Issue 30 - December 2017 by Freedom Leaf

DECEMBER 2017

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(S PE CIAL IZ E D IN TO PICS O F MA R IJ UA N A I N SPANISH.)

LEAF F R EDECEMBER 2017 A D 2IVIFREEDOM SIO N OF E D OM LE AFIN C.COM (OTCQB: FR LF)

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CONTENTS

48 FEATURES

CANNA-WOMEN OF THE YEAR 2017

WEED, WOMEN AND CENSORSHIP AMANDA REIMAN Participants in the new film Mary Janes fume over a Facebook advertising ban.

BREAKING THE GRASS CEILING: WOMEN, WEED & BUSINESS MIA DI STEFANO

FREEDOM LEAF INTERVIEW: MARIA McFARLAND SÁNCHEZ-MORENO STEVE BLOOM An expansive sitdown with the new director of the Drug Policy Alliance.

2017 CANNA-WOMEN IMPACT LIST Kathy Bates, Debra Borchardt, Dr. Dina Browner, Jyl Ferris, Jamie Kacz, Cat Packer, Shaleen Title and Mona Zhang.

DIVERSITY IN CANNABIS A new survey conducted by New Frontier Data and Women Grow shows women are advancing faster than ethnic minorities in the marijuana industry. 4

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TIKUN OLAM: THE ISRAELI CONNECTION MADISON MARGOLIN The Israeli cannabis company is making inroads in the U.S. Plus: TIKUN OLAM TASTE TEST by Chris Thompson.

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CONTENTS

24 COLUMNS

EDITOR’S NOTE STEVE BLOOM

WORD ON THE TREE MONA ZHANG

60 64

HIGH HOLIDAZE GIFT GUIDE

INSYS HIT WITH MAJOR INDICTMENTS MIKEL WEISSER

CANNABIS-LAW REFORM: THE YEAR IN REVIEW JUSTIN STREKAL

SSDP: WOMEN IN CANNABIS BETTY ALDWORTH

WOMEN GROW: KEEP ON PUSHIN’ MARVINA THOMAS

TWELVE STONER SONGS FOR THE HIGH HOLIDAZE ROY TRAKIN

A STONED BRIDE IS A HAPPY BRIDE BETH MANN

THE RETURN OF HEMP CLOTHING prAna mixes it into their blends. ERIN HIATT

DEC./JAN. EVENTS

OAKSTERDAM UNIVERSITY’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY BASH DR. ASEEM SAPPAL FREEDOM LEAF

MASSROOTS MELTDOWN STEVE GELSI Isaac Dietrich fights to get his company back. HIGH HOLIDAZE POT-COOKIE PARTY CHERI SICARD

DECEMBER 2017

PIZZA FELLA NEAL WARNER

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Women Grow members on Capitol Hill

EDITOR’S NOTE WE LOVE YOU, MARY JANE AS WE REACH the end of another year, it’s time to reflect. We’ve endured a rabidly antidrug Trump administration as states tried to implement new legalization policies. While Nevada forged ahead in July, Maine experienced a setback in November (see page 10). It’s been one step forward and another step back. Certainly, it could be worse: President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions could already have launched a frontal attack on cannabis. But Sessions’ November statement on it was ominous: “It’s my view that the use of marijuana is detrimental and we should not give encouragement in any way to it. And it represents a federal violation, which is in the law and is subject to being enforced…. I don’t want to suggest in any way that this Department [of Justice] believes that marijuana is harmless and people should not avoid it.” Despite this negativity from Washington, life goes on and so does Freedom Leaf. We’ve had a solid year, producing nine issues, culminating with specials devoted to the Summer of Love Revisited (July/August), 80 Years of Prohibition (October), Diversity in Cannabis (November) and now Canna-Women of the Year (December). This issue’s cover features the Drug Policy Alliance’s new executive director, Maria McFarland Sánchez-Moreno. She follows Ethan Nadelmann in the job. We admire the 8

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work the DPA has done, especially in leading the way on diversity in the drug-law reform movement. Sanchez-Moreno, who was born in Peru, personifies that commitment. My interview with her begins on page 30. I’d like to give shout-outs to Freedom Leaf ’s non-male contributors, most of whom have articles in this issue: Mona Zhang, who writes our Word on the Tree news section (pages 10-13) and is also one of our “impact women” (page 40); Cheri Sicard, our cannabis-infused chef (page 60); Erin Hiatt, our hemp specialist (page 72); Beth Mann, our female humorist (page 70); Amanda Reiman, one of our California reporters (page 48); Mia Di Stefano, our LGBTQ insider (page 50); and Madison Margolin, who contributes her second article about the Israeli marijuana scene, this one focused on Tikun Olam’s move into the U.S. (page 54); plus SSDP’s Betty Aldworth (page 20) and Women Grow’s Marvina Thomas (page 22). All told, 75 women of cannabis are featured in this issue. We’ve covered many others previously and will continue to do so in the future. Women are the heart and soul of the marijuana movement and industry. More power to them!

Steve Blo m

Editor-in-Chief

FOUNDERS Richard C. Cowan & Clifford J. Perry

PUBLISHER & CEO Clifford J. Perry

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Steve Bloom

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER Chris M. Sloan

ART DIRECTOR Joe Gurreri

VP OF BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Ray Medeiros

SENIOR EDITOR Steven Wishnia

VP OF ADVOCACY & COMMUNICATIONS Allen St. Pierre

NEWS EDITOR Mona Zhang

DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL MARKETING Chris Thompson

CONTRIBUTORS: Betty Aldworth, Ngaio Bealum, Dr. Frank D’Ambrosio, Mia Di Stefano, Steve Gelsi, Erin Hiatt, Mitch Mandell, Beth Mann, Madison Margolin, Doug McVay, Amanda Reiman, Dr. Aseem Sappal, Cheri Sicard, Justin Strekal, Marvina Thomas, Roy Trakin, Neal Warner, Mikel Weisser Copyright © 2017 by Freedom Leaf Inc. All rights reserved. Freedom Leaf Inc. assumes no liability for any claims or representations contained in this magazine. Reproduction, in whole or in part, without permission is prohibited.

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A ZHANG N O ’ M

MAINE GOV VETOES MARIJUANA REGS, LEAVES COMMERCIAL LEGALIZATION ON HOLD ON NOV. 3, Maine Gov. Paul LePage vetoed a bill that would have set up regulations for legal sales and cultivation of marijuana under the Marijuana Legalization Act, the ballot initiative state voters approved in 2016. The state House sustained the veto three days. A special legislative committee had been working on the regulations for more than nine months. “I feel like we legalized gasoline, but not gas stations,” Rep. Martin Grohman griped after the veto, which does not prevent adults from legally possessing or giving away up to 2.5 ounces of marijuana. But without the regulations proposed in the bill—a tax structure and licensing for stores, cultivators, product manufacturers and testing companies—the opening of legal pot stores will be delayed. Maine currently has a moratorium on retail sales until Feb. 1. Gov. LePage cited the conflict between state and federal law, lack of consistency between the state’s medical and recre10 FREEDOM LEAF

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DECEMBER Paul2017 LePage

ational programs, and unnecessarily high regulatory costs as the reasons for his veto. “Even if federal law were of no concern, there are other significant issues that must be addressed,” he wrote in his veto statement. “The dangers of legalizing marijuana and normalizing its use in our society cannot be understated.” Republican state Sen. Roger Katz , who helped draft the bill, countered: “We’ll be throwing oxygen on the fire of the black market. It will be the wild, wild West in Maine. How could anybody want that? Our bill isn’t perfect, but it’s much, much better than that.” In October 2016, during the Question 1 campaign, LePage called marijuana “deadly” and said “people addicted to marijuana are three times more likely to be addicted to heroin.” LePage, who was elected in 2010 and again in 2014, has one year left as governor. One of the candidates vying to succeed him is former state Rep. Diane Russell, a Portland Democrat who introduced several unsuccessful bills to legalize cannabis during her eight years in the House. “Not only does this veto delay the legal commercial market, it sends new sales to same black market we’re trying to eliminate,” she tells Freedom Leaf. “This is precisely why we need to elect governors who are pro-cannabis and pro-voter.”

WHITE HOUSE IGNORES CANNABIS SOLUTION FOR THE OPIOID CRISIS ON AUG. 1, Pres. Donald Trump’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis released its first recommendations for how to counter the steady rise in opioid-related deaths in the U.S. Led by outgoing New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a staunch prohibitionist, the commission disregarded increasing scientific evidence that access to marijuana could help mitigate the harms of opioid use. So it was no surprise that cannabis was missing when the panel released its final report on Oct. 26 that outlines more than 50 recommendations to deal with the publichealth crisis, including an increase in federal drug courts, letting more emergency responders administer the overdose-averting drug naloxone and easier access to drug treatment. “Marijuana legalization will lead to more drug use, not less drug use and will lead to more death, not less death,” Christie said, citing a study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse that said cannabis use “appears to increase” the risk of abusing opioids. “If I told you today that anything would make your child two and a half times more likely to be addicted to opioids, you would be getting them as far away from [marijuana] as you possibly could.” The Trump administration seems intent on cherry-picking scientific results while ignoring the growing body of evidence that med-

ical marijuana could indeed be helpful for opioid users. In declaring the opioid crisis a public-health emergency—but not a “national emergency,” which would have enabled rapid allocation of federal funds—Trump promised to revive tactics that have been proven to be ineffective at curbing drug use. “One of the things our administration will be doing is a massive advertising campaign to get people, especially children, not to want to take drugs in the first place,” he said in a speech at the White House that echoed the Reagan-era “Just Say No” antidrug campaign. “They will see the devastation and the ruination it causes to people and people’s lives.” The federal government spent billions of dollars on antidrug advertising, promoted by the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, from the 1980s to the mid-2000s. Those campaigns, including the infamous “This Is Your Brain on Drugs” eggs-frying commercial, “at best had no effect on drug use,” a 2008 study published in the American Journal of Public Health concluded. “At worst, exposure to the campaign might have actually increased the likelihood of adolescent marijuana use.” Some studies, such as one published in April in Drug and Alcohol Dependence, have found significantly fewer opioid-related hospitalizations in states that have legalized medical cannabis, and there’s also evidence that marijuana can serve as an effective (and less deadly) treatment for chronic pain. “People think it’s a gateway drug to narcotics,” TV host Dr. Mehmet Oz told a trio of surprised Fox News hosts on Sept. 19. “Actually, it may be the exit drug to get us out of the narcotic epidemic.” DECEMBER 2017

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ROB KAMPIA REMOVED AS MARIJUANA POLICY PROJECT DIRECTOR ROB KAMPIA IS no longer executive director of the Marijuana Policy Project, a position he held for 22 years. On Nov. 21, the organization, which he cofounded in 1995, reassigned him as director of strategic development. Matthew Schweich will serve as interim executive director until a permanent replacement is found. “I’m looking forward to spending more time on Capitol Hill to help craft and pass the best possible legalization law nationally,” Kampia commented. “I also want to focus on legalizing marijuana in three of the ten most populous states—Texas, New York and Michigan.” Kampia will continue to sit on the boards of MPP and the MPP Foundation. “Shortly after Election Day, Rob quickly shifted gears to start the Michigan 2018 legalization campaign,” fellow board member Troy Dayton stated. “With the Michigan signature drive now complete, it’s the right time to shift Rob’s focus to new and bigger projects.” The shakeup continues a trend among the leadership of drug-policy-reform organizations. In July, the Drug Policy Alliance announced that Maria McFarland Sánchez-Moreno would succeed Ethan Nadelmann (see page 30). In November 2016, 12 FREEDOM LEAF

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Erik Altieri took the helm of NORML from Allen St. Pierre. “Drug-policy reform has grown up a lot in the last 20 years,” MPP communications manager Morgan Fox tells Freedom Leaf. “Leaders that have been so instrumental to the movement are getting older and might want to work on other projects. Many people are willing to get involved and taking on the mantle in this mission. We’ve got a lot of talent to choose from.” The timing of the leadership change raised eyebrows. Kampia was charged with sexual harassment by MPP employees in January 2010 and suspended for three months while he went to therapy, but then was swiftly reinstated. As increasing numbers of high-profile men are suffering the consequences of sexual-harassment allegations, past accusations are resurfacing with a renewed significance. The 2010 allegations of Kampia’s workplace improprieties Rob Kampia included him having alleged consensual sex with an employee, dating a 19-year-old intern, telling a staffer she would be “hotter with a boob job” and constant suggestive talk in the office. Fox says the change “is something that the leadership has been discussing really since the 2016 campaigns,” and denies it had anything to do with the broader conversation of sexual harassment. “To my knowledge, there have been never been any allegations against Rob since 2010.”

FOUR CBD PRODUCERS WARNED BY FDA NOT TO MAKE MED CLAIMS ON OCT. 31, the Food and Drug Administration sent warning letters to four CBD producers over their claims that it can treat serious ailments. Cannabidiol has been gaining attention in recent years for its promise in combating a variety of medical conditions without much psychoactive effect. The FDA took special issue with claims that CBD can help patients with cancer. In a letter to Joel Stanley, CEO of CW Hemp in Colorado, the agency noted a page at the company’s website titled, “Cancer Dosing Guidelines.” The company gained nationwide attention after its Charlotte’s Web strain was featured on a CNN documentary in 2013. “It’s your responsibility to ensure that your firm complies with all requirements of federal law and FDA regulations,” the FDA’s director of pharmaceutical quality operations Steven E. Porter, Jr. wrote in the letter. “You should take prompt action to correct the violations cited in this letter. Failure to promptly correct these violations may result in legal notice, including, without further limitation, seizure and injunction.” A spokesperson for CW Hemp stated that the company takes “regulatory compliance very seriously,” and said it would work to better monitor testimonials about its products. But the issue seems to go beyond websites publishing customer testimonials. The FDA also questioned CW Hemp directing customers to the website for its affiliated nonprofit Realm of Caring, which “establish[es] the in-

tended use of [the CBD] products as drugs.” The three other companies to receive similar warning letters were That’s Natural, also based in Colorado; Natural Alchemist, based in California; and Green Roads of Florida. Both Green Roads and CW Hemp insist that their CBD products are legal under a 2014 farm bill that allowed individual states to develop their own hemp programs. While many states have since set up industrial-hemp programs, the legislation doesn’t let companies make medical claims about CBD. The FDA forbids companies from promoting such claims about a product unless they’ve been demonstrated in agency-approved studies—although a 1994 law lets dietary-supplement marketers say the product “supports” better health, as long as they include a disclaimer that the FDA has not evaluated the claim and that the product is not intended to treat any disease. That disclaimer now appears in the fine print at the bottom of pages on the CW Hemp site.

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Standing, from left: Rhonda Firestack-Harvey, Jason Zucker, Rolland Gregg and Michelle Gregg. Sitting: Larry Harvey, who died in 2015.

KETTLE FALLS FIVE RECEIVES REPRIEVE FROM JUSTICE DEPT. The Washington state medical-marijuana growers known as the Kettle Falls Five scored an unexpected victory on Oct. 18 when Justice Department attorneys conceded that they didn’t have the authority to prosecute the defendants. However, they didn’t dismiss the case. The admission confirms what the growers’ attorneys had been saying ever since the Feds raided the 33-acre property near Kettle Falls in eastern Washington and confiscated 70 plants in 2012: That the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment to the federal appropriations bill, first passed in 2014, prohibited the Department of Justice from using federal funds to target state-legal medical-marijuana activities. Three of the five defendants were convicted in 2015 on federal charges of growing and trafficking marijuana. One of the five, Larry Harvey, passed away from cancer that same year. The fifth defendant, Jason Zucker, took a plea deal for a 16-month sentence in exchange for his testimony against the other three—Rolland Gregg, Michelle Gregg and Rhonda Firestack-Harvey. Rolland Gregg was sentenced to 33 months, while Michelle Gregg and Firestack-Harvey received 13 months each. They all had recommendations for medical marijuana under the state’s program. The defendants have remained 14 FREEDOM LEAF

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free while they appeal their sentences. In a motion filed with the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, Justice Department lawyers requested that the case be remanded to a lower court, acknowledging that they were “not authorized to spend money on the prosecution of the defendants after December of 2014 because the defendants strictly complied with the Washington State medical marijuana laws.” About the decision, Zucker’s lawyer Frank Cikutovich said he was “shocked that the government is agreeing with us, especially in light of who is in charge right now.” Attorney General Jeff Sessions has asked Congress to do away with the Rohrabacher-Farr protections. However, some cannabis advocates are questioning why the U.S. attorneys asked for the case to be remanded to a lower court rather than simply dismissing the case. The prosecutors are waiting for medical-marijuana protections to lapse, which would allow them to continue with the case. Congress must renew the RohrabacherFarr amendment (now named RohrabacherBlumenauer) every year. On Sept. 6, the House Rules Committee blocked the amendment from a vote. Pro-cannabis lawmakers are continuing to fight for the amendment, as well as introducing legislation that offers a more long-term solution to federal protection of state laws. Mona Zhang publishes the daily cannabis newsletter Word on the Tree. Subscribe to WOTT at wordonthetree.com.

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ANTI-LEGALIZATION OPIOID COMPANY INSYS HIT WITH MAJOR INDICTMENTS BY MIKEL WEISSER THE OCT. 26 ARREST of Insys Therapeutics’ founder, CEO and majority owner John Kapoor on federal fraud and conspiracy charges happening on the same day the Trump administration formally took a stance against opioids was rich with irony for cannabis observers. Insys manufactures and markets the extremely potent fentanyl spray Subsys, as well as the synthetic-THC spray Syndros. Last year, the Big Pharma company opposed Prop 205 (the Legalization and Regulation of Marijuana Act) with a $500,000 contribution to the Arizonans for Responsible Drug Policy PAC. Prop 205 lost by a 4% margin, giving it the dubious distinction of being the only pro-cannabis measure on state ballots in November 2016 to fail. “That the No on 205 campaign got in bed with Insys shows just how desperate they were to fight the trend of common-sense marijuana-law reform sweeping the country,” Prop 2015 campaign manager Adam Kinsey tells Freedom Leaf. But karma came back to bite Kapoor when he and six former Insys executives were charged in a whopping 79-count indictment with “RICO conspiracy, as well as other felonies, including conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud… and conspiring to bribe practitioners in various states, many of who operated pain clinics, in order to get them to prescribe Subsys, a powerful narcotic intended to

Former Insys Therapeutics CEO John Kapoor

treat cancer patients suffering intense breakthrough pain,” the Department of Justice stated. “In exchange for bribes and kickbacks, the practitioners wrote large numbers of prescriptions for the patients, most of whom were not diagnosed with cancer.” A self-made immigrant Indian-American pharmaceutical billionaire, Kapoor came up with the idea for Subsys after his wife died of breast cancer in 2005. The company received FDA approval for the drug in 2012. Subsys was intended for late-stage cancer patients, but Insys soon realized that they die off too fast to make much use of the drug. Before long, the company devised a kickback scheme where doctors and prescribing nurses were rewarded for writing prescriptions. By 2015, Insys was selling almost $300 million a year of the powerful drug, which comprised 99% of its total revenues. Once considered a hot stock, Insys has taken a big tumble. It dropped 23% on the day of Kapoor’s arrest (he resigned as CEO three days later). Overall, Insys stock value has plunged 87% since June 2015. Mikel Weisser is director of Arizona NORML.

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CANNABIS-LAW REFORM: THE YEAR IN REVIEW BY JUSTIN STREKAL

IN THE WAKE of the landmark victories for cannabis in 2016, there was much momentum to build upon with state legislatures in 2017. With NORML chapters in nearly all 50 states, activists took the fight to the halls of state capitols and city councils from Florida to Washington State and everywhere in between. Lawmakers in 26 states passed bills to advance cannabis-law reform. Victories included: • Nevada expediting the implementation of adult distribution of legal marijuana, becoming the first of the states that legalized it in 2016 to respect the will of their voters and bring their system online; • New Hampshire becoming the 22nd state to decriminalize marijuana, joining the rest of the New England states; • West Virginia becoming the 30th state to pass a medical-marijuana law; •Decrim measures passing in Atlanta; Kansas City, Missouri; and Athens, Ohio. The public is now strongly with us. This year, for the first time ever, polls showed that outright majorities of Democrats, Republicans and independents supported marijuana legalization. Overall, 64% favored a sea change on pot. In 1969, the year before NORML was founded, only 12% of Americans backed legalization. Responding to these winds of change, Reps. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Dana 18 FREEDOM LEAF 18 FREEDOM LEAF

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Rohrabacher (R-CA), Jared Polis (D-CO) and Don Young (R-AK) formed the Congressional Cannabis Caucus to develop and promote sensible policy reforms, and ease the tension between federal and state governments. Nearly 100 House members (22%) have either authored or cosponsored legislation to reform the antiquated federal marijuana laws. Now’s the time to take action. More than two dozen state organizations have scheduled lobby days at their legislatures in 2018. To help increase the likelihood of success for these volunteer-led efforts, we’ve updated our Citizen Lobby Guide, a comprehensive booklet that helps activists plan and execute successful lobby days. It also provides organizational checklists and a legislative questionnaire, so activists are fully prepared to meet with lawmakers to discuss meaningful reforms and effectively communicate NORML’s message of ending prohibition on the local, state and federal levels. Use NORML as a resource. You’ll find fact sheets and talking points at our Action Center at norml.org. It tracks legislation, directs you to local chapters and tells you how to start your own. As we look to an uncertain future, we know we must work both to sustain our existing gains and to score future victories. Justin Strekal is NORML’s political director.

2017 FREEDOM LEAF13 19 july 2016DECEMBER www.freedomleaf.com

WOMEN IN CANNABIS: FEWER JOB OPPORTUNITIES, BUT MORE RESPECT BY BETTY ALDWORTH BORN OUT OF the efforts of activist “Brownie Mary” Jane Rathbun and her San Francisco cohort in the 1980s and ’90s, legal medical cannabis has long been the domain of women, just as caretaking and nursing so often are. Yet since those early days, non-males have been relegated to gender-specific roles in the cannabis culture and community, such as caretakers, bakers, bikini-clad bong holders and exploited migrant trimmers. There was a momentary bright spot in late 2015 when a Marijuana Business Daily survey indicated women held 50% more C-suite positions (CEO, COO, CFO, CIO) in cannabis than in the average American industry. There were panels on “women and cannabis” at every major conference. Dynamic non-male leaders were being lifted up in every sector of the industry. So how is it is that, two years later, we find ourselves with shrinking representation in C-suite jobs and continued marginalization in the rest of the industry? We’ve yet to shift—or even properly examine—some of the endemic characteristics of the cannabis industry and community that contribute to gender disparity, like aversion to risk and systemic bias. Cannabis cultivation, trade and consumption remain high-risk activities. While men are often socialized to admire and engage in these activities, the opposite is true for women. The dangers of losing our children, freedom, hard-won opportunities, control or autonomy leads us to be more protective and risk-averse in professional and personal activities. The inevitable result was that men were the dominant force in the early development of the cannabis consumer community. While many, perhaps most, are and were respectful of the women in their midst, I wouldn’t be surprised to find a higher rate of misconduct in the cannabis space than 20 FREEDOM FREEDOMLEAF LEAF

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Activist “Brownie Mary” Rathbun handed out “special” brownies to AIDS patients in the ‘80s.

in other more mainstream communities. Thankfully, the tendency in the cannabisaficionado community to use women as sexualized props in photo spreads has been largely replaced with respectful imagery. And business types are supplanting bros who come to trade shows to check out chicks holding bongs. It’s one thing to say you value diversity, and another thing entirely to cultivate a workplace environment where people are valued for what they bring to the team, not how they sound or look when they bring it. The next generation of cannabis leaders are coming up through Students for Sensible Drug Policy (ssdp.org), a community that values equity and diversity. Betty Aldworth is SSDP’s executive director.

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THE CANNABIS CREDO: KEEP ON PUSHIN’ BY MARVINA THOMAS FOR A WOMAN in the high-stakes cannabis industry, business has its challenges. For a woman of color in this industry, those challenges are often more difficult. What I know for sure is staying true to yourself is the only way to gain real success. I’m a caring person. I love to serve others. More than 15 years ago, I launched the non-profit Start Living, Inc. recovery home for men and women in Laveen, Ariz. We help people abstain from opioids and alcohol by reintroducing them to clean living. This has been my personal mission after retiring as a nurse. Once Start Living was up and running, I founded Vina Soaps, which led to my CBD venture, Marvina Thomas 420 Skin Care. As a woman, wife, professional caregiver and lover to all people, I wanted to create something that could reach further. Our products—body butter, bath bombs, soap bars and lotions available at 420-skincare.com—are for all skin types, but especially for people with extra-dry or sensitive skin or eczema. Many in the cannabis industry know CBD can help and, with a topical product, our customers are getting results.

My work with Start Living and 420 Skin Care led to Women Grow and the opportunity for me to become the Phoenix market leader. In this role, I’m able to mentor women in the industry and serve more people. Those who attend our events get to connect with other business leaders, find inspiration to start their own businesses and basically become informed. My cannabis journey is just beginning. The time and money I’ve invested in all of my ventures are finally taking shape. My next order of focus is to mentor my sisters in the cannabis industry. To me, womanhood means leading by example. Being a woman in the cannabis community also means dealing with questionable characters. My personal rule is to never allow myself to stoop to anyone’s level. I hold my head high, because I know the people I serve are watching. My goal is to be the better example when managing difficult situations. As women and minorities, it’s important for us to stick together. In order to propel our dreams and missions, we must keep pushing, and become mentors and role models of excellence for others to look up to.

STAYING TRUE TO YOURSELF IS THE ONLY WAY TO GAIN REAL SUCCESS.

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INSIDE OAKSTERDAM UNIVERSITY’S 10TH ANNIVERSARY BASH BY DR. ASEEM SAPPAL

Left to right: Ed Rosenthal, Dr. Aseem Sappal, OU founder Richard Lee and Dale Sky Jones

THE SCOTTISH RITE CENTER in Oakland, California rocked on Saturday, Nov. 18 as Oaksterdam University celebrated its 10th anniversary in style. Among the nearly 500 people who attended were cannabis dignitaries like OU founder Richard Lee and his mother Ann, Ed Rosenthal, Lynette Shaw and Kyle Kushman. It was an evening of recognition, gratitude and some surprises. The program began with a graduation ceremony for Oaksterdam alumni from April 2012 to the present. Each received a commemorative certificate from Lee, executive chancellor Dale Sky Jones and myself. “First they ignore you, then they mock you and punish you, then you win,” Lee told the crowd from his wheelchair. Five years earlier, Oaksterdam had been raided by federal and state authorites, which hastened Lee’s departure from the institution he started in 2007. The big surpise of the night was Alameda County presenting OU with a commendation as America’s first cannabis college, hands-on training facility and academic institute dedicated to educating the community and industry. The county rarely issues commendations, which made the declaration a true highlight. O’Dammy Awards were handed out to advocates, activists, business leaders, entrepreneurs, students, alumni, faculty, staff and everyday citizens. The winners included: • Cannabis Pioneer Award: Lynette Shaw 24 FREEDOM 24 FREEDOMLEAF LEAF

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(Marin Alliance for Medical Marijuana) • Advocacy Award: Valerie Corral (Wo/Men’s Alliance for Medical Marijuana) and Ann Lee • Freedom Fighter Award: Diane Wattles-Goldstein (Law Enforcement Against Prohibition) • Living Legend Award: Richard Lee • Meritorious Service in Public Office Medal: Rebecca Kaplan (Oakland City Council) • Luminary Award: Tommy Chong • Literary Excellence Award: Ed “Guru of Ganja” Rosenthal • International Cannabis Advocacy Award: Ras Iyah H (Rastafari Rootzfest) • Courage “Good Soldier” Award: OU instructor Sarah Shrader and Jose Gutierrez, a radio reporter arrested protesting the 2012 raid • Dedication “Good Soldier” Award: Mikki Norris (TheLeafOnline.com) • Skill in Combat Award: Alice Huffman (NAACP) and Hezekiah Allen (California Growers Association) “The evening was about honoring and thanking people who’ve made a difference in the industry,” Dale Sky Jones commented afterwards. “There’s still much to do to advance cannabis reform in the United States.” Dr. Aseem Sappal is provost and dean of faculty at Oaksterdam University.

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Isaac Dietrich

MASSROOTS MELTDOWN

Ousted founder Isaac Dietrich fights to get his company back. BY STEVE GELSI

MASSROOTS FOUNDER Isaac Dietrich is currently unemployed after being fired by his board of directors on Oct. 16. On Nov. 21, the company sued him in a Denver federal court for misappropriating funds. It’s one of the highest-profile stock meltdowns in the short history of the marijuana Green Rush. The cannabis-software company’s penny stock (OTCQB: MSRT) has nosedived more than 80% this year. Since Dietrich was terminated, MassRoots’ revenues have fallen as losses mount. Interim CEO Scott Kveton is trying to steer the company in a new direction as legal documents fly back and forth between Dietrich and his ex-employer. Kveton says Dietrich violated his separation agreement by making disparaging remarks about company officials in a published interview. The suit also accuses him of making more than $250,000 in unauthorized payments to him26 FREEDOM LEAF

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self and to third parties on his behalf. At presstime, Dietrich had responded by launching a proxy battle with MassRoots in a bid to get himself reinstated as CEO. He owns 15.8% of the outstanding shares, so he’s still the company’s largest shareholder. Asked about the allegations against him, Dietrich tells Freedom Leaf that rival board members are “scared because I have the votes to replace them” and added that the company’s lawsuit as a whole is “baseless.” MassRoots did not respond to an email request seeking comment about the lawsuit and Dietrich’s proxy battle. Volatility should be expected for cannabis startups like MassRoots, a postage-stampsized microcap valued at less than $20 million. But the tiny company loomed large in the world of cannabis penny stocks that have come into focus in recent years. Earlier this year, Mass Roots, which

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IT’S ONE OF THE HIGHEST-PROFILE STOCK MELTDOWNS IN THE SHORT HISTORY OF THE MARIJUANA GREEN RUSH.

MassRoots’ interim CEO Scott Kveton is confident that he can turn the company around.

boasts of having “one of the leading technology platforms for the regulated cannabis industry,” was riding high, with at least $4 million in venture capital backing, plenty of traction from penny-stock traders and attention as a Facebook-like app to track like-minded cannabis consumers. In a 2016 interview with Freedom Leaf, Dietrich said he was motivated to “create an environment for sharing cannabis” and pointed to dispensary-location services as a potential way to create revenue for the start-up. With appearances at ArcView events, backing from venture capital investors and solid press coverage, MassRoots seemed to have the wind at its back. But the company’s financial performance fell sharply in the third quarter, down to $11,516 in revenues from $209,003 in the 28 FREEDOM LEAF

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same period in 2016. Meanwhile, expenses rose to $7.5 million from $2 million. Dietrich blames the weak third-quarter results on a “rocky integration of Odava and the Odava team.” MassRoots acquired Odava, which makes point-of-sale software for licensed dispensaries, this year for $1.7 million. It’s no coincidence that Dietrich pointed the finger at it: Kveton was Odava’s CEO. Speaking on a conference call during the Marijuana Business Conference & Expo in Las Vegas on Nov. 16, Kveton remained upbeat about the company’s prospects. He discussed teaming up with dispensary-finder services and a delivery company in California. Kveton said he’s focusing on near-term revenue growth, working to get the company’s cash burn rate to below $175,000 a month. MassRoots continues to cut a wide path through social media, with robust subscriber numbers on its Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and other social-media channels, as well as more than one million downloads of the MassRoots app. The company’s current priorities include advertising, digital products and an online store. “The marijuana industry is booming right now and it’s still early,” he crowed. “The California market will be huge.” MassRoots is studying potential ways to raise additional capital. “We feel confident we can make that happen,” Kveton said. For now, investors in the penny stock don’t feel quite as bullish. The shares are trading at about 19 cents, down from about $1 early this year. Dietrich has had a wild ride for someone who’s just 25 years old. Investors might be upset, but meltdown sagas like this one are not uncommon in the world of penny stocks. There will be more to come with tiny companies that makes a lot of noise. Steve Gelsi is a financial writer who lives in New Jersey.

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FREEDOM LEAF INTERVIEW

MARIA MCFARLAND SÁNCHEZ-MORENO INTERVIEW BY STEVE BLOOM AFTER 23 YEARS at the helm of the Drug Policy Alliance, Ethan Nadelmann stepped down earlier this year. Following what she calls a “grueling process,” Maria McFarland SánchezMoreno was selected to succeed him as executive director. Born in Peru (her mother is Peruvian, her father is from the U.S.), she has a deep understanding of how the Drug War has affected Latin America. After 13 years at Human Rights Watch, she was ready to move over to a drugpolicy organization. Sanchez-Moreno attended the University of Texas at Austin and New York University Law School, and clerked on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. She’s the author of There Are No Dead Here: A Story of Murder and Denial in Colombia (Nation Books). Freedom Leaf interviewed her at the DPA offices in New York on Nov. 17.

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What’s it like to replace Ethan Nadelmann? It’s a thrill. I’m obviously not Ethan. I have to work out what space I’m going to fill and how I’m going to lead the organization. This is a great place to be. The movement is at a critical time. We have lot of opportunities. I’m excited to build on what Ethan put together over two decades. What are your priorities? Right now the biggest issue is the response to the opioid-overdose crisis. President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions are using it as an excuse to ramp up the War on Drugs, and to put in place other draconian policies, like reinstating harsher sentencing at the federal level or pushing for harsher immigration policies. It’s all about a very old agenda of persecuting vulnerable communities in this country. So we have to be the people responding to that. We’re the loudest voice on drug policy in the country generally. We can hit back at that narrative and say, “Look, if you’re serious about addressing opioid overdoses, then here are some things you can do. But not what you’re proposing, which has been done many times and has been proven to be utterly ineffective.” Do you think opioids can be replaced by marijuana? There is some evidence that states that have legalized medical marijuana aren’t having the same problems with opioids that other states are having. It’s absolutely worth researching. There should be no ideological opposition to exploring those possibilities. What’s another priority for you? Marijuana should be legalized. We need to continue building on the gains we’ve made. But I want to make sure we legalize marijuana in a way that recognizes the harms that have been done through prohibition. Prop 64 in California is now the gold standard for marijuana legalization. We had a lot to do with that. It has provisions for record expungement, equity in licensing and reinvestment in

the communities that have been most harmed. That’s what we’re trying to replicate in New York, New Jersey and New Mexico. Trump’s election was a blow to the legalization cause. How do you plan to deal with this White House’s War on Drugs policies? I have little hope that we’ll be able to influence the White House, but we have to keep up our work on Capitol Hill—to maintain the Rohrabacher-Farr amendment, for example. We’re in a good place because of public opinion on marijuana. Members of Congress are going to face questions and criticism in many parts of the country if they start going with Trump and Sessions on marijuana. Do you anticipate a round of raids in legal states to put a fear into the industry? There could be. I think Sessions would like to do that. But politically it’s difficult for them to do it, because marijuana legalization is very popular in the country. For the Republican Party, which has always been strong on states’ rights, it puts them in a bind for the federal government to move in and change what states have done. Which are the countries to watch internationally as far as drug policy is concerned? It’s really disturbing to see what’s happening in the Philippines, in part because of Trump’s response to it. He’s been willing to visit with (President Rodrigo) Duterte and praise him, and talk about having a great relationship with somebody who’s pushing for the murder of thousands of people who use drugs. That demonization of populations is very worrying to me, because I see Trump doing something very similar here with stigmatizing whole populations like immigrants—saying that they’re the bad hombres bringing all the heroin and fentanyl into the country, and using that as an excuse. I worry about the parallels and I worry about Indonesia now imitating the Philippines. There are signs of that happening. DECEMBER 2017

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How about Latin America? Latin America is a very interesting place to watch, because there is, in many countries, a great deal of public unhappiness and cynicism about the War on Drugs. There’s a growing recognition that U.S. policies on prohibition that have been exported in those countries have ultimately fed an illicit market that fuels organized crime and massive violence in Colombia and Mexico. Those are places to watch, where you can start to build on opposition to the War on Drugs. A few years ago the presidents of Mexico, Guatemala and Colombia called for alternatives to the War on Drugs. They’ve been a little quiet recently, but that underlying unhappiness with the War on Drugs remains. 32 FREEDOM LEAF

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What can be done about the cartels in Mexico? The operations are very similar to Colombia. You have highly organized groups that are about profiting from the drug trade and possibly other illicit activities. They’re ruthless and will kill people who compete with them. They will buy off authorities. They operate with impunity, because there’s nobody around to hold them accountable. It’s impossible for the United States, no matter how much money it pours into fighting these groups, to prevail. Whenever you arrest one of their leaders, whether it’s El Chapo [Sinaloa Cartel boss Joaquin Guzman] or the paramilitary leaders in Colombia, somebody else is always waiting in the wings. No matter how much you try to block their

cy and justice. Eventually, I concluded that human rights were the most direct way to work on those sorts of issues. What does Human Rights Watch do? It documents abuses by governments, generally, against people in 90 countries around the world. It tries to make change happen by creating public pressure and by doing advocacy with policy makers, international bodies and people who could have leverage over those who are committing the atrocities. It’s a 400-plus-person organization that was started in the U.S. I got really involved in drug policy at Human Rights Watch when I became codirector of the U.S. program working on domestic issues.

Past and present DPA executive directors, Ethan Nadelmann and Maria McFarland Sánchez-Moreno.

shipments, they’re always going to find another way in. There’s just too much money to be made. As long as the illicit market is there, you’re going to have organized crime profiting off it. How did you steer in this career direction? I grew up in Peru in the ’80s during the left-wing insurgency the Shining Path. There was a lot of violence and the military response was brutal. It was also a very difficult time economically. In 1990, a new president got elected, Alberto Fujimori. He became a strongman and, in 1992, shut down Congress and took over complete power. It was terrible. I became very engaged with issues of social justice and wanting to fight for humanized democra-

What was your domestic focus there? We put together a report along with the American Civil Liberties Union last year called “Every 25 Seconds,” which documented the harms of criminalizing drugs in the United States. The numbers were dramatic when we processed them. It’s not only one drug arrest every 25 seconds, which means more than a million people are arrested every year for simple possession for personal use, but the racial disparities were through the roof. Black people are three times as likely to get arrested as white people for drugs, even though their use rates are the same. In Manhattan, we found a black person was 11 times more likely to be arrested for drug use than a white person. Did your work at Human Rights Watch connect you with the DPA? Yes. I was speaking with Ethan while I was working on drug policy at Human Rights Watch. I consulted with him. How did it happen that you became the new executive director? I was contacted by a headhunter, but I was already interested. It was a very serious hiring process. They had a recruitment firm managing it and it was incredibly professional. It was a huge amount of work for me, but it was also really enjoyable and thoughtful. I’m delighted it worked out the way it did. DECEMBER 2017

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“IT’S SO IMPORTANT THAT WHEN WE DO MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION,

WE DO IT RIGHT.”

The DPA has been at the forefront of diversity in drug-policy reform. How much progress has been made for women and minorities and how much still needs to be made? Coming from the outside, the industry doesn’t look like it’s particularly diverse. This is what we’re trying to address in the push for equity in licensing. When it comes to the movement, I think people of color are absolutely becoming more and more engaged all the time on this issue, because they’ve been the most historically affected. There’s always more work that has to be done in our own organization and in others. Some are certainly more diverse than others. We emphasize racial justice, so that’s more attractive to certain people. In terms of women, there are a lot of women in senior leadership positions here. I think we may see more women rising elsewhere. There’s a lot of female leadership in the movement—Betty Aldworth at Students for Sensible Drug Policy, Steph Sherer at Americans for Safe Access, Kristina Garcia at Women Grow, Monique Tula at the Harm Reduction Coalition and now you. That’s a reflection of what’s happening in the broader world. Women have dominated the nonprofit sector in terms of staff for a long time. Leadership has always been more challenging. I think you’re starting to see that change. 34 FREEDOM LEAF

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What else can help minorities move ahead in drug policy reform? As far as the industry goes, it’s just a question of who has capital in this country. The more we can reduce barriers to entry, the better. The more you can help disadvantaged groups step in, the better. This is why it’s so important that when we do marijuana legalization, we do it right. In terms of organizations, we need to make sure that when we hire at all levels, we make concerted efforts to recruit diverse candidates. You need to be very clear in your messaging that you welcome people of color. These are not simple issues. It’s going to take a long time to make large-scale changes happen and it’s going to require serious attention from leaders. As a Latina, how are things going for Latinos in drug policy reform? The Latino community has been harshly impacted by the War on Drugs. There’s a lot of room for growth, education and outreach. At the same time, there are also sectors of the Latino community that are very conservative and may not be easily persuadable. And with Trump and Sessions hammering away on immigrants, we need to reach out not just to Latinos, but immigrants generally, to raise awareness about how the War on Drugs is shaping these policies. What else is on the DPA’s agenda? We need to figure out how to start push-

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ing the decriminalization of all drugs. That doesn’t mean we’re going to push for any ballot initiatives on that right away, but we need to lay the groundwork. We need to do a lot of work shaping public opinion. We have to figure out what states and jurisdictions might be more open to it. We need to do a really good job of sketching out what an alternative system would look like—not just pointing to Portugal, which is one model. You’re talking about cocaine and heroin and other drugs. It’s a much harder sell to get someone to say, “Legalize coke!” Absolutely. We need to be able to answer tough questions and do a very good job of strategically selecting locations where we want to move this forward. The first step is public education.

That’s a different ballgame. Marijuana is still the drug for which the most arrests are made in this country, despite legalization in so many places. It’s not just about some people wanting to smoke marijuana. It’s about many, many issues that affect everybody, even if they don’t smoke. There’s an effort to legalize marijuana legislatively in New York. Is the DPA involved? Our New York State office is very actively involved. We’re going to need to do some groundwork here to build enough support in the state. New York is a very divided state. It has some very progressive sectors and some that are not. That’s going to take a little while to do more public education.

“WITH MARIJUANA, THE LOWERHANGING FRUIT HAS ALREADY BEEN PICKED. NOW WE’RE GOING TO HAVE BATTLES IN LEGISLATURES, NOT JUST BALLOT INITIATIVES. THAT’S A DIFFERENT BALLGAME.” What are the biggest obstacles for drug–policy reform in general and for marijuana-law reform in particular? The biggest issue is lack of public knowledge. People have been kept in the dark in the United States for so long. Getting people to understand the magnitude of what the War on Drugs has meant in our society is really important. An additional obstacle is there’s a lot of fear-mongering and misinformation being spread around about what the opioid crisis is about and what the right solutions are. We have to counter all of that with better, stronger arguments. With marijuana, the lower-hanging fruit has already been picked. Now we’re going to have battles in legislatures, not just ballot initiatives. 36 FREEDOM LEAF

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Is DPA behind the legalization effort in Michigan in 2018? We’ll have to see how that campaign develops. We’re watching it closely. Any other states? There’s medical marijuana in Missouri and legalization legislation in New Jersey. Last thoughts? I’m so excited to be a part of this. It’s a tough time and it’s going to get tougher, because of what’s happening at the federal level and because of the way the opioid crisis is going to get manipulated. But I also think it’s a time of tremendous opportunity.

“My goal is to have cannabis recognized by the American Medical Association as a viable medicine for various ailments, including Epilepsy, Alzheimer’s, MS, Cancer and who knows what else. That’s my goal.”

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2017 CANNA-WOMEN

LIST

IMPACT

EIGHT FEMALE MOVERS AND SHAKERS

CAT PACKER EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, LOS ANGELES DEPARTMENT OF CANNABIS REGULATION • On achieving equality in cannabis: “Equitable to me means just fair. The policy up until now has been prohibition. For decades and decades, we’ve understood that prohibition doesn’t work. It hasn’t curbed the availability or consumption of cannabis. But, nonetheless, we’ve spent millions and billions of dollars incarcerating people for a plant and substance that now, under California law, is not a drug. As we move forward, we want to make sure that those community members and individuals impacted disproportionately by marijuana prohibition and its enforcement have an opportunity to participate in the legal industry.” • On her own cannabis use: “I shy away from the question of whether or not I consume, because for some folks that’s a medical question. When we’re having these conversations, I remind folks that it might not be polite all the time to ask people about their medical history or their medical practices.”

SHALEEN TITLE COMMISSIONER, MASSACHUSETTS CANNABIS CONTROL COMMISSION • On becoming a cannabis activist: “My roommate at the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana, Danielle Schumacher, wanted to start a chapter of Students for Sensible Drug Policy. You needed two people to start a chapter, so I said, ‘Fine.’ At one of our first meetings, someone from the ACLU came and said, ‘If you’re black in Illinois, you’re 57 times more likely to be incarcerated for a drug offense.’ That number just blew me away. It became our mission to change that.” • On her parents: “I would tell them about how, in Indian culture, cannabis has been used practically since the beginning of history.” • On her government job: “I’m trying to be authentic. I know a lot of people are looking to me. I believe we can make the marijuana industry not just any industry, but a better one, and that we can make this a really open and transparent agency that takes people’s needs into account.” 38 FREEDOM LEAF

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KATHY BATES ACTRESS, DISJOINTED • On medical marijuana: “I’ve had a prescription for some time for chronic pain. I’ve really become a believer. I find it just as effective, if not more, than other pain relief. Originally, when I was going through breast cancer, my oncologist prescribed some, because my recovery was painful. The marijuana was a tremendous help.” • On vape pens: “Pot is so much better now. Now they have these vape pens. You control your intake. It’s like: function, not function.” • On shooting Disjointed: “At the end of the week, after we’ve had the show, you get the new script. I go home, take all my makeup off, climb in bed, get stoned and read the new script. They’re hysterical.”

DR. DINA BROWNER CANNABIS CONSULTANT, DISJOINTED; OWNER, ALTERNATIVE HERBAL HEALTH SERVICES • On being a cannabis consultant for TV shows and movies: “It’s fun and exciting, but representing the industry I love can be stressful. Working on Disjointed required me to be present in the writers’ room to help guide them along, using my 15 years of cannabis-industry experiences. I worked with wardrobe, set designers and the prop department to make sure everything on set felt as authentic as possible. I was on set during rehearsals and tapings to work directly with the cast. It’s so important for the actors to feel comfortable, which is why I had them all spend time inside my real dispensary in West Hollywood.” • On making the move to recreational sales: “We’re lucky to be located in a very progressive city. West Hollywood gave us a business permit back in 2005, so we’re one of the only four licensed dispensaries in all of Los Angeles. We’re ready for 2018, just in time to celebrate Season 2 of Disjointed on Jan. 12.” • On women in cannabis: “Sorry boys, the ladies are taking over! Traditionally, men grew and sold cannabis while the women stayed home with the kids. If there was a bust and the man was arrested, the kids still had at least one parent to care for them. Once medical marijuana became widely accepted and legal, more and more women began working as budtenders. Now we’re entrepreneurs, growers and dispensary owners. Not only are women more nurturing, we’re the ones who purchase most of the items for their households. It only makes sense to start marketing to us. We’ve made huge strides in a short amount of time, and I’m so happy to be part of this groundbreaking industry.” DECEMBER 2017

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MONA ZHANG FOUNDER, WORD ON THE TREE • On her career before cannabis: “I covered tech and media, and managed social media for publications. My last full-time job was social editor at Adweek, and before that, I was an editor at Mediabistro. I wasn’t happy with the direction my career was going and decided I wanted to focus on a beat I was passionate about: weed!” • On Word on the Tree: “It’s a daily newsletter and website that delivers everything you need to know about cannabis. My goal is to highlight the best cannabis journalism, with a focus on criminal justice. It’s going well, though it certainly hasn’t been easy. I’m also a freelance journalist and a part-time student. There’s been a proliferation of marijuana media outlets in recent years and mainstream publications have been increasing their cannabis coverage. The world definitely needs more cannabis journalists who know how to cover the space fairly and accurately.” • On women in cannabis: “The cannabis industry is a great opportunity for women. But I think a lot of the coverage of how the industry is welcoming to women is misguided. Plant-touching sectors like cultivation and extraction are very male-dominated and misogynistic. Ancillary sectors like finance and tech bring in sexism from those industries. There have been gains, just don’t come in with the notion that the industry is particularly welcoming to women. For instance, a cannabis company held a party at a strip club in Las Vegas during the Marijuana Business Conference and Expo in November. We still have a ways to go, but the more women in the industry, the better.”

JYL FERRIS CREATIVE DIRECTOR, TIKUN OLAM • On the work she does: “I’m responsible for branding, packaging and marketing for both web and print, event and display design, and video for a multistate cannabis brand. I’m returning to my entrepreneurial roots and working as an independent agency. I look forward to taking Tikun Olam to the next level while expanding my clientele.” • On Woman Grow: “We’re evolving. I hope the organization comes out stronger. There’s a lot of space in the industry for people of any gender, as long as you know your stuff and are willing to work hard. That’s what Women Grow encourages. Opportunities are available if you show up and know what you’re doing. The most important thing is to know what you want to do and pursue it with all of your energy. Women have a huge impact. We purchase health products. We’re movers and shakers.” 40 FREEDOM LEAF

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JAMIE KACZ EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NORML KC • On becoming a NORML activist: “I’d been a cannabis supporter for a long time, but I’d never used my voice to make a difference. After losing loved ones to conditions that could’ve been helped by cannabis, I no longer wanted to remain silent. As a woman, I wanted to contribute a female perspective to the cause and also encourage other women to get involved. Kansas City didn’t have an active NORML chapter, so I decided to start one.” • On decriminalizing cannabis in Kansas City: “A small group of dedicated individuals worked tirelessly to put our decriminalization measure on the ballot. The NORML KC chapter was responsible for writing the language, gathering signatures and building coalitions within the community. By leading the Yes on 5 campaign to an overwhelming 75% victory in April, we showed what a small group of individuals can accomplish with passion and tenacity.” • On women in cannabis: “Women are truly leading the way in creating a more diverse and sophisticated industry. In the past, cannabis consumption has been viewed as male-dominated. It was lacking a female point of view. Now that there’s a larger legal market in the U.S., more women are coming out and helping to shape this new industry.”

DEBRA BORCHARDT OWNER, GREEN MARKET REPORT • On GreenMarketReport.com: “We focus on the financial news of the cannabis industry and leave advocacy and political reporting to other sites. Our goal is to be a central hub for the industry by presenting analytics and research from a variety of companies. The marijuana media is a crowded space, but by targeting only the financial news, we set ourselves apart.” • On 2018: “We’ll continue to see industry numbers explode, especially as California begins to record and report hard data on cannabis sales. It will be the year of Cali cannabis. With midterm elections at the end of the year, there could be some improvements in the political landscape.” • On women in cannabis: “Women got off to a good start in the early years of the industry and then things seemed to slow lately. Perhaps the original female entrepreneurs sold their businesses, or more men started businesses, and that brought the percentages down. Creating their own networks and supporting each other will bring the numbers back up. Women are seeing that by starting these networks, they have a nonjudgmental place to ask questions and get help. We’re stronger together, and by supporting each other we will grow together.” 42 FREEDOM LEAF

DECEMBER 2017

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IN CANNABIS A SURVEY CONDUCTED BY NEW FRONTIER DATA AND WOMEN GROW CONCLUDES THAT WOMEN ARE MAKING GREATER STRIDES THAN MINORITIES IN THE MARIJUANA INDUSTRY. The 2017 Diversity in Cannabis survey sheds light on the current state of diversity within the legal industry and provides insight into the types of challenges faced by its growing workforce. More than 1,700 participants completed the survey, allowing for a broad range of perspectives on issues from their reasons for joining the cannabis industry to their experiences with gender and racial discrimination. While the cannabis industry has been successful in providing additional opportunities for women and minorities, it still has some of the key characteristics of a startup industry in a nascent space. Key issues facing employees include low pay and limited benefits, if any. Additionally, 44 FREEDOM LEAF

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the industry is largely made up of privately held companies, as individual corporate growth has been constrained by federal prohibition. While the industry shows high levels of gender diversity (relative to other industries), the same cannot be said for its racial diversity. Among the survey respondents’ companies, women occupy positions of power and are included in positions across all levels of the organization. However, comparatively, racial minorities constitute very few positions of upper management and ownership. With 40% of respondents saying they’ve invested in cannabis companies, and nearly 60% reporting they took equal or less pay when they joined the industry, the workforce in cannabis is clearly committed to the industry. That commitment is further highlighted by the large number (40%) who work more than 20 hours a week in their cannabis jobs. The extent to which people in cannabis have been willing to invest their time and money advancing the industry’s growth underscores the commitment of industry stakeholders to the success of the industry.

More than 74% of respondents felt that businesses should do more to encourage greater racial and sexual diversity in the industry. However, less than one-third of businesses have adopted policies to ensure the recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce. Achieving the diversity outcomes sought by a large majority of the industry will require more companies to be more active in their approaches to increasing diversity, including through establishing formal policies intended to attract a more diverse workforce. As consumer research around cannabis has grown, the industry has begun to better understand the unique drivers of consumption and product preferences across various consumer subgroups. Understanding these behavioral differences and tailoring the development and marketing of cannabis products to each group’s unique behaviors in the industry is an opportunity to both differentiate their brand in an increasingly crowded market, as well as build customer loyalty within specific communities of cannabis consumers. Based on the responses of the survey group, the cannabis industry appears to offer greater opportunities for women to advance to positions of power, and less gender discrimination, than other industries. Roughly 30% of respondents reported that women occupy all positions of ownership at their companies, and 57% reported working for companies that had an ownership team where at least half were women. The findings were similar for upper management. Approximately 25% of respondents reported women occupy

all management positions and 58% reported management teams were at least half women. While there’s a high level of female participation among cannabis companies, the same is not true for racial diversity. Racial minorities constitute very few positions of upper management and ownership. Nearly half (47%) of respondents reported that there are no racial minorities in positions of ownership at their companies, while 59% reported that less than half of the ownership team is comprised of racial minorities. In comparison, only 23% reported working for a company with no women in positions of ownership and just 9% of respondents reported that there were no women in positions of upper management. When survey results are filtered to show only responses from minorities, the view that racial discrimination is a moderate or major industry issue rises from 45% to 65%, reflecting the fact that those who don’t belong to minority racial groups may be less familiar with the discrimination minorities experience in the sector and therefore are less likely to perceive as a major issue. Sexual harassment is a widespread issue in the industry, with nearly half (45%) reporting they’ve either witnessed it (27%) or have experienced it themselves (18%). An additional one-third reported that they knew someone who’d been sexually harassed in the industry. When filtered to include responses only from women working in non-ownership or management positions (those working as lower-level staff and interns),

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the percentage of sexual harassment jumps to 30% and the percentage knowing someone who has experienced sexual harassment jumps to 49%. A recent poll by the Washington Post and ABC News that surveyed American workers shows that sexual harassment has become a serious problem for women in any industry. In a 2011 poll, 47% of Americans said they felt that sexual harassment in the workplace was a serious problem. That number has now risen to 64%. One-third of women say they experienced sexual advances from a male coworker or a man who had influence over their job, and one-third of this group of women say their male coworkers’ behavior constituted sexual abuse. The trend shows little sign of fading with younger generations, as 41% of employed women under age 40 have received unwanted sexual advances from male coworkers, compared with 25% of employed women over the age of 40. While it’s clear from the survey responses that many believe diversity to be important, and many believe that companies should implement strategies to improve diversity at their company, women and racial minorities are still underrepresented in the industry. Fifty-eight percent of survey respondents believe that limited knowledge about how to best integrate a diverse workforce into corporate culture is a barrier, and the same percentage attribute that barrier to the lack of commitment among company leadership. Another 55% believe that the barriers exist due to a general lack of awareness about racial and gender diversity. 46 FREEDOM LEAF

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Fifty-four percent report a lack of diversity-specific targets in recruiting efforts. However, it’s widely viewed that diversity is important among survey respondents: almost three-quarters (74%) of respondents agree that businesses in the cannabis industry should set targets to encourage greater racial and sexual diversity, and 62% believe that state government should prioritize diversity when evaluating candidates for cannabis business licenses. Cannabis business groups like Women Grow, the Minority Cannabis Business Association, Latinos for Cannabis and the Hood Incubator, along with advocacy groups like Decode, are working to educate minority communities on opportunities in legal cannabis in an effort to increase their participation in the industry. However, continued exclusion of people with convictions for cannabis offenses (especially among older communities of color) will require sustained effort to close the industry’s racial opportunity gap. Excerpted from Diversity in Cannabis: Perspectives on Gender, Race and Inclusion in Legal Cannabis by New Frontier Data in association with Women Grow. Reprinted by permission of Frontier Financials Group, Inc. The complete survey is available for $149 at newfrontierdata.com.

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Available in hardcover, ebook, and audio

FREEDOM LEAF 47

MARY JANES FESTIVAL SCREENING SPARKS A CONVERSATION. IN A MARIN COUNTY hotel room, a group of women are giggling, adjusting each other’s hair and posing for selfies. It’s pretty typical, until you hear the dialogue. “Fuck Facebook!” one says. “Censorship is bullshit!” barks another. This is not just any group of women and it’s not just another gathering of friends. We’d all come together to attend the world premiere of Mary Janes: Women of Weed at the Mill Valley Film Festival on October 8, but we weren’t as happy as we should’ve been, given that we were hours away from our documentary debut. As pioneers in an industry being reborn outside of prohibition in a society where women are rarely chosen to lead, we’re well seasoned in the ways of hypocrisy and cannabis. Yet, no matter how far we get forging the path to legitimacy, around every turn is a reminder that we can’t put down our machetes just yet. On this day, our oppressor was Facebook. The social network had refused to allow ads for Mary Janes, because the 48 FREEDOM LEAF

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film’s about marijuana. Let that sink in. The same company that let clandestine agents of the Russian dictatorship buy and use space to create divisiveness during the 2016 Presidential election decided that a documentary about a legal industry violated their terms of service. If there are two things that get us Mary Janes up in arms, they’re censorship and hypocrisy, and as women in the cannabis industry, we’re intimately familiar with both. The industry’s conscience, spirit guide or even spirit animal, women have played a major role in ushering in the new age of cannabis. Mary Janes: Women of Weed takes the viewer on a journey of discovery through the eyes of filmmaker Windy Borman, who like myself was a child of the Just Say No era in the ’80s. She sets out to investigate whether the rhetoric she’d been told about cannabis was accurate or just a fabrication meant to scare her into a drugfree existence.

Mary Janes Role Call Here are the 32 “Women of Weed” featured in the movie. . Giadha Aguirre de Carcer – founder/CEO, New Frontier Data . Betty Aldworth – executive director, Students for Sensible Drug Policy . Sarah Batterby – CEO, Hifi Farms . Jill Brzezicki – founder/lab director, CMT Labs . Juliana Carella – cofounder/CEO, Auntie Dolores and Treatibles . Stacia Cosner – deputy director, Students for Sensible Drug Policy . Sabrina Fendrick – director of government affairs, Berkeley Patients Group . Mary Gordon - cofounder, Aunt Zelda’s and Zelda Therapeutics . Kiana Hughes – cofounder, Two Dope Chicks . Andrea James – founder, National Council for Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls . Wanda James – CEO, Simply Pure . Karen Lazarus – founder, Sweet Mary Jane . Jaime Lewis – founder and CEO, Mountain Medicine . Laila Makled – advocacy relations, National Cannabis Festival . Leah Maurer – co-owner, The Weed Blog; branding and outreach manager, Yerba Buena . Madeline Martinez – board member, NORML . Jacqueline McGrane – owner, Cannabinoid Consulting . Wendy Mosher – CEO, New West Genetics

Borman seeks the answers to these questions by interviewing female industry leaders (see “Mary Janes Role Call” above) and those in business, science, medicine and policy. Through her questions and experiences, she uncovers not only the truth about the cannabis plant, but the ways in which female leaders have shaped the industry in the image of the plant herself—strong, diverse, adapt-

. Jeannie Moss – cofounder/CEO, AnnaBis Style . Genifer Murray – founder/CEO, Carbon Blue Consulting; cofounder, GENIFER M . Karen O’Keefe – director of state policies, Marijuana Policy Project . Amanda Reiman – vice president of community relations, Flow Kana . Lindsay Robinson – executive director, California Cannabis Industry Association

. Drayah Sallis – founder, Our Cannabis Culture . Dr. Suzanne Sisley – president, Scottsdale Research Institute . Sabria Still – product specialist, Metropolitan Wellness Center . Shaleen Title – commissioner, Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission . Mitzy Vaughan – managing attorney, Greenbridge Corporate Counsel . Dr. Daniela Vergara – founder, Agricultural Genomics Foundation . Ah Warner – founder/CEO, Cannabis Basics . Taylor West – senior communications director, COHNNABIS able and with a focus on healing. But don’t get me wrong, we’re also fierce gatekeepers of truth and protectors of justice, which is why our happy hotel-room reunion was focused on our growing ire at Facebook. We are Mary Janes: Women of Weed: industry leaders, business developers, researchers, educators and warriors, and a force to be reckoned with. DECEMBER 2017

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WOMEN, WEED &

BUSINESS Breaking the Grass Ceiling details how women are making a major impact in cannabis.

BY MIA DI STEFANO ASHLEY PICILLO AND Lauren Devine’s Breaking the Grass Ceiling: Women, Weed & Business is a snapshot of cannabis history told from the perspective of 21 women in the burgeoning pot industry. The authors reveal often-untold truths from these female trailblazers about the difficulties of working in an unstable industry. With a few notable exceptions (Giadha Aguirre de Carcer of New Frontier Data, Arizona medical-cannabis researcher Dr. Sue Sisley), most of the women featured are players in Colorado’s cannabis business. Manufacturing, testing and distribution are three important steps of the cannabis value chain, and one common thread among the stories is people applying the skills from their previous occupations to those job. Jaime Lewis, founder and

Authors Ashley Picillo (right) and Lauren Devine

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CEO of Mountain Medicine, catapulted from her career as a classically trained chef to manufacturing marijuana-infused products in 2010. Meg Sanders, CEO of MiNDFUL, a Colorado dispensary chain, had previously managed compliance for a wealth-management firm. Genifer Murray used her background in microbiology to found one of Colorado’s first independent testing labs in 2011 and eventually Carbon Blue, a scientific lab consulting business. The authors hop between important moments of their subjects’ lives, painting a broad picture of the road to greener pastures. Julie Dooley, president of Julie’s Natural Edibles, had to deal with a woman telling her children that “their mother sells drugs,” while Karin Lazarus, founder and CEO of Sweet Mary Jane, joined with her daughter to launch an edibles business. Some chapters have a historical feel, such as SSDP executive director Betty Aldworth’s recollection of working on the campaign for Amendment 64, the 2012 initiative that legalized recreational cannabis in Colorado, at a time when soccer moms were the swing vote. Similarly, Wanda James, Colorado’s first African-American dispensary owner, brings read-

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THE WOMEN OF BREAKING THE GRASS CEILING • Giadha Aguirre de Carcer: founder and CEO, New Frontier Data • Betty Aldworth: executive director, Students for Sensible Drug Policy • Jessica Billingsly: cofounder, MJ Freeway • Amy Dawn Bourlon-Hilterbran: founder, Medical Refugees Foundation; CEO, Millenium Grown • Diane Czarkowski: founding partner, Canna Advisors • Amy Diullo: VP of business development, CMH Brands •Julie Dooley: president, Julie’s Natural Edibles • Diane Fornbacher: founder, Ladybud • Karson Humiston: founder and president, Vangst Talent • Wanda James: CEO, Simply Pure • Kristi Lee Kelly: cofounder, Good Meds Network • Heidi Keyes: founder, Puff, Pass & Paint • Karin Lazarus: founder and CEO, Sweet Mary Jane • Jamie Lewis: founder and CEO, Mountain Medicine • Maureen McNamara: founder, Cannabis Trainers • Genifer Murray: founder, Carbon Blue; GENIFER M (see page 64)

ers back to reality when she recalls how she was inspired by her brother’s incarceration many years ago for possessing a quarter-pound of marijuana. Her story echoes the effects of decades of illicit operations on communities of color, a detail that otherwise goes unmentioned for most of the book. For would-be entrepreneurs looking for opportunities in the cannabis industry, Breaking the Grass Ceiling offers personal 52 FREEDOM LEAF

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From top left clockwise: Gennifer Murray, Meg Sanders, Wanda James, and Maureen McNamara

• Ashley Picillo: author, Breaking the Grass Ceiling; founder and CEO, Point Seven Group • Amy Poinsett: cofounder, MJ Freeway • Meg Sanders: CEO, MiNDFUL • Dr. Sue Sisley: president, Scottsdale Research Institute • Susan Squibb: founder, Mother’s High Tea; contributor, The Cannabist Breaking the Grass Ceiling is available for $14.95 at grassceilingbook.com.

insights on the ups and downs from leaders across a wide range of businesses. For future historians, it provides a roadmap of how an industry got started. And for those who’ve been in the business for a long time, it may sound very similar to your own journeys. Mia Di Stefano consults on marketing and digital strategy under her brand High Growth NYC.

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THE ISRAELI CONNECTION Tikun Olam is making inroads in the U.S. with its unique brand of medicinal cannabis.

BY MADISON MARGOLIN n Hebrew, “tikun olam” means to repair the world. It’s a major precept of Judaism—and it’s also the name of Israel’s most prominent medical- marijuana company, now planting seeds around the globe. In the United States, it already has retail outposts in Nevada and Delaware. Tikun Olam, which was founded in 2007, controls nearly 40% of the Israeli medical-marijuana market. Medicinal cannabis is fully legal in Israel and supported by both the government and academia. In fact, THC and various other compounds in the cannabis plant were discovered in Israel by now 87-year-old chemist Raphael Mechoulam, who continues to work at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. “We’re actively working toward developing new genetics to work on efficacy and assist the patients in Israel still operating with our nurse-run clinics in order to better provide the right dosage and strains for the patients who are referred to us by the Ministry of Health,” Stephen Gardner, Tikun Olam’s chief marketing officer, tells Freedom Leaf. “We’re also continuing to do some other clinical trials in Israel, specifically with our strains.” Because the Israeli medical-marijuana program fosters collaboration among cultivators and researchers, Tikun Olam has been able to develop various strains to treat the specific needs of the more than 10,000 patients who’ve signed up to use the company’s products over the past de-

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cade. Under the Israeli program, patients must commit to a single cannabis producer. Hence, companies like Tikun Olam are able to find out exactly what their patients need based on their ailments, and create medicine accordingly. “We genetically develop [the strains] to improve patients’ symptoms and conditions,” Gardner explains. “In that time, we’ve created the world’s largest database of clinical or observational data to understand the efficacy of these products for the symptom relief of the patients.” In the U.S., Tikun Olam is also working with partners to develop similarly specialized strains. But Gardner acknowledges difficulty with moving into the States. “It’s like 50 individual countries,” he observes about America’s patchwork of cannabis regulations. It’s already teamed up with First State Compassionate Care in Wilmington, Del. and Canopi in Las Vegas, and is looking to expand into several more states in the next year. Tikun follows standard operating procedures—from growing to extraction methodologies—to have a standardized product line. “The goal is to have consistent and reliable products,” he says. “If you’re a manufacturer, you need to have the same type of process in order to deliver the same type of product from coast to coast. We want to have these grow techniques consistent across our markets.” Tikun has six flower strains available at the Delaware and Nevada locations. Alas-

Tikun Olam’s Stephen Gardner

ka, Eran Almog, Erez and Or are high-THC varieties (20% THC to 1% CBD); Avidekel is their famous high-CBD strain (18% CBD to 1% THC); and Midnight is closer to 1:1 (12% CBD and 10% THC). They were developed specifically to target cancer, pain, post-traumatic stress disorder; Parkinson’s, Crohn’s and Alzheimer’s diseases; AIDS/HIV, colitis, arthritis, depression, and many other disorders. “We do genetic profiling and testing, working with labs in each state where we operate in order to get consistent THC, CBD and terpene profiles,” Gardner adds. “In each state, we have to work through multiple tests to ensure that all of our products are free of pesticides and mites, and make sure we’re providing a parallel

product in terms of cannabinoid profiles.” Tikun also sells tinctures and capsules made from its Alaska, Avidekal, Erez and Midnight strains in multiple THC:CBD formulas. The CO2-extraction method retains the terpenes and enhances the entourage effect, the symbiotic relationship among all the compounds in cannabis, including cannabinoids, terpenes and flavonoids (the phytonutrients that give the plant its green hue and other colors). “[In America] we’re not able to test in terms of working toward the observational or clinical research that’s being done in Israel,” says Gardner. “It’s difficult to take what we’re doing here in America and provide that level of research. Hopefully, someday those restraints will be lifted, so DECEMBER 2017

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WE’RE PROPONENTS AND “ADVOCATES FOR TRYING TO

destigmatize cannabis. —Stephen Gardner

we can demonstrate here in the U.S. the efficacy of those strains.” In Israel, Tikun Olam has had the benefit of working with and analyzing a database of more than 10,000 patients. But, in the U.S., restrictions make it difficult to conduct clinical research at such a sophisticated level. “In specific nursing clinics, we sit down with patients, understand what treatments they already had and what their conditions were, and have a quality index in terms of their symptoms,” Gardner explains. “We prescribe them based on that information, what the most efficient strains are. Then we go back after a month and do a quality-of-life review, understanding in terms of symptom relief. “Although it’s a little bit observational, we’re able to understand with empirical data what strains are assisting them. Then that process is done again after six months, so we can use this research data and observational data to better assist patients on the efficacy of these strains. We work with that data to develop genetics to provide more medicinal benefits to the patients.” In the U.S., Tikun lets budtenders know which strains can be most helpful for certain symptoms. “We’re not saying our strains are the only ones to provide that relief,” Gardner notes, “but it’s a way 56 FREEDOM LEAF

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”

to provide customers some educational research understanding.” For instance, Tikun research indicates that Erez is good for Crohn’s, ALS and pain; Or works for Parkinson’s, nausea and loss of appetite; and Avidekel is best for cancer, colitis and fibromyalgia. (Turn to page 58 for Chris Thompson’s “Tikun Taste Test.”) In September, Tikun Olam announced another U.S. collaboration, with MariMed, a cannabis management firm based in Springfield, Mass. Together, they plan to bring Tikun’s proprietary strains and standard operating procedures to Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maryland and Illinois in 2018. Tikun Olam is also making moves in Germany, Australia and Canada, where the company’s initial purchase offer was valued at almost $900 million. “We’re great advocates for the medicinal benefits of cannabis,” Gardner says. “We’ve had a head start. We’ve been able to do this for 15 years, which provided us with the ability to do more clinical trials and research. We’re proponents and advocates for trying to destigmatize cannabis and demonstrate that there are true medicinal benefits from this plant.” Madison Margolin writes for a number of publications and websites, including Rolling Stone, High Times and Jane Street.

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TASTE TEST •

TIKUN OLAM •

CHRIS THOMPSON SAMPLES THREE ISRAELI STRAINS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE AT CANOPI IN LAS VEGAS.

BAG APPEAL The sample of Midnight had some decent medium-sized nugs, with dark green and purple overtones.They were completely coated with trichomes, leaving sticky resin all over my fingers and grinder.

MIDNIGHT

This is a high-CBD hybrid strain, with a 1:1 ratio of CBD to THC. It was developed specifically for relieving nausea and pain, and also provides a relaxed, happy buzz. SMELL The scent is half floral lavender and half pungent cheese, making for an interesting combination of flavors. It’s definitely one of the more distinctive strains I’ve ever smelled, equal parts flowery and stinky. 58 FREEDOM LEAF

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THE HIGH Thanks to the high CBD content and the relatively low THC content, Midnight provides a calm, relaxed buzz that eases pain and stress. I experienced mental clarity, letting me ponder the mysteries of life rather than feel incoherently stoned. LABS RESULTS THC: 6.5%; CBD: 8.2%; CBN: 0.4%; Myrcene: 1.84 mg/g; Caryophyllene: 0.94 mg/g; Limonene: 0.64 mg/g

The pungent, dank odor somehow managed to leak out of the sealed bag.

AVIDEKEL

BAG APPEAL Light green in color, without many orange or purple overtones. The nugs were small, but they absolutely packed a punch.

Tikun’s signature CBD-dominant strain has anti-inflammatory effects and relieves pain. It’s perfect for patients with debilitating conditions.

THE HIGH Pretty minimal, given the lack of THC. If you’re looking for a little more buzz in your bowl, mix it with Or for a hybrid experience.

SMELL Mainly piney with a hint of a cheesy odor underneath. There’s also lemony freshness, courtesy of the limonene terpene.

LAB RESULTS THC: 0.6%; CBD: 12.9%; CBN: 0.0%; Myrcene: 2.06 mg/g; a-pinene: 0.41 mg/g; Limonene: 0.31 mg/g BAG APPEAL The buds were predominately light green with small dapples of orange hairs here and there. They’re small, but very dense and pungent.

A THC-dominant strain, it spurs euphoria and the munchies. Unlike Avidekal and Midnight, Or lacks a strong CBD presence, but makes up for it with high THC concentration. SMELL The a-pinene and b-pinene terpenes in this strain create a strong minty-fresh odor, like walking through a fresh forest.

THE HIGH Or is fantastic for anyone who needs an appetite boost; I couldn’t stop eating after smoking it. It’s a very relaxed and happy high, with more emphasis on the buzz than pain relief. LAB RESULTS THC: 14.1%; CBD: 0.02%; CBN: 0.05%; a-pinene: 2.99 mg/g; b-pinene: 1.33 mg/g; Myrcene: 1.74 mg/g All strains tested by G3 Labs. DECEMBER 2017

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High Holidaze POT COOKIE PARTY RECIPES BY CHERI SICARD• PHOTOS BY MITCH MANDELL

’Tis the season when friends gather for holiday cookie swap parties. The basic idea is for everyone to bring a batch of freshly baked cookies to share, enough to give each guest about six homemade creations. At the end of the party, guests leave with a variety of different cookies to enjoy throughout the holiday season. In this case, the cookies are infused with cannabis.

PUFF PUFF PFEFFERNUSSE COOKIES Kief’s spicy notes blend well with this traditional German cookie. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

2 cups flour 1 large egg 1 large egg yolk ¼ cup melted butter ⅓ cup honey ⅓ cup sugar ¼ cup brown sugar 1 gm. decarboxylated kief ¾ tsp. baking soda 1 tsp. ground cinnamon ½ tsp. ground cardamom ½ tsp. anise seeds ½ tsp. allspice ¼ tsp. ground clove ½ tsp. ground black pepper ¼ tsp. salt

Preheat oven to 325°F. Lightly grease two baking sheets. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together honey, the sugars, melted butter and eggs until well combined. In a separate bowl, stir together flour and remaining

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ingredients, then mix dry ingredients into wet ingredients until well blended. Form cookies by rolling about 2 teaspoons of dough into small balls. Place on prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart and bake for about 15 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool slightly before rolling in a generous dusting of confectioner’s sugar. Makes 32 cookies.

GANJA GINGERBREAD COOKIES The ultimate holiday cookie gets a makeover thanks to the addition of cannabis. • • • • • • • • • • • • •

5½ cups all-purpose flour 1 cup cannabis-infused butter 1 large egg 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1 cup unsulfured molasses 1 tsp. baking soda ¾ tsp. salt 2 tsp. ground ginger 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon ½ tsp. ground nutmeg ½ tsp. ground clove 1 tsp. vanilla extract Store-bought decorator’s icing (optional)

Stir flour, baking soda, salt, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves together, and set aside. Use an electric mixer on medium-high speed to beat cannabis butter, brown sugar and egg until smooth, then add molasses

and vanilla. Reduce mixer speed and stir in dry ingredients until smooth. Don’t over-mix; the dough should be firm, but not crumbly. Divide dough into thirds; flatten each piece into a disk, wrap in Saran, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350°F. On a lightly floured surface, knead one refrigerated disk to ⅛ inch thick. Use cookie cutters to make shapes and transfer to a large greased baking sheet, about one inch apart. Bake for about 10 minutes or until firm to touch. Cool slightly before transferring to a rack. When completely cool, use icing to embellish. Makes 36 cookies.

RASPBERRY REEFER RUGELACH Tender creamcheese dough encases sweet raspberry filling in these irresistible bites. • • • • • • • •

2 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup cannabis-infused butter 8 oz. cream cheese ½ cup raspberry jam 1 egg beaten, plus 1 tbsp. water ⅓ cup plus 2 tbsp. sugar ½ tsp. salt 1 tsp. vanilla extract

With an electric mixer, beat cannabis butter, creamcheese, vanilla and ⅓ cup of the sugar at medium-high speed until well combined. Don’t over-mix. Divide dough into four disks, wrap in Saran and chill for at least 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350°F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Working with one disk at a time while keeping the remain-

ing ones chilled, roll out dough to form a 9-inch circle on a lightly floured surface. Spread about 2 tbsp. of jam over the surface of the circle. Use a pizza cutter or a sharp knife to slice the circle into 12 equal wedges. Roll each wedge into a cylinder, starting at the wide outer edge. Place dough on prepared baking sheets, about 2 inches apart, brush with egg mixture and sprinkle tops of cookies with remaining sugar. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Makes 48 cookies.

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STONY CINNAMON ROLL COOKIES Delicate nutmeg-spiced cookie dough rolls around a cinnamon sugar filling to create pretty swirls.

• 1½ cups flour • ½ cup cannabis-infused butter, softened • 1 egg • ½ tsp. baking powder • ¼ tsp. ground nutmeg • ¾ cup sugar • ¼ tsp. salt • 1 tsp. vanilla extract

FILLING

• 1 tbsp. melted butter • ¼ cup sugar • 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

COOKIE PARTY TIPS

• Most cookie doughs can be made ahead of time and stored in the freezer until you’re ready to roll and bake them. • Serve refreshments like coffee, tea, cider and hot chocolate, and maybe even prepare some light sandwiches (see “High Tea” recipes in Issue 22).

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In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, nutmeg and salt, and set aside. In another bowl, combine cannabis butter and sugar with an electric mixer until fluffy and well combined. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Slowly add the flour mixture. Gather the dough and form it into a disk, wrap with Saran and refrigerate for at least an hour. On a floured surface, roll dough to about ⅛ inch thickness and brush with melted butter. Mix sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl, and sprinkle this mixture evenly over the dough. Starting at a long edge, roll dough into a log. Wrap with Saran again and freeze for about 15 minutes, until firm but not frozen hard. Preheat oven to 375°F. Take dough out of freezer and cut into ½-inch slices. Place slices about 2 inches apart on a greased cookie sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes or until edges start to brown. Cool for 2 minutes on the cookie sheet, then move to a wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Makes 24 cookies. • At the party, set out trays, platters and tongs for people to display and collect their cookies. • Keep the overall guest list to 10 or fewer people. Make sure that everyone brings different cookies. • Have paper, Saran wrap, bakery boxes and other packaging ready for guests to take their cookies home in. Most baked cookies can be stored in an airtight container for five days or more.

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER CUP COOKIES Chewy peanut butter cookie cups filled with rich dark chocolate ganache make for decadent medicated mouthfuls.

COOKIES • • • • • • • •

1¼ cups all-purpose flour ½ cup cannabis-infused butter ½ cup creamy peanut butter 1 large egg ½ tsp. salt ¾ tsp. baking soda 1 cup sugar ½ tsp. vanilla extract

FILLING

• 10 oz. dark chocolate chips or chunks • 1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 325°F. Spray two mini-muffin pans. In a small bowl, combine flour, salt and baking soda, and set aside. Use an electric mixer to beat the cannabis butter, peanut butter and sugar together until fluffy, then add the egg and vanilla. Mix in dry ingredients until just combined. Roll dough into balls (one tablespoon each) and place one in each muffin cup. Press your thumb into each one to make an indentation. Bake until lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and use a small spoon to press a well into the cookie to form the cup. You must do this while the cookies are hot

POT-COOKIE DOSING

Since most cookie recipes use butter, it’s easy to swap in cannabis-infused butter instead. Depending on your recipe, you may want to combine cannabis butter along with non-medicated butter in order to achieve a proper dose. This free online class shows the way to estimate how many milligrams of THC are in cookies: bit.ly/2howoeO. and pliable. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. To prepare the ganache, bring cream to a boil over medium-high heat. Pour heated cream over chocolate chips in a small bowl and let sit for about 10 minutes without stirring, then whisk until smooth and well combined. Scrape bowl with a rubber spatula to make sure all the chocolate is combined. Pour ganache into a small ziplock plastic bag (or a pastry bag if you have one). Snip off a small corner of the bag so you can pipe the ganache into each cooled cookie cup. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 32 cookies. Cheri Sicard is the author of Mary Jane: The Complete Marijuana Handbook for Women and the creator of online cannabis cooking classes at cannademy.com.

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High Holidaze

GIFT GUIDE GHOST MV1 VAPORIZER

This space-age model blows away every other vaporizer in its class. The Ghost MV1 employs convection heating of little containers (“crucibles”), so it doesn’t char the material or require it to be stirred—its custom diffuser takes care of that. Since the material degrades slowly, it allows for multiple hits, which ultimately saves the user money. The crucibles can also be used with concentrates. Download their app to control temperatures, and to turn it on and off from your phone. Ghost Vape is working on a model for Slightly Stoopid, whose summer tour they promoted in 2017. $295; comes in four colors: black, satin, rose and nickel ghostvapes.com

GENIFER M JEWELRY

GREEN CARD GREETINGS

If you like pot leaves in your jewelry, this is the place to shop. Founded by Genifer Murray, who’s also chief of staff at the National Cannabis Industry Association in Denver, and her jeweler father Glenn, GENIFER M offers sterling silver charm bracelets ($49.95); silver earrings ($65.95) and pendants ($77.95); gold earrings ($189); yellow gold pendants ($299); white gold earrings with diamonds ($775); and silver hinged-cuff diamond bracelets ($1,049.95). It’s pricey, but cannabis couture is worth it. geniferm.com

These cards have nothing to do with immigration and everything to do with cannabis. Stuff them with green goodies and send them to your favorite stoners. The 5” x 7” cards THE COMPACT Jane West cofounded Women Grow in 2014. She left the come in airtight plastic organization last year to start her line of Jane West products. First, envelopes. There are 29 she collaborated with Grav Labs on a series of glass Christmas cards and two pieces. Her latest offering, the Compact, looks like Chanukah cards currently a makeup compact (it even has a mirror), but it’s in stock. actually a carrying case for stashing your favorite $4.95 per card; fiveflowers. It also comes with the Solo (a sleek onecount holiday pack, hitter made from enamel), a multitool $19.99; 10-count holiday for poking and a lighter pack, $37.99; 20-count compartment. holiday pack, $69.99 $48 janewest.com greencardgreetings.com FREEDOM LEAF LEAF 64 FREEDOM

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STONER SONGS FOR THE HIGH HOLIDAZE BY ROY TRAKIN For cannabis enthusiasts—especially in California, where 2018 will mark the legalization of “adult use” sales—who really want to celebrate the holiday season, “yule” get higher than a partridge in a pear tree listening to the following dozen seasonal tokin’ tunes, listed in descending order. They’re all easy to find on YouTube.

SMOOCH MCGEE “CHRISTMAS TIME IN BOULDER” Colorado crooner Smooch McGee and Perfectly Whelmed celebrated the state’s legalization initiative during the holidays of 2014 by admitting, “We’re getting pretty wasted,” over a perfectly pleasant acoustic guitar. “Do you remember the other Decembers/We could’ve been busted for this/We’re feeling regal/ Now that it’s legal/Come share our infinite bliss.”

THE KILLIN TIME BAND “GREEN CHRISTMAS” A lilting ska beat underlines this paean to pot from “Canada’s best party band,” featuring JibJab-ish dancing elves, steel drums and a legalization plea with the singalong refrain, “All I want is some real good weed,” punctuated with bubbling bong hits.

MC FLOW “POT IN THE LATKES” Comic rapper Abby Dorsey gets “sucked into a Hanukkah cannabis trance,” and battles being a Jew at Christmastime with a dollop of “Hava Nagila” and a round of infused potato pancakes.

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AFROMAN “O CHRONIC TREE” The comic rapper who was ready to storm the world with his pro-pot anthem, “Because I Got High,” before 9/11 got in the way offered this acoustic goof on his 2006 holiday album, A Colt 45 Christmas. “From Amsterdam to the CPC,” Afroman rhymes. “Can’t wait to pick yo’ stems and seeds.”

NELLIE MCKAY “WEED (ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS)” The noted chanteuse dons a green marijuana-leaf suit and hits the streets of New York City in this 2015 plea for legalization with the mid-song protest rap, “Fuck the rigged vote-flippin’ and the prohibition/Schedule I has got to go.”

SNOOP DOGG “‘TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS” The artist formerly known as Calvin Broadus predictably rhymes “big dick” with “We was hoping to get some of that good shit from old jolly Saint Nick” in this 2012 holiday classic. “Yo Santa whussup?/ Did you bring me some chronic/And Tanqueray gin I can mix with my tonic?” Who needs egg nog when you’ve got Snoop Dogg?

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THALES THE MUSICIAN “SANTA BROUGHT ME WEED FOR CHRISTMAS” Thales the Musician’s A Very Green Christmas: The World’s First Cannabis Christmas, features this lilting, reggae-inflected song with the infectious chorus, “Santa brought me weed for Christmas/He took the tiniest little seed and turned it to a big, green leafy tree.” The album also includes “Let’s Smoke a Bowl This Christmas, My Friend,” “Feeding the Reindeer Magic Brownies,” “I Wish I Could Give The World a Spliff,” “O Dankest Weed” and “Silent Vape, Holy Vape.”

MAJOR LAZER “CHRISTMAS TREES” Electronic music trio Major Lazer (Diplo and DJs Jillionaire and Walshy Fire) provides a Jamaican dancehall vibe for this 2016 track on which guest toaster Protojie raps: “What a merry Christmas would be/If mi get a ganja stalk/ Fia Christmas tree/And New Year’s Eve/ When them a count down/Me a count pounds/A the brown brown… Love it from the day/Mi Daddy show me marijuana.”

for A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All! He solemnly touts his gift to the baby Jesus, “a plant that smokes more sweetly than either frankincense or myrrh,” as Colbert deadpans like the choirboy he once was, “You’re really high/I’m going to tell your Savior,” and Nelson concludes, “And let not mankind bogart love.”

ADAM SANDLER “THE CHANUKAH SONG” Originally written for Saturday Night Live in 1994, this has become Jewish stoners’ favorite holiday number (to go along with the “Dreidel” song). “So drink your gin and tonic-ah,” Sandler jokes. “And smoke your marijuana-kah.” His riotous roll call of famous members of the tribe includes “All three Stooges!”

LOUIS ARMSTRONG “CHRISTMAS NIGHT IN HARLEM” The legendary “Muggles” stoner jazzman delivers this 1955 chestnut, written by Raymond Scott and Mitchell Parish, in his inimitable hoarse growl.“Everyone will be all lit up,” “Pops” sings, pausing just long enough to chuckle, “like a Christmas tree.” Makes you want to smoke the mistletoe.

WILLIE NELSON & STEPHEN COLBERT “THE LITTLE DEALER BOY” Let Willie Nelson (in an Arab keffiyeh) be your Santa Claus on this 2008 tune written 68 FREEDOM LEAF

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DENT MAY “I’LL BE STONED FOR CHRISTMAS” L.A.-by-way-of Mississippi ukulele auteur Dent May evokes Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound with this poppy piano-driven ode to being home for the holidays. “So I’m trying to get lifted with you now/We broke into my cousin’s stash/We’re having a blast,” he sings “Got an angel on my treetop/And a devil on my mind/Have a smoke and pour a big shot/ ’Tis the season to be high.” Being the nice young man he is, Dent then apologizes to his mother. Roy Trakin also writes for Variety.

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A Stoned Bride is a Happy Bride By Beth Mann

AS AMERICAN SOCIETY EVOLVES, CAN THE CONCEPT OF MARRIAGE EVOLVE TOO? AFTER MY DISCUSSION WITH ONE PUNK-ROCK BRIDE WHO OPTED TO SMOKE POT AT HER RECENT WEDDING, IT MAY BE TIME TO REVISIT OUR STEREOTYPES. Congratulations on your recent marriage. What was the planning process like? It’s a fucking rabbit hole. For instance, my mother-in-law was convinced that square tables would ruin the wedding. Apparently, round tables are more “intimate.” Seriously! I knew everyone was going to get drunk and dance, and no one was going to care about the goddamn table shape. That’s when I realized planning a wedding isn't about me or my partner's love for each other, it’s about the fucking party. Why didn’t you just elope then? Trust me, that was our first thought. But family excitement won out, and we decided to endure the craziness. So we went ahead knowing the wedding was for them, but the marriage is for us. We got really good at saying no to just about everything. Where was the wedding? It was outdoors, at a lakeside in the mountains in Pennsylvania, all DIY. It seemed fitting because we spent a ton of time up there working on an old cabin, a teardown we fixed room by room. You didn’t see yourself as a stereotypical bride? I never thought of myself as a ste70 FREEDOM LEAF

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reotypical anything, let alone bride. And even though we were planning a wedding, I didn’t view that as typical either. For instance, it was completely understood that our dog would be the ring bearer. Breaking from tradition, you decided to smoke pot at the wedding? It wasn’t intentional at first, but yes. After the first toast of cocktail hour, a friend wanted to get high the newlyweds shortly after. I couldn’t find my husband, so I just decided to smoke without him instead. I couldn’t have made a better choice. For the first time all day, the frenzy stopped, and I genuinely relaxed and soaked in every detail. I enjoyed talking to everyone, watching kids play, hanging by the lakeside and chatting by the fire. When the night was ending, my husband snuck some Pink Floyd into the late-night playlist. It was perfect. Would you recommend other brides to smoke weed at their weddings? Definitely. Smoking made my wedding day special, because it allowed me to really slow down and enjoy it. I spent it on my terms. Beth Mann is president of Hot Buttered Media.

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THE RETURN OF HEMP CLOTHING prAna is in the vanguard of blended textile makers. BY ERIN HIATT

IN THE MID-’90S, hemp bracelets and necklaces were ubiquitous among students and cannabis activists. Shirts, jeans, jackets and sneakers made from hemp showed up in shops across the country. High Times opened a store called Planet Hemp in downtown Manhattan. But the hemp-clothing bubble didn’t last. Companies like Ecolution, Crucial Creations and Ohio Hempery closed their doors. The problem was high costs and inferior hemp imported from countries like China and Romania. One current company that’s making stylish and practical hemp clothing is the Carlsbad, Calif.-based prAna. Founders and outdoor enthusiasts Beaver and Pam Theodosakis have been selling clothing for 24 years since starting the business in their garage. Their extensive line is available at prana.com and at retail stores like REI, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Eastern Mountain Sports, as well as their 72 FREEDOM LEAF

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own prAna stores in San Francisco, Palo Alto, and El Segundo, Calif.; Denver and Boulder, Colo.; Portland, Ore.; and Edina, Wash. “Our founders were introduced to hemp decades ago and always followed its development in apparel,” Andre Walker, who oversees brand engagement and partnerships at prAna, tells Freedom Leaf. “They realized very early on the benefits of the fiber and the minimal environmental impact the plant caused, which has kept it on our design and materials list.” That list includes organic cotton, recycled polyester and spandex, which are blended with Chinesegrown hemp and made into shorts, pants, skirts, dresses, sweaters, scarves and headbands. There are many reasons hemp products should be on any eco-conscious consumer’s Top 10 buy list. Hemp replenishes rather than depletes soil and is a bioremediator, meaning it removes toxins from the soil and stores them in the hardy stalks. Hemp also uses fewer water and land resources, en-

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abling farmers to earn more on their crops, and is bacteria-inhibiting, thermo-conductive, fast drying and incredibly durable compared to other fibers. Twenty years after the first hemp boom, clothing made from cannabis is finally finding a home in the outdoor retail sector. The major clothing chain Patagonia offers a selection of blandly colored hemp clothing, and retail behemoth Amazon has a relatively limited selection of utilitarian hemp clothes, like T-shirts and socks. “Hemp doesn’t have any predators, so it’s very easy to grow and requires little to no pesticides or chemicals,” Walker explains. “Some farmers in China will actually grow hemp around their crop to protect it from pests and predators.” In order to eliminate hemp’s somewhat scratchy natural texture, it’s frequently blended. “Hemp’s natural performance features mitigate the need for harsh chemical finishes that are used on alternative fibers to get the same performance features,” adds Walker, who sees California’s legalization of cannabis as a game-changer. “California should be a true tipping point, as the clear economic, medical and social benefits happening in Colorado can be replicated on a much larger scale. Our customers have always been interested in sustainable materials, and we expect to increase the number of hemp styles as we continue to grow this segment.” Although no reasonable person would 74 FREEDOM LEAF

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attempt to smoke a hemp shirt, vendors operating in the hemp industry have nevertheless faced some of the same problems that businesses working with psychoactive marijuana encounter. In October, Umpqua Bank terminated the account of Washington-based hemp clothing and paper retailer Rawganique because it operated in an “excluded line of business.” The conflict was eventually resolved in Rawganique’s favor, but it points to the continued legal murkiness facing hemp businesses. However, it seems progress is being made. Also in October, Omaha, Neb.based Bastcore, owner of a decorticator that separates fibers from hemp stalks, announced it would supply Recreator, a California-based hemp clothing company. This deal is an important milestone because Bastcore gets its hemp from Colorado, Kentucky and Minnesota, giving companies like prAna the heretofore-denied opportunity to use hemp made in the U.S. As it currently stands, the potential for versatile, affordable and fashionable hemp clothing for the masses has yet to be realized. Walker believes hemp legalization is the antidote. “Hemp needs to be legal on state and federal levels to really make an impact in the U.S.,” he contends. “Consumers are more and more aware of the value of the plant and are requesting it not only in apparel, but in a number of other industries.” Erin Hiatt also writes for THC Magazine.

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