FINDING HEALING THROUGH EQUALITY (FYI: It’s going to take a lot more than a band-aid to fix a lack of diversity and inclusivity in Nevada’s cannabis industry)
from the editor
Publisher Guy Bertuzzi, guy@elevatenv.com Editor-In-Chief Beth Schwartz, beth@elevatenv.com Creative Director Brooke Bertuzzi, brooke@finetheagency.com Contributing Writers /Photographers: Deborah Costella General Sales Manager: Mark Damkroeger, mark@elevatenv.com
ELEVATION PUBLISHING LLC Chief Financial Officer Cassandra Lupo FINE THE AGENCY Partner Kelli Maruca, kelli@finetheagency.com Graphic Designer James Nigbur, james@finetheagency.com
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Putting this issue of elevate together was exhausting. Emotionally exhausting. I’m not naïve, I fully expected to hear plenty of stories recounting experiences of racism and was prepared for discussions about the cannabis industry’s well-known barriers to entry for people of color. I just became disheartened by what I thought were steps toward righting the ship that turned out not to be quite as helpful as they seemed. For instance, in June Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, as Chairman of the Nevada Board of Pardons, passed a resolution to pardon people of low-level marijuana convictions. The move pardons an estimated 15,000 people previously convicted of misdemeanor offenses from 1986 through the end of 2016 that involved the possession of up to one ounce of cannabis. According to the Board of Pardon’s website, “An unconditional pardon removes all disabilities resulting from conviction,” including the restoration of gun ownership rights. I thought this was something to be celebrated until I looked a little deeper. Turns out legislation already existed that did the same thing. Assembly Bill 192 (AB192), which took effect July 1, 2019 and was referred to by its sponsor as the Nevada Second Chance Act, requires the person convicted of the offense to send a written request to the court which originally convicted them to request a sealing of the record. Okay, so maybe a bit redundant to have both a resolution and a legislative bill. But how many of the 15,000 people who fall under this category even know they had an opportunity for a chance to seal their record in 2019 when the bill went into effect? So perhaps the Governor’s June resolution gets the word
out in a big flourish amidst the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement that AB 192 didn’t present a year ago. However, during my interview with A’Esha Goins, recounted in the feature story “The Accidental Lobbyist” on page 23, she quickly disavows me of my ignorance surrounding the pardons. First of all, she informs me they aren’t automatic pardons and because they aren’t automatic there’s tedious legal maneuvers that must be navigated. “Right now, there are 15,000 people who could be pardoned but they have to get their report, submit their report to see if they are considered a minor offense,” explains Goins. Turns out people who want to get formal documentation that they have been pardoned must obtain a copy of their judgment of conviction from a court, or a copy of their criminal history, and send that information and an application for the pardon to the Pardons Board. The secretary of the board processes the information and if approved, the petition will be signed by the pardons board. So, it seems there are some legal hoops to jump through for those who wish to be pardoned. Gov. Sisolak even acknowledged it when he announced the pardons. “There’s a lot of individuals here that are going to need your help. They’re not proficient at maneuvering through this legal system,” he said. “And when I hear 15,000 applications coming forward, I do not want them to fall victim to somebody who wants to charge them a whole bunch of money to do this.” Hence my emotional exhaustion at seeing, once again, that racism is baked right into the pardon pie.
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STORIES AVAILABLE ONLINE ONLY AT ELEVATENV.COM PANDEMIC PANACEAS
Want to win the isolation game? elevate reviewer Justin Alexander checks out products in the Nevada marketplace for alleviating stress and anxiety while practicing safe six in the new world order of social distancing.
HYDRATE WHILE YOU RECREATE
elevate editor Beth Schwartz drinks from the fountain of fun as she tries out one of summer’s hottest canna-trends. Infused beverages ranging from sparkling water to brewed tea are bringing the chill to desert dwellers.
elevatenv.com | august 6
Let’s talk cannabis.
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CREATING Cannabis
By Crooked Cactus CBD, crookedcactuscbd.com
The Crooked Cactus CBD team is hunkered down here in Las Vegas with our families during this unprecedented time. While we all practice social distancing, many of us venture out for necessities. Whether it’s the bank, grocery store, or doing a take-out run, you’re bound to encounter surfaces where germs can linger. There’s nothing that beats good old-fashioned handwashing when it comes to cleanliness and the prevention of spreading germs and transmitting disease. But when soap and water are not available, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends using a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. With the rapid spread of Covid-19, or coronavirus, you may be pressed to find a store that can keep hand sanitizer stocked and if they do, you’ll be limited in how many you can buy. If you’re looking to resellers, it might be priced ridiculously high. Not to fret, making your own hand sanitizer is super easy. This recipe contains about 74% alcohol, well above the minimum recommended by the CDC, and it’s boosted with CBD and essential oils that may help to further mitigate the spread of bacteria.
WHAT YOU’LL NEED: 3/4 cup isopropyl or rubbing alcohol (99% alcohol)* 1/4 cup aloe vera gel* 100 mg CBD isolate 10 drops of essential oil (we used rosemary and lemon) or pure lemon juice 8 oz. container with flip top or spray top For a milder option, you can use 2/3 cup alcohol and 1/3 aloe vera for a 65% alcohol solution.
DIRECTIONS: Combine alcohol and isolate in a small bowl. Stir or whisk until isolate is completely dissolved. Add aloe vera and continue to whisk until alcohol is fully incorporated into the gel. Add essential oil(s) and stir or whisk to mix well. Pour into container, use funnel if bowl doesn’t have a pour spout. Screw lid on and shake well before each use. When applying make sure to get your thumbs, wrists and between the fingers which the CDC says are often missed. And remember, only use sanitizer when soap and water aren’t available. Be safe and be well, friends.
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D-I-Y HAND CANNATIZER
elevatenv.com | august 8
Available at these dispensaries:
www.hahagummies.com
Keep out of reach of children. For use only by adults 21 years of age and older.
Expp lore the Pau Ex ausse
august | elevatenv.com 9
A PLANETARY PAUSE Pandemic lifestyle offers opportunity to reevaluate the art of doing nothing By Deborah L Costella
W
here once I heard the clickety-clack, clickety-clack of the commuter train, its whistle blaring the end of another hour passed, now I hear the shrill of sirens. Where once I heard children laughing and playing outdoors, now I hear the bark of a lone dog. The boom, boom, boom of music pulsating through car windows has been replaced with the “walk-don’t walk” of a crossing light speaking to no one. The world has grown quieter. As though a blanket has been draped over the planet. A thick, snow-like blanket that at times feels comforting and protective but mostly feels restrictive and suffocating. It’s as if, after struggling to awaken, that blanket has wrapped itself around my legs like a twisted nightgown except I’m not sleeping.
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ver the course of several years, I regularly embarked upon self-improvement and personal evolutionary journeys such as “The Celestine Prophecy” and “The Writer’s Way.” One such book entitled “Pause” I found boring and irrelevant. None of it felt applicable to me. I just wasn’t that interested in “pausing.” I enjoyed being busy. I proudly showed off my Franklin day planner to those who commented on how harried and taxing my life appeared as a medicinal-chef and writer. The many activities I bounced to and from on any given day gave me a feeling of productivity and progress. But things have changed. It was early March when I was suddenly forced to pause. News reports told of some virus spreading in another part of the world. I wasn’t yet terribly concerned. I went about my life then at day’s end plopped down on the couch, grabbed a blunt and took it all in with a grain of salt, or more accurately, a bowl of canna-chips. The reports grew more frequent, dominating the news. The contagion was spreading. I paid more attention. Especially after receiving an email from one of the entities I teach for announcing all classes scheduled for the remainder of March were cancelled. Two days later another company I work for sent an email cancelling classes. I noted a slight tightening in my stomach glancing over at the checkbook sitting on my desk. But took solace in my upcoming personal chef gigs. Two weeks later came final notification: All Cooking Classes Are On Hold; Indefinitely. Then one by one, the cancellation of my other scheduled events. All just washed away. Now I was frightened, realizing a tidal wave of what was known as coronavirus was moving across oceans, deserts and mountains with the speed of a peregrine falcon. I shifted my focus. There was plenty for me to do during this “hiatus.” A kind of early spring cleaning. I would use the unexpected free time to organize recipes according to seasons and cuisine, catch up on paperwork I usually avoid and clean the garage. Surely this would all be under control soon and I’d be back to work. But nothing was under control. Every news cycle informed and dismayed. Things grew worse. More and more people were dying. I felt as though I was living a version of the Black Plague mixed with the Great Depression. I thought about my grandparents. I decided to do things the way I envisioned they had, based upon stories they told and evidenced in the way they lived. I baked bread, boiled water for drinking, made my own butter. I turned into a regular “Little House on the Prairie” woman. But my enthusiasm began to wane. It became more challenging to prepare even these basics. Ingredients that
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august | elevatenv.com 11
had always been readily available were no longer so easily found. Store shelves with gaping holes and wide-open spaces lacked yeast, sugar even flour. The discovery made only after standing in line, waiting to enter the market for 30 minutes or more. I reminded myself at least it wasn’t the kind of food line my grandparents stood in. The downward slide continued. I watched as restaurants I frequented emptied. My peers who once swiftly moved about kitchens calling out orders now sat in front of laptops laboriously engaged in the mind-numbing process of applying for unemployment; myself included. We found ourselves entangled in a minutia of cyber lines and overloaded servers. Servers, the word sticks in my throat as I think of those who used to carry food I prepared to tables of customers. My insides became a simmering concoction of fear, frustration and anger. Hair salons and barbershops swept up the last bits of hair and covered their shampoo bowls. Then like so many other businesses, posted “Sorry Due To Covid-19 We Are Closed” signs written in fiery red marker on pieces of torn cardboard. It was spooky to see office buildings suddenly void of sound or movement while hospitals filled to overflowing becoming a veritable cacophony of pain and sadness. Yet the world grew quieter; muffled behind masks. Initially, masks and other protective gear were reserved for those in the medical field or in jobs considered “essential.” Now, we are all encouraged to wear masks whenever venturing out. I smile at the more creative masks I’ve seen expressing the individuality and interests of those behind them. Masks with skulls sewed into them, flower designs and sports teams. I’d like a mask with images of food or better yet cannabis leaves! The world over has been encouraged to adopt an almost obsessive-compulsive approach to handwashing. Along with constant reminders to not touch our faces. Recently I was enjoying a bowl of my homemade tomato soup prepared with heirloom San Marzano tomatoes and enriched with canna-butter when I reached up and rubbed my eye, practically rubbing it out of its socket. I cursed myself for doing so then cursed that pink sphere with reddish thorns—the Covid-19 germ. Germs. These days I spend nearly an hour of each day battling unseen germs and bacteria using a bleach/ water solution. I’m developing biceps to rival those of Mr. Clean as I sanitize door-knobs, TV remotes, toilet handles, light switches, the steering wheel of my car, its gear shift. If I listed everything I wipe down, you’d be reading into tomorrow. Despite all these chores and even without a job, there remain several hours to fill each day. A long ribbon of time
elevatenv.com | august 12
dangling at the end of a kite. To shore up my day, I find I’m inadvertently pausing. I pause at the dining table where I have an outrageously difficult jigsaw puzzle splayed out like a salad bar in need of tending. I pause in front of the refrigerator several times a day. By the end of this pandemic, I’ll be writing a piece about my own 600-pound life. I pause to send texts and emails to many I haven’t communicated with in ages. I’ve always taken time to work out but with my gym closed that stopped. However, I recently resumed exercising to free YouTube videos, annoyed with myself for throwing away all my Jane Fonda workout tapes. I spend hours paused in front of my television watching movies, docu-series and documentaries. I’ve been re-enjoying Dave Chappelle’s standup specials while imbibing in one of his favorite pastimes. I attempted to watch the much-ballyhooed “Tiger King” but was put-off by the people involved in that so-called industry, so I opted for “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood” instead. It made me cry. That’s another strange phenomenon. This pandemic has unexpectedly reduced me to cry over everything like when I saw the skating rink in Italy being loaded with corpses instead of families on an outing. My eyes filled with tears when I saw the people of New York applaud their medical workers. I sobbed when I read young Charlotte Figi, the child who inspired the creation of CBD strain Charlotte’s Web, died of Covid-19 complications. I consoled myself with a hearty helping of CBD-infused lemon gelato. Last week I sat bawling over a lengthy TV ad showing varied people harmoniously singing their support and love for us viewers. It was beautiful. Then I realized it was a commercial for Walmart! Apparently, I was so moved I hadn’t noticed all the blue vests. With all the ads and billboards reminding us “we are in this together,” some, like me, are in this alone. No children, or grandchildren, spouse, or life partner. I don’t have a dog, cat, bird or even a fish. Without anyone to bounce all my energy off of my thoughts run wild and random. For example, just how old is Sanjay Gupta anyway? Is Australia still burning? Where are all those fluorescent orange Jump bikes? How many words does the average person utter per minute? Should I move to Canada? And if so, which province? With all this time on my hands and random thoughts in my head, I believe I have no choice but to stand on this planetary pause. This coronavirus has inspired me to do something helpful in my small way. A recent thought led me to ask: what haven’t I infused yet? So, naturally I paused and came up with a wild and wonderful idea and headed to the kitchen.
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FRUIT SALAD INGREDIENTS (SERVES 10)
YOGURT LIME DRESSING 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar juice of 1 lime 1/4 cup honey 5 mg CBD isolate 1 tsp. poppyseeds
TOOLS
Meat injector | Melon baller
PROCESS
In mixing bowl, whisk CBD isolate into simple syrup. Using injector, inject half of isolate solution into watermelon and the other half into second melon. Slice watermelon in half. Using melon baller, remove rounds of melon into a large mixing bowl. Repeat process for second melon. Keep watermelon halves for use as serving vessel. Add other fruits to mixing bowl. In separate mixing bowl, whisk together ingredients for dressing. Pour over fruit and gently blend to coat fruit. Pour fruit into watermelon halves and garnish with mint leaves.
Keep Out of Reach of Children. For Use Only by Adults 21 Years of Age and Older.
august | elevatenv.com 13
1 medium seedless watermelon 1/2 of a honeydew or other melon 10 mg CBD isolate, mixed with 1/2 cup simple syrup 1 pint fresh blueberries 1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced 1 can mandarin oranges, drained fresh mint leaves, chiffonade
DISPENSARY MAP A Guide to Cannabis in Southern Nevada 1. Acres Cannabis acrescannabis.com 2320 Western Ave Las Vegas, NV 89102 702.399.4200
9c.Essence Cannabis Dispensary essencevegas.com 5765 W Tropicana Ave Las Vegas, NV 89103 702.500.1714
15b. Nevada Made Marijuana nevadamademarijuana.com 1975 S Casino Dr Laughlin, NV 89029 702.737.7777
23a. The Source thesourcenv.com 2550 S Rainbow Blvd Ste #8 Las Vegas, NV 89146 702.708.2000
2. Apothecarium apothecariumlv.com 7885 W Sahara Ave Las Vegas, NV 89117 702.778.7987
9d.Essence Cannabis Dispensary essencevegas.com 7260 S Rainbow Blvd., Suite 104 Las Vegas, NV 89119 725.206.6911
16. Nevada Wellness Center nevadawellnesscenters.com 3200 S Valley View Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89102 702.470.2077
23b. The Source thesourcenv.com 9480 S Eastern Ave Ste #185 Henderson, NV 89123 702.708.2222
3. Green Cannabis Co. greennv.com 3650 S Decatur Blvd., #7 Las Vegas, NV 89103 702.357.5491
9e.Essence Cannabis Dispensary essencevegas.com 6410 S Durango Dr., Suite 115 Las Vegas, NV 89113 775.877.9367
17a. NuWu Cannabis Marketplace Nuwucannabis.com 1235 Paiute Circle Las Vegas, NV 89106 702.844.2707
24a. Thrive Cannabis Marketplace thrivenevada.com 2755 W Cheyenne Ave Ste #103 North Las Vegas, NV 89032 702.776.4144
4. Blüm LetsBlum.com 1130 E Desert Inn Rd Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.536.2586
10. Inyo Fine Cannabis Dispensary inyolasvegas.com 2520 S Maryland Pkwy Ste #2 Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.707.8888
17b. NuWu North nuwu.vegas 1157 Nu-Wav Kaiv Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89124 702.844.2438
24b.Thrive Cannabis Marketplace thrivenevada.com 3500 W Sahara Ave Las Vegas, NV 89102 702.776.4144
5. Cultivate Las Vegas cultivatelv.com 3615 Spring Mountain Rd Las Vegas, NV 89102 702.778.1173
11. Jardin jardincannabis.com 2900 E Desert Inn Rd Ste #102 Las Vegas, NV 89121 702.331.6511
18. Planet 13 planet13lasvegas.com 2548 W Desert Inn Rd Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.206.1313
24c.Thrive Cannabis Marketplace thrivenevada.com 1112 S Commerce St Las Vegas, NV 89102 702.776.4144
6. Curaleaf curaleaf.com 1736 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89104 702.545.0026
12a. Jenny’s Dispensary Jennysdispensary.com 5530 N Decatur Blvd North Las Vegas, NV 89030 702.718.0420
19a. Reef Dispensaries reefdispensaries.com 3400 Western Ave Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.475.6520
25. Top Notch THC topnotchthc.com 5630 Stephanie St Las Vegas, NV 89122 702.418.0420
7. Deep Roots Harvest deeprootsharvest.com 195 Willis Carrier Canyon Mesquite, NV 89034 702.345.2854
12b. Jenny’s Dispensary Jennysdispensary.com 10420 S Eastern Ave Henderson, NV 89052 702.718.0420
19b. Reef Dispensaries reefdispensaries.com 1366 W Cheyenne Ave North Las Vegas, NV 89030 702.410.8032
8. Euphoria Wellness euphoriawellnessnv.com 7780 S Jones Blvd Ste #105 Las Vegas, NV 89139 702.960.7200
13. Las Vegas ReLeaf lasvegasreleaf.com 2244 Paradise Rd Las Vegas, NV 89104 702.209.2400
20. ShowGrow showgrowlv.com 4850 S Fort Apache Rd Ste #100 Las Vegas, NV 89147 702.227.0511
9a.Essence Cannabis Dispensary essencevegas.com 2307 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89104 702.978.7591
14. MMJ America mmjamerica.com 4660 S Decatur Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.565.9333
21. Silver Sage Wellness sswlv.com 4626 W Charleston Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89102 702.802.3757
9b.Essence Cannabis Dispensary essencevegas.com 4300 E Sunset Rd Ste #A3 Henderson, NV 89014 702.978.7687
15a. Nevada Made Marijuana nevadamademarijuana.com 3195 St. Rose Pkwy Ste #212 Henderson, NV 89052 702.737.7777
22. The Apothecary Shoppe theapothecaryshoppe.com 4240 W Flamingo Rd Ste #100 Las Vegas, NV 89103 702.740.4372
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FINDING HEALING THROUGH EQUALITY Can Nevada’s cannabis industry repair the inequities sowed by racism?
KENDALL SMITH
| DIRECTOR OF PRODUCTION, UNIFERN
How did you get involved in the cannabis industry?
I have been in cannabis since before there was any type of established marijuana system here. I have a background in product development and developing formulas in science for food. I used to do consultations in California, specifically in production and extraction. I would get hired by vape cartridge companies to evaluate and fix their manufacturing and extraction processes. If you are using distillate to formulate cartridges and your extraction guy is pulling low numbers on purity of extraction, I would evaluate what’s going on and I would get your staff to produce more potency out of your extractions and increase your dollar or return per gram. That’s where I started in the legal market, utilizing my chemistry background.
How long have you been at Unifern?
I took over their production facility four years ago when they were just getting started. I helped build the facility. Now I’ve moved to more of a training role. I teach new staff to make my recipes that I license to Unifern. I own all the intellectual property that comes out of there.
From a business standpoint, how have you overcome barriers posed by racism in the cannabis industry? I’m in a unique situation compared to some of my friends of color who work in the industry. They have to go the route of
applying and interviewing for jobs and it’s those situations that open the door for bias and for racism to occur. In my situation, I have never had to apply for a job in cannabis. People have always called me. Because of my skills they needed me for whatever project they were doing. But that being said, I have had situations where a business owner would reach out to me and we would have a great conversation that would go on for a week of back and forth discussions. Then I would go out to actually meet them in person and I would get there and I see the looks…once I show up I have always had to do extra to prove that I know what I am talking about and that I am qualified to do what guys asked me to come here to do. If you call up a plumber and he gets there, you aren’t going to grill him on how to plumb. You called an expert and I’m the expert. I come in and now all of sudden your business partner is an expert and they are going to ask questions that they don’t even have answers to because you are not satisfied that I am qualified to do it and its purely based on my race and appearance. That’s sad. I have had that happen at least a handful of times. I also get a lot of people who automatically assume when I tell them I’m in cannabis that either I sell weed, and not even in a dispensary, or when I tell them what I do in cannabis they are surprised. What is so surprising? That I am at the executive level? That I am not a grunt worker? Because you assume most
people who look like me, are? That happens so much. Like I’m an anomaly or something, that’s really ignorant.
How has your experience been in Las Vegas as compared to other cities?
JARDIN_LASVEGAS
Yes. I feel like cannabis itself isn’t special, it doesn’t have its own special issues. The racism in cannabis and the bias in cannabis is the same racial bias you have in any other industry when it comes to employment and employment practices. These people who opened these businesses had other businesses. It’s a cycle. It’s just another business to them. Its business as usual in all of their internal and corporate practices.
In June Gov. Sisolak unconditionally pardoned more than 15,000 people with misdemeanor marijuana possession convictions. What else needs to be done to promote equity in Nevada’s cannabis industry?
Our governor could take some cues from what they are trying to do Illinois or Oakland. They are trying to make a way or program where the point of it is to help minorities and people of color become cannabis business owners and operators. They are creating an actual effort to bring some sort of balance to the ownership pool. It starts with pardoning people. It makes no sense to have a flourishing industry when you have people sitting in jail for low level cannabis crimes or have records that prevent them from getting jobs because they have been convicted of an offense of cannabis. continued online @elevatenv.com
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Las Vegas is a very diverse place, it’s not as bad here as Chicago. We still don’t have the level of ownership that we should but let’s set ownership aside. People of color don’t hold a lot of executive level or decision-making positions in our local industry. And I know a lot of people of color who are qualified to do the jobs of some of these people who I know aren’t qualified and have proven not to be qualified for some of these places. A friend of mine had an exchange with one of the owners here who was very racially insensitive, and he basically said I don’t care about black customers or if they spend any money in my store. If you feel like that, that is one thing. But as a business owner if you feel like that than it is your fiduciary responsibility to not open yourself up to a situation where there could be damaging repercussions. He felt so comfortable that he was going to make money anyway that he could say whatever he wanted and there’s nothing anybody could do about it. I felt a shame that someone, as part of this community, would behave like that to anybody.
Is racism as prevalent in the cannabis industry as other industries you have worked in?
FINDING HEALING THROUGH EQUALITY Can Nevada’s cannabis industry repair the inequities sowed by racism?
LARRY SMITH
| OWNER AND FOUNDING MEMBER, GFIVE CULTIVATION
Why did you get involved in the cannabis industry?
I started in 2015 with the medical program and applied for a cultivation license. At first it wasn’t on my radar, I was actually in New York and a friend called and said there was going to be some opportunity starting up in Nevada but I wasn’t too interested in the very beginning because Feds don’t like cannabis. I spoke to some attorneys in town and they seemed very interested it, so I took a deeper look. I started traveling to Colorado and the Bay Area to see what was going on and see the pitfalls. One of those attorneys I was dealing with, a very good friend of mine, passed away from opioids and that really affected me. I tried to get him to use cannabis because as I would meet people, I would understand that it was truly, really medicine for people. I came to understand that this isn’t what we have been taught and told this is. I decided this could help people because I’m giving people quality medicine.
Why did you opt for a cultivation license?
I wanted to create medicine. My legacy is to know we are helping people. I am not saying cannabis cures cancer. But it gives me great satisfaction to know that someone reaches out to us and says, “I have Lupus, and my level of pain is a nine and when I smoke this strain it gives me a pain level of two and a better quality life.” It’s about the quality of life we can give people.
From a business standpoint, what have you had to do to overcome barriers posed by racism in the cannabis industry?
I don’t think I can overcome anything. I just have to keep plugging away and creating good medicine. And I think at the end of the day the medicine speaks for itself. At this point, we have dialed it in and are getting really good genetics. I did have one dispensary who wouldn’t deal with us. They told someone that we were gangsters. I laughed at that. They clearly didn’t know who we are because we do a lot of good in our community. I am born and raised in Vegas. It’s hurtful when they say stuff they don’t actually know. That’s effecting not only our livelihoods, but the people who work for us.
Were you surprised at being referred to as gangster?
I didn’t even get mad. I just thought that person was very ignorant. If they follow us then they know we do a lot of stuff in our community, especially with the youth, even before we got into cannabis. We do yearly backpack drives, we give school supplies to the teachers. I was thinking this person has no clue who we are. We pride ourselves on doing the right thing, my son is a Clark County fireman, we have a good reputation and we want to keep that intact. I respect the state of Nevada. I respect where I come from and I don’t want to embarrass Nevada in any way, shape or form. I’m proud of my city. I am proud that we are trying to make some good
decisions in cannabis, of course, there’s always room to do better. I’m not the angry black man. I think our city can change and get things done. It’s going to take some time and some effort. We need some allies to stand up for the truth and not just for what looks good.
How big of an opportunity has the shift due to BLM presented for you as far as equity? Nothing’s changed. I
Is racism as prevalent in the cannabis industry as other industries you have worked in?
I think racism is everywhere. It is rooted in American culture. I do think the cannabis industry is very diverse now. I think younger generations are taking over cannabis. You see the younger generations that are running and managing. I think younger generations see cannabis as different.
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In June Gov. Sisolak unconditionally pardoned more than 15,000 people with misdemeanor marijuana possession convictions. Is that enough? Anytime we
are trying to move in that direction is good. To be arrested for growing something that you and I can go take a seat and grow in our home…it’s pretty bad. It’s a move in the right direction. If they have felonies, they can’t work in this industry, that’s ludicrous. Some of the best growers around have been busted. And you are telling me we can’t hire the best growers to come in and create good medicine? This is America if you go do your time, you should be given a second opportunity. This is what America is about. Sometimes the powers that be are flat out ridiculous.
Some have pointed out that the Governor’s misdemeanor marijuana possession pardons are empty because the people will have to jump through legal hoops to even see if they are eligible. Here’s the thing when it comes to racism, it feels like every time we get an opportunity and they feel like they are doing something good for us, they’ll move the needle. And that’s continued online @elevatenv.com
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still can’t get a loan. It’s a bunch of talk. They may post that they’ve done this or are donating this to this person, but I don’t want your sympathy I just want to be treated fairly. I don’t want you to donate a million dollars to GFive. I don’t want you to like GFive because we are black owned. I want you to like it because we have a really good product and we just happen to be black owned. At the end of the day we just want to be treated fairly. When I go in for a loan give me the proper loan at the right interest rate. Don’t give Mark and me the same loan but you charge me 6% interest and he gets it for 3%. You are putting me at a disadvantage again. Let’s be fair about what we are really doing, and the banks are part of the problem. That’s all we want—liberty and justice for all.
LOYALTY IS AS EASY AS
FINDING HEALING THROUGH EQUALITY Can Nevada’s cannabis industry repair the inequities sowed by racism?
AMBER PUCKETT, ESQ. How did you get involved in the cannabis industry?
We were solicited by a group in Arizona who was looking for funding. We’re from the Midwest, so cannabis wasn’t even on the radar. I flew out, did some research and due diligence over the course of a couple weeks, and put together a business plan. I had determined the industry was a great opportunity but not the Arizona market because it was already so saturated. Everything had been legal there for a while, so we were years late to the party. All the good licenses had already been won through their lottery. The ROI [return on investment] was very promising. Around the same time we came to that conclusion, another group reached out from Las Vegas looking for financing and partners. Nevada had recently begun awarding provisional licenses, so we were right on time. The group that had reached out to us already had three provisional licenses, two for cultivation and one for production. We’d have an equal opportunity for success as everyone else. My partners and I did some due diligence, put together a business plan and we determined this was a really great opportunity. The group who wanted to partner with us was hands-on and had local, established relationships. However, we ran into a hurdle about where the licensed entities would operate. The group had already determined where operations would be, as required by the license applications, but the places they had already purchased were not going to be well suited. Specifically, the facilities were small, which would limit
| OWNER, NV CANN LABS
our operations and in turn, our output and ROI. After some continued discussions, the group allowed us to try to relocate the operations. Again, by sheer luck, someone else approached us, also in Las Vegas. She and her two partners owned a lab license. Long story short, we ended up buying out two partners.
You also have an affinity for science, which makes cannabis an attractive proposition for you.
Yes, I have a degree in biology. I’m very comfortable with science; I love it! In fact, when I am not doing anything cannabis related, I have a career in patent law. Although I’m an attorney, I still maintain a career surrounded by science and scientists.
You are a rarity in the industry. A 2017 survey found less than a fifth of the people involved at an ownership or stakeholder level in the cannabis industry were people of color, making up only 4.3 percent. I don’t know any other black women who own licensed cannabis operations in Nevada. I know many women who own licenses, but to my knowledge, there are only three women of color who own licensed entities in Nevada: myself, Maribel Mendez-Gomez [a founder and owner of GFive], and Priscilla Vilchis [founder and operator of Reina]. Despite the representation in ownership, I’ve had an overall great experience.
Aside from the lack of diversity on the ownership side, the rest of the industry is pretty diverse. In terms of other stakeholders, like employees and customers, this is probably the most diverse industry I’ve been involved in. Even the ancillary businesses are diverse and wide ranging.
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From a business standpoint, what have you had to do to overcome barriers posed by racism in the cannabis industry?
Is racism as prevalent in the cannabis industry as other industries you have worked in?
I do think cannabis has barriers to entry, and while those may not be due to overt racism, I do believe some of the barriers do stem from systemic racism. For instance, in Nevada and probably in all states with programs, the application fees are high and those fees are just to apply. Application fees do not guarantee you that you’ll get a license. If you do get continued online @elevatenv.com
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I would say compared to what I’ve experienced in my legal career, or even my scientific career, racism is not as problematic. As an attorney, I’ve walked into meetings with other attorneys and some people have automatically assumed I’m a paralegal or someone’s assistant. I remember one time in law school, an authority figured told me I would do well not because of my credibility and grades but because of my more European-like features. I have not experienced anything like that in cannabis. Again, I am not discrediting anybody else’s experience. By virtue of the history of cannabis and its culture, cannabis doesn’t fall very neatly in line with traditional, corporate America, so I would like to think many of the issues of that environment, hopefully, won’t be as problematic in the cannabis industry.
What are the barriers to entry for people of color in the legal cannabis industry?
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I have not dealt with any racism, at least not overt racism, in the cannabis industry. That’s just my experience; I don’t live in Nevada [Puckett lives in Chicago], so I am not trying to discredit anybody who has experienced racism there. My experience in Nevada is much more limited than that of a resident. I will say social relationships posed barriers for us at first. Nevada definitely has a small-town feel: the big players all know each, they have relationships, they are friends, they run in the same circles. My partners and I all live in Chicago and Chicagoland. It was obvious to us that if we wanted any kind of success, we had to have some skin in the game, quite literally. For a long time, I felt like I was Vegas’ newest resident because I was here all the time, trying to create a presence and establish connections and relationships. Thankfully, it all worked out; I have some genuine friendships with people here. I love the Nevada industry.
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THE ACCIDENTAL LOBBYIST
Cannabis advocate A’Esha Goins taps activism to chart course of freedom, equity and opportunity By Beth Schwartz
THE PROMISE A little background on that life altering promise. Goins decided to support “Yes on 2,” Nevada’s Marijuana Legalization ballot question which passed in 2016, while her former employer Frank Hawkins of Nevada Wellness Center took the opposite position. “That’s when everything changed for me. We held workshops where he and I were on the opposite sides of the conversation. It was not a good thing. He was against it because he wanted to hold the vote back so that they could change the legislation. He was unhappy with the wording of the ballot question which I hate to admit he was right, but he was right. He said the way the licensing was set up, it wouldn’t offer an opportunity for minorities to get into the industry and he was right,” she concludes. “But for me what mattered at the time was the criminalization of my community. He was under the impression if we held it back it would open opportunities. However, that also offers more opportunities for people to go to
jail because according to the ACLU, black and brown people are 3.2 times more often stopped and put in jail for cannabis than our counterparts. So, if in Nevada I held it back that means if there are 1,000 arrests than 700 of them are going to be black and brown people so I made a choice. So we were at odds.” Once “Yes on 2” passed it led Goins to fulfill the promise she made to her community. “It was because of that that I realized I had a voice and my community was listening to that voice. That’s when things started changing for me,” explains Goins. “So, in 2017 I went up and talked to Tick [former Nevada State Senator Richard “Tick” Segerblom] and I explained the importance of having an opportunity for African Americans to be on the license. We argued and argued because the bill was already in motion, but he went ahead and added the language that you would get extra points for having minorities on your application.” It was with that negotiation that Goins’ career as a lobbyist was born. But not without heartache and headache. “It’s hard out here because I am a representative. I am not just A’Esha Goins. It would probably be easier if I was just representing me and not black people. So, I have to be really careful with my voice,” she explains. “Someone DMed me that they liked that I was unapologetic. But I am not. I wake up every single day with the conscious mindset of who I am, what responsibility that is, who I am accountable to and what things I have to accomplish that day to remain in that space. It’s not easy. I am not unapologetic. I just choose to do and say the things that are in the best interest of where I need to go for my community, but I am definitely not unapologetic.”
“I NEVER EVEN TOUCHED THE PLANT” For someone so devoted to cannabis, one of the most startling things Goins reveals during our interview is that she didn’t know anything about the plant before she got in the industry. “To be honest I wasn’t raised with cannabis in my life.
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A’Esha Goins did not set out to become a government affairs lobbyist. Much less one representing the cannabis industry. “I didn’t decide, it just happened,” Goins explains, adding “now I don’t want to do anything else. I love it. I love the relationships I have been able to build. I love knowing that laws will be changed for my children and my aunties. I love knowing I can make things happen and that things aren’t happening to me.” At 45 and relatively new to lobbying, she was a sophomore lobbyist at the 2019 Nevada Legislative Session, becoming the voice of her community was something Goins hadn’t envisioned for herself. “When I went against Frank, I made a promise to my community that I would ensure that we were going to be able to get into this industry. That was my promise and I wasn’t going to go back on my promise,” she explains.
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I came into cannabis because I fell in love with the business portion of it. I didn’t fall in love with the plant till after. I never even touched cannabis until 2013,” says Goins. “In 2012 my mentor [Hawkins] came in and said we are going to get in the cannabis industry. I laughed at him, I thought he was crazy as hell. We started collecting information and reading, reading and reading and legislation came out and we started putting together an application based on the statutes and legislation,” Goins recalls. “Products started coming across our table because we didn’t know much about it and I started testing it. The first experience I had I laughed so hard I laughed at myself laughing. I’m Bi-Polar Type B and I was on antidepressants and other drugs and I saw this as opportunity not to take those drugs anymore. We were finding research that cannabis could be used for anxiety and depression and I wanted to try this as a treatment to see if it would work. I even asked my pastor who gave me the go-ahead. I realized that the difference between cannabis and the medicine the doctor was giving me was I only had to take cannabis when I needed it, but the medicine my doctor gave me I had to take all the time. So I started falling in love with cannabis because of that.”
FREEDOM, EQUITY & OPPORTUNITY Goins has developed three core tenets she considers when pursuing cannabis legislation: freedom, equity and opportunity. “All the bills that I write have to do with my freedom or my community’s freedom, having equity within the cannabis industry and to produce opportunity,” explains Goins, who is currently working on a bill for minors that falls under the freedom category. “If a minor is in possession, that’s a misdemeanor. They neglected to change legislation for minors, so I have a bill right now that I’m working on with one of the legislators to change the language of possession for juveniles,” she explains. “Their first offense will be a fine, and rehab hours. The point of that is to make sure they are not in the system. Right now, if you get picked up it is a misdemeanor, you are in the system. At that point, every time you get picked up it’s just added on.” Her equity bill for the 2021 Legislative Session deals with social use venues for cannabis users. “In the last session, Senator Harris and I were able to put some language in the omnibus bill, AB 533, Section 64, Num 1. And, basically, we ask the governor to start a small business program and I would like to put the social use venues within that and add some equitable conversation to that, so that’s my equity.” For her core value of opportunity, Goins is pursuing new licenses for minorities in the cannabis industry. “As it relates to opportunities, I am holding the CCB [newly formed Cannabis Compliance Board] accountable to the small business program. Those are my cores and I stay really close to my continued online @elevatenv.com
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In Memoriam CHARLOTTE FIGI {OCTOBER 18, 2006 — APRIL 7, 2020}
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Although she was only 13 years old when she left this world, Charlotte Figi’s legacy will last forever. The young CBD advocate died in April after suffering a seizure that resulted in cardiac arrest and respiratory failure but not before Charlotte Figi left an indelible mark upon us all. At only seven years old Figi’s activism gained national attention when she was featured in Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s 2013 documentary “Weed.” Figi garnered Dr. Gupta’s attention for her use of cannabidiol (CBD) to control her seizures that started at three months old because of Dravet syndrome, a catastrophic form of epilepsy. At age five, Charlotte was suffering from hundreds of violent seizures each week. Doctors tried everything from barbiturates to extreme diets to control the disorder. Nothing helped until her mother, Paige Figi, searching for a treatment to alleviate her daughter’s grand mal seizures, found one in a strain of low-THC, high-CBD cannabis. Figi’s parents began giving her CBD oil twice a day. As a result, the girl who once had 300 seizures a week had, on average, fewer than one. This medical discovery not only began a national conversation about the medical properties of cannabis, but also a movement. Figi’s story and appearance in “Weed” helped change negative perceptions of medical cannabis as well as introduced the world to CBD. In legacy, the cannabis strain that changed Figi’s life, Charlotte’s Web, was named for her.
ROGER MARTIN {JUNE 21, 1952 — JUNE 19, 2020}
Roger Martin, founder of non-profit organizations HeroGrown Foundation and Save a Million Vets, died in June after a short battle with advanced liver cancer. A veteran of the U.S. Army and former law enforcement officer, Martin left behind a legacy of raising awareness, advocacy, and assisting veterans in using cannabis as a safe alternative to opiates. After cannabis saved Martin from a life of pharmaceutical dependence, he started a mission to educate as many veterans as he could about using cannabis as a safer alternative to opioid dependency with his founding of HeroGrown Foundation. Martin started growing cannabis at his home in Woodland Park, Colorado to give away medicine in the form of oil to veterans. Troubled by encounters with fellow veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress, depression, chronic pain, and other serious medical conditions, Martin worked tirelessly to save his fellow veterans from the “combat cocktails” that once ruled his life. His mission grew quickly, and he started reaching out to sponsors for help to keep supplying cannabis to veterans who could not afford medical marijuana and CBD products. Many companies stepped up to his call and supported Martin’s mission of supplying over 3 million dollars of donated product to veterans. As his mission evolved, Martin started non-profit Save a Million Vets with a goal to save over one million veterans at risk of dying from opiate overdose. Martin’s efforts to save the lives of America’s bravest will be the legacy he leaves in his wake.
LESTER GRINSPOON {JUNE 24, 1928 — JUNE 25, 2020}
Cannabis advocate, author, and Harvard Medical School psychiatrist Dr. Lester Grinspoon died in June at 92 years old. He was an American psychiatrist best known for his long tenure as an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School as well as for authoring books “Marihuana Reconsidered” (1971) and “Marihuana, The Forbidden Medicine” (1993), considered groundbreaking at the time of their publication. When Grinspoon began studying marijuana in 1967, his intention was to “define scientifically the nature and degree of those dangers” but as he reviewed the existing literature on the subject Grinspoon reached the conclusion he and the general public had been misinformed and misled. He became convinced cannabis was much less harmful than he had believed and “Marihuana Reconsidered” reflected that change in view.
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Elevating the Conversation with Khadijah Tribble, Curaleaf’s Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility
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respected expert on equity and inclusion in the cannabis industry, Khadijah Tribble has advised cannabis investors, government regulators, entrepreneurs, and businesses on policy, business development, and community impact. In her new role at Curaleaf, Tribble will oversee the company’s efforts to build an eco-system of impact, policy and business that aligns with the greater good of the cannabis industry and the communities in which Curaleaf operates and serves. She will also lead the company’s diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
Effective March 16 you became Curaleaf’s VP of Corporate Social Responsibility just as our pandemic lives began. How has Covid-19 shifted the company’s priorities? In many respects it accelerated those priorities. Not only were we stepping up to the nation’s call for an essential business to stay open, continue producing high quality products in a safe environment, which was our first mission as an organization, but we also looked at how we take care of our employees who are responsible for allowing our company to meet the needs of being an essential company. We had staff in Massachusetts providing food for nurses. We had folks figuring out how to convert one of our facilities into a hand sanitizing facility to not only support our needs as a company, but also the broader community. So it was an opportunity to really see, even without strategic plans in place, how this company was going to live up to its values. I am proud of the conversations we had, the impact that we made, and the ability for us to jumpstart conversations that might have taken us four or five months to have.
At the end of May, there was a seismic social shift with the death of George Floyd. How do begin the elimination of racism in the legal marijuana industry? The simple things that people have talked about is creating employment opportunities for individuals with an arrest or conviction related to marijuana who are looking at a second chance or redemption in the cannabis space. So the question becomes can we, from a corporate standpoint, push toward creating second chance employment opportunities when the regulated market doesn’t support it? For example, there are some state legislators and regulators who have said if you have a felony conviction period but definitely one related to any drug than the likelihood of you being able to work in the cannabis industry is very slim. We are looking at every system within our corporate culture to determine how we might have an impact and mitigate the arm of racial injustice in this country specifically related to the war on drugs and come up with an approach to address racial inequities in our industry but also in the larger community.
In June Nevada Gov. Sisolak unconditionally pardoned more than 15,000 people with misdemeanor marijuana possession convictions. What else needs to be done in Nevada? There’s a role for industry to play and also a role for the community to play, and there’s a role for government to play. I would love to see the states like Nevada, Colorado and California, which have a history in a regulated market, get together a roundtable discussion and convene some of these key stakeholders and say there’s a charge for us. What can we do in concert and support of the social equity community and address individuals and communities that have been disproportionally harmed by the war on drug policies? I would love Nevada to be the first state to convene industry leaders, community leaders and government regulators in a room and no one gets to leave until we come up with a plan.
What are Curaleaf’s goals regarding community involvement in Nevada? When the Governor decided to pardon those 15,000 individuals that signaled to us that Nevada was ready to have a conversation. We are looking for partners so anybody listening that is aligned with our values and our mission, please give our team a call and let’s have a conversation. We are looking specifically in Nevada on how to show up as a partner that is not only seen as a big company growing and doing incredible work with great products, but we want to make sure our employees get to show up and support things that mean something to the community. So, we are looking for those opportunities to show up for Nevada in a way that the customers have been showing up for us. To read our entire interview with Khadijah Tribble, please go to elevate.nv/Elevating_the_Conversation