WASHINGTON | OCTOBER 2015 | ISSUE #50 | THE HEALTH ISSUE | FREE

STRAINS WHITE MAGIC & DUTCH TREAT

CONCENTRATE GDP ROSIN SOLSTICE

EDIBLES MONDO

MEDICAL COOP GREEN SOLUTIONS

BRANDING BUD

Consumerization of Cannabis

VENICE BEACH

Embracing Cannabis Culture

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䤀一匀吀伀刀䔀匀一伀圀 ℀ 吀栀椀猀瀀爀漀搀甀挀琀栀愀猀椀渀琀漀砀椀挀愀琀椀渀最攀 û攀挀琀猀愀渀搀洀愀礀戀攀栀愀戀椀琀昀漀爀洀椀渀最⸀ 䴀愀爀椀樀甀愀渀愀挀愀渀椀洀瀀愀椀爀挀漀渀挀攀渀琀爀愀琀椀漀渀 Ⰰ 挀漀漀爀搀椀渀愀琀椀漀渀 Ⰰ 愀渀搀樀甀搀最洀攀渀琀 ⸀ 䐀漀渀漀琀漀瀀攀爀愀琀攀愀瘀攀栀椀挀氀攀漀爀洀愀挀栀椀渀攀爀礀甀渀搀攀爀琀栀攀椀渀渀甀攀渀挀攀漀昀琀栀椀猀搀爀甀最 ⸀ 吀栀攀爀攀洀愀礀戀攀栀攀愀氀琀栀爀椀猀欀猀愀猀猀漀挀椀愀琀攀搀眀椀琀栀挀漀渀猀甀洀瀀琀椀漀渀漀昀琀栀椀猀瀀爀漀搀甀挀琀 ⸀ 䘀漀爀甀猀攀漀渀氀礀戀礀愀搀甀氀琀猀㈀㄀愀渀搀漀氀搀攀爀⸀ 䬀攀攀瀀漀甀琀漀昀琀栀攀爀攀愀挀栀漀昀挀栀椀氀搀爀攀渀 ⸀

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EDITOR’S NOTE

OCTOBER 2015 THE HEALTH ISSUE ISSUE 50

14 REC STRAIN OF THE MONTH

MED SOTM WHITE MAGIC

16 EDIBLE

MONDO BARS

DUTCH TREAT

20 CANNA-NEWS GREEN D.C. MEETUPS

24 BRANDING BUD HEALTH THE ESSENCE OF BRAND

BIG DATA GOES GREEN

48 CONCENTRATE

#HASHTAG

GREEN SOLUTIONS

32 CANNA-NEWS

JOSH STANLEY

42 REC STORE

COOP

GDP ROSIN

56 HEALTH

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS

ROAD TRIP VENICE BEACH

62 FOREST BATHING

Our feature interview with Etheridge reminds us that she is an icon in many movements. From music, to cancer, to cannabis and gay rights, this beacon of inspiration continues to open eyes, her philosophies serving as a catalyst for change across a multitude of arenas. Etheridge is now pursuing an exciting side gig - cannabis infused wine. Needless to say, we are raising our glasses to mingling Mary Jane with the finest grapes California has to offer. In addition to catching up with Etheridge, we also talk to one of the strongest voices in the Pacific Northwest regarding breast cancer: Tera Martin founder of the Pink Gene Foundation and courageous cancerfighter reminds us how traditional medicine continues to remain distant to cannabis instead of firmly joining hands with it.

CANNA-NEWS HEALTH

As our Health Issue of DOPE Magazine coincides with Breast Cancer Awareness Month, catching up with Melissa Etheridge and Tera Martin were natural options to highlight the naturopathic promise cannabis offers when combatting one of humanity’s most villainous diseases. Statistically speaking, 1 in 8 women in this country will develop invasive breast cancer over the course of their lifetime—translating into 12% of the female population. What we can do to combat this killer is of utmost importance.

52 FEATURE

MELISSA ETHERIDGE

In 2015, it is estimated that 231,840 new cases of invasive breast cancer will be diagnosed. Please join DOPE Magazine in giving a mighty and unapologetic “FUCK YOU” to cancer and our continued commitment to deliver a wellness centered, though provoking dose of cannabis related information society so desperately needs. Stay DOPE.

76 RESTAURANT CANNABIS BODY PRODUCTS

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GROW

GROWING WITH A PURPOSE

102 CANNA-NEWS

FLIGHT OR FIGHT IN WA

ISSUE 50 THE HEALTH ISSUE dopemagazine.com

126 EVENT RECAP

NW CANNABIS CLASSIC

MEDICAL STRAIN OF THE MONTH

WRITER •R.Z. HUGHES

PRESIDENT

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

EVAN CARTER

SHARON LETTS R.Z.. HUGHES

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MEGHAN RIDLEY

JAMES ZACHODNI

DAVID BAILEY

STATE DIRECTOR JESUS DIAZ

JOHNNY HALFHAND ABIGAIL ROSS JESSICA ZIMMER

ART DIRECTOR BRANDON PALMA GRAPHIC DESIGNER CHARM DOMACENA MANAGING EDITOR/COPY EDITOR ALISON BAIRD AD DESIGN DOPE DESIGN AGENCY

DAVE HODES STEVE ELLIOTT MELANIE BIGALKE BRITTANY DRIVER DEBBY GOLDSBERRY CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS TINA BALLEW MARK COFFIN

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

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PUBLISHED IN SEATTLE, WASHINGTON 98109 “ M E D I C AT I N G

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HEALING CAN FEEL GOOD. Featured Strain:

How you define wellness is your choice.

DAYBREAK

Triple C is here to support you, as we have been since 2011. We believe that the most rewarding experiences are the most natural. From the moment you walk in our door, you will feel welcomed, heard and respectfully guided in finding the variety and quality you seek.

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Testing at 6.91% THC and 12.29% CBD from Solstice, this mix of Blueberry Cheesecake with a strong blueberry aroma and flavor is crossed with Sour Tsunami #3, a 2013 Cannabis Cup winner for highest CBD.

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CBD

MEDICAL STRAIN OF THE MONTH

HITE

WRITER •R.Z. HUGHES

PHOTOS • ANGELA BOGSCH

AGIC

LOOKS

The bag appeal is on point. Conical, tightly clustered flowers of a deep evergreen hue, the sparse sugar leaves are completely coated in resin and just as seductive as the glistening buds. It is perfectly dense and firm with almost no give when squeezed, yet easy to break up and crumble to a finely ground consistency.

THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS

AROMA

Known to help with mood, headaches, and nausea, White Magic is an uplifting strain that offers the user a respite from any lingering depression. It may also help to relieve anxiety with worries dissipating like smoke in the wind. Those suffering through lethargic, crippling bouts of despair would do well to seek out this cultivar.

Immediately, the rich smells of chocolate and coffee mingle with lemon balm and huckleberry. The initial waft is incredibly sweet, mellowing to a milder floral fragrance on subsequent whiffs. There is most likely a significant amount of alpha-Pinene, as the underlying scent is not unlike that of a dry pine forest.

EFFECT

Highly psychotropic, White Magic packs quite the energetic punch. It may help to get creative juices flowing and could inspire even the most apathetic to action. A cheerful, buoyant euphoria with a motivational boost. Expect a goofy smile to plaster itself firmly upon your face for a couple of hours.

FLAVOR

Similar to the aroma, the flavor profile is a layered carnival of competing tastes. The berry and chocolate come through but are blended into a distinctly lavender exhale. There is a slight tinge of mint and camphor as well, ending in an aftertaste laden with fresh pine and lemon; bright, refreshing, and unique.

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GENETICS

19.84% THC 0.03% CBD • TESTED BY • Steep Hill Labs

Tropical and wild, White Magic comes to us from the jungles of the Democratic Republic of Congo. This exotic landrace showcases the dominant attributes of an equatorial sativa; a vigorous, heatand mold-resistant, stretcher, with an upbeat, cerebral buzz and complex bouquet. In the current climate of selective breeding, these heirloom genetics are a treasure.

RECREATIONAL STRAIN OF THE MONTH

WRITER •R.Z. HUGHES

cIRCA ‘97 dUTCH TREAT Green Valley Society LOOKS The buds on this herb are enormous. One cola weighed almost an entire ounce, every inch of which was covered in sticky amber trichomes, peppered with brilliantly white heads. Orange hairs curl like tentacles, reaching outward from the dense flower so caked in resin that it’s difficult to see all of its green and purple glory.

EFFECT Instantly and utterly relaxing, muscles may begin to feel loose and heavy with the mind drifting along in a happy euphoria. This strain provides a satisfying experience as it is extremely well balanced in its effect, providing a lift to the mind, while relaxing the body.

FLAVOR

While originating outside of the Netherlands, its name Dutch Treat is appropriate, as it tastes slightly like the fancy dessert found in Amsterdam pastry shops. Hints of cardamom mix with mint and pine create a mouthwatering delight, unique in its spice and sugary notes; a potent flower with a remarkable savor.

THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS

Renowned for its stress-fighting properties, Circa ‘97 Dutch Treat may also be used to help with insomnia. A great choice for aches and muscle pain, the high-THC and large terpene percentage work together to soothe deeply. We wouldn’t recommend this relaxing strain for morning use as it can be quite sedative.

GENETICS Reportedly bred on the islands of British Columbia (presumably in 1997), the name Dutch Treat is a bit of a misnomer. Released by two neighboring seed companies, the original cut, released circa ‘97, leans more toward an indica. The genetics are shrouded in mystery but the strain itself has become a favorite of cannasseurs worldwide.

AROMA

One of the most unmistakable fragrances in the cannabis world, Dutch Treat emanates a potpourri of orange, cinnamon, nutmeg, and hops. Its terpene profile is a thing of utmost beauty, with Humulene, Limonene, Pinene, and Myrcene; all of which combine powers to create a scent of the highest order, and a true treat for the nose.

FOUND AT • Clear Choice | Lucid PROVIDED BY • Clear Choice Cannabis

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PHOTOS • ANGELA BOGSCH

24.39% THC 0.02% CBD • TESTED BY • Steep Hill Washington

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EDIBLE OF THE MONTH

WRITER •R.Z. HUGHES

PHOTOS • ALLIE BECKETT

mONDO

VEGAN, GLUTEN-FREE, ORGANIC AND PERFECTLY INFUSED NCE IN awhile, an edible comes along that catches us

completely off-guard, that impresses all of the senses while delivering a strong dose of organic therapeutic cannabis. As this is our health themed issue, it would seem Mondo Bars are the perfect choice for both an effective and nutritious treat.

MEALS WITH MONDO Crumble a quarter of the bar, break and toss it on top of a bowl of yogurt, with slices of strawberry and banana OR Add to a morning protein shake with almond milk, raw honey, frozen fruit, and kale.

These vegan, gluten-free, and organic medibles are just what the doctor ordered. When the chef had a serious back injury leaving her unable to cope, edibles were the only thing that would help. Unfortunately, most edibles tend to be sugar-centric; full of refined ingredients that don’t jive with a healthy lifestyle or a specialized diet. Mondo Bars were formulated with patients in mind, helping to heal and restore the body with whole, natural foods. The entire packaging is compostable, even the plastic! It is clear that the team behind Mondo are dedicated to not only patients but the environment as well. Every bit the 70 milligrams advertised, they’re

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highly potent and recommended to be 4-6 doses. Made with almonds, brown rice, medicated coconut oil, dates, maple syrup, and a few other nutrient rich ingredients, they are as tasty as any granola bar around, but with a significant added kick. Currently found in medical dispensaries in both Washington and California, rumor has it they will be available in recreational shops before long. A good thing too, as this is a healthful product that will surely bring a healthier and happier way of life to folks needing an organic boost.

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CANNA-NEWS EAST COAST

WRITER •DAVE HODES

Cannabis Arrives on DC Social Scene

ANNABIS IS legal in D.C., the seat of the federal government. That’s huge - but there are trap doors everywhere. To consume it on federal land is prohibitted, which is about 21% of the ten square miles of the district, and includes such likely light-up spots as Meridian Hill/Malcolm X Park near the Adams Morgan district.

To consume it as a federal employee still makes one subject to urine analysis, especially federal employees with security clearance. Consuming publicly is the usual no, but also is buying it legally if you are not a medical patient. No one can say when this will change, and as time goes on more and more people are determined to sort through this mess in this wound-tight city full of uber-discrete keepers of national and international secrets. If the DC city council has their way, advocates say buy-

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ing it legally and smoking it at a café attached to your local bar won’t happen until 2017 or later. That delay is the result of an emergency measure passed just five days after cannabis went legal in the district on February 26th. The measure is now up for renewal or expiration; if renewed, it will become a permanent law and the subject of yet another advocacy fight with city leaders. Adam Eidinger, the guy who led the legalization effort in the district, says that they are seeking to reenergize their movement around this new issue. “The deal is they will pass a law that will keep Washington D.C. from turning into Amsterdam; that is literally the way that the politicians are talking about it to each other,” he says. Bar patrons in the district regularly report the smell of cannabis hanging over bar on weekend nights at restaurant hotspots in and around Georgetown, DuPont Circle and Adams Morgan.

The fear of arrest factor has clearly diminished here, but there are people who want clarity on the issue; they’re moving the discussion to a more common sense understanding of what this plant is, what it does, and how it can and will fit into the mainstream of life in D.C. There are eight DC based cannabis-related meetup groups now with memberships steadily growing, three of which are organized by independent lobbyist Evan Bergwall. In March, the DC Marijuana and Cannabis has its meetup with 208 members, DC Marijuana and Cannabis Events meetup gathers with 172 members, and the Washington Marijuana Cannabis Policy holds a meetup with 53 members. Bergwall worked on the hill for seven years as a lobbyist then moved into government consulting work. He now lobbies on tax, banking, and commerce issues related to cannabis.

etables. An event as American as apple pie, it recently added a best bud competition for the first time in its five year history. “When cannabis was legalized in the district earlier this year, I said right off the bat ‘we have to have a competition of some kind at the fair this year,’” explains Mark Perry, a compost grower and the coordinator of the competition. The event quickly filled up to capacity, with 47 registered contestants. Judges will touch, smell and examine buds with microscopes in their decision-making process; no cannabis will be consumed. At the meetup, Phillips says she thinks people still view cannabis people as stoners zoning out for hours, “But if you look around this room today a majority of us just came from our nine to five jobs,” she says. “We are absolutely a group of professionals, with different interests and skills, and I think DC is going to be one of the communities that really drives the future for this industry.”

Expecting to launch the first meetup in October, Bergwall explains “I’ve had alot of requests for meetups and people trying to do event things.” He explains that it’s really about finding good venues to host in, where cannabis can be consumed. “[Cannabis smokers] can’t be outdoors in public spaces. They can’t be at bars and restaurants. They can’t really be at offices unless they own the whole building. So what they are left with is a bunch of people invited into a home.” One of the goals of his meetups is to show legislators how cannabis is being woven into the social fabric of the city, and he’s hoping to change perceptions. “One of my biggest objectives is to make the cannabis case and talk about it and work through the halls of Congress,” he says. “Members of Congress have to feel safe from a political standpoint, and they have to know the industry is viable.” The social cannabis pioneers here are handling mainstreaming with kid gloves, taking things one step at a time, while presenting it first as the huge business opportunity it is. One DC meetup in early September, the DC chapter of the Denverbased Women Grow, showcases the cannabis grow products of Brielle Pettinelli, a biologist and agriculturist, to a group of thirty interested cannabis entrepreneurs at a U street restaurant. Sponsoring the meetup is DC based Canna Party, LLC, and its founder Chris Steinke. Canna Party is a cannabis catering service that provides everything for your cannabis party – except the cannabis.

The event organizer and event strategist, Caroline Phillips, with a background in politics and human rights work, says that the important thing to remember is the activism spirit in D.C. “I think that part of the social fabric in D.C. really is grounded in advocacy groups,” she says. “Before marijuana was legal in D.C. it was the advocacy groups, like the Marijuana Policy Project, that were able to bring people that didn’t know each other together,” she says. Another small step forward: The D.C. State Fair on September 12, a festival featuring competitions for home-growers of produce and veg-

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Aroma and Resin Enricher

BRANDING BUD

BRANDING BUD The Consumerization of Cannabis

S BOB Marley the next Marlboro Man? Will there be a ‘Cannabis Section’ at Whole Foods in the near future? Will Aveda® or Dr. Bronners® create a line of “relaxing” THC infused body lotions? Branding and marketing expert David Paleschuck will take a critical look at the current state of legal US cannabis products, packaging and positioning with a new regular column on branding, packaging & the positioning of cannabis products in the marketplace.

discover what fuels their inspiration and makes their products recognizable; we’ll also look at what amplifies their differentiation, and what makes their big ideas and concepts meaningful and accessible. A focus on a brand’s disparate elements can illuminate how it unifies them into whole systems. We’ll also assess the disciplined process used to build brand awareness and extend customer loyalty, improve image and perception, create preference for products or services, and increase participation and market share.

Who exactly is “the cannabis consumer”? What’s their lifestyle(s)? What brands speak to them, and is there just one type of cannabis consumer? Are the images of Cheech & Chong; Harold & Kumar; Willy Nelson & Snoop Dog stereotyping cannabis smokers? And to push even further, is “smoking” itself a stereotype of cannabis consumption?

Further, we’ll seek to examine the multitude of brand tenets and pillars - a company’s ideals - which should hold true whether the brand is launching, creating a new product or service, repositioning, or creating a retail presence. Other areas to be explored are vision, meaning, authenticity, differentiation, sustainability, coherence, flexibility, commitment, and value.

Designed to examine this new product segment, ‘Branding Bud’ will examine the multitude of emerging brands, their creative assets and the strategies behind them. We’ll also focus on a multitude of branding, packaging & positioning aspects affecting cannabis and non-cannabis consumers, cannabis manufacturers, cannabis retailers, and the general public.

Lastly, we’ll put this information into context by making it relevant for both consumers & those watching the industry develop across the national landscape.

From sustainability to childproof, protective packaging, we’ll cover current branding trends and packaging requirements as they change and evolve. The column will review the leading cannabis branded products - and the latest technologies being utilized to package them. We’ll critique brands and their identities, and in doing so,

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It is the author’s hope and objective to help those using cannabis-based products to better understand the inspiration behind them, meet the manufacturers & designers that make them, and see the processes that are in motion in creating these products. Upcoming ‘Branding Bud’ column topics include, “Canna-Brands Most Often Used Color”; “Sustainable Cannabis Design”; Packaging Differences: Stateby-State; “Back To The Future: Creating Nostalgic Brands”; among others.

WRITER • DAVID PALESCHUCK, MBA, CLS

GRAPHICS • CHARM DOMACENA

“ From sustainability to childproof, protective packaging, we’ll cover current branding trends and packaging requirements as they change and evolve.”

“ Need Pull Quote”

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HEALTH

In Focus: Josh Stanley

“Things are changing… due to a certain level of civil disobedience on the part of the citizens of the world because they are saying, “Wait a second, this therapeutic cannabis works for me, this works for my child. Why can’t I use it?”

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HE FOUNDER of Citiva Medical, an ongoing medical marijuana research organization and provider of cannabinoid medicine, Josh Stanley continues to be one of the driving forces pushing for advances in the medical marijuana business. Stanley is co-credited with creating “Charlotte’s Web”, and with breeding a nonpsychoactive strain of the cannabis plant with low THC and high CBD. In 2010, he assisted in the drafting of Colorado House Bill 1284, the first bill of its kind to further define and establish Colorado’s medicinal cannabis state regulatory structure through the Colorado Department of Revenue. The following year he co-authored the research and development portion of Colorado House Bill 1043. Stanley also sat on the rules and regulations board of the Colorado Department of Revenue’s Medical Marijuana Enforcement Division, as well as that organization’s rules and regulations board for research and development. More recently, Stanley decided to pursue new ventures in the global cannabis industry and, in 2014, founded Strains of Hope, a non-profit dedicated to assisting global principalities in the implementation of responsible regulations for local medicinal cannabis industries and funding of further research. Needless to say, we were extremely lucky to catch up with him recently and get his current take on things…

Dope: How do you expect the acceptance and growth of the industry to play out in terms of therapeutic cannabis and cannabis in general being treated as another agriculture commodity? JS: What I do and what my company does is work with governments around the world. I am focusing on developing nations, because at the heart of these developing nations is agriculture. What they are lacking right now are new agricultural commodities. The demand for cannabinoid replacement therapy, or CRT, is going to help move cannabis into large scale, good agricultural practice using organic farming techniques, and make no mistake about it – that is the future.

Dope: You have stated in presentations that what people are calling medical marijuana is not really medical marijuana. Can you explain that?

Josh Stanley: It’s an incorrect term. It’s really therapeutic cannabis. In order to call something medical, it has to be able to be standardized, and if you can’t measure something, how are you going to study it? If you can’t standardize it, how in the hell are you going to brand it?

Dope: I have seen some pharmaceutical company representation at cannabis trade shows, but nothing to indicate that those companies are doing anything now but sitting on the sidelines. What’s your take on that? JS: Big Pharma is the largest lobby in the world. They are bigger than oil. So you’re damn right that they are involved in the cannabis business. What they are looking at is how to standardize this and take this into the medicinal realm. The days of single compound isolate synthetic medications that they make are coming to an end. Pharmaceutical companies are scared of multi-compound drugs like cannabis because it’s very difficult to patent them; it’s very difficult to own them, but these are brands that people in the cannabis industry can begin to own and begin to bring to market.

Dope: Why do pharmaceutical companies develop single compound isolate synthetics?

JS: They create one drug so that they can create two drugs to counteract the side effect of that one drug. It becomes a profit-care industry and not a health-care industry. Those times are changing, and they are changing due to a certain level of civil disobedience on the part of the citizens of the world because they are saying, “Wait a second, this therapeutic cannabis works for me, this works for my child. Why can’t I use it?”

Dope: What do you see as the potential future of cannabis for medical use over the next two to three years?

JS: I am following clinical study protocols and we are going to release some clinical studies that are going to blow the world away. So once this information is out there, there is going to be a race about how fast we can grow and produce this plant. Then in five years you are going to see CRT in just about everyone’s medicine cabinet as a preventative medicine. It’s going to really be something.

Dope: When do you think these treatments using cannabis might become more widely accepted, possibly becoming mainstream medicine?

JS: We in this country have a huge responsibility to the general public to do no harm. Not only to do no harm but to do what is right. We as a country haven’t done that for decades and decades upon decades. Now we have the opportunity to do what’s right, and so the very fact that our government and these agencies like the DEA have fought the efficacy in this and brought out the– well, let’s call it what it is- lies – they’ve created their own problem. You wouldn’t have this medical cannabis issue now involved in so many political elections, but they created this monster. Now they are asking it to go away..

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GROW

TERPENES AND H EALTH More Than Just Tantalizing to the Senses

N EXCITING time in the field of cannabis phar-

macology finally arrives! It was not too many years ago that many of us within the cannabis community assumed that particular sesquiterpenes, called cannabinoids, were the only psychoactive constituent found in Cannabis sativa L. What is being discovered recently however, is that terpenes (the essential oils responsible for delightfully attractive olfactory hues) are believed to be psychoactive in many ways and contain unique healing properties. With new research emerging almost daily regarding the curative properties of cannabinoids (THC, THC-A, CBD, CBG, etc.), many people have been under a false assumption that these compounds are the only components of pharmacological interest. Thanks to an increase in laboratory testing and standards, full terpenoid profiles have become common, leading to a terpene revolution of sorts. Perhaps one of the most interesting facets of the terpene efficacy discussion is all endogenous cannabis terpenes have been evaluated for their safety by the FDA as individual components. Compounds deemed safe by the FDA are given the designation GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) and can then be lawfully distributed and used in consumable products. Since these compounds have been so heavily scrutinized by experts, much has been discovered about their pharmacological activity in the process. Another fascinating tidbit is that cannabinoids and terpenes interact synergistically – phenomena referred to as the “Entourage Effect”. Put simply: The healing potential of cannabinoids and terpenes together is greater than the sum of its individual components. What health benefits can be expected from terpene consumption? Let’s examine some of the most commonly encountered cannabis terpenes and the efficacy of their consumption. Of course, this is only the tip of the iceberg, with over 400 compounds discovered thus far in cannabis, a plethora are known to be terpenoid. As analytical testing becomes an ever increasingly “the norm,” and legal barriers preventing research are finally being lifted, we can all look forward to a better understanding very soon regarding this wonderful polypharmaceutical that is cannabis.

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α-Pinene Another excellent anti-inflammatory terpenoid found in cannabis. The mode of anti-inflammatory action is through activation of the prostaglandin-E1 pathway. Quite an interesting feature of α-Pinene is that it can boost memory – a feature contrary to popular beliefs regarding cannabis. The method by which this occurs is through acetylcholinesterase inhibition, a pharmacokinetic action heavily researched in understanding and treating Alzheimer’s disease. Who would have thought cannabis could actually improve memory?

β-Caryophyllene A sesquiterpene, it exhibits quite interesting activity in that it has been shown to act selectively as a full agonist on the CB2 receptor subtype – much like the other popular sesquiterpenes we all know and love; cannabinoids! The action on CB2 receptor subtypes is believed to be directly responsible for the peripheral nervous and immune system response. In addition to this, activation of the prostaglandin-E1 pathway is observed with administration, serving as an excellent anti-inflammatory. Because of prostaglandin-E1 synthesis, gastric mucus secretions increase, acting as a superb gastric cytoprotective and working in similar fashion to many prescription medications in protecting the stomach from ulcers and irritation (misoprostol, sucralfate, etc.)

Myrcene This terpene is also of high pharmacological interest, particularly for its analgesic effects. Since many therapeutic cannabis patients utilize the polypharmaceutical that is cannabis for pain-related ailments, myrcene is perhaps one of the most beneficial terpenes, providing non-toxic relief from pain and particularly useful for those unable or unwilling to take hepatoxic analgesic agents. Inflammation is also greatly reduced by myrcene through activation of the prostaglandin-E2 pathway.

WRITER •DUTCH MASTERS

GRAPHICS • NARISSA CAMILLE-PHETHEAN

D-Limonene This has peculiar 5-HT1a (a serotonin receptor exploited by powerful antidepressants and psychedelics) activity, which has been shown to greatly reduce depression and anxiety. In addition to this, D-Limonene has also been shown to greatly improve pulmonary uptake and even cause breast cancer cells to undergo apoptosis!

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WORLD NEWS

WRITER •R.Z. HUGHES

Political In-Fighting As Cannabis Takes The Floor

Mexico Seeking Censorship on Canna-Zine

A fellow cannabis publication is under fire in Mexico after officials deemed it illicit and contrary to upstanding national customs. Cáñamo, based out of Barcelona for 18 years, has a wide following throughout the Spanishspeaking world with a Chilean edition that has been in print for over a decade. It seems disingenuous that the Mexican government, while combatting dangerous cartels and rampant political corruption, is concerned about the possible negative side-effects of a culture magazine. If anything, Cáñamo should be welcomed as a beacon of understanding and education for a public that has seen firsthand the brutal violence that can occur in the black market drug trade.

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The party rhetoric is heating up in the UK, where cannabis legalization has been a popular topic of conversation. A public petition that recently received over 200,000 signatures was supposed to force a parliamentary debate, however, the Tory-dominated government quashed it before it came up for discussion. This happened just days after a group of MPs, including the former heads of MI-5 and the Met Police, released a report calling private drug use a human right. They argue that personal consumption, cultivation, and possession of cannabis are indelible rights protected as “private and family life” as long as others aren’t harmed or injured.

Russia’s Ridiculous Internet Police The heavy hand of the Kremlin, with its characteristic lack of joy, humor, or common sense, briefly banned two major websites for references to ‘drugs’. The first target in Moscow’s recent cyber-cleansing was a thread on Reddit, discussing the proper ways to cultivate hallucinogenic mushrooms. They were just getting started, as a couple weeks later, Wikipedia found itself unwelcome due to an article detailing the ways that charas (a traditionally hand-made hashish) is produced. While both sites are currently back up and running, the unreasonable response – blocking an entire population from the endless knowledge of Wikipedia because of a single article – has been widely criticized as immature and overzealous.

Huge Haul for Cambodian Police Caught Hash-Handed In Cairo Customs A diplomat from Qatar, the Persian Gulf nation well-known for its impossibly oil-rich monarchy and awkward World Cup stadiums, found his trip to Cairo significantly shortened after being busted by airport authorities with nine grams of hash. Mohammed bin Abdullah Al-Hajri was arrested upon arrival in Egypt; a country known for its harsh sentencing for ‘drug traffickers’ against whom the death penalty is always an option. Luckily for alHajri, working in government has its perks, and he was expelled from Egypt with only a slap on the wrist and his tail between his legs. It’s worth noting that hash has become increasingly commonplace in the country since the Arab Spring and the ouster of longtime president, Hosni Mubarak.

Estimated to be valued at over $7,000,000, police in the capital city of Phnom Penh staged their biggest cannabis bust in the fifteen years cannabis has been illegal in the country. A story of international intrigue, 1.5 tons of herb alongside more than a liter of hash oil originated in Laos and was smuggled into the country in bags of a popular brand of Laotian coffee. Once in Cambodia it was slated for delivery to “western markets” where it could fetch higher prices. The mysterious mastermind that bankrolled this operation has not been caught but is suspected to be a well-heeled westerner with friends in high places – no pun intended.

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CANNA BUSINESS

WRITER •MELANIE BIGALKE

Big Data Goes Green Streamlining Through Analytics

EAFLY - the largest strain and dispensary database in the world, with over 300,000 reviews on a site that attracts 31 million page views per month—was sold to Seattle-based cannabis investment firm Privateer in 2011. While spending the last few years developing and supporting the team that will move forward with Leafly, co-founders Cy Scott, Scott Vickers, and Brian Wansolich have also prepared to launch a new venture in the fall. The new startup, Headset, is aimed at making business decisions easier for cannabis businesses through comprehensive, accessible analytics and market intelligence. As Cy Scott told me, “If current businesses are more successful, the industry will be successful and if the industry is successful, legalization will continue state by state. If the industry struggles or flounders, then we are all in trouble. We really want to see the whole industry succeed. That’s our whole motivation. A world where cannabis is very accessible no matter what state you live in, and in order to get there we need these businesses that are operating currently to be successful. That’s what Headset is trying to do.” Headset is collecting industry data in a variety of ways. They are receive sell-through data from the point of sale systems and are working with POS companies on integrations. From their variety of data sources, they apply statistical modeling and machine learning algo-

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rithms to generate market insights. Headset has already successfully completed their first round of financing, partnering with Poseidon Asset Management and Anslinger Captial, among others. Anthony Davis, co-founder of Anslinger Capital, describes, “Headset is a platform that provides a comprehensive suite of tools to help make cannabis businesses successful. There are five categories: market intelligence, category management, retailer insights, product manufacture insights and third-party data analytics. Headset will help answer tough questions that business owners face in today’s ever-expanding cannabis market.” Headset will target retailers, product manufacturers and growers, and their insights will be available to others who are forwarding the industry (like journalists). Reliable data is difficult to find, and “most of the current data about the industry is survey based,” said Scott. “If you ask any data scientist… they will say that once that’s published it’s out of date. Headset will offer real time data.” In a market that shifts as constantly as cannabis, this will make a huge difference for business owners and the end user. Scott continues, “This means that dispensaries are stocking, positioning and selling the things that [consumers] are asking for and the things that they are buying.” Anslinger Capital is clear on the impact that Headset is poised to make in the industry. As Davis says, “when Anslinger invests, we in-

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vest in people, people, people, product, and market. When we look at Headset, we see a management team that can show us the scars of building Leafly—the fastest-growing tech play in cannabis. We see a management team that we completely trust.” Anslinger is on a roll. In the past three months, they have made six investments, and are now poised to become the fastest growing cannabis fund in the US. Co-founder Davis said, “Venture Capital allows me to see the jobs that are created. I can see the benefits that are being caused; I get to have a significant impact on my investments. We are much more like partners than we are just capital,” he continued, “obviously, the partnership that we bring starts with the check that we write, but once we write you that check, We become business development people for you. We become salespeople for you; We become management advisors for you. We build sales and technology strategies for our portfolio companies. Maybe we should have called it Anslinger Partners,” he says with a laugh. Headset is projected to launch in November, and it’s definitely a launch for cannapreneurs to get excited about. As Scott says, “A lot of platforms give good data but require you to glean the insights. We want to turn that around. We’ll give you your insights, give you your next steps, and then we’ll back that up with data.”

Reliable data is difficult to find, and “most of the current data about the industry is survey based,” said Scott. “If you ask any data scientist… they will say that once that’s published it’s out of date. Headset will offer real time data.”

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GREEN-THEORY Bellevue’s Retail Marijuana Store

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WRITER •MEGHAN RIDLEY

PHOTOS • KENTON BRADLEY

gREEN SOLUTIONS COMMITTED TO SERVICE, DEDICATED TO WELLNESS

his doesn’t look like your average medical cannabis dispensary, not only is it bright and modern, but Green Solution houses an on-site collective garden where high quality medical cannabis is cultivated and cared for with exceptional attention and love. There’s something special about patients having the ability to see the lovely ladies growing, and everyone appreciates knowing exactly where their cannabis therapy remedies come from. Also nearby a dab bar awaits for patients to peruse, but it isn’t some irresponsible stoner carnival featuring random size dosages delved out haphazardly to unsuspecting newbies. Rather, this is an eloquent display of quality concentrates, hosted by highly knowledgeable staff that are willing to educate and patiently walk others through the experience. The staff at Green Solution is clearly committed to superior patient service. Smiley bud tenders, obviously inspired in their line of work, are eager to enlighten patients that walk through their doors. We could’ve stayed all day and listened to them discuss the numerous therapeutic benefits of cannabis, and alternative medicine as a whole. They’re into incentives and rewarding loyalty big time, so make sure to inquire about their regular daily deals and their “loyal member” rewards.

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“ They also have vaporizer pen cartridges and edibles galore—a little something for everybody for sure, so expect to have plenty to explore.”

They have really taken care to stock a wide range of products at varying price points, offering grams in the $7 range, which can translate into an ounce for under $200 quite an impressively low cost for good quality at this date and time. In fact, nothing ever gets very pricey here; they have a ceiling of $10 on all their top flower. Strains like Sour Pebbles from Fire Bros and classics like New York Sour Diesel can often be found for close to $260oz. They also have vaporizer pen cartridges and edibles galore—a little something for everybody for sure, so expect to have plenty to explore at Green Solution.

15941 MERIDIAN AVE E, S HILL, (253) 845-0525 greensolutioncollective.com

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LIGHT UP THE MOMENT Here’s to the peaks and valleys,

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RECREATIONAL STORE

WRITER •MEGHAN RIDLEY

PHOTOS • ROYAL PHOENIX

hASHTAG

A SYMBOL OF CANNABIS FREEDOM THE PLACE

You’ll find Hashtag conveniently located on Stone Way in Wallingford, nestled between Fremont and the U-District. Like fine retail stores that Seattle is accustomed to, it is professional and welcoming—an inviting environment whether you’re a newcomer to cannabis or a chronic connoisseur. Here, critics of the legalization movement find any concerns put comfortably to rest, replaced with the refreshing reality that this is just a plant and helpful therapeutic herb. Abuzz with a few hundred customers a day, Hashtag is a best example of what any neighborhood business should look like, regardless of the industry it partakes in. 3540 Stone Way N Seattle, WA 98103 (206) 946-8157 www.seattlehashtag.com instagram: @seattlehashtag

THE PEOPLE

Hashtag is family owned and operated, and conversing with one of the very knowledgeable owners, Logan, is undoubted proof that the beautiful healing nature of Mary Jane is alive and well in the recreational cannabis industry. While Hashtag is undoubtedly close to the University of Washington campus, the number of college students pounding the pavement to get there is surprisingly slim. Rather, the customer demographic is comprised mostly of people who live and work in the neighborhood, with the occasional visit coming mostly from parents and their adult children. As Logan remarked, “We help a fair amount of parents in their 50s and 60s, alongside their kids in their 30s, and sometimes the parents know more about the products than their kids.”

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THE PLANTS

Hashtag’s shelves are stocked with a wide variety of high quality cannabis products, but a handful of standouts are a must try when visiting. Sativa lovers should definitely snag Seattle Cough from Dutch Brothers Farm, while those looking for a balanced hybrid might just love Supernatural from Emerald Jane’s. Need a refill for your vape pen? Look no further than the pure C02 process of Avitas cartridges. This is a full-fledged family affair. Alongside Logan’s brother, cousin, and their spouses, even mom “brings the muscle” as their bouncer on Fridays and Saturdays!

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WRITER •R.Z. HUGHES

PHOTOS • ANGELA BOGSCH AND TINA BALLEW

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FLAVOR A top notch taste introduces this rosin as the palate’s new best friend. Right away, notes of lemon zest are noticeable, even to those nearby who aren’t partaking in the festivities. Undertones of fresh herb and sandalwood round out the refreshing flavor profile, making for one of the tastiest extracts in the therapeutic cannabis marketplace.

THERAPEUTIC BENEFITS GDP has a reputation for being superior medicinal strain, offering appetite stimulation as well as widely reported relief from insvomnia. The large percentage of terpenes may help with inflammation along with aiding in memory, a surprising and rare side-effect said to come from some cannabis strains.

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425.453.5749 | www.belmarstore.com 614 116th Аve NE Bellevue, WA 98005

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FEATURE

A VOICE FOR PEOPLE, PATIENTS, AND THE PLANT. USICIAN MELISSA Etheridge dodged the bullet of hardcore drug use during the 1970s and 80s. While fellow artists were grappling with addiction, Melissa was coming to terms with her sexuality in an industry dominated by homophobic men. “I’ve always felt issues with the gay rights movement and the cannabis movements are so similar,” she says from her home in the hills outside of Los Angeles proper. “Both movements are based on stereotyping, fear, and misinformation, and people need to come out from both closets and talk about it.” The path Melissa took to advocacy may not have always been a choice, but it was paved with inspiration and knowledge from her father who taught constitutional law to high school seniors. “He really helped me to understand at a very young age what our government is about,” she shared. “Our founding fathers based the constitution on the way the existing tribal

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nations resolved conflict – how they made peace between the tribes in the new world. The way it’s all set up with checks and balances works, it really does.” In January of 2014 Melissa released the single, “Uprising of Love,” in response to Russia’s tough anti-gay laws and the LGBT community’s request to boycott the 2014 Olympics in Russia. The song is a call to arms for brothers and sisters around the world still drowning in disrespect, while American gays are gaining ground. My eyes are wide-open recognizing change It feeds the fires of the fear Where human love seems strange I’m gonna rise above I believe that love is love I’m gonna raise my hands With every woman, child and man I’m gonna start an uprising of love

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WRITER •SHARON LETTS

Proceeds from the song named after the Russian advocacy group by the same name were donated to the “Russia Freedom Fund,” aiding the cause on Russian soil. Melissa said she was confident the democratic process in America would allow gay marriage in time. Cannabis, on the other hand, has been the harder stigma to squash. “Both the gay rights movement and the movements to end cannabis prohibition are based on misinformation and fear,” she said. “Children are being taken away from their parents for being cannabis patients, and children in extreme gender conflict are being thrown out of their homes by their own families.” The contrasts are startling, with performer Miley Cyrus’ non-profit “Happy Hippie Foundation” siting 16 million youth are made homeless each year, with 40 percent identifying as LGBT and family rejection at the top of the list for reasons why (Laganja Estranja, Dope Magazine, Sept. 2015). With or without Child Protective Services ever getting involved, families continue to discriminate against their pot-smoking, cannabis ingesting family members, with rhetoric rivaling that of a national political campaign.

In 2004 Melissa was diagnosed with breast cancer and began the grueling traditional treatments of surgery and chemotherapy, successfully putting the cancer into remission. As widely reported, she also endured great physical and emotional suffering, causing her to up her cannabis use during the process with great success. “Medicating with cannabis saved my life,” Melissa explained. “The side effects of chemotherapy are horrible. Going through treatment was the most eye-opening experience I’ve been through. The medications you must take during and after the treatments have awful side effects and really damage your body. I had no energy whatsoever, could not eat – and cannabis helped with all of it.” Melissa says cannabis made such a huge difference to her wellbeing, both emotionally and physically and that she ended her traditional treatments early. Once the cancer was gone, she didn’t like the way the medications made her feel. As discovered through work done with AIDS patients in California, the beneficial effects of simply cannabis for pain and nausea while undergoing chemotherapy or radiation has been shown to be widely effective.

PHOTOS • SHARON LETTS

Dr. Donald Abrams gained approval and recognition for his clinical trials with AIDS patients in San Francisco between 2003 and 2005, documenting a 30% reduction in pain by combining cannabis with prescribed pain killers. Other studies show secondary cancers and other serious ailments such as stroke and heart attacks directly linked to the use of chemotherapy, chemo drugs, and radiation (Dope Magazine, Tommy Chong; August 2014). Due to the damaging side effects of conventional therapies, Melissa says she won’t go the traditional route if or when her cancer comes back. “I’ll definitely ingest the cannabis oil if I need to,” she shares. “I’m a firm believer in its benefits, and was sorely disappointed when Angelina Jolie made the decision to get a double mastectomy out of fear.” Melissa said out of all the highly debatable subjects she’s been involved with, from gay rights to enlisting David Crosby as a surrogate father to her babies, her speaking out against surgery as prevention for cancer brought on some of her harshest criticism. “People can do whatever they want with their bodies – your body is yours,” she explains.

“Me l issa expl ains canna b is m a de s u c h a hu ge diffe re n c e t o he r w e llb eing , b oth emotion a lly a n d p hys ic a lly, t ha t s he e n d e d h e r tra di ti on al tr eatments earl y. O n ce t he c a n c e r w a s go n e , s he d id n ’ t l i k e the way th e me d ic a t io n s m a de he r fe e l. ” dopemagazine.com ISSUE 50 THE HEALTH ISSUE

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Compassionate Relief of Santa Cruz in California to create a variety of infused products to include a delicious hot, sweet mustard, honey sticks in three varieties (sunny, funny, and honey – representing sativa, hybrid, and indica), Balmz Away, a topical salve, and small batch wine in association with Coup’ Vineyards in Santa Cruz. Her “No Label Private Reserve” branded bottle is literally label-free, with the varietal and her name written in gold ink along the base of the bottle. Each bottle is valued at a humorously denoted $420 each.

“If you fear something so much you decide to cut healthy tissue off, by all means, go ahead, but don’t present it to the public as if it’s a courageous act, when it’s based solely on fear.” Those in the cannabis community are always shaken when hearing of anyone in a high profile position choosing traditional therapies. Its seen by many as a change to get educated about cannabis and pass that on to make a difference for many. That said, cannabis activists are also painfully aware they are ahead of their time when it comes to knowledge of the plant – specifically when putting cancer and serious ailments into remission is concerned. The recipe for making “Rick Simpson Oil” or “RSO” is actually an old recipe re-created by Canadian Rick Simpson more than 15 years ago, after he was told there was nothing more to be done for a terminal case of skin cancer. Since his success, the recipe and protocol has been shared via word of mouth only ( helped by social media), and involves ingesting oil orally, or delivery via suppositories. 60 grams of the strong oil in 90 days, with some of the most invasive cancers reported gone in less time (Rick Simpson, Dope Magazine, July 2015). While Mellissa admitted she doesn’t enjoy ingesting, she said she’s open to learning more about it – especially where cancer prevention is concerned. She’s working with a former Iron Chef and teaming up with Greenway

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“We are infusing wine with cannabis in a cold process that doesn’t activate the THC,” she shared. “The feeling is a warm, full body high. People who don’t want to smoke or have issues with the psychoactive properties of THC like this option – especially if they already enjoy wine.” Markets to distribute her developed products are to include the legal state of Colorado, where she’ll be teaming up with Starbuds dispensaries in Denver, giving her an edge on the Rocky Mountain High state. “We are still working out the legalities of production with alcohol, distribution across state lines, and testing to be in accordance with each city, county, and state ordinance out there,” she advised. “That’s something I’d really like to get involved with – helping to implement smarter ordinances locally in cities and counties. The main thing is, it’s all truly medicine and California is about to go recreational. We need to keep the state at the forefront of cannabis as medicine, where it’s always been.” With the Department of Agriculture’s change of heart, giving cannabis products measuring in at less than 0.03 percent THC a “Hemp” moniker, she may be able to ship the wine across state lines soon. This writer would not mind being in a “bottle of the month club” with that brand, as alcohol infusion is one of my own personal favorite ways to enjoy the plant. On another note, the rock star is currently using her voice and her notoriety to support the project of her life, helping to integrate cannabis as medicine with traditional therapies, in negotiations now with a national cancer

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treatment center chain. “I’ve joined forces with actual oncologists who know, at the very least, that this plant is good medicine,” says Ethridge. “We will be creating places where cannabis will be integrated into traditional treatments.” While Medicine Man of Denver hints at a relationship with a pharmaceutical chain, and President Obama’s nod to the potential future occurrence of actual research on US soil, the plant is continuing to gain ground with more ways to reach the masses that suffer with real illnesses and disorders that plague our country and world today. “As I see illnesses are getting worse and the medical community is up against a wall for options on how to treat everything” she surmised. “Then you see documentaries, like Sanjay Gupta’s ‘Weed’ on CNN - because he gets it. Doctors are starting to realize something is not right, that this plant may be a viable option. The future is about health and truly understanding a more holistic approach for each of us. We are responsible for our own bodies. We need to know we have a health system that is poisoned and taking one pill won’t fix it. That’s the next big paradigm shift that needs to happen.”

PRODUCT

Stovetop Apothecary Infusing for Tinctures, Tonics and more

IMPLY SAID, an infusion is what any tea drinker does daily – steeping plant material in a compound of liquid to extract flavorful oils from a plant, creating a drinkable or ingestible plant concentrate. The tea drinker not only gets the flavor of the plant via its essential oils, they also receive therapeutic benefits from the plant, as that’s where the medicinal compounds of the plant are found. Beneficial plants draw us to them via their scent, luring us into the garden for our own good, literally. We falter if we are going there just when we are sick, for if we keep good plant-based concentrates in our systems on a regular basis we won’t get sick in the first place. That’s how it works. Keeping a steady flow of pungent herbs and spices in diet has

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long been thought to lower instances of disease and illness, as its all truly medicine. When Peter Rabbit binged on Farmer MacGregor’s garden in Beatrix Potter’s classic tale of the same name, his mother steeped a cup of chamomile tea for the little bunny. She knew the medicinal properties of the flower would calm his digestive system and alleviate the inflammation causing him pain. She also knew it would calm his anxiety, allowing him lay down for a good night’s sleep after the trauma of running for his life. All this came from the little, daisy-like flower grown in her backyard kitchen garden, as was the norm of the day. Humans have been extracting plant-based essential oils for thousands of years. According to the European Herbal Infusion Association (EHIA), the first records of infusion techniques appeared in the Chinese Pharmacopeia attributed to the Chinese Emperor Shenong sometime around 3,000 BC.

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During the 1st century AD, the Greek physician and pharmacologist Pedanius Dioscorides describes 600 medicinal plants and minerals used for the preparation of infusions in his book De Material Medica (meaning medicines), with cannabis listed as “Kannabis” in the mix. Chinese surgeon Hua Tuo (c. 140-208) is said to be the first physician to use cannabis as an anesthetic by first making a powder and mixing it with wine, delivering it orally prior to surgery. The Chinese term for anesthesia (mazui) literally means “cannabis intoxication.” An infusion is a simple process and herbalists and stovetop medicine makers have been practicing it with cannabis since the beginning of time. Though the topic is still being debated and studied, many believe the Holy Anointing Oil from the Bible was made with cannabis via an infusion process.

WRITER & PHOTOS • SHARON LETTS

Ganja Goodness Tincture • 1 large bottle of Rum (1.5 liters) • 1 ounce ground trim (leaf, stem, smalls, crystal leaf) • 1 small bottle of almond extract or vanilla (optional) Add trim to alcohol and let sit in a cool, dark place for two weeks Shake to blend every couple of days Strain with cheesecloth and keep in a glass Can be used in a cocktail, a tonic, or an under the tongue tincture Note: this recipe can also be used with apple cider vinegar or glycerin. As with alcohol, vinegar and glycerin break down the plant material without heat, so there are no psychoactive effects.

Liquids used for infusing plant-based compounds are water, oil, vinegar, glycerin or alcohol, with French presses, tea bags, or cheese cloth used to strain the material from the liquid.

heat. While this wouldn’t be a concern when steeping chamomile, there are many patients who are not comfortable with the effects of THC, and prefer a non-psychoactive option.

Healthy.net states alcohol as an infusing liquid is second only to water for making medicine, and though many regard alcohol as a recreational substance, its properties help break down plant material while offering excellent absorption into the body. Once a tincture or tonic is made using alcohol, its properties naturally preserve the medicine, inhibiting further fermentation that may occur with water or glycerin-based methods. In other words, alcohol infusing gives a longer shelf life.

The irony of the stigma attached to THC is the fact that humans altered the plant’s evolution by breeding higher THC varieties over the last fourty years. The good news is farmers are now hybridizing the plant back to its original state, giving us a cannabinoid (CBD) only option while doing away with the head high some would rather do without.

Where cannabis is concerned, the temperature of the extraction method absolutely defines the psycho-activity of the product made, as Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is activated with

That’s not meant to say we don’t need the THC. It’s needed as par tof the mix for a myriad of ailment including neurological disorders. It has also been reported by many patients that it helps put cancer into remission. Personally, this writer has never had a time without “medicating” with cannabis;

it’s my Ritalin and has been since I was 16. In fact, even the most adamant self described ‘stoner,’ insisting they are just getting high by burning flower, may actually be decreasing their chance of stroke, heart disease, emotional issues, anxiety, digestive issues, and more. If smoking tobacco along with cannabis, research is now suggesting a lower instance of lung cancer. It’s also becoming suggested that those who vape instead of burning carbon, could actually be healing their lungs of many bronchial maladies, including COPD. Take away the industrial revolution and all you have are humans, critters, and plants put here for our use and benefit. So, the next time you are outside and get a whiff of something sweet, stop and smell the flowers. If you’d like to see what all the fuss is about, steep that bud in a bit of rum and call it a tincture. Your body will thank you.

“ Where cannabis is concerned, the temperature of the extraction method absolutely defines the psycho-activity of the product made, as Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) is activated with heat.” dopemagazine.com ISSUE 50 THE HEALTH ISSUE

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ROAD TRIP

WRITER •SHARON LETTS

PHOTOS • SHARON LETTS

Road Trip: Venice Beach, California Buds & Beach in So Cal

T’S COMMON knowledge in Los Angeles, if you want to get a medical “marijuana” card quick and cheap you go to the Venice Beach Boardwalk and lay down forty bucks in one of its many tiny storefront operations.

California was the first state in the country to legalize cannabis as medicine in 1996 with Proposition 215 voted in and the Compassionate Care Act was added to its Health and Safety Code, giving Californians safe access to cannabis for real illness. Being a more liberal town, Venice Beach has embraced the cannabis culture with exuberance and both arms outstretched. Venice Beach began in 1905 as “Venice of America” with tobacco millionaire Abbot Kinney originally creating a 16 mile neighborhood of canals as homage to Venice Italy along the Pacific Ocean, with Marina Del Rey to the south and Santa Monica to the north. Kinney, who had won the parcel in a literal coin flip, proceeded to develop the area as a tourist spot, and it remains a popular town within the City of Los Angeles for artists, musicians, and performers who line Ocean Front Walk on the beach sharing space with flame eaters, chain saw jugglers, and the occasional MMJ card mill. In the 1950s Beatniks gathered in coffee houses. By the 1960s artists and musicians converged here and lived on the cheap. In the 1970s actor and former Governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger, could be found pumping iron on a part of the walk dubbed, “Muscle Beach.” After signing a law decriminalizing small amounts of cannabis in the state, he made the infamous comment “You can just inhale, and you live off everyone else,” acknowledging the aroma of cannabis in the area. At least we know he definitely inhaled. Today the canals are lined with fancy upgraded mini-mansions with price tags only Hollywood industry-types can afford. There are just a few original cottages remaining, but the shops and stalls that line the beach are still fabulously funky. The sun was shining, the sky was blue, and surfers were floating out on the sea as I made my way through the circus-like atmosphere. As a crowd gathered, a man broke bottles on a tarp preparing to walk on them barefoot for tips; while a woman read palms for $10 a pop, and an electric guitarist on roller skates played Hendrix, just a typical weekday in Venice Beach. According to its website The Green Doctor’s office is “located next door to Jodi Maroni’s Sausage - No appointment necessary,” which is the norm at the storefront MMJ card shops; so I popped in to have a chat with one of the good doctors - sans the sausage.

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As was expected, the young doctor had little knowledge of the many benefits of the plant, or the many people that are saying they are using cannabis oil to cure myriad ailments. No matter, I adjusted my proverbial Florence Nightingale cap and shared my story. “He was more than a little surprised, now follows me on social media, and hopefully he’ll be better informed to help those that only see the recreational aspects of the plant, instead of it’s capacity as a therapeutic treatment for real illness. Venice also hosts some of the more enlightened dispensaries in the city, with The Green Goddess located near the pier, easy walking distance from Ocean Front Walk. After posting a photo of the pier in social media, Annie Nelson (Willie’s wife) left me a comment encouraging me to visit the shop. With that kind of recommendation, it was a no-brainer. The facility was clean and staff was friendly, with security just outside the door. I was most impressed with the selection of cannabis medicines available, including a large amount of CBD only oils, tinctures of varied strengths, cannabis caps by Hashman for easy predictable dosing, and a variety of edibles – all tested and plainly marked in professional packaging. Of the many products lining the tidy shelves were several from The Venice Cookie Company, including organic, vegan, agave sweetened “Not Guilty” medicated cookies, and “The 420 Bar,” sporting the motto “The only bars we’re behind.” Its web site boasts that the thoughtful company creates everything from “teas to tinctures,” with its fruity drink “Cannabis Quenchers” a 2013 High Times Cannabis Cup “Best Beverage” winner. The shop also carries Mary’s Medicinals’ CBD Transdermal Patches, a woman owned company with origins in Colorado, and Naturally Mystic Organics tinctures and topicals – a personal favorite product line – offering a wide array of doses, combinations of THC, CBD, CBN, daytime and nighttime doses, using additional beneficial herbs synergistically with cannabis. The most unusual product I’ve seen to date was a little box of infused toothpicks made by Twig, packing a whopping 300 mg of activated THC in each tiny stick.

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The collective also carries Altai Brands, “Artisanal edibles thoughtfully crafted for well-being and enjoyment,” with each beautiful chocolate morsel seemingly hand painted in gold and silver. The company waxes poetic on its creations, stating, “Altai seeks to redefine the use of cannabis in our modern culture by placing it within a centuries-old context of human use.” Members of the California Cannabis Industry Association (CCIA), Altai produces its products in a 15,000 square foot food processing facility with comprehensive food safety tracking systems and raw ingredient batch identification from seed to sale – something already happening in wellorganized Colorado.

The Green Goddess Collective announced it has teamed up with Colorado-based Baker, a software development company with its own online ordering app available for iPhone or Android. The inviteonly app can’t be accessed via the app store, only via its website, TryBaker.com, and allows patients to shorten their wait time in the shop by preordering online. As for myself, I purchased a sativa dominant hybrid refill for my vape pen, with which I immediately strolled happily to the end of the pier. Visiting city dispensaries in culturally diverse towns always offers up a great experience. As a California patient I’m grateful for the many producers of good medicine in this favorite LA town, where it’s still cool to take a walk, witness art, music and good food in the California sunshine.

“As for myself, I purchased a sativa dominant hybrid refill for my vape pen, with which I immediately strolled happily to the end of the pier.”

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CANNA NEWS HEALTH

Living With Disability Forest Bathing

HIS PAST summer, my

childhood best friend and I decided to plan a different type of getaway. We were feeling burnt out: he with his roundthe-clock startup management, and me with my health problems, which didn’t let up for the summer at all. My lovely lady was feeling pretty stressed as well with the ups and downs of retail. Living in the city, surrounded by the constant glow of digital media, we don’t even get a break from the stream of information at home. We decided to rent a cabin through AirBnB on the Olympic Peninsula, near Quilcene, to immerse ourselves in the wild; out of cell range, and out of touch. A number of studies show that excessive screen time can impact quality of sleep as well as depression and stress levels. Perhaps you have woken up in the middle of the night and decided to check out your smart phone; you may know how hard it is to fall back asleep after looking at that bright little screen for five minutes. While technology has done wonderful things for us in so many ways, we must realize that we are soft human beings, and that we might need down time, to rebalance ourselves outside of the cyber sphere. In Japan, walking in the forest and opening up one’s senses constitutes a practice known as shinrin-yoku, or forest bathing. This is not nude sunbathing under the trees, but a therapeutic

“A number of studies show that excessive screen time can impact quality of sleep as well as depression and stress levels.”

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WRITER •JOHNNY HALFHAND

practice to relax deeply, unwind from stress, and rejuvenate through seeking joy and wonder in the forest. Numerous studies in Japan prove even fifteen minutes spent walking or sitting in a quiet, natural setting can reduce physiological signs of stress and anxiety in a pronounced way. They’ve even found that exposure to natural woodlands enhances the immune system’s production of cancer-killing cells. Disability leaves people housebound, lagging behind the rest of society, and from this perspective the human world can be alienating. Delving into the natural world, whether it is a local park or vast protected backcountry, operates on its own plane as well, a wild plane. Alan Watts once said that the human world is very rigid, built with straight lines and boxes, while the natural world is fluid and squiggly. Living at the grace and will of one’s health feels like a primal struggle - going into the forest and exploring the wonders of the wild is not only relaxing but helps one learn valuable lessons to take back to the human world. On our last day out on the Peninsula, we drove down to a campground called Hamma Hamma, and found beautiful old-growth forest. Even though walking is difficult for me, I just had to explore; curiosity compels you in such beauty. We followed the sound of babbling water and found the crystal clear mountain waters of the Hamma Hamma River,

PHOTO • JOHNNY HALFHAND

with Mount Skokomish towering in the distance. Putting our feet in the water, we made little dams and eddies, and picked out our favorite old trees in the surrounding glades. When we got back in the car to drive back to Seattle, and back to our workday lives, we felt deeply refreshed, perhaps even on a spiritual level. My pain levels felt reset in a way, and feeling whole again, I was ready to take a crack at my writing projects once more. The United States has a wonderful national park system, which preserves many different types of woodlands. From the Olympics and Denali to the Redwoods and the Everglades, anyone can go see them and revel and recharge in their beauty. Forest bathing opportunities are everywhere, and the rise of ecotourism also contributes to an alternative tourism which now trades glamor for nature. There are also small local parks, equally delightful for their convenience. When feeling overwhelmed, taxed and depleted, perhaps you are due for some forest bathing. The autumn is a wonderful time to casually explore the forest, alone or with friends. Take in the many colors, breathe deeply, and listen to the birds singing in the rustling leaves. We come from nature, and it always feels good to be settling in back at home, if even for 15 minutes.

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CANNA-NEWS PESTICIDES

WRITER •JESSICA ZIMMER

Growing It Safe

Encouraging Best Practices Through Pesticide Regulation HE STATES where cannabis is most heavily farmed and utilized – California, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington – are taking steps to encourage safe growing practices and curb the use of dangerous pesticides. Colorado is leading the effort in regulation and enforcement of health and safety standards.

CURRENT GOVERNMENT EFFORTS

John Scott, manager of pesticide programs at the Colorado Department of Agriculture (CDA), said his agency does not advocate the use of any pesticide that is “not according to the label.” Since cannabis is illegal under federal law, chemical manufacturers that develop U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-mandated labels for their products do not list how the products may affect cultivators or consumers. In addition, according to the Organic Foods Production Act, marijuana cannot earn the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) certification of “organic.” “None of the pesticides have gone through risk assessments for marijuana. No scientific testing (for effectiveness and potential harm) has been conducted specific to marijuana,” said Scott. The CDA and the Washington State Department of Agriculture (WSDA) are currently working collaboratively and are in discussions with the EPA about listing certain chemicals as safe to use on cannabis. The process is called special local need (SLN) registration, and each state has produced its own extensive list. Scott said the CDA is collaborating with the WSDA to determine what tests should be conducted to determine whether a

WHY SOLUTIONS ARE NEEDED

Cultivators and state officers agree that state regulation and enforcement can preserve the health of cultivators, consumers, and the environment. Hezekiah Allen, chair and executive director of the Emerald Growers Association, a California-based group of cannabis cultivators, business owners, activists and supporters says pesticide runoff from outdoor grows has the potential to affect “anything that lives in or depends on the water.” He recalls episodes in 2008 and 2009 during which pesticides from cannabis grows found their way into water tanks and rivers in northern California, and was

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pesticide is safe. The products attracting the most negative attention are fungicides that kill mites and have myclobutanil as an active ingredient: Avid, Eagle 20EW, and Floramite. There have been no formal scientific studies regarding the effects on these pesticides on cultivators or consumers. There are numerous reports on Internet forums from consumers who believe that they experienced episodes of dizziness and respiratory problems after using marijuana grown with the above-mentioned pesticides. “We’re working with industry in ensuring their compliance regarding worker protection standards. Our goal is to contact each of those (cultivation) facilities,” said Scott. He says the CDA has increased its number of inspections by three times its pre-legalization amount. The money for additional full time employees comes from general funds generated through cannabis tax dollars. Jodi Davidson, marijuana examiner program supervisor of the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB), said medical marijuana is not yet regulated in the state. The agency was not required by Initiative 502 (I502), the 2012 legislation that legalized cannabis, to test product.

shown to negatively affected salmon populations. In 2010, Allen began having “significant and ongoing conversations with fisheries.” The talks have led to inter-industry cooperation to encourage best management practices for cultivators. Allen supports a new bill meant to address the problems caused by pesticide runoff: Assembly Bill 243, the Marijuana Watershed Protection Act. This legislation currently being considered by the California legislature would place a $50 fee on each legal plant. The money would go to enhance law enforcement, environmental mitigation and restoration.

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Davidson says, “We are now in the midst of drafting rules for [testing] medical marijuana.” Mikhail Carpenter, spokesperson for the WSLCB, says the agency will have the power to regulate therapeutic cannabis in July 2016. Steve Fuller, policy assistant to the director of the WSDA, said the WSDA is currently doing some sanitary inspections of edibles processors under a contract with the WSLCB. Oregon requires therapeutic cannabis to be tested for pesticides, but labs are not yet held to any set standards. Cultivators are expected to take the initiative in pulling their product off shelves if it is found to contain harmful substances. The Oregon Liquor Control Commission, which will oversee recreational cultivators, has a committee that is currently discussing how labs should operate. California does not require therapeutic cannabis (medical marijuana) to be tested for pesticides. Its legislature is considering Assembly Bill 266. Under this bill, the California Department of Public Health would test the product and the California Department of Food and Agriculture (CDFA) would oversee cultivation.

Taylor West, deputy director of the National Cannabis Industry Association says, “It is incumbent on (cannabis-related) businesses in the community to develop alternatives to those federally established options for pesticides.” “You’re seeing some efforts come out of the industry. It’s a smart move; many of our customers and consumers are patients. It’s important that the industry not create issues or complications with their health problems,” says West. He agrees that growing clean is a way for smaller cultivators to “distinguish themselves and their brands.”

WAYS TO COMBAT MITES, MOLD, AND MILDEW Chris Conrad, a California-based cannabis legal expert, says he is concerned that many states, including Colorado, are using USDA guidelines that suggest that if a plant can be treated with a certain pesticide that can be eaten, it can also be safely smoked. “To me, that’s missing the step of [understanding] what happens when you burn it [the pesticide],” said Conrad. He explains it is possible to determine from the smoke or ash whether cannabis has been treated with chemicals. “Often adulterants [such as pesticides] are visible in the smoke. If it’s blue to white, or pale grey, it’s from a clean plant. If the smoke has a brown or blackish tint, that’s a sign of an adulterant. An ash that’s white and powdery or that comes out with lumps and specks is also a sign of an adulterant,” said Conrad. He also shares that water, milk, baking soda, and Neem tree oil are several natural ways to get rid of powdering mildew. Bodhi Urban, head grower at Preferred Organic Therapy, a Denver-based dispensary, uses a variety of safe and natural methods to keep plants healthy. “For spider mites, I use (the spray) Green Clean, it takes care of the eggs. For fungal issues, I use a lot of essential oils: clove, peppermint, thyme, cinnamon, and lemon oil as well as soap,” says Urban,”If the essential oils aren’t working, I reinforce with applications of different bacteria strains. I use the fungicides Actinovate and Double Nickel 55TM, and brew compost teas (a blend of decaying organic matter, steeped in water) to breed microbes. They also help keep everything nice and green. I have a soil blend, Anbessa Organics, that I developed that utilizes a wide spectrum of herbs,” says Urban. Urban said the best way to protect indoor grows is to control the climate of the space.

“The humidity should be no greater than 40%, with fluctuations of temperature never varying more than ten to fifteen degrees, and you don’t want to underwater or overwater your plants.” says Urban. He says cannabis strains differ; it helps to be aware that a crop has specific needs. “CBD strains (such as Charlotte’s Web, which may not contain much THC) are more like hemp. They don’t need as much nutrients [as high THC strains] to grow to their full potential.” Danielle Billings, co-founder of the Colorado Hemp Project, a Sterling-based entity that seeks to plant a 196-acre farm of a cannabis strain with a high amount of CBD and a low amount of THC, says, “Cannabis is a crop that does not need pesticides.” She says she thinks some growers have used dangerous pesticides, because there has been a proliferation of large grows with inexperienced owners. “If you don’t have a good owner, that person is not going to care about the end product; they’re just about the money. It’s very visible here in Colorado. There are $60,000 to $70,000 operations that get shut down because of mites and mold.” Michael Johnson, chief operating officer of Highly Distributed, a wholesale cannabis company based in Talent, Oregon, said he thinks cultivators only use dangerous pesticides when they are inexperienced or lazy. “If you round the corner from July to August and your plants are just beginning to flower, you could lose $100,000. Synthetic products

fix the problem with one application, but you can be proactive and spray with healthy products before things go bad,” says Johnson, who was an organic vegetable farmer for four years prior to growing cannabis. He says that starting from seed helps. “Clones usually have a little baggage. The fewer people from which you receive genetics the better…[because] you pass the bugs and the diseases all around.” Chris Van Hook, director of Clean Green Certified, a Crescent City, California-based business that offers the only nationally recognized third-party certification for cannabis, said cultivators growing outdoors should increase biodiversity in their plots. “Providing beneficials (plants that protect cannabis) helps to keep pests “below action threshold.” If you are growing surrounded by woods and forest, there’s a lot (of those) around naturally. You can “companion plant” with premixes of multiple (flowers): zinnias, marigolds, as well as clover and grasses, with seed pods.” He also says keeping indoor and outdoor growing and processing areas, including tools and storage containers within these areas both quarantined and separate, as well as clean and organized. Van Hook added that buying predator mites or ladybugs and putting a screen mesh around outdoor grows can also further minimizes the effect of infestations.

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WHAT’S COMING NEXT? All of the cultivators interviewed said federal legislation to legalize cannabis would be the most effective step to prevent pesticide misuse and develop best practices for cultivation. “We (the National Cannabis Industry Association) are trying to do our part by providing forums… that move toward cannabis becoming a federally accepted product.” says West. Allen says that in the meantime, states should institute regulations regarding pesticides, so that “every product on the shelf is safe.” “We need the state of California to develop (more thorough) standards for pesticides (for cannabis),” says Allen. In April 2015, the California Department of Pesticide Regulation (CDPR) released its first guidelines regarding pesticides and pest management for cannabis. The five-page document relied on two sources and did not delve into the details of maintaining grows or applying chemical solutions. Allen said California has an enormous influence on American agriculture. Other states will see cannabis-related regulations that the CDPR and CDFA puts into effect as instructional and authoritative.

“The consumer has got to be smart enough to know there is no organic cannabis, and to look for a certified product. They need to know that if you’re not handling certified cannabis, you’ve got a good possibility you’re supporting pesticide use and unfair labor practices.”

“We’d love to have guidance from the University of California system, which does a great deal of research on agriculture, about how to treat [cannabis] plants. We need to incentivize and reward producers who are participating in [best practices] because it’s going to be challenging. We should be enforcing [the regulations] for those who don’t participate,” says Allen. Van Hook agreed and says “California is the agricultural giant, globally.” Johnson says he thinks the market can also help drive best practices. “At this stage in the game, with no federal oversight, the only guarantee a consumer has is independent third-party certification, and a product that’s been tested that really knows.” Van Hook says dispensaries and collectives play an important part in consumer education. “The consumer has got to be smart enough to know there is no organic cannabis, and to look for a certified product. They need to know that if you’re not handling certified cannabis, you’ve got a good possibility you’re supporting pesticide use and unfair labor practices. I think that every time a dispensary or collective has taken the time to educate their consumer base, it differentiates their products from those on the market and that’s become a very good marketing tool,” says Van Hook. Billings says consumers and cultivators have the potential to work together to guide government agencies.

“Cannabis is supposed to be a healing plant; there needs to be more love and compassion in the conversation. If the intention of the industry is to help people, why are we spraying pesticides?” says Billings. “There needs to be more educational conferences, more warnings, and a list of products that are indicated as dangerous,” says Billings. Allen says that cultivators and consumers should inform government agencies as to which practices should not be encouraged. “I’m not opposed to law enforcement; we need to distinguish between cannabis agriculture and criminality,” says Allen. “Right now the criminals have a competitive advantage. It takes time, energy, and resources to grow correctly.” He also acknowledges it is dangerous to allow cannabis cultivators to proceed without more guidance, because the industry is still very young. “One nursery has the ability to affect 100 farms.” He is quick to point out that all parties can focus on a common message to help encourage cultivators to produce safely and work toward keeping the industry financially stable. “It is not a crime to grow pot. It is a crime to poison people.”

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PHOTOS • TINA BALLEW & VIAJARPHOTOGRAPHY

Pure Products From a Green Company

THE PLANTS As the owners affectionately describe, the grow house director at Suspended Brands has known what he was doing since back when “pot wasn’t that strong.” Having kept an uncrossed, pure indica from Amsterdam by the name of Friesland alive for 25 years, the strain is now the anchor of their genetics. As the team says, “The THC content simply doesn’t match how high it gets you, and it’s very well-balanced for a pure indica.” Suspended Brands is also quickly becoming known for its high-quality C02 vape cartridges, and they have a full commercial kitchen in the works. There are also rumors of new and exciting processing practices coming soon, so stay tuned for more elevating products to come from Suspended Brands.

“Each building has two weather stations built in to monitor the humidity, heat, and lights when Mother Nature isn’t agreeable.“

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SUSPENDEDBRANDS.COM BELFAIR, WA

THE PLACE The state-of-the-art hybrid greenhouse that composes the gardens at Suspended Brands is a Tier 3 operation, with a sprawling 5,000 square feet of plants in vegetation, and an eye-popping 12,000 square feet of flowering cannabis. Located in Belfair, Washington, they originally looked at warehouse space, mostly due to the fact that cannabis cultivation has been forced indoors by decades of illegality. Fortunately, their choice to “go green” ultimately aligned with their environmentally friendly ethos. As their mission statement clarifies, Suspended Brands was “Built from the ground up using cutting-edge technology to become the leader in efficient, environmentally conscious, large scale production of cannabis in Washington State.” Focusing on their facility specifics, everything is automated inside these warehouse/greenhouse hybrid masterpieces. Each building has two weather stations built in to monitor the humidity, heat, and lights when Mother Nature isn’t agreeable. As the owners explain, “We don’t touch the environment, we just set the range,” and yes, the ceilings close and open upon command, and the side walls go up and down. This creates the most ideal, and most environmentally friendly climate in which to cultivate their fine cannabis.

THE PEOPLE The team at Suspended Brands is not your typical group of individuals. Owned and operated by two sets of brothers who grew up pushing one another to new heights via a love for extreme sports--such as backcountry skiing, skydiving and BMX--the company name comes from that long-held passion. As they describe, “The pinnacle of the experience is when you are suspended mid-air.” Suspended Brands currently employs approximately thirty employees at their Mason County location. Their perpetual harvest model keeps labor at a constant flow, as seeds are planted and plants are harvested on a daily basis.

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WRITER â&#x20AC;˘ABIGAIL ROSS

CANNABIS bODY PRODUCTS Relaxing With a Clear Mind

HE DIVERSITY of cannabis-infused products is ever expanding, and contemporary cannabis shops now over everything from cannabis-coffee pods to CBD acne treatment. Most of us have tried a lotion or tincture by now from a local dispensary or recreational store, and these cannabis-infused products may be worth keeping in the medicine cabinet for the long haul. Cannabis-infused products are helping people unwind and reach a deeper state of relaxation, and perhaps much more effectively than other poten-

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tially harmful options, and purchasing these products supports local entrepreneurs within the cannabis community. Lacking the psychoactive high that smoking or ingesting cannabis produces, these still retain powerful therapeutic effects. These products have gained much popularity and there are so many products and goodies available now, weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re breaking it down to make it easier for people get on the path to unwinding. Nothing helps relax muscles and calm inflammation quite like a great cannabis salve, oil, or lotion. These products

will definitely perform whether sitting at a desk all day or just working out at the gym, topicals can treat a variety of ailments, wrist pain, back pain, or just plain old muscle pain can be melted away instantly with the right product. Cannabis-infused massage oils during a massage make a great add on to an already relaxing experience. Some massage therapists will offer massage with cannabisinfused products or can be open to using products the client brings from home. Make sure to ask beforehand, as laws are different in each state, and all massage therapists answer to the Dept of Health which is a government entity. It’s also important to point out that no amount of topicals will get anyone high. We contacted Megan Schwarting, owner and co-creator of their multi-Cannabis Cup winning line of topicals, Kush Creams to clarify this. She gets asked the “will it get me high” question all day, and her answer to our inquiry? “I once heard a wise doctor explaining to a patient that she could go swim in a pool full of Kush Creams™, and as long as she didn’t open her mouth and swallow a bunch of it, she would not get high or fail a urinary analysis” Megan explains. Each kind of topical on the market has slightly different levels of cannabinoids which produce a different therapeutic effects. Most products will also add essential oils and other healing herbs, that provide a wide range of medicinal effects when combined with terpinols. Try a few different options and find the one that works best. Many people are now saying they’ve left their over-the-counter pain meds behind!

WHY COMBINE EMU OIL & CANNABIS? Topicals are showing themselves effective on everything from deep neuropathic pain to simple surface irritations. Combining cannabinoids with emu oil requires consumers to use less product for a wider spectrum of ailments. Cannabinoids in topicals bind to CB2 receptors in the skin and help cells regenerate naturally, promoting healing at the dermal level. The benefits of emu are as follows: Emu oil has an abundance of essential fatty acids (EFA) containing 70% that are necessary to the human body. It’s 50% oleic acid (omega 9) which is an excellent transdermal carrier.

Baths are another great way to unwind at the end of a long, stressful day. These cannabis-infused goodies are definitely worth a try and have been said by many dealing with chronic pain to be a game-changer for them. Cannabis-infused bath bombs work similar to fizzy drink tablets, typically made up of baking soda, Epsom salt, essential oils, and in our case, infused with cannabis. Cannabis-infused bath salts are also great and sometimes easier to find for a longer soak. Both of these products will help with the end of the day unwind and help many get the most out of a good night sleep. Last but not least, cannabis-infused lip-balms deserve a place in the line up. As fall rolls in, lips are more susceptible to dryness and chapping. Cannabis lip-balm is great because it can be used anywhere you experience severe dryness or irritation. Many who suffer from regular cold sores have reported cannabis-infused lip-balms help them prevent breakouts and cut down on healing time. This may be due to the anti-viral properties of cannabis. Fortunately for all of us, the mainstream spa industry is slowly catching up in discovering how truly nourishing and relaxing cannabis infused products can be. Until then, create a cannabis spa experience from the comfort of your own home. Relax, unwind, and break out those cannabis-infused bath-bombs!

Emu oil is 15-20% linoleic acid (omega 6) and 1-3% linolenic acid (omega 3). These are powerful anti inflammatory agents and increase production of hormones like a substance called eicosanoids which jumpstarts the skin’s healing process. The Cannabis and Emu oil non polar fatty acid formulation moves through the cells easily with short chain fatty acids, performing like long chain fatty’s, it is almost 100% triglyceride lipid with no phosphorus molecules. How does this help in getting the cannabis to where it really hurts? Essential fatty acids (EFA’s) penetrate the skin deeply, and at the same time carry active compounds, like cannabinoids in this case, to where they have the most effect.

Megan Schwarting, Kush Creams™

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CANNA-NEWS BUSINESS

nEWwEST t ECHNOLOGIES uNVEILED AT THE NEW WEST SUMMIT

backed start-ups. Streamlining business infrastructure with new audit systems and POS and CMS software will also be part of the conference, as will discussions covering custom branding, marketing, social media and editorial trends. Vendors will be able to capitalize on this golden opportunity with exhibits. Booths will be set up so products can be introduced to new customers and investors, and the latest in high-end apparatuses and cultivation equipment will be on display. Plus, since you can’t have a cannabis conference without, well, cannabis, there will be some of the country’s finest smoke and edibles available.

ORTUNE MAGAZINE recently published an article that declared the cannabis industry one of the hottest growing money makers in the US, and with an estimated $3.7 billion in legal sales and $10 billion a year impacting the economy, both Silicon Valley and capitol investors are scrambling to get a piece of this American pie. As a result, new technology seems to be hitting the market almost daily, making it quite a challenge to remain on top of what’s hot and what’s not. So what are latest and greatest innovations taking the cannabis industry by storm in 2016? It’s all going to be unveiled at the New West Summit. Taking place November 20 and 21 at Parc 55 Hotel, Union Square in San Francisco, the New West Summit will be the first conference of its kind to focus solely on new technology, media and businesses exclusively tailored to the cannabis industry. One thousand of the world’s leading professionals in this rapidly-expanding market will gather together to discuss upcoming trends in legalization, funding, mobile apps, and more. Another areas of focus will cover disruptive technologies in cultivation, vaporization and extraction. Keynote speakers will cut through the hype as they examine what’s next for crowd funding, public companies, non-profit companies and venture-

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The keynote speakers of this conference are some of the industries leading thinkers and trailblazers. Panelists include: Smell the Truth editor David Downs; Eaze CEO Keith McCarty; cannabis media expert Gaynell Rogers; Green Flower Media’s Max Simon; VapeXHale’s Seibo Chen; Y Meadow’s David Hua; and Harborside Health Center founder and author Stephen DeAngelo. The speakers aren’t the only big names participating in the conference. Some of the sponsors of this event include Bloomberg, The Mercury News, East Bay Express, The Hash, the Sacramento Bee, and the San Francisco Chronicle. The New West Summit won’t be without its own thrills and entertainment. The one and only Pato Banton, one of reggae’s biggest superstars, will be performing a private concert for ticket holders only. Best part: the concert is free! So, who’s idea was it to hold a conference that entertains, educates and exhibits the newest technologies while bringing in large capitol investors? Put your hands together for Jim McAlpine and Dean Arbit. McAlpine is a long-time special-events producer in the Bay City area. He’s best know for his Snowbomb Ski and snow sports events brand, and also happens to be the creator of the ever-popular 420 Games. For those unfamiliar with these sporting events, they take place across the West

coast with the positive message that cannabis consumers are healthy and active, not just the unfit couch potatoes portrayed by propaganda.

“We’re going to show the market place how going high tech will become a key component in the integration of cannabis into mainstream culture.”

Arbit founded the highly successful company, West Coast Outdoor Media. Although he eventually sold it, he did go on to co-found TruMedia and currently publishes Smell the Truth.

“We see technology as the driver behind much of the innovation and growth in the cannabis business sector,” Arbit says. “We’re offering cannabis leaders access to established Silicon Valley innovators willing to share their experiences and perspectives first hand.”

McAlpine told Dope that he and Arbit devised the idea of the New West Summit because they saw an “immediate unmet need for extreme focus on new and disruptive technologies.” For those unfamiliar with the term, disruptive technologies are new technologies that displace established technology, which shakes up an industry. “What sets the New West Summit apart from other cannabis conferences is the focus we’re placing on technology,” states McAlpine.

What are some of these disruptive technologies that will be introduced to the cannabis industry at the New West Summit? Unfortunately, there won’t be any sneak peeks. To find out, we’ll just have to purchase a ticket and attend the conference. The two-day, ten-panel conference runs $395 per person, and tickets are expected to sell out, so get your tickets early and we’ll see you at the summit!

“We’re going to show the market place how going high tech will become a key component in the integration of cannabis into mainstream culture.”

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NG TO N

ND ,W AS HI

KIR KL A

OREGON LEAF’S

Danksgiving

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PIECE

WRITER •R.Z. HUGHES

PHOTOS • TINA BALLEW

hONDO pINZON Kind, Bright Design

HE ORNATE glassworks from Mr. Hondo Pinzon are full of natural light and glow with color. His inspirations seem to be organic in nature with dappled woody browns and the clear blues of cloudless skies, melting into the vibrant greens and yellows of summertime. Both highly functional and exciting, fetching high prices atT galleries from glass aficionados around the northwest. The designs are fun and playful – a pair of pipe-napples look fragile and somewhat spiky toward the lip region but in reality fit into one’s hand with a perfect heft and have easily accessible mouthpieces. Pinzon’s dab rigs are great. Shaped similarly to beer bottles, they are lightweight and easy to grasp; a must-have in the world of expensive, high-quality glass, as one short drop could prove fatal. The chambers are large, allowing for major hits with minimal drag and the elongated narrow necks make clearing them a breeze. Throughout his work there are hints of nature. Looking at the pieces on different occasions and under different light, new forms begin to appear. Beehives pop out of the glass, deep currents of endless blue ocean start to pulse, or the likeness of a sunflower may catch one’s eye. Whatever it may be, these outstanding works of art contain a mastery of color and design, with an eye for the organic.

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CHRIS DRAGS GLASS Another artist from Rage Cage, Chris regularly collaborates with Hondo and did some work on a couple of these pieces. The horns sprouting from the dab rig, along with intricate line work on the tubes, crown his signature pieces with a devilish, yet elegant, touch.

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RESTAURANT

bOURBON bONES and

High Heaven at Frēlard’s Favorite Smoke Shack

RIVE DOWN Leary Way with the windows down and it’s impossible to miss the enticing aroma of slowly smoked meats. Chef Mike Law is serious about barbecue, and his restaurant Bourbon & Bones has received numerous accolades since opening its doors in 2013. Located between Ballard and Fremont, in newly christened Frēlard, the bar is a shrine to Law’s native North Carolina, serving up finger-lickin’ classics in a lively southern atmosphere. Flanked by a pair of smokers, Bourbon & Bones keeps their fires stoked with apple, cherry, and hickory logs – no chips. ‘Big Smokey’ is a custom-built, 10x10 foot smokehouse stacked high with bacon and sausage, wafting the succulent smell of slowcooking pork parts into the sky. The smaller ‘Li’l Smokey’ sits outside the restaurant, handling the daily fare of brisket, ribs, pork shoulder, and chicken. Li’l Smokey in action is a beautiful sight, loaded with glistening ribs and half-chickens, it could make a vegan reconsider their entire life while salivating like a hound. Chef Law has quite an impressive resume, making a name for himself with previous posts at world-famous fine dining spots in San Francisco, New Orleans, Barcelona, and Germany. Bringing it back to his North Carolina roots, Law is at home in the hazy, dressed-down roadhouse, stepping away from complicated gourmet cuisine and into a festival of meats, sauces, and seasonings. Law’s culinary expertise, and indeed the expertise of the entire staff, has cultivated a fiercely loyal following that includes self-appointed barbecue snobs and true aficionados of the art form – along with people who simply love good food. Get there early for the brisket and ribs as they’ve been known to sell out in a hurry.

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Among the heaping mounds of pork shoulder and beef brisket, cloyingly sweet desserts crown the counter looking like frosted temptations. Accompanied by a sweet menagerie of southern favorites, their bourbon banana rum layer cake looks as good as it sounds. With over a hundred whiskeys, local beer, and hand-crafted cocktails, there is something for everyone – we recommend the Bourbon & Bowtie! This place is everything a barbecue joint should be. The food is straightforward, served on parchment paper, and unbelievably juicy – with a trio of house sauces, all of which are highly addictive. The ribs fall off the bone, almost melting in one’s mouth and it’s no surprise that the brisket doesn’t last long, with its perfectly crispy bark, rippling pockets of rendered fat, and tender mouthfuls of carnivorous perfection. For anyone suffering from a ravenous case of the munchies, Bourbon & Bones will leave you with a full belly and a meat-induced grin.

ISSUE 50 THE HEALTH ISSUE dopemagazine.com

“Law’s culinary expertise, has cultivated a fiercely loyal following that includes selfappointed barbecue snobs.”

WRITER •R.Z. HUGHES

PHOTOS • SEAN CORBY

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CANNA-NEWS

TRIMMER’S gUIDE

for Self-Maintenance

RIMMING CANNABIS flowers is ar-

guably the most tedious and meticulous step in the production process. Trimmers provide the final touch and can make or break the outcome of a product, but with great responsibility comes great reward and trim rooms can be a magical place. A place where camaraderie forms and lasting relationships are made. Trimming can also take quite a toll on the body mentally and physically. Manicuring is tedious, repetitive work whether the techniques used are hand trimming or working with a machine, and therefore taking care of body and mind is critical. Trimming typically requires a lot of sitting, and most health care professionals recommend standing and stretching every two hours to keep blood flowing at a healthy rate. If a work environment is conducive to a 5-10 minute walk, great! If not, some yoga stretches for that amount of time will also work. The best stretches for sitting long periods of time are forward folds, lunges, and spinal twists, and wrist stretches as well, especially if trimming by hand. Trim work is traditionally paid by weight, and this approach may encourage trimmers to skip breaks throughout the workday. If one desires to make trimming a full time gig, and NOT suffer from physical discomfort down the road, then skipping breaks is simply not an option. A great way to care for the body in between trimming sessions is to book a massage. Many trimmers neglect their bodies and end up with irrevocable damage. Wrist issues and back pain are especially no fun, since they can affect almost everything in daily life. Some may see the expense of a massage as frivolous, but it’s necessary. Many therapists are flexible and will work with clients financially, so make sure to ask. Some insurance companies will even

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cover part of the expense, and wrists and shoulders will be thankful! Nourish the body with healthy foods. It’s easy to fall into the trap of eating junk food while trimming. Sweets and energy drinks can feel like they help by giving an initial jolt, but in the end the crash and feel terrible. Consuming high amounts of stimulating food without moving too much throughout the day will cause brain fog. Guaranteed, a trimmer will feel much better at the end of a strenuous workday if the sugar intake is kept low and the veggies high. Trimming can also take a toll on the mind. Staring at those beautiful cannabis flowers for hours on end can actually lose its magic when eyes start crossing and your brain turns to mush. Some trimmers like to binge on TV and movies, and visual entertainment can be fun but includes some downsides. First off, anything visual can be distracting to the task at hand. Even if someone feels they can watch and work at the same time, chances are your bosses don’t think so. Music is great, but audio books and podcasts can be a mentally nourishing alternative. Check out podcasts on interesting subjects perhaps never studied because the time was never available. How about trying out a new language? The possibilities are endless for keeping the mind sharp while working a repetitive job. Audio books can also be fun in a group setting as well, as great stories tend to spark intellectual conversations. Trimming is incredibly rewarding when done right, and trim rooms tend to be filled with adventurous types which can make for great conversation. The task can also be a great focus for meditation, and many find the act very therapeutic, so protecting the body can help folks stay part of the fun for the long haul.

WRITER •ABIGAIL ROSS

“Trimming is incredibly rewarding when done right, and trim rooms tend to be filled with adventurous types which can make for great conversation.”

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GROW

gwROWING ITH

pURPOSE

RESPONSIBILITY IN CANNABIS PRODUCTION ECREATIONAL CANNABIS is spreading across the United States with ever-increasing popularity including the medical front, which continues to press forward in many states that choose to decriminalize the plant. To me, the most beneficial outcome of all the hard-fought cannabis legalization battle has been the increased efficacy of cannabis as a medicine. With several states allocating money for formal research in universities, we are discovering new pathways being formed to help more patients every day. As the movement pushes forward, and brings easier access to more and more people nationwide, the methods for growing need to be the right ones for both patients and planet. The methods by which we grow our plants directly impacts the quality of our final product. This includes not only what we fertilize with or whether we do or don’t use pesticides, but how we prune, nurture and harvest the plant. All these play heavily on the end quality; to be more specific, techniques can be chosen with their end use in mind. To attack the elephant in the room, let’s discuss fertilizers and pesticides first. There are all types of economic and environmental opinions that surround the use of chemical fertilizers, but when it comes to making therapeutic remedies for those with various illness, there is not much room for argument. Science has shown that vegetables grown with chemical fertilizers, though equivalent in macronutrients, substantially lack the quantity of terpenes and antioxidants produced in organically grown vegetables. The same holds true for cannabis. For example, the benefits of juicing cannabis are largely in the amount of antioxidants present. Juicing with chemically fertilized plants would produce substantially lower qualitative values. Similarly, creating a low-heat RSO (Rich Simpson Oil) from organic cannabis will substantially increase the amount of other cancer fighting chemicals in the final product. Pesticides are a whole other beast, with a large selection available for growers on the market. The number of chemicals allowed on foods seems increasingly out of control. How do we know which ones to safely use? If consuming the plant, or smoking it for that matter is the ultimate goal, stick to only the natural ingredients or byproducts, such as neem oil, pyrethrins (from Chrysanthemum flowers), and circumstantially spinosad. What many people don’t realize is there’s an entire marketplace dedicated to biological controls, and these can completely eliminate the need for pesticides.

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Ladybugs are the first to come to mind but they are only the tip of the iceberg. For mites, there are several species of predatory mites (the good guys) that can completely control a grow space. Predator nematodes are an especially helpful biological control that eliminate any soil dwelling insects. Phylloxera, fungus gnats, thrips and aphids all start their life cycles in the soil. Using biological controls is substantially cheaper than continually reapplying pesticides, and its often more successful when done right. When it comes to how we groom our plants, little actions can make a big difference, and the best thing one can do is be intentional. If growing to juice the plant, treat it differently than if growing to produce RSO. When juicing or blending cannabis, all the minerals, vitamins, nutrients and any chemicals present at harvest are consumed. This makes it optimal to harvest and fresh freeze the plant around week 6 or 7 when it has maximized its nutritional production. Just the same, removing healthy fan leaves from a plant to be juiced is only reducing the overall yield; the fan leaves are just as important! RSO is produced in many different ways but one thing everyone will agree on is the need for quality product to start with. Because RSO uses a solvent to strip the chemicals from the plant matter, makers will need to know everything that is about to be stripped down into the final product. For RSO many prefer to start with pesticide-free organic dried flower only. It may be more costly to produce, but when treating cancer, costs can be relative. The love of growing plants is what introduced me to the cannabis world. I believe that how we grow our product and ultimately how we choose to use it is what will define our culture. While the War on Drugs era stumbles to an ignorant end, we are now harnessing the opportunity to redefine our image. No longer will we be seen as ‘lazy stoners’, but as innovative pioneers encompassing business and care for humanity in one.

WRITER •DAVID BAILEY

“What many people don’t realize is there’s an entire marketplace dedicated to biological controls, and these can completely eliminate the need for pesticides.” dopemagazine.com ISSUE 50 THE HEALTH ISSUE

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DOPE MAP/ SEATTLE 1

A GREENER TODAY SOUTH 9509 Rainier Ave S. Seattle 206-257-0894

A GREENER TODAY FREMONT 3601 Fremont Ave N #210 Seattle 206-659-4355

ANALYTICAL 360 2735 1st Ave South Seattle

CAPITAL CO-OP 10728 Lake City Way NE Seattle 206-582-2411

CONSCIOUS CARE COOPERATIVE BALLARD 1701 NW M arket Street Seattle

DOCKSIDE CANNABIS (21+) 15029 Aurora Ave N 206-402-4839

DOCKSIDE COOP (MEDICAL) 223 N. 36th St. Seattle

GREENSIDE MEDICAL 9804 Lake City Way NE SEattle 206-380-3129

HAVE A HEART CC 11736 Aurora Avenue N, Seattle 206) 257-4500

HOPE CLINIC SEATTLE 1818 Westlake Ave N. Seattle 206-283-4673

18 8 3

11 16

HOPE CLINIC SHORELINE 18820 Aurora Ave. #104B Shoreline 98133 206-283-4673 OCEAN GREENS 9724 Aurora Ave. N Seattle 206-453-4145

SHH! SEATTLE 3232 1st Ave S Seattle 206-257-5074

STAR BUDS 2315 E John St. Seattle 206-387-4367

SAFE ACCESS 3809 Delridge Way SW Seattle 206-466-5678

A GREENER TODAY SHORELINE 16053 Aurora Ave N Ste. B Shoreline 206-801-7756

SEATTLE QUALITY COLLECTIVE 13760 Aurora Avenue North, Seattle 98133 206-257-4941 THE JOINT UNIVERSITY 5260 University Way NE Seattle206-283-3333 GREENWORKS 11064 Lake City Way 206-922-3911

DOPE MAP/ TACOMA • NOT ON MAP •

A GREENER TODAY LYNNWOOD (MEDICAL) 15015 HWY 99 Ste A Lynnwood 425-361-1459

CCC (MEDICAL) 2706 6Th Ave Tacoma 253-507-4725

CLEAR CHOICE CANNABIS (21+) 8001 S. Hosmer St. Suite B Tacoma 253-444-5444

CENTER STREET COLLECTIVE 4915 Center Street

GREEN COLLAR CLUB 10428 Pacific Ave Tacoma 253-267-0675

HOPE CLINIC TACOMA (MEDICAL) 4051 Tacoma Mall Blvd Tacoma 206-283-4673

LEFT COAST CANNABIS 7604 S Tacoma Way Suite B Tacoma

RAINIER DOWNTOWN 112 S 24th St. 253-327-1572

RAINIER RECREATIONAL 3111 S. Pine St. 253-302-3365

SMC (SEATTLE MEDICAL COLLECTIVE) 8236 Pacfic Ave S

CHRONIC RELEAF CENTER 3765 N Clemons Suite 3 East Wenatchee HYPEHERBALLY 1120 112th St SW Everett 425-582-9385 EVERGREEN EXTRACTS 1405 NE McWilliams Bremerton GREEN THEORY (21+) 10697 Main St. Suite 2 Bellevue 425-502-703 GREENSIDE RECREATIONAL 23407 Pacific HWY S. Des Moines 206-878-6470 PEOPLE OF THE LEAF (MEDICAL) 1326 E. Laurel St. Suite 200 Bellingham 360-733-3838 TOP SHELF CANNABIS (RECREATIONAL) 3863 Hannegan Rd. Bellingham THE JOINT SNOHOMISH 16510 HWY 9 SE Snohomish 360-243-3399 BELMAR 614 114 Ave NE Bellevue, WA 425-453-5749

THE JOINT TACOMA 2409 Pacific Ave. Tacoma 253-231-7000

THC (THE HERBAL COLLECTIVE) 6204 112Th St E. Puyallup 253-256-4251

1 10

3 8 5

7 16

8 18

9 22

11 31

37 23 14

5 28

Lilac City Collective Association 1716 N Ash ST 509-327-2777

Living Green 909 E Francis

Kouchlock Productions AKA ( PNW Medical ) 1919 E Francis Ave 509-325-7454

Green Star Cannabis 1403 N. Division St. 509-922-9227

Piece of Mind-Valley 12101 East 1st Avenue

Puffin Glass Studios 12023 E. Sprague Ave

Satori Spokane 9301 N Division

Royal’s Cannabis 7115 N. Division St. Ste A

Spocanabis 120 E Mission

Green Cross 11607 E Trent 509-703-7191

Evegreen Premier 2225 E. Sprague Suite 1 509-808-2800

DOPE MAP/ SPOKANE

1 15 40

Axis Point MMD 11420 E Sprague Ave 509.822.7266

Spokane Green Leaf 9107 N. Country Homes Blvd

Smokane 17 North Ralph Street

30 NW HeadsGlass Shop 415 N Sullivan RD

Patients for Patients Medical 12928 E Indiana Ste 2

Northside Wellness Center 4811 N. Market

Herbal Connection 3812 N Monroe (509) 844-7287

The Green Nugget 1919 E Francis Ave

Spokane Organics 8701 N Divison

Spokane Organics 4823 E Sprague Ave # E1 Peaceful Choice 3401 N Divison

Herb N Pipe 3130 N Division ST 509-892-0661

High Society 3258 E Sprague 509-262-6413

Piece Of Mind 9303 N Divison

Holy Rollers 1161 E Main 509-315-9142

Piece Of Mind 4103 N Divison

Herb Nerds 12928 E Indiana AVE 509-808-5080

LOCATIONS UNDER LISTING

420 Friendly 1515 South Lewis St (509) 413-2169

3 Cannabis and Glass 6620 N Market St Suite 100 509-326-8400

Alternative MMJ Co-op 1506 N Pines Road 509-534-4055

4 Cinder 7011 N Division

E. K. Green 21 S Thierman RD Suite C (509) 474-1750

6 7

Eastern Washington Cannabis Market 953 East 3rd Ave 509-241-3091

Cured Cooperative 7826 N Market St. (509) 315-8459

The Peaceful Choice 3401 N. Division St.

LOCATIONS UNDER LISTING

The Spot 7413 E Trent

The Spot Medical LLC 7412 E. Trent Ave

The Herbal Connection 3812 N Monroe St

TreeHouse Club 14421 E Trent Ave

Sativa Sisters 10525 E Trent Ave

Zanies 12928 E Indiana Avenue Suite #5

The Top Shelf 1305 S Hayford Rd Suite A

LOCATIONS UNDER LISTING LOCATIONS UNDER LISTING LOCATIONS UNDER LISTING

• NOT ON MAP •

Green Light Dec 1039 East Trent AVE

Fat Tops AKA ( Joe’s 420 ) 9317 E Trent AVE

Spokane Organics 15916 E Sprague

JD’s Collective Garden 39817 N Newport HWY

Savage THC 4428 Williams Valley Rd

3 Green Thumbs 1875 1st S

The Happy Collective 28114 N Newport HWY Unit A

Station 420 4007 Main ST

Union Gap (509) 420-3430

Green Life Cannabis, REC STORE 3012 GS Center Road Wenatchee 509-663-9980

Have-a-Heart, MEDICAL 3014 GS Center Road Wenatchee 509-470-8642

Chronic Releaf Center 3765 Clemons St Wenatchee (509) 415-1357

Blossom Gardens 437 E Penny Rd Wenatchee

509-860-1382 The Happy Crop Shoppe/Monkey Grass Farms 50 Rock Island RD East Wenatchee 509-860-6542

MCS 591 State Route 821 Yakima 509) 452-5627

Patients for Patients--3 LOCATIONS 15 N Naches Ave #21 Yakima (888) 204-1260

Green Budz Medical Collective 7560 Yakima Valley HWY Zillah (509) 969-6955

CANNA NEWS HEALTH

Fight Or Flight The Current State of Medical Cannabis in Washington

Patient access points scramble to stay open as some patients report they are â&#x20AC;&#x153;Scared for first time - all over againâ&#x20AC;? from the limited time remaining for their legal existence, and local governmental authorities are quick to send out hundreds of cease and desist letters.

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WRITER •STEPHANIE HEART

GRAPHICS • BRANDON PALMA

ATIENT ACCESS points scramble to stay open as some pa-

tients report they are “Scared for first time - all over again” after a forced shift to the recreational market.

The 2015 legislative session shook up the medical cannabis industry in Washington State, while promoting confusion to local jurisdiction and not necessarily for the best. This “Patient Protection Bill” 5052 has done a lot of things to control and standardize the product that patients may consume, however it has significantly reduced the amount of access patients have grown accustom to for medical assistance. Regulation can be good, but there is no clear path to patient access just yet. Many are finding it increasingly diffucult to put faith in the state’s ability to “protect” patients, when many have witnessed them drag their feet, with the complicated process of “rolling out recreation.” This complication has combined with may of the other challenges that 502 license holders in Washington . 5052 speaks of licensing medical access points with a medical endorsement. This endorsement would allow those retailers to verify a patient’s status as valid, and give the retailer the choice to give free cannabis and cannabis infused items to patients. The catch 22 is the only ‘free’ cannabis that’s allowed to be given away to patients must consist of less than THC .3%. So how will patients get the stuff that really works for them? How will cancer patients find their Rick Simpson Oil? The answer is patients will still be able to go to a few collectives, choosing to remain open for patients, that have not been pushed around or asked to leave by their local city or county. Seattle, unincorporated King County, and Tacoma have proceeded in sending out cease and desist letters to current collective gardens. By next month, we’ll likely see a radical reduction of access points due to the threat of local intervention. The problem is these cities and counties have questionable authority to make these inquiries in the first place. 5052 redacts 69.51a.140 (the subsection that actually allows city’s and counties to have any say on how medical collectives operate). So why are so many people closing down? This could be likely misinformation or improper structuring of their collective. ` If you know someone who is being harassed or asked to close by their local city or county they may seek guidance from the Association of Safe Access Points to seek out possible ways to continue to privately aid their members. If you are a patient, some research regarding which collectives plan to stick around is time well spent, or stock up and prepare for yet another conundrum for patients, brought to you by the State of Washington.

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Nature Meets Nurture With Sativa Valley’s Infused Tinctures

ORDER ONLINE NOW @ SATIVAVALLEYESS.COM Our CBD Infusion tincture is naturally formulated, by combining kosher glycerin and 100% medical grade, organic, CBD-dominate, cannabis strains. They combine to create a crisp, fresh cannabis flavor accent with light vanilla overtones. It is perfect for those who don’t want the psychoactive effects of THC, but still need all over body pain relief.

Our THC infusion tincture is naturally formulated by combining 100% kosher glycerin and top-shelf, medical cannabis flower. It possesses unusual flavor depth and complexity, revealing a mixture of fresh cannabis tones which are complimented by one of our many unique flavor blends.

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11603 Highway 99 Everett, WA 98204

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budhut.net Find us on:

PRODUCT

WRITER •R.Z. HUGHES

PHOTOS • ALLIE BECKETT

cHARLOTTE’S wEB-HEMP e XTRACT IN MCT CBD: FOSTERING HEALTH AND HOPE RECENT influx of families

have uprooted and moved to Colorado, seeking treatment for their youngsters afflicted with Dravet’s Syndrome, an often fatal form of severe epilepsy. Considered medical refugees by many, these families are forced to leave their home states to save their loved ones; many are in search of the miraculous strain Charlotte’s Web due to their lack of access to therapeutic cannabis in their home states. CW Botanicals, founded by the Stanley brothers in Boulder, Colorado, is a manufacturer of the highest quality CBD solutions containing Cannabidiol, with products ranging from 200 mg of CBD to 5,000 mg. The namesake of the company, Charlotte Figi, was 5-years-old and having 300 grand mahl seizures a week when her parents signed a Do Not Resuscitate Order. After her first dose of CBD oil, she didn’t seize for a week and a year later she is riding bikes and talking. Organically flavored with mint and chocolate, the 200 mg MCT (medium chain triglycerides) and has no sugar. The suggested dose is a mL or around ¼ teaspoon, a manageable small amount for those with nausea or difficulties swallowing. Labeled as a dietary supplement, this product is suitable for anyone looking to enhance their life by including CBD’s natural benefits in it.

FOUND ONLINE AT www.CWBotanicals.com

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The promising results displayed by Charlotte and other children is evidence enough, and while it is by no means a cure, it has offered families hope and relief where pharmaceutical science has failed them. Committed to the cause, a portion of all proceeds from this product are donated to the Realm of Caring Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to cannabis research, education, and advocacy.

ISSUE 50 THE HEALTH ISSUE dopemagazine.com

BEWARE OF SNAKE OIL! With all of the press CBD and Charlotte’s Web has been getting, it’s no surprise that there are now plenty of imitators looking to cash in on the hype. Online marketplaces are currently populating with various hemp oils claiming to be rich in CBD. Many of these are riddled with toxic heavy metals as some are made from the processed stalk, and hemp is the strongest bioaccumulator on the planet. In the case of the CW strain the Department of Agriculture recently redefined the strain as “hemp” redefining “hemp” as any cannabis under 0.3% THC. CW Botanicals uses the flowers of Charolette’s Web, previously considered cannabis, rather than the fibrous stalk to extract the CBD, leaving it free of any toxic compounds.

thejointcoop.com

CANNA-HEALTH

BREAST cANCER kILLERS THE ONE, TWO PUNCH OF CBD AND THC

CBD SAYS SEE YOU LATER S THE striking capacity of

cannabis as a medicine—from miracle cure to wellness agent—continues to shake the very core of the modern pharmaceutical age, the one, two punch cannabinoids give to breast cancer sits at the heart of the matter. With October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an up close and personal look at just how CBD and THC combine to conquer this deadly disease is imperative.

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Current research displays cannabidiol and its unique behavior with respect to the spreading of cancer cells. Here, CBD has shown not only the ability to combat cancer cells, but also act as an anti-cancer agent. As Sean McAllister and Pierre Desprez of the California Pacific Medical Center have stated: “We have found this one compound had a specific effect on metastatic cancer cells, very aggressive tumor cells. We find when you treat with [cannabidiol], you down regulate the expression of this protein, and that inhibits the disease process.”

ISSUE 50 THE HEALTH ISSUE dopemagazine.com

THC DOESN’T TAKE CANCER’S SHIT

Tetrahydrocannabinol is a cancer ass-kicker. Research continues to display THC’s capacity to kill existing cancer cells of all kinds within the limited scientific studies that have been allowed to emerge. Molecular biologist at Compultense University in Madrid, Dr. Christine Sanchez, has been studying the effects of cannabinoids on cancer cells for over a decade. In her words: Cells can die in different ways and after cannabinoid treatment, they were dying in the clean way. They were committing suicide which is something that you really want. One of the advantages of cannabinoid-based medicines would be that they target specifically tumor cells. They don’t have any toxic effect on normal, non-tumoral cells. This is an advantage with respect to standard chemotherapy, that targets basically everything.

WRITER •MEGHAN RIDLEY

GRAPHICS • BRANDON PALMA

THE PINK GENE FOUNDATION/TERA MARTIN The reality of facing a battle with breast cancer is undoubtedly brought to light in the brave fight and illuminating advocacy of Tera Martin. While diagnosed with the disease at age 28, this former beauty queen has only become more gorgeous as she has taken cancer-conquering steps to face both her personal fight and to be a source of strength for others facing the disease. As the founder of the Pink Gene Foundation, she has raised awareness, funds and standards surrounding genetic testing for breast cancer. The Bald & Beautiful Soiree—now in its third year and scheduled for November 5th at Suite Lounge in Bellevue— serving as a shining example of her tireless work. Martin is also very open and unapologetic about her use of cannabinoid therapy to combat breast cancer. As she said: I was doing a program of CBD/RSO (cannabidiol/ Rick Simpson Oil) from Evergreen Herbal and Care by Design, but the hard part about doing cannabis treatment and aligning them with modern medicine is that I could tell that my body was responding in a very good way. My tumors were shrinking and my body was responding, however, the hard part in modern medicine is that they will never give cannabis the credit for the success. There’s not an actual screening method for what cannabis has actually done for you. One step Martin has taken to deal with the aforementioned is thermography. While little known, typically not covered by insurance and often expensive, it provides insight into the efficacy of cannabinoid treatment via measuring body temperature. Given that cancer is very hot throughout the body, this radiationfree screening can provide insight into cannabis’ capacity to fight against the deleterious effects of the disease.

SUPPORT BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH There are a multitude of companies coming out to pledge their support of Breast Cancer Awareness Month—consider supporting any or all of the following The hair giant Joico is donating for their 9th year in a row to the City of Hope (a worldwide leader in cancer treatment and research) and they are releasing products Pink Dust Shimmer Spray and Joi Power Whip to raise awareness. Products and information are available at www.joico.com The cannabis infusion giant Venice Cookie Company/ Evergreen Herbal will be donating a portion of proceeds from their Pink Lemonade sales for the entire month of October to The Pink Gene Foundation—a wonderful opportunity for consumers to medicate and donate at the same time. Check them out at www.forevergreenherbal.com and www. venicecookiecompany.com The personal vaporizer company Vuber, known for their high quality oil, concentrate and dry flower vape pens will be releasing a limited edition pink pen to raise funds and awareness. Visit them at www. vubervaporizers.com The Emerald Awards - An awards show shining a light on the highest achievers in Washington’s booming recreational cannabis market is to donate a large portion of its proceeds to the Pink Gene Foundation. Check them out at www.emeraldawardsnw.com

Martin further summarized, “If you’re intuitive with your body and have yourself in the right place, you’re going to be better able to face this battle.”

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All

s are Teste d e M

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lowest donation rates in Seattle

CANNA-NEWS

I sPENT tHE nIGHT IN fARMER tOM’S gREENHOUSE

WOKE UP at the break of dawn … and I loved it. I was in a greenhouse full of big, growing cannabis plants. The deeper, truer rhythms of nature, of the earth, of the sun and moon and rain and wind and soil and water, are always there, just behind the veneer of civilization, of smart phones, tablets, laptops, appointments … and those true, deep rhythms are just waiting to show themselves once we back away from the frenetic, technology-driven pace of modern life and take the time to exist in the moment. Oh, and did I mention the cannabis plants? Yes, it’s hard to explain just how centering it is to spend the night in a greenhouse full of verdant, healthy cannabis – big, bushy, beautiful, budding cannabis plants, everywhere. Farmer Tom Lauerman and his wife Paula offer nights in their rural greenhouse, on the outskirts of Vancouver, Washington, to visitors who want a little taste of life on the farm; donations are gratefully accepted. There’s absolutely no better way to experience, up close and personal, organic farming methods. Besides growing cannabis, Farmer Tom also has a thriving vegetable garden, which covers roughly two acres – and he loves showing off and sharing his tasty produce. My girlfriend Lisa and I had expected some sort of primitive cots or something, I guess, when we made our plans to stay the night in Farmer Tom’s greenhouse, but were we ever pleasantly surprised upon arriving! An actual mattress, and a rather comfortable one at that, greeted us about halfway through the greenhouse.

A nightstand and a table give a comfortable, homey feel to the surroundings. Yes, there are cannabis plants throughout the greenhouse, including right next to the bed, so guests can revel in their heady terpenes while relaxing. There are a couple of things you may want to bring along; remember, this is a greenhouse with a bed in it, not a permanent residence, and there’s not electricity near the bed. A cooler and a flashlight are good things to have. But I spent exactly zero minutes thinking about what wasn’t there, because I was so happy with what WAS there. Was it the fresh air, or the enticing scent of growing cannabis, or maybe the delightful combination, that produced such a restful sleep? Not long after awakening, Lisa and I enjoyed some delicious breakfast wraps prepared by Paula, as we were welcomed to the table like family. Nothing like some scrumptious breakfast burritos – and a couple of delicious joints of Albert Walker! – to make you feel happy and ready to face the day. After we’d filled our tummies, Farmer Tom gave us a fun tour of his vegetable garden. I have to admit that one of the most exciting parts of the tour was getting the opportunity to drive the little tractor. As we toured row after row of beautiful vegetables, including the most beautiful scallions I’ve ever seen (they turned out to taste just as delicious as they looked when I put them in a casserole). Farmer Tom kept picking samples for us to take home, and afterward we were feasting on greens for days!

“There are cannabis plants throughout the greenhouse, including right next to the bed, so guests can revel in the heady terpenes while they relax.”

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WRITER •STEVE ELLIOTT

PHOTOS • STEVE ELLIOTT | LISA LITTLE

FARMER TOM IS MAKING A POINT

When the current changes in Washington’s medical cannabis laws began to take effect, many of those in the community chose to adopt a lower profile, following the theory that in an uncertain legal environment, it’s best not to attract too much attention. Farmer Tom takes the opposite approach. Firmly pro-patient and pro-medical cannabis, Tom represents the kind of mom-andpop family farm operation that provides the backbone of this area’s great agricultural heritage… and he set about to establish a memorable brand name for himself. Now Tom’s logo and brand are familiar throughout Washington State and beyond, as his kindly, bearded likeness gazes beatifically out from the label. “I established a brand name, and made it well known, because I think the preservation of family farms that grow cannabis is important,” Farmer Tom told me. “I hope to spread the Farmer Tom brand around the world, but I most want to operate in those markets that seek to preserve the small farmer’s way of life.”

TIME TO PROTECT MOM AND POP

So will enough constituents let their Washington legislators know it’s important to preserve the legal right of family operations like Farmer Tom’s to continue producing organic medicinal cannabis for patients? Will gourmet, organic flowers, of the most medicinal and therapeutic strains available, continue to be grown by herbal artisans with deep roots in the patient community? Well, not unless we, as patients and advocates, take an active part in the political process and make sure our voices are heard. In politics, you either have a seat at the table, or you appear on the menu. Let’s do all we can to keep family operations like Farmer Tom’s in business!

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CANNA-NEWS

WRITER •KELLY VO

PHOTOS • EVAN KOPELSON

E ND 420 SHAME

It’s Been 15 Years Since I Needed Prescription Pills

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HIGH-POWERED lawyer in the Los Angeles music

paid, and

industry, Evan Kopelson had what appeared to be the perfect life. Eating sushi dinners four times a week, expensive lunches every day, drinks every night, and attending raves every weekend. The truth was a different story. Overworked, underdeep in debt, Evan suffered from severe anxiety.

It was the early 90s, prior to California’s medical cannabis bill, and his treatment options were limited. Even if cannabis had been available, the relationship between cannabis and anxiety is fraught with conflicting opinions, open scorn, and desperate individuals.

The complications of Evan’s anxiety and medications piled up. “Years later,” Evan said, “I never thought about the pills—they were part of my life. I could not imagine being without them.” His addiction and reliance grew to the point that if anything in Evan’s life caused him to feel less than 100%, he asked the doctor for another pill. Life was untenable; prescription drugs ruled his days, and hard drugs ruled his nights and weekends. Evan was divorced, depressed, and addicted to countless substances. “Nothing was right,” he said. “I was sick inside and out.” Something had to give. Finally, after years of abusing his body with no true relief, Evan turned to alternative medicine. In just a few months, Evan’s life was dramatically different. His desire to take prescription drugs melted away alongside his symptoms. It was all thanks to yoga and the introduction of medical cannabis to California in 1996, and the evidence supports Evan’s story that cannabis is often a good alternative.

For outsiders, using therapeutic cannabis to treat anxiety is laughable. In fact, it can be the chief argument against the use of cannabis as medicine, but a study from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that “cannabis and its derivatives have profound effects on a wide variety of behavioral and neural functions.” THC and CBD act on the endocannabinoid system—the system in our brain respon“For individuals who experience anxiety sible for naturally and high levels of stress, cannabis is a regulating anxiety miracle cure, but for Evan, it would be a and stress levels.

long journey to relief.”

For individuals who experience anxiety and high levels of stress, cannabis is a miracle cure, but for Evan, it would be a long journey to relief.

Anxiety pursued Evan on and off the job, then one day he rushed out of the office in a full-blown panic attack; it was unacceptable. “After my first real panic attack,” Evan says “I went to see my doctor.” He was desperate for help, thus began Evan’s journey into the dark world of prescription drugs. It started with Valium. Prescribed 5mg two to three times daily, he upped his dose when they did not work. Suddenly he was taking 10mg, and his quality of life was declining. “I was lethargic all the time and could barely get my work done,” he remembers. Depression set in and more prescriptions were needed. Next came Ativan, followed quickly by Xanax, Flexeril, and Naproxen. Then Adderall and Ritalin became a necessity, and finally Ambien and Halcion were added to the mix. Evan had his very own drug farm, and each pill treated something different. Xanax took the edge off. Evan’s stress-related back, neck, and shoulder pain required Flexeril and Naproxen. Adderall and Ritalin helped him focus, and Ambien and Halcion let him sleep.

The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) determined that a dose of highCBD cannabis significantly reduces anxiety, cognitive impairment, and discomfort. CBD holds many advantages over prescription treatments—it’s delivered quickly and efficiently and lacks the severe withdrawal symptoms and side effects. So why is it that individuals who use cannabis for anxiety are openly ridiculed?

Evan said it this way: “People mention ‘anxiety’ as if it is the biggest crock of shit excuse to get a doctor’s recommendation letter for medical cannabis. However, none of those people have likely ever experienced a panic attack.” The truth is, no one has the right to tell someone else why they should or should not use cannabis. Every medical condition is valid. In spite of the naysayers, cannabis and anxiety relief go hand-in-hand. And as the industry has grown, countless strains have evolved to treat a variety of ailments. For Evan, cannabis changed his life. “It has been over 15 years, maybe 20, since I’ve needed those [prescription] pills,” he explains. “I still keep them as a reminder of how far I’ve come, and how badly I was lost.” When we asked Evan to share one thing that he wants everyone to know about cannabis. He says, “I am so grateful to have had these experiences and to be able to share them with others. Together, we can end the shame once and for all around cannabis use.”

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mARY’S mEDICINALS Pens, Patches, and Pills

OUNDED IN 2013, Mary’s Medicinals

has become an industry leader in precisely dosed cannabis topicals. Their line includes transdermal patches, a topical compound, capsules, and gel pens, each tailored for specific uses with an exact dosage of cannabinoids.

The award-winning transdermal patches come in seven different versions with varied doses and cannabinoids. These resemble patches to quit tobacco, but rather than nicotine, these are rich in CBD, THC, CBN, and even THCa. Time-released, they are intended for twelve hours of wear to achieve the full effect, and they begin working almost immediately. Cannabinoids are lipophilic, meaning they attach themselves to fat, which explains why people can fail a urine analysis months after smoking cannabis. Due to their lipidbinding nature, the patches are effective on venous parts of the body – wrists and ankles are recommended – as they can be less effective on the shoulder or buttocks.

KNOW YOUR CANNABINOIDS Cannabinol (CBN) – Receiving lots of press lately, CBN has demonstrated efficacy in managing pain, aiding with sleep, and helping with spasms.

The pens are great for those seeking to manage spiking pain levels. Each squeeze is a metered 2 mgs of either CBD or THC, and absorbs rapidly. These are a transdermal as well, causing the cannabis to spread throughout the body rather than just the area that it touches. The topical compound, on the other hand, offers localized relief and deeply penetrating cannabinoids assist with soreness and inflammation.

Cannabichromene (CBC) – An anti-bacterial and fungal agent, CBC is the second most common cannabinoid. Recent studies have shown it may promote brain growth as well. Cannabigerol (CBG) – The building block for the rest of the cannabinoids, CBG is converted into other compounds during growth. It has been shown to be anti-inflammatory as well as promote bone growth.

The 5 mg capsules are formulated to be highly bioavailable, digesting quickly while integrating virtually all of the cannabis into the system. The CBN capsules have found a dedicated following with those suffering from insomnia. Sedative and tranquilizing, they may also relieve muscle pains.

FOUND AT: • Dockside • A Greener Today • CCC Ballard

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www.marysmedicinals.com or call 855-420-MED4U

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CANNA-NEWS

INTERVIEW WITH

DAVIDDINENBERG kINDfINANCIAL AVID DINENBERG was planning his next move three years ago, back in October 2012; he’d seen success as a real estate broker and developer in Philadelphia. That’s when he saw a 60 Minutes report on the expanding legal cannabis market. Dinenberg learned that cannabis businesses faced a huge obstacle when it came to getting banking services, because financial institutions shied away due to federal regulations. That’s when Dinenberg realized there was an opportunity to become the banker for the cannabis business. Because the federal government still considers cannabis a Schedule I controlled substance, banks don’t want anything to do with businesses that deal in the stuff. Credit card issuers like Visa and MasterCard won’t work with dispensary operators, and businesses in many cases are forced to operate on a cash-only basis. He and his wife Jen moved to Los Angeles, drawn by the booming medical marijuana scene, and he founded Kind Banking, which became Kind Financial earlier this year. Kind Financial offers a “one-stop shop” approach to financial services and compliance. We had a chance to sit down with Dinenberg and talk about the future of cannabis and banking in the United States.

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WRITER •STEVE ELLIOTT

PHOTOS • DAVID DINENBERG

DOPE: What are the challenges faced by cannabis businesses today due to federal banking regulations? Dinenberg: Technically, under the BSA, which is the Bank Secrecy Act, any proceeds from federally illegal activities is prohibited, and marijuana would still be classified under that banner. That’s the very simple, yet extremely complex answer to your question. DOPE: Let’s look at the upcoming 2016 Presidential election. Who has said they would move forward so that these cannabis businesses can get banking services? Dinenberg: The two names that always jump out for everybody are obviously Rand Paul, who has sponsored a bill in Congress; one of the three co-sponsors in Congress I should say. In addition to that, Bernie Sanders has come out positively for the cannabis industry. Many of the Republicans have not stated their stance yet. Historically, most candidates are against it, obviously Chris Christie being the loudest one in the group that’s not for legalization. Even the Democrats go back and forth, where I’ve seen Hillary Clinton not necessarily be for it, but she believes it’s a states’ rights issue, and I believe others believe it’s a states’ rights issue. DOPE: What might be coming up in the near future when it comes to banking in the cannabis industry? Dinenberg: I think one of the misnomers in life, as well as in business, is that when laws change, the world changes the next day. That’s not true. Even if the banking laws were to change tomorrow, we’d still have a long time until traditional banks enter this space. The rules and regs are going to take months, if not a year or two, to figure out how the compliance components are going to work in our space. I think it’s very important that the banking industry and business people know that we have the solutions today. You can bank with cannabis businesses today with our solution, and using our platform is one of the best ways to be ready for the future. DOPE: Any last thoughts?

“I think one of the misnomers in life, as well as in business, is that when laws change, the world changes the next day. That’s not true.”

Dinenberg: I do think the election coming up in 2016 is an incredibly important time for cannabis; that’s easy to understand. One of the things that is important for politicians to understand is that at least 63% of the country is in favor of medical cannabis and more than half the country favors recreational cannabis. There’s a very good chance you could have up to sixteen states next year with ballot initiatives – and the real surprising part of that is a lot of them are traditionally red states. You have Florida, Arkansas, Missouri; you have all these different states that are now looking at legalizing, at some level, medical cannabis or cannabis in general. Not only is this building an industry, creating jobs and tax revenue for the states – it’s addition through subtraction. The opportunity ahead of us, and opportunity for the country, is this. We spend $20 billion a year specifically on the war on cannabis (out of a total $50 billion cost). Not only can we generate billions of dollars in revenue through rescheduling, new rules and regulations, we could save the country $20 billion a year on enforcing the cannabis laws.

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WRITER •KELLY VO

MEDICAL STRAIN OF THE MONTH

Cannabis-Infused Candy A Halloween Story Here’s a test. Take a look at the two candies and chocolates above. One contains cannabis and the other can be found in any children’s candy store. Which is which?

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WRITER •KELLY VO

ALLOWEEN: a time of kids, cute costumes, candy, and inflated menace. Every year, the media has a field day warning parents that their children are in imminent danger. Recently, the focus of the hype has shifted from razor blades to cannabis-laced candy. That’s right, menacing citizens are just waiting for their opportunity to get kids high by handing out valuable edibles in place of dollar-store candy.

Just last year Forbes wrote, “Move over, razor blades and shards of glass. The latest menace to innocent trick-or-treaters…is marijuanainfused candy.” CNN picked up the same story stating, “Edible foods and candies infused with THC…pose a potential problem for parents trying to keep weed out of trick-or-treaters’ hands.” Clearly cannabis-laced Halloween candy is a concern, but does it have a basis in facts and figures? At the outset it seems unlikely. At $242 per ounce of cannabis, an extremely generous benefactor would be required to spend that amount of money on the children of strangers. But let’s look at the facts. The history of poisoned Halloween candy is filled with urban legends and sensational reporting. Since 1970, there have been five deaths supposedly attributed to poison Halloween candy. In each case, it was later proven that outside circumstances were the cause of death, not the candy. In fact, University of Delaware sociologist, Joel Best spent thirty years investigating poisoned candy, but didn’t find a single incident where a stranger tried to kill a child using tainted candy.

When speaking of cannabis-laced candy being handed out on Halloween, there has yet to be a single reported case. The Washington Post said it best when they pointed out in 2014 that people were more likely to catch Ebola in the US—there were two reported cases—than to receive cannabis-infused Halloween candy. So, why is there a pervasive notion that Halloween and drugging kids with cannabislaced candy is inevitable? Leah Abdenour, a partner at Green Shield Patients Cooperative, Inc., was shocked and alarmed to hear that any parent could be concerned about cannabis candy. “In my eight years in the industry, I have never had a patient express this concern,” Leah said. “This has never been an issue in the cannabis community to my knowledge.” The key to dispelling the urban myths around cannabis-laced Halloween candy is responsible consumption. The fact is cannabis-infused candy looks no different than regular candy because it’s made from the same base products, potentially fueling the Halloween paranoia. Many dispensaries purchase bulk candies, chocolates, and baked goods to infuse with cannabis, so the resulting products are identical.

“In 2014 you were more likely to catch Ebola in the US—there were two reported cases—than you were to receive cannabisinfused Halloween candy.”

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EVENT RECAP

WRITER •R.Z. HUGHES

PHOTOS • KENTON BRADLEY

NORTHWEST cANNABIS cLASSIC

THE FIRST OF MANY

E HAD the pleasure of visiting the inaugural Northwest Cannabis Classic last weekend where we mingled with many of the hard-working individuals that make our industry truly dope to be a part of. Equal parts trade fair, contest, and seminar, there was a little something for every type. The gymnasium floor of the old Tacoma Armory was covered with cannabis entrepreneurs of every sort and over thirty booths in total. Green Mountain Harvest, an outfit from Denver offered large scale harvesting and trimming; Seattle Super Chronics, offered catering and has a cafe that plans to move into a brick-andmortar as soon as legislation allows; legendary growers Jeff Lowenfels, Jorge Cervantes, and Tom Alexander were on hand to answer questions. We also caught up with old friends

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from Kush Creams, Northwest Leaf, and Sweet Greens Co-op (where we got our new favorite pipe) - the crowd was a veritable who’s who of brave souls that do pioneering work. TJ’s Organic Gardens took home multiple trophies including best hybrid and indica with Hesperides making a strong showing as well with their Cotton Purple Chem in both the hybrid and concentrate categories. Dabstars snagged the prize for best booth as they unofficially MC’d over the weekend with raffles, beats, and tons of fresh swag. It was a successful weekend for everyone who braved the howling winds to expand their knowledge of the industry while shaking the hands of those that make it all go around. We’ll be back next year!

ISSUE 50 THE HEALTH ISSUE dopemagazine.com

dopemagazine.com ISSUE 50 THE HEALTH ISSUE

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