FLX420 Spring 2023 by Fahy-Williams Publishing

Growing a cannabis culture in the Finger Lakes

Spring 2023

16 23

FLX420 Home Grow

Several changes are being made to this home grow.

FLX420 Outdoor Cannabis

Grow-off

ahhhh… Cannabis and Pain Relief

So Much Weed, Not Enough Market

Tammi Sweet explores the endocannabinoid system

contents

Volume 2, Issue 2, Spring 2023

An outdoor grow with the help of 12 volunteers.

Cultivators share their thoughts on and concerns about the state of NY’s cannabis industry

Photo by Ashley Eberhardt Find her on Instagram @ashley_eberhardtphotography

Fields of Green

Tap Root Fields turns challenges into opportunities

Just Add Cannabis: The Art of Making a Gummy

Melt-To-Make provides insight on how to create the best edible for you

Spring 2023 • FLX420.com

contents

Founder - Nate Kurash nate@flx420.com

The Dank Tank

To Grow or To Be Grown

Publisher Fahy-Williams Publishing Vice President - Tim Braden tim@flx420.com Editors

46 The Goods

Tina Manzer tmanzer@fwpi.com Victoria Ritter victoria@fwpi.com Graphic Artists Mark Stash mstash@fwpi.com Tammy Spear tammy@fwpi.com Maia VanOrman maia@fwpi.com Advertising Sales Amy Colburn amy@flx420.com

What Consumers Can Expect from the Cannabis Industry

To Subscribe to the Magazine visit FLX420.com To Advertise in FLX420 Amy Colburn 315-789-6431

A look at some issues in the NY cannabis industry

51 6 8 53 4

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

How It Happened Mike Yocina of Harvest Moon Hydro shares his story

FLX420 is published by Fahy-Williams Publishing Inc. FWPI.com

The Journey by Nate Kurash

POT Shots

from our readers Contact Our

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FLX420.com • Spring 2023

The Limit

Meet cannabis entrepreneur Steve VanDeWalle

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.

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journey THE

had the opportunity to attend a festive 4/20 event at the Finger Lakes Cannabis Co. in Victor and had some very interesting and spirited conversations. As always, I was amazed and encouraged by all the positive energy, compassion and raw determination of all those in this industry. It is truly unique in the way that we care for and look out for each other, and it is that uniqueness that will motivate us to never quit. As I observed the room, I saw smiling faces of all colors enjoying each other’s company and I was reminded of what I love the most about this space: the diversity. As the popularity of home grows continue to grow (no pun

intended), so does cannabisinfused cooking, baking and edible making. To make these tasty treats and dishes, you need to extract that THC from your harvest. We have received some awesome tips and tricks regarding how you grow and now we would love to hear about your extraction techniques. I have enjoyed some truly amazing homemade recipes over the years that were better than anything I have ever had from a dispensary and would like for you to experience the same. Extraction on the commercial side of the house is very exacting and operates like a hi-tech lab. Some techniques can be dangerous, are not environmentallyfriendly and some argue that the final product can be unsafe. When buying an infused product, take the time to educate yourself on the extraction process that was used to produce it. My experience has taught me that nine times out of 10 you get what you pay for. Spending

a few extra dollars is money well spent. As we roll into another growing season, I encourage you to continue sharing your passion for cannabis with others. Visit your local mom-and-pop shops for all of your indoor and outdoor supplies; they often have the best prices and are always super knowledgeable should you have a few questions. Finally, I want to say thank you to our readers and our advertisers for their support. Please continue to share your ideas with us for articles and ways that we can better support the cannabis community. Have a safe and healthy spring.

Nate Kurash

FLX420 Home Delivery in Discreet Packaging Only $12

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FLX420.com • Spring 2023

from our readers

pot SHOTS

From seegabbott: A recipe for Cath’s Canna Butter Cutter Cookies Ingredients 3/4 cup canna butter 1/2 cup sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla 2-1/4 cup flour Pinch of salt

Why aren’t they open? Kevin asks, “Legal dispensaries in New York have been opening at a painfully slow rate. I understand an out of state lawsuit is blocking some stores. How about an analysis of this case and of other, hidden pressures slowing dispensary implementation?” msweetla asks, “Dispensaries still can’t open in the Finger Lakes Region. Why not? How long is this expected to continue?” Answer: “In September of 2022, Variscite NY One Inc., an Adult Use Conditional Cultivator applicant, sued New York State claiming that New York’s CAURD qualifications violate interstate commerce and unfairly discriminate against out-of-state residents,” writes Morgan Hopkins from Cardinal Point Collective.“ This lawsuit resulted in an injunction being placed on the issuance of CAURD licenses. Since then, the injunction has been limited to the Finger Lakes Region, and thus other regions now have CAURD locations approved.” Morgan’s complete article, “What Consumers Can Expect from the Cannabis Industry,” appears on page 49. It offers a comprehensive look at where New York’s cannabis industry stands now, and what to expect as the state (hopefully) revs up for business.

Directions: With mixer, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy, add egg and vanilla. Mix, adding flour and salt slowly. Refrigerate for at least one hour before rolling, cutting and baking. No need for frosting, they are buttery good! (Special instructions: “I use a (HI) machine to make my butter; I always decarb and use lecithin with my machine.”) Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 minutes. Yields around 2 dozen Prep time: 15 minutes. Total time: 1 hour.

alain_obas shared a progress photo of their gelato strain at week 7 of flower.

@J.Diesel_NY shared a progress picture of Rainbow Lemonade which was finished in 56 days and grown in organic living soil. It was grown indoors under an HPS/CMH lamp combo.

(Continued on page 10)

FLX420.com • Spring 2023

0 . 7

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live laugh light up We are here for you!

pot SHOTS

From GalaxyGrownNY: “This is my organically grown small batch. I grow for quality, not quantity and terps are my #1 factor as I choose what to keep.”

From lynn2268: “Learning how to grow is so empowering and super-interesting. This is Jack Herer getting close to harvest.”

bomacaxp’s Climax plant. Other varieties included Gastro Pop and Gangsta Boo.

(Continued on page 12)

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FLX420.com • Spring 2023

pot SHOTS

angrhorn’s Shiva Kush.

daniellemiller264 has a passion for cannabis photography.

nughugger78’s AK-77 strain was grown with Roots Organics’ Buddha Bloom nutrient. (Continued on page 14)

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FLX420.com • Spring 2023

pot SHOTS amnicpon0621’s Devil’s Drip (Red Pop x Sherb)

@oneil_ family_farms’ Area 51 fruits in bloom. It’s fading prior to harvest.

Sugar Cane by In House Genetics grown by @collie_man_co_op.

FLX420.com • Spring 2023

FLX420 Home Grow

featuring NYS breeders

See the list of supplies on page 22 by Levi LeGrow photos by Missy Kelly

elcome back everyone. This is the second FLX420 home grow series and I’m really excited to get it underway. I’m making several changes to this home grow and look forward to what I’ll learn along the way. To start, I will be moving this home grow from a small interior room upstairs to the basement. My good friend Dr. Dank suggested this idea to me after discussing the problems I was having with the small interior room. Although I was very pleased with the results of my first home grow, which produced some beautiful plants and buds, the temperature and humidity in the small interior room were constantly changing, which presented challenges and headaches throughout the entire grow process.

FLX420.com • Spring 2023

To start the new home grow in the basement, I first set-up our 5x5 tent on a raised 8x8 platform that was constructed from 2x4’s and plywood for the floor. The platform keeps the tent from resting directly on the cold cement floor, which inevitably would create problems for the root base of the plants when the pots were positioned on the floor of the tent. (Cold temperatures are never good for your root base.) Once the platform and tent were in place, I monitored temperatures and humidity for a week before starting the new seeds. The tent was holding a consistent temperature and humidity with the light intensity set at 50 percent. The basement is naturally damp (55 percent average humidity) which means the humidifier shouldn’t have to run as frequently

Understanding Grow Light PPFD Metrics

Photosynthetic Photon Flux Density (PPFD) measures the amount of light that falls on a given surface each second. This measurement indicates the quantity of light available to the plant to enable photosynthesis. Take PPFD readings around the perimeter and center of your canopy, then calculate the average PPFD. Seedlings 200400 PPFD; early to late-stage vegging cycles 400-600 PPFD; flowering and budding stage of plants 600-900 PPFD.

16-oz. cup with ziplock dome

Seeds in 3-oz. cup

In order to prepare the seeds for germination, I placed the seeds in 3-ounce cups with room temperature water and let the seeds soak until they sank, which took 24 to 36 hours.

completely enclosed the tent with no fans or ventilation at this stage. Within 24 hours, sprouts appeared in most of the cups. My plan for this home grow was to pop several of the same seeds from six NYS breeders and keep the best strain from each. I started with 24 total seeds and lost four during the process of germination. It will be fun to monitor the growth of each plant to see which one will be the keeper from each strain. I believe there might be a few male plants in the mix so I’ll have to keep an eye out for those fellas before the flowering stage.

Day 3 - Germination

Day 5 - Seedlings

as it did upstairs. So far so good. Another new feature of this home grow includes featuring six different strains from as many New York State breeders. (Refer to page 18 for a description of each strain.) I recommend reaching out to these breeders to discover new strains for your home grow as well!

Day 1 - Germination

It was time to transfer the seeds to the 16-ounce plastic cups filled with soil. In most cases, the seeds cracked and revealed a small tap root. I filled the cup up with soil and indented the soil using my index finger about a half inch deep. After moistening the soil inside the depressed area, I placed each seed carefully in the half inch hole trying to face the tap root downward and then gently covered the seed with loose soil. To create a “dome” greenhouse effect (which helps to contain the warmth and humidity) that a seedling needs, I covered each cup with a 1-quart zippered storage bag. I learned this trick from Dr. Dank and was really surprised at how well this worked. After preparing the new seedlings, I placed the domed cups inside the tent on raised platforms. With the light intensity set at 60 percent, 415 PPFD, 3 feet above the domes, and the timer set at 18 hours on, six hours off, I

I cut notches around the bottom of each cup for proper drainage and placed the cups in trays to catch any excess water. After that, each cup was saturated with water and nutrients. Note: I used a feeding schedule for the seedlings which consisted of 5 mls (per gallon) of water of Soul Sensei Grow, Micro and Bloom nutrients. I also treated my water with dechlorinator and allowed the water to sit for 24 hours before my feeding, which also allowed the water to acclimate to the temperature of the room. (You don’t want your water temperature too cold as it could cause root shock and may lead to permanent root damage.) Once the nutrients were mixed in the bucket, I tested the pH before watering the plants (pH target of 6.0). The light remains 3 feet above the canopy at 60 percent intensity, 415 PPFD, with the timer set to 18 hours on, six hours off.

Sprouts appear on day 3

Notch cup for drainage Seedlings

(See New York State breeders on page 18, article continued on page 20) Spring 2023 • FLX420.com

FLX420 Home Grow featuring NYS breeders

Six NYS breeders are featured in this FLX420 home grow FLX Flowers

Heirloom Organics by Skaneateles Seed Company @heirloom_organics_ To create a cultivar like FLX Flowers, we pheno-hunted a stinky shoe-smelling crescendo and crossed it with a candy sweet phenotype of dos-si-dos. The result? Our Baked Alaska. Then, we pheno-hunted a more floral dos-si-dos and crossed Baked Alaska with that. It’s boutique all the way. Expect FLX Flowers to produce a bushy thick plant with large, solid, extremely sticky flowers that smell like fresh cut honeydew melon, layers of vanilla cake and spices.

Pungent Punch

Shadow Born Genetics @shadowborngenetics This indica-dominant hybrid was made by hunting and crossing popular cultivars Vintage Blueberry Freak and my selection of Blueberry Muffin. The result is Double Berry Blast with the most amazing loud nose. I crossed it with my selection of Wildberry Runtz to create the beast Pungent Punch. Nauseatingly sweet synthetic blueberry and grapes and rotten melon with a chemical undertone. Its extreme speed in starting to flower and finish is impressive – our mother was ready to harvest around day 37 with rock-hard heavy flowers on strong stems.

Holy Communion

Piff Coast Farms @piffcoastfarms It’s a New Age Piff Haze hybrid created by crossing Breeder Piff’s 65-day keeper pheno of Piff S2 (aka PC3 or NYC Piff #3) with his new 2020 Purple Haze (aka Harlem Dreams). The result is a new fast-flowering haze line with all the features the new school wants but with nostalgic old-school terps. After germination, expect to find plants that finish in the 65-75-day range, 3-4x stretch and a mix of purple and green phenotype.

Jughead F1

Lifted Leaf Labs @liftedleaflabs With an exceptional, spicy, high-in-linalool terpene profile, Jughead F1 is that old-school smoke you keep going back to. This 65-73-day flowering strain offers a good yield and an even better flavor. It’s a cross of our Top Dawg seeds Sour Corey male and a Blockhead female. JugHead F1 is destined for greatness and will not leave you disappointed. It’s a vigorous strain with an exceptional terpene profile that yields well and finishes around 70 days.

Empire Strikes Mac

Empire Breeding @empirebreeding.com_official Empire Strikes Mac is a NY breeder collaboration that crosses Empire Pie (Mimosa x Wedding Cake BX1) bred by @GrowingWithMrtight, and ’96 Sour Diesel x MAC bred by Uncle John’s Farms @Lorax315. The Star Wars-themed name came from an Instagram follower when we asked for name suggestions. Expect a combo of sour oranges and tangerines with a skunky diesel and gassy background. Flowers exhibit all colors of the cannabis gamut. Flowering time is in the 63-day range.

London Pound Cake

Lightning Ridge Farms @lightningridgefarmsny The London pound cake had a very nice strong structure to it, colors vary from lime green to a pinkish purple hued flowers, dressed to impress with trichomes and rounded out with a sweet gassy punch to the nose that brought a smile out of any victim that decided to enjoy it. Very user friendly to grow as well.

(Article continued on page 20)

FLX420.com • Spring 2023

FLX420 Home Grow featuring NYS breeders

Early vegetative stage in 1-gallon pots

Root base in less than three weeks

Day 6 thru 27 – Seedlings

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FLX420.com • Spring 2023

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I let the seedlings grow for the next three weeks in the 16-ounce cups to form a solid root base while checking the cups and plants daily to see if they needed more water and nutrients. I did this by feeling the weight of the cup. You can tell the difference between a dry cup and a saturated cup just by feel. It’s important not to over-water your seedlings as they do not require a lot of water. I started the ventilation unit along with the clip fan both set to low on day 15 just to get some air exchange in the tent. The light remains 3 feet above the canopy, at 60 percent intensity, 415 PPFD, with the timer set to 18 hours on, six hours off.

Day 28 – Early Vegetative Stage

Today I transferred the seedlings from their 16-ounce grow cup to a larger, 1 gallon plastic pot with good drainage. It’s amazing to see how quickly these plants form so many roots. Once all the plants were in their new containers, they were given the same feeding schedule as before: 5 mls per gallon of water of Soul Sensei Grow, Micro and Bloom nutrients. The light remains three feet above the canopy, at 60 percent intensity, 415 PPFD, with the timer set to 18 hours on, six hours off. I partially opened one of the flaps on the lower part of the tent to allow fresh air to circulate in the tent. The plants are looking great and the temperature (73°) and humidity (63 percent) seem to be holding steady. My plants will remain in their gallon grow pots for a couple of weeks as they continue to form a larger root base. Eventually they will be transplanted to a larger, 3-gallon cloth grow bag. (See supplies on page 22)

Spring 2023 • FLX420.com

FLX420 Home Grow featuring NYS breeders

(Continued from page 20)

List of Supplies • 5x5 grow tent • 720-watt Tarantula Vulcan LED light by Grand Master LED • Analog timer set to 18 hours on, six hours off per day • 6L humidifier set at 63 percent • Digital hygrometer/thermometer to measure the temperature and humidity inside the grow tent and one for outside the tent • Soul Sensei nutrients by Roots Organics • Dechlorinator to treat water • pH control kit from General Hydroponics • Greenfields soil from Roots Organics • Aeromixer Mini Mixer Kit with flow controller • 2 small clip fans • 6-inch Inline Duct Fan with charcoal filter for ventilation • Seeds from six select NYS breeders • 3-ounce cups to pop the seeds • 16-ounce cups to plant seedlings • 1-quart storage zipper bags to create the “grow dome” over each cup • 1-gallon plastic plant nursery pots • 3-gallon grow bags, fabric pots with handles • Light meter to measure Lux which I convert to PPFD. (see sidebar on page 16)

Environment • Basement average temperature is 63°, average humidity 55 percent • Tent average temperature is 73.4°, average humidity 63 percent • Light set at 60 percent intensity, 415 PPFD, 3 feet above the canopy for seedling and early vegetative stage

That concludes Part 1 of the FLX420 home grow series. Look for Part 2 in the next issue of the magazine and be sure to subscribe to FLX420 for home delivery in a discrete package. Let’s grow together!

FLX420.com • Spring 2023

FLX420 Outdoor Cannabis

Grow-off A

s a continuation of our article “Best Seeds for your Outdoor Grow” from the Winter 2023 issue of FLX420, we decided to try our very own outdoor grow this season with the help of 12 volunteers. Humboldt Seed Company was kind enough to supply us with two strains specifically chosen to survive the environment in upstate New York. First is Blueberry Muffin, a feminized seed that produces plants with frosty colas highlighted with purple flakes. With a smell of freshly baked blueberry muffins, this Indica has a flowering time of 45 days. Second is a strain called Poddy Mouth, a feminized seed that produces dazzling trichomes, dense buds and is mold resistant. With gassy terps with a hint of sweetness, this hybrid has a flowering time of 55 days. To help our plants get off to a good start, we first planted the seeds indoors on April 5 and they have been growing inside a grow tent for 30 days, with an average plant height of 7 inches. At the time of this writing, May 9, we’re still experiencing outdoor temperatures in the low 40s at night. Our goal is to have these in-

ground by May 19. We’ll also keep two plants, one of each strain, indoors as a comparison. Each volunteer will be given one cannabis plant with basic instructions. How basic? Please select a location for your plant that will receive the most sunlight throughout the day and don’t forget to water your plant. In addition, we will supply our growers with a complimentary bottle of SmartAlgae; a living organism, a micro algae that crops and plants thrive on. Our novice cannabis growers will be encouraged to experiment and use their own grow techniques to complete their grow. What type of soil they use, whether they plant in-ground or in a pot, what type of nutrient selection, using protective netting or not, will all be up to each individual. Blueberry Each participant will be required to Cupcake document the progress and techniques in a daily journal and with photographs. We’ll share the progress of our 12 outdoor growers in the next issue.

Participants of the FLX420 Outdoor Grow beginning May 19: Name, Location • Big Buck, Rushville • Blooming Girl, Seneca Falls • Canna Whoop-ass, Geneva • Late Bloomer, South Bristol • Pistil Pete, Indoor Grow • Pondside, Clifton Springs • Empress of Dirt, Bloomfield • Scorch, Webster • Smokey Joe, Shortsville • The Garden Hoe, Canandaigua • Tickled Pink, Stanley • Opa, Penn Yan

Poddy Mouth

Thank you to our sponsors!

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SmartAlgae Solutions @smart.algaesolutions

Just Add Cannabis The Art of Making a Gummy by Victoria Ritter

annabis gummies are a popular way to consume cannabis, but good gummies can be tricky to create. Melt-ToMake Gummies, a Massachusetts-based company, has taken much of the guesswork out of producing gummies – both at home and on an industrial level – with its professionally formulated gummy base mixes. In 2018, business partners Sarah McLaughlin and Tim Van Epps founded Heritage Hemp, LLC, which manufactures and sells hemp extract-infused gummies under its Heritage CBD consumer brand. The edibles became a popular item, and several licensed cannabis manufacturers sought advice from McLaughlin and Van Epps about how to consistently make high quality gummies. After some experimentation and collaboration, McLaughlin and Van Epps perfected an all-natural and delicious gelatin gummy base that anyone can melt down and infuse with their own botanical extract. In 2020, it became the flagship product of a new company the pair founded called Melt-To-Make Gummies. The company now produces both gelatin and pectin gummy base pucks that it ships to customers across the world. 24

FLX420.com • Spring 2023

History of edibles

The history of cannabis-infused food can be traced across time and continents. One of the earliest instances of infused food dates back 1,000 years ago in eastern Asia where mahjoun, cannabis rolled up with several spices and sweeteners, was invented. Around the 10th century in India, a popular drink known as bhang – pulverized weed mixed with clarified butter, milk and spices – was used as a sleep aid and appetite enhancer. Cannabis products became popular in the West in the 1800s. A feature in an 1864 Chicago Tribune newspaper marketed cannabis-infused “Hasheesh Candy” to treat conditions such as nervousness, confusion and fever. Nearly a century later, Alice B. Toklas published a recipe in her 1954 cookbook for “Haschich Fudge” which contains cannabis, spices, dried fruits and nuts. Mary Jane Rathbun made a name for herself in the early 1980s by baking weed-laced brownies for AIDS patients in San Francisco.

Kirsten Wedegartner, sales director at Melt-to-Make Gummies, observed how cannabis-infused brownies and cookies were popular when she attended college in the late 1990s. “Gummies are hard to make,” said Melt-to-Make founder Sarah McLaughlin. “If you were going to make an edible at home, you were going to make something that’s easy to make. But dosing was impossible.”

The evolution of the gummy

Today, cannabis gummies are the biggest subcategory of edibles. Gummies make up 66 percent of all edible shares across markets, according to a March 6, 2023 article by BDSA, which provides market intelligence for the cannabis industry. Edibles stand apart from other methods of cannabis consumption. While smoking marijuana offers an instant, heady effect, the high provided by an edible takes longer to feel, lasts longer and can be felt more in one’s body. A common cautionary tale with edibles – especially gummies – is how people eat more than they intend because they don’t feel the effects right away. As a result, they compound the edible’s impact. A new trend, known as a “party gummy,” cuts the ingestion time of a gummy from 30 minutes down to 5 minutes and can provide a more cerebral feeling. The party gummy borrows nanotechnology – which is used in the pharmaceutical industry – to get cannabis into the bloodstream quicker. “At the most basic level, you are emulsifying the cannabis oil and making it into tiny droplets that are coated and are absorbed through the gut that much quicker,” Wedegartner said. “The absorption rate is much more rapid.” The cannabis gummy has come a long way as people have perfected the dosage and companies including Melt-To-Make hone the texture. With a little ingenuity from home- and industrial-scale producers, this edible is sure to grow in popularity.

Gelatin vs. pectin

Making a gummy requires the proper ingredients including corn syrup, sugar, water, coloring, flavoring and a gelling agent. Any gummy comes down to one of two gelling agents: gelatin or pectin. Gelatin, derived from animal collagen, is known as a “reversable gel,” and makes up a larger percentage of a gummy than pectin would. Pectin, on the other hand, is made from plant fibers – thus it’s a vegan-friendly product – and is slightly softer than gelatin. “Once you form a pectin gummy, it’s not going to melt on you like the way a gelatin gummy could,” Wedegartner said. If the gummy contains pectin, malic or citric acid must be added in order for the mixture to gel. The pH level is vital in a pectin gummy, according to McLaughlin. “Basically, you’re creating a gel. You’re suspending a liquid within different cells of a product, creating a solid,” she explained. “There is a lot of science involved with pectin gummies.” Melt-To-Make began with four core flavors in 2020 and expanded according to the desires of customers. Currently it has 15 flavors of gelatin and 12 flavors of pectin, plus unflavored bases for each. McLaughlin and her team continue to expand its selection by offering enhancers such as lime and habanero oils that can be paired with current flavors. Requested products include kits that start with an unflavored base and include color and a formula for customers to create their own flavors. The difference between making gelatin and pectin gummies extends to the equipment needed. Melt-To-Make offers equipment lists for gelatin and pectin gummies. To create gelatin gummies, basic items include molds, scales, sheet pan, whisk and double boiler, most tools that can be found in the typical kitchen. For pectin gummy production, McLaughlin highly recommends that people invest in a heated depositor. “For $350Top to bottom: Melt-to-Make pucks provide a consistent gummy base. Cannabinoid oil can be added to the base to create an infused gummy. Once the ingredients are incorporated, a depositor pours the mixture into a mold. Spring 2023 • FLX420.com

Tim Van Epps and Sarah McLaughlin

The dosage of edibles sold at a dispensary are standardized by law, usually at 5 milligrams per serving.

500, you could get all the equipment you need for gelatin,” McLaughlin said. “With pectin, it’s a little trickier because you’re dealing with a product that gels at a much more rapid rate. It gels in seconds as it cools, so investing in a heated depositor is crucial.” Finally, there is the cannabinoid oil, which Melt-To-Make does not provide. McLaughlin encourages anyone who makes gummies to purchase their oil from a credible source that will also provide third party lab results. This will allow them to know the percentage of cannabinoids in the oil. “Without the labs, you can’t dose anything correctly,” McLaughlin said.

CBD or THC?

“CBD has an effect on your brain similar to a cup of coffee,” McLaughlin said. “Coffee stimulates your brain, but it doesn’t make you intoxicated.” “THC is mind-altering and intoxicating, like a glass of wine,” Wedegartner added. Terpenes, the smallest component of scent, can be added with cannabinoids to heighten the impact, also called

the entourage effect. While terpenes from lavender have proved to be calming, citrus or pine are more stimulating. If you buy CBD-infused gummies from a dispensary, levels of CBD vary depending on the gummy’s intended use, whether for sleep, treating pain or increasing focus. CBD dosages per gummy can range from 10 milligrams to 100 milligrams with 25 milligrams the most common dosage on the market, said McLaughlin. The same can be said when making gummies at home. “Some people will go much higher,” McLaughlin said. “The research so far is showing that you’d have to go to extremely high amounts of CBD before you’re going to see any (adverse) effects on your organs.” Meanwhile, THC levels in any product sold at a dispensary are regulated by the state. According to GoodRx Health, “Edible doses are typically standardized by law, usually at 5 milligrams per serving. Some states offer lowdose edibles, with as little as 1 milligram per serving.” To help gummy makers determine dosage, MeltTo-Make offers a free downloadable dosing calculator at melt-to-make.com/formulas. Makers can input the potency

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The Art of Making a Gummy

stored in a sealed package and kept away from sunlight and extreme heat can be stored for a year. “In reality, it’s much longer,” McLaughlin said. “Because we use plant-derived colors, the colors and flavors will start to fade over time. We use sensory factors to determine the cut-off point of our gummies, but they would continue to be safe and edible for much longer. That’s why so many candy companies don’t use natural colors.” McLaughlin said it takes about a year to perfect a Practice makes perfect shelf-stable gummy from scratch; with Melt-To-Make, the When McLaughlin started making gummies for process takes just a week. When customers buy their gummy Heritage Hemp, it took her a year to perfect a shelf-stable base, they receive access to unlimited support from the product. Her first 10 batches had one problem or another Melt-To-Make team. McLaughlin is thankful for her trialsuch as too much water in the mixture or the sugar burned process, as it’s helped during the cooking process.in A the common pitfallor of making ther your business is focused medical recreational and-error area of cannabis, you will her to offer assistance Whethertoyour business is focus clients.will “It really worked toon ourthe advantage thatface we had gone gummies from scratch is the lack ofThe shelfsuccess stability; over time,business both challenges and opportunities. of your rest largely both challenges and oppor Whether your business is focused in the medical or recreational area of cannabis, you will through the struggles because we now understand what you make in the early themake gummies mayearly get wet, grow mold orall simply fall apart. sions you in the stages. With the risk you will face on a daily basis, having decisions face both challenges and opportunities. The success of your business will rest largely on the our customers are dealing with and how daunting making Those who use Melt-To-Make’s base a face more subtle issues, mprehensive insurance program with trusted partner is imperative. a comprehensive insurance pro decisions you make in the early stages. With all the face on said. a daily basis, having gummies canrisk be atyou first,”will McLaughlin like overheating the mixture. a comprehensive insurance program If you make gummies using Melt-To-Make’s base, you with a trusted partner is imperative. two shelf lives to keep in mind – the shelf life of gummy apmanhave offers special insurance JD Chapman offers special i base and that of the finished product. Melt-To-Make’s gelatin To learn more about Melt-To-Make’s products, see their ad on he Cannabis industry including: for the Cannabis industry in Chapman special page 21, visit melt-to-make.com, contact support@ is good forJD 12 months while its offers pectin base has a shelfinsurance life melt-to-make.com or call 1-800-241-0341. of nine months. gummies that are dried properly, for Finished the Cannabis industry including: of the oil (available from the lab tests), how many gummies they want to make and their desired dosage. The calculator will then show how much of Melt-to-Make’s base mix and oil is needed to create a batch of gummies. “As long as people don’t overthink it and follow the directions, it truly simplifies the process of making high-quality, accurately dosed and consistent gummies,” Wedegartner said.

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ahhhh … Cannabis and Pain Relief Part 2 of a FLX420 series by Tammi Sweet, The Heartstone Center for Earth Essentials

In the Winter 2023 issue, my article on the endocannabinoid system (ECS) noted that CBD and CBG boost our endocannabinoids and THC mimics them. The ECS and cannabis both work to shut down inflammation, a major contributing factor to chronic inflammatory pain.

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.

FLX420.com • Spring 2023

annabis has been used for thousands of years to alleviate suffering. Traditional documents dating back 6,000 years in China, India and Egypt – and later in the U.S. pharmacopeia until prohibition in 1937 – describe using cannabis for pain relief. The National Institute of Health, the National Cancer Institute, the National Academy of Science, Engineering & Medicine and the Canadian Pharmacists Association all list cannabis as a viable option for easing pain. Pharmaceutical companies know this and are scrambling to get their hands on patent-able manufactured molecules and processes. They want you to believe that their products are superior to, and safer than, what you can grow and make yourself. But in reality, every scientific study that examines efficacy shows that

Pain starts here

whole-plant extracts (tinctures of female flowers) are 3 to 330 times more potent than single-molecule isolated extracts. Every. Single. Study. Monitoring the effectiveness of cannabis as a pain reliever is relatively easy: if you feel less pain, it’s working. The cannabis plant manufactures more than 1,500 chemical constituents for her survival and many of them, working together within us, alleviate pain. In this article we will discuss some acids –CBDA and THCA; some cannabinoids – CBD, THC, and CBN; and a few of the 150 terpene molecules including myrcene, and beta-caryophyllene. Simply put, if you can interrupt the pain signal anywhere along its path from stimulus to conscious recognition in the higher brain, you lessen pain. Our goal here is to map out the path and the many interventions cannabis offers along it. The pathway – how pain marches on Chronic pain differs from acute pain in that it lasts longer – at least three months and is maladaptive – it doesn’t shut off automatically. There are four categories

of chronic pain: nociceptive, inflammatory, neuropathic and dysfunctional. Here, we’ll discuss nociceptive and inflammatory. Initially, in nociceptive and inflammatory pain, tissue damage from mechanical or chemical damage, or heat causes damaged cells to release chemicals that initiate inflammation and healing. These chemicals essentially get the ball rolling for feeling pain within a few milliseconds after the damage. The receptor functions to translate the “damage” (released chemicals) to an electrical nerve impulse. This is the beginning of carrying the pain message up to the brain. It works like this: when you stub your pinky toe, the damaged cells release chemicals, the chemicals bind their special receptors (nociceptors) and an electric current begins along the nerve fiber. The current arrives at the “pinky toe region” of your cerebrum in your brain. Finally, your cerebrum projects felt-pain to your pinky toe and you scream, “Ow!” All of this physiology takes place in less than a second. Spring 2023 • FLX420.com

ahhhh … Cannabis and Pain Relief

can appreciate the complexity of how cannabis interrupts However, the pathway is not one long cord of a the signal. neuron. It’s many neurons in a path, separated by a synaptic space. The electric current/nerve impulse Anti-inflammatory cannot “jump” the space, so a chemical “bridge” carries Endocannabinoids decrease the chemicals of the signal across. Bridging the space happens when a inflammation. Cannabis initiates the decrease in chemical messenger is released, “swims” the space and inflammatory chemicals similar to NSAIDS, cortisone binds its receptor on the next neuron, which continues and acetaminophen, but without the harmful risk of the electric impulse. gastrointestinal bleeds that can accompany these These chemical messengers of the nervous system pharmaceuticals. are called neurotransmitters. CBD is 200 times stronger, and THC is 20 times Synapses for the pain pathway occur at the spinal stronger than aspirin. THC cord and four distinct regions is two times as strong as in the brain. Neurotransmitters cortisone. of the synapses you may have Constituents of cannabis heard of are substance P, proven to be anti-inflammatory glutamate and GABA. include THC, THCA, THCV, The ultimate destination CBD, CBDA, CBG, CBC, CBN, for pain signals is the sensory myrcene, pinene and beta cortex in the cerebrum. Once My favorite definition of pain is caryophyllene. the signal arrives here, you from Judy Foreman, the author are conscious of your pain Analgesics and know exactly where in the of A Nation in Pain (2014), The Analgesics decrease pain body it is. Global Pain Crisis (2017) and by decreasing substance P and You could say the brain is other chemicals without the the organ of pain. Again: if you Exercise is Medicine (2020): loss of sensation. The pathway didn’t have a brain, you wouldn’t acetaminophen uses is also feel the projected sensation of “Pain is a biopsychosocial utilized by THC, CBC, myrcene pain. No brain, no pain. phenomenon of an unpleasant and beta caryophyllene in Interruption of the pain cannabis, without the risk of signal anywhere along the sensory and emotional liver failure that accompanies pathway will decrease pain. experience associated with use of acetaminophen. All herbal and pharmaceutical interventions will interrupt one actual or potential tissue Desensitizing vanilloid to two places in the pathway damage or described in terms of receptors at most. Cannabis, beyond Another class of receptors decreasing inflammation, such damage.” at the skin surface that signals directly impacts the pain pain are the transient receptor pathway at every single point potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) in one way or another. receptors. When you add Let’s dive into these Tiger Balm or cayenne cream to your skin you are places. desensitizing the receptors so you feel less pain. CBD, CBDA, CBN, CBG, THCV and CBCA do the same Cannabis: the great interrupter without the risk of burning your mucous membranes. By mimicking or increasing endocannabinoids, Ever accidentally rub your eyes after working with cannabis affects the chemicals along the pathway at the cayenne? synaptic junctions. If the chemicals perpetuating the pain signal are decreased, pain, too, decreases. That’s exactly the mechanism for non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs Sedatives Sedatives act to decrease the pain signal (NSAIDs), acetaminophen, benzodiazepines and opiates. conduction through the spinal cord and brain. They all affect the level of chemicals perpetuating the Diminishing neurotransmitter release with sedatives, pain signal at different spots along the pain pathway. By since they affect all spots within the central nervous taking a brief look at each stopgap in the pain cycle, you

PAIN DEFINED

FLX420.com • Spring 2023

system, will leave you feeling drowsy. Benzodiazepines, hops and other sedative herbs inhibit the pain signal transmission and make you sleepy. CBN, THC and myrcene all act as sedatives. Antispasmodics Muscle spasms or chronic tension in muscles can sometimes be the cause of chronic pain. Antispasmodics work at the junction of the muscle and nerve, not throughout the nervous system, and thus don’t make you sleepy. CBD, CBN, THC and myrcene within cannabis all work here. Internal analgesia system We produce powerful pain-relieving chemicals when needed. Endorphins and endocannabinoids work within the central nervous system to decrease pain. Opiates, while not as effective as our own endorphins, mimic some of the actions of our endorphins. All of them decrease substance P release within the brain and spinal cord. Opiates “work” because they are given at a much higher dose than we make and hang around longer in the system. CBD and THC potentiate opiates by 30%. So, if you take even 1 mg of CBD and 1 mg of THC along with an opiate you can get the same effect of the opiate BUT consume 30-percent less of it. Many studies have shown that cannabis is a viable replacement therapy for opiates. “Kiss the booboo” Every parent knows kissing the booboo works. The physiology to prove you right is called hyperstimulation analgesia and is the basis of the TENS unit pain relief therapy. Simply put, kissing the booboo floods the nervous system with so much touch stimuli that the pain signal “quiets down.” Your brain pays attention to the touch signal and the pain signal can’t transmit as loudly. Heat to an area (think hot water bottle) does the same thing.

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Quality of life In many of the scientific studies regarding pain and cannabis, researchers note that patients’ report an increase in quality of life, and then they dismiss it since “quality of life” can’t be measured. However, increasing quality of life is EXACTLY what all of us hope for. What’s better than decreasing your pain so that you can increase the time you play with your grandchildren? Working with cannabis for pain relief Whole flower tinctures or infused oils taken orally are most effective (remember: 3 to 330 times more effective than isolated extracts). The most effective medicine is equal parts THC and CBD, called a 1:1 in oral form (tincture or edible) taken every 4 to 6 hours. Inhalation methods are

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ahhhh … Cannabis and Pain Relief

best for breakthrough pain and are not as effective for long term pain management. It’s important to note here that we are looking for the minimum effective dose. What is the smallest amount needed to alleviate pain? I have found that drop dosing of tincture well below what you might think is needed is extremely effective. Many people are surprised to find out you don’t necessarily need to feel high to get pain relief. Lifestyle changes to ease pain and increase quality of life Don’t be fooled or dismissive of this category. I am listing it first because lifestyle changes have a deep and lasting impact on pain and quality of life. One major goal

FLX420.com • Spring 2023

Sleep is absolutely crucial for healing, resiliency, and wellbeing. Sleep causes a decrease in substance P production (Substance P signals pain) and an increase in serotonin production. Higher serotonin levels cause a decrease in pain sensitivity. Bottom line: the less you sleep, the more sensitive you are to pain.

of alleviating pain is to allow you to move your body more and do more things that bring you joy. Science likes to call this “quality of life.” The list featured here is a guideline for techniques that have been proven to work. Not one thing on it is going to remove chronic pain. Instead, it is meant to be a menu from which you choose. Each day you may choose one thing over another. Some you may need every day. I encourage you to explore and try them all to see which ones help you. Movement and sleep Movement – dare I say exercise? – and mood share the same chemistry. When you exercise, you literally manufacture

feel-good chemicals. The more you exercise, the more you make. One of the chemicals you manufacture is your very own endogenous euphoriant, beta-endorphin. Another set of painrelieving molecules released during exercise is, you guessed it, endocannabinoids. Sleep is absolutely crucial for healing, resiliency, and wellbeing. Sleep causes a decrease in substance P production (Substance P signals pain) and an increase in serotonin production. Higher serotonin levels cause a decrease in pain sensitivity. Bottom line: the less you sleep, the more sensitive you are to pain. Managing your mind categories Our mind is the most powerful tool we have in terms of pain. It can even have us feel sensations, including pain, that are not there. And no, I am NOT saying it’s all in your head or it’s your fault or not real. No way. But using and learning to manage our mind is a crucial tool to pain management. (But for the record, it is all in your head. If you didn’t have a brain, you would not feel pain … for reals.) Add pleasant activities to your day Remember those endorphins? They increase when you do any activity that makes you feel good: playing with your grandchildren, walking outside, eating good food, and watching baby-goats-in-pajamas videos. Alleviating pain creates more enjoyment and enjoyment creates a feelgood feedback loop of alleviating pain. Distraction as a tool When you listen to the sound of waves at the ocean’s edge, you are not thinking about your pain in that instant, you are actually releasing endorphins. An instant of no pain is relief, a step of pain management. Build more of them. (See how I combined distraction and pleasant activities there?)

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Meditation for pain management Hundreds of studies now confirm that a simple eight-week course on mindfulness decreases pain. A meditator’s brain actually changes physically, even after only eight weeks. Let me say that again, Your. Brain. Changes. Physically.

Chances are, you or someone you care about deals with chronic pain. Estimates put the number of people who are suffering from chronic disabling pain syndrome right now at 80 million. Studies show a perceived sense of control over pain diminishes the perception of it. Sharing information in this article is the first step in easing some of the suffering in folks dealing with chronic pain. Chronic inflammation is almost always a component of chronic pain and worthy of its own article. Look for a story about managing chronic inflamation it in the next issue of FLX420.

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So Much Weed,

Not Enough Market L

ocal cannabis farmers should be planning next fall’s second legal harvest right now. Instead, many are wondering how they’re going to pay their bills. The bounty of harvest #1 still sits in storage and with no local dispensaries to sell it to, New York’s Adult-Use Conditional Cultivators (AUCCs) are dangerously strapped for cash. They’re maxing out their credit cards, borrowing from family and friends and living in fear of losing their already sizeable business investment. Some remain optimistic as they literally go for broke, regroup, or pivot. We asked them to describe their situation to us in their own words. Here are their stories, presented anonymously and edited for brevity and clarity.

How was your 2022 harvest? “My harvest was excellent. I grew 650 pounds and it is preserved. If it’s not sold, however, I’m planning on building a bonfire with it and selling tickets to the show.” “This year, our farm produced 150 pounds of cannabis flower and 450 pounds of more than 20 percent biomass. Luckily, our biomass has been extracted but we await payment. Market demand dictates when the oils are sold

FLX420.com • Spring 2023

for processing. If dispensaries aren’t selling enough infused products, the oils will bottleneck at the processor’s facilities. Time alone is a variable that changes the cannabinoid profile of the thousands of pounds of flower that are choked off from retail sales statewide.” “We rushed and were able to get about 1,200 pounds, which is pretty good considering the limited amount of time that

we had. The worst part is the NYS Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) represented to us that there would be many dispensaries open but they only opened one who didn’t buy from any of us farmers. We’re all sitting with thousands of pounds of products that’ll go to waste. If we don’t start selling it, the whole production will be gone.” “We had a great harvest, around 2,800 pounds of bucked biomass. Right now, we have about half of it out to processors waiting to be processed. We have received no payments yet and we will have to wait until it’s been processed and tested before it can be sold. We invested in 77-gallon food grade drum containers for storage. We can keep it like this until it’s sold but it will affect the quality of the product. We have to keep extra insurance and security as long as we have to store it, which are added expenses.” “We generated about 1,500 pounds of trimmed bud and more than 3,000 pounds of trim. We have a great infrastructure to preserve the flower for up to 12 months, but prefer to sell through much sooner. If we get to a point where it’s too close to the expiration date, we extract it and turn it into vapes/gummies/etc.” “The harvest went well. I sold my 450 pounds of biomass and have around 120-150 pounds of organic smokable flower. All of this has been preserved as best as possible but it has a shelf life.”

How are you coping financially? “Our financial strategy is hamstrung as we cannot take out loans without showing sales deposits in our bank accounts.” “Our farm had a budget of about $1 million and we’ve run through it already just preparing for the whole production. That included some money to build a greenhouse.” “We are struggling to get by. We have been borrowing from family and taking out loans but that money is soon to run out.”

“The delayed rollout has created a significant cash burn that has resulted in us raising capital a year sooner than we’d anticipated.” “The financial aspect has been an absolute nightmare from the beginning. Working around the clock, full time, for both my farm and practice, and not receiving any funding, has been horrific. My farm is one month away from entering foreclosure.”

What decisions have you made about your business this year that were unexpected? “We were planning on building greenhouses or acquiring them so that we could farm year-round as opposed to only in the summer. We were going to hire 25, 30 people. Now we’re having to plant outside again, which means we’ll have a very slow production this year.” “We are behind in paying our taxes, our credit cards are maxed out and we are sliding further into debt. We are losing right now, not resilient.” “The biggest pivot we made was in the product mix. We planned to use most of our flower towards packaged flower and PRJs. This would allow us to maximize our revenue the most. However, with the slow rollout we had to pivot to products with longer shelf lives (vapes, gummies, etc.) to mitigate against expiration. This decreases our revenue by about 40 to 50 percent.” “Farmers are the most resilient cohort of individuals anyone will ever encounter. As for unexpected decisions, every decision is unexpected. I didn’t expect to sterilize 1,200 jars for packaging with a wrist fracture this weekend, but I got it done. We farmers find a way and we do it.” (Continued on page 40)

So Much Weed,

Not Enough Market

(Continued from page 39)

Who do you blame for the stalled industry rollout? What do you think is the solution? “Multi-state operators, processors, central banking and the lack of equitable access to capital.” “Associations are not properly representing AUCCs in Albany. Associations like CANY are mainly AUCP (adult-use conditional processor)-driven, so processors pretty much dictate policy, leaving farmers dead last in terms of representation. The state is making it very difficult for farmers by applying draconian testing and safety/ sanitation standards that will take tens of thousands of dollars to be in compliance. The best chance farmers have is to band together into a cooperative “league” and be

fast-tracked to collectively win a processing license, or to team up with one of the existing processors who will exclusively work with them but NOT in a predatory manner.” “I don’t think that OCM really appreciates that because there are really few industry people there. They don’t understand what we’re going through. They don’t care. They don’t talk to us or listen to us. We need regulations that make sense for the industry. The rules have to be designed to help us to be successful, not to punish us. OCM needs to work with us to understand how these rules impact with us. Also, they need to open up the dispensaries yesterday. Let

the market determine who’s going to be successful, just like any other business.” “The lawmakers promised to open dispensaries and then placed so many regulations. Since processors were the only people who were given dual licenses and were allowed to stack licenses, they don’t need other farmers’ crops. The lack of approved labs created a bottleneck. The solution is to help the dispensaries open with the funding promised. Also, why are the shops that are selling illegally not being regulated and closed down? These blackmarket sales are devastating to the legal market.” (Continued on page 53)

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FLX420.com • Spring 2023

Fields of Green Tap Root Fields turns challenges into opportunities by Nate Kurash and Victoria Ritter Photos by Mary Buttolph

ap Root Fields, a farm in Skaneateles, grows a variety of crops across 50 acres. Its produce includes heirloom tomatoes, crimson clover, perennial ryegrass and tillage radishes. And hemp and cannabis, of course.

Cultivating through change

Before working in the cannabis industry, Skaneateles native Lee Buttolph worked in several different career fields including telecommunications, lumber, technology and served in the U.S. Marines. He went back to school to earn master’s degrees in entrepreneurial studies and new media management. In December 2018 he received a call from an old friend, Josh Allyn, who had just moved back to Central New York from Colorado and was interested in applying for a hemp license. Allyn asked Buttolph for his help and soon the two friends started Tap Roots Fields. “Within six months we were at it full-time,” Buttolph said. “We had our license

and we’ve been going at it ever since. Josh loves doing the farming side of the business and I handle most of the business side.” The farm started growing hemp in Summer 2019. At the time, Allyn knew they were months behind the initial rush to produce hemp. Instead of trying to catch up, he viewed it as practice for what Buttolph calls the “real game” that was soon to come – cannabis. The transition period from hemp to cannabis was fairly easy, according to Buttolph. “We didn’t know it then, but we spent three years honing our techniques, getting the fields ready, doing a lot of soil sampling, remediating the soil and building out buildings to get ready,” he said.

Tap Root fields in Skaneateles was started by friends Lee Buttolph (top) and Josh Allyn (bottom)

Spring 2023 • FLX420.com

A review of Tap Root’s watermelon-flavored THC gummies by Nate Kurash

purchased these from William Jane dispensary in Ithaca. When I got home, I took two gummies on an empty stomach for a total of 20mg of THC. It took about 20 minutes to take effect and I felt them for a solid hour afterward. Tap Root nailed the amazing watermelon taste. My mood was definitely chill with spurts of laughter. I’d recommend these for watching your favorite comedy – say “Step Brothers” – or if you need to get some light house work done.

Last summer, Tap Root Fields received a conditional cultivators license. It grew four main varieties of flowers – three photoperiods and one autoflower – outdoors before transitioning to greenhouses in the winter where there was just one variety. Buttolph expects they will be back outside in May. This summer, the plan is to cultivate two different photoperiods with different timelines for maturity in order to stagger the harvest. “We try not to do too many because the cost of testing goes up dramatically the more strains you have,” Buttolph stated. “Plus, it makes it harder for your processors to process the biomass. So you want to have the least number of strains possible.”

Local roots

Tap Root’s first cannabis harvests were turned into distillate for edibles and infused drinks. For years, the farm has worked with NOWAVE, a cannabis processor based in Rochester, to make CBD products including gummies, nano-tinctures, balms and lotions. Tap Root’s newest products are its watermelon and fruit punch gummies – each with 10mg of THC. The gummies are available at William Jane Dispensary in Ithaca, the closest legal recreational dispensary to the Finger Lakes Region. More exciting prospects are on the horizon for Tap Root Fields. It is partnering with its sister company, Altua, to introduce a cannabis-infused spritzer that Buttolph likens to San Pellegrino’s blood orange sparkling soft drink. “We’re going to also have a pomegranate and passion fruit flavor coming out,” Buttolph said. “Those have already been formulated, ready to go. We think those things are just going to fly off the shelf. They’re fantastic.” From where Buttolph stands, gummies will become the “the rock stars” once the state’s cannabis market is regulated, as they are popular and reasonably priced. The future is also bright for cannabis beverages, as THC can

FLX420.com • Spring 2023

be infused in various drinks, from coffee and cold brews to sodas and seltzers. “Beverages are going to be huge,” he said. “If you want to convert people who are beer and wine drinkers, it’s not going to be with gummies – it’s with an alcohol replacement.”

A fun, passionate culture

Buttolph has worked in several different industries in his career, but nothing compares to the cannabis business. Through his work, he has seen firsthand the enthusiasm and authenticity of people who work with cannabis. “People in the cannabis world are a lot of fun! They’re the nicest people I’ve ever met. They’re unbelievably passionate about their industry. The trust that people build is really fascinating and I hope it continues forward in this industry.” Allyn’s mission for the farm is centered around conservation; Tap Root Fields is organic certified and its products are environmentally friendly. Inside the greenhouses, growers use living soil, a growing method where growers supply the best conditions to help the plant and microbial life in the soil take care of themselves. Allyn and his team host events that the public can attend for free, learn about clean and natural farming and get inspired. For anyone interested in entering the cannabis industry, Buttolph encourages them to read the state’s cannabis regulations, network at events hosted by the Cannabis Association of New York (CANY) and make connections with farms or dispensaries they might want to work at. “Figure out where in the cannabis community you want to be and start calling these people,” Buttolph said. “Let them know you’re interested in a job as they become available. We’re going to need a lot of people in this industry very soon.”

Tap Root Fields is located at 4272 Jordan Road in Skaneateles. Its farm stand – which sells fruits and vegetables – is open to visitors from Memorial Day to the second week of November. All CBD products are sold online only. Its THC products are only sold in legal NYS dispensaries. To learn more, visit taprootfields.com.

Goooooooood Morning Grow Fam!

efore we begin this edition of The Dank Tank, I want to make one thing very, VERY clear. I am a homeschooled college dropout who knows very little about biology and science. Truth be told, if it wasn’t for the spellcheck on my Mac, neither of those words would

be spelled correctly. My knowledge of the cannabis plant is built from handson experience, plus completely messing stuff up and then fixing it. This process is never-ending and ever-changing, so please forgive me if the terms I use are not

scientifically correct or my examples are a little outlandish. All I am is a simple man who has been in the cannabis industry for most of his life. The reason I love growing this plant so much is that there is a direct connection between my life and the plant’s life. The cannabis plant is reactive and responds to its environment through different expressions – not much different from the way you react to an environment. Our expressions can range from very simple to very complex. For example, when it’s 90 degrees out, you may take off your over shirt as an expression of overheating. On a more complex level, say you accidentally bump into someone’s shoulder on the street and they, in turn, scream in your face and push you. Your expression to that environment may be to give them a little smack. Our responses to environmental stresses are built from two different things: genotypes and phenotypes, which – in Dank’s world – mean “what a person can do and what a person will do.” A gene type is what you are capable of doing based on your genetic lineage. For instance, if you are 6 feet tall you will never naturally be 6 feet 5 inches tall (like me) no matter where you are, how much you work out or how good your diet is. You will always be 6 feet. Now for a phenotype example. Say that you, at 6 feet, are put in a boxing ring with me. Yes, I am 6 feet 5 inches tall, but that doesn’t mean I will win the match. Perhaps your

dank tank

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Spring 2023 • FLX420.com

THE

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pheno expression in that situation is to go full-blown kamikaze. Though I may be bigger and stronger, I might not have that pheno expression (even though I do, wink wink*) and ultimately you win the fight. A pheno type is much more complex than a gene type. You could say it is your reaction to everything that helped you grow to your full genetic potential of 6 feet. One could debate, however, that if you didn’t have the right food or environment while you were growing, you would not have reached your genetic potential of 6 feet tall. Instead, your pheno expression changed in response to that less-than-ideal environment. Even though you have the genetic potential to be 6 feet because of your environment and your response to that environment, you weren’t able to reach the tallest version of yourself. Cannabis and us Now before you think I’m trying to tell short people that they are actually tall people in little bodies, I’d like to explain that what I’m really talking about is the cannabis plant and its relation to us. The cannabis plant exists naturally across the entire world, but because different areas of the world have different climates and environments, the plant expresses itself differently in response. Due to the amount of breeding that has been done to cannabis, almost all plants are now a combination of plants from all over the world. The result is more variety in expressions. For example, when a certain cannabis plant is grown in a colder environment, it will have expressions of a plant that naturally grew in a colder climate based on its genetics. Now take that same plant and put it in a warm environment and its expressions will be different. I KNOW!! This is a truly a mind-blowing discovery that I invented myself! (Fact checked, this is a lie. The only things I invent are different combinations of food at 2 a.m. when I wake up stoned.) But this principle is why I will never fully understand how one human can hate another based on nothing more than their gene expression to an environment they were born in being different from their own. My favorite thing about growing: pheno hunting! Pheno hunting is when you grow multiple seeds of the same plant at the same time and watch to see which ones have

THE

dank tank It is officially the one-year anniversary of the Legacy Growers Association

geno and pheno expression that you desire, and which ones do not. WARNING: pheno hunting can be very addictive and can consume your entire life like it has mine. All I ever want to do is grow a ton of cannabis plants and watch all their unique expressions and then smoke ’em. Throughout this process you will find some plants that are very strong and others that are very weak but ultimately, we are all looking for plants with expressions that we are attracted to. Don’t ever let anyone tell you what expressions you should look for or like! It should be completely based on your own personal preference. That is what makes this plant so amazing and is also why it creates community, not competition. For instance, some people love purple plants (not everyone) but not all plants have the genetic potential to grow purple. Purple-plant lovers will look for that certain genotype with that particular phenotype. Some people want plants that are low-THC so they don’t get insanely high. That, too, is something you would hunt for in your plants. The thing I have found most fascinating is that when you find the right geno in combination with the right pheno, the plant is unstoppable in that environment. We all have the capability of reaching our true genetic potential and becoming unstoppable in our environment, but there is no easy way to do it. At times, the penalty of understanding yourself may result in pain and uncomfortable situations. But every one of us must hunt ourselves and the people and environment around us if we are to reach our full potential. What makes it so difficult is that we cannot always know what pheno expression we will see until the plant (or the person) is put under environmental stress. Too many people surround themselves with pheno types and unfavorable environments that create expressions that are not attractive. It can be the reason why they don’t reach their full potential. The next time you go about your day and walk into an environment that makes you uncomfortable or unsure about how you will react to it, perhaps it would be wise to find out what your expression is. Maybe you will find out that you are stronger than you thought, or that you will get thrown out in that environment and you should avoid it. Regardless, the two most important things I’ve learned in my life so far have both been from this plant growing me! 1. Always hunt yourself just as hard as you hunt the plants you grow, and 2. There is a perfect environment for everything in this world. It’s just a matter of finding out which one is yours.

he LGA, a true grassroots organization, was formed in April 2022 when its founders – legacy cannabis growers including myself – gathered up their savings and filed for 501(c)(4) status with the IRS. It’s a designation reserved for tax-exempt organizations that operate to promote social welfare within a community. The term “legacy growers” refers to those who have been cultivating cannabis for many years, often before it was legal to do so in their region. They have been subjected to the stigma surrounding the plant and have been forced to operate in the shadows at the risk of arrest and incarceration. Despite those challenges, legacy growers continued to cultivate highquality cannabis strains and honed their skills through much trial and error. As a result of their unparalleled practical knowledge and hands-on growing experience they gained, their products remain popular among today’s enthusiasts. Legacy growers paved the way for the legalization of adult-use cannabis and the birth of the legal industry. But as legalization becomes more widespread, legacy growers face a new set of challenges. Large-scale commercial growers who have the financial resources to invest in high-tech equipment and techniques have an advantage over smaller legacy growers in terms of speed and scale. But not necessarily quality. Legacy growers’ deep understanding of the plant and its characteristics allows them to produce cannabis with distinctive flavors, aromas and effects. Many consumers continue to seek out the unique strains and flavors that legacy growers have to offer. As the cannabis industry continues to evolve, it’s important to recognize and preserve the contributions legacy growers bring to the table – not only their skill, experience and knowledge, but also the significant role they’ve played in shaping the cannabis culture. Despite the difficulties they face as small business owners in a competitive industry, their dedication to the craft of growing cannabis has not wavered and their legacy will continue to influence the industry for years to come. @ cny_lga

Spring 2023 • FLX420.com

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Let’s Get Baked Weed Muffin chef’s apron from The Cannabis Community adds a touch of rebellion in the kitchen. Includes a tie-back closure and is made of highly durable 100-percent polyester canvas. thecannabiscommunity.org

GIFTS Triple Relief Salve from Glenna’s CBD is a high potency topical with 500mg of CBD. It’s a full spectrum hemp extract that can be applied to skin. cbdbestoil.com

Plant California Octane feminized cannabis seeds from Humboldt Seed Company to grow an extremely hardy exotic variety with notes of guava and crème. Each pack contains 10 seeds. Does well in all climates. humboldtseedcompany.com

Full Spectrum Hemp Extract Oil from Beezy Beez Honey contains the purest, highest quality hemp-derived nutrients found in nature, with tumeric added. Available at Buddeez LLC in Rochester. @buddeezcafe

A Higher State of Mind Eco Tote Bag from Hudson River Farms has enough room for groceries, books and anything in between. Made of 100 percent cotton, it can carry up to 30 pounds. hudsonriverhemp.com

FLX420.com • Spring 2023

InoBoost Ultimate Easy Compost Tea for Plants from GreenEden is effective in any soil or hydroponic setup with an all-purpose, versatile concentrate. Includes beneficial bacteria and fungi, humic acids, vitamins and more. greeneden.co

Airoclean 420 by Sterilumen improves crop yield by purifying the air in the grow environment. With its patented Photocatalytic Oxidation technology (PCO), Airoclean 420 traps and destroys all airborne powdery mildew and other fungal diseases. Available at Green Merchant Gardening & Hydroponics, green-merchant.com

The Tarantula Vulcan from Grand Master LEDs is the world’s most efficient, full-spectrum, dual-channel light. It has more diodes (4,488) than any other fixtures with equal wattage. With 730nm on a separate channel, you can take full advantage of the Emmerson effect. grandmasterleds.com

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GROW Aeromixer is a pump made specifically for growers, by growers. It’s designed to mix nutrients and aerate feeding solutions with just one pump, reducing the need for air stones and air pumps. aeromixer.com

SmartAlgae one gallon from SmartAlgae Solutions contains naturally grown micro algae concentrate. Mix 5 milliliters of the concentrate in one gallon of water and apply during your plants’ normal feeding. smartalgaesolutions.com

Spring 2023 • FLX420.com

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GOODIES CBD Gummies from Empire Hemp Co. contain 25 milligrams CBD per gummy, perfect for use throughout the day and for those looking for general CBD supplementation. Available in 6-, 30- and 60-packs. empirehempco.com

Infused Creamed Honey from Beezy Beez includes original and cinnamon varieties. Each are New York compliant and lab-tested. Put it on toast, fruit, mix it into tea or ingest it on its own. @buddeezcafe

Drinks, Like A Joint from Shady Daisy Confections are sativa-based juices fit for any tolerance level. A cerebral experience starts within 15 minutes and will leave you smiling for up to 2 hours. shadydaisyconfections.com

Vintner’s Best hemp wine base from Bottom of the Barrel gives an earthy undertone and a refreshing crisp citrus finish. Makes 5 gallons to contain 5mg CBD per 8 fluid ounces. bottomofthebarrel.biz

FLX420.com • Spring 2023

What Consumers Can Expect from the Cannabis Industry by Morgan Hopkins, CFO, Cardinal Point Collective LLC

annabis is legal in New York State, right? The short answer is yes, and the long answer is … it’s complicated. Cannabis’ status in the state along with the status of cannabis licensing in the state impacts consumers of cannabis in unique ways. Having an understanding of how businesses are impacted can help consumers to make informed decisions about their regulated cannabis purchases in this tumultuous time. The rollout of the cannabis program, led by the Cannabis Control Board (CCB) and the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has been described by OCM’s Director, Chris Alexander as, “building an airplane while flying it.” This start to its operation has resulted in a program which has been rapidly changing and a bit confusing for operators. Here are a few examples of the issues business owners have faced.

Lawsuits and injunctions In September of 2022, Variscite NY One Inc., a CAURD applicant, sued New York State claiming that the CAURD qualifications violate interstate commerce and unfairly discriminate against out-of-state residents. This lawsuit resulted in an injunction being placed on the issuance of CAURD licenses. Since then, the injunction has been limited to the Finger Lakes Region, and thus other regions now have CAURD locations approved. In addition, the Coalition for Access to Regulated & Safe Cannabis has filed a lawsuit against OCM for allegedly failing to execute on the requirements of the MRTA . It is unclear whether this action will result in any immediate impact on the availability of cannabis in NYS, but it is easily arguable that it will at the very least be a distraction to regulators.

Cultivation tier surprises In early 2023, Adult Use Conditional Cultivators (AUCCs) received email notifications from the OCM to make their annual tier selection in order to be authorized to plant for the 2023 grow season. This tier selection included a new tier that didn’t exist before, which allows for a new canopy mix and the removal of limitations on the number of grow lights. Some recently licensed AUCCs had to pivot their grow methodologies and operational plans in order to make that election.

Lack of enforcement for violations Pretty much anywhere you go in the Finger Lakes and Greater Rochester regions, you can find a store calling itself a smoke shop and buy cannabis there. Unless you live near one of the open CAURD locations, it’s a pretty safe bet that the store you’re in is not a licensed one. That means that the owners of that store are operating outside of the law, and therefore are not subject to the regulatory compliance which has been put in place to protect the consumer. New York State has been slow to take action against these stores. Some municipalities have cited the locations for local violations and forced closures. However, the availability of storefront cannabis throughout the state is undeniably still very much a thing.

Slow dispensary approvals Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) licenses didn’t start to be approved, nor the program funded, until after AUCCs had harvested their first crops. The first CAURD location, Housing Works Cannabis Co. in New York City, opened on December 29, 2022. That’s almost two years after the enactment of New York’s Marihuana Regulation and Taxation Act (MRTA) that legalized adult-use cannabis. The lapse in time resulted in a major delay in the ability of AUCCs to get their product on shelves, and some cultivators still have unsold stock because the availability of dispensary partners is so limited.

Pretty much anywhere you go in the Finger Lakes and Greater Rochester regions, you can find a store calling itself a smoke shop and buy cannabis there.

What does this all mean for the consumer? First, after two years of waiting since the MRTA passed, there are simply not that many legal locations for New Yorkers to purchase regulated cannabis. How do you know whether the place you’re in is licensed? A list of dispensaries authorized for operation by OCM can be found on the OCM website: cannabis.ny.gov/dispensary-location-verification. If the place you are in is not on this list, it’s not a legal shop. Next, some of the products hitting the shelves in these legal locations might be a little on the older side. AUCCs are finally able to get their product into the seven open dispensaries, but a lot of that product was harvested in October 2022. Don’t judge the brands, the AUCCs or the CAURD locations by the first thing you buy. Now that locations are open, and a new grow season is commencing, fresher, more diverse products will be on their way. The regulated market is new – brands and product lines Spring 2023 • FLX420.com

New York’s program has been designed to promote small business, and thus multistate brands and operators do not have as smooth of a path to get their existing products deployed.

are starting out slow here as they have in every state. New York’s program has been designed to promote small business, and thus multistate brands and operators do not have as smooth of a path to get their existing products deployed. That means that you might not see brands you are used to from Massachusetts or Maine yet, but that doesn’t mean that the ones you do see are bad. The AUCCs and manufactures in New York have been working hard on their own product lines and branding. Give them a chance to impress you. Be patient with the CAURD locations that are open. They are first to market in a regulated marketplace that didn’t exist in New York State four months ago, and in a small pool. As of the drafting of this article, there were seven CAURD locations open which are meant to serve the entirety of the state’s roughly 14,000,000 adults over the age of 21. Lines may be long, stock may be short and staff may be tired. Give them time to catch up. Lastly, businesses are going to have to change what they’re doing hundreds of times in these first five years of

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What Consumers Can Expect from the Cannabis Industry

operations due to regulatory changes and fine-tuning of the cannabis program. Everything I said in this article today could be different tomorrow. Be patient with businesses and their staff as they try to meet your needs as a consumer during this confusing, but undoubtedly exciting time.

Morgan Hopkins, CPA, is chief financial officer of Cardinal Point Collective LLC, a company she founded alongside her business partner, CEO Stephanie Weaver. Their operational management company specializes in the cannabis industry – particularly financial, marketing, HR, development and operational support throughout a business’s life cycle – to help entrepreneurs bring their ideas to life. For more information, visit cardinalpointcollective.com.

How It Happened by Mike Yocina

spent my adolescent years in the rolling farms and grassy valleys of Pennsylvania, dreaming of the West Coast and the sleek lifestyles I’d seen on black-and-white TV. My grandfather William was a farmer and a craftsman. He taught me how to farm, how to shoe a horse and how to make a horseshoe that could correct a racehorse’s gait on the track. He taught me how to read a carpenter’s square, so I aced math and other boring subjects in school. He and I made a violin so that I could learn music. High school had me trying to smoke Queen Anne’s lace, a wild plant that had a soothing effect. I did not know much about cannabis until I showed up at the Woodstock Festival. What an enlightening experience! Got stoned – I was free! I could understand people and why I was here on this rock! I decided to grow some seeds after I did about a few hundred hits of orange barrel acid. It was time for an education. I went to Carnegie Mellon University in 1971 and studied fine art – graphic illustration, specifically. I went to work for Carnegie, representing the school’s graphic illustration department. Cannabis played an essential role in expanding my mind and understanding that you don’t have to punch in. Instead, you can “drop out.” I was a student teacher for four hours after I graduated. I went to the principal’s office and resigned at noon the first day. I worked many different jobs, but never anything steady. I just grew some ganja. A bad accident in 1985 put me in the hospital for two years. During rehab, a visitor would push my wheelchair down to the boiler room every other day where I got four or five hits of a pipe. One time, I brought another patient with me. She was getting nutrition from an IV, but that night, after the boiler room, she ate all kinds of food. It was remarkable to see. I began to understand that cannabis does a lot more than give you a buzz. I realized the buzz I got was more than a

mental feeling – it was physical, and it was attacking my pain. I bought a High Times magazine and placed an order for a wicking, soilless, bubble-oxygenated bucket to grow tomatoes in my window. I moved my project to the community room. This single tomato plant made me decide to give the future of agriculture a try. I thought I could sell it door-to-door, but instead I mortgaged the house I built, borrowed $10,000 from a 17.5-percent loan company, and opened a hydroponics store, Northern Lights & Hydroponics. I made more money than I was used to and grew a chain of stores around the Great Lakes to take advantage of the seasons and the increased need for indoor cultivation. I went to Maui for a two-week vacation and came home in two months, on October 13, 1989. While I was gone, the DEA had developed a Special Enforcement Operation called Operation Green Merchant. It targeted the indoor growing industry in 46 states, including suppliers of seeds and equipment and cannabis cultivators. At 9:30 a.m. in the rainy fall morning with the dew and the fog, my stores were raided. Why? Because people ask me about tomatoes? They took all my inventory. We lost all we had but we were never charged. On October 14, I was on the local news unloading all my inventory from New York State to Pennsylvania. A kind recovering alcoholic working free for the Catholic diocese in Erie got more than 500 Christmas poinsettias. The owner of Harvest Moon Hydroponics store and Nickel City Wholesale near Buffalo, Mike Yocina is a pioneer in the hydroponics and sustainable soil industry. He has been sourcing and providing equipment, systems and organics for nearly 40 years. Yocina is a master consultant soil biologist and continues to innovate in the cannabis equipment industry. He is known for his expertise in dealing with worldwide equipment manufacturers, government regulators and distribution channels. Spring 2023 • FLX420.com

THE limit

(Continued from page 54) began cultivating his own plants, attended pop-up events around Rochester and founded a cannabisand plant-based wellness company called Nesstiva. He launched his

quality,” VanDeWalle said. “I want to know everything that’s going into my products. I want to make and cultivate products that people love and trust. “I want to bring something really special to Rochester,” he added. “Our region has agriculture, craft wine and craft beer. I believe that Rochester has the opportunity to have the craft cannabis epicenter of the entire industry.” We sat down with VanDeWalle to talk about his views on life, cannabis and fun. What do you have bragging rights to? I have the best team in the world, hands down. None of this is possible without them. What is the most useless talent that you have? I can fall asleep anywhere.

newest brand, Vandy’s, at the first ever ROC City Cannabis Carnival in Scottsdale in September 2021. “I had just a couple strains of flower that I sourced from a couple growers I knew and one flavor of gummy,” VanDeWalle recalled. “Ever since then, it’s snowballed.” Vandy’s main focus is on providing cannabis flowers, but it also sells solvent-less extracts and small-batch edibles including gummies, chocolates and drinks. VanDeWalle markets his products to “cannabis connoisseurs” – people who enjoy fine food and drink and flavors – around the Rochester area. With an emphasis on flavor, cleanliness and sustainability, he aspires to have Vandy’s be the “number one craft cannabis brand in the country.” To achieve his goal, VanDeWalle plans to obtain a small business license, cultivate and sell his own cannabis flower and produce all his products in-house. “I want to be able to control the

FLX420.com • Spring 2023

and continue pushing the industry forward in a positive direction. I want everyone to win. What challenging thing are you working through these days? Waiting for the micro-business license to be released. I’ve been preparing for this moment for years, and have so many great things I want to do with the brand once I get my license. What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? The best advice I’ve ever received is to do something I am passionate about. I love what I do. I am deeply passionate about this plant, the industry and the people in it. I never feel like I’m actually “working.”

If life is a game – like some people say – what are the rules? Always treat people with respect and always do good. And don’t be afraid to bend the rules a little bit. What are the risks worth taking? This (being a cannabis entrepreneur) is definitely a risk worth taking. This is a really tough industry and I know I will face a ton of adversity, but I know this is what I was put on this planet to do. What gets you fired up/excited? Honestly, I wake up excited every day. To be an early mover in a brand-new industry is a once-ina-lifetime opportunity, and I feel grateful to be a part of it.

What is the biggest lesson you never learned? Learn to embrace failure, rather than fear it. Treat failures as opportunities.

What do you still hope to accomplish in your life? I’m an advocate at heart. I hope to be able to use my knowledge and experiences in this industry to help small businesses succeed

What’s the best part of your day? When I’m in the garden. It’s the first thing I do every morning. I wake up, have a cup of coffee and go to the garden. It’s a great way to start the day.

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So Much Weed,

Not Enough Market

(Continued from page 40)

“I’ve been involved in the legal cannabis space for more than eight years. This is common in most states. I would say having a lack of a true medical market was the biggest reason. Also, the OCM has been slow at approving licenses which creates significant delays. Establishing better processes will help streamline.” “Farmers no longer have representation since NYCGPA became CANY, now that anyone can become a member. There are a limited number of licensed labs and an insane cost of testing and multiple retesting. Aspergillus testing has no threshold, just a pass/ fail result. There is no continuity among the labs. New York State is trying to reinvent the wheel and is not looking at other states’ processes. Minimal processing has been taken away from the farmer and placed into the hands of (some, not all) greedy AUCPs. The state had such a slow opening of CAURD locations. Last but not least, there is no type of monetary suwpport, such as tax breaks, for the already distressed hemp farmers.”

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Are you planting another crop this year? What is your outlook for the future? “It’s not looking likely that I’ll plant another crop. Instead, I plan on planting food for myself and my family and developing off-grid energy capacities.” “Currently, we are making plans for the next season. How does the OCM expect that we make this investment without any cash flow? How can we attract investors if our inventory is stagnant? As it stands, I see a fraction of the farmers surviving into the second year and MSOs (multi-state operators) taking over and filling the vacuum, thus nullifying one of the objectives of the OCM: a fair and equitable market that represents economic, racial and cultural diversity.” “This year we’re going to go into production in June. We’ve invested in the grow by clearing the land, putting on the covers and soil, purchasing pots – you can’t just grow in regular soil. We’ll put in another $300,000 to $400,000 into producing this year. If we don’t have somebody to sell it to, we might be out of business.” “Yes, we are already so heavily invested we are planning a crop for this year. We are hoping the industry can come together and protect the small farms that are investing so much. Without us though there is no industry.” “We sure are and couldn’t be happier with our progress so far. We plan on planting 10,000 plants both outdoors and in our greenhouses. We have our processes established better now that we’re in Year 2 and have a clearer vision going forward.” “Yes, absolutely. We will find a way. My outlook for the future entirely depends on the day. Today, I remain determined to find a way to make a difference in this industry.” Spring 2023 • FLX420.com

limit THE

Class is in Session by Victoria Ritter, photos by Ashley Eberhardt

eet Steve VanDeWalle, a cannabis entrepreneur who is making (sound) waves in Rochester as he seeks to learn as much as he can to create a strong business. Along the way, he is networking with industry professionals to help others in their learning journey. VanDeWalle shares industry knowledge through his podcast, Cannabis Cum Laude, meaning “cannabis with distinction.” The podcast, co-created with Justin Closser, is focused on educating listeners through interviews with cultivators, legacy growers, politicians, lawyers, doctors and professionals who are connected to the cannabis industry. Together, they cover topics that either VanDeWalle is interested in or that are relevant. Cannabis Cum Laude

typically releases weekly episodes on YouTube, Spotify and iTunes. Hosting the podcast allowed VanDeWalle to increase his knowledge, better operate his company and network. He hopes the episodes are just as helpful to his listeners. “I’ve been studying this industry for the last six years and I still learn something new every day,” he said. “To really, fully understand the industry, you have to understand the many pillars that come with it. It’s a whole ecosystem of new knowledge.” VanDeWalle grew up in Palmyra – about 30 minutes east of Rochester – and lived there until he went study neuroscience at the University of Rochester. He went on to earn his MBA at the university’s Simon School of Business. “At that time, I had no idea that I would ever

be in business for myself, let alone in the cannabis industry,” VanDeWalle said. Ten years ago, one of VanDeWalle’s friends, who happened to be a nurse practitioner, introduced him to the cannabis industry. At the time, VanDeWalle was dealing with stress and anxiety of being an entrepreneur. He took his friend’s advice and started taking CBD as a sleep aid. “That’s when I knew that there was something really powerful when it comes to cannabis,” he said. “For the next year I spent the next year reading and learning all that I could about the endocannabinoid system and cannabis medicine.” VanDeWalle fully emersed himself in the cannabis industry. He co-founded a grassroots advocacy organization called Roc NORML, (Continued on page 52)

FLX420.com • Spring 2023

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