Barbra Dean

Spring is in the air It's time to get our green ladies ready for the ground to become beautiful beasts!

It's time for fresh berries and I am excited to visit the local farms now I am back home Maple is flowing and the bees are buzzing to make honey. These two ingredients both happen to be perfect sweetening agents for granola. Adding a little more binding agent (honey) can help turn your granola creation into a solid bar Something easier to grab for when you’re on the go.

Granola has many uses from garnishing yogurt parfaits for a delicious nutrient boost, to being baked (pun intended) into cookies with chocolate chips with farm fresh eggs gifted from a friend.

For this recipe, I am using dehydrated cranberries I adore cranberries, but its time to get back to enjoying something a little sweeter.

Now the sun is awesome, and we want to get out into it more, let’s use (what most consider) an uplifting strain and start the day off right. Super Lemon Haze is my springtime go to.

This strain's heaviest terpene is Terpinolene, which also happens to be in cranberries!

This recipe yields 8 cups of granola Each cup has 16 tablespoons If we wanted to dose each tablespoon at the legal limit, we will need 160mg – cup, and 1280mg total. If the bud we use is say, 20% THC, we will need 6.4 grams of cannabis to infuse this whole recipe. If 8 cups of granola is too much, you can half the recipe meaning you would only need 640mg total, and 3 2 grams of cannabis

Infuse with whichever technique you are comfortable with but be careful not to exceed temperatures of 350 degrees Celsius

by: Brian Cruz

Lately, I’ve been following cool celebrities online and manifesting friendships through requests for interviews One of the kindest celebrities to have responded by far was Laganja Estranja (Jay Jackson). Laganja is a choreographer, cannabis advocate, artist, LGBTQIA+ icon and drag queen based in Los Angeles. She competed on RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 6 and has since established herself industrywide

At first, Laganja and I messaged about being from Dallas, Texas I hoped to recruit her talents for an event in the Lower Greenville neighborhood. Then, my path intertwined with the fine folk of Fat Nugs Magazine and alas, here I am; a bonafide writer

Or something…

Long story short, in mid-February I sat down for a virtual interview with the world-renowned Laganja Estranja. Here is how it went:

What is the attitude towards cannabis in the Drag industry?

I think cannabis in the drag world is seen very positively. I think most drag queens consume cannabis Especially here in California The stigma around cannabis doesn't really exist within the drag community. Most of us are pretty pro-cannabis

Did you get to consume cannabis while filming RPDR?

Unfortunately, I did not get to medicate when I was on the show, but I'm delighted to say that they now allow girls to medicate with cannabis So, I definitely made my mark regarding production and allowing people to consume various medicines

How has your cannabis advocacy evolved since being on the show?

I didn't consider myself an advocate when I first entered the show

I chose my name Laganja Estranja knowing I wanted a platform that was larger than myself.

I was taught growing up that weed was the devil's lettuce, but I discovered over time that it was not In fact, I found that cannabis was helpful in many aspects of my life.

This realization, and my discovery of the plant's medicinal benefits, helped inspire my creation of Laganja Estranja.

As a drag queen, I wanted cannabis to be my platform, but I didn't understand what it meant to be an advocate; nor was I aware of the impact that being on television and representing the nugs would bring to my life.

I became an activist after the show, especially after witnessing firsthand how homophobic the cannabis industry was. I felt like I needed to create a space, particularly a safe space, for other LGBTQIA+ individuals.

My advocacy and activism has evolved in many ways since the show I've had more opportunities to educate myself on cannabis and vocalize my feelings toward the plant I learned a lot of knowledge about cannabis along the way as I met more people who were curious about my name

I never dreamt of the day that people would be waiting in line at a meet-and-greet to hand me a joint I did not intentionally set out to do that, but it has been beautiful.

Has cannabis hindered or helped your career?

Both, in many aspects, it has helped, especially around 4/20. Everybody wants to book the doll, then!

However, when teaching dance or working with a well-known commercial company, it has hurt me that I am attached to cannabis

When I auditioned for So You Think You Can Dance in Drag for Season 15, I chose to go by the name Ms Estranja because I knew that for Fox network, with a name like Laganja - that probably wasn't going to fly.

It goes both ways, but I always try to look at the positives of being a cannabis advocate.

How has cannabis played a part in your gender awakening?

Cannabis played a huge part in my gender awakening and my gender suppression. For many years I consumed cannabis to escape my truth as a trans woman I was overmedicating to numb myself because I felt this truth within myself.

Again, growing up in Texas, I really didn't have a lot of education when it came to being trans I just knew that being a sissy was not good I knew you got made fun of for this Even as I entered drag, I suppressed this side of myself my whole life.

For me, drag was a catalyst that helped me accept my truth as a trans woman. In the beginning, I chose drag because it was a culmination of all different art forms and a way for me to explain my femininity.

Drag was a way for me to put my femininity in a box I could say I'm not actually trans; I just do drag; it's just my job, and it belongs over here in this beautifully compartmentalized box.

During Corona, while smoking lots of cannabis, I discovered that this was my truth. I didn't want to hide this anymore from others and, more importantly, myself

While cannabis might have hurt me at the beginning of my journey, it also has helped me to accept my journey, deal with my PTSD, and to deal with my fear of being accepted as someone who does not live on the typical gender spectrum

To speak on your point, how many people don't understand the importance of gender education That is really true I believe that most people are born in their gender, and that is how they identify. There is no exploration. It can be difficult for them to understand that someone would explore their gender and codify it in a way such as trans. The only way to deal with this is to educate people.

What does it mean to be a woman to you?

That is a very loaded question.

I think for me, I identify openly as a trans woman. I can only really speak to what it means to be a trans woman. I can't speak to what it means to be a biological woman Now, many trans people would disagree with me on this.

What does it mean to be a trans woman to me? It means to be incredibly brave and accepting. Not just accepting of yourself but others as well It means to be patient, kind, and loving Ultimately, it means to be free

When I think of what it means to be a woman, I believe there isn't a lot of freedom There is a lot of inequality that comes with being a woman.

For me, what I love about being trans, is that I choose not to accept suppression. The world may look at me and view me a certain way; jobs may hire me and pay me less, but the way I look at my life, and by being an openly trans woman, I am free.

Igot to interview five amazing people to celebrate Women’s Month, and as part of those interviews, debuted the “Canna Connoisseur” game, which we decided to share with you here in print. Play the game with friends, family, or coworkers, or use it as an ice breaker on your next Zoom call I’m sure every stoner instinctively knows how to play this game, but just in case, here are the directions:

Step 1. Using whatever vocabulary that’s comfortable for you, choose your medicine selections. Example: sativa/indica, 40/40/20, terpenes, CBD, THC, or maybe even psychedelics.

Step 2. Pair each medicine with a music selection.

Step 3. To further personalize, pair with a category important to you. Example: Food, art, experiences, travel.

Let’s begin with “The First Lady Of The West Coast”, who conveniently has her own song on spotify, titled “BGMO”, which pairs with her most recent strain, “Black Girl Magic OG Kush” Be on the lookout for more music and cannabis from this Goddess!

Next round with the Queen of Chemchix, who was absolutely ecstatic to play along Quickly, she paired Orange Cookie Chem with The Beatles’ song “Come Together'' for a quirky, cute answer. She also paired “Stargazers”, specifically “Golden Teacher” with “Walking on Sunshine” before we got lost in conversation about…DARE.

Dr Miyabe Shields, PhD, might have had the most personal response as of yet, and I’m absolutely here for this entire experience with them. Their pairings were curated alongside personal experiences with their wife, which made it extensively more enjoyable to play. Their selections included a CBG/CBD/THC 40/40/20 blend to “It Was A Good Day”, Morning Glory Seeds (LSA) to “Do Not Let Your Spirit Wane”, and THC/CBD 50/50 got paired with “No Guarantee”. “On The Turning Away” got eloquently paired with 100% CBD Hemp Then, Dr Miyabe rounded off her selections by pairing Mushrooms with “Slow Jam”, as well as “Overthinker” for an LSD experience.

Smacked by JJ had me rolling with laughter with her pairings, choosing to throw in jokes as a way to naturally include her comedy alongside her culinary, cannabis, and music selections, creating a dynamic pairing for your pleasure. She said she wants to pair the “Mother’s Milk” strain with her creamy Alfredo, because “That bitch is smooooth”, going on to choose “that song from the Ying Yang Twins that whispers in your ear… because that’s what this Alfredo does to you”.

The last to play this round was cannabis lifestyle photographer Christina Stoever, who embraced the game wholeheartedly She included a mood board for each pairing, adding a special element She decided to pair Sativa dominant strains with a mood board she titled “Man on Horse” alongside the song “Weedman Channel Tres” Her Indica selection was paired with a mood board described as “Mushroom Shrimp Lady”, and creatively paired with “La femme d’ardent - Air” Her final pairing was hybrid alongside “Boat” mood board, and Mr White - Khruangbin for her musical selection.

by Shelley Peebles - Whitethorn Rose

“A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”

Nestled among the redwoods of Southern Humboldt County, California - between Briceland and Whitethorn, lies a small, quaint farm Johnny Casali and Rose Moberly of Huckleberry Hill Farms, known for producing some of the finest craft cannabis California has to offer, tend to vegetables, fruit trees, sheep, and several craft cannabis cultivars including the Whitethorn Rose.

The farm is the first in the state of California to be certified Fish Friendly by the California Land Institute, and they are also Sun+Earth Certified. Casali and Moberly tend to the pristine grounds with love and care, paying close attention to seemingly small details, such as flowers planted alongside every plant, and geodes discovered by visitors lining pathways With the goal of leaving as small of a footprint on Earth as possible behind, they ensure sediment stays out of the rainwater catchment ponds, and use water collected from melted snow during the winter to water their gardens

When Casali moved to the farm with his mom and stepdad back in 1976, farming was a way of life In order to make a living, his parents had to supplement their income with other trades, including fishing and growing cannabis Over the years, the cultivation of cannabis grew as they added more plants to their gardens among the grape vines and tomatoes. When Johnny was just 15 years old he purchased an 11-acre plot of land with the help of his mother The two competed over who grew the best cannabis, sharing information about their best tips and tricks with other farmers whenever they needed help.

William Shakespeare

However, life was not always so relaxed on the small family farm In the 1980’s Ronald Reagan declared the War on Drugs, and the Campaign Against Marijuana Program (CAMP) began sending law enforcement in helicopters to bust cannabis growers in the area. Johnny’s parents decided fishing was a much safer way to make a living and left Johnny to tend to the farm

Although he tried being as careful as possible, growing under trees, Johnny was greeted by Federal agents early one morning. They searched his property and home for hours, but instead of being arrested, he was given a ticket A year later, he was arrested and a bail of $275,000 was given His mom put the house up for sale along with everything she owned to bail him out.

For the next 3 years, Johnny and his best friend trekked to the federal courthouse in San Francisco to plead their case. Not thinking they had done anything wrong, Johnny felt certain that if they told the judge the truth, they would be given probation as a first time offender The judge felt compelled to sentence them to the federal minimum of 10 years in prison with 5 years probation. Johnny served 8 of those years, and when he was released he headed back to what was left of his home. Although he didn’t have anything left, people in the town showed up with plates, furnishings, and clothing to help Johnny get back on his feet

Appearance

Casali’s mom developed a cultivar with his friend’s mom called Fruit Loops and renamed it Paradise Punch. Miraculously, a close friend had preserved a male plant and gifted this plant back to Johnny when he was released from prison. The day after Johnny got off probation, he got his medical card, which allowed him to grow up to 6 plants legally From there, Johnny began growing his beloved plants again. He fell in love with cultivation once more, using his knowledge from spending time in the garden with his mom. Now, he breeds all of his cultivars using a variation of Paradise Punch, including the memory of his mom, Marlene, and her knowledge into each strain they create

Rich green and deep purple hues accented with dark orange pistils, this bud structure is loose and fluffy. The trim is not overly done, and you can tell that someone took time to make sure none of the leaves were nicked in the process There is an abundance of trichomes because of this attentiveness, and upon close examination with a magnifying lens or loupe, the buds glisten with a crystal-like appearance

Aroma

Genetically speaking, the Whitethorn Rose is a cross between Lemon OG x Paradise Punch (aka Fruit Loops) If you want to dive into the lineage further, Lemon OG is a cross of OG #18 x Las Vegas Lemon Skunk, and Paradise Punch is a cross between Blackberry Kush x Lavender Berry. Wow, do those smells come through in the finished product! There is an intense aroma of fruit punch smell with an earthy funk at the end. The funk fruit gives way to a creamy berry fragrance, with a hint of limonene and lavender This is way more complex and layered than a lot of other cultivars I have tried

Flavor

For the record, I have smoked this cultivar many different ways, in many different forms. The very first time I tried it, I was spoiled by experiencing it in flower plus hash form, in what I call a homogenous hash joint With the flavorful flower combining along with the terpene rich hash, I was treated to a taste bud explosion that has not ever been matched The flower by itself is a full bodied smoke, with many ooth and creamy, fruity and earthy, the Whitethorn Rose is delicious in either flower ombined in a hash joint is the ultimate flavor combination.

s cultivar several different ways, and at various times of day, I can truly say that the y slightly There is an uplifting effect that trails off to a relaxed feeling When I ier in the day, I found it gave me energy and focus without feeling jittery e smoked this in the late evening and the relaxed feeling at the end helped me drift hybrid-like effects for any occasion, the Whitethorn Rose is surely enjoyable down arms is welcoming tours this summer - contact Johnleecasali@gmail com for more information ified Ganjier, a mother, and a life enthusiast Always pursuing knowledge, she seeks to educate others he benefits of plant medicine while fighting for the right to medicate with cannabis