FLX420 Spring 2022 by Fahy-Williams Publishing

Growing a cannabis culture in the Finger Lakes

Spring 2022

Home growing for beginners What They Said About Opting In The Tourism Potential of a Cannabis-Rich Region

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contents

Volume 1, Issue 1, Spring 2022

6 10 12 17

The Journey

My goal with this magazine By Nate Kurash

Get Ready to Roll with Cannabis Insurance

Brian Chapman from J.D. Chapman Insurance Agency discusses the top three insurance coverages cannabis business owners should consider.

Grow It and They Will Come

Tourism expert Nicole Mahoney offers advice for serving the self-professed foodies, beach bums, outdoor adventurers, wine enthusiasts, craft beer lovers and sports addicts who are also active cannabis “tourists.”

A "High" Holiday for Retail

4/20 has become a significant selling day for cannabis retailers.

The Advocate Farmer Meet Allan Gandelman, hemp farmer, CBD maker, recent cultivator license recipient, and president of NYCGPA.

Spring 2022 • FLX420.com

contents

Growing Pot Should Be Easy

Editor - Tina Manzer tmanzer@fwpi.com Editorial Assistant - Missy Kelly missy@fwpi.com Graphic Artist - Mark Stash mstash@fwpi.com

If you’ve ever considered growing pot but haven’t yet put seeds in dirt, it may be because you just don’t know where to start.

34 40 42 46

36 the

goods 4

Founder - Nate Kurash nate@flx420.com

FLX420.com • Spring 2022

Sales & Marketing - Tim Braden tim@flx420.com Advertising Sales - Amy Colburn amy@flx420.com

FLCC Responds to a Changing Cannabis Landscape

Finger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua is one of 10 SUNY colleges that offer certificates, training programs and degrees tied to the marijuana and hemp industries.

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cannabis 101

Medical marijuana and the law

the limit

Couple works to overturn opt out vote

Share your own home-grow experiences, advice, photos and stories. Email us at homegrow@FLX420.com. Only first names will be used.

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journey THE

“The Finger Lakes Region is embarking on an epic journey, and I am beyond honored to experience it with you.”

Founder, Nate Kurash

While “FLX” is an acronym for the Finger Lakes Region of Upstate New York, 420 (“four twenty”) is the universal code for marijuana use. The number is iconic, with roots so embedded in the culture that many people around the world consider April 20 a holiday (see page 17).

Growing a Cannabis Culture

efore I became involved in the industry a few years ago, I had very little knowledge of either the business side of the cannabis plant or even the plant itself. I have learned quite a bit in a relatively short amount of time, and I want to share as much of my knowledge as possible with you. Helping to educate and connect everyone interested in the adult-use cannabis space is my goal for FLX420, along with the hope that the many good people working in the industry will use it as a platform to share their knowledge and insights, too. What has been most striking to me as an Ohio transplant is that cannabis has a “culture” and the Finger Lakes Region seems to be the perfect medium in which to grow it. As a destination, it will attract all the needed players for cannabis businesses to truly flourish. Getting to where we are now has been a long journey, but we are finally starting to see progress. Just a few days before we went to press, the Office of Cannabis Management issued cultivation licenses to 52 farms. Two of them are profiled in this issue. We still have a long way to go, but I am convinced that we will have one of the most vibrant and successful markets in the country, creating endless opportunities for businesses big and small. Finally, for FLX420 to be successful, we need to hear from you. We welcome all voices. Feel free to email your thoughts, suggestions, advice and ideas to us at info@flx420.com.

in the Finger Lakes

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FLX420.com • Spring 2022

contributors

Nicole Mahoney is CEO of Break the Ice Media, a marketing communications agency focused on travel, tourism and hospitality. Nicole is on the board of the New York State Tourism Industry Association and is a member of the Erie Canal National Heritage Corridor Finger Lakes Regional Council. In her weekly podcast, “Destination on the Left,” she interviews tourism professionals from around the globe who discuss creativity and collaboration in the industry. To find out more about Break the Ice Media, visit breaktheicemedia.com.

Michael Nocella is a media

professional in the Finger Lakes Region with more than 10 years of experience. He has worked for the Ithaca Times, Finger Lakes Community Newspapers, The Daily Voice, Patch, Odyssey, and Fahy-Williams Publishing Inc. He loves running, dogs, beer and whiskey, Philadelphia sports, and pop culture – in no particular order.

Margaret Osborne is a freelance

journalist who grew up in Canandaigua. She’s now traveling throughout the southwestern United States and working remotely. Her stories have appeared in several publications, including Smithsonian magazine, Sag Harbor Express and Smithsonian Voices; and on WSHU Public Radio. She enjoys hiking, playing tennis and rock climbing.

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Get Ready to Roll with

Cannabis Insurance a Q and A with Brian Chapman, Cannabis Product Expert, J.D. Chapman Agency Inc.

hat’s the first question you get from entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry? It’s “Can I get insurance for my cannabisrelated business?” Let me say quickly that the answer is “Yes!” It’s a totally valid question though. Insurance companies have been hesitant to provide coverage for businesses that are in any way associated with cannabis since it’s classified as an illegal substance at the federal level – even though it’s legal here in New York and in other states. Compounding that problem is this one: as cannabis operations get bigger and bigger, they are outgrowing the insurance coverages available to them. Right now, the insurance industry is pivoting to provide appropriate coverage for everyone. What’s the first question you ask potential cannabisbusiness clients? I need to know what sector of the cannabis business they are getting involved in. Will their company be a thirdparty testing facility? A grower? A dispensary? The kind of coverage they need depends on the aspect of the cannabis world they’re entering.

Brian Chapman and his father, Bruce

And then I stress to them how important it is to have the right coverage for their business. Without it, they are really leaving themselves exposed. Can you give me an overview of the kinds of coverage available and how they protect a cannabis business? Sure. We’ll start with General Liability insurance, also referred to as “slip and fall” insurance. General liability covers you and your company for claims that involve bodily injuries and property damage that results from your products, services, or operations. It also helps pay for legal defense in the event your company is sued. Let’s be honest – we live in a sue-happy society. It’s important to have limits that will cover you if you are taken to court. That’s pretty much the textbook definition for general liability. Allow me to play Purveyor of Doom for a second. Imagine that all your hard work pays off and you get a license to open a retail shop. It’s opening day and people are lined up because they are looking for the best bud in town. As people come and go from your store, someone slips on the wet floor and BOOM just like that they break their leg and seriously injure their back. If you don’t have the right liability limits in place, then all that money you invested to get your shop going could go towards lawsuit fees and medical expenses for the injured party. A type of General Liability insurance I talk about a lot is Products and Completed Operations coverage. It protects you from customer lawsuits alleging property damage or bodily injury due to your product or completed service. Again, this is the textbook definition. So here’s my Purveyor of Doom example: Let’s say you are a third-party testing facility and you just recently certified that the flower from a batch of Blue Dream contained no harmful substances. Well, either your instruments weren’t calibrated properly or a step in your process was missed because you didn’t catch the residual pesticides that were present in the flower. Joe Schmo gets his hands on some of it, smokes a joint after work and ends up in the hospital. You can pretty much guarantee that there will be a lawsuit, and your testing facility will be named. Without the right coverage in place, you will be selling all that shiny equipment to make up for your lawyer’s fees and medical payments to Joe. Then there’s Workers Compensation insurance. It’s required in New York. It provides for your employees’ medical expenses and lost wages if they get hurt on the job. Your employees are your lifeblood so it’s important to take care

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of them and make sure they are covered if there is ever an accident involving injury. Does J.D. Chapman offer these insurance products? Tell me a little about the company. It was begun by my grandfather in 1958 and has always been a general insurance agency; a broker that represents 20 or so insurance companies so we can shop the market for the best rates for the best coverage. Most recently, we’ve launched an arm of the agency specific to the cannabis industry. We have a variety of different offerings that are available, again depending on the cannabis business you’re getting into. We offer general liability to product liability to auto policies, for instance, if you’re a delivery company. I think having a cannabis division makes our agency unique, along with the fact that we have a product expert who understands the industry. We also have an appointment with a cannabis-specific insurance company that I’m not sure many agents have. What’s your background, Brian? Was it your goal to join the family business? If you had told me in high school that I would be working here today, I would not have believed you. I had hoped to become a physed teacher and moved to Colorado to pursue that, but it didn’t pan out how I thought it would. I stayed there doing a lot of manual labor on ranches and in factories, and finally joined a car dealership. That’s where I cut my teeth in sales. I moved to Boston and continued in sales and then recently had the opportunity to join the family business. Pot was legal in Colorado when I lived there, and became legal in Boston when I lived there, and now it’s happening in New York. Someone must be trying to tell me something. I started doing some research, and called agents in states where cannabis was legal to find out who the major players were in the cannabis insurance industry. I not only wanted to know which companies do it, but which ones do it well. I approached those businesses directly and said, “Hey, this is a new thing in New York. We’re going to need insurance coverage here, and we would like to represent your company.” It took a lot of legwork but it worked. Is insurance for a cannabis business more expensive than it is for other businesses? The way it is now, compared to some of your more traditional policies, yes. The good news is that there are a few good companies you can shop the rates around. I do foresee rates coming down when the cannabis classification is changed on the federal level. Then the floodgates will open and all the mainstream companies will get on board. Like anything else, with competition comes better products and lower premiums.

To find out more about cannabis-business insurance coverage from J.D. Chapman, contact Brian at 315-986-4062.

This Harvest Moon

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Contact Valley Hemp Research LLC. for showing and details Valleyhempresearch@gmail.com Spring 2022 • FLX420.com

Grow It and

They Will Come by Nicole Mahoney, Break the Ice Media

Cannabis can enhance the world-class visitor experience here in the Finger Lakes

FLX420.com • Spring 2022

s a lifelong resident of the Finger Lakes region and a professional working in the travel industry here, I was curious to discover how legalized marijuana in New York State would impact the tourism industry. Admittedly, I had not paid much attention to the growing cannabis industry, and I soon discovered I had my own implicit biases about the types of visitors this new industry would attract. Memories of high school and college parties, and images of Woodstock came to mind. I decided the best way to learn was to talk to an expert, so I turned to Brian Applegarth from California-based Cultivar Strategies, a company that helps destinations prepare for and capitalize on the emerging cannabis-related travel trend. Founder of the California Cannabis Tourism Association, Brian has worked in the space since 2015. In an interview for my travel and tourism podcast, “Destination on the Left,” Brian helped take the mystery out of cannabis travel as we discussed the multitude of opportunities and great tourism potential that can accompany legal adultuse cannabis. During our discussion, I learned what cannabis

experiences can look like when they’re embraced by a destination. “As wine pairs with food, cannabis pairs with experiences,” Brian explained. Here are some key takeaways from his interview that may help guide cannabis tourism in the Finger Lakes and beyond. Who, exactly, are “they”? Based on a study conducted by MMGY Travel Intelligence in collaboration with Brian’s company Cultivar Strategies, nearly 30 percent of the active leisure-travel audience is motivated to access a cannabis-related experience at a destination. An important characteristic of that audience is a higher-than-average median household income – $50,000 and above. Active cannabis travelers are primarily interested in visiting a dispensary, followed by trying CBD or THC edibles. They are selfdescribed foodies (47 percent), beach bums (36 percent), outdoor adventurers (35 percent), wine enthusiasts (29 percent), craft beer lovers (25 percent) and sports addicts (23 percent). Based on those characteristics alone, it is easy to see why cannabis tourism potential in the Finger Lakes is high. Among the subsegments of cannabis travel audience are the “canna-curious.” According to

the study, one-third of the cannabis-motivated travel audience has never tried cannabis before. The canna-curious are particularly intrigued by the health and wellness benefits of cannabis and its potential to improve quality of life. The cannacurious are looking for a cannabis experience that has an educational component, like learning about CBD and its anti-inflammatory properties. There is also a “wellness traveler” subset with people who are focused on mental and spiritual health. They would like to unlock new discussions around holistic health, and see cannabis as a tool for wellbeing, balance, and homeostasis. Finally, there are “cannabis-serious” travelers who are experienced users and are seeking specific cannabis related experiences.

John Joseph Inn, Groton, New York Photo courtesy budandbreakfast.com

According to Budand Breakfast.com, a website that links cannabis-using tourists with like-minded hotels, inns, residences, and resorts around the world, “Cannabis tourism is no longer simply a fringe industry – it’s a fully developed trade for travelers and businesses keeping in step with changing times.”

Destinations – here is your opportunity The high percentage of canna-curious leisure travelers combined with the high interest in cannabis tourism is the opening destinations need to lead the strategy for this emerging market. Plans should be carefully made so that every opportunity is taken to show the benefits of the cannabis plant and how powerful they can be. Destination marketing organizations should consider a holistic destination approach, while

Spring 2022 • FLX420.com

Grow It and They Will Come California’s Humboldt County, the nation’s top marijuana-producing region, is the center of the state’s weed-tourism explosion, reports MJ Brand Insights. Like the Finger Lakes, the area’s natural resources, unspoiled beaches, and historic communities beckon visitors. Humboldt Social, a group of local businesses that “normalizes connections” between hospitality and cannabis, believes that if Napa Valley can create a healthy tourism economy around wine, Humboldt can do the same around weed. Visitors at Scotia Lodge, the group’s new hospitality property, can order from in-room menus that feature edibles, pre-rolled smokes, and THCinfused drinks from a dispensary in nearby Eureka.

businesses within the travel industry should consider their own plans for cannabis. Destinations that create holistic plans can position cannabis as an enhancement to the existing in-market experience. For instance, cannabis could be used as a targeted sensory enhancement tool for travelers visiting art exhibits, restaurants, spas, and other attractions. The first step is taking an inventory of the stakeholders beyond just dispensaries. They include accommodations,

restaurants, museums and other attractions. Do they incorporate CBD or THC into their experiences? Even if a hospitality business is not actively seeking this audience or providing experiences around cannabis, it should understand the needs of the audience and how to welcome them. Among the ideas and experiences available to leisure travelers here and in other states are glamping getaways and “bud & breakfasts.” Other ideas range from painting classes – called “Puff and Paints” – to spa experiences and

sushi- and joint-rolling events. In California, a more mature cannabis market, there’s been a recent uptick in the number of business travelers who want to visit cannabis lounges and other progressive destinations. Their goal is an educational experience that they can also implement back home. One of the exciting revelations of the MMGY study is how much the cannabis market overlaps the food- and wineenthusiast markets. Clever destinations have used the overlap to their advantage,

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PuffPassandPaint.com, the website of an eight-year-old company in Denver, says its group classes with related travel trend responsibly. Education is key – cannabis offers an effects-based experience that, without the proper instruction, may not be a positive one. Education starts with the stakeholders. It’s important that they understand the needs of their visitors and why catering to them is important to the success of their business. Bringing these partners into the fold is essential, especially given the fact that many leisure travelers have little experience with cannabis. Once stakeholders are

combining their guests’ consumption of all three in fun ways. Examples include offering travelers a cannabis experience that stimulates their appetite, accentuates the palette, or makes the aroma of food more vibrant. Assigning intention to the setting and timing of cannabis consumption elevates the sophistication of the experience, making it richer, deeper and more meaningful. A safe and successful experience Destinations should approach the cannabis-

onboard, the destination can determine what kind of information its visitors will need, the different types of experiences to offer them, and the best ways to share the stories of those experiences. The destination management organization can include the information within a travel guide that also promotes the safety of the experience and why it’s memorable. There are a lot of options to consider when you invite visitors to ingest cannabis, including the many methods of consumption and the

the self-explanatory name “aren’t about making the perfect piece of art. They’re about being part of an atmosphere that’s relaxed, comfortable, and open-minded.” Painters and cannabis users with various levels of expertise and from all over the world attend classes to experience a sense of community in an intimate, inspired setting. Puff Pass and Paint classes are currently being scheduled in Boston, California, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Portland Oregon, Washington, D.C., and … Brooklyn!

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Top Quality MJ Seeds. Fast & FREE Delivery. THC dosage. If a canna-curious visitor eats too many edibles, for instance, it can be a terrible experience that leaves a negative impression of the destination – the opposite of what it wants to accomplish in building memorable experiences for its guests. It is not just understanding how to use cannabis responsibly, it is filling in the information gaps and providing the guardrails around its use. Compare ingesting cannabis to craft beer, another tourism trend. Craft beer is available in a wide spectrum of options that range from high ABV to non-alcoholic and everything in between. Tasting rooms are great sources of

Learning about the cannabis industry, plus the plant’s properties and responsible use, is a necessary first step for everyone in the Finger Lakes tourism industry.

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information and serve as a guide to visitors to make sure that their experience is safe and enjoyable. The travel industry can be a platform that helps educate consumers about cannabis through storytelling, and experiences that take it above and beyond the product purchase. Information should highlight the positive aspects of the plant – from hemp as a renewable resource, CBD as a wellness tool that provides relaxation and reduces anxiety, and the more effects-based THC component that should, with the right dose, be a fun and positive experience. Cannabis in the Finger Lakes Learning about the cannabis industry, plus the plant’s properties and responsible use, is a necessary first step for everyone in the Finger Lakes tourism industry. Collaboration among our destination marketing organizations, the hospitality industry, and the cannabis industry can give the Finger Lakes and New York State a competitive advantage. Curating a cannabis consumer experience in a mindful way can complement the existing tourist experience overall. To be successful with this market, tourism and hospitality professionals must lead the way.

A "High" Holiday for

Retail

or the uninitiated, 4/20 has been a highlyanticipated holiday for cannabis users since the 1970s, when stoner buddies at a California high school would meet at 4:20 p.m. every day to smoke weed. Today, 4/20 is observed with much celebrating and consuming, not unlike July 4, New Year’s Eve and the Super Bowl. It’s become a significant selling day for cannabis retailers. Just like everyone buys champagne for New Year’s; and beer, hot dogs and hamburgers for Independence Day, weed revelers buy pot, a lot of it. For the six-day period beginning April 15th and ending April 20th, 2022, sales were expected to reach $400 million, according to cannatech firm Akerna. Its forecast for sales on April 20th alone was roughly $130 million, a 16-percent increase over 2021’s recordbreaking weed holiday. To take advantage of the opportunity 4/20 presents, cannabis dispensaries ran discounts and promotions that successfully lured people back to in-person shopping. With any luck, retail-dispensary hopefuls Mark Byasse and Tim Hay in Victor will be racking up sales from their store by 4/20/23. The business partners plan to transform the historic building they bought near route 444 into a cannabis store that will sell whole flower, concentrates, edibles, tinctures and topicals plus cannabis accessories, branded merchandise, and locally produced and sourced arts and crafts. But until New York State writes and releases the regulations governing dispensary operation – not to mention a draft of its dispensary licensing application – the two can only go so far with their plans. There’s no guarantee that they will receive one of the highly-sought-after licenses, even though they feel their chances are pretty good. And so they wait. And hope. “Our biggest challenge has been to remain patient and energized, given that the process with the state is moving much slower than we anticipated,” explained Mark in an interview. “I must say that our local leaders, including the Victor Community Development Office, have

Tim (left) and Mark

Spring 2022 • FLX420.com

Networking O

n April 20, FLX420 magazine marked the cannabis holiday with a get-together at Finger Lakes Cannabis Company. More than 150 people reserved a spot at the event. Those who attended were treated to some valuable insight from industry insiders. The magazine’s Nate Kurash moderated a panel discussion that covered a variety of timely issues. They ranged from tips on completing a license application, advice for cannabis farmers and retailers on securing their businesses against theft and fraud, and some cannabis seed recommendations for the Finger Lakes’ shortgrowing season.

Six vendors – Culligan Water, JD Chapman Agency insurance, Ghost Dog Glass, Organic Matter Tees, 2GoPipes, and Finger Lakes Cannabis Company – plus FLX420 magazine – showcased a host of products and services from water systems to insurance, and from printed T-shirts to blown-glass pot pipes.

FLX420.com • Spring 2022

A "High" Holiday for Retail

been very helpful and encouraging, and we’re very grateful for that,” he added. “The community as a whole has been extremely supportive of what we’re doing. We constantly run into people who wish us well and ask how soon we can open.” For the time being, Mark and Tim use their beautiful and open space for yoga classes and special events, like FLX420’s first Cannabis in the Finger Lakes networking event on April 20. Highlights included presentations by special guests, including the mayor of the Village of Victor, and a panel discussion that

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arly in 2021, Mark and Tim from Finger Lakes Cannabis Company made a presentation to us about their proposed business in the Southside Business District of the Village of Victor. Throughout 2021 there were several board discussions,” Victor Mayor Gary Hadden explained about the village’s opt-in vote. “Late in the year, the immediate neighborhood surrounding the proposed store location voiced concerns about noise, traffic and the fear of changing the character of the community. I had discussions with school district personnel and administration, town government representatives, my staff at the Village of Victor, and several friends and some business owners. Pros and cons were discussed, but I did not receive any major negativity.” Last December, the village opted in to allow cannabis sales but opted out of on-site consumption. Among the factors helping village board members determine those positions was that an entire industry centered on cannabis was rapidly developing already, and “the opportunity for sales tax revenue, in our opinion, was a positive thing,” said Hadden. He explained that the regulations restrict the retail sale of cannabis to only the Southside Business District, and consumption/use/sale is prohibited on village-owned properties.

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included insights from Nicole Limatola, Humboldt Seed Co.; Brian Chapman, JD Chapman Insurance; and Glenna Colprete, owner of Glenna’s CBD Best Oil. At this point in time, more than a year since MRTA became law, cannabis dispensary hopefuls like Mark and Tim have mixed emotions: excitement, anticipation, uncertainty and frustration. “Everyone wants to know what the Office of Cannabis Management is going to do to shape the New York market, and see some solid timelines and regulatory requirements. So far, we’ve experienced nothing but cooperation among other business hopefuls. We all feel like a strong cooperative industry will only benefit all of us.”

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On April 14, Main Street Farms was officially licensed by the state to start growing marijuana for New York’s adult market.

llan Gandelman’s passion for the cannabis plant used to get him in trouble. As a teenager growing up in New Jersey, he was arrested several times for possession and eventually lost his driver’s license. When he got to college, he started working to reform those laws as vice president of the NORML chapter at SUNY New Paltz. “That was in 2000,” he told us in a recent interview. “I’ve been involved in cannabis advocacy ever since.” His vocation is farming – organic vegetables and hemp right now – and manufacturing: CBD. The vegetable CSA came first, in 2011. The produce grown at Main Street Farms in Cortland is used in elementary schools, colleges, restaurants and the homes of families all over the state. Hemp came next, in 2017, after Gandelman contracted Lyme disease. It almost put him out of commission, with symptoms that included arthritis pain and insomnia. To alleviate them, he turned to his favorite plant. “It wasn’t until I started taking CBD for my Lyme that I was fully introduced to the therapeutic side of the herb. It became another reason to love cannabis.” He bought CBD oil from Colorado, but that same year, New York legalized industrial hemp through its pilot program. Gandelman and his business partner Karli Miller-Hornick obtained one of the very first licenses to grow and process CBD, and founded New York Hemp Oil. “Today we run multiple projects under one roof here, everything from growing to manufacturing to sales.” What they sell is their own CBD, Head and Heal, the first New York State hemp brand carried by Wegmans. At about the same time Wegmans was adding it to the shelves of 91 stores, Head and Heal’s independent retail customers like Natur-Tyme in Syracuse and The Local Food Market in Cortland, were quickly selling through it. “That’s when it struck us that we were on to something,” Gandelman recalled. The epiphany helped keep them going. “Starting our business was a huge risk. The industry was so new, and it was hard to navigate

through the legalities. It still is – the cannabis industry has an ever-changing regulatory landscape,” he explained. “Over the years, we’ve dealt with everything from the legal details of CBD packaging and labeling to, at one point, losing our banking! We had to get Senator Schumer to the farm to advocate on our behalf, but it worked.” An entire group of advocates = power In 2018, a New York cannabis trade group took root after “a chance encounter at a Cornell University conference,” reports Syracuse.com. “Andrew Rosner, cofounder of the New Yorkbased hemp company HR Botanicals, switched seats to sit near an interesting-looking stranger named Allan Gandelman.” Both men had the same concerns about the hemp and hemp extract regulations that were making their way around Albany. They felt small growers and processors like themselves weren’t represented. What was needed, they agreed, was a business association to speak for the industry and interact with decision makers. After recruiting three more New York State hemp-industry entrepreneurs to form a board, the group hired lobbyist Joe Rossi, managing director of Park Strategies. The New York Cannabis Growers and Processers Association was born. “At first, NYCGPA was just advocating for smaller farmers,” Gandelman said. “We had a lot of victories in the hemp space, like writing and passing one of the country’s first hempextract laws that allows CBD to be in food and beverages with certain requirements. Today, the association is all-encompassing, covering everything from cultivation through retail. With 300-plus members and more joining every day, it’s become the biggest cannabis industry association in the state.” Its goal, he says, is to make sure that the cannabis industry is fair to all businesses – especially small businesses – and to protect the space for New Yorkers. “We have a seat at the table in Albany, which

Allan Gandelman’s path to a cannabis career was anything but direct. After studying art and anthropology in college, he taught high-school history. His frustration with the educational system and the unhealthy food served in school cafeterias led him to study meditation and yoga in India. “When I came back I got into farming. I wanted to grow better, healthier food for schoolkids.”

FLX420.com • Spring 2022

The

Advocate Farmer

Spring 2022 • FLX420.com

The success of his businesses is due to his team, Gandelman says. He listed everyone who works for him and how good they are at their jobs: quality assurance, customer service, education/outreach, sales, the lab, the farm crew who takes care of the vegetables and cannabis, content and design, procurement, bookkeeping, fulfillment, the brand manager, the cannabis director. Below: Karli Miller-Hornick, co-owner, co-founder, and CEO of New York Hemp Oil, has been an organic vegetable farmer since 2010. She told Authority Magazine last year that her initial goal was to build a sustainable farm, and not necessarily grow cannabis. But when her business partner got Lyme disease, “we made the conscious decision to grow his medicine.” It also fulfilled her goal.

FLX420.com • Spring 2022

we didn’t know would happen, but it did because we’ve been advocating fairly for our membership,” he said. “Most notably, we got the Conditional Cultivation Bill passed, something no one thought we would pull off. The NYCGPA made New York the first state in the country to kick off our cannabis industry with a group of small farmers instead of out-of-state conglomerate corporations.” An industry of sharers As the association’s president, Gandelman is a mentor to local businesses. In some instances, he could also be considered a competitor. We wondered about the balance. “I want to always lead by example and have a company that embeds values and ethics into the process when it comes to the environment, sustainability and social equity,” he said. “I don’t consider any of the other small businesses competition. New Yorkers smoke millions of pounds of weed a year, and all of our small businesses put together couldn’t possibly serve their needs. So our competitors, really, are largely out-of-state corporations and illegal growers in other states. We local businesses are not in competition, but rather cooperation – to build a fair and equitable industry.” Gandelman’s advice for the many cannabis hopefuls in the area is “to know your skills and find out what you don’t know. Then surround

yourself with people who can lift you up and help you with the things you haven’t yet experienced. Network! The best way to do that is to become a member of NYCGPA. Stay tuned In talking with Gandelman, one thing is clear: his excitement and optimism for the cannabis industry here is high, no pun intended. “I see the entire state becoming a hotspot for cannabis in the Northeast,” he told us. “I foresee cannabis farms everywhere run by amazing growers, plus manufacturers and dispensaries spread across the state. In the Finger Lakes specifically, people will look to the example set by our craft brewery tours and wine trails to cultivate a successful craftcannabis tourism industry. We’ll have a lot of dispensaries and lounges.” Part of his excitement stems from what he knows about New York’s current, underground, cannabis scene. “There are folks in cities growing and consuming super-highquality indoor flower, and there are people in rural areas who have been growing cannabis in their fields for decades,” he lists. “We have people who are dabbing; getting interested in rosin. And don’t forget the soccermom users and grandmas! “I think once it is legal for them to do so, all of these people will move to buying their products from dispensaries. They’ll look for brands that align with their values and consumption preferences.

“The cannabis plant has thousands of uses we need to explore, beyond THC. That’s why people should learn to love it; not just the getting high part. That’s an extremely limited view of cannabis.”

People who are more health-andwellness focused will be able to go into a dispensary and find a New York State-grown organic cannabis product that fits their needs. “The biggest shift in the industry in the next few years will be figuring out who the consumers of cannabis are, what they want, and how to get it

to them.” He’s looking forward to the impact MRTA will have on his business, particularly the opportunity to create a more diverse range of products – including those with THC – that will be appropriate for sale in dispensaries. “But right now, I’m proud

that we have a company and community that’s on the forefront of cannabis innovation in New York,” he concludes. “I’m proud that we can help lead the industry in the right direction with social equity, sustainability, and small business guiding all of the decisions we are making.”

“I am set up with exclusive markets that I am appointed to for NY State, and they will not be appointing any other agents for these programs. These carriers write FULL insurance coverage, including workers comp.”

Jim Demer

716-417-2086 Cannabis Risk Manager NYCGPA Member

INSURANCE, SURETY AND RISK MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS

500 Seneca St. | Suite 303 Buffalo, NY 14204 Phone (716) 842-0700 www.hoffmanhanafin.com

Spring 2022 • FLX420.com

What They Said About

Opting In

Hilton

Sodus Point Webster

Sodus

Brockport

“There is a large Cayuga-nation presence in our area, and they are already selling cannabis in four locations,” explains Town Supervisor Mike Ferrara. “Opting in allows non-Native American residents to compete in the market. Numerous community members reached out in support of our decision. None spoke out against it at public meetings or independently.”

E. Rochester Fairport

Town of Homer

“The decision was put to a community vote and passed by majority,” says Town Supervisor Fred Forbes.

Macedon

Caledonia

Honeoye Victor Falls

Avon

City of Canandaigua

“Prior to the vote, we gathered a lot of community feedback,” said City Manager John Goodwin. “It was mixed, but the majority was in favor of opting in to dispensaries. We opted out of on-site consumption because it simply lacked precedent.” Zoning is tentatively established, pending the remainder of regulations. “No formal business offers have been made here, but there have been several inquiries,” said Goodwin.

Clifton Springs Phelps

FINGER LAKES REGION

Honeoye

Penn Yan Naples Nunda

Dansville

Branchport

Wayland

Dundee

Prattsburgh Cohocton

Avoca Hornell

Hammondsport

Wa Gle Bath

Canisteo

Painted Post

Rexville

Addison

Opting In / Out – Explained From the time adult-use cannabis became legal last March until December 31, 2021, New York’s 1,521 villages, towns, and cities were tasked with deciding whether or not cannabis dispensaries and lounges could open in their communities. Allowing them to do so, or “opting in” was not a decision taken lightly by community leaders, especially since regulations 24

FLX420.com • Spring 2022

Wat

Geneva

Village of North Syracuse

An online survey indicated that the majority of village residents were in favor of opting in, explained Mayor Gary Butterfield. “Neighboring towns had already done so, so cannabis was going to be accessible anyway. There are a limited number of spots a cannabis business can operate here, given the laws on their required distance from churches and schools.”

Newark

Bloomfield

Livonia Hemlock

Geneseo Mt. Morris

Lima

Manchester Shortsville Canandaigua

Village of Horseheads

“We’re going to take advantage of the tax revenue and credits,” said Jessica Molter, the village manager’s assistant. “Our planning board has already discussed zoning and made recommendations. We’re just waiting on the regulations before we make any solid decisions.” The decision to opt out of on-site consumption came from the difficulties they foresee with policing and monitoring.

Lyons

Palmyra

City of Auburn

According to City Clerk Chuck Mason, tax revenue played a large part in the decision to opt in. In addition, Colorado-based Terrapin Cannabis Company has purchased industrial property in the city to build a production facility that could, potentially, bring 100 jobs into the community.

Spencerport

Town of Seneca Falls

governing cannabis sales had yet to be written. About 750 communities, in fact, opted out and will not allow dispensaries within their borders. About 100 more also opted out of consumption sites. While the opt-out number is significant, the state permits local lawmakers to change their minds whenever they want

KEY

opted in to allow adult-use cannabis retail dispensaries and on-site consumption businesses opted in to allow adult-use cannabis retail dispensaries only opted out of dispensaries and consumption businesses

Town of Candor

odus Bay

“Tax revenue was the biggest reason to opt in,” said Town Supervisor William Strosahl. “There was no opposition from the community.”

Wolcott

Town of Sodus

Baldwinsville

“The council voted ‘yes’ to keep our options open,” said Town Supervisor Scott Johnson. “Once the state regulations are in place, there will be a community vote on whether or not to allow businesses to operate in our town.”

North Syracuse Clyde

Jordan

Solvay

Fayetteville

Weedsport

Manlius

Marcellus

terloo

Seneca Falls

Skaneateles Cayuga

Auburn

Union Springs

Moravia Ovid

Homer

Interlaken

Cortland Groton

McGraw

Lansing

Dryden

Cayuga Heights Ithaca

Marathon

Close to 50 percent of respondents to a Geneseo community survey strongly opposed dispensaries/consumption sites, according to the minutes of an 1/8/21 meeting of the village board. Safety was the biggest issue, concerns over DUI in particular. Spencer

Candor

Newark Valley

Van Etten

Elmira

According to the minutes of a December 6, 2021 meeting, Mayor Bill Boland explained that, to him, opting in to dispensaries was a matter of public health. He noted the risk current users run of purchasing unregulated cannabis that may be laced with potentially dangerous substances. “I conclude the sooner we do it, the better.”

Village of Geneseo

Montour Falls Odessa

Horseheads

Mayor Malik Evans, who took office on January 1, will focus on the economic opportunity that legal adult-use marijuana presented, “for the city as a whole, and for those who have been most severely impacted by draconian drug laws,” wrote Barbara Pierce, director of the city’s bureau of communications. “We are about to hold our first community information session with the goal of educating and engaging residents in the process of defining rules and regulations. Several events have been held on the topic of supporting businesses interested in entering the cannabis marketplace.”

City of Corning

Trumansburg

Burdett

Former Mayor Svante Myrick, who resigned in January 2022, supported the opt-in option. “Cannabis sales have occurred for a long time illegally and untaxed,” he noted. “Keeping adult-use cannabis illegal perpetuated the worst aspects of legal discrimination.” Mayor Myrick also wanted to make sure people were using cannabis that was regulated, i.e. tested for quality and safety.

City of Rochester

Aurora

atkins en

City of Ithaca

Heights

Owego

Town of Perinton

The lack of guidance from New York State, coupled with concerns about the safety of the town’s residents, contributed to the opt-out vote. Minutes of a 12/22/21 meeting noted that opting in later was an option, “once there is more information about the potential impacts, benefits, and detriments to the Town.”

Waverly

to opt in, pointed out Rebecca C. Lewis, deputy state politics reporter at City & State New York. She spoke to Elizabeth Spinia, supervisor of the Town of Rhinebeck in Dutchess County – an opt-out community – who explained she and her board don’t actually oppose retail sales. “We know we can control it with zoning,” she told Lewis. “I think unanimously,

we’re pro marijuana sales, we just wanted to see what this looks like.” To see the complete list of communities that opted out, visit the Rockefeller Institute of Government’s Marijuana Opt-Out Tracker at rockinst.org.

Spring 2022 • FLX420.com

Growing Pot

Should be Easy

(after all, it’s just a weed) A first grow diary, month one.

f you’ve ever considered growing pot but haven’t yet put seeds in dirt, it may be because you just don’t know where to start. At least, that’s where I was at. It was exciting to imagine what the perfect grow setup would be like, not to mention all those big, fat, juicy buds at harvest time. Then I began the daunting task of sorting through all of the home-grow advice on the internet, and was simply overwhelmed. After several hours of reading and taking notes, I decided to visit the Honest Pharm hydroponic store in Newark and talk to someone with experience. That’s where I met Jon Callahan. Jon is president and founder of Honest Pharm Co, a multimillion-dollar, hemp genetics company that produces American made industrial hemp derived products. It recently expanded to a full service grow store selling equipment for cultivation. He has been involved in the industry for 10+ years, and has built numerous outdoor and indoor grow facilities that have developed award-winning industrial hemp products.

Three years ago, Jon moved to the Finger Lakes from Colorado. He and his business partner Jeremy Jimenez had just purchased a 500,000 square foot greenhouse facility in Newark, New York – the former home of world-famous Jackson & Perkins Rose Gardens. It is destined to be one of New York's largest cannabis cultivation facilities. Honest Pharm Co received its cultivation license from New York’s Office of Cannabis Management in April. After I explained I was a cannabis newbie looking to grow somewhere between four and six cultivars to start, Jon walked me over to his in-store display. It was set up for first time growers like myself. I had many questions, and we talked at length. His recommendation was to invest in a good light and start with a very basic setup. “Growing cannabis is a process and you’ll learn by making plenty of mistakes along the way,” Jon said. He drew up a list of supplies I would need to get started, and then he helped me choose my strains. Jon wanted to make sure I chose seeds from a company that offered good genetics for the success of my grow. “Good genes can make an amateur look like a pro,” he said. “Bad genetics will make a pro look like an amateur.” I thought it would be fun to try three sativa strains and three indica strains, so I chose seeds from Dank Seeds USA to grow “Blueberry Lemonade" and "Fruity Dragon.” For more details on the strains, turn to page 27 and 31. Meanwhile, here’s a look at my grow diary for the first month.

Here’s the list of supplies I started with.

• 5’ x 5’ Hydropolis grow tent • 680-watt Photobio-MX high efficiency LED light with dimmer • Analog timer for the grow light • 1.5-gallon smart humidifier with a humidistat • Digital hygrometer/thermometer to measure the temperature and humidity inside my grow tent • Jiffy Greenhouse Kit to use for seed germination • 6 Gro Plant Warrior 3-gallon pots with saucers • (2) 25lb bags of Bio365 BioAll soil • 125ml bottle of GH RapidStart to improve root growth • pH control kit from General Hydroponics • 32oz bottle of Microbe Hydroponic Dechlorinator to mix with tap water • 10-inch oscillating fan to create air movement in the tent • Blueberry Lemonade indica seeds and Fruity Dragon sativa seeds from DankSeedsUSA.com

Jon Callahan

Photographs by Missy Kelly

Meet Blueberry Lemonade This indica-leaning hybrid is relaxing, appetite stimulating, and favored by medical marijuana users. It’s the outcome of specifically hunted phenotypes that are revered by both weed growers and users alike. By pairing the Afghan Blueberry strain with the Chemodo Dragon strain, Dank Seeds USA has created “a marvelous marijuana strain for those who just want to relax and kick it with buds (the human ones).”

The Taste On the inhale – blueberry pepped up with fiery spice On the exhale – essence of herbal tea

May relieve chronic pain stress anxiety

Physical Traits Bright green nugs Primed with crystal white trichomes Amber stigmas (part of the pistil)

Flowering time and yield 8 to 9 weeks – large yield

THC content 15 to 20 percent

The experience A strong stony-head high A relaxing, sleepy effect Nap inducing – “The embodiment of a stereotypical high”

The smells Spicy, Gassy Sweet blueberry dominant Full-bodied – “Piquant and redolent diesel mingled with lush fruitiness”

Pot parent one is Afghan Blueberry, a hybrid crafted by crossing the Blueberry and Afghani weed strains. “The candied, and grassy scent of blueberries and the susurration of vanilla is prominent, which has contributed to the acclaim of this cannabis.” Pot parent two is Chemodo Dragon, which adds grapefruit to the flavor profile. Not only substantial in flavor, this strain of premium weed is also extremely potent.

Spring 2022 • FLX420.com

Growing Pot

Should be Easy

Day 1

2 3

• Setup was very easy. My interior room is 9’ x 8’ so the 5’ x 5’ grow tent takes up the majority of the space. • I used two ratcheting light hangers to hang the light from the horizontal ceiling tent poles, and set the light intensity to 40% using the dimmer dial. See photo 1 • I set the auto timer for 18 hours of light, six hours of darkness. • I added distilled water to eight Jiffy Peat Pellets and waited for them to expand. Once they were fully expanded, I placed each seed just below the soil surface. See photo 2. When all eight seeds were planted, I covered the pellets with the Jiffy Greenhouse dome to help germinate the seeds. • I placed the tray of pellets in the middle of the grow tent with the light set high above my grow pods, approximately 52” until seeds germinate. • Jon suggested that I leave my tent doors open to help with air flow. • Room temperature averages – H: 73°F, L: 70°F. • My humidity averages – H: 39%, L: 36%.

Day 5

FLX420.com • Spring 2022

• All four Fruity Dragon seeds have sprouted. Only one of the Blueberry Lemonade seeds broke the soil surface. Why? • After consulting with Jon, I discovered my first mistake: watering the peat pods after planting the seeds. I guess the initial watering to get the pods to expand is enough. Anyway, my Blueberry Lemonade seeds were oversaturated, and I spotted mold on the ones that didn’t sprout. See photo 3 • I also switched from distilled water to tap water (it’s cheaper), which I treat with the dechlorinator and test to make sure the pH range is 6.0-6.2. • Meanwhile, the Fruity Dragons were 3” tall and reaching for the light – second mistake. See photo 4. Cultivars should have short healthy stems in the early stages of growth, but when the light is too far above the canopy, the seedlings stretch to get it, resulting in thin, weak stems. Instead of 52”, the light should have been placed at about 30” above the greenhouse once the sprouts popped through the soil. I lowered it. Love those ratcheting hangers.

• • • • •

I planted two more Blueberry Dragon seeds. Room temperature averages – H: 82°F, L: 80°F Humidity averages – H: 34%, L: 26% I removed the dome from the Jiffy Greenhouse. I added an oscillating fan for air movement and stem strengthening.

Day 6

• Increased the intensity of the light from 40% to 50% using the dimmer, based on Jon’s recommendation that I start slowly increasing the light intensity every few days. • I continue to carefully monitor how much I am watering the seedlings. I add water when the soil starts to feel dry.

Day 7

• The two new seedlings have sprouted and look great. • Jon suggested that I transfer the seedlings to larger pots now – a bit earlier than normal to address the stem stretching. I buried the stretched stems into the soil leaving about one half of an inch of stem explosed. The part of the stem below the surface will sprout new roots, Jon said, and help grow a stronger stem base. The transfer to a larger pot doesn’t usually occur until more of a root ball is formed in the pods. See photos 5-7. • Important: after a week, the humidity was too low, based on Jon’s advice, so I moved the humidifier inside the grow tent and turned it up to 65%. My target was 70%, based on Jon’s feedback for seedling stage. • Temperature and humidity are the biggest challenges for me at this point. Increasing the light intensity is also increasing the room temperature. Plants grow best when the temperature at leaf surface during the lighted period is kept between 72°F and 79°F. Some form of ventilation will be needed soon to help control these high temperatures.

(continued on page 30)

Spring 2022 • FLX420.com

Growing Pot

Should be Easy

8 • I’m naming the plants so I can report on the individual progress of each one at FLX420.com. See photo 11 on page 32. • The Blueberry Lemonade cultivars are Mystique, Dory and Violet. Fruity Dragon cultivars are Hydra, Puff, and Elliot. • Room temperature averages – H: 86°F, L: 84°F • Humidity averages – H: 28%, L: 27%

Day 10

• All six plants are looking good at this point! • I’m being very careful when I water the plants now. There’s not much of a root base yet because of the early transfer, so Jon instructed me to dampen the soil around the stem and pour more water around the edge of the growing pot to make the roots reach out for the water. • Room temperature averages – H: 79°F, L: 77°F • Humidity averages – H: 64%, L: 53% • I increased the light intensity from 50% to 70% using the dimmer dial. • I started to leave the interior door open during the day to help with air exchange.

Day 13

• Plants are growing quickly. Their average height is 3.5”. • Room temperature averages: H: 82°F, L: 75°F • Humidity averages – H: 62%, L: 45% • I increased the light intensity from 70% to 85%.

Day 18

•

• •

• Some of the plants are showing burnt tips and curled leaves due to excess heat. See photos 8-9. Soil was dry so I added more water. • I increased the amount of water I was pouring around the root base, as well as around the outside of the plant pot. I believe the light intensity of 85% is too much for the plants. It makes the room temperature too high, especially since I have no additional ventilation. I reduced the light intensity from 85% to 70% to reduce the heat until I install a ventilation system to help take excess heat out of the room. I installed a Layond 6” Inline Duct Fan with a carbon filter for grow tent ventilation. See photo 10 Room temperature average – H: 88°F, L: 80°F Humidity averages – H: 55%, L: 45%

Water Treatment

In addition to treating the tap water with a dechlorinator, it’s essential to monitor the pH of the water before using it. Too much acidity in the water will damage the live microbes in the soil. Test your water using the pH kit. You’ll want the pH levels to fall between 6.0 to 6.2. Note: I keep a 5 gallon bucket of water circulating at all times with a small submersible pump in the bottom of the bucket to mix and aerate. 30

FLX420.com • Spring 2022

Meet Fruity Dragon A nonpartisan hybrid strain, Fruity Dragon presents equal properties of indica and sativa marijuana subspecies. The result is a well-balanced experience of both deep body relaxation and energy. Euphoria gives way to a gentle return from the experience leaving you satisfied & content. This premium dank strain is idyllic for social environments.

Physical Traits Minty green cannabis buds Frosted with trichomes Red stigmas (part of the pistil)

Flowering time and yield 8 to 9 weeks – large yield

THC content 15 to 20 percent

The experience Well-balanced – deep body relaxation and energy thanks to equal parts indica and sativa Quick to act, ideal for social environments

The smells Citrusy Fresh and zesty with a twist of pungent diesel

The taste Dominant sour citrus thanks to the terpene limonene An interweaving and comforting chem taste

May relieve Orange Juice Kush is Fruity Dragon’s pot parent one. This indica dominant hybrid marijuana strain was cultivated by Dank Seeds USA by pairing California Orange Kush with OG Kush. Pot parent two is Chemodo Dragon, also known as Chem-Odo Dragon. It crosses the Chemdawg #4 strain with Gupta Kush. Joining the OJ in flavor, the Chemodo Dragon strain of marijuana contributes to Fruity Dragon’s powerful notes of citrus.

Nausea, Pain, Stress Muscle spasms

Spring 2022 • FLX420.com

Growing Pot

Should be Easy

Day 21

• Plants are looking better with plenty of new growth and an average height of 5.5” inches. • A skunky smell is starting to emanate from the room! • I increased the light intensity from 70% to 85% using the dimmer dial. • Room temperature averages – H: 82°F, L: 78°F • Humidity averages – H: 58%, L: 49%

20% off all cbd products now through May 31st! use code flx420 at checkout 32

FLX420.com • Spring 2022

* Transpiration

Water movement within a plant is driven by evaporation of water at the leaf surface. This water loss is called transpiration. Relative humidity, vapor pressure deficit and the temperature of air at and above the plant canopy will influence how much water a plant loses through transpiration.

After 3 weeks of growing, some advice from Jon

“Everything is moving in the right direction. There are obviously things that can be improved. I would like to see the environment be a little more dialed in. You will need to lower the temp in the tent or increase the humidity. Looks like you put in a vent recently, so that will help. It seems like everything is just a little stressed. As you slowly improve the environment, the plants will transpire* more efficiently and will look better and better. Keep me posted. Great Job!”

possible. This too will reduce overall temperature of the room and help with air exchange. • I increased the auto humidity to 65% • Lowered the height of the light to about 12 inches above the plants. • Gave all six plants a good watering, about 1/2 gallon each. Don’t overdo it, just enough water to see a little come out of the bottom saucer.

rom seed to sale we have you covered. From seed to my diary for the first month of my This concludes home-grow. Stay tuned for updates in the next issue. ether your business From is focused in the medical or area of cannabis, youyou will Whether your business is focus seed torecreational saleSubscribe we have covered. to FLX420.com online to receive updates on

e both challenges and opportunities. The success of your business willorrest largely onarea the of cannabis, face you bothwill challenges and oppo Whether your business is focused in the medical recreational Last minute adjustments the Home-Grow feature. isions you •make in the early stages. With all the risk you will face on a daily basis, having decisions you face bothof challenges and opportunities. The success of your business will rest largely on themake in the early Lowerd the intensity the light back to 70%. It will omprehensive insurance program with trusted partner comprehensive insurance pro slow the overall plantyou growth butawill helpearly regulate theis imperative. decisions make in the stages. With all the risk you will face on a dailyabasis, having temperature of the room. My target temperature is your own home-grow experiences, advice, a comprehensive insurance program withShare a trusted partner is imperative. 72°F-75°F degrees. photos and stories. Email us at homegrow@FLX420. special insurance JD Chapman •offers I am leaving the door to the room open as much as com. Only first names will be used.

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FLCC Responds to a

Changing Cannabis Landscape F

inger Lakes Community College in Canandaigua has long been a leader in plant education and management. It launched its well-respected horticulture degree program in 1973. In 2011, FLCC introduced a two-year viticulture and wine technology degree – the first such program in the Northeast – in response to the wine industry’s need for skilled workers. Now it’s offering a cannabis biology and cultivation track within its horticulture program. The first students enrolled in the fall of 2020. The track consists of three classes that provide a background in the biology and cultivation of the cannabis plant, as well as the regulations associated with this culturally and chemically complex product. 1. Cannabis: Biology to industrial application This course is a survey of the history of cannabis (Cannabis sativa) and its biology, breeding, chemistry, pharmacology and downstream uses, from biofuel and pulp feedstocks to medicinal application. Students develop an in-depth knowledge of cannabis, enabling them to explain present perspectives on its production and utility in human society and agriculture. Shawn Kenaley, instructor, has a doctorate in plant pathology and phytopathology from West Virginia University.

FLX420.com • Spring 2022

2. Cannabis cultivation This course will familiarize students with the growth requirements of cannabis. Topics include the cannabis life cycle, propagation, growing techniques, environmental requirements for proper growth, pest pressure and management, and harvest techniques. Students receive practical greenhouse experience using hemp. Casey Berg, instructor, has a bachelor’s degree in plant sciences from Rutgers University and serves as cultivation manager for Columbia Care, a cultivator, manufacturer and provider of medical and adult use cannabis products. 3. Regulations of cannabis cultivation This course introduces students to the legal issues related to medicinal cannabis production and best practices as they relate to regulations. The course covers laws that govern cannabis cultivation, distribution and possession, and consumption by medical patients. Students will learn state laws regarding cannabis cultivation as they relate to medicinal use and to impacts on the state budget. The course also explores the recent history of cannabis and ways in which federal laws impact cultivation.

FLCC is one of 10 SUNY colleges that

offer certificates, training programs and degrees tied to the marijuana and hemp industries in an effort to help students start careers in New Glenna Colaprete-Hudson

Shawn Kenale

Casey Berg

York’s emerging industry. •

Beyond providing education for workforce development, FLCC has sought to draw attention to social issues surrounding the legalization of cannabis. In March, the college held a Cannabis Business Incubator Symposium with a panel discussion on ensuring social equity as the industry grows in New York. Among the topics was the state’s plan to give the first licenses for sale of adult-use cannabis to those who had been charged with cannabis-related criminal offenses prior to legalization.

Glenna ColapreteHudson, an adjunct faculty member, is founder of Glenna’s CBD Best Oil with two retail locations near Rochester. Licensed as a New York State hemp grower, cultivator and retailer, Glenna not only develops and sells her award-winning line of natural and locally-farmed CBD products, she also serves on the Rochester Cannabis Coalition Committee, and on the New York State Cannabis Growers and Processors Committee on Social Equity Education, Retail and Sustainability. “There is so much to learn from this amazing plant,” she says. “I thoroughly enjoy studying the cannabinoids, but the sustainability aspects of the whole plant in remediation, packaging, etc. are just as fascinating. The medicinal sustainability and economic elements alone could be so impactful to the residents of New York State – in addition to the simple benefits of using it for recreational purposes.” Glenna told FLX420 that in 2003, she started experiencing pain from prolific nerve damage

caused by a condition called pudendal nerve entrapment (PNE). At the time, she was an accomplished engineer and product developer; had been for 20 years after earning multiple degrees from RIT. “The medicine I was prescribed for the pain was negatively impacting me,” Glenna explained. “I had tried pharmaceutics, which resulted in brain fog and fatigue. I found that frustrating and diminishing since I am so interested in academics and intellectual pursuits.” On a trip to Colorado, she decided to try CBD oil. “It was life-changing. The impact of returning to a pain-free life was so immense it compelled me to totally change my career course. “If you had told me 20 years ago that I would be growing hemp and developing CBD products, I wouldn’t have believed you,” Glenna added. “I had limited experience with cannabis and, personally, I don’t like to be altered but support the right for adults who choose to imbibe.”

SUNY’s Farmingdale campus offers a Cannabis Production and Management Certificate

•

Morrisville College launched a 15-credit Cannabis Industry minor degree program in 2019

•

Stony Brook offers a biology course called, “Cannabis: History, Culture, Science and Medicinal Uses”

“Our mission is to provide access to students to meet workforce demands,” SUNY Chancellor James Malatras told the New York Post shortly after MRTA became law last year. “This is not a simple matter. This is a seismic shift in the law.”

Spring 2022 • FLX420.com

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The smokable CBD flower from Green Unicorn Farms – specialists in “healing without the high”— is federally legal. It sparkles with trichomes, but has no psychoactive effects. greenunicornfarms.com

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FLX420.com • Spring 2022

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Full Spectrum Hemp Extract Tincture contains an impressive array of CBD and terpenes. It attaches to every endocannabinoid system receptor for the maximum benefit of the combined compounds. onehempholistics.com

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Buffalo Runtz is a sativa-dominant strain covered in frost with purple and violet hues. It’s potent with good yields. The fruity flavor combines tropical citrus, sour berries and spicy pineapple. elev8seeds.com

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Futurola X Tyson 2.0 tobacco-free blunt cones + wraps are infused with terpenes derived from Mike Tyson’s favorite strains. Ultra-thin, unbleached rolling paper pairs with perforated tips. futurolausa.com

Handcrafted Powder-coated Steel Bells from The FingerLakes Bell Co. are a unique gift. Order online or purchase at the Windmill Farm in Penn Yan or Finger Lakes Unique in Corning. flxbells.com

Spring 2022 • FLX420.com

talk SMALL

our years ago, FLX420’s Nate Kurash entered the cannabis industry when he applied for licenses in Missouri. “I had a tremendous opportunity to experience the entire process from start to finish with virgin eyes,” Nate says, and his group received six licenses. Here, he shares some invaluable advice aimed at New York’s cannabis license hopefuls. For his full list of tips, visit FLX420.com. • Being first to market is huge. The demand for cannabis is strong, and when supply is low and demand is high, there is a lot of money to be made. That being said, do not rush, be process-driven, have a plan and follow it. * Security is one of the aspects of this business most scrutinized by the regulators. DO NOT go cheap on security. It can delay you moving forward should you get a license. Inadequate security is one of the most common reasons a license is suspended or revoked. • Whatever your budget, double it. Be ready for delays and price increases in all aspects of the business. • Find yourself a good attorney and make sure he or she reviews ANY and ALL documents before you sign them.

C More than

50,000 jobs will be created by 2027 as a result of adult-use legalization in New York

ornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations (ILR) has organized the New York State Cannabis Workforce Initiative. It is tailoring outreach and education for employers, organizations and individuals – those with criminal records and others harmed by the criminalization of cannabis – who are interested in participating in New York’s cannabis industry. More than 50,000 jobs will be created by 2027 as a result of adult-use legalization in New York, according to the New School. Jobs will range from bud tenders and construction workers to chemists, botanists and engineers. To determine the needs of stakeholders, the initiative developed and distributed a national survey. About 100 employers, representing a wide range of industry sectors, from education/training to wholesale/distribution responded. Here are some highlights of the results. • More than 60 percent of them indicated that they are currently or plan to do business in New York’s cannabis industry. • Dispensary-related jobs are the most in demand by businesses. • Harvester/cultivator and inventory professionals were the second- and third-most common job titles. • Customer service is the most in-demand skill. • Cannabis employers see lack of training and skills, and insufficient awareness of career opportunities, as

FLX420.com • Spring 2022

two of the largest obstacles to social equity in the adultuse market. • More than eight out of 10 respondents expressed interest in learning more about their labor and employment law obligations to provide a just, fair and discrimination-free work environment. The survey results are helping lay the groundwork for the group’s next steps, said Esta Bigler, director of ILR’s Labor and Employment Law Program. “Our work is very exciting,” Bigler said. “We are participating in the building of a new major industry in New York.”

tain Health, a medical marijuana dispensary chain with locations in Manhattan, Kingston, Yonkers, and Syracuse, has been acquired by RIV Capital for approximately US$247 million. Founded in 2015 by Amy Peckham and her daughters Hillary and Keeley, the company is one of the state’s original five medical cannabis license recipients and one of only 10 approved vertically integrated operators.

“I

f you can Dream It, Cultivate It, or Formulate It – at Certainty we can Test It,” is the motto of Certainty Analytical Labs in Rochester, founded by Brandy Young, PhD. “Our hemp industry stakeholders need trusted and knowledgeable laboratory partners with no conflicts of interest, and that will help them navigate the red tape around compliance testing,” she said. “We look to establish long-lasting relationships with our clients through accurate results, quick turnaround, R&D and exemplary customer support services.” For more information, visit certainsciences.com. If you have article ideas, artwork, recipes or even advice you’d like to share with the readers of FLX420, email info@flx420.com.

"We couldn’t be more excited to approve 52 small farms across the state." — Cannabis Control Board Chair Tremaine Wright

he first adult-use cannabis licenses were granted in New York State when the Cannabis Control Board approved 52 Conditional Cultivator Licenses across the state on April 14. The approved licenses are from a pool of more than 150 that have been submitted to the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) since March 15. The OCM will continue to review applications on a rolling basis and get them to the board for approval as quickly as possible. “This represents a huge step in our efforts to establish an adult-use cannabis industry in New York,” said Cannabis Control Board Chair Tremaine Wright. “We couldn’t be more excited to approve 52 small farms across the state to start cultivating cannabis for adult consumption.” Granting the licenses also moves The Seeding Opportunity Initiative forward. It calls for equityentrepreneur retail owners to meet two eligibility requirements: a cannabis-related conviction that occurred prior to the passage of MRTA (or a parent, guardian, child, spouse, or dependent with a pre-MRTA conviction in New York), and experience owning and operating a successful business in the state. In terms of medical home cultivation, the Cannabis Control Board directed the OCM to file updated regulations for a 45-day public comment period to begin May 4.

he results of a Siena College Research Institute poll suggests that not everyone is on board with giving social equity candidates first dibs on New York’s adultuse retail dispensaries, reports grownin.com. The poll, which focused on New York’s 2022 political races, was completed by 804 New York State registered voters with a margin of error of 4.2 percent. A question asked respondents for their thoughts on New York’s efforts to ensure many of the state’s first adultuse dispensary licenses go to social equity candidates. “Ensuring that many of the first licenses for marijuana retail stores go to those previously convicted of marijuanarelated crimes or their family members,” was the official wording, according to grownin.com. The results showed 54 percent were in opposition to the social equity efforts, and 33 percent were in favor. GrownIn reached out to Mary Kruger, executive director of the Rochester chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, and Gretchen Schmidt, faculty program director for criminal justice and cannabis control at Excelsior College, who said the results indicate that more education of the public is needed. “It highlights how much work needs to be done to educate the public on the disproportionate impact of cannabis policing on minorities,” said Schmidt.

LX420 is always looking for fresh and intriguing ideas for content, including artwork. That’s why we asked artists at Working Class Tattoo in Syracuse to share cannabis tattoo art with us. Apprentice artist Noel Richards sent us this new custom piece. “I had a lot of fun creating it for you,” he wrote. “I wanted to focus on the healing and spiritual aspect of cannabis.” Always artistic, Noel was a drummer for local bands and was inspired by the tattoos of his fellow musicians. To get his foot in the tattoo door, so to

speak, he got a job booking appointments and running the counter at Working Class. Last year, shop owner Jeremiah Clifford officially took him on as an apprentice. “Learning all the technicalities is my favorite part of the work,” he said. “Setting up the machine, how much ink to use ... the process is much more involved than people see.” He plans to work under Jeremiah for the next 10 years. Working Class Tattoo is at 2641 James St. For more information visit workingclasstattoo.com.

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Spring 2022 • FLX420.com

101 CANNABIS

Medical Marijuana

“I want a goddamn strong statement on marijuana … I mean on marijuana that just tears the ass out of them. By God we are going to hit the marijuana thing, and I want to hit it right square in the puss … I want to hit it, against legalizing and all that sort of thing.” Richard Nixon, 37th President of the United States, 1971

and the Law by Margaret Osborne and Tina Manzer

“C

annabis is the oldest medicine known to the world,” said Mikhail Kogan, MD, during a recent webinar sponsored by Science Writers in New York (SWINY). The author of Evidence-Based Guide to the Health Benefits of Cannabis and CBD, Dr. Kogan believes cannabis can and will have a profound impact on the field of medicine. His book is considered “the definitive guide to the wide-ranging benefits of medical marijuana and other forms of cannabis.” While Dr. Kogan’s medical-cannabis specialty is treating older patients and palliating systems at end-of-life, he believes medical marijuana can help people of all ages who deal with a variety of medical issues, from chronic GI ailments to cancers. He said he’s also encouraged by what the research indicates for treatment of addiction and dementia. In his recent presentation, Dr. Kogan pointed to studies done in Israel, where there is already substantial data on cannabis and dementia. For instance, THC seems to prevent dementia in older mice, but whether or not that translates to humans is still unknown. The research is in the early phases of discovery. “I personally believe it’s going to be the most profound treatment for Alzheimer’s we ever will have,” he said. “I see where the science is going. When will we get there? I hope in my lifetime.” Cannabis use also seems to correlate to a decreased use

FLX420.com • Spring 2022

of opiates, he noted. In states that have eased cannabis laws, dispensaries reduced opioid prescriptions by almost 4 million daily doses per day for Medicare recipients, according to National Public Radio. Cannabis can be used to successfully treat nearly every chronic condition because of the body’s endocannabinoid system – a system that has receptors all over the body. “Throw any chronic condition at me, and I will tell you for that particular condition, there’s probably a cannabis application of some sort,” Dr. Kogan asserted. “It may not be curative but it’s most likely supportive.”

The states’ stance versus the federal government

Medical marijuana has been legal in New York since 2014. Over the past eight years, it’s been used here to treat people who suffer from cancer, ALS, HIV and many other health conditions. It’s legal in other states, too, but at the federal level it is not. Cannabis is included in the Controlled Substances Act with a Schedule I classification. Doctors in America cannot formally prescribe cannabis, explained Dr. Kogan. Instead, in states that have legalized medical marijuana, doctors can issue a recommendation for patient certification. This allows a patient to obtain a registry ID card from the state, which he or she can use to purchase marijuana from medical dispensaries. “But at the federal level, the DEA can say ‘Screw all of this; we’re going to arrest every doctor,’” Dr. Kogan says. In fact, federal raids and arrests of physicians have occurred. In 1996, after the Compassionate Use Act was passed in California, “The feds publicly threatened to revoke the DEA license of any physician who prescribed marijuana,” reported the LA Times. “Not a group to take threats lightly, physicians won a speedy injunction in federal court on First Amendment grounds to protect themselves against DEA action. But the chill had already set in. To this day, despite a federal court order protecting the confidentiality of doctorpatient communications, many legitimate physicians fear writing prescriptions for medical marijuana.” The Schedule I classification makes it difficult to get funding for studies and clinical trials. However, that’s rapidly changing and scientists around the world are conducting more trials, said Dr. Kogan. But compared to other nations that have engaged in robust research and testing on medical marijuana use, the United States is decades behind. “We have a market flooded with different stuff,” he explains. “None of this is researched, though. Not a single product that’s currently in U.S. dispensaries went through any formal research testing. Versus in Israel, everything is tested. Everything is researched. Every product on the shelf went through a standardization, formal testing in the labs and often actual clinical studies that were using the products patients can buy.” While this gives patients more choices in the United States, it also means, “you don’t know what’s working and what’s not working.” Dr. Kogan is part of a group advocating for universal labeling for cannabis products.

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Legal history

Cannabis extracts were commercially sold throughout the U.S. for stomach issues and other medical ailments by the late 1800s. “But by the 1930s, several state governments and other countries had banned the drug,” reports cbp.gov, the website of U.S. Customs and Border Spring 2022 • FLX420.com

CANNABIS

101

According to

michigan.gov, the spelling of marijuana has a long history in

the United States. Protection. “The U.S. federal Michigan's history government hesitated to do so, in part because therapeutic uses of primarily starts from the cannabis were still being explored spelling that was chosen and American industry profited for the Marihuana Tax from commercial applications of Act of 1937. Michigan hemp fiber, seeds and oil.” By 1937, the political climate had adopted its statutory changed and the Marihuana* Tax definition of marijuana Act was passed. It regulated the in the Public Health importation, cultivation, possession Code, utilizing the and/or distribution of marijuana. President Richard Nixon past federal spelling, repealed the act in 1972 and marihuana. gave marijuana its Schedule I classification. His infamous war on drugs was launched in 1973 when he formed the “super agency” known as the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Before the war on drugs put marijuana farmers firmly in its crosshairs, cannabis was being grown openly and with commercial success on every continent on earth, much as it had been for centuries,” wrote law professor Ryan Stoa, author of Craft Weed: Family Farming and the Future of the

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FLX420.com • Spring 2022

Featuring locally produced health and beauty aids, CBD products, soaps, wellness creams, and Finger Lakes artisan works.

Credit: quotecatalog.com

Marijuana Industry. “Yet, while unprecedented in scope, the United States’ war on drugs was not the first of its kind. The reality is that marijuana has been controversial for almost as long as humans have been farming it.” While the controversy still exists, the tide may be turning. Here’s some evidence, as listed by Investopedia. • Medical marijuana is already legal in 35 states, with 16 allowing adults to legally use it for recreational purposes. • As we find out more about the uses of marijuana for medicinal purposes, political policy continues to shift. • Although marijuana is still a controlled substance under federal government guidelines, the FDA continues to evaluate changes to marketing and export rules. • More than 65 percent of Americans believe the use of marijuana should be legalized, according to a Pew Research survey. That’s double what it was in 2000 and five times what it was in 1969.

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Growing a Cannabis Culture

Do you have a homebrewed edible recipe to share? Slide your favorite recipes into our DMs and your concoction may be featured in our next issue of FLX420! #flx420magazine

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FLX420.com Spring 2022 • FLX420.com

limit THE

Couple Works to Overturn

Opt Out vote in Gorham by Margaret Osborne

n the 15 years they’ve lived in Gorham, Ontario County, Chuck and Annie St. George have earned a reputation for being rebels. When they were relatively new to the area, the pair worked to change the town’s long-standing noalcohol law. Now, they’re fighting to overturn the town board’s decision to prohibit cannabis dispensaries in Gorham. The couple owns Pizza Sangiorgi, a combination pizza parlor, convenience

FLX420.com • Spring 2022

store and deli. The law permits them to sell alcohol in packages, but alcohol can’t be served in restaurants or bars. With thoughts of opening a bar someday, Chuck and Annie challenged the law. They circulated a petition at various events, and members of the community canvased the neighborhood on their behalf. When it came time for a vote, it passed in a landslide. “There were more people that voted for

alcohol than any candidate on the ticket that year,” Chuck says, chuckling. “People literally went to the polls, voted yes to drinking, and left,” Annie adds with a smile. When cannabis was legalized in New York last year, Annie read the law and realized a recreational marijuana business would bring in extra cash both for them and the community. They knew that weed was already sold and grown in Gorham, and a dispensary would bring in tax money and provide a safer product. But when the couple began talking to town board members, they found they were not on the same page. The board was stuck on marijuana’s negative reputation and considered it a gateway drug. Last December, the Gorham Town Board voted 3-1 to opt out of allowing marijuana dispensaries and consumption lounges, but members of the public could still call for a permissive referendum, explains Annie. They would have 30 days to collect signatures from 168 registered voters in the town —10 percent of the number of citizens who voted in the last governor’s race. “We looked at each other and decided we had to do it, whether it wins or loses,” Chuck says.

They put their petition out in the store and passed the word. Annie created a Facebook group for supporters and began posting video updates about their efforts. The pizza shop helped; it gave them an outlet to talk to people about the benefits of having a dispensary. Ultimately, they gathered about 172 legitimate signatures from voters. “People registered to vote just so they could sign the petition,” Annie says. “It was great.” The Town Board met on April 13, and decided to hold a special election. As of the time FLX420 went to press, no date had been set for it. “If community members in the Town of Gorham vote ‘no,’ meaning they don’t want a cannabis dispensary or lounge in our town, we're totally good with that,” Chuck says, but adds that he thinks the choice should be up to the citizens. If it does pass, Chuck and Annie say they’d want to open a dispensary behind their store. “I can envision what we would do,” Chuck says. “And it would be a class act.” Stay tuned to FLX420. com for updates on Gorham's opt-in/opt-out status."

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