MAY 2017
A LABOR of LOVE
Mothers look to cannabis for hope, healing and health
Should you use cannabis when you are pregnant? Opioids vs. Cannabis
Your medication isn't all about THC
So which terpenes work for your needs? Find out with a 4-gram sampler from Reef!
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from the editor Publisher Guy Bertuzzi, guy@elevatenv.com
Editor-In-Chief Beth Schwartz, beth@elevatenv.com
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Contributing Writers: Justin Alexander, Amanda Connor, JeffThe420Chef, Dr. Scott Jacobson, Dr. Pouya Mohajer
Media Consultant: Mark Damkroeger, mark@elevatenv.com Amanda Reilly, amanda@elevatenv.com
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Digital Services Austin Grantham, austin.grantham@finetheagency.com Peter Chen, peter.chen@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. To subscribe to elevate nevada, visit elevatenv.com/subscribe/. 7120 Rafael Ridge Way, Las Vegas, NV 89119 Phone: 702.737.8464 | Email: info@elevatenv.com
ElevateNV
ElevateNevada
The 79th Legislative Session of the Nevada State Legislature is in the final stretch. This year’s session ends June 5th. With that date about a month away, key deadlines for legislation to keep moving are looming. April 14th was the first major deadline for proposed legislation to make it out of committee with a hearing, committee vote or exemption from the legislative deadline. A lot of cannabis bills with serious implications for patients and the industry sailed through the April 14 committee deadline on their way to critical deadlines of April 25th (first house passage) and May 19th (committee passage in second house). To follow is a list of Senatesponsored legislative proposals related to cannabis that made it through and will move forward: SB 236: Allows local governments to permit marijuana lounges and other marijuana consumption licenses for special events. SB 302: Provides an Early Start for recreational marijuana sales. SB 329: Among other things, includes a Patient Bill of Rights SB 341: Lets Nevada’s universities research the effects of cannabis. SB 344: Places limits on edible marijuana products, including setting a 10-milligram THC per-serving limit as well as prohibit companies from making, selling or using any advertising that would appeal to children such as mascots, cartoon characters, toys, etc. SB 374: Prevents professional licensing boards, such as for barbers or masseuses, from disciplining members who use marijuana. Also adds opioid addiction to the list of conditions that
would qualify a person for a medical marijuana card. SB 396: Authorizes the growing and production of industrial hemp. SB 416: Authorizes the formation of apprenticeship programs for medical marijuana establishment agents. Two Assembly bills have made it out of committee, but are critical to the continued success of Nevada’s burgeoning medical marijuana program. AB422: Transfers the medical marijuana program to the Department of Taxation; removes patient card application process and allows patients to use a recommendation only; removes requirement to track patient purchases (reduces purchase limit to one ounce similar to adult-use to accommodate lack of tracking); allows physicians to issue recommendations valid for one or two years; eliminates the fee for patient cards; allows potential employees to apply directly to the State to obtain registered agent card and allows them to work while card is pending. AB463: Adds 15 percent tax to medical at wholesale which is necessary so that establishments won't need to designate products as medical or recreational and won't need to keep them separate as in Colorado. Caps local gross revenue tax at 5 percent (currently varies from 0 to 9 percent). Should you feel strongly about any of these bills and want to your voice to be heard as part of the legislative process, get in touch with your state legislator. You can find their contact info at mapserve1.leg. state.nv.us/whoru/. With an open mind,
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CONTENTS
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14
18
21
30
8
16
30
Dispensary Spotlight
HEALING: The Power of Cannabis
Opioids vs. Cannabis
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32
PATIENT PRIMER: The Perils of Pregnancy and Pot
Dispensary Map
Reef Dispensaries
10 By Popular Demand
The highs and lows of patient desire for THC-dominant strains
14 Cooking with Cannabis Hazy Thai Wings
Mother finds faith in God and CBD oil to treat daughter’s Aicardi Syndrome
Should you use cannabis when you are pregnant?
21 Saving Sophie
A mother’s love extends beyond finding a cure for her daughter to healing the world
32
Making the case for adding opioid addiction as a qualifier for a medical marijuana card
A patients’ guide to finding medical cannabis in the Las Vegas Valley
36 Elevating the Conversation with Greta Carter
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ELEVATE YOUR STATE
Medical cannabis updates from across the United States
WEST VIRGINIA: West Virginia is on the verge of becoming the 29th state to legalize cannabis for medical purposes. SB 386, titled the West Virginia Medical Cannabis Act, received final approval in the West Virginia Legislature April 6th and is headed to the desk of Governor Jim Justice. He has publicly expressed support for legal access to medical marijuana and is expected to sign the bill into law, making West Virginia the 29th state to adopt an effective medical marijuana law. SB 386 charges the Bureau of Public Health with regulating medical marijuana growers, processors, and dispensaries. Patients with specifically listed qualifying medical conditions will be allowed to use extracts, tinctures, and other preparations of marijuana, but not marijuana in flower or leaf form. This differs from the original version of the bill and the medical marijuana programs in most other states.
NEVADA: On March 6th, Senator Tick Segerblom introduced Senate Bill 236, which would allow social use of cannabis in public places such as lounges, bars, coffee shops, and special events like fairs and concerts. SB 236 would allow local governments to issue permits to businesses and licenses for special events allowing marijuana consumption in designated places. Social use would be monitored locally and would only allow adults aged 21 and over to publically consume marijuana. SB 236 outlines clear regulatory instructions that social use venues cannot exist within 1,000 feet of a school, public park or playground, church, or anywhere that is otherwise viewable from a public place. If passed, SB 236 would become the first state law to address public consumption of marijuana.
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GEORGIA: : On March 30th, the Georgia Senate passed a bill, by a 45-6 vote, that would expand the state's limited medical marijuana law to include people with 15 medical conditions, up from nine currently. The bill now goes to Governor Nathan Deal to sign into law. Unlike many other U.S. states that have medical marijuana laws that allow smokable and edible forms of cannabis to be used by people who have a wide range of conditions, Georgia only allows cannabis oil for a limited number of maladies. The state Senate passed the expansion. The measure was already approved by Georgia's House of Representatives. Georgia's limited medical marijuana law was enacted in 2015.
CONNECTICUT: Newly formed Connecticut Coalition to Regulate Marijuana (CCRM) held a press conference March 7 to rally support for legislation that would regulate and tax marijuana for adult use in Connecticut. The event was held just prior to a committee hearing on H.B. 5314, sponsored by Rep. Melissa Ziobron (R-East Haddam), which directs the Department of Consumer Protection to establish a regulated system of marijuana cultivation and sales for adults 21 years of age and older. It also directs the Department of Revenue Services to create a tax structure that would generate revenue for the state and certain municipalities. Ziobron and the sponsors of three similar proposals — Senate President Pro Tempore Martin Looney (D-New Haven) and Reps. Juan Candelaria (D-New Haven) and Toni Walker (D-New Haven) — are working together to end marijuana prohibition in Connecticut.
Medical Cannabis is Legal Medical Cannabis is Illegal
DELAWARE: At the end of March, Representative Helene Keeley and Senator Margaret Rose Henry introduced HB 110, the Delaware Marijuana Control Act. The bill seeks to legalize and regulate cannabis for adults 21 years of age or older. The marijuana tax revenue would be used to fund education, public health campaigns, and to support re-entry campaigns for ex-offenders, among other programs. An October 2016 poll by the University of Delaware found that 61 percent of state residents favor policy change.
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DISPENSARY SPOTLIGHT Reef Dispensaries 3400 Western Avenue, Las Vegas, NV 89109, 702-475-6520 1366 W Cheyenne Avenue, North Las Vegas, NV 89030, 702-410-8032 195 E Glendale Avenue, Sparks, NV 89431, 775-293-4643 5105 Sun Valley Blvd., Building B, Sun Valley, NV 89433, 775-238-3145
products, Reef strives to assist its clients in achieving the quality of life they deserve, through compassionate customer service and a meticulous cultivation process. Reef’s dedication to first-rate customer service also means they offer free donuts each morning at every store.
MISSION STATEMENT | Setting new standards in cannabis, Reef believes in putting people first. Whether it’s their customers or associates, the team at Reef seeks to inspire hope and enhance every day of life by valuing knowledge, trust, and respect. TOP SELLING STRAIN(S) | Khalifa Kush, Platinum GSC, GG #4, Jupiter OG TOP SELLING CONCENTRATE(S) Khalifa Kush Live Resin, Facewreck Shatter, Cornbread Shatter TOP SELLING EDIBLE(S) | Evergreen Organix chocolate bars and cookies, Trokies TOPICAL(S) | Evergreen Organix Avocado Lemon Grass lotion, Charlotte’s Web Everyday Mint Chocolate infused oil RANGE OF PRODUCTS | Reef Dispensaries offer a wide variety of flower, extract, edible, and topical cannabis products for every price point, as well as a selection of CBD specific items, vape pens, and other accessories. Serving patients with a wide variety of conditions
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and ailments, Reef’s consultants assist patients to find the right product for treating their condition or disease. MEDICINE SOURCE | Reef grows its own product to ensure its patients are consistently getting the highest quality. Most of the Tryke-branded products at its four Nevada locations are grown inhouse at its 165,000-square-foot flagship facility, just off of the Las Vegas Strip. In addition, Reef dispensaries also carry a variety of top quality products curated from third-party vendors. UNIQUE ATTRIBUTE | Operating in multiple states, with locations in Nevada and Arizona, Reef is the exclusive home of Wiz Khalifa’s Khalifa Kush and the Exotikz by Berner family of strains. In addition, the scale and efficiency of the Reef operation allows them to offer eighths starting at $25 so that medicating is an accessible option. CUSTOMER SERVICE PHILOSOPHY Reef’s mantra of putting people first applies to both its employees and customers. Offering a 100 percent satisfaction guarantee on all of its
STAFF EDUCATION | Reef’s highlytrained team of patient consultants is educated about the use, effects, and manufacturing processes for all of its in-house products. In addition to Reef’s team of experts, patients also have the option to subscribe to Reef’s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/c/ reefdispensaries which has instructional videos on how to use certain products. Reef also has a publication on Medium called Tryke Cultivator (https://medium. com/trykecultivator) with regularly updated articles about the cannabis industry. CHARITABLE ENDEAVORS | For Veterans Day 2016, Reef teamed up with Valley Center of Cannabis Therapy to sponsor a group of veterans, to pay their medical patient card fees and give each veteran a free ounce of Tryke Black. In December of 2016, Reef joined with Doctors for Cannabis Reform to raise funds and awareness about the dangers of opioids in the NFL. Snoop Dogg, Ricky Williams, Eugene Munroe, Eben Britton, and Gerome Sapp were on hand to sign autographs and take photos with fans. Additionally, there is always a 10 percent discount for veterans and seniors at Reef. First-time patients that register at any Reef location can get a free eighth of Tryke Black, a gram of top-shelf, or a half-gram of select concentrates with purchase.
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BY POPULAR DEMAND
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THE HIGHS AND LOWS OF PATIENT DESIRE FOR THC-DOMINANT STRAINS By Justin Alexander
etrahydrocannabinol (THC), which is responsible for the euphoric or psychoactive effects in cannabis, is currently very much in demand by Nevada’s medical marijuana patients. For some, it’s because THC gives relief to the severe effects resulting from PTSD and chemotherapy, nausea, neuropathic pain, and HIV/Aids. Other, less educated, cannabis users seek out high THC strains because of the assumption that the more THC there is, the more bang they are getting for their buck. Or, perhaps, consumers have only heard of THC and so aren’t familiar enough with cannabis’ other compounds to ask about the healing effects of cannabidiol (CBD) or terpenes. While THC may be what first attracts patients to cannabis use in newer markets such as Nevada’s, industry experts hope that the other cannabis properties and their benefits will eventually be better understood and considered more carefully by patients. “Hopefully, as Nevada evolves and cannabis users become more educated, they will find increased value in terpenes and other cannabinoids (such as CBD),” says Jeremy Francisco, analytical chemist at Nevada Organic Remedies. Virtue Las Vegas’ lead cultivator David Holmes agrees, very succinctly summing up the nuances of understanding cannabis wholly with the following comparison, “A 30-percent THC strain is about as interesting to a cannabis connoisseur as Everclear is to a seasoned small-batch single-malt Scotch aficionado.”
THE+SOURCE’S KUSH MASTER DISTILLATE THC: 82.8 percent A vape cartridge for patients who want a high dose of medicine, Kush Master Distillate undergoes a process called fractional distillation in an effort to make its hue more appealing. “During the development of the Kush Master distillate, the underlying goal was to remove the dark color present in the strain,” Francisco says. “As with most indica-dominant strains, the CO2 extracted oil tends to have a chocolaty brown appearance. Unfortunately, the stigma surrounding concentrated oil is that a darker color indicates inferior quality, which is not the case. Nonetheless, we decided to use fractional distillation to remove the naturally occurring darker pigment of the strain by filtering out plant matter at a molecular level. As a result, what remains is a highly-concentrated THC value and a beautiful translucent yellow color.” After using the Kush Master, it will be tough to fight off the zzzs, as it produces an almost immediate heavy, drowsy effect with just one puff. A guaranteed good night’s sleep, it also provides management of deep and extreme pain and is recommended daily for experienced users who can withstand a high that is fast-acting and potent.
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Casual users only need to consume a fraction of distillate compared to flower to achieve the same results. “When using distillate for the first time, users should begin with small inhalations and space them appropriately in order to accurately gauge the product’s effect before consuming more,” Francisco advises. In order to prevent paranoia and anxiety, some strains are now being bred with varying ratios of terpenes and cannabinoids to modulate high THC. “Linalool, a very floral smelling terpene, is known to have anti-anxiety and antidepressant properties and Kush Master counteracts the effects of anxiety and paranoia because of its considerable linalool and diverse cannabinoid content,” reports Francisco.
stay lifted @thrivenevada
KABUNKY’S GORILLA GLUE THC: 24.14 percent An indicadominant hybrid with a high THC level that glues you into whatever you need to do, Gorilla Glue, with buds that are thick and pillowy resembling clouds of moss with an earthy smell to match, helps with loss of appetite and shreds through pain and insomnia. It is a super relaxing high with strong body effects and is a great companion for binge-watching a favorite television program. Expect to drift in and out. One of the new classics, Gorilla Glue’s earthy flavor is a must-try for those who love Diesel strains. “There are a variety of benefits from high THC products, I believe one of the best values, however, is the fact that you do not need nearly as much medication to receive those benefits,” says Kabunky’s Chris DeGraff.
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POLARIS WELLNESS CENTER’S HEAD CHEESE THC ranges from 27 to 33 percent Master Grower Peter Ishak spent seven years focused on creating the perfect hybrid with super intensity. The product of that passion is Head Cheese. This high-THC strain offers functional daytime pain relief and conversely, in the evening, acts as a sleep aide, submerging
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you into a deep REM sleep due to its high levels of myrcene. Ishak has seen both cancer patients and veterans seeking high pain relief receive tremendous benefits from this strain. “We can manipulate any cannabis plant to deliver either indicahybrid or sativa effects,” he says. “It really depends on the patient’s physiology and how they receive [it].” As for THCdominant products, Ishak says, “The strains in high demand have the highest THC—premium strains that patients [that are] functional and use as a sleeping aide if required. I know of only two strains in the Nevada market that patients are able to manage and control [their state as they see fit]and Head Cheese is one of them.”
PINEAPPLE EXPRESS BAKKED PURE CO2 DISTILLATE THC: 89.44 percent To meet the demand of Nevada's patients for high THC products, OrganaBrands responded by developing a distillate— photo by one of the newest and Josh Williams most exciting forms of concentrates on the market—with superb taste and effect. “The great thing about distillates is they are not only high in THC, but should also have a wide range of cannabinoids and terpenes that contribute to the overall medicinal value,” says Margaux Hansberry of Bakked. “You need less of a distillate to reach the desired effect and they are extremely versatile. You will truly feel the genetic potential of each strain in its highest concentrated form.” The new “cannaisseur,” Hansberry notes, is someone who is educated and understands “what cannabinoid and terpene profile works best for what they are trying to treat. Some enjoy the presence of a terpene called caryophyllene to buffer the nervous head-high associated with high THC products. Sometimes, a nice puff of CBD will help curb those anxious or paranoid thoughts. Other people tend to stick to indica-dominant strains, staying away from terpenes like pinene and limonene which may cause anxious feelings. We've really honed in on hitting high myrcene levels which is most effective for pain relief and helps increase the maximum saturation level of the endocannabinoid system’s CB1 receptors.” A sativa, Pineapple Express offers a knockout combination of both flavor and potency with terpene and cannabinoid profiles creating a surprising complexity that relaxes you in the best way possible.
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MEDIZIN’S BANANA OG THC: 29.8 percent With the distinct buttery aroma of banana nut, Medizin’s Banana OG minimizes stress from the very moment the jar is cracked open. Muscles melt and hunger begins, all while fighting off sleep, and, in some cases, a bit of dry mouth. After a hit of the indica-dominant strain, find yourself slipping into a relaxed, happy, and hungry state. But all of these effects aren’t just because of a high quantity of THC. “More THC=better could not be further from the truth,” says Chris Wren, Medizin vice president and cultivator. “As the market matures, the consumer base will begin to realize that it’s not just about that total potential THC number, and more about the overall quality of the cannabis. The magic of the plant is the combination of all cannabinoids, terpenes and non-terpene biomolecules. Yes, of course, a 99 percent pure THC distillate will be potent, but it may not alleviate your insomnia as well as a 20-percent THC flower with two-percent myrcene.” He points out a common THC misconception about paranoia. “High THC does not necessarily equate to paranoia,” Wren says. “This misconception is derived from the clinical trials where pure THC was compared to THC+ other cannabinoids and terpenes. It is the THC by itself, isolated and alone, that was causing the paranoia. It is all about the total milligram intake of THC and entourage effect.”
KYND PURE CRITICAL KUSH THC level: 78.3 percent As pure as its name suggests, Critical Kush isn’t mixed or cut with any other ingredients. It’s pure CO2 oil with a full-bodied terpene profile from pure plant extract. When using Kynd Pure expect a relaxed, deep euphoria and an uplifted happiness. It definitely perks up the day and doesn’t let you languish in the gray zone. Recommended for experienced cannabis users, the high THC does amplify the effects, helping guard against depression, insomnia, stress, pain and nausea. “There is evidence to suggest that products high in THC can help with conditions such as asthma, seizures, and tics associated with Tourette syndrome,” according to Dr. Sean Devlin, who works with Kynd, and notes other benefits include treating and minimizing nausea, vomiting, muscle spasms, pain and insomnia, as well as stimulating appetite.
CANNABIOTIX WIFI OG THC: 32 to 34 percent, Delta-9THC: 32 percent, THC-A: 35.9 percent When developing WiFi OG, also known as White Fire, Cannabiotix was aiming for a winner in both strength and quality. “Our underlying goal is to produce one of the strongest most knockout, gassy, spewy indicas possible,” relays Head Cultivator Cory Calcagno. “Seen as a traditionally finicky and more sensitive strain, we pay extra careful attention to our OG in the vegetative and flowering cycle to make sure we can get those polished off, diamond golf ball looking gems upon final harvest.” Look for the WiFi to pack a major couch melt sensation. Definitely great for those suffering from insomnia or chronic pain, WiFi is a potent strain, packed with THC to counteract severe ailments.
VIRTUE OG BY VIRTUE LAS VEGAS THC: 26.37 percent Full of OGrich terpenes, experienced users will delight in Virtue OG as it can be described as inducing full relaxation mode. “OG varieties in general are very fast acting and good for many ailments specifically insomnia,” says David Holmes, Virtue Las Vegas’ lead cultivator. But, he notes, effects really vary between individuals. “Every user has a unique but related endocannabinoid system that reacts to cannabinoids and terpenes differently.” Holmes also emphasizes the importance of production and breeding to maximize terpenes as well as the entourage effect of the whole plant, something that Nevada consumers will come to understand as their palates and knowledge develops. Holmes draws an important comparison to liquor distillation, concluding with an apt analogy, “A 30-percent THC strain is about as interesting to a cannabis connoisseur as Everclear is to a seasoned small-batch single-malt Scotch aficionado.”
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Cooking Cannabis HAZY THAI WINGS
WITH JEFFTHE420CHEF PHOTO BY LEELA CYD
Dubbed the Julia Child of weed by the Daily Beast and the Ganja Gourmet by Newsweek, JeffThe420Chef is known for inventing the process which neutralizes the herbaceous taste of cannabis in edibles and is a pioneer of "layered micro-dosing.” Jeff first started cooking and baking with cannabis for a friend’s mother who was ill with cancer. Passionate in the belief that cannabis is a gateway to a better quality of life, Jeff teaches individuals how to create handcrafted, strain-specific light tasting and tasteless cannabutters and canna-oils. Jeff has authored a new cookbook “The 420 Gourmet: The Elevated Art of Cannabis Cuisine” specifically created to achieve health and wellness goals and teach people how to dose edibles properly. Calling his Hazy Thai Wings an ode to Pok Pok, Jeff said, “the first time I had authentic Thai wings was at Pok Pok Noi in Portland while visiting chef Adrian Hale of Communal Table. I fell in love! All I could think about for days was how to recreate these awesome wings with one (or two) added ingredients. Now I am sharing it with everyone. You’ll never look at wings the same way again, guaranteed!”
INGREDIENTS: (SERVES 6) ½ cup raw cane sugar ½ cup Asian fish sauce 3 Tablespoons ketchup 1 ½ Tablespoons chili garlic sauce (Sambal sauce) 1 Tablespoon fresh lime juice 1 teaspoon rice vinegar 1 cup cornstarch 1 teaspoon garlic powder 2 pounds chicken wings, rinsed and patted dry Extra Virgin coconut oil ½ cup canna-coconut oil 4 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped toasted peanuts and garlic (see sidebar)
DIRECTIONS: Place sugar in a food processor and grind until very fine. In a medium bowl, add fish sauce, ketchup, sugar, chili garlic sauce, lime juice and rice vinegar. Set aside.
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In a shallow dish, sift cornstarch and garlic powder. Toss the wings in the cornstarch mixture to coat. Heat a large skillet on the stovetop for 1 minute on high. Add enough coconut oil to fry -- about 2” from the bottom of the pan. Fry the wings until golden brown. Remove with slotted spoon and drain on brown paper. Preheat oven to 340ºF. Place fried wings on a lightly greased baking sheet and drizzle each wing with 1 teaspoon of cannaoil. Bake for 7-8 minutes. In a clean skillet, add the sauce. Heat on medium until syrupy, about 5 minutes. Remove wings from oven and toss with the sauce until evenly coated. Toss in toasted peanuts and garlic. Garnish with cilantro and serve alongside a cup of carrot sticks and celery curls.
TOASTED PEANUTS AND GARLIC: ¼ cup raw peanuts, crushed 4 cloves garlic, chopped 1 teaspoon coconut oil In a small bowl, mix peanuts and garlic with coconut oil and a dash of salt. Spread evenly on a small pan and roast at 325ºF for 30 minutes until toasted and browned. Remove and let cool. Celery Curls: Cut celery into six-inch pieces, slice in half lengthwise, make lengthwise cuts almost to center and repeat to create slivers. Refrigerate in ice water until slivers curl and voilá! Approximate dose per serving* 10%: 10mg 15%: 15mg
20%: 20mg
Note: *Approximate dose per serving is basen using 5 grams of cured/ dried/decarbed herb into 5oz. of coconut oil. The 420 Gourmet by JeffThe420Chef. Copyright ©2016 by JeffThe420Chef. Reprinted courtesy of Harper Wave, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers. Please remember when cooking with medicinal cannabis you are cooking with a medicine and the medicine amount 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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HEALING THE POWER OF MEDICINAL CANNABIS
MOTHER FINDS FAITH IN GOD AND CBD OIL
TO TREAT DAUGHTER’S AICARDI SYNDROME
A
A droopy eyelid. That was the first sign that something was wrong with Kristin and Toby Bowker’s three-week-old baby, Bella. “The pediatrician thought it was normal newborn stuff,” explained Kristin. “They found missing tissue in her eyes and told us she would have no vision or low vision. We had genetic testing right afterward and it came back fine and they concluded the eyes were an isolated event.” It wasn’t. At two months old, Bella started having seizures. It took about a month before Bella’s doctors offered a diagnosis of Aicardi Syndrome, which is a rare genetic malformation syndrome characterized by the partial or complete absence of a key structure in the brain called the corpus callosum, the presence of retinal abnormalities, and seizures in the form of infantile spasms. From that point, the Bowkers began a crash course of learning which pharmaceuticals would be best for treating Bella’s condition – from Sabril to ACTH. Then they had to make a decision about whether or not to put their infant on a ketogenic diet, which is a strict low-carb diet, similar to the Atkins diet or LCHF (low carb, high fat).
Bella Bowker, who will be six in June, takes 300 milligrams of CBD cannabis oil a day to stem the seizures and effects of Aicardi Syndrome.
In addition to finding solid research, for the couple to feel comfortable giving their toddler medicinal cannabis, the Bowkers turned to their faith. “God has used a plant he created to do incredible things,” explained Toby Bowker of cannabis. “The research shows that we all have an endocannabinoid system in our bodies that God created for a medicine,” Kristin continued. “So knowing that, for me, it was a very easy decision. The endocannabinoid system helps boost the immune system in our bodies, alleviates pain, and helps to cure us where pharmaceuticals are not always effective.” Even though the Bowkers lived in Nevada where medical cannabis has been legal since 2000, the medical dispensaries weren’t open when they began their search for medical cannabis for Bella. “They were still a year to year-and-a-half out from opening,” recalled Kristin. “So our options were to grow it ourselves because there was no CBD oil in Nevada, get it from California’s So our options were to grow it ourselves because there dispensaries and bring it back, or move to California to get access to it. But was no CBD oil in Nevada, get it from California’s when we started looking into going dispensaries and bring it back, or move to California back and forth we realized we couldn’t be drug traffickers.” to get access to it. But when we started looking into going back and The couple decided moving to forth we realized we couldn’t be drug traffickers." California to access cannabis legally was their best option. That obstacle overcome, the Bowkers still had to maneuver through an “We saw an initial decrease in her seizures in the beginning industry that didn’t understand the value of CBD cannabis oil but she still had seizures every one or two hours,” said quite yet. “We definitely had our challenges finding legitimate Kristin, noting they went on to try approximately six seizure CBD oil,” said Kristin, who would take every bottle they medications. purchased to Oakland for testing since at the time California The Bowkers had never considered cannabis until Bella’s didn’t require cultivators to lab test their cannabis. “Three years vision therapist mentioned Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s CNN “Weed” ago dispensaries would say it was high CBD oil but it would be documentary during an in-home visit. “As soon as she left, I half the milligrams they said it was or there were only residual watched the show. After seeing that, we had to research and amounts – it was all across the board,” offered Kristin. figure out if it would work for our daughter,” explained Kristin.
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Once they found oil with the correct strength, the next hurtle was getting the dose right. “Our doctor held our hand each step of the way and told us about possible interactions when we started her on CBD. We instantly started weaning the pharmaceuticals. Then we started seeing a weird interaction so we were dealing with that,” said Kristin. “In the beginning, it was this weird balancing act, juggling the pharmaceuticals and CBD and watching her for response. Then we added in THC-A and then a little THC because we weren’t seeing enough progress.” But the challenges they encountered were worth it because the Bowkers saw a 75 percent decrease in Bella’s seizures, noting that with Aicardi syndrome it would be rare for her to be completely seizure-free. “For the first time, she slept through the night,” Kristin enthused of the results they saw from cannabis, adding, “She was three years old before she slept through the night and she’s come down from five mediations to just Sabril and Keppra.” Three times a day Bella receives 100 milligrams of CBD through her g-tube. The cost for her CBD oil is $1300 a month but to the Bowkers every drop is worth it. “She will respond to us with sounds or with her eyes now,” Kristin said of Bella who will be six years old in June and has taken cannabis oil for three years. “Bella is awake and alert like she has never been before.”
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Patient Primer: THE PERILS of PREGNANCY AND POT Should you use cannabis when you are pregnant? By Dr. Scott Jacobson, WishingWellnessMedical.com
P
regnancy is a special time in a woman’s life, eliciting feelings that span from one extreme to the other – including everything from feeling that pregnancy glow to having morning sickness to suffering from pregnancy blues. For the 12 percent of women who face challenges such as nausea and depression during pregnancy, finding ways to cope can be a challenge in itself. I tell patients to avoid any nonessential medications during pregnancy. The reason I do this is because for most medications, we really don’t know how they will affect the baby. This includes over-the-counter medications such as cold medicines and ibuprofen and Tylenol, all probably safe, but research is still showing conflicting evidence.
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It is impossible to do a randomized controlled trial on medications used during pregnancy because of the ethical limitations of exposing a fetus to a potentially harmful substance. Most of the research performed is either based on patient reported use or animal studies, both of which are unreliable, at best. The same goes for medical marijuana (MMJ). There is a serious lack of evidence for the safety of MMJ which has led major medical bodies like the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) and the American Medical Association (AMA) to recommend that physicians dissuade patients from using cannabis during pregnancy. Although the evidence is seriously lacking, there is some theoretical basis for the recommendation. Our body’s natural cannabinoids, like Anadamide, activate the endocannabinoid system and play a role in everything
from inflammation and hormones to influencing our brain function. There is also evidence it plays a role in the developing brains of fetuses. It is certainly possible that extra stimulation of the endocannabinoid system by exogenous cannabinoids like THC, could disrupt the normal development of the brain. This has been shown in animal studies, but again those are unreliable for predicting effects in humans. There have been a few studies that attempted to see if there is actually any noticeable difference in children who were exposed to cannabis in utero, using patient reported data. What they found is that ADHD symptoms may be affected in schoolaged children. Longer term studies have shown no difference in IQ, though it has shown some disruption in visuospatial abilities. Many of the differences disappeared as the children got older. There is also evidence that exposure to marijuana showed an increased risk of the baby developing anemia as well as lower birth weights and intensive care stays. What is unclear is that if any of the effects can be attributed to cannabis only. These studies do not account for the possibility that other factors like alcohol, tobacco and other drugs could cause these problems as well as socioeconomic factors such as access to prenatal care, vitamin supplementation and proper nutrition. So if we don’t know what the effects could potentially be, why would we even consider using cannabis during pregnancy? One of the most well studied benefits of cannabis is the treatment and prevention of nausea. Nausea and vomiting occur in 50-90 percent of all early pregnancies. For most
women morning sickness can be annoying, if that is what you call throwing up your breakfast for a few months straight, but tolerable. However, for about three percent of women, morning sickness known as hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), becomes an all-consuming parade to the bathroom for the entirety of their pregnancy and causes dehydration and weight loss that can be harmful to a developing fetus. The standard treatment for HG is medication. The safety studies of these medications only look at the risk of major malformations, which cannabis has also never been shown to be associated with. It is unclear why the standard for what constitutes harmful is different for cannabis and pharmaceuticals. The evidence of fetal harm from cannabis consumption during pregnancy is minimal at best yet the AMA and ACOG still recommend against it. They instead recommend drugs that have never been subjected to any study on the long-term effects on children. There have been observational studies on the effectiveness of cannabis in HG and the effectiveness was overwhelmingly positive. More rigorous research needs to be performed to determine the effectiveness of cannabis. SSRIs are the standard treatment for depression in pregnancy and millions of women use them despite the fact that their utility outside of severe depression is limited. It is not currently recommended to stop using SSRIs during pregnancy because the risk of suicide has been deemed more concerning than the risk of doing harm to the baby. Studies have shown that many anti-depressants do increase the risk of congenital malformations, especially in the heart. Cannabis helps many people with their mood and could be effective in the treatment of depression without the risk of birth defects. Taking any medication during pregnancy is a touchy issue. The fact is we really don’t know much about the longterm effects that most medications have on our children. Most safety studies only look at whether or not babies are healthy at birth and not what the long-term effects might be. Ultimately parents must make the decision for themselves about how much they are suffering and if they are willing to accept the risks of taking a medication that may or may not affect their baby. Cannabis, like all drugs has some risk, right now we don’t know how big that risk is but, by all accounts, it appears to be minimal. As medical cannabis becomes more and more ubiquitous in our culture, we will have more information to work with and perhaps we will have a clearer answer in the near future. Dr. Scott Jacobson of Wishing Wellness Medical is a boardcertified Family Medicine physician focusing on functional medicine––incorporating personalized fitness and nutritional programs along with traditional medical treatments––with practice locations in Henderson and Summerlin.
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Saving Sophie
A MOTHER’S LOVE EXTENDS BEYOND FINDING A CURE FOR HER DAUGHTER TO HEALING THE WORLD by Beth Schwartz
“There’s not a Mother’s Day that goes by that I don’t find myself in tears. I could have lost my child. This could have ended up being a more malignant tumor, she could have died before she was two, her brain surgery could have gone bad, the staph infection she had at one point could have spread to quickly and could have killed her. My child could be feeling around in the dark right now, she could be completely blind, she could have onset puberty, there are so many things that could have happened to my baby,” an emotional Tracy Ryan, 42, recounts with a catch in her voice as she lists off just a few of the medical maladies her four-and-a-halfyear-old daughter, Sophie, has endured. Four-and-a-half-year-old Sophie is pictured with her parents Tracy and Josh Ryan.
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“My whole life all I wanted was to be a mom and I have always wanted a daughter so to be able to have this beautiful child, I mean this kid is just gorgeous, inside and out, who glows and radiates love and who is so healthy and have essentially a somewhat normal life is such a blessing and gift to me,” says Tracy Ryan.
so the Ryans stopped giving her cannabis oil because they thought the tumor was shrinking. But, unfortunately, the tumor hit a very aggressive growth spurt and it was growing toward the back of her brain and putting pressure on her optic nerve causing the nystagmus to start growing again. “After another MRI, the brain surgeon told us Sophie was going to lose her vision, that her left eye would be completely blind and her right eye would be grossly compromised. The best case scenario was to prepare ourselves for full blindness. He told us there was 100 percent chance this would happen because chemotherapy would not shrink her tumor fast enough to release the pressure off of those nerves to save her vision,” recollects Ryan. Sophie’s doctor decided to biopsy her tumor to ensure it wasn’t a more terminal tumor based on how fast it had grown. Ryan asked what the doctor meant by more terminal and “he said if this comes back as a more malignant tumor your child won’t live to see her second birthday. We were devastated, not only were they going to take a huge chunk of her skull off, but we were also now faced with the possibility of teaching our small child Braille and finding a blind school for her.” The Ryans moved forward with the biopsy, of which, doctors took the very smallest piece that pathology would allow because the tumor was wrapped around Sophie’s nerves and brain. Luckily, the news was good and it ended up not being the more aggressive tumor.
SEEING THE LIGHT IT BEGINS Tracy Ryan’s nearly five-year journey of hospitals, doctors and cancer treatments began on June 23, 2013 when an 8-1/2-month-old Sophie was diagnosed with a low-grade, Optic Pathway Glioma brain tumor. The first clue something was amiss had only happened three days earlier when Sophie had an MRI scan after nystagmus, or shaking of the eyeball, presented in her left eye. Sophie’s tumor was diagnosed as slow growing so doctors recommended that Ryan and her husband Josh start their daughter’s treatment with an observational period to watch and wait for two-and-a-half months and see if the tumor stopped growing and even regressed. During that time, “we started her on a very low dose of cannabis, a 2:1 THC to CBD ratio, and we were hoping maybe, just maybe, we would get lucky and she would have no need to do chemo because thinking about putting that kind of toxicity into an eight-an-a-half-month-old is earthshattering for a parent,” recalls Ryan. “We started her very slowly so she didn’t feel any psycho-activity and she never had any negative side effects from the cannabis at all, she was smiley, and happy and hungry.” The nystagmus in Sophie’s left eye started to go away
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Before Sophie started the 13-month regimen of chemotherapy doctors recommended following the observation period, the Ryans opted to titrate up the cannabis oil to a bigger dose. From the very first scan the Ryans saw results. “The doctors were very surprised because they said if we were going to see shrinkage, we shouldn’t expect to see it on the very first scan and we got incredible results on that very first scan and we continued to see incredible results. “Our daughter sees incredibly well. We do believe she may have some color deficiencies because that’s the first thing to go when the nerves are starved but to look at her and watch her interact is to watch a normal child. She may have some slight deficiencies but we can’t tell yet because she is so young but, for all intents and purposes, she sees fantastically and she is nowhere even remotely
close to a child that is blind or even has severe detriment to her vision.” Ryan attributes Sophie’s success in beating back cancer to a combination of cannabis and chemotherapy. “It really is the entourage effect between those two and where we have seen so much synergy. We have always used them together, in concert with one another. The science is not there yet for people not to use Western medicine. Western medicine can work and save lives, it’s the toxicity that you really have to worry about. But if you can keep the patient healthy and eating and thriving, which cannabis does, then their body is so much stronger and so much more capable of fighting cancer.” Although Sophie has taken cannabis oil since she was nine months old, her tumor has recurred twice since the resection on her brain when she was a one-year-old. “We believe there are new mutations in there, we hope that this formulation will be strong enough to work even better and in concert with her existing medications that she is taking for even more profound success,” says Ryan, who adds she has been busy trying to find answers.
THE BIRTH OF CANNAKIDS Tracy Ryan has indeed been very busy, not only finding answers as she navigates her daughter’s road to recovery,
but also sharing what she has learned about cannabis. “It’s a secret I couldn’t keep in good conscience as a parent and continue to let other parents go through these horrifically toxic treatments without letting them know there is an option that could potentially help their child stay healthier.” Ryan decided to share the secret in the best way she knew how. As an owner of a social media and branding agency, her background in marketing made it easy for Ryan to start a California-based advocacy company called CannaKids in March 2014 and get the word out. “I saw a vacuum in that market, I saw there wasn’t enough quality educational guidance or medical professionals,” Ryan relays of cannakids. com. “I believed this was a path I was supposed to be on and felt like I needed to dedicate everything I had in bringing this plant to the people.” Ryan had only two goals when she started CannaKids. The first was to find a cure for her daughter. The second was to conduct pediatric clinical trials. She needed for the second to happen in order to achieve the first. “My daughter is the driving factor in what we are doing with CannaKids -- trying to find her a cure or at least something that can help get her off of these medications. We want to stop her from having anymore bumps in her road,” Ryan explains, continuing, “because we are so focused in helping her, we are doing anything we can to partner with (continued on page 26)
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(continued from page 23) the world’s foremost researchers and hospitals and, in turn, all of these other children and families are benefitting from this because we are not just studying Optic Pathway Gliomas, we are studying all cancers. We are studying all indications when it comes to pain and nausea, migraines and fibromyalgia, autism and epilepsy, and because this one child was sick we are now working toward helping anyone that this medicine can serve.” Although Ryan has her goals in sight, she and Sophie still have some work to do. “We don’t know what the right strain is for Sophie, we don’t know what the right combination of cannabinoids, terpenoids and flavinoids are in order to target those genetic mutations in her tumor to stop them from feeding it but we are getting close,” says Ryan, who took a sample of Sophie’s tumor to Israel in April 2016 so her genetic mutation could be studied. “The research scientist had to do a genome sequence of that tissue to see what mutations existed in that cancer sample. Now they are sourcing those exact same mutations and they will rebuild her cell type in their lab and they will then run it through a machine. They have sequenced over 450 strains of cannabis in Israel and they will run all of these different strains against her tumor sample to find the one that will kill her sample and destroy that cancer. Then they will be able to look at that strain and understand what formulation in that plant is responsible for that cell death and that recipe could be 15 ingredients or less. They will then hand me that recipe and
“What we continued to see and continue to see has been miracle after miracle after miracle,” reflects Tracy Ryan of daughter Sophie.
I will work toward recreating that recipe here in our own lab and we can break the plant apart and reassemble it.” Once the research is finally completed, “We will try this on Sophie and she will be the first human patient in the history of the world, as far as I know, to have a cannabinoid medicine designed especially for the mutations in her brain,” explains Ryan. With the potential of what is possible in reach, Ryan and her team at CK Sciences are in the beginning stages of partnering with one of the top pediatric hospitals in the country to do seven different clinical trials in live humans. “We are in the
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planning stages with one of the top hospitals in the country for peds trials and the goal of these doctors and research scientists is not just to work on these seven indications, but for this to be a starting point for us. Once we show efficacy post-trial, eventually we will find a way for cannabis to work for every single disease in the hospital,” she explains.
GETTING IN THE OIL BUSINESS In addition to trials and scientific research, Ryan also wanted to implement ideas she had for refining medicinal cannabis and its delivery method so in March of 2015 CannaKids rolled out its own line of medicinal cannabis oils. Her team started “by diluting it down with MCT oil, it helps with absorption levels and the cannabinoids because cannabis is fat soluble,” Ryan says of CannaKid’s line of oils and tinctures. “Additionally, our scientists have designed a profile of natural organic all-natural flavoring with a slight taste of bubble gum and grape for our oils.” As for the delivery method CannaKids uses, Ryan says, “It’s so much easier, we just have a little reducer cap in the top of our bottles and you stick a syringe into the center like a Tylenol bottle. You turn the bottle upside down and just pull out the dose you need. You give the dose and they chase it with some sort of fruit juice.” Using cutting edge research from the trials in combination with Ryan’s business savvy, the future of CannaKids has the
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potential to make a huge difference in a lot of lives. “In my opinion, with the trajectory we are on now, we are going to “This isn’t my company, its Sophie’s company and I am just become a building it for her, this is her legacy, her mission, and her brand that’s life that has caused and created this,” explains Tracy Ryan. known for medicine that truly works for specific indications. Our goal is to become the foremost leader in pediatric and adult disease by rolling out a product line based on research that is specific to a patient’s genetic makeup to the mutations in their body.” It can be overwhelming to listen to Ryan as she extends her knowledge -- from trials and genome sequences to fractionated coconut oil and ketogenic diets but remember she, too, was once like any other parent just starting to navigate a child’s new medical diagnosis and treatment.
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“We knew nothing about lab testing, we knew nothing about different profiles, we knew nothing about terpenes, we were clueless beyond clueless. Trying to find information about cannabis was impossible because it just didn’t exist and that’s one of the reasons we started Savingsophie.org,” says Ryan of the foundation she also started. “At savingsophie.org we have this incredible resource center with cannabis studies so you can find a 100 different research articles and papers along with other educational blog pieces that talk about cannabis and what it does, how it treats different diseases and the science behind it. It’s much easier to find information now but it hasn’t always been and we wanted to take that pressure off of families who are looking for answers and are already dealing with so much stress and agony of having a very sick child or loved one.” Nobody knows that utter feeling of helplessness better than Ryan. “If I had a choice and I could go back and do it all over again, I would always choose for Sophie to be healthy. But to have the silver lining we have had and been given so many gifts along the way, I am truly grateful to God and to everyone who has helped us to get here and all the people who came before us and all that they have passed down for there to be research on the medicine that has helped my child. I feel like I am living in a dream most days, I truly do. And it’s one that I am happy to wake up to as long as my kid stays healthy.”
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Opioids vs. Cannabis The case for adding opioid addiction as a qualifier for getting a medical marijuana card By Pouya Mohajer, M.D.
The Nevada State Legislature is currently considering whether or not to add opioid addiction as a qualifier for a patient medical marijuana card. Senate Bill 228, sponsored by Senator Pat Spearman, proposes that physicians be allowed to recommend cannabis use as a treatment for opioid addiction. (Editor’s note: SB 228 was amended into SB 374 and passed out of the Senate Judiciary committee on April 12.) As the bill snakes its way through the two legislative houses over the next several weeks, state lawmakers will need to decide its validity with the big question being: Can medical cannabis help reduce opioid abuse by treating pain and ameliorating adverse symptoms and cravings during withdrawal periods? But first, let’s review where we are with regard to the nation’s opioid crisis. In 2012, over 2.1 million people in the US were addicted to prescription opioid medications while an additional 467,000 people were addicted to heroin.1 In 2015, there were over 20,000 overdose deaths related to prescription opioids and almost 13,000 overdose deaths related to heroin.2 Four out of five new heroin users started out misusing prescription opioids.3 In a 2014 survey of people in treatment for opioid addiction, 94 percent of the respondents said they switched to heroin because prescription opioids were more expensive and harder to acquire.4 In states that have passed medical cannabis laws, there is a significant decrease in opioid overdose mortality rate (25 percent decline), a lower number of prescriptions written for opioids, and a reduction in opioid-positive test screens in fatal car crashes.5-7 Opioids produce a sense of well-being and pleasure by stimulating the regions in the brain associated with reward. Opioid addiction is a chronic disease and needs to be viewed as such. As with other chronic diseases, opioid addiction relapse back into drug abuse is very probable. Just as hypertension and diabetes require ongoing treatment, so does opioid addiction. More often than not when relapse occurs with opioid addiction, many consider the treatment a failure. Compare this to a patient on medications for hypertension or diabetes whose symptoms improve while on medication but relapse once medication is
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stopped. Negative emotional states and cognitive disturbances are two characteristics of addiction which can trigger craving and relapse, thus contributing to the vicious cycle of opioid abuse. Therefore, a successful treatment for opioid addiction requires a dynamic process where continual evaluation and modifications are necessary. Current treatments for opioid addiction target detoxification, withdrawal symptom management, and psychological counseling. Pharmacological treatments directly target the opioid system. These medications also have their own challenges such as abuse potential and strict governmental regulations. Alternative pathway medications are necessary to battle the opioid epidemic and the addiction that ensues. If opioid intake is abruptly ceased, patients tend to undergo withdrawal symptoms (pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hypertension, tachycardia). It is important to administer medications to alleviate these adverse effects thus easing the craving and physical symptoms which can trigger a relapse. Pharmacological treatments include agonists (methadone), partial agonists (buprenorphine), and antagonists medications (naltrexone). Pharmacological therapy in conjunction with psychological support programs provides the best results. Cannabinoids are a class of chemical compounds that act on the cannabinoid receptors in different cells in the body and exert their action via altering neurotransmitter release in the brain and other substances in other cells. The two major cannabinoids found in cannabis (phytocannabinoids) are tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD). THC tends to be rewarding and can enhance sensitivity to other drugs. CBD, on the other hand, has a low reinforcing profile with limited abuse potential and it appears to inhibit drug seeking behavior. Furthermore, CBD decreases stress vulnerability and reduces anxiety. There is a bit of clinical research to support use of medical cannabis to treat opioid addiction involving human subjects. In the limited small human studies, CBD reduced heroin related cravings in heroin abusers.8 In preclinical animal models, there
appears to be a slight trend supporting the benefits of CBD in treating aberrant behaviors associated with addiction as well as alleviating withdrawal symptoms. A study with animal models using CBD resulted in improved opioid withdrawal symptoms as well as lessening heroin seeking behavior.9,10 In another animal study, CBD curtailed the reward-facilitating effect of morphine. The authors hypothesized that CBD interferes with the brain reward mechanism, thus CBD may diminish the brain reward functioning effects of opioids.11 Currently most medications utilized to treat opioid addiction directly target the endogenous opioid system. Medical cannabis and/or some of the plant's cannabinoids, such as CBD, could offer an alternative line of therapy that can alter opioid-related behavior, which can lead to reduction of adverse effects associated with current addiction treatment strategies. Given the potential to reduce withdrawal symptoms associated with cessation of opioid intake and the potential for treatment of opioid addiction, as outlined in SB 228 now 374, I believe opioid addiction should be added to the current qualifying medical conditions where medical cannabis can be used. 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.
REFERENCES: 1. UNODC, World Drug Report 2012. http://www.unodc.org/unodc/en/ data-and-analysis/WDR-2012.html 2. Rudd RA, Seth P, David F, Scholl L. Increases in Drug and Opioid-Involved Overdose Deaths — United States, 2010–2015. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2016;65:1445–1452. 3. Jones CM. Heroin use and heroin use risk behaviors among nonmedical users of prescription opioid pain relievers - United States, 2002-2004 and 2008-2010. Drug Alcohol Depend. 2013 Sep 1;132(1-2):95-100. 4. Cicero TJ, Ellis MS, Surratt HL, Kurtz SP. The changing face of heroin use in the United States: a retrospective analysis of the past 50 years. JAMA Psychiatry. 2014;71(7):821-826. 5. Bachhuber MA, Saloner B, Cunningham CO, Barry CL. Medical cannabis laws and opioid analgesic overdose mortality in the United States, 19992010. JAMA Intern Med. 2014;174(10)1668-1673. 6. Bradford, A. C., and Bradford, W. D. (2016). Medical marijuana laws reduce prescription medication use in medicare part D. Health Aff. (Millwood) 35, 1230–1236. 7. Kim, J.H. et al. (2016) State medical marijuana laws and the prevalence of opioids detected among fatally injured drivers. Am. J. Public Health 106, 2032–2037. 8. Hurd, Y.L. et al. (2015) Early phase in the development of cannabidiol as a treatment for addiction: opioid relapse takes initial center stage. Neurotherapeutics 12, 807–815. 9. Ren Y, Whittard J, Higuera-Matas A, Morris CV, Hurd YL. Cannabidiol, a nonpsychotropic component of cannabis, inhibits cue-induced heroin seeking and normalizes discrete mesolimbic neuronal disturbances. J Neurosci. 2009;29(47):14764-14769. 10. Hurd YL, Cannabidiol: Swinging the Marijuana Pendulum From ‘Weed’ to Medication to Treat the Opioid Epidemic. Trends Neurosci 2017 Mar 2;40(3):124-127. 11. Katsidoni V, Anagnostou I, Panagis G. Cannabidiol inhibits the reward-facilitating effect of morphine: involvement of 5-HT1A receptors in the dorsal raphe nucleus. Addict Biol (2013) 18:286–96.10
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DISPENSARY MAP
A Patients’ Guide to Medical Cannabis in Southern Nevada 1. Apothecarium apothecariumlv.com 7885 W. Sahara Ave Las Vegas, NV 89117 702.778.7987 2. Blackjack Collective blackjackcollective.com 1860 Western Ave Las Vegas, NV 89102 702.545.0026 3a. Blüm LetsBlum.com 1921 Western Ave Las Vegas, NV 89102 702.476.2262 3b. Blüm LetsBlum.com 3650 S. Decatur Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89103 702.627.Blum 3c. Blüm LetsBlum.com 1130 E. Desert Inn Rd Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.536.Blum 4a. CANOPI 6540 Blue Diamond Rd Las Vegas, NV 89139 702.420.7301 4b. CANOPI 1324 S. 3rd St Las Vegas, NV 89104 702.420.2902 4c. CANOPI 2113 Las Vegas Blvd North North Las Vegas, NV 89030 702.420.2113 5. Deep Roots Harvest deeprootsharvest.com 195 Willis Carrier Canyon Mesquite, NV 89027 702.345.2854 6. Euphoria Wellness euphoriawellnessnv.com 7780 S. Jones Blvd Ste #105 Las Vegas, NV 89139 702.960.7200 7a. Essence Cannabis Dispensary Essencevegas.com 2307 S Las Vegas Blvd Las Vegas, NV, 89104 702-978-7591
7b. Essence Cannabis Dispensary Essencevegas.com 4300 E Sunset Rd Ste #A3 Henderson, NV, 89014 702-978-7687 7c. Essence Cannabis Dispensary Essencevegas.com 5765 W Tropicana Ave Las Vegas, NV, 89103 702-500-1714 8. Inyo Fine Cannabis Dispensary inyolasvegas.com 2520 S. Maryland Pkwy Ste #2 Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.707.8888 9. Jardin jardincannabis.com 2900 E. Desert Inn Rd Ste #102 Las Vegas, NV 89121 702.331.6511 10. Jenny’s Dispensary Jennysdispensary.com 5530 N. Decatur Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89030 702.718.0420 11. Las Vegas ReLeaf lasvegasreleaf.com 2244 Paradise Rd Las Vegas, NV 89104 702.209.2400 12. Medizin medizinlv.com 4850 W. Sunset Rd Ste #130 Las Vegas, NV 89118 702.206.1313 13a. Nevada Medical Marijuana nevadamedicalmarijuana.com 3195 St. Rose Pkwy Ste #212 Henderson, NV 89052 702.737.7777 13b. Nevada Medical Marijuana nevadamedicalmarijuana.com 1975 S. Casino Dr Laughlin, NV 89029 702.737.7777 14. Nevada Wellness Center nvwellnessctr.com 3200 S. Valley View Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89102 702.470.2077
15. NuLeaf www.nuleafnv.com 430 E. Twain Ave Las Vegas, NV 89169 702.297.5323
25a. The Dispensary thedispensarynv.com 5347 S. Decatur Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89118 702.476.0420
16. Oasis Medical Cannabis oasismedicalcannabis.com 1800 S. Industrial Rd Ste #180 Las Vegas, NV 89102 702.420.2405
25b. The Dispensary thedispensarynv.com 50 N. Gibson Rd Henderson, NV 89104 702.476.0420
17. Pisos Dispensary pisoslv.com 4110 S. Maryland Pkwy Ste #A Las Vegas, NV 89119 702.367.9333
26a. The Grove TheGroveNV.com 1541 E. Basin Ave Pahrump, NV 89048 775.556.0100
18a. Reef Dispensaries reefdispensaries.com 3400 Western Ave Las Vegas, NV 89109 702.475.6520
26b. The Grove TheGroveNV.com 4647 Swenson St Las Vegas, NV 89119 702.463.5777
18b. Reef Dispensaries reefdispensaries.com 1366 W. Cheyenne Ave North Las Vegas, NV 89030 702.410.8032
27a. The Source thesourcenv.com 2550 S. Rainbow Blvd Ste #8 Las Vegas, NV 89146 702.708.2000
19. Sahara Wellness 420sahara.com 420 E. Sahara Ave Las Vegas , NV 89104 702.478.5533
27b. The Source thesourcenv.com 9480 S Eastern Ave Ste #185 Henderson, NV 89052 702.708.2222
20. Shango Las Vegas goshango.com 4380 Boulder Highway Las Vegas, NV 89121 702.444.4824
28a. Thrive Cannabis Markeplace thrivenevada.com 2755 W. Cheyenne Ave Ste #103 North Las Vegas, NV 89032 702.776.4144
21. ShowGrow showgrowlv.com 4850 S. Fort Apache Rd Ste #100 Las Vegas NV 89147 702.227.0511
28b.Thrive Cannabis Marketplace Thrivenevada.com 1112 S. Commerce St. Las Vegas, NV 89102 702.776.4144
22. Silver Sage Wellness sswlv.com 4626 W. Charleston Blvd Las Vegas, NV 89102 702.802.3757
29. Top Notch THC topnotchthc.com 5630 Stephanie St Las Vegas, NV 89122 702.418.0420
23. The Apothecary Shoppe theapothecaryshoppe.com 4240 W. Flamingo Rd Ste #100 Las Vegas, NV 89103 702.740.4372
30. Zen Leaf zenleafvegas.com 9120 W. Post Rd Ste #103 Las Vegas, NV 89148 702-462-6706
24. The Clinic theclinicnevada.com 4310 W. Flamingo Rd Las Vegas, NV 89103 702.447.1250
Cannabiotix products are sold here
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Elevating the Conversation
I
with Greta Carter
n 2009, entrepreneur Greta Carter began her career in the cannabis industry. Having left the worlds of banking and real estate, her skills transferred easily to the new industry which was just starting to be regulated. A former VP at Citi Bank with an expertise in start-ups, Greta founded multiple businesses in the cannabis space including Hope Clinics, Life Gardens, and Cannabis Training Institute. During her entrepreneurial endeavors, she became a nationally recognized cannabis activist and consultant applying her depth of knowledge of business and corporate disciplines to guide others in the cannabis industry.
YOUR SON ENCOURAGED YOUR ENTRY INTO THE CANNABIS SPACE, HOW DID THAT COME ABOUT? We are all on a journey, and that journey is laid out for us. I was at a point where I was affected financially, just as many people were in 2008 and 2009, and it was an opportunity for me to reinvent myself. My son encouraged me to check out the industry and see what was going on in Northern California. After meeting many leaders in the industry and speaking with them, I understood that this was really a medicine and had healing qualities to it and was bringing a lot of relief to people who didn’t have other sources to go to for it. It was a crossroads in my life that showed me I could help speak up for the people who can’t and it just emboldened me and my passion, creating a path of no return. YOU HAVE STARTED NUMEROUS CANNABIS-RELATED BUSINESSES. WHAT OTHER PLANS DO YOU HAVE TO LEGITIMIZE THE INDUSTRY? In my career at Citibank they trained me to start businesses. So one thing I really know how to do and do well is bring organization to chaos. I am all about starting businesses and then two or three years later, when they are successful, transferring those to whomever I am partnering with or selling them. That is the path I am on for cannabis, I want to help people who want to get into this industry. I want to share with them the lessons I have learned along the way. I want to build that discipline and regulation that I have learned throughout my career into the cannabis industry so it becomes normal and profitable for people and it becomes another product just like any other agricultural product out there. DO YOU THINK A REGULATED ENVIRONMENT IS THE RIGHT STEP FORWARD? Yes, absolutely. They really do overregulate us at first. We saw that happen up in Washington, and we saw that start to happen in Nevada and now it’s starting in California. Having been in the industry for a while, that’s okay if
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they overregulate us because if that’s what it takes for the community to be comfortable then so be it. Being at the forefront of a movement that is becoming an industry, it is our path to embrace those regulations and go through the process and laws our country is built on to something more reasonable. One good example is Washington, they put a 75 percent tax on cannabis, and if that’s what it takes for us to get it legal then let’s take the 75 percent. Then the next time it came around we were able to reduce it to 37 percent. That’s just progress. WHAT’S SURPRISED YOU MOST ABOUT THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY? The biggest surprise is also my biggest disappointment, which is the realization of how far behind our political machine is from where the people are. We have gotten overwhelming support for cannabis as a medicine and almost as much support for it to be adult-use but, yet, we have got this crazy machine out there trying to breed fear into people whether it’s the DEA regarding Schedule I or the DOJ. As a citizen of this country, I am really concerned that our elected officials are not truly representing the people who voted for them. OF ALL YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS, OF WHICH ARE YOU MOST PROUD? Every one of them have progressed normalcy for this plant, and each one has built on the last one. Today, what I do is consulting work with High Road Consulting. I am really honored that I am at a point where I can transfer the knowledge that I have gained and the lessons that, in some cases, have beaten me down and made me stronger in others. I think it’s been a beautiful journey and accumulation of all of the businesses I have started that has led me down the path to High Road Consulting. To read our entire interview with Greta Carter, visit elevatenv.com/ Elevating_the_Conversation.
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