FLX420 Winter 2023

Growing a cannabis culture in the Finger Lakes

Winter 2023

TAMMI SWEET

The author of The Wholistic Healing Guide to Cannabis explains the cannabis system within us

GROWING Best seeds for your outdoor grow. TIPS for success inside

Learn from Homegrown Hydroponics in Canandaigua

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Stone(d) Fruit

CannaMarkets and other events bring people together

26

The Cannabis Within System Tammi Sweet explores the endocannabinoid system

30 32

contents

18

Volume 2, Issue 1, Winter 2023

Good to Grow

Meet Phil Bauers, the owner of Homegrown Hydroponics

Best Seeds for Your Outdoor Grow

If you’re thinking of adding a few cannabis plants to your backyard garden, now’s the time to shop for seeds.

36 Ripped Off

Living on the Edge Part 2: Dan Diefendorf shares a story of betrayal

38 4 6 14

The Dank Tank

How to become your own Dank doctor

The Journey

by Nate Kurash

POT Shots

from our readers

The Law

An update on the CAURD program and licensing

45 46

Contact Our

Advertisers The Limit

Village of Homer Mayor Hal McCabe officially joins CANY

42

The Goods

Winter 2023 • FLX420.com

3

journey THE

I

am concerned that the state has some real problems on its hands.

Every day that passes without a dispensary opening is seriously hurting you, the people and those who have invested and plan on investing in the cannabis business here in New York.

First, the state has to put an end to unlicensed dispensaries. If officials need to amend the laws or pass new ones – whatever it takes – they need to take action now. Personally, I would be open to providing unlicensed dispensaries with some sort of provisional licensing.

I don’t think these shops should be operating for several reasons, but my biggest concern is safety.

Customers cannot be 100 percent certain that what they are buying is safe; safe from pesticides, toxic mold/fungus, heavy metals etc.

I will also say with 100 percent certainty that if an incident was to occur as a result of ingesting contaminated cannabis, it wouldn’t be intentional. I know the suppliers to these shops are good people and want to help, but by not having their products lab tested they risk someone becoming seriously ill.

Problem number 2 is momentum. The growth of the cannabis culture here is on a oneway train to Apathy Ville. People in our region have been so excited and flying sky high for the past year in anticipation of dispensaries opening, but right now that excitement and enthusiasm is pretty much gone. All the hopeful dispensary applicants sitting on real estate – how long can they hold on? What do they tell their investors? How much longer will the investors commit?

Prices on the goods and services needed to build these dispensaries aren’t going down, so this drawn-out delay will inevitably cause people to bail when they cannot absorb or justify the cost increases. Now, with dispensaries open to the east of us and Michigan only a weekend trip away (the cost of cannabis in Michigan is dirt cheap FYI, stock up when you visit),

consumers are starting to establish habits that the dispensaries here will have to try to blunt once they open.

The bottom line is that we need several dozen licensed dispensaries in this region ASAP. Finally, state officials need to start listening to you the people and to those in the industry, and look what’s happening in other states that have legalized rec cannabis.

New York needs to implement the things that worked for those states and eliminate the practices and policies that are hurting the industry.

The data is all there. All the state has to do is take time to look outwards instead of inwards. It’s okay for them to say they made some mistakes and then correct them. I encourage all our readers to contact the Cannabis Control Board and your local representatives to let them know your thoughts.

We all want this to work and, what’s even more important, we need this to work. Our region stands to benefit greatly from this industry on multiple levels.

Nate Kurash

Growing a Cannabis Culture in the Finger Lakes

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FLX420.com • Winter 2023

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from our readers

pot SHOTS

@Galaxy_Gardens_NY shared progress photos of their home grow: “I’m a small craft organic grower from Long Island now living in the Finger Lakes. This is a passion of mine that I’ve been happily doing on and off for almost 25 years. I’m still learning and improving.”

Founder - Nate Kurash nate@flx420.com Publisher Fahy-Williams Publishing Vice President - Tim Braden tim@flx420.com Editors Tina Manzer tmanzer@fwpi.com Victoria Ritter victoria@fwpi.com Graphic Artists Mark Stash mstash@fwpi.com

From roccity_indo_growz: “As a new grower, I truly appreciate this awesome opportunity to share my progress. Thank you so much, much love and respect to all. I hope your readers find happiness in what I’ve been able to accomplish. Stay Blessed-Lifted.”

Tammy Spear tammy@fwpi.com Maia VanOrman maia@fwpi.com Advertising Sales - Amy Colburn amy@flx420.com

To Subscribe to the Magazine visit FLX420.com

@Pick1UpPut1Down shared a progress photo of their home grow “Razzle Pie” from Roc Bud Inc.

To Advertise in FLX420 315-789-6431 To Sell FLX420 in your store 315-789-0458

To share your cannabis experiences, advice, photos and stories, visit FLX420.com / submit-here.

Eric G. asks, “What are the current laws around growing cannabis for personal use/ consumption?”

Answer: Read Dr. Dankenstein’s explanation of the laws pertaining to home grows on page 38.

FLX420 is published by Fahy-Williams Publishing Inc. FWPI.com Copyright© 2023. No part of this publication may be reprinted or otherwise reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

FLX420 is a member of the Cannabis Association of New York and the Legacy Growers Association.

(Continued on page 8)

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FLX420.com • Winter 2023

pot SHOTS

From Lindsey: A recipe for cannabisinfused Blueberry Muffins.

Ingredients 5 tablespoons unsalted cannabutter; cold is fine 1/2 cup sugar Finely grated zest from half of a lemon 3/4 cup plain unsweetened yogurt or sour cream 1 large egg 1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/4 teaspoon fine sea or table salt 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1-1/4 to 1-1/2 cups blueberries, fresh or frozen (no need to defrost) 3 tablespoons turbinado sugar (sugar in the raw) Directions Heat oven to 375°F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray each cup with a nonstick spray.

Melt butter in the bottom of a large bowl and whisk in sugar, zest, yogurt and egg until smooth. Whisk in baking powder, baking soda and salt until fully combined, then lightly fold in flour and berries. Batter will be very thick like a cookie dough. Divide between prepared muffin cups and sprinkle each with 1 teaspoon turbinado sugar (which may seem over-the-top but I promise, it will be the perfect crunchy lid at the end).

Bake for 25-30 minutes until tops are golden and a tester inserted into the center of muffins comes out clean (you know, except for blueberry goo). Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, and then the rest of the way on a rack.

Creative photographers who want to portray “cannabis use” can use smoke as a tool, but snapping pics of vapor does have its challenges. Janet, who submitted this smoggy image, advises, “Accept that the subject is not fully under your control and keep experimenting.”

Here, Shawn shares the progress of his home grow of Platinum Gucci from Roc Bud Inc. From dlaub: “My daughter Madison took this photo at the end of CROPtober 2022 – the Adult-Use Conditional Cultivator harvest at Grasse River Hemp LLC in Canton, New York. Absolutely love FLX420!”

8

FLX420.com • Winter 2023

Do I need a special app to upload pictures to FLX420 magazine?

No, we make it very easy for reader submissions. Simply use this link flx420.com/submit-here to submit questions and share your photos.

(Continued on page 10)

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7

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pot SHOTS

From Amy Jane Stewart, B.S., LMT and Clinical Aromatherapist, organicajane.com “Here is a recipe for Healthy Ganja Gluten-Free Brownies that I have used while my frozen shoulder heals. Since I do not take any pharmaceuticals or NSAID’s, I learned how to make my own medicine. These brownies allowed me to sleep through the night and took away my pain. The recipe is low in sugar.”

Ingredients 1 cup of THC-rich cannabis-infused organic butter or coconut oil (vegan option) 1 cup sugar in the raw 2 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 cup organic applesauce 3/4 cup of organic cocoa powder 1 cup spelt flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon sea salt Directions Mix the ingredients with a hand mixer until blended. Place 1/4 cup each into a silicon heart-shaped mold. Bake at 350˚F for 25-30 minutes. Let cool before removing; label and refrigerate. Keep out of reach of children. Suggested use: Start with ingesting a thumbnail size piece, wait one hour. Check in to see if an additional dose is needed.

(Continued on page 12)

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FLX420.com • Winter 2023

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“The whole plant hung dry at 60 and 60 for eight days,” wrote crossclt. “Then it was trimmed and put in paper bags for 24 hours, and then into jars.”

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“FRUSTRATING” An Update on the CAURD Program and Licensing

by Gregory W. Lane, Lane Law PLLC

New York State legalized recreational cannabis back on March 31, 2021, by passing the Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA). However, there remains uncertainty and unpredictability surrounding the issuance of licenses for the retail sale of recreational cannabis in New York State. This is especially true for the regions covered by FLX420.

s many readers are aware, a lawsuit was filed in September last year in Federal District Court in New York, Variscite NY One, Inc. v. State of New York, et al. The plaintiff in the Variscite lawsuit alleges that the state’s Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) program, as currently structured, violates the Dormant Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution.

As a result of the lawsuit, a court-ordered injunction was imposed that prevents the awarding of retail dispensary licenses under the CAURD program in the Finger Lakes, Western New York and Central New York regions. The injunction also affects the issuance of CAURD program licenses in the MidHudson region and in Brooklyn.

A challenge to the injunction by the state was recently rejected by the court. The case must now proceed to a determination of whether the CUARD program violates the Dormant Commerce Clause.

The CUARD program and its requirements The CAURD program was developed by the state’s Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) to enable justice involved individuals an opportunity to enter the recreational retail sale market at its earliest stages. The program also provides an outlet for the sale of cannabis and cannabis products being grown and produced under another conditional license program – for cultivation and processing – that enables existing hemp farmers in the state to grow and process cannabis legally. That conditional license program is not affected by the Variscite lawsuit.

A key requirement for participating in the CAURD program was that an individual applicant, or a 51-percent-or-more owner of a business applicant, needed to be a “justice involved” individual. A justice-involved individual is an individual who either personally was arrested in New York State for a marijuana crime or was the dependent of or guardian of someone who was arrested for a marijuana crime in the state. Additionally, the arrest and conviction (for the charge or a reduced charge) must have occurred while the defendant resided in New York.

The Variscite plaintiff is owned by an individual who met all the CAURD program justice involved individual requirements except that his arrest and conviction occurred in the state of Michigan, not New York.

(Continued on page 35)

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FLX420.com • Winter 2023

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Stone(d) Fruit

by Tina Manzer

T

he Cherry, a multiuse art space in Ithaca’s West End, is the home of the Finger Lakes CannaMarket, a “pop-up social experience” that, for the past year, has been introducing consumers across the state to local cannabis products.

“Think of it as a farmers market with just one crop,” explained event organizer Kenneth McLaurin, whose day job is

standup comedy. “It’s not all about the flower, though.

People who have cannabis-ancillary businesses – glass pipes, T-shirts, CBD products – also exhibit there.

“No one sells cannabis,” he continued. “They can’t, legally. But everyone who comes – consumers pay an admission fee – can enjoy free samples. We encourage and allow the exhibiting businesses to give away as much cannabis as they want. Vaping, dabbing and smoking are allowed in designated areas.”

The CannaMarket features about 50 exhibitors each month. On average, each event attracts around 150 people who want to know more about the plant and its newly-legal use.

“Our goal from the beginning was to destigmatize pot, to create an understanding of what it does and how best to use it,” said McLaurin, who works with co-organizer Jason Cunnius. “A big part of the CannaMarket’s value is that consumers can engage with it in a safe and healthy way. They can also learn from the vendors – the farmers who grow it, the people who make CBD products and the chefs who are interested in cooking with it. We’ve also brought in speakers from Cornell who have discussed its medicinal uses, the effects of indica versus sativa and generally how to get the most out of a cannabis experience.”

Last year, a large contingent of visitors from Binghamton made the hour-long trip to The Cherry each month, so this year, McLaurin has scheduled CannaMarket events in Binghamton.

Visit fingerlakescannamarket.org for specific dates.

Looking ahead, McLaurin can envision CannaMarkets across the state along with other events that bring people together to have fun around specific themes. Here’s his story.

You perform comedy up and down the East Coast.

How did Ithaca become your base?

Foxy Goodstone, an exhibitor at the Finger Lakes CannaMarket, enthusiastically supports the “nothing for sale” rule.

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FLX420.com • Winter 2023

Kenneth McLaurin: I’ve been doing standup since around 2011. It’s my calling, my passion. It’s what I love to do. I’m originally from Wilmington, North Carolina.

My story is typical – I came here with my spouse who was a graduate student at Cornell University. When she graduated, we divorced. She moved on. I stayed here.

Stone(d) Fruit

CannaMarket attendees enjoy infused milk and cookies.

What sparked the idea for the CannaMarket?

I’ve been a cannabis user and enthusiast for a long time. When cannabis was legalized in New York State, I was really excited about it. I thought about people like me who really enjoy cannabis, and how they would need a place to gather as they came out of their hidey holes. People come together around all sorts of themes – football, wine, cigars, books – and around plants, including vegetables at farmers markets. So why not cannabis?

I enjoy the logistics and planning aspect of events.

As a performer, I book my own shows. I also plan and promote events, including several here in Ithaca – comedy festivals and “A Taste of Soul,” where I got local caterers together to highlight Black cuisine. I enjoy seeing the reactions of people, and to see them laugh and have fun.

Are there other cannabis farmers markets like yours?

I know of one in Syracuse and one in Rochester.

Like Finger Lakes CannaMarket, they’ve been on the forefront of bringing people together. Within our region, though, we’re the only one.

Tell me about your locations.

Binghamton is new-ish, even though we held our second-ever event there in December 2021. We’re back there this year, at the Holiday Inn Binghamton.

Our original focus was Ithaca. In 2021, we applied to the Ithaca Police Department for a permit to hold CannaMarkets at the popular Ithaca Farmers Market location. Our application was accepted, so we made plans to do a market every Thursday throughout the summer. At the last minute there was a regime change at the police department and our license was revoked.

(Continued on page 22)

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FLX420.com • Winter 2023

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Stone(d) Fruit (Continued from page 20)

We had to start all over.

We chose another venue and readied our plans but again – the venue fell through. We reached out to The Cherry Artspace where we had held other events, and they said “yes.” In addition to hosting The Finger Lakes CannaMarket, The Cherry also presents concerts, burlesque and dance performances, poetry and book readings, art exhibits and more.

The Cherry Arts organization has been really supportive of the market.

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It’s not only about the flower at Finger Lakes CannaMarket.

Exhibitors also display glass pipes, jewelry, T-shirts and art.

considered a recreational drug.

Think about the Finger Lakes Wine Trails, the number of bars, craft breweries … Most of the large sponsors of community festivals are beer or wine companies. You can’t walk around and drink alcohol on Ithaca Commons – unless there’s a festival. We want to let people see that cannabis, too, can be something around which a community event can be held. In other words, it’s not something to be scared of.

What will happen to the CannaMarket after dispensaries open?

Right now, the Office of Cannabis Management is not very clear on how something like a cannabis farmers market fits into their plans for legalization. We’ll continue until they tell us not to.

My mission is to bring people together. Going forward, we are looking to do more events; maybe a happy hour with infused beverages and non-infused food. Once the Health Department works out how infusion and cooking are going to work, we’ll be down with that.

Winter 2023 • FLX420.com

23

The

Cannabis Within

System

by Tammi Sweet

A

s the legal adult use of cannabis increases around the world, you’re probably hearing from social media, budtenders and anyone else trying to sell you their “proprietary blend/process/ extraction method” that the plant will cure anything. Maybe you’re wondering if the hype is based on scientific fact and if cannabis can really help you.

Well, I can tell you this: humans

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FLX420.com • Winter 2023

have worked with the medical benefits of cannabis for 6,000 years. And through the lens of their long-documented use I will explore with you the myriad ways cannabis helps with health issues, everything from inflammation and pain to anxiety and sleep.

But before I launch into the physiology, we all need a basic working knowledge of the cannabis system within us: the endocannabinoid system (ECS). It is already

in place inside us; a system that cannabis can interact with and mimic. That’s why the plant is so effective as medicine.

The ECS is so important that it’s conserved throughout all the major species on the planet – from sea squirts and worms all the way up to alligators and dolphins.

(Insects do not have an ECS, sadly for them.) When the evolving Gaian system believes something is especially good for

The first in a series of articles by Tammi Sweet, author of The Wholistic Healing Guide to Cannabis and the upcoming Beginner’s Guide to Growing Cannabis and Making Your Own Healing Remedies

survival on the planet, she makes sure it is conserved across species and throughout evolution (again, sorry insects).

But simply knowing the system exists isn’t enough. Over the next four issues, I will also explore why we’ve evolved to have it, the overall functions of the system and, finally, how cannabis interacts with us through the endocannabinoid system.

Let’s get started.

Regulator and protector Not only is the ECS important, it is old. Very old.

The presence of the endocannabinoid system preceded our complicated nervous system. In the big-picture sense, the ECS oversees the state of the nervous system and the body at large. It regulates our individual sense of well-being and creates the “tone” we operate within.

Think of the ECS as a global protection system: when it runs optimally, a sense of “all is well” permeates your body.

This sense of wellness allows for learning, the laying down of new memories, present-time ease, relaxation and sleep.

At a physiological level, the ECS has two major overarching functions. The first is regulation, particularly of the inflammatory system and most effectively as an “off switch” of the inflammatory process. That’s important because the healing process of inflammation turns deadly when it continues to inflame long after the initial stimulus has been removed. Chronic inflammation is the underlying cause of most chronic diseases and if it’s not the cause, it is a major contributing factor and symptom.

The second overarching function of the endocannabinoid system is protection. A healthy ECS allows neuroplasticity, which protects you from pain and rogue cancerous cells, plus neurodegeneration and neural ruts (that prevent you from learning). The ECS regulates cell growth, along with normal, programmed cell death (apoptosis) and the stress response.

In addition, the ECS sets the tone of the autonomic nervous system – the part in charge of all automatic functions, especially our fight-or-flight response. As the gatekeeper for fight or flight, the ECS allows the turning on and turning off of the sequence of events responsible for initiating the changes we experience when we mount our stress response.

An imbalance in the ECS can make it easier for a body to initiate the stress response and harder to shut it down. Anxiety and PTSD are both conditions that result from an overly engaged stress response.

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27

The

Cannabis Within System

How it works Our ECS is made up of chemicals called endocannabinoids and the receptors they bind.

Anadamide and 2 AG – our very own THC-like molecules – are endocannabinoids you may have heard of before.

Endocannabinoids are released on demand from cells throughout our bodies and then bind their receptors to cause the effects we’ve discussed. The chemicals must bind their receptor to initiate changes such as shutting down inflammation, decreasing the release of chemicals that signal pain, or regulating cancercell growth by causing cell death.

The mind-blowing notion for physiologists (or anyone else who pauses to be amazed), is that most cells in the body have the ability to

Ways to combat Clinical Endocannabinoid Deficiency Syndrome Endocannabinoid Deficiency is a relatively new syndrome and can be linked to migraines, IBS, fibromyalgia, anxiety, MS, Huntington’s, chronic motion sickness, anorexia, schizophrenia, Parkinson’s and failure to thrive. As more research is done, more diseases will be linked to this state.

Unfortunately, no test exists to see if you are deficient. Instead, positive changes in health and well-being become apparent when we “boost” our endocannabinoid levels either by boosting the production of our own or mimicking binding of the receptors.

Lifestyle changes are at the top of the list for helping to increase functioning of the endocannabinoid system. They include • dietary supplementation of Omega-3s and probiotics; • limiting pesticide ingestion and use of plastics with food; • limiting caffeine, alcohol, and opiate use, and • increasing stress management, exercise and massage.

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release and respond to endocannabinoids. This is very different from the endocrine system where a single gland like the pancreas is responsible for releasing a chemical (insulin) that travels around the whole body and has an effect.

But releasing endocannabinoids is only half of the equation in a working system. Target cells need to have working receptors for binding the endocannabinoids.

It is the binding of the receptor that brings about the physiological changes. Some of the receptors in our body that are sensitive to endocannabinoids are Cannabinoid-1 (CB1), Cannabinoid-2 (CB2) and Vanilloid (TRPV) receptors.

Cannabis works because some of its chemicals – CBD, THC and CBG; acids like THCA and CBDA and the terpene caryophyllene – mimic our own endocannabinoids and some bind our receptors.

Cannabis as an effective supplement Both CBD and CBG – cannabinoids found in cannabis – boost the production of our own anandamide.

This allows for an increase in mood and decreases in inflammation, pain and the stress response overall. CBD

and CBG also carry out effects other than boosting our own ECS. I’ll discuss those different functions in future issues.

THC, another cannabinoid found in cannabis, binds endocannabinoid receptors directly. This direct binding mimics the effects of our endocannabinoids and results in some of the medical conditions we’ve discussed.

Watch for future articles in which I will explore the benefits of THC in dealing with pain, inflammation, anxiety, PTSD and sleep.

Tammi Sweet is the cofounder and co-director of The Heartstone Center for Earth Essentials near Ithaca.

She offers workshops and classes there in both cannabis and herbal medicine, along with a variety of courses in anatomy and physiology online. For the past 30 years she has taught a range of students in a variety of learning environments. Sweet is a licensed massage therapist and holds a master’s degree in endocrinology. To learn more, visit heart-stone.com/ cannabis.

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29

Good to

Grow

by Tina Manzer

P

hil Bauers, owner of the Homegrown Hydroponics store in Canandaigua, is in business for the long haul. It’s important to him that you know that.

With the advent of cannabis legalization, “a lot of hydroponic stores just want to make a lot of money really quick and be gone in a couple of years,” he said in a recent interview. “I’m trying to do something solid and plant roots that grow deep for the community and the industry as a whole.”

Bauers hopes to become the cannabis-grow mentor that he never had for people planting pot in the Finger Lakes.

Homegrown Hydroponics, which opened last April, sells everything home growers need. There’s a complete setup in the front of the store.

There’s also a setup with a blueberry bush. While weed may be the plant du jour, Bauers is your guy whether you want to grow cannabis or kale.

Nerding out and getting well Bauers grew up in Warsaw in Wyoming County, and entered the U.S. Navy after high school. After his discharge in 2008, he became a police officer and remained in law enforcement for 10 years.

“I left in 2018 and started a

construction business – Bauers Remodeling & Repair – and it did really well. Life was perfect as it should be,” he explained. “But one day I just couldn’t think; couldn’t get out of bed. Apparently, the high-stress jobs I’ve had – I was a master-atarms, the Navy’s version of military police, before I became a police officer – left me with PTSD, depression and anxiety. Therapists I talked to wanted to give me a bunch of medication, but I’m not big on that. I started researching alternatives and discovered cannabis. I nerded out on the amazing science of it. It’s phenomenal that we haven’t touched the surface yet of what this plant can do.”

Creating a marijuana strain that treated his issues specifically – the PTSD, anxiety and some shoulder pain – became Bauers’ hobby. In the meantime, his construction business flourished.

“It grew enough so that I could buy new equipment, a skid steer specifically. Delivery was delayed because of COVID, and at some point while I was waiting for it, I said, ‘Screw it.’ I used the money to start this store so that I could share my real-life experiences and teach other people how to grow.”

Once he had committed to the plan, he got in his car and drove around, spotted a building he liked and called the landlord. Ten minutes later he had the keys.

A solid merchandise mix and a knowledgeable staff “The store isn’t big, 2,200 square feet divided into two rooms, but my employees and I try to make it cozy. It’s clean and warm and welcoming,” said Bauers. “I’m very big on organization. It helps me when a talk to customers – I don’t have to go hunting for the items I’m recommending.”

The store carries a wide variety of products, everything from tents, lights and soils to hydroponic equipment including Deep Water Culture, plus a dozen different nutrient brands.

Bauers has personally used a good 90 percent of the products he stocks, he said. “I want to be able

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FLX420.com • Winter 2023

to be able to give people options and explain how all the different choices work.”

He’s a big fan of AC Infinity grow equipment both for its price and performance.

He uses those products personally. “Six months ago I decided to become an AC Infinity superstore and stock almost everything that’s on the brand’s website,” he noted. “If there’s something on the website that we don’t have in stock, we price match and cover shipping.”

Since Homegrown Hydroponics opened last April, he’s welcomed customers from all over Central and Western New York, and even a few from Pennsylvania. “And it’s not just about growing cannabis, although so many people want to try it now because it’s legal to do so. But we also serve students enrolled in the horticulture program at Finger Lakes Community College and elderly customers who are gardeners. My 9-year-old daughter has a tent in her bedroom where she grows kale, lettuce and cucumbers for Cookiebacon, her guinea pig,” Bauers explained.

“Homegrown Hydroponics doesn’t focus only on cannabis; we are a resource for growers of all plants,” he said. “Ultimately, if

people came here and didn’t even think about growing cannabis, that would be awesome.

But we want to teach them how. It’s such an important aspect of how we live today. There are so many benefits, and it’s timely right now with New York’s legalization of adult use.”

In February, Homegrown Hydroponics held its first class. “Going forward, we’re going to hold a series of classes – one each week – but I’d like to get to a point where I’m offering three a week. On Saturdays, I’d like to offer free classes for families and kids and anyone else who wants to grow plants and vegetables.

Our goal is to help them be successful at it so they keep growing. We want them to learn a lifelong skill.”

Bauers adds, “My ideal customer is someone who comes in with a lively spirit and wants to learn something new. The best part of my job is seeing those people come back week after week.”

Homegrown Hydroponics is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily, except Sundays. It’s located at 2485 Rochester Road in Canandaigua. For more information, see the ad on page 34 or call 315-759-0777.

Winter 2023 • FLX420.com

31

Best Seeds for your

Outdoor Grow

Photos courtesy Humboldt Seed Co.

I

f you’re thinking of adding a few cannabis plants to your backyard garden, now’s the time to shop for seeds. There are a lot to choose from and many factors to consider, not the least of which is climate.

Speaking of weather, if you’re dismissing California genetics wholesale because California is the Golden, Warm and Sunshiney State and New York is the Unpredictable More Toward Damp and Gloomy

State, it would be a mistake. According to Nathanial Pennington, founder and CEO of Humboldt Seed Company in California, there are California strains that work really well in our region. Here’s his list, along with some advice on planting, transplanting and protecting your grow.

FLX420: It’s hard to believe that you have seeds that will grow as well here as they do there.

Nathanial Pennington: Actually, quite a few farms in Upstate New York have grown our genetics outdoors with very successful results. The best seeds for your area are those that finish in mid-September through early October. A crowd favorite is Blueberry Muffin, which will finish up between September 15 and September 25.

All Gas OG is another good choice, especially for those who prefer the super-gassy fuel terpenes. This

one finishes in late September.

Hella Jelly, deemed one of the top 10 strains in 2022 in California by Leafly, boasts remarkably high THC levels, often exceeding 30 percent.

Hella Jelly will finish in mid-to-late September.

Autoflowering strains would be worth considering for outdoor cultivation as well. Modern autoflowers rival the best photoperiod strains nowadays. Both Caramel Cream and Pound Town outperform their regular seed counterparts in THC concentration.

Mint Jelly is another good choice, delivering THC levels in the 25-to-30 range. This one was designed for the top-shelf-flower market and will deliver all the gorgeous frostiness that savvy home growers and consumers are looking for.

All Gas OG is an Indica-dominant huge producer. Everything about this one is huge: the plant, the leaves, the nugs and the high!

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FLX420.com • Winter 2023

Blueberry Muffin is a cult classic. It produces plants that grow uniformly and produce with frosty colas highlighted with purple flakes. Best of all, it delivers the uncanny scent of blueberry muffins right out of the oven!

Do you start the seeds inside?

Yes – we recommend starting any seeds that are destined for outdoor cultivation indoors in a greenhouse.

You need to be conscientious about matching the light cycle to avoid early flowering. In other words, you want the young plants exposed to the same hours of light they’d get if they were outside to avoid problems. It’s less of a factor with autoflowering strains, but the autos are sensitive to becoming rootbound – it’s something to keep an eye on. You want to give them plenty of room to spread out.

The easiest option is to start the seeds in the 3-to-5gallon pot that they will spend their entire life cycle in.

When should you plant them?

In Upstate New York, you can start the seeds in your greenhouse as early as mid-March. If you don’t have access to a greenhouse and will start them outside, it is best to wait until the last chance of snow and frost has passed. Depending on your specific location, this could be as late as early April or early May. In Humboldt, California, where the climate is not that different from Upstate New York, we suggest that people who want to grow in their backyards start autos inside on

Caramel Cream (auto), a 2018 Phenotype Mega-Hunt winner, delivers robust growth, high THC levels and is disease, pest and mold resistance. It has a captivating terpene profile.

4/20 and transplant them outdoors during the first week of May. With the photoperiodic strains, it’s good to wait until the plants are at least 10 inches tall.

With the autos, the sooner you transplant the better, but it’s vitally important to wait until the weather is warm enough. You need to transplant them when they’re about an inch or two tall. They will be quite small and vulnerable to an extreme weather event.

It’s a bit of a balancing game with the weather, but early transplanting of autos to their permanent location is hugely essential, the key to success. Even a skilled gardener can sometimes miss that plants have become rootbound. The plant is already negatively affected as soon as the roots are touching the edge of the pot.

Do you have any tips or tricks for avoiding pitfalls?

Even the most experienced growers have had slugs, mice and even birds wreak havoc in their greenhouse when the plants are small. Setting up a seed starting table that’s high off the ground is a good idea, and securing the greenhouse so birds don’t have access is helpful as well. If

Hella Jelly is a 2019 Phenotype Mega-Hunt winner, a productive, fast-flowering, high-THC strain. It’s a Sativa strain with the growth habit of an Indica, giving you faster flowering and sturdier structure!

Winter 2023 • FLX420.com

33

Pound Town (auto) combines the yield, vigor and bud density of the well-loved Magic Melon autoflower with the marketability and higher THC of Sour Apple auto.

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you’re starting seed outdoors, you may want to add domes or netting to protect the seedlings when they are small and most vulnerable.

If you’re starting indoors, make sure you use organic potting soil for the first few weeks of the plant’s life. Allowing the soil to completely dry out before watering can help prevent mold and mildew problems. Cycling between wet and dry, while giving the soil time to dry out, is a really simple, low-tech way to mitigate the risk of this common issue.

Cannabis, in general, will thrive in regular, well-amended garden soil. You can grow cannabis in the same soil you would use to grow tomatoes. Fancy specialty soils are not needed. A little chicken manure or good quality compost will suffice.

Feminized seeds would be a better choice for the beginning grower. If you get regular seeds you need to be aware that 50 percent of your plants will be male. You can’t really tell the difference between male and female until they are 1- or 2-feet tall.

Blueberry Muffin is going to be the easiest one for the less experienced grower, but it is also a favorite with commercial growers due to the bud’s consumer-friendly, fresh-baked blueberry-muffin scent. Blueberry Muffin will need minimal trellising compared to the other strains mentioned here. The others will grow larger and have higher yields, but they will require more significant effort in setting up and maintaining trellising.

With the autos, once you get past the early stage, they are some of the easiest and most rewarding to grow. If you plant your seeds on 4/20, you’ll have knee-high plants by the Fourth of July and be almost ready to harvest.

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See their ad on page 29.

THE law

(Continued from page 14)

The Dormant Commerce Clause Under the U.S. Constitution, Congress is given the power to make laws and rules governing commerce among the states, known as interstate commerce. States, on the other hand, are free to regulate commerce and trade that occurs within their borders, known as intrastate commerce.

The Dormant Commerce Clause (DCC) is the basis of a legal doctrine first formulated in the early 1800s. It posits that a state may not enact a law that would have a detrimental effect on interstate commerce and favor the citizens and businesses of that state over the citizens and businesses of other states – even if there may not be a similar federal law in place.

This explanation of the DCC is, due to space constraints, a very simplified one. The case law involving the DCC is very nuanced and highly fact-specific. Suffice it to say that the Variscite plaintiff is using the DCC as the basis for its challenge to the CAURD program, claiming that New York State is favoring New York residents over residents of other states.

The Variscite lawsuit, and potentially others like it, spells real danger for not only the CAURD program but the other licenses available under the MRTA. The draft regulations proposed under the act have been published for public comments, and they, too, contain aspects of New York residency or New York presence requirements.

There is no date scheduled for a hearing on the merits. It may be months before a decision is released.

Meanwhile, the regulations are in a public comment period scheduled to expire on February 13. Significant comments are expected. Once the comment period ends, the OCM will review the comments and publish a report on them. If the comments are substantial enough to require revisions to the regulations, the OCM will publish revised regulations that are subject to another public comment period. It appears that in a best-case scenario there will not be any finalized and enacted regulations for license applications until mid-to-late spring of this year.

The term “frustrated” may not be strong enough to convey how many of us involved in the New York legal cannabis market feel. The best thing to do is to stay informed, prepare ourselves as best we can to take advantage of licensing opportunities as they arise, and execute our business plans using best practices while, however, maintaining flexibility to adapt to the changing legal landscape.

Hopefully, when the dust settles after all the uncertainty and New York State has a robust and thriving legal recreational cannabis economy, we’ll be able to look back on these days and say, “At least it was all worth it!”

Greg Lane has been practicing real estate law and business transactions for more than 35 years. In addition to his work in the cannabis space, he practices in all areas of real estate and commercial and business transactions. For more information, call 585-455-3674 or email glane@lanelawpllc.com.

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35

Living on the Edge Part 2

Ripped Off

by Tina Manzer

F

orty-plus years ago, cannabis cultivator Daniel Diefendorf and his friends quietly grew pot outdoors in secret locations, including one hidden in plain sight behind the tennis (now volleyball) courts at Powder Mills Park in Pittsford. “I used to do some really ballsy things back then,” said Diefendorf, who today is chief geneticist, cultivar and greenhouse manager for Glenna & Co, a licensed hemp and marijuana farm in Monroe County.

He developed his skills in the 1980s when he was introduced to larger-scale outdoor growing operations, both here in the Finger Lakes and in Texas. He got to see and experience what it takes to successfully grow, harvest and process large crops, and he logged many miles between North Texas and Rochester.

His Texas friends called him “Cornell” because he introduced them to Cornell Skunk genetics in 1984. The Texans crossed them with their Mexican-influenced sativa genetics to create a beautiful plant the grew vigorously in both Texas and New York for many years.

“I had a friend who went to Cornell University so I was often on campus,” Diefendorf recalled. “I’d stop at the bookstore and buy a bunch of extra-large hoodies, the really high-end ones, and take them to the Vietnam vets growing pot in rural Texas. I can still see those guys walking around in their red hooded sweatshirts.”

In the Fall Issue of FLX420 (page 32), he recounted an incident that occurred while travelling back and forth from Texas to Rochester. He and his cargo made it back to Rochester (to the delight of everyone with prepaid orders), but the adventure wasn’t over. Here, Diefendorf tells us what happened next.

From Dan Diefendorf

I had been back from that trip for maybe a few weeks and was returning home one day from my job at Rochester Steel Treating. When I pulled up, my roommate and the girls who lived upstairs were standing outside. “What’s going on?” I asked.

“Dan, somebody broke into our apartment!” said my roommate. “They kicked down the door to your room and then the door to your closet. They stole the trunk that was padlocked to the pole in your closet.”

You can imagine what was in that trunk. I was devastated.

Then I got to thinking … obviously, it was an inside job. Who among my friends had betrayed my trust? My thoughts settled on “Cam” who had ridden with me once to Texas. He knew I could track him down pretty quickly at his home nearby, but he had a brother who went to Clarkson University …

Based on that hunch, I grabbed another friend and we drove four hours north to Potsdam, New York. We had no idea where Cam’s brother lived, so when we arrived we just started walking around, going in and out of buildings on campus. Finally I spotted his name on an intramural basketball schedule on a bulletin board in a fraternity house. “This must be the place,” I said, and then I heard him laugh! He had a very distinctive

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laugh and it was coming from behind one of the closed doors down the hall.

I knocked. The people inside asked, “Who is it?” and I gave them the name of a Rochester guy Cam’s brother knew. The door opened, and there were 20 beefy frat brothers sitting around the big pile of my pot, a pound of my mushrooms and my scales.

They had even stolen my scales! Cam and his brother were in the process of weighing it out.

“Cam, buddy, you’re dead,’” I said. “You made the mistake of going with me to Texas and now the guys you met there are on their way here to kill you.”

He turned white. All he could say was, “How did you find us?”

I looked around at all the frat boys expecting a fight. I was all pumped up and said to them, “You know what’s going on? This m----- -----r just ripped me off. There’s $30,000 worth of pot here and it’s mine!”

“Hey man, he just walked in here like 10 minutes ago,” one of them said, and they helped me pack everything and take it out. It was all there, except for a quarter ounce, which was unheard of when someone ripped you off back in the day.

At home a few days later, with everything safely hidden, I rented a Uhaul. My buddies and I took it to Cam’s apartment. “You and I have been friends for a long time,” I said to him, “but I caught you red handed – you broke in and robbed me of something worth close to $50,000. Now you tell me: what don’t you want me to take from your apartment.”

“Aren’t you guys going to beat me up?” he asked.

“No, no … there’s no violence involved,” I said, “but you got caught stealing so guess what? You’ve got to give up something to make up for it.”

We ended up taking his waterbed, which was probably 20 made a lot of money back then years old, just to prove a point. That’s how it ended. He entered for a 24-year-old kid and got to see the Coast Guard shortly afterwards, and I didn’t see him firsthand how not to spend it. I watched our extended again until 20 years later when he walked up to me at a cannabis-grow family spend their money on cocaine and bar in Pittsford. prescription drugs, which eventually brought down our grow “Cam, get the heck away from me,” I said. operation. Luckily, I went in a different direction.

B

y 1987, the Texas operation had fallen apart.

Its kingpin, “Paul,” got arrested and ratted out the other players there, and then called me in New York. “Can you help me get out of here?” he asked.

So I drove to Texas and we packed a Uhaul with Paul’s possessions and a whole crapload of cannabis and drove to Upstate New York. I said good-bye to him in Penfield.

He looked at me and said, “Kid, we had a hell of a run. And you and I will never talk or see each other again. It’s for your own safety.” He handed me 10 grand and a couple of pounds of pot and he and his dog took off. I haven’t seen him since, but a couple of years ago his former wife, my ex-girlfriend’s sister, knocked on my door.

“I don’t want to freak you out or anything, but I need you to know that Paul told on a lot of people,” she explained. “To this day, they are still looking for him. As his right-hand man, you would be one of the people they’d visit.”

I assured her that I hadn’t looked for, heard from or had anything to do with Paul in more than 40 years.

I needed to get out of Rochester and my mom convinced me to go to Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island. Culinary school became my life. I graduated with an associate’s degree in culinary arts and then a bachelor’s degree in food-service management.

I worked for a friend in Georgia who eventually sold his internet business in 1999 for $153 million. I was the private chef for his company and also managed the construction of a custom 10,000 square-foot white-cedar log home for his 25-year-old son in Georgia.

That’s when I received the heartbreaking news that my older brother Donnie had died of a heart attack at age 40. I returned to Rochester and ended up raising his daughter Jessica who was 13 at that time. We went through a lot together over the years. Today, Jessica has two beautiful daughters, Ava and Anniston.

My parents live in the Adirondacks and I recently became their primary caregiver. I will continue to keep them both safe and wellcared-for. I am so lucky to be working for people who support me and my family during this difficult situation.

In terms of growing cannabis, I have a lifetime’s worth of amazing stories and experiences. I’m glad now to come out of the shadows and tell them. You should ask me about this grow we had once in Pittsford. One day there was an incident involving a mountain lion and a deer …

Winter 2023 • FLX420.com

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dank tank THE 38

How to Become Your Own

Dank Doctor

Goooooooood Morning Grow Fam!

R

ecently, I’ve received a ton of questions from first-time home-growers. What caught me off guard about them (but probably shouldn’t have) was the one question asked most often: “Can I legally grow weed in my house?”

If you’ve read past issues of this magazine, you already know that I am a proud Legacy Grower. That means that I grew cannabis even though I knew it was against the law to do so. I believe in the power of the plant and feel that everyone should be able to grow it, so when people ask me, “Is growing weed legal?” I immediately think, “Of course it’s not legal, but you should grow it anyway.”

Now we’re in this amazing time when we no longer have to grow cannabis illegally. Still, there are a few things to know if you want to grow it for yourself or your family. The number-one thing, and also the answer to your question, is NO! You cannot grow cannabis legally in New York until 18 months after the first legal cannabis sale, and that just happened last December. I know it sounds insane, but the intention behind this law is that everyone should support the newly legalized farmers before growing their own.

But don’t lose all faith yet: the (flawed) system is here to save the day. Anyone with a medical card can begin to grow their own cannabis RIGHT NOW! Fortunately for you, the medical program is a darn joke and a coverup for the state to make money from cannabis sales before they are actually legal.

Wanna guess what you have to do to get your medical card? Well, if you guessed $149 you are right! We are all New Yorkers here so let’s just be honest. NY likes her money!

I am a card holder and have been for the past three or four years. I used the website nuggmd.com to obtain it and I’m pretty sure the doctor who interviewed me was drinking a beer in a motel. So good news: you can lie throughout the entire process and you will literally be qualified for almost any reason. (Fortunately for me I have a lot of real problems so I qualified under a number of serious issues.)

So after you pay Uncle Sam the $149, you can immediately grow up to six plants – three flowering plants and three vegetative plants. Now I know it doesn’t sound like a lot, but I heard a rumor that you should grow the amount you personally need regardless of what ANYONE tells you ever, ever, EVER!

FLX420.com • Winter 2023

A

t this point, it is important to pause to understand the difference between a flowering plant and a vegging plant. First, they will be on different light cycles. The rule of thumb for the vegetative stage is 18 hours of daylight and six hours of darkness. For the flowering stage it’s 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. When the law says, “three mature plants and three immature plants” it means three plants without buds developing and three plants that have buds developing.

Important side note: you can legally keep up to 5 pounds of cannabis at your household at one time. For reference, that’s about three harvests in a 5- by 5-foot flowering setup.

Once you’ve gotten yourself legal, it’s time to buy seeds. I recommend visiting thelegacyexclusive.com where you will find ONLY small local New York breeders who would be more than happy to help you find the perfect genetics for you. The site is run by growers who have been in the traditional market for years.

They’re also avid smokers.

For many years, Joshua Waterman, aka Dr. Dankenstein, was part of the large underground network of “legacy” cannabis growers who operated across the state before MRTA. Their expertise at creating high-quality strains and innovative genetics is legendary. Last year, Josh came out of the shadows to form the Legacy Growers Association. He continues to lobby elected officials and representatives from the Office of Cannabis Management on policy beneficial to legacy’s interests.

Discover more about Josh on Instagram.

Don’t be afraid to reach out and ask questions. This is our passion and we love to help people make it theirs, too.

Next is a place to grow them. There are many different styles of growing but growing in a tent within a “lung room” (more on that later) is the most common for first-time growers.

Understanding size, space, heat and humidity Before you purchase any grow supplies, measure the height of the ceiling of your lung room – your spare bedroom, basement, etc. – to make sure all the necessary equipment you’ll need will fit. For reference, the average tent stands between 6 and 8 feet tall and (for this example) will be 5 by 5 feet wide. Therefore, you will want a room that is at least 10 feet by 6 feet wide to be … kind of comfortable. Larger is better.

G

rowing can be the most healing and meditative process or it can be a cluttered, stressful nightmare that will sink you into a deep, DEEP depression. If you stick with it, you will begin to realize that your grow room is a reflection of yourself and your life. Some people see their reflection, don’t like what they see and change it.

Others see their reflection, don’t like what they see, and start buying weed from a dispensary. When you see a reflection of yourself, I would highly encourage you to look long and hard and implement change where change is needed.

When you grow plants in a tent, the air exchange will be from in and out of your grow tent and your lung room – the larger room that your tent is in. Why this is important: if you were growing without a lung room, your lung room would be the world and our absolutely insane New York weather. Your lung room adds an extra layer of control over your grow; that’s why first-time growers favor this style. It lets you control the environment that is outside of your environment and requires much smaller and cheaper equipment.

H

ere are the three most important things for EVERY new grower to understand.

1. CONTROL YOUR ENVIRONMENT. 2. pH YOUR WATER EVERY TIME, NO QUESTIONS ASKED. 3. STOP OVERWATERING.

Your plant’s health is dependent on the environment around it, so before I set up a lung room, I like to get the high and low temperature and humidity readings just as the room sits. It gives me insight on how sealed it is from the outside and the rest of the house. The less of a swing the better!

T

his is a process you will repeat in your room for as long as you are growing. Understanding the relationship between your plants’ health and the high and lows of your environment is the only way to build a long-lasting relationship with this plant and improve the quality of your life.

You will have to monitor your environment and adjust accordingly depending on the stage of life of your plants and your growing strategy. A good tip to know early on is that anything that uses electricity also creates heat – and heat lowers humidity. Even a standup AC is creating heat at the same time it is cooling the room. If the environment seems uncomfortable to you it is most likely uncomfortable for your plants.

T

he process of growing these plants is the same process of growing ourselves. So be patient with yourself and understand that as long as you are learning from your mistakes, they aren’t mistakes. Instead, they’re something you should be proud of rather than ashamed.

(Continued on page 40)

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FLX420.com • Winter 2023

Okay, pH-ing your water – don’t ask why you do it just do it … every time. EVERY TIME! The pH of your water is how acidic or alkaline (aka salty or not salty) the water is. For cannabis, we like a pH between 5.8 and 6.2. If your pH is too high or too low your plant will not be able to eat the nutrition from the water.

Locking out the plant can lead to acidic soil and destroy the root zone.

If you don’t have a pH balancer in your water, your pH will rise as it mixes with the oxygen in the air. So, if you’re only watering you plants every three days, the water will be sitting in your soil and raising the pH. If you water with a pH of 5.8 the next day, your pH could be 6.6 and heading toward a lockout.

Because our medium of choice is peat moss, which is very absorbent and doesn’t hold much oxygen, it is VERY easy to OVERWATER. When you start watering you plants you are going to assume more water equals stronger and bigger plants but that’s a damn lie! It’s the exact opposite!

With peat, you don’t have to water frequently. To see if it’s time to water, pick up the plant. If it feels light, she probably needs water. Double-check by sticking your finger in the first 3 inches of soil. If you feel any moisture at all DO NOT WATER! It is better to wait for the plant to tell you she is thirsty than to force her to drink.

When you water, you are leading the plant’s roots to oxygen on a road of water. Once the road hits all oxygen and no water, the roots stop and you’re at a dead end. Unlike when you are driving your car, you want the road to take the longest possible routes before reaching its destination. For the roots to travel all the routes you create when you water, you need to give the roots time to find all the water.

It’s easy to overwater because you want the roots to travel fast, but nothing great is accomplished instantly, and everything takes time and understanding.

T

he entire process of growing cannabis is building a personal relationship between you and this amazing plant. Every plant is different and should be observed and treated with individual respect while meeting its individual needs. This is why we NEVER ridicule another person’s style of growing or how they use the plant. This is why cannabis is so amazing and also why it was made illegal. Cannabis for one person can help with pain and headaches, for another person it can help their anxiety or mental disorders, and still for another person it can make epileptic episodes so much more tolerable.

When you think of it like that you can see why a lot of pharmaceutical companies would want this plant out of the hands of everyday Americans hands, especially

when they can grow it themselves for next to nothing.

Give yourself time. You are going to mess up and do stupid things … A LOT! Even though our egos would tell us we are the best at everything all the time, the honest truth is we are all idiots trying to learn things and figure out life. Being intentional and having the ability to observe yourself AS THE FOOL, and not expecting or setting unrealistic expectations for yourself that you should be more talented than the rest of your fellow fools is how we learn and the only way to truly become successful.

Okay, now the expensive part, lol!

This would be my personal list if I could go back and grow for the first time again. The prices I’ve included are approximate. I’ve tried to make it a budgetfriendly build. The light is probably more expensive than everything else combined but in the long run, its higher efficiency and lower electricity will make it one of the most affordable.

• AC infinity 5x5 grow tent $200 • Vivosun 6 inline fan kit $159.99 • 6-inch Hurricane clip fan $21.99 x2 • basic 7-inch fan for below canopy $20 • Bamboo plant stakes $10 • Plant tie $20 • Bluelab PENGTB Growers Toolbox $170 • Real Growers Recharge $35 • A small humidifier and dehumidifier preferably with pump $300 • PRO-MIX HP $50 • Roots Organic Soul Sensei 3-part complete nutrient line and Terp Tease $36.50 x 3 • Grand Master 6 bloom LED light $1,050

Shop at your neighborhood hydroponics store and Buy Local.

Green Merchant in Bath, see ad on page 2 Harvest Moon Hydroponics in Cheektowaga, see ad on page 35 Hashtag Hydro in Rochester, see ad on page 10 Homegrown Hydroponics in Canandaigua, see ad on page 34 Honest Pharm in Newark, see ads on pages 27, 40

Winter 2023 • FLX420.com

41

goods

The High Bar from Alter Interiors “displays or conceals both your booze and your bud.” It features a pull-out rolling tray, bong shelf and a drawer with charging ports for electronic smoking devices. alterinteriors.com/highbar

THE

GIFTS

Cannabis greeting cards from KushKards communicate a variety of phrases.

Pair it with the matching one hitter, or without, and add your own bud to get high with your loved one. kushkards.com

This book by gardening authority Jeff Lowenfels is a full-color, illustrated guide. As easy to grow as tomatoes, autoflowers are perfect for home growers with limited time and space.

Harvest Moon Hydroponics, 2789 Union Road, Suite 300, Cheektowaga, NY. hmoonhydro.com

Cannabis artwork created from hand-rolled paper flowers is available from peaceloveandgarland. Artist Sarah Pendry designs custom wedding garlands, decorative clipboards and magnets and quilled artwork in a variety of themes. etsy.com/shop/Peaceloveandgarland Cannabis apparel and accessories from Free At Last celebrate the legalization of marijuana.

The brand was founded in Rochester by longtime friends Arnie Lichtenstein and Mitch Cohen. freeatlastmarijuana.com

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FLX420.com • Winter 2023

Lavender-scented bath bombs from 4Fathers Organics contains four individually wrapped CBD bath bombs at 25mg of CBD each.

4fathersorganics.com

Full-spectrum CBD Relief Salve can be tucked in your gym bag or thrown in your purse to have the power of CBD at your fingertips anytime you desire.

Next Level Wellness, 10 Seneca St., Hornell, New York. nxlevelwellness.com

CBD Pillow provides a hypoallergenic gel memory foam pillow infused with millions of microcapsules that release micro doses of CBD for a sustained, relaxing sleep. cbdpillow.com

GOODIES

CBD-Infused honey from EVOLVE+CBD contains full spectrum CBD as well as hemp extract. This treat is available in a 4-ounce container and in honey sticks, which have 10 mg of CBD per straw.

Evolve+CBD, 30 East Genesee St., Auburn, NY. evolvecbd.com

Organic CBD gummies from 4Fathers Organics provide an easy and convenient option on the go. Gummies come in two flavors: green apple and strawberry-lemonade. THCv and CBD Sleep gummies are also available.

4fathersorganics.com

The Chocolate Cannabis Edibles Kit from Micanna provides a way to cook up specifically dosed vegan, gluten-free and low sugar content edibles in the comfort of home. micannakits.com Winter 2023 • FLX420.com

43

UNO Grow Tents from Harvst Moon Hydroponics accommodate any 4- by 4-foot tray or other growing system. The exterior is constructed with a thick black canvas Oxford material with a silver interior.

Harvest Moon Hydroponics, 2789 Union Road, Suite 300, Cheektowaga, NY. hmoonhydro.com

GROW

A variety of feminized seedlings and clones are available this spring from Cathy Abbott “The Budtender.” For 15 years, Abbott has been perfecting the outdoor grow in the Finger Lakes Region.

Call or text 315-719-8941.

The Blueberry Lemonade Feminized Seed from Dank Seeds is a new hybrid strain that pairs the Afghan Blueberry and Chemodo Dragon strains. dankseedsusa.com

The UC Solo COMM is a high-performance DWC hydroponic system for compact spaces. It offers a turnkey design and features a recessed drain well for full drain out and a Fast-Fill Float Valve for easy maintenance during planning cycles.

Green Merchant Gardening & Hydroponic Supply, 130 W. Morris St, Bath, NY. green-merchant.com

An indoor propagation package from GreenTree Garden Supply bundles an 18-inch HO grow light with reflector, a humidity dome, a 10- by 20-inch tray and insert for soil or other media and 10 percent off any soil. facebook.com/GreenTreeGardenSupply

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FLX420.com • Winter 2023

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Winter 2023 • FLX420.com

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limit THE 46

F

or the past five years, Hal McCabe has been mayor of Homer, “an amazing and fairly unique historic village in the heart of Central New York,” he bragged in a recent interview.

Among its many assets are the state’s largest contiguous historic district, and the Center for the Arts of Homer, a 130-year-old Baptist church repurposed as a performance venue. Robert Cray, The Jayhawks, Leo Kotke, and The Bacon Brothers are just of the few of the national acts it attracts.

While leading such a vibrant community is a big job, it’s not McCabe’s only job. In November he became the director of government relations of the Cannabis Association of New York (CANY) where he was tasked with collecting and crafting public comments in response to the state’s proposed adult-use cannabis regulations. In February, the crucial 32-page document was submitted to the Office of Cannabis Management. “Hal McCabe led this effort handily even though he came on in his position when the public comments process was already underway,” noted CANY Executive Director Dan Livingston in a letter to association members.

With nearly two decades of political and governmental experience, he was the perfect guy for the job.

McCabe’s involvement with CANY actually stretches back to its founding. “It began as a discussion among Allan Gandelman, who became the group’s president; Joe Rossi, its chief lobbyist; and myself back in 2018 and 2019,” he explained. “My role ended there, for the most part, but I continued to help CANY with legislative issues. We were instrumental in getting the CBD Hemp Bill introduced and passed.”

Fast forward to 2023 and his hopes for the state to get cannabis license applications out, back, scored and approved so that the market can open up. “However, I can see Lucy holding the football so I’m not gonna run up and try to

FLX420.com • Winter 2023

Pressure cooker: Hal McCabe is CANY’s fulltime Director of Government Relations and the Mayor of the Village of Homer.

kick it. I’ve been there before, flat on my back, wondering what happened.

“I think if we’re lucky, we might start to see dispensaries opening up on a large enough scale this time next year,” McCabe added. “That’s not ideal, especially when we made promises to a lot of different organizations and farmers who have been hemorrhaging money for three years, waiting for it to actually happen.”

McCabe’s outlook as Homer’s mayor is much rosier. New York State has just awarded a combined $19 million in state revitalization grants to four communities. Homer is one of them.

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