february
2016
CANNABIS COULD BE the solution to our
GRIDIRON HEROES’ RETURN TO GLORY
Former UFC fighter PURSUES PASSION
for the green life
&
PUMP UP YOUR FITNESS ROUTINE WITH CBD check out our dispensary map PAGE 33
“NV CANN LABS LLC” is dedicated to providing the Nevada Cannabis Industry with quality control services from a state of the art testing facility. Our laboratory will be ISO certified and outfitted with the highest quality instrumentation available to insure accurate testing and reports. We will follow Nevada’s “Quality Compliance” Requirements by using the latest technology for all aspects of the testing lab operation, from receiving to inventory control, to customer recordkeeping, testing and all other procedures. Our staff is dedicated to maintaining a professional understanding of the business and working with leading edge innovators and educators in the industry to further implement the highest standards of operations.
Tara@nvcannlabs.com • 702.682.7203 • 6631 Schuster Street, Las Vegas, NV. 89118
HUI WANG, SCIENTIFIC DIRECTOR OF NV CANN LABS, Wang graduated from Beijing Medical University, began her career working at the Beijing Institute for Drug Control, then went on to the US Naval Medical Research Institute as a chemist in Washington DC where she developed and tested new immunization products in the Infectious Disease department for over eight years. Later she moved to Las Vegas and worked at numerous quality control laboratories for nutritional supplement manufacturers for over 15 years. She is thrilled to be working in this new industry where science will be a key to research and education in this new field.
from the editor Publisher Guy Bertuzzi, guy@elevatenv.com
Editor-In-Chief Beth Schwartz, beth@finetheagency.com
Creative Director Jina Hustler, jina.hustler@finetheagency.com
Contributing Writers: Derek Connor, Rio Lacanlale, Jamie Lockwood, Dr. Pouya Mohajer, Launce Rake
Sales Associate Shanna Perry, shanna@elevatelv.com Danielle El Kadi, danielle@elevatenv.com
ELEVATION PUBLISHING LLC President Jonathan Fine
Chief Financial Officer Cassandra Lupo
Vice President of Business Development Kim Armenta
FINE THE AGENCY Partner Kelli Maruca, kelli@finetheagency.com
Director of Creative Services Brooke Bertuzzi, brooke@finetheagency.com
Digital Services Austin Grantham, austin.grantham@finetheagency.com Elevate Nevada magazine makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information it publishes, but cannot be held responsible for any consequences arising from errors, false data or omissions. Elevate Nevada assumes no responsibility for any claims or representations contained in this publication or in any advertisement. Elevate Nevada magazine does not encourage the illegal use of any of the products or advertisements within. Reproduction in whole or in part strictly prohibited. All rights reserved. 7120 Rafael Ridge Way, Las Vegas, NV 89119 Phone: 702.737.8464 | Email: info@elevatenv.com
I am a football fanatic. I grew up in Texas where football is practically a religion so there was really no way to avoid developing an almost holy devotion to the game. We spent our Friday nights worshipping the stars of the high school gridiron and praying for victory. In turn, I am among the many faithful who watch breathlessly each week as our favorite players pull passes out of the air in a manner akin to Cirque du Soleil acrobats, throw Hail Mary passes in the most effortless of ways or sprint like gazelles into the end zone. According to an April 20ı5 Bloomberg Politics poll, 67 percent of Americans name football as the national pastime. This shouldn’t be a surprising stat. After all, the top 2ı most-watched shows of all time are all Super Bowls. Another Super Bowl is coming up on February 7th and America will once again be collectively transfixed on that Sunday afternoon. As we assemble for the holiest day of the football season, the devil in the room is hard to ignore. With “Concussion” in theaters and the ongoing plague of retired pro athletes, who have suffered brain disease and injury, making headlines, it’s time to take stock of what the sport is doing to our national pastime. Eighty-seven out of 9ı former NFL players have tested positive for the degenerative disease known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE, resulting from concussions, according to 20ı5 figures released from the
Department of Veterans Affairs and Boston University. Clearly it’s a problem, so much so that the National Football League implemented safety rules to minimize head-to-head hits, which has helped. In its 20ı5 Health & Safety Report, the NFL reported that concussions in regular season games fell 35 percent over the past two seasons, from ı73 in 20ı2 to ıı2 last season. But that doesn’t fix the problem. Cannabis may offer another solution. Phyto-medical company Kannalife Sciences has been developing cannabisbased compounds to treat the effects of concussions with an end goal of neural protection. Its therapeutic agent KLS-ı30ı9 may be capable of acting as a neuroprotective agent for the treatment of not just CTE, but also epilepsy, neuropathic pain, traumatic head injury, stroke, Post Cardiac Arrest Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy, Epileptic Encephalopathy, and neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It’s time to give medical cannabis a chance and not just for our fallen pro athletes, but for all those who are suffering and need help. After all, it could be the revelation that not only saves our idols, but also turns them into disciples as they are healed and spread the good word. It would be the holiest of miracles. With an open mind,
CONTENTS 8 Cooking with Cannabis
8
Flourless Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Sauce
10 Healing: the Power of Medical Cannabis One patient’s journey from stage 4 breast cancer to a hopeful future
12 Pump up your fitness routine with CBD Users find medical cannabis increases recovery time and cardio output for more effective workout
12
15 When the game is over and our gridiron heroes are hobbling off the field… can cannabis restore pro athletes to their former glory?
20 A Field of Dreams
15
Former UFC fighter pursues passion for the green life
24 Legalease The facts about felonies and working in the cannabis industry
24
26 The thirst is real Medical cannabis patients are hungry for Nevada’s edible market to take off
28 28 Elevate Your State Cannabis updates from across the United States
33 Dispensary Map Patients’ guide to finding medical cannabis in the Las Vegas Valley
from the publisher
The living soil at Green Life Productions.
H
appy Valentine’s Day! February always brings our focus to love, which from a business standpoint is a key element to be successful no matter what industry you are rooke B e f i in. My dad always said if you is w and h Guy make something with love, the end result will always turn out just right, which brings me to the first article I have ever written. It’s a profile about Steve “the Robot” Cantwell (with my wonderful editor Beth’s help, she is seriously a godsend). Beth and I took a tour of Green Life Productions located in Pahrump last December and I was lucky enough to meet two of its owners, Steve Cantwell and his wife, Kouanin Villa. Steve’s passion for cultivating exudes from every inch of him. Personally, I feel of the current selection of flower that is available in Nevada, his cultivation has some of the best strains I have tried and I immensely enjoyed hearing about Steve’s innovative growing methods. Beth will even tell you I have a @ElevateNV bit of a man crush! I truly believe his love of cultivating, Elevate Nevada which he wants to share with Nevada, shows in Green Life’s final product Facebook/Elevate NV
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available at most of the dispensaries that are open in Southern Nevada. So please read the article I wrote chronicling his journey from UFC fighter to cannabis cultivator on page 20. Oh, and did I mention he was the last WEC Light Heavyweight Champion, and probably one of the only cultivators who has his own video avatar? This Valentine’s Day pick up one of Evergreen Organix limited edition heartshaped sugar cookies if you have your patient card. Please tell your dispensary that Guy from Elevate sent you. Speaking of dispensaries, the women of Sahara Wellness have opened their doors. Stop in and congratulate them, they have a pretty amazing story we are hoping they will share with you in an upcoming issue. Sahara Wellness is the first all-femaleowned dispensary in Nevada and possibly the U.S. Brenda, Stacey, and Alex put a lot of love in their efforts to open a great healing space for Las Vegas’ patients. We are blessed by the love our readers send our way and want more of it. Angela, a very amazing woman and one of our avid readers, asked for several copies of each back issue so she could mail them to friends to spread the word. She even gave me a hug for publishing the information and telling the stories that fill the pages of this labor of love. So please share your stories with us and we will handle them with care. Last but not least, Happy Valentine’s Day to my wife Brooke, my daughter Alexis, and my son Jackson, they are what drives me to share my love and passion for cannabis with you, our readers! Salute,
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Cooking Cannabis FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH RASPBERRY SAUCE
VALENTINE’S DAY IS SUNDAY, FEBRUARY
14
By Jamie Lockwood, Evergreen Organix, www.evergreenorganix.com
FLOURLESS CHOCOLATE CAKE INGREDIENTS: WE LOVE COOKING TOGETHER ON VALENTINE’S DAY
3 Tablespoons or ı.5 ounces canna-butter 5 Tablespoons or 3.5 ounces unsalted butter 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips 3 large eggs, slightly beaten ı/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, sifted
3/4 cup sugar ı tsp. vanilla extract ı/4 tsp. salt
DIRECTIONS: Melt butter in a small saucepan then turn off the heat. Add chocolate chips and whisk until melted. Transfer to a mixing bowl. Add sugar and vanilla, whisk until smooth. Mix in eggs. Add sifted cocoa powder and salt, mix until just combined. Line the bottom of a 6-inch pan with parchment paper and spray bottom and sides with no-stick baking spray or butter. Bake at 350° for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for ı5 minutes. Run a knife along the edge of pan to release on the sides. Turn over onto a plate and remove parchment paper. Cool. RASPBERRY SAUCE INGREDIENTS: ı4-ounce bag of frozen raspberries, thawed ı/3 cup sugar DIRECTIONS: Heat raspberries and sugar in a saucepan until sugar is dissolved. Transfer to blender or food processor, and blend until smooth. Press through a fine mesh strainer to remove seeds. TO SERVE: Drizzle plate with raspberry sauce, then place ı/6 slice of flourless chocolate cake on top. Please remember when cooking with medicinal cannabis, you are cooking with a medicine and the amounts of the medicine and portions of the food ingested should always be taken into consideration. Always start out with small portions or doses and wait 30 minutes to an hour before eating any additional portions of food that has been medicated.
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You can buy manuals and try to figure out how to grow cannabis...
...or you can hire MJardin and focus on growing your business instead. MJardin’s design and operational efficiencies result in industry leading yields, unmatched reliability, and increased profits to your bottom line. We are cultivators, not consultants.
HEALING THE POWER OF MEDICINAL CANNABIS
CURING CANCER WITH CANNABIS One Patient’s Journey from Stage 4 Breast Cancer to a Future of Hope
J
JB was diagnosed with breast cancer in 20ı0 and followed the traditional medical route. Well, almost. She had a lumpectomy but elected to skip radiation and chemotherapy and instead decided to live an organic life. “After the lumpectomy I decided I am going to do this on my own. I am going to do everything organic and cleanse my body,” the 46-year-old legal assistant recalls, explaining that she prefers alternative medicine over traditional. “The doctors make me uncomfortable, I don’t like to take medicine, I don’t even like aspirin.” But living organically didn’t keep the disease at bay and JB was diagnosed last April with Stage 4 breast cancer. “When it came back I knew about it two years before I was actually diagnosed. I ignored it, I knew I had a lump in my right breast. It started changing and so I knew I needed to do something,” relays JB. “They told me I had six months to live but I think they tell everybody that because they want you to do some kind of treatment right away.” JB contacted a trusted girlfriend in San Francisco who advised her to join a Phoenix Tears forum on Facebook to find out more about cannabis oil. She started doing research and “decided that if I was going to do this harsh chemo treatment than I wanted to do cannabis with it.” JB applied for her medical marijuana card, found consultant Lance Parvin of Compassionate Awareness Project to help her with dosing, and started taking cannabis oil in May 20ı5. A month later she started oral chemotherapy as recommended by her oncologist Dr. Fadi Braiteh of Comprehensive Cancer Centers of Nevada. Between her use of cannabis oil and chemotherapy,
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JB has experienced dramatic results. She had two masses that shrunk dramatically between PET scans taken in April 20ı5 and August 20ı5. One tumor changed in size from 2.3 cm x ı.2 cm to ı.9 cm x .9 cm during the four-month period. Another mass was reduced from 2.8 cm x 2.7 cm to 2.0 cm x ı.4 cm. A third tumor that had measured ı4 mm x 8 mm in April had completely disappeared by August. “I attribute her complete results to cannabis, I attribute nothing to chemo,” concludes Parvin. “There is not a chemo that is not heart toxic. There’s a University of Texas study proving that. They tested 29 different cancer drugs and found not one that is not toxic to the heart. I don’t attribute any longterm result to any chemo at all.” Following a CT scan in There is not a chemo that early December, is not heart toxic. There’s a JB’s prognosis University of Texas study proving that. continued to They tested 29 different cancer drugs be positive. “Dr. Braiteh and found not one that is not toxic to was ecstatic. the heart. I don’t attribute any longHe actually term result to any chemo at all. gave me a high five on my CT scan results,” recalls JB. “I think I will be cancer-free within six months or less. I will stay on the oil. Lance told me as a preventative measure, I will probably have to take the oil for the rest of my life which I don’t have a problem with.” JB’s faith in cannabis paid off, noting, “I never doubted the oil once.”
PUMP UP YOUR FITNESS ROUTINE WITH CBD
Users find medical cannabis increases recovery time and cardio output for a more effective workout By Rio Lacanlale Calling all bodybuilders, trainers and fitness junkies, this story should pique your interest and peak your muscles at the same time. Imagine the results you could achieve if recovery time was cut in half, your cardio output was increased, and you could fast forward the time it normally takes to find the right workout
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patterns and routines Sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? But by venturing down this unconventional route, fitness junkies can accomplish more in just one workout. In fact, Lance Parvin swears by it. Citing his background in herbal psychopharmacology,
Parvin, co-founder of the Compassionate Awareness Project (CAP), one of the first co-ops in Nevada, even recommends medicinal cannabis for training purposes, coupled with other sources of nutrients, over certain big-name amino acids and supplements. As the medical cannabis industry expands and the
public’s knowledge grows, the common misconception that cannabis only aids in anti-pain and anti-carcinogen purposes has surfaced. But according to Parvin, whether someone medicates to target a specific medical issue or utilizes it as a tool for training, medicinal cannabis has a broad spectrum of benefits. Since starting CAP, Parvin has converted many bodybuilders, trainers, and even performers on the Las Vegas Strip, who perform several times a week, into adding cannabidiol (CBD) to their workout regimens. “That’s the great thing about [it], it can even get someone who is healing from a disease or injury back into being active at a faster and safer rate, rather than taking toxic supplements or prescriptions,” says Parvin of medicinal cannabis. In spring 20ı5, by chance, a local Las Vegas gym owner crossed paths with Parvin when he toured her gym. By the end of the tour, Parvin convinced Kelli Michaels (she prefers her real name not be used), for conditions unrelated to her workout routine and lifestyle, to give medicinal cannabis a chance. After only one month of religiously taking CBD oil pills at night, Michaels noticed something very different about her workouts. “The quality of my workouts changed dramatically. I found myself recovering faster,” says Michaels. Ever since she can remember, gaining weight
has always been a trial for Michaels. But by making CBD oil an integral part of her workout routine, Michaels is now able to move up in weight at a quicker pace when she lifts. But the best part about incorporating cannabis into a workout regimen? It’s easy. For the most effective results, Parvin advises people to take CBD in the evening or a few hours post-workout. “Getting into a deeper state of REM (rapid eye movement) sleep is the key thing,” explains Parvin. “That’s when your body is recovering.” As for Michaels, though taking CBD oil pills once a day before bed was just a small change in her daily schedule, the results have been positive. “I don’t have to worry about taking my pills with food or worry about if I took it at the right time,” she says. For medicinal cannabis to be effective, THC must be used. People often assume that hemp oil is just as successful, but according to Parvin, cannabis becomes ineffective once altered. “So THC is necessary to see a difference in workouts and recovery time,” he explains. Fitness junkies sparked by curiosity and inspiration after reading this story can get the green light for a medical marijuana card by citing chronic pain. “Pain becomes inflammation, which happens after a workout,” clarifies Parvin, a devoted fitness fanatic who integrates medicinal cannabis into his own regimen.
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O
N W O
N
PE
When the cheering stops and America’s gridiron heroes are hobbling off the field…
IS CANNABIS BASED MEDICINE THE WINNING PLAY?
t’s that time of year when we gather around our big-screen TVs, pick a team to root for, and cheer on America’s heroes of the gridiron as they go head to head on Super Bowl Sunday. One of our nation’s most vaunted and celebrated pastimes, we take our football very seriously. But with the recent spotlight on brain injuries resulting from the sport, it’s time we took the health of our heroes seriously, too. In clinical research surrounding the effects of therapeutic cannabinoids on brain disease, former NFL players could play a vital role as test subjects in the field. The newly formed Gridiron Cannabis Coalition is advocating for cannabis-based medicine and the positive difference it can make -- not just for pro athletes but for millions of Americans -- in the future of brain health. By Launce Rake
The game of football brings the brutal collisions of 300-pound armored men of muscle and bone into the homes and barrooms of America. The television eye also reveals the physical and neurological impacts of the game on its players.
Some of the National Football League’s best former players and a growing number of researchers think it is time for the league to allow cannabisbased medicine for both retired players as well as for athletes playing now. One of the most effective voices for the changes is Kyle Turley, an NFL All-Pro selection in 2000, a veteran of the St. Louis Rams, Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints, and a college All-American at San Diego State University. At 6-foot 5-inches and 300 pounds during his playing career, Turley, at 40 years old, still looks like the powerful offensive tackle that he was. Today, instead of taking on similarly sized defensive lineman, he’s taking on head trauma and, to a significant degree, his former employers in the NFL. He has been active with several organizations, but about six months ago helped found the Gridiron Cannabis Coalition, an organization devoted to getting safe and legal cannabis-based products to active and former professional athletes, especially those NFL players who may have suffered brain trauma. “Basically we want to be a service provider for athletes in the (football)
industry,” Turley explains. “We are organizing our guys. We can coordinate, unite and network together. There is strength in numbers.” Former professional football players face a host of medical problems, not only brain trauma but also orthopedic dysfunction, chronic pain, heart disease and other diseases. “Anything and everything under the sun,” Turley says, describing the maladies suffered by former NFL stars. “The sport of football is not one that is associated with good health.”
Kyle Turley, founder of Gridiron Cannabis Coalition
february | elevatenv.com 15
Photos courtesy of the St. Louis Rams
shells of their former selves, men like Hall of Famer Junior Seau, an all-star NFL linebacker with the San Diego Chargers who, at age 43, committed Turley was an offensive tackle for the St. Louis Rams, Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints. suicide at his home, or Mike Webster, who played as a center for ı6 years Like his colleagues, Turley “Doctors are prescribing for the Pittsburgh Steelers and also once consumed a chemical salad of medications for all these injuries, made it to the Hall of Fame. After his pharmaceuticals, including pain and orthopedic or neurological, that have very retirement in ı990, Webster lived out of emotional management prescriptions, serious side effects,” Turley explains. his pickup truck and suffered dementia, going back to his playing days. He was no “It’s been a real tragedy that athletes have amnesia and other profound physical and drug addict – Turley has never, for example, not had a choice to use these (cannabiscognitive problems. He died at age 50. been an alcohol drinker – but prescription based) medicines that provide real Webster was the first former player drugs were the cost of the bodily benefits without the side effects.” diagnosed with chronic traumatic punishment he experienced as a player. One of Turley’s companions in the encephalopathy (CTE) by Dr. Bennet Researchers and physicians, as well quest to make cannabis-based medical Omalu, whose discoveries are chronicled in as players like Turley, fear that sometimes products available for NFL athletes – “Concussion.” Many other former players these prescription medications can and, of course, all others – is former have since been diagnosed with CTE. In actually make long-term conditions NFL linebacker Marvin Washington, September, Boston University and the worse for active and retired players. who says that neurological damage due Department of Veterans Affairs released Pain medications have been implicated to concussions has been the cost of a study that found 96 percent of former in cognitive problems. playing football. It is, he says, NFL players they examined suffered For active players, pain meds can “an industrial disease.” from CTE. Additionally, men who help them play through injuries – but It is an issue that has moved into the played football in high school or college also that carries its own significant price. spotlight due to lawsuits and as the subject of suffered brain trauma, the researcher found. “In my own experience, prescription award-winning exposés in The New Yorker The NFL initially was criticized for narcotics, in the 20-year span of my and “Frontline” on PBS. It is the subject of responding slowly and even with hostility sports career, made these injuries a-list Hollywood movie “Concussion” starring to the medical problems of many of its worse,” Turley says. “They masked the Will Smith that dramatizes intimidation veterans, but today recognizes that it has a serious problem. It’s been a real tragedy that athletes have not had a choice to use these It has instituted (cannabis-based) medicines that provide real benefits without the side effects.” a serious of rule changes designed pain so I could continue to participate directed at one of the first serious researchers to make it harder for players to deliver the but the damage continues.” to tie crippling brain damage of former kind of skull-jarring shocks that lead to About a year ago Turley turned to players to on-the-field collisions. chronic neurological damage. The League cannabis-based medications to control his And always, there are the stories has also adopted a regimen that removes anxiety and pain – and he is now completely of once-celebrated athletes reduced to players from the game when a concussion off traditional pharmaceuticals, he says. confused, angry and sometimes suicidal is suspected – although somehow
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players who appear to have concussions or other injuries still remain in the game. Turley believes that not only can medical cannabis help former NFL players – and other athletes, and veterans, as well as those affected by brain and body injuries – but it can help existing players as well. That’s a tough sell for the NFL, which has since the ı980s had a tough anti-marijuana policy. Turley and the Gridiron Cannabis Coalition, though, have teamed up with a New York-based company called Kannalife Sciences that is in the process of developing federally regulated, cannabis-based drugs to treat chronic traumatic encephalopathy and the kidney disease that contributes to brain disease. Dean Petkanas, Kannalife chief executive officer, says the use of therapeutic cannabinoids have great promise for treating both orthopedic and neurological problems, but companies like his have a tough road to getting drugs approved
by the federal government and medical establishment. He emphasizes that his company’s products will be fully regulated pharmaceuticals, unlike products available in the legal medical cannabis markets now. One end goal is neural protection, he says. If all goes well, the company could have products reviewed and approved by 20ı8 or 2020. Turley’s group could play a vital role in providing the test subjects for clinical studies that Kannalife needs for its research. “We’re starting to talk about a clinical protocol,” Petkanas says. “We’re hoping that we can work together, because they (the Gridiron Cannabis Coalition) have some real credibility in the market… These guys are going to be able to produce screened enrollees at the right time.” Turley hopes that the heroes of the gridiron will be heroes in the testing and approval of cannabis-based medicine that will make a positive difference for millions of Americans.
“The more we understand the things that cannabis can do, the more we realize that cannabis is the medicine that should be prescribed for neurological issues,” Turley says. “The military, athletes, the things that we have experienced, unfortunately, through our career choices, we can really change this narrative.” His own experience, free of negative side effects for a year, is Turley’s proof that cannabis works. “It is night and day different,” Turley enthuses. “I am ı00 percent relieved of depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts. I have had no rage for a year now. I’m able to drive again in the daytime and at night, to go to the movies, which I hadn’t been able to do for seven years. “I know the truth. I know what happened to me playing football. I understand there is a medicine that deals with these injuries better than any medicine I’ve ever been prescribed.”
february | elevatenv.com 17
A FIELD OF DREAMS Former UFC Fighter Pursues Passion for the Green Life by Guy Bertuzzi
A
future edition of Trivial Pursuit will ask: Who was the last World Extreme Cagefighting (WEC) Light Heavyweight champion? The answer: Steve “The Robot” Cantwell. But it should probably have an asterisk next to it that states he was also the first legal cultivator in Pahrump, Nevada. Since Trivial Pursuit hasn’t yet cemented Steve Cantwell into the annals of pop culture, Google will have to do. When you search his name, there are a lot of threads on websites referring to his fighting career. Some of the comments go back and forth about his potential to be a UFC champion once he moved to middleweight, while other posts discuss how he was too cocky after bragging about breaking a fighter’s arm during “UFC: Fight for the
Troops.” Regardless of what side of the debate you are on, his story inspires. In 2004 Cantwell started training in mixed martial arts after withdrawing from school, quickly going pro in 2005 at the age of ı8. “I was just a troubled kid in school, I kept getting kicked out for fighting, getting suspended and things like that,” explained Cantwell, who moved to Pahrump from California when he was ı0 years old. He racked up some big wins before the WEC signed him. His first bout in the WEC was against All-American Brian Stann in 2007 which became the first loss of his career. After a couple of wins he fought Stann again in 2008 and won the WEC Light Heavyweight championship. When UFC bought the WEC, Cantwell’s record was an impressive 6-ı. In his UFC debut, Cantwell showed his dominance by submitting his opponent 4 minutes into the first round.
Photos of the Green Life Productions facility located in Pahrump.
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Steve “The Robot” Cantwell and his wife, Kouanin, pictured after his WEC Light Heavyweight win.
Following Cantwell’s UFC debut he never won another fight but was also never knocked out. All of his fights in the UFC went the distance. But without a win, the UFC dropped him and he retired from MMA in 20ı2. “My body was breaking down. I got started at a really young age and the injuries kept stacking up. They say MMA fighters peak in their early 30s, and I turned pro as soon as I was ı8…so I figured if I was ever going to fight in my prime, I should probably retire so that way I would have the option of coming back when I reach my physical maturity,” said 29-year-old Cantwell. FROM THE RING TO THE FIELD The former WEC champion decided to go down a path different than most retired MMA fighters. He decided to try his hand at farming, but never one to follow the typical route, he decided to grow cannabis. Cantwell, who had grown up around a garden and always believed he had a green thumb, was familiar with cannabis because he preferred to medicate with it when he had injuries rather than pain pills prescribed by doctors. Although Cantwell preferred cannabis to aid in the healing process, he never failed a drug test while he fought professionally. “I didn’t want to fail a drug test,” explained Cantwell of stopping the use of cannabis when training for a fight. “When you are a professional athlete, you say you’re not going to use cannabis because it’s illegal. It wasn’t worth the risk of getting in trouble for it, no matter how much I enjoyed doing it, no matter how much I can benefit from it, it’s not worth it so I would always quit for that reason. Health issues are another reason I would stop smoking it, I would always like to give my lungs a break and just try to get my wind back for fighting.” Nye County had all the necessities for Cantwell to pursue his new endeavor. “Pahrump was really a small farming town... it was something I really enjoyed
and fell hand-in-hand with cannabis. I remember the first time I saw cannabis growing as a plant, I just found it fascinating, like, ‘Oh my God, it’s just a plant like all of the other ones we grow but everybody likes it much more,’ it was just kind of cool.” In 20ı0, Cantwell applied for his Nevada medical marijuana card so he could start growing his own plants. He bought a bunch of books about growing cannabis, including some of DJ Short’s, who is considered America’s preeminent breeder, and started to grow. “I have really high standards and found it hard to find quality meds. And then when you did find them, they were ten times more expensive than everything else, so it was hard to find them and expensive to get ahold of them. So I got my card and learned how to grow, I got ı00 percent legal. I started cultivating cannabis the best I could and kept pursuing better styles,” revealed Cantwell. WHEN A PLAN COMES TOGETHER Growing cannabis came very naturally to Cantwell and it was something he developed a passion for so he decided, with the passing of legislation in 20ı3 that allowed for the issuance of cultivation, dispensary, production, and laboratory licenses, to pursue something on a larger scale. Cantwell believed obtaining a production license was worth a try so he and his wife, Kouanin Villa, started looking for partners and investors in the Las Vegas area. Cantwell didn’t find that any of the potential partnerships available in Clark County or the city of Las Vegas were the right fit so he decided to return to his roots. Having grown up in Pahrump, Cantwell decided to seek out a partnership in the tiny town because he had success there when he was looking for sponsors to launch his MMA career. As luck would have it, he ran into Mike Floyd, who was, in fact, his first MMA sponsor. “The lumber yard where we started Green Life Productions is owned by my
first sponsor who helped me move from Pahrump to Las Vegas to pursue my MMA career and it’s where I received my first check from him so it’s kind of cool to go full circle back home,” explained Cantwell. Fortune continued to smile on Cantwell. Floyd had already been putting together a group and so Cantwell and his wife joined forces with him and his partners to pursue their vision which became Green Life Productions. All the pieces quickly fell together in a most serendipitous way. Floyd owned a former Ace Hardware facility with a six-foot fence around it which was a perfect spot for a cultivation facility. And Floyd also had a construction company which did the build-out allowing them to keep costs down. Villa focused on getting their cultivation license from the state.
february | elevatenv.com 21
While other potential medicinal marijuana establishments were spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on hiring specialists and lawyers to complete the application process, which consisted of several six-inch binders, Villa, who has a background in banking, decided to do it herself. “I started calling the state and figured out they were there to help. I would call the state five times, sometimes six times a day. I felt very overwhelmed but with Steve’s passion and with everyone saying you could do it that pretty much pushed me to get everything done,” said Villa, who guided Green Life Productions to a ranking of 48th out of more than 500 applications submitted to the state. DOING THE RIGHT THING (EVEN WHEN NOBODY IS WATCHING) One of the mottos Cantwell has lived by, in both life and throughout his MMA career, was the dedication to do what is
right even when no one is looking. He chose to apply that same philosophy to his growing methods. “It’s what we put into our plants, it’s really easy, when no one is looking, to pour a fertilizer that makes them more purple and ten times bigger. It is really easy to spray a pesticide, herbicide or an insecticide on there that guarantees me no issues,” Cantwell explained of his decision not to use pesticides during his growing process. “At the same time it’s going to cause problems for the medical marijuana patients. So when no one is looking we still continue to do what’s right.” Currently Green Life is cultivating and supplying several dispensaries with their products including Inyo Fine Cannabis, Oasis Medical, Las Vegas Releaf, and Sahara Wellness. “We opened up with about 24 different strains but some of them are not around today, a lot of them didn’t make the cut for production…after seeing the demand
and keeping our finger on the pulse of what patients wanted and what they need, we have limited our original 24 to about ı2 strains now.” The growing style Cantwell uses to nurture Green Life’s product is unique. “The way we grow is different from 99 out of ı00 facilities -- not just here in Nevada but throughout the industry in general. The cornerstone of our cultivation facility is our no-till living organic soil that utilizes the soil food web. What this means is we don’t feed our plants, we actually grow soil organically…rather than feeding the plant, we feed our soil and our soil, in turn, feeds the plant.” Speaking with Cantwell you can tell there is something else unique about the way he grows. “We put a lot of hands-on love on our plants, we interact with the plants, everything is done by hand, and we don’t push buttons and walk away. Everything we do, we do intentionally to love on our plants.”
COME IN FOR
NEVADA’S BEST MEDICAL MARIJUANA NOW OFFERING DELIVERY FOR NEVADA PATIENTS!
Visit www.inyolasvegas.com for product updates and specials. 2520 South Maryland Parkway #2, Las Vegas, NV 89109 // (702) 707-8888 // In the Smith’s shopping center Sahara and Maryland Pkwy.
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LEGALEASE A lot of Nevadans have been looking forward to the creation of job opportunities provided by the newly-opened commercial cannabis industry. Many people interested in these opportunities have been patients, activists and advocates in the industry for many years. Unfortunately, some of the most dedicated supporters of cannabis reform have a criminal history that may preclude them from working in the very industry they advocated to create. Nevada law is crystal clear, all persons working in the Nevada cannabis industry, whether an owner, officer, board member, employee or volunteer, must undergo a thorough criminal
background check prior to beginning employment at a medical marijuana establishment (MME). NRS 453A.322 prohibits persons who have been convicted of an “excluded felony offense” from working in a medical marijuana establishment. NRS 453A.ı04 defines an excluded felony offense as a “crime of violence” or a violation of state or federal law pertaining to controlled substances, if the law was punishable as a felony in the jurisdiction where the person was convicted. NRS 453A.053 defines a crime of violence as any felony involving: ı) the use or threatened use of force or violence against the person or property of
The facts about felonies and working in the cannabis industry By Derek J. Connor, Esquire
another; or 2) for which there is a substantial risk that force or violence may be used against the person or property or another in the commission of the felony. Excluded felony offense does not include offenses for which the sentence, including all periods of incarceration or supervised release, was completed more than ten years before; or an offense involving conduct that would be immune from prosecution or penalty pursuant to NRS 453A.320 to NRS 453A.370 except that the conduct occurred before April ı, 20ı4 or was prosecuted by an authority other than the State of Nevada.
Based on the foregoing, any person who has been convicted of a felony crime of violence or a crime involving drugs (including cannabis) that could have been charged as a felony will be prohibited from working in the cannabis industry unless a few exceptions apply, including; ı) the sentence was completed more than ten years ago; or 2) the activities causing the conviction would have been permissible under Nevada’s current MME laws. These exceptions can be fairly convoluted and subject to some interpretation. If you have any questions regarding your eligibility to work in the cannabis industry, you should consult with a qualified Nevada attorney.
Patient Primer: THE THIRST IS REAL Medical Cannabis Patients Are Hungry For Nevada’s Edible Market To Take Off
Cannabis users have developed quite an appetite for edibles. The estimated market for cannabis-infused products (CIP) was between $650 and $850 million in 20ı4, with the biggest portion of that tied to edibles specifically, according to data from the Marijuana Business Factbook. Many dispensaries report that edibles account for at least a quarter of their overall sales, though that percentage can be much higher, reported Marijuana Business Magazine in January 20ı5, adding that some recreational stores in Colorado, for instance, say edibles make up nearly 60 percent of their total revenues. Because Nevada is one of the few states to recognize patient cards from the other 23 states that legally recognize medical cannabis, edibles will be especially big business here, too. So why are patients so hungry for cannabis infused products (CIP)? One reason has to do with consumption. CIP offer an alternative to smoking, which is the most common method of cannabis administration. Even though a recent comprehensive review on effects of marijuana smoking on lungs showed that cannabis smoking is not a major risk factor for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and airway cancerı, there are still significant negative connotations with smoking. Cannabis smoke is not by any means equivalent to tobacco smoke in terms of respiratory risk, however, cannabis smoke does contain a
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number of carcinogens, toxic gases, and particulates. Thus, if there is a better method of delivery such as vaporization or infused product, and less of the negative inferences, the better. It is also an alternative for patients who choose not to smoke. Another reason for CIPs popularity with patients is that the effects are usually much longer than with its smoking counterpart; however, the onset is slower. With orally ingested cannabis, THC is metabolized in the liver to ıı-hydroxy-THC, which is more potent and lasts much longer. These longlasting effects are popular with patients who suffer from chronic conditions, such as persistent muscle spasms, seizures, and chronic pain. These products can also be consumed in places where smoking is not allowed, thus making them more appealing to a large number of patients.
MEDICINE FOR EVERY TASTE There are multiple forms that CIP is available to patients. The most common method is the route of administration and absorption by the body. Gastrointestinal absorption, eating CIP, is the most common form of administration. Since CIP has to be broken down in the stomach and absorbed, this can take some time. Thus, the effects of the medicine may not be felt for 45-ı20 minutes after ingestion and can last for several hours. Oral absorption under the tongue (sublingual) or inside of the cheek (buccal) through saliva is another route of administration. This is usually achieved via a spray, lozenges, lollipops, gum, or tinctures (concentrated extract in liquid form). Oral absorption is much faster than gastrointestinal absorption because of the extensive capillary system in the oral cavity, which allows the medicine to enter the venous circulation thus bypassing the degradation in the liver with gastrointestinal absorption (first-pass metabolism). Given their more rapid onset, oral administered medicines also have a shorter duration of action.
Finally, there are the edibles that have a mixture of both oral and gastrointestinal absorption (hybrid). The patients sense a quicker onset with hybrids because of the initial oral absorption, followed later by the gastrointestinal one. Elixirs (sweetened liquid), sodas, and energy shots fall under this category.
EDIBLES
The More You Know
BE LABEL CONSCIOUS A good rule of thumb for patients who have not consumed edibles previously is to start “small and slow.” Labeling is another essential part of edibles. Knowing exactly the concentration of the ingredients, especially THC, will affect how much should be consumed. Nevada has very strict guidelines regarding labeling and independent testing that require laboratories to confirm product composition. Patients should start with a small amount and wait. For gastrointestinal absorption products, this can vary from 45-ı20 minutes. It is always easier to wait and take more later versus taking too much and experiencing side effects. Excessive consumption of edibles can lead to intense hallucinations, anxiety, elevated heart rate, and breathing problems such as hyperventilation. Packaging has become a controversial topic in many states because manufacturers have imitated popular sweets, candy, and chocolate wrappers. Many advocacy groups see this practice replete with potential problems through confusion and potential mishap. Again, in Nevada, state and local municipalities have strict rules on products and packaging. For example, the packaging must be childproof and not resemble widespread candies and sweets that are commonly marketed to children. A new culinary sector is being developed because of CIP. Chefs have entered this burgeoning entrepreneurial market experimenting with cannabis by using it as a flavor to create new dining experiences. Many cookbooks have been published on the topic as well. The health food industry is also getting in the game with companies manufacturing products with low calories, sugar-free, gluten-free, and vegan offerings. As the thirst for CIP continues, with the overall market share for edibles estimated to be between 25-50 percent, depending on the state, according to Marijuana Business Factbook 20ı5, Nevada is predicted to have a hearty edible industry. Dr. Pouya Mohajer is a Diplomate of the American Board of Anesthesiology with a subspecialty in pain medicine, and founder of Nevada Cannabis Medical Association. ı. Tashkin DP. Effects of marijuana smoking on the lung. Ann Am Thorac Soc 20ı3;ı0:239–247.
READ
Read the product dosage.
LITTLE BITE
Start with a small dose.
WAIT
The effect may take more than two hours.
DON’T MIX
It is not safe to mix edibles with alcohol and prescription medication.
OUT OF REACH Keep your edibles out of reach of children and in its original package.
WECAN702.COM february | elevatenv.com 27
ELEVATE YOUR STATE
Medical cannabis updates from across the United States
MICHIGAN: In a 6-ı vote, the Detroit City Council approved an ordinance regulating medical marijuana dispensaries in the city this past December. According to The Detroit News, the ordinance will not only limit the growth of dispensaries in Michigan’s largest city — estimated at about ı50 — but roll back existing ones. The measure creates ı,000-foot buffer zones for dispensaries, which generally wouldn’t be allowed closer than that distance to drug-free zones, other dispensaries, city parks, schools and churches. The ordinance leaves 65ı parcels in the city where dispensaries could legally be located, said Butch Hollowell, corporation counsel for the city. The ordinance will become effective March ı.
CALIFORNIA: Investors can now buy shares in the first publicly traded marijuana dispensary that handles cannabis from cultivation to storefront. According to Forbes, TerraTech, an agriculture company with a focus on cannabis has acquired Black Oak Gallery, known as Blüm Oakland, a retail medical cannabis dispensary located in Oakland, California. TerraTech paid ı.5 x the ı2-month forward revenue, which is expected to be over $ı4 million, making the purchase price approximately $2ı million, Forbes reported on January ı2, with the deal expected to close by March 3ı, 20ı6. TerraTech is a penny stock and is currently traded in the Over-The-Counter market. The stock has tumbled over the past year from a high of 28 cents to a recent ı3 cents. It has a market value of $3ı million as of January ı2, 20ı6, according to the OTC profile page.
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DELAWARE: Marijuana decriminalization legislation adopted in early 20ı5 officially took effect on December ı8, 20ı5 in Delaware, making it the ı9th state in the nation to remove the threat of jail for simple marijuana possession. HB 39 legislates that the possession or private use of one ounce or less of marijuana will no longer trigger criminal penalties or create a criminal record for adults 2ı years of age and older. Instead, it will be a civil violation punishable by a $ı00 fine. Adults between the ages of ı8 and 20 will face the same $ı00 civil fine for their first offense, then an unclassified misdemeanor for subsequent offenses.
NEW HAMPSHIRE: The New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services announced in late December that it will begin issuing the first round of medical marijuana ID cards to patients immediately, allowing patients to purchase medical cannabis in nearby Maine and legally possess it in New Hampshire, according to The Daily Chronic. Previously, the Department had said that they would not issue ID cards to patients until medical marijuana dispensaries were operational in the state, which could happen as early as spring 20ı6. But following a court ruling last month resulting in a terminal cancer patient bring issued the state’s first medical marijuana ID card, the state’s attorney general urged the DHHS to begin issuing ID cards to qualifying patients as soon as possible.
NEW YORK: The state’s first medical marijuana dispensary opened in Manhattan on January 7. The dispensary, run by Columbia Care LLC, opened as part of the launch of the state’s medical marijuana program which resulted from legislation signed in July 20ı4 by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. According to the state’s Department of Health, other dispensaries are set to open in White Plains, Syracuse, Williamsville, Albany, Kingston, Amherst and Liverpool. New York’s dispensaries can sell marijuana only in capsules, liquids or oils—not in smokable or edible form. About ı50 doctors in New York have registered for the program, the health department said, and 5ı people have been certified to be patients.
february | elevatenv.com 29
OPEN FOR BUSINESS OASIS IN THE DESERT FOCUSES ON PATIENT EXPERIENCE “A patient-focused, destination experience,” is how Ben Sillitoe, CEO/ General Manager of Oasis Medical Cannabis, describes the newly opened dispensary located at 1800 Industrial Road. “We are centrally located and that makes us close to many neighborhoods so most people are driving from somewhere to get here,” Sillitoe explains of his use of the word destination. “It also ties to the people visiting Las Vegas because we are a destination. We are somewhere you might find worth while driving 20 minutes to get to.” As for the dispensary’s patient
focus, Sillitoe wants Oasis to be an example of how dispensaries should operate. “We want to help elevate the industry to a higher standard and spread knowledge about the emerging scientific understanding of cannabis.” One step toward that higher standard is the dispensary’s employment of patient consultants rather than budtenders. “We don’t believe the term budtender is positive to promoting the image our industry so desperately needs,” explains Sillitoe. Another patient initiative is the display of test results and terpenes next to every strain. “We try to approach each patient from the standpoint of what they are looking for. We don’t advise on THC content, but, instead, on the desired effects of the conditions they are trying
to treat so we try to match strains to those conditions. “For instance, we found that people who have arthritic pain have really been responsive to a CBD line we carry,” says Sillitoe, noting that Oasis carries everything from CBD tinctures, patches, pills, topicals and sprays to concentrates, vape pens, pre-rolls and flower. “Our goal is to make sure each patient feels like they have an individual experience that makes them feel truly cared for,” explains Silliotoe. “We customize the experience so it suits them. We feel out each patient and give them the experience that they want.” Oasis Medical Cannabis oasismedicalcannabis.com 702.420.2405 1800 Industrial Road Las Vegas, NV 89102
Independent Analytical Testing Laboratory Specializing in Cannabis Testing and Analytics. 844-5-TESTIN | 702-728-5180 | www.dblabslv.com | 4439 S. Polaris Ave., Las Vegas, NV 89103 CH3 OH
H3C
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CH3
OPEN FOR BUSINESS ALTRUISTIC MISSION SHINES THROUGH AT SAHARA WELLNESS With a guiding mission of striving for a healthy balance of mind, body and spirit as related to its patients, Sahara Wellness dispensary has opened, coincidentally enough, at 420 E. Sahara. With the dispensary’s mission in mind, Brenda Gunsallus, general manager/co-owner of Sahara Wellness, remarked, “We are going to want to spend some time with our patients. We would like to get to know all of our patients, help them with their needs, find out about their conditions, and serve them. We are committed to that.” Sahara Wellness is also committed to high quality products that range from high CBD and high THC strains
to CBD lotions, topicals, and edibles. “We will be carrying a variety of quality products to treat various illnesses and conditions,” Gunsallus enthused about the product being supplied by growers that include Deep Roots Harvest, Green Life Productions and Las Vegas Herbal Growers. “We want to be able to help everybody.” Gunsallus concluded, “We have the compassion to help a lot of people. I know that word is used a lot but that’s why our group got into it. We are committed to the patients and the community and their needs.” Sahara Wellness www.420sahara.com 702.478.5533 420 E. Sahara Las Vegas, NV 89104
NOW SERVING PATIENTS
THE SOURCE DISPENSARY, located at 2550 S. Rainbow Blvd., opened its doors to patients in December. Menu available at thesourcenv.com.
NEVADA MEDICAL MARIJUANA
dispensary has two locations open. One is in Henderson at 3195 St. Rose Parkway and the other is in Laughlin at 1975 S. Casino Drive. Visit nevadamedicalmarijuana.com.
THRIVE CANNABIS MARKETPLACE
opened its 2755 W. Cheyenne Ave location located in North Las Vegas in January and plans to open its 1112 S. Commerce Street location this month. For more information, visit www.thrivenevada.com. CANNACOPIA, located at 6332 S. Rainbow Blvd., opened in late January. Visit cannapcopialv.com for hours and products.
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Kyle Canyon Road
157
State Park Aliante Pkwy
Racel St N Tenaya Way
Mt. Charleston
Elkhorn Rd
Centennial Pkwy
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Las Vegas Motor Speedway
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N Pecos Rd
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DISPENSARY MAP - A Patients’ Guide to Medical Cannabis in Southern Nevada
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4. Inyo Fine Cannabis Dispensary inyolasvegas.com 702.707.8888 2520 South Maryland Parkway, #2, 89ı09 5. Oasis Medical oasismedicalcannabis.com 702.420.2405 ı800 Industrial Rd., Suite ı80, 89ı02
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1. The Apothecary Shoppe theapothecaryshoppe.com 702.740.4372 4240 W. Flamingo Road, 89ı03 2. CannaCopia cannacopialv.com 702.487.6776 6332 S Rainbow, Suite ı05, 89ıı8 3. Euphoria Wellness euphoriawellnessnv.com 702.960.7200 7780 South Jones Blvd, 89ı39
Henderson
215
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N Racetrack Rd
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Windmill Pkwy Wigwam Pkwy
Gibson Rd
Blue Diamond Rd
Bermuda Rd
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N Stephanie St
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Lake Las Vegas
W Warm Springs Rd
3
S Decatur Blvd
S Jones Blvd
160
S Rainbow Blvd
Ft Apache Rd
OPENING SOON
McCarran Int. Airport
Lewis Family Park
S Nellis Blvd
Sunset Rd
E Flamingo Rd
UNLV
S Pecos Rd
Russell Rd
9
S Eastern Ave
Tropicana Ave
Las Vegas Blvd
W Flamingo Rd
6 11 4 E St Louis Ave Maryland Pkwy
1
Stewart Ave Charleston Blvd
147
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Durango Spring Valley School 2 Park
E Lake Mead Blvd
E Owens Ave
14b
Valley View Blvd
S Buffalo Dr
Hualapai Way
S DurangoDr
Town Center Dr
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Shadow Rock Park N Hollywood Blvd
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W Sahara Ave W Desert Inn Rd
Nellis AFB
E Bonanza Rd
95 Charleston Blvd
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N Nellis Blvd
Las Vegas
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N Pecos Rd
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Carey Ave
W Lake Mead Blvd
Camino Al Norte/MLK
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Vegas Dr W Washington Ave
Losee Rd
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W Cheyenne Ave
Allen Ln
N Buffalo Dr
W Alexander Rd
N Decatur Blvd Dr ho nc Ra
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W Ann Rd
Laughlin
Please call the dispensary before you visit to confirm they are open.
93 95
6. Las Vegas ReLeaf lasvegasreleaf.com 702.209.2400 2242 Paradise Road, 89ı04 7. The Green House OPENING SOON thegreenhouselv.com 702.420.730ı 6540 Blue Diamond Road, 89ı39
8 a/b. Nevada Medical Marijuana 9. NevadaPure 10. Nevada Wellness Center 11. Sahara Wellness 12. ShowGrow 13. The Source 14 a/b. Thrive Cannabis Marketplace A. Getting Legal
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february | elevatenv.com 33
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industry connect | elevatenv.com | february
6631 Schuster Street, Las Vegas, NV. 89118 702.682.7203 Tara@nvcannlabs.com
LAS VEGAS MEDICAL MARIJUANA ASSOCIATION lvmma.org (702) 499.3291 info@lvmma.com
highland-med.com
PROFILE
Highland Medical introduces first high-CBD strain to Nevada patients
Highland Medical will be the first grower in Nevada to bring a 1:1 CBD/THC strain to the medical cannabis marketplace. Starting this month, Highland Medical’s Highland Heterotic, which has an approximate ratio of 6%:6% CBD to THC, will be available in Las Vegas dispensaries. This is a major development for patients in Southern Nevada because most of the cannabis strains carried by local dispensaries are THC dominant. Studies have shown CBD, which is a cannabinoid compound that has significant medical benefits, shows great promise, with medical advancements that include antitumor effects such as induced programmed cell death in breast cancer cells and exerting a chemo-preventive effect on colon cancer in a mouse model. But more commonly, patients use it for pain relief, appetite stimulation, and for improved quality of sleep, relaxation and seizures. “The medical marijuana testing services of G3 Labs has validated the data of Highland Heterotic which indicates a very promising potency profile with lower THCa and higher CBD levels,” explained Dr. Chaohsiung Tung, Laboratory Scientific Director for G3 Labs. “Very few strains with such a potency profile exist in the current Nevada cannabis industry.”
Highland Medical was able to achieve a high-CBD level in its signature strain by using a hybridization process called heterosis, which is the tendency of a crossbred plant to show qualities superior to both parents.
on quality management, using only the best products available and cultivation methods that classify us as a boutique,” explained Ginocchi.
“We developed the strain ourselves. It took a lot of work and the use of the heterotic effect,” said Rick Turner, master grower for Highland Medical, who started developing the strain in 2010. “It’s not just the genetics, it’s also correctly hybridizing the plant by using the heterotic effect of the plants combined.”
“Highland Medical is paying extra care to ensure the plants are growing in a nurturing environment. To ensure a sound and safe cultivation practice, the environmental services of G3 Labs has been continuously monitoring and testing various samples, such as air, water, planting media, fertilizers, and pest management material from the Highland Medical cultivation facility,” said Dr. Tung.
In addition to Turner’s use of heterosis to develop medical strains, he and his partner Rich Ginocchi, CEO/President of Highland Medical, are also taking the lead in the industry with regard to cultivating a medical grade growing environment.
Highland Medical’s niche is truly medical as evidenced by both their breeding process and grow environment. “We have developed this strain with these truly medical properties for the benefit of the medical marijuana patient,” concluded Turner.
“We have partnered with G3 Labs to test our soil, plants and our environment every few weeks not by state requirements, but by our own requirements just for quality sake. We are not your typical commercial grow. The size of our operation and the limited number of high-CBD strains that we developed allows us to focus
february | industry connect | elevatenv.com 35
Elevating the Conversation with John Sullivan
J
ohn Sullivan, CEO of Integrated Compliance Solutions, is essentially an ambassador to the traditional banking world. With over 25 years’ experience in banking that included executive positions ranging from president/ CEO to chairman of the board, he educates banks about how they can be in legal compliance with federal regulatory agencies in order to do business with the nascent medical marijuana industry. Of the industry, which he joined on a full-time basis a year ago, Sullivan says he is “driven by challenges and this has been a huge challenge.” WHAT HAVE BEEN YOUR BIGGEST CHALLENGES WITH GETTING THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA INDUSTRY BANKED?
The biggest challenge I have had is getting a financial institution and its board of directors to thoroughly evaluate the risks and benefits of providing services to the marijuana industry. Most banks, when you mention it, the first thing they say is no, they don’t want to hear about it because marijuana is federally illegal. However, the U.S. Departments of Treasury (FinCEN) and Justice (DoJ) have advised financial institutions that they would rather have the industry banked and monitored, and have issued guidance to banks on how to properly implement banking services. It is worth noting that the
36
federal bank regulatory agencies have formally adopted the guidance issued by FinCen on providing banking services and, therefore, are unlikely to object to a bank offering services as long as the bank implements an acceptable compliance program and as along as the bank is in good condition otherwise. But that new federal guidance is an enforcement policy position as opposed to a change of law, which only Congress can implement. This is why banks are fearful. OVER THE LAST YEAR, HAVE THERE BEEN ANY HAPPY SURPRISES THAT YOU DIDN’T FORESEE?
Yes, I’ve met bankers who understand the need for medical marijuana as well as the need to provide services to the industry out of public safety. These bankers have been open-minded and have evaluated the matters very closely and have even met with the bank regulatory agencies as a part of their decision to provide banking services to the industry. These bankers have worked closely with the bank regulatory agencies in these efforts. After all, the bank regulatory agencies are truly interested in seeing that a bank provide services to the industry, but only in a fully compliant manner. WHAT IS THE STATUS OF THE MARIJUANA BUSINESSES ACCESS TO BANKING ACT OF 2015 (H.R.2076) INTRODUCED LAST APRIL?
This proposed legislation is intended to provide a safe harbor for banks and is nearly identical to the Senate proposed legislation referred to as the CARERS Act of 2015, which among other things, requires that banks strictly follow the FinCEN and DoJ guidance. Unfortunately, these bills have
industry connect | elevatenv.com | february
remained bottled up in committees since they were proposed. Congress simply needs to act in the interests of their citizens, who overwhelmingly approve of medical marijuana. The failure of Congress to act to provide protection to banks is in direct conflict with the ongoing initiatives of the U.S. Departments of Treasury and Justice, and 23 state governments who want the industry banked. WHAT KIND OF BANKING DEVELOPMENTS DO YOU PREDICT FOR THE INDUSTRY IN 2016?
I think there will be some marginal improvement in the banks providing services, and these will typically be smaller community banks. They will step in to the gray space and they will rely on the guidance issued by the Department of Treasury and Justice and the fact that all of the federal bank regulatory agencies have adopted this guidance. Until Congress acts, I don’t expect a lot of banks to provide services. HOW CLOSE IS THE MEDICAL MARIJUANA INDUSTRY TO HAVING TRADITIONAL BANKING SERVICES?
It is in the hands of Congress and I personally don’t believe we will see any movement until after the 2016 election. After the election, I am hopeful that those bills that have been languishing in Congress for years will result in a safe harbor for banks. I don’t think Congress can continue to be unresponsive to the will of the people in so many states, including California, New York, Florida, to mention the largest states, all of whom have legalized medical cannabis. To read our entire interview with John Sullivan, please visit elevatenv.com/ Elevating_the_Conversation