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CONTENTS FEATURES
NEWS
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CBD JEANS GEARING UP FOR HEMP LINE Steve Bloom
CYD MAURER’S LAST STRAW Doug McVay
SHOULD OHIO LEGALIZE Marijuana? Chris Goldstein
INTERVIEW: DPA’S ETHAN NADELMANN Steve Bloom
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US! FREEDOM LEAF TURNS 1 Chris Goldstein
STONED BOOK EXCERPT: THE PULMONARY SOOTHSAYER Dr. David Casarett
TRUDEAU WINS IN CANADA—WILL LEGALIZATION BE NEXT? David Malmo-Levine
EVENT CALENDAR OREGON CANNACTIVISTS AND LAWMAKERS CONFER IN PORTLAND Becky Garrison
TOMMY CHONG STRAINS COMING TO A POT SHOP NEAR YOU Steve Bloom
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Cover photo by Mitch Mandel
COLUMNS
6 12 16 20 22 56 60 62 68 72 78 79 80
REVIEWS
Editor’s Note Steve Bloom
OHIO LEGALIZATION MEASURE HIGHLIGHTS FALL AGENDA Allen St. Pierre
INGESTING MARIJUANA Paul Armentano
COMING OUT FOR POT AND GAY RIGHTS Norm Kent
CAN MARIJUANA CURE RACISM? Ngaio Bealum
CANNABIS COMPANIES ENTER THE MARKETS Scott Greiper
ANATOMY OF AN OUTDOOR GROW Rick Pfrommer
BLOOD AND BUDS: A HALLOWEED GHOST STORY Beth Mann
scary halloweed recipes Cheri Sicard
POT FOR DIET DISCUSSED AT ITALIAN CONFERENCE Jahan Marcu, Ph.D
Steve Deangelo’s The Cannabis manifesto Ellen Komp
widespread panic’s street dogs John Fortunato
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EDITOR’S note A year ago, we published our first issue of Freedom Leaf. Co-founder Richard Cowan declared that the magazine, website and company had been “created to promote, proclaim and celebrate our emerging freedom… We must now be the instruments of our own liberation.” He was primarily referring to cannabis freedom. The 10th issue of Freedom Leaf is especially dedicated to this idea. In November, Ohio may become the fifth state to legalize pot, and the first East of the Mississippi. Like many marijuana measures before it, this one is mired in controversy. ResponsibleOhio, the group behind Issue 3, has devised a plan that allows its investors to financially benefit if it passes, creating a legal cartel of 10 producers. This effectively would rule out competition for legal cultivation and manufacturing facilities. However, Issue 3 calls for more than 1,000 stores to be spread out across the state, and these will have open bidding for licenses. In this issue you will read many points of view about Issue 3, from NORML Executive Director Allen St. Pierre, Drug Policy Alliance Executive Director Ethan Nadelmann and our own Senior Editor Chris Goldstein, who penned the cover story, “Should Ohio Legalize Pot?” (page 32). Although he has some reservations about Issue 3, in
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G. MOSES
The Responsible Thing to Do in Ohio Is Legalize It
Steve Bloom (right) with DPA head Ethan Nadelmann. FL’s NORML column (page 12), St. Pierre writes: “Passage of Issue 3 will halt some 20,000 marijuana arrests annually, and permit adults the option to access marijuana via home cultivation or a commercial regulatory scheme that’s preferable to the black market.” DPA’s Nadelmann shares St. Pierre’s concerns about ResponsibleOhio’s monopolistic “new approach” to legalization, but ultimately opines, in the Freedom Leaf Interview (page 39): “The simple fact of waking up the day after Election Day this November to find that Ohio legalized marijuana will catapult the legalization effort forward.” The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) and ACLU of Ohio also agree that a victorious Issue 3 would be a good thing for the cause, even if it writes 10 companies into the state’s october-november 2015
constitution that will control marijuana production in Ohio. But that’s a bad thing, right? Or is it just more of the same? According to Goldstein: “Legal marijuana cartels already exist in states like New Jersey and New York, which have licensed a handful of businesses [five in New York and six in New Jersey] to supply medical marijuana. Delaware actually operates a pure monopoly for medical marijuana, with just a single supplier and dispensary operator licensed. Cannabis organizations and many advocates cheered these states on.” So then, what’s the big problem? Well, in America we have a pretense of competition, where everyone has a fair chance to grab the brass ring—especially those with significant amounts of capital to compete in the marketplace. In Ohio, the capital-
ists are funding Issue 3, and want something back on their investment. What could be more American than that? Like NORML, the DPA, the MPP and the ACLU, we at Freedom Leaf think Issue 3 is a no-brainer “Yes” vote for anyone who wants to liberate the weed. Forget about who’s going to make the money for a minute, and think about an end to 20,000 arrests a year in the Buckeye State. That’s what’s most important. Some activists in Ohio have taken their eye off the prize and are working against Issue 3. This is a shame. We need to be united in our efforts to roll back prohibition. Lack of unity sabotaged Prop 19 in California in 2010, and almost upended Initiative 502 in Washington State in 2012. Momentum is on our side, but a loss in Ohio would slow that momentum. We need more victories—not defeats due to infighting. Simply put: “A win in Ohio would be a very good thing for the national movement to end marijuana prohibition,” contends Nadlemann, and so do we. People need to set aside their differences and realize that the chance to radically alter a state law doesn’t come along very often. As Goldstein writes: “If Issue 3 wins, it will have a massive impact nationally in the movement to legalize marijuana in all 50 states. Until now, retail marijuana has remained West of the Rocky Mountains. This could show the country that the end to cannabis prohibition is not a piecemeal effort, but a true national movement.” I second that emotion. Now let’s go out and legalize it in Ohio in November! Steve Bloom Editor-in-Chief
FOUNDERS Richard C. Cowan and Clifford J. Perry PUBLISHER & CEO Clifford J. Perry EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Steve Bloom SENIOR EDITOR Chris Goldstein CREATIVE DIRECTOR Dave Azimi EDITORIAL DESIGN Joe Gurreri COPY EDITOR G. Moses SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR Paul Armentano SCIENCE EDITOR Dr. Jahan Marcu LGBT AMBASSADOR Norm Kent ADVERTISING SALES Ray Medeiros DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Chris M. Sloan LEGAL COUNSEL Keith Stroup EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Felipe Menezes CONTRIBUTORS Erik Altieri, Ngaio Bealum, Russ Belville, Matt Chelsea, John Fortunato, Becky Garrison, Dan Gibson, Scott Greiper, Jazmin Hupp, Ellen Komp, David Malmo-Levine, Mitch Mandel, Beth Mann, Doug McVay, Rick Pfrommer, Cheri Sicard, Allen St. Pierre, Drew Stromberg, Roy Trakin, Ross Marinaro Content and advertisements in this magazine are for information purposes only and are not representative, in any way, as a recommendation, endorsement or verification of legitimacy of the aforementioned herein. The opinions expressed here are those of the individual writers and may not be those of the publisher or staff of Freedom Leaf, Inc. Advertisers and/or their agencies assume responsibility and liability for content within their advertisement. Freedom Leaf Inc. assumes no liability for any claims or representations contained in this magazine. Reproduction, in whole or in part, without written consent is prohibited. Copyright 2015. Freedom Leaf, Inc. All rights reserved.
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NEWS
Trudeau Wins in Canada—Will Legalization Be Next? This month, Canadians went to the polls to decide who should lead the nation: current Prime Minister Stephen Harper—despised by the cannabis community—and his Conservative Party, Liberal Party legalizer Justin Trudeau or New Democratic Party leader Tom Mulcair. For the past nine years, PM Harper has dismissed marijuana as a potential medicine, attacked hippie culture while attempting to co-opt it, set up a med-pot provider cartel of millionaires with his MMPR mail-order model (see “Medical Cannabis Confusion in Canada” in Freedom Leaf Issue 7), encouraged dispensary raids and the extradition of Marc Emery, and attempted whatever else he could do to make cannabis supporters suffer. Harper also infamously threw a birthday party for his 18-year-old son at which a girl went to the hospital in an ambulance because of an alcohol overdose. Still, Harper’s poll numbers remain high despite scandals, outrages and possibly criminal activities by his government. Liberal Party challenger and pro-legalization advocate Justin Trudeau stated in September: “What is very clear right now is that Mr. Harper’s current approach is making marijuana too easy to access for our kids, and at the same time funding street crime, organized gangs and gun runners, and that’s not what Canadians need. We’re going to work with the provinces to make sure that the control and regulation of marijuana is done in a way that is responsible and suitable.”
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Liberal Party legalizer Justin Trudeau ran for Canadian Prime Minister against Stephen Harper and Tom Mulcair. Mulcair backs decriminalization and to “study the issue,” despite the existence of Canada’s 1972 LeDain Commission Report and the 2002 Senate Report, “Cannabis: Our Position for a Canadian Public Policy,” both of which favor reform; the latter calls for full legalization and a 16-year-old age minimum on purchases. Now that Trudeau has been elected, what sort of leoctober-november 2015
galization can we expect from his Liberal government? A page devoted to marijuana reform at liberal.ca leads with this provocative point: “Kids have easy access to pot,” adding, “It’s time to regulate and legalize marijuana” to “better protect our kids, while preventing millions of dollars going into the pockets of criminal organizations and street gangs.” A lesser concern is decreasing en-
EVENTS forcement costs and prohibition-related crime costs—while collecting millions in taxes, licenses and fees, similar to the successful Colorado model. The BC Liberal Party issued a white paper, “Legalization of Marijuana,” in 2013 that recommends increased penalties for smuggling, beefing up patrols on the U.S.-Canada border, private home growing by adults with plant limits selected later on, and sales limited to businesses only, with a limit on personal sales of a quarter-pound. Their plan also calls for increased penalties for impaired drivers, and a federal government investment in “detection technology.” “We’ll base ourselves on best practices around the world,” Trudeau further explained in the September interview. “My focus is making sure that children don’t have easy access to marijuana. That is what Mr. Harper’s plan has failed to do. Kids find it easier right now to buy pot than they do to buy alcohol or cigarettes. We are looking at ways to do it right.” The bugaboo of teen cannabis use has been used by police to raid cannabis dispensaries (without providing evidence to back up such claims); by anti-cannabis groups like Smart Approaches to Marijuana to justify pharmaceutical monopolies; and by addiction experts who wish to see tight controls on sales. Trudeau is the son of Pierre and Margaret Trudeau. His father was Canada’s PM from 1968 to 1979. In 2010, his mother said, “I took to marijuana like a duck takes to water. It opened up my sense of perception and opened up the way the I looked at and saw things.” Like mother, like son. — David Malmo-Levine
October 17–18 Hempstalk Harvest Festival Tom McCall Waterfront Park, Portland, OR hempstalk.org October 27–28 Southwest Cannabis Conference & Expo Phoenix Convention Center swccexpo.com October 29 Occasional Cannabis Comedy Festival Harlow’s, Sacramento, CA harlows.com November 3–5 CHAMPS Trade Show Denver Convention Center champstradeshows.com November 6–8 Cannafest Incheba Expo, Prague, CZ en.cannafest.cz November 11 NCIA’s 5th Anniversary Banquet The Linq Hotel + Casino, Las Vegas, NV thecannabisindustry.org/events November 11–13 Marijuana Business Conference & Expo Rio All Suites Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas mjbizconference.com November 12–15 High Times Cannabis Cup Long Bay Beach Park, Negril, Jamaica cannabiscup.com/jamaica November 18–21 Reform 2015 Crystal Gateway Marriott, Arlington, VA reformconference.org December 12–13 Emerald Cup Sonoma County Fairgrounds, Santa Rosa, CA theemeraldcup.com october-november 2015
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NEWS
A hotbed of cannabis activism and legislative progress, Oregon continues to blaze new trails. Since the Oregon Medical Marijuana Business Conference (OMMBC) in March, the state has legalized adult-use recreational marijuana. The new law went into effect July 1, creating a very different political landscape prior to the OMMBC, which took place Sept. 12–13 in Portland. Keynote speaker Judge Jim Gray opened the conference with a colorful analysis of the failed War on Drugs. “Drug prohibition is the biggest failed policy in America, second only to slavery,” the former Libertarian Party vice presidential candidate stated. “We need to regulate and control marijuana, similar to laws pertaining to the adult use of alcohol and tobacco.” Congressman Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) echoed Gray’s sentiments, adding that both Oregon senators joined him in pushing for banking reform and changes to IRS Section 280E, which prohibits cannabis businesses from claiming legitimate business expenses. “I don’t see these measures passing as standalone legislation,” Blumenauer explained. “But I do foresee an excellent opportunity to tack these measures onto an existing tax bill.” Several panels focused on the nuances of Measure 91, the legislation that legalized recreational cannabis at the polls in Oregon last November. Democratic state legislators Rep. Ann Lininger, Co-Chair of the Joint Implementing Measure 91 Committee, and committee Co-Vice Chair Sen. Floyd Prozanski gave a synopsis of 2015
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Mark Arinsberg
Oregon Activists and Lawmakers Confer in Portland
Judge Jim Gray and OMMBC organizer Alex Rogers. Oregon legislative session proceedings that impacted the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program, and discussed the state’s criminal penalties regarding marijuana offenses. Notably, they emphasized the need for legislation to expunge the records of those convicted in Oregon for possession of a now-legal substance. Also on the panel, Measure 91 Chief Petitioner and co-author Anthony Johnson discussed a proposed fund to subsidize low-income medical marijuana patients. Even though recreational cannabis is now legal in Oregon, 23 cities have said they’ll either ban its sale or hold elections to decide how to proceed. If Measure 91 did not receive 45% of the vote in a given city, under state law the city council can ban cannabis in that city; if Measure 91 received at least 45% of the vote, then any measure to ban cannabis has to be voted on in a local election. “Allowing cities and counties that didn’t support Meaoctober-november 2015
sure 91 with more than 45% of the vote [to ban cannabis] was a tough compromise that many, especially in the Democratic House, were not happy with,” Johnson acknowledged. However, on the positive side, he noted: “Criminal penalties for marijuana were further reduced nearly across the board, and past offenses may be retroactively expunged. These landmark marijuana criminal justice reforms improved the lives of thousand of thousands of people that have been harmed by unjust marijuana laws.” Currently, those applying for recreational dispensary licenses, and their spouses and domestic partners, need to undergo background checks and be fingerprinted. Starting Oct. 1, dispensaries began selling up to seven grams of cannabis to any adult over 21 who presents a driver’s license or other government-issued ID. For more information about the OMMBC and upcoming events, go to ommbc.com. — Becky Garrison
NEWS
While he’s fighting off another round of cancer, stoner legend Tommy Chong is preparing to release a number of branded marijuana strains in Colorado and Washington. “There’s going to be a Chong distribution center,” he tells Freedom Leaf. “We’re hooking up with experienced growers, like Mike Stetler,” of Marisol Therapeutics in Pueblo, Colo. “They introduce a strain to us, and we test it. If we like it, then we give it our approval. They’ll package it and brand it with a name— they’ll do everything.” After overcoming prostate cancer with the help of cannabis oil in 2012 and 2013, in June Chong learned that he had a tumor in his rectum, setting off another round of therapy—this time radiation and chemo to go along with the RSO (Rick Simpson Oil). “They’re burning the shit out of it,” he says. “I’m using it all. I’m using cannabis as a painkiller, and I’m using cannabis oil as a preventative. I use a lot of oil and a lot of painkilling—you know, smoking the flower.” Due to his condition, Chong has curtailed his performance schedule. However, he recently traveled to the Seattle and Las Vegas Hempfests from his home in Los Angeles. “It was a struggle,” Chong says about Seattle, where he needed to be hydrated with an IV drip in the first-aid tent. While he remains mostly grounded in L.A., Chong has been working on a talk show, Almost Legal, produced by his son Paris. Right now it’s slated for the Internet, but, “If it gets real popular it will be all over the place,” he predicts. “We’re aiming at the Internet because
s. bukley
Tommy Chong Strains Coming to a Pot Shop Near You
Tommy Chong: “7-Elevens should be selling weed.” it’s easier, and you don’t have to do the production that you do on a TV show.” Guests for the first 10 episodes will include comedians George Lopez and George Wallace, film director Eli Roth, actor Danny Trejo, dispensary owner Steve DeAngelo, attorneys Allison and Bruce Margolin and singing duo Garfunkel and Oates. “Actually, this turned out to be a blessing,” he points out. “It made me stop doing the touring and start doing the individual Chong stuff. I’m liking that a lot.” So what does Tommy Chong think of the Green Rush? october-november 2015
“We’ve already got a system of growing, and supply and demand, in place,” he explains. “Right now the government is trying to get their bony little fingers into that system. The demand is so big for this plant that eventually it will be like growing fruit in your backyard. No one’s going to pay any attention to it because it’s going to be a normal thing, and rightly so. Drugstores should be selling weed. 7-Elevens should be selling weed. Everybody should have a shot at the American Dream, because that’s what it is. It’s cigarettes that are good for you. How can you beat that?” — Steve Bloom www.freedomleaf.com 11
Ohio Legalization Measure Highlights Fall Agenda By Allen St. Pierre This fall’s initiatives and legislative reforms for cannabis are both promising and vexing. At the federal level, while no legislation is expected to move in the Republicancontrolled House and Senate on the nearly 20 bills pending (ranging from legalization to sentencing reforms, to industrial hemp and medical cannabis), there are outside chances that: 1) A hearing in the Senate could be held before 2016 on medical access to cannabidiol (CBD) and domestic plant production. 2) The Obama Administration might set into motion the administrative law process that will compel the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and National Institutes of Health
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(NIH) to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule II, or lower. As has been the case since the 1970s, and most acutely since the mid-1990s, most cannabis law reform occurs at the state level. The two most important developments in statewide cannabis law reform in 2015 are the just-passed medical cannabis legislation in California, which establishes a taxed and regulated legal market for medical use only, and the initiative effort in Ohio, where a group of well-funded, politically resourceful investors have gathered the necessary number of signatures to place a binding legalization measure, Issue 3, on the November ballot. In both instances, while these states’ efforts will move the legalization needle in october-november 2015
American politics, they both offer cannabis conundrums: The new California laws were written and discussed outside of public (and cannabis industry) view, and were only made possible by Governor Brown coming down from his Mt. Olympus to forge a political agreement to pass the bogged-down legislation in order to, according to Brown’s office, “reign in the Wild West for medical marijuana.” Ohio’s legalization ballot initiative—the first-ever such initiative not funded by a civil justice-oriented nonprofit—is predicated on the “control side production” (a.k.a. “monopoly”) model, where only 10 producer licenses will be issued, and only to the initiative’s investors. While there will likely be more than 1,000 retail outlets, and other
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halt some 20,000 marijuana arrests annually, and permit adults the option to access marijuana via home cultivation or a commercial regulatory scheme that’s preferable to the black market. Marijuana law reform is an incremental process. NORML believes that advocates are in a better position to leverage for further, more consumerfriendly regulations in an environment where the adult use of cannabis is codified under the law, as opposed to an environment where cannabis is illicit and all users of the plant are criminals. Lastly, the Oregon legislature moved up the first day of legal pot sales to any cannabis consumer over the age of 21 to Oct. 1. Only flowers are available, and none of it is taxed until the beginning of the year. Having recently traveled to Oregon, it’s clear that adultuse retail sales are about to blow up there. Allen St. Pierre is Executive Director of NORML.
Passage of Issue 3 in Ohio will halt some 20,000 marijuana arrests annually and permit adults the option to access marijuana via home cultivation or a commercial regulatory scheme that’s preferable to the black market.
DAN GIBSON
cannabis-related businesses, the inherent lack of competition on the production side limits consumer choice and could lead to high, prohibitionlike prices. The initiative’s organizers, ResponsibleOhio, are skilled in the state’s politics and initiative processes, but have made some missteps along the way, such as promoting their odd-looking green mascot, “Buddie.” Among the challenges they face is ballot language approved by the state that deems the proposed system a “monopoly,” and a competing initiative (Issue 2) on the same November ballot, supported by a hostile legislature and governor that will largely nullify Issue 3 if it’s passed. NORML’s priority and mission is to foster a legal environment where cannabis is no longer classified as contraband, so that adults who engage in its use responsibly no longer face arrest, incarceration or a criminal record. Passage of Issue 3 in Ohio will
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Ingesting Marijuana Smoking remains the most popular way to use cannabis. Despite the trend toward vaporization, a new study indicates this method is still not widely used. By Paul Armentano More cannabis consumers than ever before are eating and vaping their herb. But these alternative delivery methods still remain relatively unpopular compared to the act of smoking pot, according to a new study, “Toking, Vaping and Eating for Health or Fun: Marijuana Use Patterns in Adults, U.S., 2014,” published in the Aug. 2015 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. The paper is “the first nationally representative assessment of mode of and reasons for marijuana use among adults.” Investigators from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Emory University analyzed survey data from 4,269 online participants over the age of 18 regarding their mode of marijuana ingestion, and for what purpose—medical, recreational or both. Here are some of the study’s pertinent findings:
• Among respondents who reported ever using cannabis, 88% said they had smoked joints, and 49% and 48% respectively had used waterpipes (bongs) and pipes, while 20.3% said they had used blunts. Thirty percent had tried cannabis edibles. Fewer than 10% of those
polled reported having ever inhaled from a vaporizer.
• Among current cannabis consumers, 49.5% reported smoking pot from pipes or bowls and 49.2% said they use joints. Around one in five current consumers employ waterpipes, hookahs or blunts. Sixteen percent had recently consumed a pot-infused edible or drink. Only 7.6% said they had used a vaporizer in the past month. (“Emerging marijuana products, such as butane hash oil dabbing and use of electronic vapor products” were not included in the study.) How cannabis is administered can have a profound impact on its effects. For instance, cannabis-infused edible products are associated with delayed onset of drug effect (the cannabinoids must first pass through the stomach and then the liver before entering the bloodstream), greater drug bioavailability (a significant portion of THC is metabolized by the liver and converted to byproducts) and a prolonged duration of effect. Smoking cannabis from pipes, joints or waterpipes results in a rapid onset of drug effect, but also produces combustive smoke and other irritants that can result in increased coughing and phlegm. Further, such methods
Age, race and geography play a role in consumers’ preferred method of cannabis ingestion. 16 www.freedomleaf.com
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Let’s Be
Blunt. IF YOU NEED LEGAL HELP, WE CAN HELP.
The Law Offices of
Norm Kent & Russell Cormican
NORMKENT.COM 954.763.1900 THE CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAW CENTER OF SOUTH FLORIDA
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Methods tried by users that smoked marijuana in their lifetime
88% Joints
49% Pipes
48% bongs
30%
edibles
20% blunts
10% vapes
of ingestion may be associated with as much as a 25% loss in cannabinoid intake because of sidestream smoke. By contrast, the process of vaporization heats the product up to the point where cannabinoid vapors form, but below the point of combustion, thereby significantly mitigating user exposure to combustible toxins. Clinical studies report that vaping is a “safe and effective” rapid-onset cannabinoid delivery method that results in higher plasma concentrations of THC and/or other cannabinoids compared to smoked cannabis. The authors note, somewhat ominously: “The finding that smoked forms of marijuana are the most prevalent is concerning given that marijuana smoke contains bronchial irritants and carcinogens similar to those found in tobacco smoke and is associated with adverse respiratory effects like airway inflammation and pulmonary infection. Additionally, smoking from devices with water filters, like bongs and hookahs, causes similar tar exposure to combusted marijuana without water filters (e.g., joints and bowls or pipes) and does not substantially reduce marijuana smoke risks. The relative harm of other forms of noncombusted marijuana are not well established either.” Age, race and geography play a role in consumers’ preferred method of cannabis ingestion. For example:
• Residents of Western states are twice as
likely to have ever vaporized pot (16%) than those in the Midwest or South. • Nearly 40% of African-Americans and nearly
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one-third of Hispanics reported using blunts, versus only one in five Caucasians. • Among those respondents age 50 and older, a whopping 96% reported being joint-tokers, but fewer than 6% had ever tried a vaporizer. By contrast, nearly 20% of respondents aged 18 to 24 reported having used a vaporizer, while 30% in that group acknowledged never having smoked a joint. • 7.2% of respondents reported current cannabis use.
As in previous demographic studies, the authors of this paper found that men are more likely than women to use weed:
• 40% of males admitted trying pot versus only 30% of females. • Interestingly, more women than men prefer bongs by a 5% margin Finally, researchers reported that few respondents acknowledge consuming cannabis strictly for therapeutic purposes:
• Among current users, 10.5% reported medicinal-only use, 53.4% reported recreational-only use and 36.1% reported consuming herb for both recreational and medicinal purposes.
To read the study abstract, go to ajpmonline. org/article/S0749-3797(15)00320-7/pdf. Paul Armentano is Deputy Director of NORML and Freedom Leaf’s Senior Policy Advisor.
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LGBT WATCH
Coming Out for Pot and Gay Rights By Norm Kent The LGBT community has a secret synergy pushing their trade in schoolyards. But the point with cannabis consumers. Both groups hid the is the same: There was some horrible adult trysame thing for too long—the truth about who ing to induce us to do something evil. “They’re they are and what they like. after your kids,” was the stern warning. “They’re Gays had sex in the shadows and pot smokgoing to recruit your children.” ers lit up in dark rooms illuminated by black Ever so slowly, our society is learning that lights. Wrongly marginalized by larger comit never had to fear gay love or cannabis conmunities that disapproved of who we were and sumption. They might not be right for everywhat we did, we stayed in our respective closone, but it’s not right to take liberties away from ets, concealing our activities. anyone. Bob and Bill having sex in one home Thankfully, the world is changing. America in your neighborhood won’t stop Gil and Jill is adapting to gay marriage, and several states from safely raising their children in their home have legalized marijuana. around the corner. Neither causes were espeGays and stoners are Ever so slowly, our cially popular a decade ago, not tearing down society; society is learning but today there are dispenwe’re shattering social barsaries, pot shops and gay riers. Although our oppoit never had to fear weddings across the country. nents have targeted both gay love or cannabis While cannabis propogroups with senseless consumption. nents continue to chip away prejudice, we’re productive on the state and local levels, in the workforce and in our gay activists celebrate national victories. The homes. Cannabis users don’t need treatment, gay community has it right. We’ve come out of and gays don’t require therapy. What we want the closet. We’ve fought for our rights. We postis unconditional acceptance for who we are and ed human rights stickers on our bumpers and what we choose to do, and laws that protect us, paraded our love in local gay rights festivals. not persecute us. We were out and proud. We were everywhere. Food tastes better on pot, sex is hotter, colThe LGBT community advanced marijuana ors are brighter and people are happier. Life is medicinally for cannabis smokers decades ago. more meaningful with a pleasant high. Lighting We saw how many of our friends used canup might be the opening to look inside yourself nabis to offset the wasting syndrome of AIDS. and become the person you always wanted to We smoked out and spoke out to demand be. Maybe that joint yesterday helped you acpublic access to every medicine we could get, cept yourself as a gay person today. from marijuana to Truvada. We weren’t worOne overriding constant stands out: Gays ried about what others thought; we cared about have a lot in common with pot smokers. We’re what we needed. both in bed together. The government tried to scare us away from homosexuality by warning us that gay teachNorm Kent is the former Chair of NORML, the ers were trying to corrupt us. In the same way, publisher of the South Florida Gay News and the government warned us about drug dealers Freedom Leaf’s LGBT Ambassador.
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Can Marijuana Cure Racism? By Ngaio Bealum Cannabis makes bones heal faster, fights cancer, is effective for MS and can even help people quit hard drugs. So why can’t marijuana also fix one of the biggest problems in America? After all, racism is a primary reason why cannabis was made illegal in the first place. Back in the 1930s, prohibitionist Harry J. Anslinger stirred up racial frenzy by claiming that marijuana made white women want to sleep with Mexicans, Negroes and jazz musicians. Thirty or so years later, Richard Nixon started the War on Drugs, ramping up federal enforcement as part of his vendetta against antiwar protestors and civil rights groups. In the 1980s, Ronald and Nancy Reagan promoted the “Just Say No” campaign, making petty drug enforcement worse for everyone. Thanks to these policies, originating almost eight decades ago, black and brown people are being arrested for cannabis possession almost four times as often as white people. It seems as if police will use pot as an excuse to harass and intimidate citizens for suspicion of possessing the smallest amounts. This past June, Charnesia Corley, 21, a black woman, was subjected to an incredibly invasive search in Harris County, Texas when a male police officer claimed he smelled marijuana in her vehicle after pulling her over for an alleged minor traffic infraction. When two female officers arrived, Corley was wrestled to the ground and the deputies searched her genital area. Corley was subsequently arrested for possession of .02 grams of marijuana. That’s not even enough for a pinner joint.
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America’s first drug czar, Harry J. Anslinger, was responsible for the Reefer Madness campaign in the 1930s.
blacks are still popped for weed more often than whites. All this trouble and time, and three police officers, because of less than a half-gram of weed, which in Texas is worth maybe $5. So a young woman spent a night in jail and may now have a criminal record (Corley was also charged with resisting arrest because she objected to having to undergo a body cavity search on the side of the road) because she allegedly had $5 worth of marijuana on her person. Is this really why we give police our hard-earned tax money? Shit like this has got to stop. Things are getting better, though. As legalization and decriminalization of cannabis october-november october-november2015 2015
spread from state to state and city to city, possession arrests are down across the board. This is great news. No one should ever have to go to jail for marijuana. Fewer pot arrests also means more time for the police to go after violent criminals, and less time and money being spent on low-level marijuana enforcement and prosecution. But here’s the twist: While fewer busts overall (like in Massachusetts, where cannabis arrest fell from more than 8,000 in 2008 to just over 1,000 in 2010, post-decrim) is a good thing, blacks are still popped for weed more often than whites. So I think the answer to the question posed in this article’s headline is: While marijuana may not cure racism, legal weed can definitely mitigate the effects. Ngaio Bealum is a marijuanacentric comedian who appears at such cannabis events as Seattle Hempfest and ICBC in San Francisco.
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Gearing Up for Hemp Line By Steve Bloom They’re the jeans with the pot leaf on the pocket and the funny name, CBD Jeans, which begs the question: Are the jeans made from CBD? “No, of course not,” answers Derek Thomas, one of the company’s owners, during a break from selling pants at the Las Vegas Hempfest on Oct. 3. “From a branding perspective, we want to let people know how entrenched we are in this community, how much it means to us. CBD obviously has a huge health and economic edge to it. What CBD Jeans stands for is quality products, but also giving back to the community. We donate 10% of our profits to NORML and LEAP. That’s really where it all ties together for us. Not only are we bring-
ing in quality products and trying to really educate consumers about the value of CBD, but we’re also giving back to the movement.” Actually, in this case CBD stands for Cartel Blue Denim. Selling for a retail cost of $98–$108 per pair of jeans, sales could raise some significant money for nonprofits and retail outlets. The jeans come in Dark or Light blue, with Straight and Relaxed styles for men, and Boyfriend, Skinny and Relaxed Skinny styles for women. They have a rugged yet comfortable feel, and each pair has a green pot leaf stitched on the right back pocket. CBD Jeans even offers a special men’s King of Pot style, featuring an image of company investor
Above and opposite page: Modeling CBD Jeans.
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Bruce Perlowin and his unique smuggling story on the inside of the pants. Perlowin grew up next door to Thomas’ aunt, Robin Lane, in South Miami, and they’ve been friends ever since. When Thomas and Lane decided to enter the ganja garment business, Perlowin was quick to provide the initial stake, and CBD Jeans filed as a domestic corporation in Nevada this past April 20. While Thomas comes from the hospitality and nightlife professions, Lane has long dabbled in denim. “When she was growing up in the ’60s, she used to sew her own jeans,” Thomas explains. “She lived on a commune and sewed the jeans for the entire community. About a year and a half ago, we decided to start the company. We wanted to tell a story of personal freedom, health benefits and governmental overreach. Marijuana, CBD and hemp meant something to both of us. She had the idea to tell it through denim artistry. That’s what brought us to where we are today.” CBD Jeans are made from premium cotton grown in Texas. The cutting, sewing and washing is done at a shop in Los Angeles. “We have a very high-end designer behind the brand who’s really spared no expense in terms of the quality cotton that we’re getting,” Thomas says. “But our
main goal is to soon switch to a hemp and organic cotton fiber blend.” They launched a Kickstarter campaign on October 15 to raise money for the new line and get presales going. “We’re trying to raise $400,000, which will fund the full production, as well as get us some advertising dollars,” he says. “It’s not so much about the revenue as it is the opportunity to offer a presale to get your hands on these beautiful hemp jeans, and get our name out there.” So why is ending marijuana prohibition so important to Thomas? “I was arrested a couple of times in college and right out of college,” he reveals. “Fortunately for me, I have parents who shelled out $5,000 for an attorney. But I have friends who weren’t as fortunate. They didn’t have the means to defend themselves or even post bail, so they spent a couple of days in jail
“
We wanted to tell a story of personal freedom, health benefits and governmental overreach. — Derek Thomas
or, God forbid, even got sentenced to a prison term.” Every pair of jeans comes with two tags of hemp cardboard strung together with hemp twine. The back of one lists several “Shocking Facts,” such as: “More people were arrested in the USA for marijuana offenses in 2012 than for all violent crimes combined.” “We’re not just trying to sell you a product for our own benefit,” Thomas says. “We take a lot of time to create graphics that are educational, powerful and create excitement and attention. We strive to tell people what the benefits of CBD are, or what some of the tragedies are behind these arcane marijuana laws that are still inflicting so much harm across the country.” For more information, go to cbdjeans.com, email info@ cbdjeans.com or call 725-4007853.
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Cyd’s Last Straw The firing of TV news anchor Cyd Maurer in Oregon has stirred up the issue of drug testing at the workplace once again. Story and photos by Doug McVay
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C
yd Maurer earned a degree in journalism from the University of Oregon, in Eugene. Shortly after graduating in 2012, she was hired to anchor the news at KEZI, the local ABC affiliate. Just 25, Maurer had a bright future ahead in television news. Then, this past May, driving to do a report, Maurer got into a traffic accident. As a result, she lost her job. No one was injured in the accident; it was just a minor fender-bender in heavy traffic. No big deal, no police involvement—the sort of thing that could happen to anyone. But Maurer was on company time. Her employer, like many others in the news and media industry, mandates that anyone involved in a vehicular incident at work has to be tested for drug use. Maurer tested positive for marijuana. As a result, KEZI fired her. An admitted occasional smoker, she says she wasn’t high at the time of the accident, and there were no allegations that she was impaired when it occurred. That didn’t matter: Her employer’s human resources policy deemed that Maurer’s employment must be terminated. This is not a new situation. Despite changes in many state and local laws regarding marijuana, both medical and recreational, employers continue to deal with cannabis-using workers the same way they’ve been dealing with such workers since the 1980s, when drug testing became a standard part of the American workplace. It all started with the Drug-Free Workplace Act of 1988. Drug testing was happening before that, but the act kicked off a massive expansion. It was enacted in a frenzy, sparked by a tragedy. The previous year, a Conrail train crashed into an Amtrak train in Maryland. Sixteen people died in the collision. The Conrail engineer, Ricky Gates, who was indicted for the deaths, admitted that he’d been smoking a joint with the brakeman when the accident happened. There were other factors, as well, both mechanical and procedural: An alarm had been disabled by an earlier crew, something that Gates failed to check on prior to starting out that day; and at the time the Federal Railroad Administration didn’t require Conrail trains to have automatic stopping systems. The idea of testing the urine of workers for drug use picked up a lot of steam following that incident. Initially, the focus was on people working in safety-sensitive jobs, like transportation, but the scope of the act was expanded to include all federal employees, and even peo-
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ple employed by most federal contractors (with any contract worth over $25,000 per year). After that, it was like a snowball rolling downhill. According to the HR consulting firm HireRight, about 58% of companies require some form of drug testing of employees. While financial services companies and high-tech employers are the least likely to test, manufacturing, wholesale/retail and other sectors are much more likely to, especially when it comes to preemployment screenings. Many major news organizations also drugtest employees. ABC started drug-testing new hires back in 1987, due to incidents involving employees using drugs. There’d been nasty rumors that Geraldo Rivera was to blame—that he’d been caught receiving a package of cocaine in the mid-’80s that resulted in his dismissal from ABC. (Rivera denied that this occurred in a subsequent Washington Post interview.) Nowadays, many major media organizations—including the Washington Post, the New York Times, Gannett and Hearst—drugtest their employees. Cyd Had Cyd Maurer been drinkMaure r at S ing or using cocaine on the day of her accident, and was tested a day later, there would have been no trace of alcohol or coke. The THC metabolite is detectable in the urine for weeks after use, even for a light smoker. Since Maurer’s drug of choice is weed, she got nailed for off-the-job use. The test doesn’t reveal when ingestion occurred, or whether Maurer was impaired at the time of the accident. Maurer’s firing is that much more ironic because Oregon legalized adult use of marijuana in 2014. In an interview with Freedom Leaf, she explains:
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“Science has proven that alcohol is more dangerous, more harmful, more addictive and more intoxicating in every way compared to cannabis, yet it’s not only accepted as a vice, it’s often encouraged. At company parties, it’s something that’s accepted. It’s talked about around the office—how drunk someone got over the weekend, or how they really can’t wait for their first drink when they get off work. It was something that was really getting frustrating for me for a long time. “There is, for some reason, this different treatment toward cannabis users. If someone is a cannabis user in their free time, and someone in their employment pool finds out, whether it’s a coworker or a supervisor, the immediate question is: How can we trust you to not show up high? Whereas, it’s completely accepted and known that a lot of employees drink in their free time, but they’re never questioned: ‘How can we trust you to not show up drunk?’ Well, if you’re comparing the two—and alcohol is far more addictive than marijuana— I don’t understand why it t. would be more questioned that pfes m e H Seattle someone would be using cannabis before work.” Here are four workplace cases that were decided against medical-marijuana patients: • Emerald Steel Fabricators Inc. v. Bureau of Labor and Industry (BOLI): In 2003, Emerald Steel employee Anthony Scevers—a registered medical marijuana user in Oregon—was terminated because he tested positive for marijuana. A lower court and BOLI initially ruled that Emerald was in error for firing a registered medical marijuana patient just because the employee tested positive for pot, and it was deter
mined that Emerald Steel should make a reasonable accommodation for Scevers. However, in 2010, the Oregon Supreme Court reversed that decision, and now medical marijuana patients in the Beaver State have no protection in the workplace. • Ross v. RagingWire: In September 2001, Sacramento-based RagingWire Telecommunications instructed Gary Ross, a lead systems administrator with the company, to take a drug test, which came back positive; he was fired. Ross suffers from a chronic back condition, which developed as a result of injuries he sustained while serving in the Air Force. He’s been a medical marijuana patient since 1999, which he told both RagingWire and the testing service. Ross sued RagingWire, claiming that by firing him essentially for being a medical marijuana patient, they were in violation of California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act. The California Supreme Court, by a 5-2 vote, disagreed. • Casias v. Wal-Mart: Joseph Casias was an inventory control manager at the Wal-Mart store in Battle Creek, Mich. in 2009 when he suffered a sprained knee on the job. Company policy mandated that he be given a drug test, which came back positive. Casias, who has an inoperable brain tumor and a rare sinus cancer, was fired. By all accounts, he was a good employee and was even named the store’s Associate of the Year in 2008—the same year the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act was passed. Cannabis helped him combat nausea and pain. When Casias sued in state court, Wal-Mart got the case transferred to federal court. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled against him, holding that the Michigan Medical Marijuana Act had no protections for patients against employers. Casias appealed again, and lost in 2012, in a 2-1 decision. • Coats v. Dish Network: While working as a customer service rep for the Dish Network in Englewood, Colo. in 2010, Brandon Coats— a quadriplegic who’s registered in Colorado to use marijuana as a medicine to control painful leg spasms—was subjected to a random drug test. When the results came back positive for marijuana, he was fired. Colorado’s lawful off-duty activities statute (C.R.S. § 24-34-402.5) states in part that “It shall be a discriminatory or unfair employment practice for an employer to terminate the employment of any employee due to that employee engaging in any lawful activity off the prem-
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ises of the employer during nonworking hours.” The district court, the appeals court and, this past June, the Colorado Supreme Court found that the law only covers those activities that are lawful under state and federal law. Attorneys for Coats have chosen not to appeal the decision to the U.S. Supreme Court. Standard drug tests don’t measure impairment. They just show whether THC metabolites are hanging around in your system. Although tests to show actual impairment exist, there’s little support for impairment testing. Few employers currently employ impairment testing, and very few companies manufacture such tests. Recreational marijuana is now legal in four states and Washington, D.C., and medical marijuana in one form or another is available in 38 states—yet drug testing is still the rule, rather than the exception. As a result, a lot of companies are missing out on good employees. “When it comes to pre-employment drug screening, I truly believe that they’re limiting their applicant pool,” says Maurer. “There are so many responsible, intelligent people who choose to use cannabis in their free time who will just either simply not apply to those jobs, or are worried to apply because they realize what they have to do to undergo the employment process.” Tired of the hypocrisy, Maurer has joined the ranks of marijuana activists, speaking at such events as Seattle Hempest and the Oregon Medical Marijuana Business Conference (see coverage on page 10). “Every day, I get messages from people who thank me for talking about this,” the former media personality confides. “I believe there are millions of working, responsible, intelligent, great citizens who use cannabis in their free time, and have to hide it, and feel trapped in their usage. It’s not fair when it’s something that’s not harming any-
“
Cyd Maurer was on the Cannabigotry panel at this year’s Seattle Hempfest. one else, and people should be able to do it. I’m really, really happy that I spoke out, and even though some people have been against it, if people have the opportunity to speak out, I promise that the support is overwhelming, and it’s totally worth it in the end. So more people should get out there, and get out of the cannabis closet and talk about it.” Former National NORML staffer Doug McVay edits DrugWarFacts.org.
There are millions of working, responsible, intelligent, great citizens who use cannabis in their free time, and have to hide it. — Cyd Maurer
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Should Ohio Legalize Marijuana?
Competing cannabis initiatives are on the November ballot in the Buckeye State. Issue 3 would create an oligopoly for its investors if it passes; Issue 2 would effectively block it. The marijuana community has offered lukewarm support for Issue 3. If it wins, Ohio will become the fifth state—and the first East of the Mississippi—to end pot prohibition. By Chris Goldstein 32 www.freedomleaf.com
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O
n Nov. 3, a cannabis revolution could happen in Ohio, where voters will have the opportunity to legalize personal use of marijuana for adults over 21 and medical marijuana access, all at the same time. But the effort, run by ResponsibleOhio, has been controversial from the start— not because it would tax and regulate pot, but because of who would profit from it.
The Controversy A group of wealthy backers formed ResponsibleOhio last year. They spent more than $2 million to gather the 305,000 petition signatures needed to qualify their initiative for the ballot. Now they’re spending millions more in a frantic push to win and amend Ohio’s state constitution. The measure, designated Issue 3, was certified by Ohio Secretary of State John A. Hustead on Aug. 12. But its details have been a magnet for heavy criticism. The usual adversaries— prosecutors, police and drugprevention groups—have come out strongly against Issue 3. They aren’t the only ones: Ohio Governor John Kasich, who’s running for President, has opposed it, along with pretty much the entire Ohio Legislature. They’ve rolled out the usual and often false assertions about the dangers of legalization. But the opposition’s main message is that it will create a cartel at the wholesale level. A long list of business groups, trade associations and even pro-marijuana organizations have united in their distaste for this form of ending cannabis prohibition. The core sticking point is
Issue 3’s provision that just 10 businesses would grow all of the state’s legal cannabis; those contracts would not be up for bid. The owners of those businesses are, naturally, the ones funding the campaign (see “The Investors” sidebar on page 35). The textbook definition of a cartel is “an association of manufacturers or suppliers with the purpose of maintaining prices at a high level and restricting competition.” Legal marijuana cartels already exist in states like New Jersey and New York, which have licensed a handful of businesses (five in New York and six in New Jersey) to supply medical marijuana. Delaware actually operates a pure monopoly for medical marijuana, with just a single supplier and dispensary operator licensed. Cannabis organizations and many advocates cheered these states on. Reform groups such as NORML and the MPP have thrown some support toward Issue 3, but have done so cautiously. In a letter to NORML’s membership, founder Keith Stroup explained their reason for backing Issue 3, albeit with reservations: “The NORML board felt obliged to hold our noses and endorse Issue 3 in Ohio. It was, as the saying goes, ‘a bitter pill to swallow,’ and the board wanted to make it clear we do not consider the Ohio proposal the best model for other states to follow. There are far better ways to legalize marijuana. Most of us would prefer to keep the focus on protecting personal freedom and ending marijuana arrests. Greed is a common motivator in our free-market system, but it would be preferable to keep it out of our public policy debates. But in some states, where the elected offioctober-november 2015
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If this ends prohibition, stops the arrest of 20,000 people per year and provides compassion to the people who need it, then it gets to the end result of social justice for Ohioans. — Ian James
”
cials are not responsive to the will of the voters, we may have to accept legalization that is profit-driven, as the most realistic way to end prohibition. That was the conclusion we reached regarding Ohio, and I believe it was the right decision. But it surely does feel like the loss of innocence.” Like Amendment 64 in Colorado, Issue 3 would amend the state constitution. This approach does an end-run around the legislature; politicians have little or no say in how the measure would get implemented, and no control over how the potentially large tax windfall would be distributed.
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In an exclusive interview with Freedom Leaf, ResponsibleOhio’s Executive Director Ian James explains: “We made sure 85% of the taxes go to the local community and county governments for safety, infrastructure and bridge repair—fill potholes with pot money. And that money is distributed per capita, based on the county population. The remaining 15% goes to the Marijuana Control Commission [MCC], which will oversee the new industry, and regulate and enforce the law. That’s why we went directly to communities with the taxes; we do not trust the state House.” James and ResponsibleOhio are not part of the cliquey world of marijuana reform nonprofits and the existing cannabis industry. Supported by millions of dollars of investor funding, the organization is forging ahead with their new approach to cannabis legalization. This likely explains why industry insiders and local grassroots cannabis activists are shying away from backing Issue 3. “There’s nothing responsible about ResponsibleOhio,” says Tricia Sprankle, Political Director of the Libertarian Party of Ohio. “This isn’t a proposal to restore rights to Ohioans. It’s a crony scheme to line the pockets of a few wealthy investors.” Green Party of Ohio CoChair Bob Fitrakis calls Issue 3 “the worst in cannabis capitalism.” Athens-based attorney, former NORML board member and hemp pioneer Don Wirtshafter agrees: “I’m extremely upset by the move to lock these monopolies into our constitution in a way that will never be changed in our lifetime.” James takes issue with that charge. “Voters here want
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ResponsibleOhio’s Executive Director Ian James. middle-of-the-road, tightly regulated marijuana reform,” he explains. “Reform with unlimited grows and licensing—the voters translate that into the ‘Wild West of Weed.’ That will never fly in Ohio. The state could limit the number of licenses for grows so the government can properly regulate this. Issue 3 also allows the state to increase the number of licenses above 10 to meet the demands of medical and adult consumers. It will be as many as the market provides and allows.” ResponsibleOhio also didn’t win over any of their detractors when they introduced a garish mascot named “Buddie” in August. The idea is to appeal to the college crowd, but it wasn’t taken that way. Dressed in white spandex, bright green gloves, boots and a cape, Buddie’s head is a cartoonish representation of the cannabis bud, with a sly smile. (Stephen Colbert insists he looks more like a Brussels sprout.) The gallivanting nugget has been an easy target and has helped stoke fears of increased youth marketing with legal weed, a la Joe Camel. october-november 2015
But Buddie doesn’t seem to bother the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio, which provided the strongest endorsement of the controversial initiative to date. “Issue 3 needs to pass on Election Day because its failure may well mean another 10 or 20 years of the same bad policies of excessive punishment, a justice system clogged by marijuana prosecutions, lives ruined by prison and marijuana in the hands of illegal, unregulated and dangerous cartels,” Christine Link, ACLUOH Executive Director, stated on Sept. 21.
The Details Here’s what Issue 3 would do: • Allow for the possession up to eight ounces of marijuana and home cultivation of up to four plants • Create 10 cultivation centers in 10 counties throughout the state that will provide all of the wholesale supply, plus licenses for more than 1,150 retail locations. • Grow medical cannabis on the same wholesale farms. Taxes on adult-use marijuana will help cover the costs for low-income patients.
The Legislature Strikes Back Incensed at the prospect that legalization might succeed, Ohio state legislators acted quickly to put a counter-initiative on the ballot. Certified as Issue 2, it’s known as the “Ohio Initiated Monopolies Amendment.” The measure would “prohibit from taking effect any proposed constitutional amendment appearing on the November 3, 2015 General Election ballot that creates a monopoly, oligopoly or cartel
ResponsibleOhio: The Investors
Nick Lachey (7) Member of pop group 98 Degrees, appeared on reality show Newlyweds with Jessica Simpson.
Nanette Lepore (8) New York fashion designer from Youngstown, OH, sister of state Rep. Michele Lepore-Hagan.
David Bastos (1) Cincinnati real-estate developer, partner with Capital Investment Group Inc.
Frank Wood (10) CEO of investment firm Secret Communications, former general manager and president of WEBN-FM, both in Cincinnati.
Jennifer Doering (2) General Manager of Chas. Seligman Distributing Co., a beer and wine distributor in Walton, Ky. Dr. Suresh Gupta (4) Dayton anesthesiologist and pain-management physician.
Rick Kirk (5) Columbus real-estate developer, President and CEO of Hallmark Campus Communities.
Oscar Robertson (9) Former NBA star with the Royals, now Chairman of Cincinnati chemical manufacturing company Orchem, maker of Big O cleaning products. Ben Kovler (6) Chicago investment banker, founded Green Thumb Industries (lighting, fertilizer). Robert George (3) Managing Member of Corporate Management Group, a restaurant, real estate and private-equity firm in Lakeside that operates Harry Buffalo in Elyria, OH and Barley House in Cleveland.
Company
County
Acreage
Investment
Bridge Property Group LLC (1)
Lucas
28.5
$350,000
Ohioven LLC (2)
Delaware
25
$200,000
Grow 2015-768 LLC (3)
Lorain
77.8
$350,000
Abhang Co. LLC (4)
Licking
35
$300,000
Preston Cox Industries LLC (5)
Franklin
19.2
$300,000
GTI Investors LLC (6)
Stark
21.2
$593,000
Verdure GCE LLC (7)
Summit
29
$400,000
NG Green (8)
Butler
40.5
$300,000
WF Green (9)
Hamilton
24.5
$350,000
DFC LLC (10)
Clermont
13.4
$300,000
Total: $3.4 million Basic info: Each investor group is known as a MGCE (Marijuana Growth, Cultivation and Extraction). There are 10 designated MGCE groups for Ohio’s 88 counties. Each cultivation center has been granted a certain number of acres. Investment figures as of July 31.
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Additional Issue 3 Investors Licking: Alan Mooney, principal of Mooney Wealth Advisors Inc. and co-founder of ResponsibleOhio. Stark: Peter Kadens, President of SoCore Energy, Chicago; Brian Kessler, President of Maui Toys Inc., Youngstown; and 21 others. Summit: Don Humphrey, CEO of consumer finance firm DMP Investments, Texarkana, Texas; William Pruett, President of DMP Investments; Dwight Pruett; Keith Orr, owner of auto dealerships in Shreveport, La. and Texarkana, Texas. Butler: Barbara Gould, from Cincinnati suburb Indian Hill, served on the Ohio Arts Board; Paul Heldman, Cincinnati attorney and former general counsel for the Kroger Co.; Woody Taft, VP of development at Taft Broadcasting Co. and blues guitarist Dudley Taft Jr., brothers and great-greatgrandnephews of President William Howard Taft and cousins of former Ohio Governor Bob Taft. Hamilton: William J. Foster, owner of Cincinnati warehousing company A-1 Quality Logistical Solutions; Frostee Lynn Rucker, Defensive End for the Arizona Cardinals, drafted by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2006, and played for the Cleveland Browns. for the sale, distribution or other use of any federal Schedule I controlled substance.” If both Issues 2 and 3 win, the whole thing could end up in court. Secretary of State Hustead thinks one might trump the other: “Should both proposed measures be approved, the anti-monopoly amendment put forth by the legislature would go into effect first and its provision banning a monopoly from inclusion in the constitution would serve as an effective roadblock to ResponsibleOhio’s amendment taking effect.” Should Issue 2 pass, it could prevent other attempts at legalization in the future in Ohio, not just in 2015. That may be the plan.
The Quarterback Ian James, CEO of The Strategy Network, has spent more than three decades running
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political campaigns and doing grassroots organizing. He’s a hardcore political operator who knows polling, focus groups and media. It was medical marijuana that got him interested in working on this campaign. “My mother-in-law is a breast cancer survivor who went through chemo and got addicted to pain pills, until we did a family intervention,” he says. “We asked her why she didn’t try medical marijuana for the pain. She said, ‘Because it’s not legal.’ I thought it was time to take up this fight, to make sure we addressed this social injustice.” James adds: “If you’re black in Ohio, you’re four times more likely to get arrested [for marijuana]. We’ve got to get over this criminalization.” It all started when James “brought the marijuana idea to my friend Paul Demarco, who said he would bring people to the table to organize and raise october-november 2015
Great-great-grandnephews of President William Howard Taft are among the investors. the money. Then I met sports agent Jimmy Gould; he knows a great many people. We began to assemble this kind of a who’s-who group of celebrities and businesspeople that was atypical of the approaches taken elsewhere. If this ends prohibition, stops the arrest of 20,000 people per year and provides compassion to the people who need it, then it gets to the end result of social justice for Ohioans.” Issue 2 is a sore spot for James, who refers to it as “the drug dealer protection act. It’s not what they intended,” he adds, “but that’s what it does. The impact is far beyond drug policy. Its scope and nature is troubling and dangerous. Voters will likely reject it.” He also notes that “there will also be a medical marijuana dispensary system and a sliding scale to ensure every patient has access to medicine at a price they can afford. Patients will pay the lowest
wholesale price with no tax. If they can only afford $10 and their meds cost $100, the MCC will cover the other $90 with tax funds from personal use.” As far as polling, James says, “We continue to see eight out of 10 voters support medical marijuana and six of 10 support adult personal use. So a majority supports the amendment. Opposition is in the 30% range. We chose an off-year election where we expect a 2.9% voter turnout because we have the ability to have such a well-defined, adult conversation with voters. You don’t get that robust conversation during a presidential election. We chose this year to have this kind of conversation and mobilize the voters. I’m 95% confident we can win this. It’s a Lincoln-esque cause. I think it’s going to be close.”
A Personal Note My family is from Ohio. They’re Irish Catholics who worked in auto factories around Cleveland and started businesses in the rolling farmland in the center of the state. They race home-tuned drag cars on the weekend, root for the Browns in the fall and volunteer at the local fire departments. Politically, Ohioans are a mixed bunch. My family is split right down the middle, with Republicans and Democrats sharing marriages and dinner tables. While conversations on current events during family reunions are always lively, there are a lot of things they agree on: equal rights for the LGBT community, support for the military and lower taxes. They often vote for local and national candidates outside of their party registration. By and large, they have
ResponsibleOhio’s controversial mascot, Buddie. always supported my 20-year effort in marijuana reform activism. I spoke with dozens of people in Ohio for this article. They’re certainly aware of Issue 3, and many support legalization. Still, surprisingly few were willing to commit one way or the other on how they would vote, although many voters I spoke with said it was the only thing that might bring them to the polls this election. If Issue 3 wins (and Issue 2 loses), it will have a massive october-november 2015
impact nationally in the movement to legalize marijuana in all 50 states. Until now, retail marijuana has remained West of the Rocky Mountains. This could show the country that the end to cannabis prohibition is not a piecemeal effort, but a true national movement. Win or lose, Issue 3 will also impact regional politics in surrounding states like Michigan, West Virginia and Pennsylvania. The stakes in this game are definitely high. www.freedomleaf.com 37
Canna consumer goods
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Freedom Leaf INTERVIEW
Ethan Nadelmann Interview by Steve Bloom Photos by G. Moses
The son of a rabbi, Ethan Nadelmann grew up with what he calls “a strong sense of social justice” that ultimately inspired him to make a career out of drug policy reform. Nadelmann founded the Lindesmith Center in 1994, which merged with the Drug Policy Foundation in 2000 to create the Drug Policy Alliance; he’s been Executive Director ever since. Called “the real Drug Czar” by Rolling Stone, Nadelmann is the marijuana legalization movement’s strongest voice for change. His rapid-paced speeches at industry events are the stuff of legend. Brimming with progressive ideas and revelatory anecdotes, Nadelmann can barely keep up with himself. With so much in the news regarding legalization efforts, especially in Ohio, we thought he’d be the perfect interviewee for our first anniversary issue. We sat down with Nadlemann for a lengthy chat in the DPA’s offices in Midtown Manhattan.
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FL: Do you see a tie-in between cannabis and Judaism? Nadelmann: The fundamental idea of a deviant minority being persecuted and needing to be converted to the majoritarian way for their own wellbeing, as well as for everybody else’s—that was sort of steeped in me. When you look at what was the most vicious, irrational persecution of citizens going on in America in the 1980s, it was the drug war.
very, very strong sense of the Holocaust and the persecution of the Jews. It’s just so much a part of my consciousness. In the ’80s, I was wondering what I was going to do with my life. What was clicking with me—not just consciously, but subconsciously—was the desire to connect my intellectual interests with something that I actually felt passionate about personally and politically. This just kind of came together.
What was it like growing up in a strict Jewish home?
How did marijuana fit into the equation?
My dad was born in Berlin in 1928. After the war he came to the U.S., in 1946. I had this
The war on marijuana is very personal to me, in part because I’ve been an occa-
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sional marijuana consumer since I was 18. It’s played a positive role in my life. Where do you stand on Issue 3, the marijuana legalization initiative in Ohio? My sense is that the Ohio effort is overall a very good thing, except for one very bad thing, which is the oligopoly provision to the state constitution [10 investor groups alone stand to benefit if Issue 3 passes]. It just seems a bit over the top, a little too greedy and un-American in some respects. But look at New Jersey and New York, which have less than six licenses each right now. However,
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The simple fact of waking up the day after Election Day this November to find that Ohio legalized marijuana will catapult the legalization effort forward.
Ethan Nadlemman in his office overlooking New York’s garment district. those are not in the state constitution. There are a number of states where the number of licensees has been limited through legislative effort, executive authority or whatever. So in that sense, Ohio doesn’t look bad. Has DPA had any involvement with ResponsibleOhio, the group behind Issue 3? They reached out to us at the end of 2014, asking for assistance on the drafting. We were already aware of the oligopoly provision. I said, “We’ll help you with the drafting in order to make it a stronger initiative, but I want you to know that we’re opposed to the oligopoly
provision, and you cannot use the fact that we’re helping on the drafting of other provisions to say DPA endorses this initiative.” There’s also Issue 2 on the Ohio ballot, which opposes the oligopoly. What happens if both win? There’s a presumption that it will end up being litigated in the Ohio Supreme Court. The ideal outcome would be if both Issue 2 and Issue 3 win, and then the Ohio Supreme Court mandates that the legislature come up with a wholesale model that’s different than in Issue 3. However, if Issue 3 wins, come 2016, with the october-november 2015
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candidates going to Ohio— one of the three most important swing states in American presidential politics—it would have enormous benefit for the broader national movement to end marijuana prohibition. The simple fact of waking up the day after Election Day this November to find that Ohio legalized marijuana will catapult the legalization effort forward. Even with that said, you still couldn’t, in good conscience, support it as an organization? (Long pause) The fact that we have not formally endorsed it speaks to our reservations
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about the model that they’re using. On the other hand, I think a win in Ohio, regardless of what happens on the legislative initiative, would be a very good thing for the national movement to end marijuana prohibition. What if it loses? When I first began working on initiatives almost 20 years ago, I used to worry about losses a lot more. Oregon lost in 2012 and won in 2014. If marijuana legalization is defeated in Ohio, it’s not going to be a surprise to a lot of people. Ohio is seen as a conservative state. So losing there would be no surprise nationally. The fact that it’s a 2015 low-turnout election means it can be explained in all sorts of ways. I don’t think a defeat in Ohio is significant. The upside of a win is much greater than the downside of a loss. Moving ahead to 2016, where is DPA positioning itself in various states as far as ballot initiatives and legislation? In Maine, you have two different groups vying to make the ballot. If they can come up with a unity campaign, it should have a very good shot. Massachusetts should have a decent shot—I don’t know if the second effort there is going to have a serious opportunity. In Nevada, the question is, will there be the resources? In Arizona, you have the people in the marijuana industry stepping up to help pay for it. That’s just on the ballot initiative front. What about California? That’s the most complicated of them all. I announced last year that we were going to take the
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lead on this initiative. But it’s become a much more complicated universe right now. In California, there’s some risk of having more than one legalization initiative on the ballot. I very much hope that doesn’t happen. So we’re deeply involved in helping draft the initiative that we think will be the best-funded initiative on the ballot. But I cannot say that we’re in the driver’s seat. We’re one among a number of key players trying to move this thing forward. It’s the biggest state, the longest history, so many players… You have incredibly diverse interests around the state. In Humboldt and Mendocino, and other areas, you have longestablished growing communities. You have dispensaries with varying degrees of regulation depending on where they are in the state. You have various political interests. This is the first state where a major player—Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom—has come out strongly in favor of legalizing marijuana. He’s got his blue-ribbon commission with all sorts of recommendations. The unions have been more present. Environmental organizations have a say. I’ve been involved in dozens of ballot initiatives since 1996—not just marijuana reform, but sentencing reform, asset forfeiture reform, and so on. This is far and away the most complicated one ever, in terms of the substance of the initiative and the politics. What about legalization legislation in state houses? I think you’re going to see New England move the fastest. Vermont, maybe Rhode Island, maybe New Hampoctober-november 2015
shire are the ones that are most likely to move forward on that front. You spend a lot of time in Europe. What are the recent developments there in drug reform? Europe has always been at the forefront of global drug policy reform. All of a sudden, along come Colorado and Washington, and then Uruguay, then Oregon, Alaska and D.C. The Dutch and the Europeans are feeling like they’ve lost their leadership role. If big, bad America can find a way to legalize marijuana, why can’t the Europeans figure that out? In the Netherlands, things are a bit bogged down. But because the big-city mayors revolted against the previous national government’s effort to ban tourists from the market, things are in play there. What about Canada? When people ask me what will be the second country in the world to legalize marijuana, after Uruguay, I typically say Canada—if [Prime Minister Stephen] Harper can be defeated. Under Harper, the national picture has been a disaster. If somehow Justin Trudeau and the Liberals win an outright majority, I think you’ll see a 180 on marijuana, and drug policy more generally, in Canada. I hope that something big can happen. [For more on the Canadian election, turn to page 8.] Back in the U.S., what did you think of the Republican debate in September, and all the comments about marijuana? Rand Paul was very good. Chris Christie was atrocious. Jeb Bush I’ve pretty much
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always seen in the drug-war camp, but at least he’s being nuanced in a way that I think is helpful. Carly Fiorina saying beer is safer than marijuana is obviously not true for many, many people. Christie is trying to identify himself as the antimarijuana fanatic. It’s funny because he was one of the first Republican governors to be semi-supportive of medical marijuana in his own state. I don’t know why he’s doing it. Where do you see things heading for the 2016 presidential election? Who do you think is going to get there, and how do you think it’s going to play out for marijuana? The Democratic side is so hard to say. There are all sorts of reasons why we still can assume that Hillary [Clinton] is going to be the candidate. But there’s a momentum against her right now. I keep assuming [Joe] Biden is simply positioning himself in case she drops out for one reason or another. It’s hard to see Bernie Sanders actually getting the nomination, but he’s giving her a nice run for the money. Are you “Feelin’ the Bern”? Bernie’s never been really that marijuana-friendly. He’s the classic old-line socialist who’s culturally conservative. But I think key advisors around him are all saying, “Come on, Bernie, do it.” There’s a decent chance that he comes out for legalization sometime in the coming months. We prepared a memo for presidential candidates that we gave to Hillary and Rand Paul, so we sent it to Bernie, as well. But then he wanted to have a longer talk about it. It was actually Ben Cohen [from Ben & Jerry’s] who connected us. Bernie and
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Nadlemann: “We need marijuana to be descheduled.” I spent a chunk of time talking about it. We’ll see what happens. Like with Hillary, he’s tiptoeing more in our direction. What would Hillary’s election mean for marijuana policy? The marijuana issue is not in her blood the way it was with Barack Obama, who’s very marijuana-friendly. Hillary doesn’t have that connection to marijuana per se, and she’s never been bold at all on this issue, but I think she’s paying attention to politics. She’s hearing about it more and being forced to think about it a bit more. She’s said to at least a few people at fundraisers that she’ll be even better than Obama has been on the issue, which is promising, because I actually think Obama has been pretty decent on it over the last 18 months. When will marijuana be october-november 2015
legalized federally? Bill Piper, who’s been heading our Congressional Affairs office for almost 15 years, says 2020. I think 2020 may be a bit optimistic for ending federal marijuana prohibition. We’ll see what happens in Ohio this year. We’ll see what happens in 2016—whether there will be between four and six legalization initiatives and two or three medical-marijuana ones. We’ll see when the legislative ones start to happen, whether next year or in the years thereafter. I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how quickly things have been moving in the last few years. Do you think Obama might reschedule or deschedule marijuana before he leaves office? Maybe. But if it’s just Schedule I to II, it’ll be of some help, but people should not be deceived
into thinking that this is major, major news. It will make research and a few other things easier, but what we ultimately need is for marijuana to be descheduled [from the Controlled Substances Act]. Although rescheduling is part of our list of objectives—to II or III, or whatever—we don’t put that out there. More important are some of these laws passing or moving through Congress [such as the CARERS Act] that actually get the federal government out of marijuana enforcement. Those can actually be more consequential in many respects. Does descheduling marijuana equal legalization? I think descheduling would remove federal marijuana prohibition, but I’m not sure. I’ve heard endless debate about this issue. Some say, “Of course the President can do
it.” Others say, “No.” I press people all the time to come up with a good answer. Could the President actually deschedule marijuana, and therefore federal marijuana prohibition would be defunct? I don’t know. How about the Supreme Court? One of the long-term objectives of the DPA is that we reach the day when the U.S. Supreme Court can rule with respect to the issue of drug use and possession the way it ruled with respect to gay rights and gay marriage. It’s the fundamental notion that nobody deserves to be punish-ed for what they put into their bodies, as long as they’re not hurting other people. So I don’t think it will be marijuana specifically. It will probably be more broad. But we have a long way to go before we get there.
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Why is this so important to you? Why have you made it your life’s work? I realized in retrospect that I needed to pursue a life that was going to combine something I found intellectually stimulating and something I found personally meaningful. The fact that I grew up in a religious environment, in a moral environment with a strong sense of social justice, and the fact that I went off to college and started smoking marijuana, and wondered why peop-le were getting busted for it, and then the fact that I wanted to be a professor and find something that was emotionally engaging—I think all those things came together around this cause of ending the War on Drugs. For more information about the Drug Policy Alliance, go to drugpolicy.org.
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Happy Birthday to Us! Turns 1
The new marijuana magazine on the block celebrates its first anniversary. Story by Chris Goldstein, Photos By Mitch Mandel
I
t started with a series of phone calls last year. Richard Cowan and Cliff Perry, two entrepreneurs who were comfortable enough to relax, couldn’t just sit by and watch an injustice continue. They wanted to keep working toward their goal to end marijuana prohibition. So, to help fulfill their vision, they formed a media team to expand their message of cannabis freedom. They decided to create a magazine at a time when print publications are losing pages and facing cutbacks. Undeterred, Cowan and Perry moved ahead with their plan to start a media company whose mission is to spread the “good news in marijuana reform.” Cowan is a longtime activist who ran NORML for several years in the mid-’90s; Perry got his start in cannabusiness with Medical Marijuana Inc. They sought to build a new bridge of marijuana law reform that anyone can cross, and the magazine would be the vehicle. On a hot afternoon in August 2014, I was fishing for bass in my kayak when my cellphone rang, with Cowan calling from his home in Spain. I first met Cowan when I was working at National NORML back in 2006. I was a radio host and podcaster then; in 2008, I began blogging and
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writing for newspapers. Twenty minutes into the call, I signed on as part of the Freedom Leaf team. One year ago, we started a revolution with words and pictures. In October 2014, the first issue of Freedom Leaf— with the Statue of Liberty in a field of hemp on the cover— rolled off the presses. We decided on a handy 6-by-9-inch size—about the same as an iPad—rather than the standard magazine format. Our first feature interview was a big one: Willie Nelson, who granted us access to his tour bus. The Red Haired Stranger revealed that he quit smoking cigarettes by replacing his Chesterfields with joints, and even talked a little presidential politics while puffing on a vape pen during our memorable encounter. Our original writing team included NORML’s Keith Stroup, Paul Armentano, Sabrina Fendrick and Erik Altieri, and several of my East Coast colleagues—Steve Bloom, Dr. Jahan Marcu, Beth Mann and N.A. Poe. With an initial print run of 30,000, we shipped magazines to NORML and SSDP chapters, medical marijuana dispensaries, retail cannabis stores, restaurants, gift shops, concert venues, coffee shops and even a truck stop. The chapters give out Freedom october-november 2015
Leaf free of charge during meetings and at local events across the country. Lady Liberty returned to grace Issue 2’s cover, which also included a Christmas tree. Pretty much the same team wrote the articles, which covered the SSDP Conference, the Boston Freedom Rally and Seattle Hempfest. I edited the first two issues, but for Issue 3—the first of 2015—I asked Bloom, a former editor at High Times, to take over the reins as Editorin-Chief. “I thought I’d left print publishing behind when I parted ways with High Times in 2007,” says Bloom, who’s also known for his marijuana news site, CelebStoner.com, and as coauthor of the popular compendium Pot Culture. “Chris, Cliff and Dick dragged me back. I wasn’t exactly kicking and screaming. To be honest, I was flattered that someone asked me to edit a marijuana magazine again.” Starting with the third issue, Bloom began streamlining Freedom Leaf. The magazine was broken up into customary sections—news, reviews, features and columns— and I penned the cover story, “What’s Next for Cannabis in America?” One of Bloom’s first moves was to hire Cheri Sicard to write our food column. He also brought in writers/ photographers Doug McVay,
Top: The Freedom Leaf crew with Tommy Chong at the Las Vegas Hempfest on Oct. 3. Left to right: Keith Stroup, Cheri Sicard, Cliff Perry, Chong and Steve Bloom. Left: Freedom Leaf’s birthday cake. Right: NORML’s Stroup lights a joint as Perry and Chong look on. based in Oregon, and Alec Pearce, based in Colorado. For Issue 4, we designed our first photo-driven cover—announcing the “Stoner Spring” rally season with an image of NORML activists taking their message to the streets—and we tapped Columbia University Professor Carl Hart for the Freedom Leaf interview. The issue included new contributors Matt Chelsea, David Reins, Adam Brook and Dru West. Our April issue was, of
course, devoted to 420, with another former High Times editor, Steven Hager, writing the cover story. Ellen Komp, Mike Crawford and Mari Kane made their editorial debuts in Issue 5. With Issue 6, Freedom Leaf achieved an editorial peak. Returning to a familiar face, Barry Anderson created a terrific illustration of Willie Nelson that graced the May cover, and Nelson’s book publisher was kind enough to let us excerpt sections from his october-november 2015
new memoir, It’s a Long Story: My Life. The issue also included an interview with former New Mexico Governor Gary Johnson and articles by Martin A. Lee, Russ Belville and our cultivation columnist, Rick Pfrommer. Seven issues into our brief history, it was time for Freedom Leaf to go to Colorado and get a handle on the state’s heralded “Green Rush.” The Freedom Leaf team assembled at the Cannabis Cup in Denver, with www.freedomleaf.com 47
Bloom handling the cover story. New contributors included Roy Trakin and David Malmo-Levine. Issue 8, our first summer travel issue, went in a new direction with a terrific photo of the intrepid Rick Steves on the cover. Steves was our interviewee, and Bill Weinberg took readers on a tour of the “Greatest Global Stoner Destinations.” Also in Issue 8, Vivian McPeak chronicled the history of Seattle Hempfest, Scott Greiper debuted his Cannabis Stock Report column and Women GROW joined our group of affiliated organizations, with a new column focused on women written by Jazmin Hupp. Following the trend of the summer issue, Issue 9 featured another well-known fig-
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ure on the cover—presidential hopeful Bernie Sanders. Though we haven’t endorsed his drive to become President, we have dived into campaign politics, which we’ll continue to do throughout 2016. Issue 9 also debuted a new look, courtesy of Editorial Designer Joe Gurreri, who teams up with Creative Director Dave Azimi each month to make Freedom Leaf shine. Which brings us to Issue 10—our first anniversary! Who better to help us celebrate one year in the marijuana publishing business than Tommy Chong? We all came together at the Las Vegas Hempfest on Oct. 3, where Chong posed with our birthday cake for the cover. A big focus of this issue is the effort to legalize marijuana in Ohio (check out my feature on page 32). This issue also includes an excerpt from Dr. David Casarett’s book Stoned, several Halloweedthemed articles and columns by Norm Kent and Ngaio Bealum. It’s been an exciting year for Freedom Leaf, and we have plenty more in store for upcoming issues. We’ll continue to increase our presence at industry events across the nation; and we are also working with NORML as their brand manager. Another major deoctober-november 2015
velopment is the public offering of Freedom Leaf stock on the OTC market under the listing OTC:FRLF. Our magazine reaches more eyes every month, and reader feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. As we look toward a future where marijuana is legal for all Americans, we know the fight doesn’t end with regulation and taxation. Consumer issues remain, like fair pricing, clean products, venues for social use and anti-pot discrimination. Freedom Leaf is in it for the long haul. We appreciate all the support we’ve received from our readers and advertisers, and we’ll continue working hard to be the premier education publication for the cannabis community.
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THE
PULMONARY Dr. David Casarett
SOOTHSAYER
In this exclusive excerpt from Stoned: A Doctor’s Case for Medical Marijuana, Dr. David Casarett meets Dr. David Tashkin, who tells him why marijuana doesn’t cause cancer.
I
am standing in the lobby of the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles looking for Dr. Donald Tashkin, a pulmonary physician who specializes in tests of lung function. This guy is good. He doesn’t just interpret the present—he predicts the future. He can look at your test results and tell you whether in 20 years you’ll be able to run a marathon or whether you’ll be tethered to an oxygen tank. I’m here because a lot of Tashkin’s studies have included people with more than a passing familiarity with marijuana. If anyone knows what marijuana could do to the lungs— now and in 20 years—it’s him. But where is he? Then I see someone who must be the guy I’m looking for. He’s small and lean, with a noticeable list to starboard. He has close-cropped white hair
and wire frame glasses, and he’s impeccably dressed in a snow-white lab coat that seems to illuminate our corner of the lobby as he walks in. Courtly and polite, he’s walked across the UCLA campus to meet me, warning that I’d never find my way. He suggests we find a place to sit and talk nearby, and I feel bad that this frail, older man has journeyed a quarter of a mile for my sake. It must have been difficult for him. But then Tashkin launches himself in the direction of the cafeteria with strides that are so rapid that I have trouble keeping up. As we fly through the lobby and down one hall after another, he inquires about my trip, and my stay in Los Angeles, and whether I’d like coffee. Obviously his pulmonary function is hunky-dory. I’m no longer so confident about mine. Finally, we reach the hospital cafeteria and take seats on opposite sides of a long, october-november 2015
empty table. I take a couple of deep breaths. After looking me over with what seems like professional concern, Tashkin begins talking. Over a fascinating couple of hours, he walks me through the history of research into the pulmonary effects of marijuana with the surefootedness of a lecturer who has been over this territory a million times. First, Tashkin tells me about lung damage. “The evidence is clear that tobacco smoke causes COPD,” he reminds me. (COPD is chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or emphysema.) “There’s no doubt about that whatsoever. Tobacco smoke accelerates the loss in lung function that we see with aging.” He explains that marijuana smoke contains many of the same chemicals that are present in tobacco smoke, like phenols, aldehydes and oxides of nitrogen, as well as tar and particulates (like bits of www.freedomleaf.com 51
burnt insect legs). It’s a long list that includes a lot of things that can cause inflammation and eventual lung damage. However, most studies haven’t found that marijuana smoke causes lung damage. “In my research career,” Tashkin says, “I’ve encountered two big surprises. This was one of them.” (We’ll get to the second in a little bit.) Tashkin describes a large study that he and colleagues conducted involving 394 people. Some had smoked tobacco, others smoked marijuana and some didn’t smoke either. Much to Tashkin’s surprise, he didn’t find any evidence of lung damage in the marijuana group. That’s pretty much the same conclusion of several other studies that have followed people for up to 20 years. One found no evidence of lung damage. Another didn’t, either, except for a slight reduction in FEV1 among heavy users, and an increase in FVC (the total amount of air you can breathe in and out). How could that be? Tashkin has a theory. He thinks that cannabinoids like THC and CBD have anti-inflammatory properties. And since a lot of the damage caused by smoke is due to inflammation, it’s possible that cannabinoids protect against the damage that marijuana smoke is causing. That’s an intriguing theory, but Tashkin suggests another that’s more mundane. It’s possible that studies haven’t found the tobacco-like lung damage in marijuana smokers simply because the typical marijuana exposure is much, much lower than the usual tobacco dose. One joint per day would qualify someone as a moderately heavy marijuana user. In contrast, with tobacco,
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it’s not unusual for a smoker to burn through a pack of 20 cigarettes every day, or more. Think for a moment about what sort of condition you’d be in if you smoked 20 joints in a day. Your lung function would be the least of your problems. So it makes sense that marijuana doesn’t cause the lung damage that tobacco does, simply because the amount of marijuana smoke that most people are exposed to is so much lower. Tashkin explains that when marijuana smokers take repeated large, deep breaths, they’re conditioning their lungs to stretch. It’s not unlike the exercises that breathholding skin divers use to pack as much air as possible into their lungs for prolonged periods underwater. That’s not really a good thing, though, he reminds me. Bigger lung capacity doesn’t necessarily help you. And there are risks of that “practice.” For one, you increase your risk of a pneumothorax, or acute hole in the lung, commonly known as a collapsed lung, by taking the deepest breath you can and holding it the way that most marijuana smokers do. So, there’s cause for both reassurance and caution in interpreting all of these results. Reassurance, because studies seem to indicate that any pulmonary risks are minor, and probably only apply to longterm, heavy use. But Tashkin offers a warning. “We know that some people are predisposed to develop COPD. So even though marijuana smoke might not produce lung damage in the average person, if you’ve got that predisposition, you could still be at risk.” And perhaps the most important risk factor is your current lung function. “Lung function declines at a predictable october-november 2015
rate with age,” he says. “We lose a little every year.” If someone already has a decreased FEV1 now, for instance, then smoking tobacco or marijuana is going to leave them in worse shape than it would in someone whose lungs were fine. So, even if marijuana smoke in moderate doses won’t cause significant damage, if you’re starting out with already existing damage due to tobacco smoke, you should probably be concerned about how much more damage your lungs will tolerate.
Goo and Cancer All right, but what about more short-term effects of smoking? I’m thinking about studies that have found that marijuana smoking causes airway swelling and inflammation, and perhaps an increased risk of lung infections and chronic cough. That makes sense to me. Smoke can’t be good for our lungs. But then again, I was pretty sure that smoking marijuana would lead to chronic lung damage, and I was wrong. So I put this question to Tashkin. “There’s no doubt that marijuana smokers develop symptoms of bronchitis,” says Tashkin “That’s a direct effect of the inflammation that the smoke causes.” Even if cannabinoids reduce inflammation somewhat, all of the particulates and tar in marijuana overwhelm any protective effects. This is the most emphatic assessment that Tashkin is willing to offer about any risk, adding, “These effects are known.” Tashkin describes some of those effects in gory detail. For instance, there is an increase in inflammation and edema. There’s also swelling in the layer of cells under the topmost epithelial layer. “But the big problem is mucus.”
Mucus? Tashkin explains to me that it’s all about the goo that lines our airways. “Smoke is an irritant. And that irritation causes destruction of ciliary cells.” Those are the cells equipped with tiny brooms— cilia— that sweep particles of junk up out of our lungs. Those ciliary cells are replaced by goblet cells that secrete mucus. So with enough irritation, you get mucus. Often lots of it. With resultant coughing and disgusting phlegm. “But,” Tashkin says happily, “those symptoms are selflimited. When smokers stop, the symptoms resolve.” There’s another effect of marijuana, though, that’s astonishing to me. If the first surprise in Tashkin’s career was his discovery that marijuana doesn’t seem to cause long-term lung damage, the second is what he learned about marijuana’s potential as a therapy for asthma. The idea of encouraging people with asthma to smoke sounds like a joke. But in the 1970s, Tashkin conducted a study along these lines. He explains he was initially interested in the acute effects of marijuana on the lung. He assumed that there would be acute changes, like breathing difficulty. Or at least that he’d be able to document increased airway resistance and decreased airflow due to inflammation. But what he found was the opposite. Volunteers who smoked marijuana actually had better lung function immediately afterward. He guessed that cannabinoids’ anti-inflammatory effects might improve lung function. That could be useful, he knew, in conditions like asthma in which acute increases in inflammation increase airway resistance and decrease airflow. Indeed, Tashkin says that they tried mari
“The bottom line,” Dr. Tashkin says, “is that there really isn’t any good evidence of an increased risk of cancer.” juana in patients with asthma and found that their lung function actually improved. In fact, he says, he even worked with a colleague to put THC into a metered dose inhaler. I later found that in a small study of 10 patients with asthma, inhaled THC did about as well as the drug salbutamol, a bronchodilator. In theory, cannabinoids in edibles or tinctures might have the same effect, but Tashkin reasoned that the most efficient way to get a dose of cannabinoids into the lungs is to inhale them. october-november 2015
Those souped-up devices, sadly, never made it to clinical trials. I’m sure Tashkin’s marijuana inhalers would have been wildly popular among people with asthma, and probably lots of other people. At this point in our conversation, I’m feeling a little underwhelmed. I anticipated that Tashkin would give me a harsh and unsparing assessment of the risks of marijuana use. He is, after all, a lung doctor. I figured he’d be pretty critical. But so far, all I’ve heard is that bronchitis symptoms www.freedomleaf.com 53
are a temporary effect. And that marijuana could be used to treat asthma. Seriously? But I think I’ve got an ace in the hole: What about cancer? I’m thinking about lung cancer, of course. But also cancer in other locations that are exposed to marijuana smoke, such as the mouth and throat. Tashkin nods. “Tobacco smoking is strongly associated with cancer in all of those sites. And the ingredients of tobacco smoke and marijuana smoke are pretty much identical.” I sense a “but” coming. And indeed there is. He describes one of his studies that enrolled more than 2,000 people and found no increased risk of cancer. That study wasn’t perfect, he admits. But it enrolled a large, diverse group of people, and really should have found an association if in fact one exists. “The bottom line,” Tashkin says, “is that there really isn’t any good evidence of an increased risk of cancer.” A more recent pooled analysis of approximately 5,000 people also failed to find an association between marijuana use and lung cancer. The problem with these sorts of studies is that it’s easy to be misled. One massive study of almost 50,000 people found that marijuana use at a single point in time (during military enlistment) predicted a twofold increased risk of lung cancer. However, although the researchers knew about tobacco smoking at that initial time point, they didn’t know who began smoking tobacco later. If marijuana users were more likely to start smoking tobacco, then that cancer risk is probably due to tobacco, not to marijuana. But it’s studies like this one, which enroll lots of people and follow them for a long
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time, that look impressive. They can be very convincing unless you read the fine print. Of course, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a risk. Maybe there is, but we just haven’t found it. Nevertheless, from what we know right now, it seems safe to say that if there is a cancer risk of smoking marijuana, it’s probably pretty small. And we really don’t know whether there’s a cancer risk of using marijuana in other forms.
You can dial your pulmonary risks down pretty close to zero with a vaporizer. Tashkin’s phone has been buzzing more insistently for the past half hour. He’s still as courtly and focused as he was when we met, offering references and citations for every point he makes, and pausing to make sure I’m getting names and dates right. But I have the sense that he has pressing obligations elsewhere. “I have to go see a new patient,” he admits, after checking his phone once again. “And I have a phone call in a few minutes.” I have one more question for him, though. And I hope it’s an easy one. I’ve been thinking about these pulmonary risks, and about the increasing popularity of vaporizers. Wouldn’t vaporizing eliminate these risks? “Any risk would be from smoke inoctober-november 2015
halation. Smoke has carcinogens that are comparable to those in tobacco smoke. Carcinogens and oxidative stress. DNA damage. And particulates that can cause inflammation. You don’t get those with cannabinoids in a vaporizer.” At all? Tashkin shakes his head. “Nope.” In fact, in one small study of 12 heavy marijuana smokers, switching to a vaporizer improved their lung function and reduced goo-related symptoms. So if you’re still worried about what seem to be modest risks of smoking, you can dial your pulmonary risks down pretty close to zero with a vaporizer. We say our good-byes, and Tashkin scoots across the cafeteria with amazing speed. A moment later he’s gone, and I’m trying to catch up on my notes and to put everything that he’s told me in perspective. I have to admit that I’m more than a little surprised by what he’s told me. But Tashkin seems pretty convinced that the big risks of COPD or cancer are really not much of a concern. And, as for the more modest risks of bronchitis, those seem to be self-limited and go away when users stop smoking. Then there’s also the intriguing possibility that vaporizing and other forms of ingestion might avoid even those risks. If the big concerns are related to smoke, and if you can get rid of that smoke…. Well, marijuana is starting to sound pretty safe, at least for the lungs. From STONED: A Doctor’s Case for Medical Marijuana by David Casarett, M.D., published by Current, an imprint of Penguin Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Random House LLC. Copyright © 2015 by David Casarett.
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FINANCIAL
Cannabis Companies Enter the Markets MassRoots and others aim to be uplisted by NASDAQ. By Scott Greiper
Over the past three years, there has been a significant increase in the number of publicly traded cannabis companies. Interest in this industry has steadily risen over the past decade as more states have passed legal medical marijuana initiatives, other states have loosened their policies regarding marijuana use and/or possession and other countries, such as Canada, have expanded their medical marijuana programs. There was a steady but slow trickle of cannabis companies entering the public markets, but it wasn’t until legal sales of recreational marijuana in Colorado and Washington began last year that the “Green Rush” truly exploded. Throughout 2014, numerous cannabis companies appeared in the public markets. Many of these companies were previously private, and they took advantage of the excitement and interest in the cannabis industry that followed the votes in Colorado and Washington to enter the public markets, primarily through reverse mergers with failing or all-but-dead companies already trading on various ex-
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changes, particularly the overthe-counter (OTC) exchanges. The extravagant valuation multiples that were afforded to cannabis companies during this time gave these new market entrants the ability to receive the debt financing required to complete their mergers. However, many of these debentures became toxic over the following months due to the companies’ inabilities to build their businesses and fundamentals to justify their stratospheric valuations. By the end of 2014, publicly traded cannabis companies experienced dramatic decreases in their market capitalizations and valuations, as many investors began to put aside emotions and think
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more rationally about the industry; after all, company fundamentals are the true underlying drivers of enterprise value.
Lately, there’s been a slow but steady trend of cannabis companies foregoing toxic reversemerger processes and instead pursuing S-1 effectiveness through the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). To date, only six such companies’ S-1 forms have been “deemed effective” by the SEC, but several other companies have been going back and forth with the SEC in this process. The SEC has yet to formally approve an S-1 filing—required before shares can be listed on a national exchange—from a cannabis company. Instead, once satisfied with the registration form, the SEC can allow its review period to expire without asking additional questions, approving the form by default by not requiring further revision. Two companies, MassRoots (MSRT) and Zynerba Pharmaceuticals (ZYNE), entered the public markets through initial public offerings (IPOs). MassRoots raised $5.04 million and began trading on the OTCQB, while Zynerba raised $42 million and began trading on the NasdaqGM.
company’s management, products, services and finances. When publicly available information is scarce, fraudsters can more easily spread false information about a company, making profits for themselves while creating losses for unsuspecting investors. ”This warning was primarily referring to cannabis companies on the OTC Pink exchange that, unlike most other publicly traded companies, are not subject to SEC scrutiny and review. Companies trading on the OTCQB exchange are required to publish information regarding management and board composition; associated law, investor relations and public relations firms; and transfer agents. This extra information serves to improve investor confidence and further verify the company. A handful of the 185 companies are trading on the OTCQX exchange, a step up from the OTCQB exchange that requires a qualitative review by the OTC Markets Group and sponsorship from approved third-party investment banks or law firms. Terra Tech Corp. (TRTC) is the most recent cannabis company to make a move up to the OTCQX, completing its uplisting on Sept. 16. More than 75% of the 185 publicly traded cannabis companies trade on the OTC Pink, OTCQB and OTCQX exchanges.
As cannabis public markets continue to evolve and mature, and more companies begin trading on the NASDAQ exchanges, the industry will become more transparent and accepted, and investor confidence will increase.
Over-the-Counter Exchanges
We’ve identified 185 publicly traded companies with active operations in the cannabis industry. Another 15 publicly traded companies focused on the cannabis industry are delinquent in their filings; and 31 other publicly traded companies have expressed interest in the cannabis industry, but have yet to enter. Of the 185 companies, just less than half trade on the OTC Pink marketplace (all 15 companies delinquent
in their filings are on this exchange). OTC Pink is an open marketplace that has no financial standards or reporting requirements. OTC stocks are not required to be registered with the SEC, so investors need to perform additional due diligence when analyzing companies on this exchange. The significant percentage of cannabis companies trading on the OTC Pink marketplace is indicative of the nascent state of the cannabis industry as a whole, and the overall immaturity of its public markets. More than a quarter of the 185 companies trade on the OTCQB exchange, the next step above the OTC Pink market. Stocks trading on the OTCQB are required to maintain a bid price of $0.01; the OTCQB states that this requirement is “intended to remove companies that are most likely to be the subject of dilutive stock-fraud schemes and promotions.” For precisely these reasons, the SEC has reprimanded several publicly traded cannabis companies. On May 16, 2014, the SEC released the following warning to investors: “For marijuana-related companies that are not required to report with the SEC, investors may have limited information about the october-november 2015
Knocking on NASDAQ’s Door Less than one in 20 of the cannabis companies we’ve identified have grown to the size and financial success required to be listed on one of the three tiers of the NASDAQ exchange: the NASDAQ www.freedomleaf.com 57
Capital Market (NASDAQCM), NASDAQ Global Market (NASDAQ-GM) and NASDAQ Global Select Market (NASDAQ-GS). These tiers each have their own financial and governance requirements related to equity, market value, asset value, net income, independent board members, and board audit and compensation committees. The NASDAQCM exchange has the lowest requirements, followed by the NASDAQ-GM and then the NASDAQ-GS. Many companies have the goal of uplisting to these various tiers. On Aug. 31, MassRoots announced that it filed an application to be uplisted to the NASDAQ-CM. While it doesn’t currently meet the requirements of the lowest NASDAQ tier, MassRoots—a social network for the cannabis community—believes it will in the near future. However, even though a company may meet the stated requirements of a NASDAQ tier, it may not be granted approval to trade. NASDAQ’s Initial Listing Guide states the following: “It is important to note that even though a company’s securities meet all enumerated criteria for initial inclusion, NASDAQ may deny initial listing, or apply additional conditions, if necessary to protect investors and the public interest.” It’s unlikely that NASDAQ will turn away a financially sound and properly reporting company, although there’s a slight chance they may ask further questions due to previous issues with cannabis issuers in the public markets. As cannabis public markets continue to evolve and mature, and more companies begin trading on the NASDAQ exchanges, the industry will become more transparent and accepted, and investor confidence will increase. So far, the cannabis companies on the NASDAQ are either biotechnology/pharmaceutical companies, such
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as Arena Pharmaceuticals (ARNA), Cara Therapeutics (CARA), GW Pharmaceuticals (GWPH), Insys Therapeutics (INSY), Sigma-Aldrich (SIAL) and Zynerba Pharmaceuticals (ZYNE), or those that “don’t touch the plant,” such as MassRoots (MSRT), Vapor Corp. (VPCO), a producer of vape pens and e-cigs, and Heliospectra (HELIO), a leading producer of advanced LED lights for agriculture.
International Exchanges Just less than 20% of the companies we identified are traded primarily on international exchanges; the majority of are Canadian and trade on either the Canadian Securities Exchange (CSE) or the Toronto Stock Exchange-Venture (TSXV). These companies are typically Canadian issuers with operations relating to the Canadian Marihuana for Medical Purposes Regulations (MMPR) system overseen by Health Canada. Many of these companies dual-list on U.S. exchanges in order to garner additional investment capital and aware-
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ness. Almost every dual listing is on the OTC Markets, but one: the U.K.-based GW Pharmaceuticals, which has its American Depositary Shares (ADSs) listed on the NASDAQ-GM exchange.
Moving Forward Over the next year, we expect the shakeout in publicly traded cannabis companies to progress. As the industry matures and the number of such companies decreases, their overall quality will increase; companies with better business models will continue to establish sustainable competitive positions; and their less successful competitors will be acquired or will delist from the public markets. The maturation of the cannabis public markets will also continue. More investment capital will come into this industry as the quality and transparency of companies improve in conjunction with moves to higher-quality exchanges. Scott Greiper is President of Viridian Capital Advisors.
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Anatomy of an Outdoor Grow There’s green in them thar hills of Northern California, where plant tenders and trim bosses run the show. By Rick Pfrommer In the north country of California and Oregon, you can tell it’s fall by all the new arrivals. People from all over the world travel to the Emerald Triangle and Southern Oregon in search of work trimming the outdoor fall harvest. These so-called “trimigrants” are more reliable than The Old Farmer’s Almanac when it comes to predicting harvest times. Many of the mostly female trimmers have been doing this a long time, and use the money they earn to support themselves the rest of the year. The networks are informal but wellconnected, and many “trim scenes” employ the same people and their relatives or friends year after year. At the current rate of $150–$200 a pound, plus room and board, a motivated trimmer can make $2,000 a week, or more. Accommodations and food vary radically from scene to scene, with wild tales of epic meals, kind people and, of course, unlimited cannabis to smoke. The evolution of large-scale cultivation operations has led to the development of a complete workplace hierarchy. At the top of the grow chain are the landowners, who often don’t work there. By hiring others to do the labor, these landed gentry are free to concentrate on selling the cannabis. Next is what would be considered the general manager, responsible for overseeing all the elements of the
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season’s crop. Their job starts in the spring with seed and/or clone propagation, and continues all summer and into the fall. They’re often responsible for hiring the plant tenders and, in the fall, the trim managers. During the long, hot months of the summer, the GM makes sure the plant tenders are doing their jobs properly, as well as organizes deliveries of fertilizer, water, food and anything else that’s needed. They also mediate and resolve any disputes, make sure people are paid and generally manage the entire scene. A good GM on a midsize farm can easily clear $250,000 a season. Next on the hierarchy are the plant tenders. They live on the land all season long and do whatever it takes to maintain the plants, from watering to de-leafing to tying them up. You have to be a hardy soul to be a plant tender in Northern Cali, where daytime temperatures can easily top 100 degrees and fire is an ever-present risk. Tenders get a flat rate or salary and bonuses, depending on the size of the harvest. In a good season, this can add up to well over $100,000. Because of the isolation and hard labor, this job generally appeals to young men. Stories of tenders going stir crazy are quite common; T. Coraghessan Boyle wrote all about
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Plant tenders start with seeds or clones.
A good trimmer can make $200 per pound.
this in his brilliant 1984 novel, Budding Prospects. The aforementioned trimmers round out the hierarchy. At the top of this subset is the “trim boss,” usually a woman who’s worked as a trimmer for a number of years and understands both the work and how to handle a group of diverse personalities, as this type of migrant labor attracts many free-spirited individuals who may not always get along with others. A good trim boss needs to be part drill sergeant and part counselor. In addition to managing the workflow, the trim boss makes sure the workers are fed, housed and generally looked after, and the cannabis is processed in a timely fashion. Trimmers fall into two major categories. Back in the ’80s and ’90s, trusted friends and family— again, usually women—did most of the trimming. With the passage of Prop 215 in 1996 and the growth of the quasi-legitimate cannabis industry, a new type of trimmer—the trimigrant—began to be seen in Northern California. Lured by tales of easy money and a cool scene, people started showing up in Laytonville, Garberville and Arcata in September and October looking for work. These days, it’s not unusual to go into a bar or restaurant in grow coun try and hear Spanish or French being spoken. Some come with a job already lined up, while others hang around towns where
it’s not unusual to see farmers come down from the hills seeking labor. Trim work used to be paid hourly, but now it’s generally paid by the pound. A hard worker can cut up to two pounds a day, depending on the strain. Considering that the wholesale price of outdoor cannabis grown in the region has dropped from $3,000 a pound five or six years ago to $1,500 today, the cost of trimming has stayed remarkably consistent. Even with the increasing use of mechanical trimming machines, trimigrant culture is in full effect. This informal shadow economy provides up to 80% of Emerald Triangle residents’ incomes. California has just passed state regulations for the medical marijuana industry that will profoundly affect all the elements of this economy. Cannabis farms will be required to be licensed by the state and conform to new water regulations. Both the costs and complexity of going legal will impact how people run their farms, and hire and pay workers. Fortunately, pot growers are nothing if not adaptable. Having lived through the War on Drugs, helicopter raids and crippling drought, the intrepid bud farmers will continue to cultivate their prized sticky plants, whether regulated or not.
Rick Pfrommer is former Director of Education and Outreach at Harborside Health Center in Oakland, Calif. and is runs his own consulting company, PfrommerNow.
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Blood and Buds
A Halloweed Ghost Story In the garden of earthly delights grows a plant so powerful it could send you to an early grave.
By Beth Mann
T
here lived a sad old woman on a tired old hill. Her house had once been filled with light and laughter, and cocktail parties with just the right amount of debauchery. But when her husband passed away and her daughter grew up and left, the house dimmed and died. The plants, the mice, the termites, the peeling paint from the ceiling—all found their dreary resting places there. One foggy night, her overworked and underpaid daughter came by for a visit. Taken aback by the bleak conditions of the decrepit house and overgrown yard, she scolded her mother. “You look like hell, a million years old.” “I know, I know,” the old woman responded, patting down her unkempt silver hair. “Hey, I just put on some dinner. Why don’t you stay for a spell? I’d really like the company.” The daughter agreed, even though she couldn’t stand her mom’s cooking. She excused herself to the shed in the backyard, where she had smoked so many times in the past. After rolling a joint, she tossed the seeds into the garden, like she always had. “Join the living,” the daughter told her mother later that night as she put on her coat to leave. “This house is destroying you. Go find some joy!” “I’ll try. I promise.” She kissed her daughter gently on the cheek, and sent her off into the starless night with a heavy sigh. That week, the sad old woman did try to join the living again. She signed up for an uninspired book club, and a useless Zumba class and water aerobics at the local gym, but the people at each activity rubbed her the wrong way. That night, over a large martini, she wondered what went wrong. People used to be more interesting, she said to no one in particular. Now they’re dull. Dull as death. Or maybe it’s me. Nope, I think it’s them, she decided, as she polished off her martini. The old woman drifted off to sleep on her wellworn couch, dreaming of strange, wonderful things she hoped would come. As she weeded the overgrown garden the next day, she stumbled across a small patch of lush and fragrant greenery that was filled with marijuana buds the size of a baby’s arm. Pot plants, she thought, for she wasn’t born yesterday. She cut off several sections, brought them inside and arranged them nicely in a vase. She smiled each time she looked at the glistening buds, a pleasant reminder of her oft-stoned daughter. But, like everything in the house, the plant dried up and began
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to die. Feeling sad about its impending demise, the woman took her husband’s old pipe off the mantel and stuffed it with a chunk of the drying plant. She took one hit, and then another. The smoke formed magical circles above her head. With every puff, she felt the house come back to life. Windows opened ever so slowly. Colors appeared where it had been gray. Strange music played on an unplugged stereo. Then, a sudden strong breeze blew in, and, along with it, the spirits that had always surrounded her appeared before her very eyes. Dead friends, family, pets, strangers—they all circled and lifted her. Floating in midair, they told her secrets and stories she’d long forgotten, sending her into convulsive fits of laughter and causing sweet tears of happiness. Once on the floor again, she kicked off her shoes and danced like her feet were on fire all through the house, into the dusty attic and onto the pointed ridge of the roof. She jumped off and gently landed in the garden, where the magical plants cushioned her. Back inside the house, she collapsed from exhaustion on the couch. Drifting off into a deep slumber, she heard keys in the door and bolted to her feet. Her daughter was away. Who could this be? In walked her dead husband, as he’d done so many times long ago. “Baby, I’m home,” he greeted her. “Will you make me a martini? I had one shitty day.” In a stunned haze, she made him his drink, dry with a twist. As she walked toward him with glass in hand, his bright presence began to fade in and out, like an old bulb on its final flicker. She tried to hand him his drink, he couldn’t quite grasp it and the large glass crashed to the floor, breaking into little shards. Her husband slowly moved toward her and tried to kiss her. For a few rapturous and terrifying seconds, she could almost feel his lips, but he continued to flicker and fade. “Don’t go yet,” she pled. “But I’m always here, my love.” He reached out his hand and asked her to dance. The floor was covered with glass and she bled with each step. But the airy grip of her dead husband’s cold presence filled her with too much pleasure to care. After their dance, he laid her on the glass- and blood-strewn floor, and made love to her. But like her long-deceased husband, she was now ecstatically and divinely dead. Her daughter found her mother’s body days later. It was a horrifically bloody and bizarre scene. The daughter spotted her dad’s pipe next to her mother’s stiff body. She smelled it and knew right away that her mother had found her plants. How strong is this shit? she wondered. Throwing caution to the wind, she lit the pipe. The smoke was delicious, earthy and spicy with hints of vanilla and rose petals. Maybe if they’d just smoked together, this wouldn’t have happened. A wave of pot-induced paranoia set in. Was this my fault? Just then, the gentlest of breezes blew in, surrounding her like a blanket. A soft voice whispered in her ear: Serious kind bud. Best death ever. Finding solace in her mother’s parting words, the daughter packed her dad’s pipe one last time in her mother’s honor. She had her own magical evening in the old house that night that she never spoke about with anyone. Who would believe her? The next day, the pot-smoking daughter quit her mind-numbing job as a paralegal and went looking for one in Colorado as a budtender. Beth Mann is President of Hot Buttered Media and a regular contributor to Freedom Leaf.
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N UTRITIONAL S
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Scary
Halloweed
Recipes
Halloween is one of America’s most popular party holidays. Last year, the National Retail Federation reported that twothirds of adults celebrated Halloween. We’ve come up with some medicated recipes that will dress up any Halloween party table in spooky style, along with some tips and tricks to help you have a Hempy Halloweed! Recipes by Cheri Sicard, Photos by Mitch Mandel
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Mary Jane’s Deathby-Chocolate Cupcakes Rich, fudgy cupcakes, studded with chocolate chips, are topped with an even richer chocolate/ sour cream ganache frosting, then dipped in chocolate sandwich-cookie crumbs. The gravestone markers are super-easy to make from commercial cookies and edible marking pens, available in most supermarkets where they keep the birthday candles. Cakes • 1 box (19 oz.) dark chocolate cake mix • 1 box (2 oz.) instant chocolate pudding mix • 1 cup sour cream • 1/2 cup cannabis-infused oil • 1/2 cup brewed espresso or strong coffee • 4 large eggs • 2 cups chocolate chips Ganache Frosting • 11 ounces good-quality dark chocolate • 1 cup sour cream Decorating • 6 chocolate sandwich cookies, such as Oreos • 24 Pepperidge Farm Milano cookies • Black edible marker Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper cupcake liners in cupcake pans.
Prepare Cupcakes: In a large bowl, use an electric mixer on low to blend dry cake and pudding mixes. Mix in sour cream, cannabis oil, espresso or coffee and eggs. Beat until everything is combined, but don’t over-beat. The batter will be thick. Fold in chocolate chips. Using an ice cream scoop or spoon, fill cupcake cups slightly more than half. Bake for about 15 minutes or until tops spring back when touched. Remove from oven and cool cupcakes completely, outside of pan on a wire rack, before frosting. Prepare Ganache: Chop chocolate into small pieces and place in top of double boiler or in a stainless steel bowl suspended over a pot of simmering water. Stir until just melted and smooth. Remove from heat and cool slightly before stirring in sour cream. Chill for 10 minutes. Use a small spatula to spread a layer of ganache atop each cupcake, going all the way to the edges. Decorate: Crush chocolate sandwich cookies into fine crumbs using a food processor or blender. Dip each cupcake into the cookie crumbs to cover completely. Using edible marker, write RIP on each Milano. Press cookies into the cupcakes as shown in photo. Take the bottom of some cookies off to make them shorter than the others. If you’re having trouble getting the cookies to stand, a little melted ganache or a dab of Nutella makes a great edible “glue.”
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Sativa Spider Web Party Dip
Bloodshot Eyeballs Deviled Eggs Classic deviled eggs get a Halloween makeover with a nod to stonerdom in this favorite party food recipe. • 6 large eggs • 1/4 cup mayonnaise • 1 tbsp. cannabis-infused oil • 1/2 tsp. apple cider vinegar • 1-1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard • 1/8 tsp. salt • 1/2 tsp. pepper • 12 black or green olive slices • 12 capers • Small amount of red food coloring
Using prepared salsa, this tasty recipe makes a stunning visual presentation on a medicated party buffet. You’ll need a squeeze bottle to make the spider web design. Bean Dip Layer • 1 can (16 oz.) refried beans • 1 tbsp. cannabis-infused oil • 1/2 cup prepared salsa, preferably hot • Salt and pepper to taste Guacamole Layer • 2 medium ripe avocados, peeled and pitted • 1 tbsp. cannabis-infused oil • 1/2 cup prepared salsa, mild, medium or hot • Salt and pepper to taste • 1/4 cup sour cream • 2 tsp. lemon juice
Put eggs in a small saucepan and cover with cold water to a depth of 2 inches or so above the eggs. Heat on high until water comes to a rolling boil. Turn off stove and let eggs sit for at least 20 minutes before continuing. Carefully peel the eggs and slice in half lengthwise. Use a spoon to remove the yolks, keeping the egg white halves intact. Mash yolks together with mayo, cannabis oil, vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper until smooth. Carefully fill hollows of egg whites with the yolk mixture. Place an olive slice in the center of each “eyeball” and a caper in the center of each olive slice. Use a small paintbrush and liquid red food coloring to paint in bloodshot veins on the egg whites. Serve on a platter of greens.
Mix beans, cannabis oil (see recipe in Freedom Leaf Issue 4), salsa, salt and pepper together until well combined and smooth. Spread bean dip in an even layer over the bottom of a large round plate. Mash the avocado together with the remaining cannabis oil and salsa, and salt and pepper to taste, until well mixed and relatively smooth. Spread the guacamole over the bean dip, leaving about a 1/2-inch border all around. Mix sour cream and lemon juice together, and put mixture into a squeeze bottle. Squeeze out a large dot of sour cream mixture on the center of the plate. Squeeze out concentric rings of sour cream mixture toward the edges, as shown in photo—don’t worry about anything being too precise. Use a wooden skewer or toothpick to create the web design, starting at the center and lightly dragging the pick through the dip toward the edge of the plate. Repeat around the plate 6 or 8 times. Serve chilled with tortilla chips.
Serves 6
Serves 8 to 10
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DIY Halloweed Party Tips Americans spend over $7 billion annually on Halloween, but throwing a Halloweed party need not break the bank. Here are some things you can do with inexpensive, easy-to-find items or things you might already have lying around the house. • Dry Ice: Made of compressed carbon dioxide, dry ice makes it easy to create a spooky bubbling witch’s cauldron of vapor. Just drop a piece or two into a bowl, vase or other container filled with hot water, and your tabletop will be covered in a thick, white, harmless vapor. Buy dry ice right before your party; even in a freezer the gas will dissipate after a few hours. Dry ice is available at many grocery stores and chains like Costco. • Glow Sticks: Using glow sticks as drink stirrers will give your party beverages an eerie, otherworldly hue. A pack of 200 costs $10 at Target. Make sure the sticks don’t leak into the drinks. • Lipstick: Use lipstick to write spooky messages like REDRUM on glass and mirrors. • Plastic or latex disposable gloves: Freeze gloves (like the ones you use when trimming) with water and chill your punchbowl with a frozen disembodied hand (peel the glove away first). The gloves also make nice little goodie bags—stuff the fingers with candy or even joints, tie with a ribbon and give to guests. • Pumpkin: It’s the thrifty decorator’s best friend. Not only can you carve all manner of jack-o’-lanterns with them, pumpkins also have practical uses. Cut off just the top of an extra-large pumpkin and scoop out the insides. Use the hollowed-out shell as an ice bucket to hold beers or soft drinks. The shell also makes a terrific soup tureen. • Tempera Paint: Use water-soluble tempera paint to leave bloody handprints and spatters on mirrors, windows, sinks, bathtubs and vinyl shower curtains.
Medicated Pumpkin Seeds Don’t throw out the seeds when hollowing out pumpkins! Turn them into a healthy snack by making medicated roasted pumpkin seeds. Mix 1-1/2 cup seeds with 1 tbsp. cannabisinfused oil, and sprinkle with salt, pepper and other favorite seasonings like garlic salt or chili powder. Bake at 300 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until golden brown.
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for Diet Advanced Pot Discussed Cannabis at Italian Science Conference By Dr. Jahan Marcu, Ph.D. The 2015 meeting of the International Association for Cannabinoids as Medicine (IACM) took place Sept. 17–19 in Sestri Lavante, Italy. This year’s IACM featured researchers and medical doctors from Mexico, Japan and South America, in addition to the usual North American and European participants. IACM’s recent surge in popularity may be due to its focus on providing members with access to reliable and accurate clinical information about cannabis. The longestrunning international research conference on the science of the cannabis plant, IACM features a range of presentations, from the analysis and chemistry of cannabis to the mechanisms of how this plant interacts with biochemical systems in mammals. One of the themes that emerged from the conference was a significant amount of research regarding the effect of diet on cannabis pharmacology, and the role of cannabis within the diet. In other words, our interaction with THC is dependent on our diets. Tantalizing facts about cannabis nutrition and the latest clinical findings were presented, and researchers discussed cannabis species, genetics and potency at length. Scientists have been searching for the chemical clues to reliably identify and determine
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what makes a sativa or an indica different from each other. But the evidence is lacking to support significant differences between sativas and indicas, which are anecdotally associated with treating certain ailments. (For more on this subject, see my Advanced Can-
The subject of cannabinoids and other cannabis nutrients as part of the diet is gaining momentum as a dynamic subject of research around the world. nabis Science column in Freedom Leaf Issue 9.) “When you believe in chemistry, you must be able to measure something,” said Dr. Arno Hazekamp, Head of Research and Education at Bedoctober-november 2015
rocan BV, in the Netherlands. “It can’t just be magic.” His research shows regional differences in the medical use of cannabis; in Germany, for example, more patients use it for insomnia than in other countries. San Diego-based naturopathic specialist Dr. Michelle Sexton discussed her survey of patients’ conditions; the top seven helped by cannabis are pain, anxiety, depression, headache/migraine, arthritis, nausea and spasticity. She suggested using data mined from patients to guide policies on qualifying conditions to include in state programs. “The endocannabinoid system can become bored,” said France’s Dr. Olivier Manzoni during his presentation on how eating bad food can lead to bad moods by altering the activity of the endocannabinoid system (ECS). For example, diets lacking in Omega 3 fatty acids—contained in cannabis seeds—impair mood and brain activity in mammals. Conversely, a better diet could mean better effects from cannabis. The subject of cannabinoids and other cannabis nutrients as part of the diet is gaining momentum as a dynamic subject of research around the world. The raw juice of wholeplant cannabis provides a large array of nutraceuticals that could help in the man-
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JAHAN MARCU
The view from the IACM conference venue in Sestri Lavante, Italy. agement of neurological like multiple sclerosis. Raw or undecarboxylated cannabis juice contains lipid-soluble Vitamin E, essential fatty acids (i.e., PUFAs, Omega 3, Omega 6), essential amino acids, antioxidants and cannabinoid acids. When prepared properly (blending fresh flowers with stems and leaves), raw cannabis juice is devoid of the psychotropic effects normally associated with cured cannabis. The absence of stimulation is due to the presence of THCA and/or CBD, and a lack of decarboxylated THC. When it comes to harvesting cannabis for juicing or raw consumption, timing is everything. Italian researcher Viola Brugnatelli has began a clinical study of raw cannabis juice with the Asociación Cannábica Preocupada por el Estudio del Cannabis y Sus Efectos en los Consumidores (Study of Cannabis and Its Effects on Consumers) in Barcelona, Spain. In her trial, the juice consists of 2.5 grams of fresh flowers, 300 grams of fresh leaves and 7.5 grams of oil. The patient groups are randomized, and the juices (either raw cannabis or placebo spinach) are delivered five times daily. Brugnatelli’s juicy project
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is supported through a unique crowdfunding initiative that’s combined with volunteer work, representing a novel approach for clinical research in this area. “Patients are interested in full-plant cannabis and not just extracts or single-compound cannabinoids,” stated Croatian cannabis clinician Dr. Veronika Rasic, amid the IACM’s many research presentations on cannabis and diet. (For more information on how to potentially participate, go to therawstudy.eu.) New cannabis products are being developed at a rapid pace, challenging quality-control chemists to quickly develop analytical methods to comply with regulations and testing requirements. Dr. Mahmoud ElSohly, lead scientist at NIDA’s cannabis cultivation center at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, has the only federal license to grow cannabis in the U.S., and has worked for decades analyzing forensic cannabis samples. Colleagues attending the conference, including myself, have suggested he employ a new technique that combines cryomilling and flash chromatography as a better way to isolate cannabinoids from such cannaoctober-november 2015
bis-infused products as chocolate, baked goods, candies and skin creams. This technique could also be applied to isolating individual cannabinoids from flower extracts (oils or concentrates) for use in formulations or in analysis work. (For more on Dr. ElSohly, see “Mississippi Growing” in Freedom Leaf Issue 8.) IACM showcases the most relevant lab and clinical research on the cannabis plant performed by doctors and scientists. For years, it was an exclusive group due to concerns over the legal and political landscape. A lot has changed, but research is still inhibited by onerous government regulations. “More investigation is required on all the other phytocannabinoids,” British cannabis pharmacologist Roger Pertwee noted. “And more clinical data.” He wants to leave no cannabinoids understudied, and I couldn’t agree more. For more information on IACM, go to cannabis-med. org, and follow @IACM_bulletin at Twitter. Dr. Jahan Marcu is Freedom Leaf’s Science Editor and the Director of R&D for Green Standard Diagnostics.
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REVIEWS
Steve DeAngelo: The Cannabis Manifesto When Morgan Spurlock, host of the CNN show Inside Man, visited the Harborside Health Center medical marijuana dispensary in Oakland, Calif. for the show’s inaugural episode in 2013, he spoke with amazement about how professional the place looked and how well it ran. “It’s like a proper health clinic that smells like my college bedroom,” Spurlock said after his first visit to Harborside. That duality sums up Harborside proprietor DeAngelo—a serious businessman and happy Yippie. Apart from Richard Lee—who put his money where his mouth was to support California’s Prop. 19 in 2010—DeAngelo has emerged as the most well-known face of the medical marijuana industry nationwide, having opened Harborside to TV cameras—the inner workings of the store was the subject of Discovery Channel’s 2011 four-part reality series Weed Wars—and to thousands of patients. DeAngelo’s new book, The Cannabis Manifesto: A New Paradigm for Wellness, presents eight statements expanded into chapters, starting with “Cannabis Is Not Harmful, but Prohibition Is” and ending with the forward-looking “Legalization Cannot and Will Not Be Stopped.” Opening with the raid of Lee’s Oaksterdam University in 2012, DeAngelo states: “The federal assault on Oaksterdam is just one small example of the misplaced priorities reflected in cannabis prohibition.” The author then muses about the day he first smoked pot as a teenager growing up in Washington, D.C.: “An intuitive and profound sense that all of creation is an interconnected web of life washed over me.” Then he’s right back to his practical side, with incontrovertible truths, like, “Deterrence doesn’t work because it ignores the law of supply and demand.” In the “Cannabis Should Never Have Been Made Illegal” chapter, DeAngelo offers a brief history of early marijuana use and prohibition. “Cannabis Has Always Been a Medicine” begins with the story of Jayden David, the young Dravet syndrome sufferer who helped
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Steve DeAngelo was featured on Discovery Channel’s Weed Wars reality-TV show. make CBD a household word when the DeAngelo brothers (Steve and Andrew) publicized the near-miraculous effects of cannabis on David’s severe epilepsy. In “Choose Cannabis for Wellness, Not Intoxication,” pot is promoted as an aid to healthier habits, like eating right and exercising, because of its ability to “extend patience and promote self-examination; to awaken a sense of wonder and playfulness, and openness to spiritual experience; to enhance the flavor of a meal, the sound of music… to catalyze laughter, facilitate friendship and bridge human differences.” The strongest chapters, “Cannabis Reform Doesn’t Harm Communities, It Strengthens Them” and “Cannabis Should Be Taxed and Regulated as a Wellness Product,” are full of key details and cogent arguments for DeAngelo’s vision of a new paradigm, and segue neatly into “Cannabis Reform Is a Social Justice Movement.” The book contains many footnoted statistics and studies to bolster his arguments. DeAngelo has lessons for us all when he writes about negotiating media events, like his interview with Bill O’Reilly, while remaining true to his ideals; how he might have done things better; and how he thinks we should proceed going forward. He quit school at the age of 16 to join the Yippies, but DeAngelo’s book is nicely written, thoroughly researched and moves logically through its arguments. While some of his visions for the future may not be realized, it would be a better world if they’re achieved. — Ellen Komp
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REVIEWS
Hailing from Georgia’s musical hotbed, Athens, Widespread Panic came on the scene in 1986, connecting the Allman Brothers’ fertile Southern rock with an earthy Grateful Dead ethic. Originally led by University of Georgia students John Bell (vocals, guitar) and Michael Houser (lead guitar), early live shows featured Dead covers. Widespread’s sprawling albums, starting with 1988’s Space Wrangler, featured adventurous mini-epics stretching beyond the fourminute mark. Over the course of a dozen studio recordings, the production became crisper and the instrumentation more dynamic, and the busy arrangements displayed better efficiency. Moody retrenchments continually contrasted surging guitar-based expeditions and jaunty piano-doused strolls. In 2004, veteran guitarist Jimmy Herring (a founding member of Col. Bruce Hampton and the Aquarium Rescue Unit) came aboard and reignited the band after Houser’s death from pancreatic cancer two years earlier. John “JoJo” Hermann (keyboards), Dave Schools (bass), Todd Nance (drums) and Domingo “Sunny” Ortiz (percussion) round out this solid sextet. Following a five-year hiatus from the studio, Widespread are back with the well-wrought Street Dogs (recorded by John Keane at Echo Mountain Studios in Ashville, N.C.). Sounding just as fresh as they did nearly 30 years ago, the resilient rockers have put together another spectral collection of extended jams, plaintive folk-inflected blues and fast-paced boogies. Despite all the abrupt tempo shifts, complex rhythmic shuffles, dazzling guitar interplay and elongated breaks, there’s nary a wasted moment in this eclectic hour-long offering. Whether interpreting outside material or delivering newly recorded originals, each song benefits from a reliable compositional narrative. Leading off with one of their recent concert chestnuts, “Sell Sell” (written by ex-Animals keyboardist Alan Price), Bell’s gravelly groans deride complacency while Hermann’s stewing organ glides along with Herring’s six-string barrages, and Nance and Ortiz’s percolating drums and percussion, in a manner similar to fellow Southern jammers Little Feat. There’s also a hint of the Crescent City jazz combo Galactic. Such steamy vintage blues numbers as
VANGUARD RECORDS
Widespread Panic: Street Dogs
Widespread Panic’s release of Street Dogs follows a five-year hiatus from the studio. the lowdown Willie Dixon/ Howlin’ Wolf scamper “Tail Dragger” and the barrelhouse honkytonk rouser “Street Dogs for Breakfast” truly befit these aged-in-the-wool ramblers. While the former deals with sinister one-night stands in a stark manner, the latter warns of the perils of getting too wasted (“Whiskey sours for lunch… sometime you’ve got to bottom out”). Another alcohol-soaked paean, Canadian folkie Murray McLauchlan’s “Honky Red,” characterizes a war-savaged amputee, and sounds like Neil Young interpreting Delta Blues. Similar in spirit, “Welcome to My World” is a hardhitting piano banger that perfectly mines Atlanta Rhythm Section’s “Large Time” with its muscular dual-guitar riffage. On the easy-flowing pub number “Poorhouse of Positive Thinking,” “redneck drunks and Southern belles” hold on for dear life as they’re “waiting for that sacred ride.” “Steven’s Cat,” one of the album’s most accessible tracks, finds Bell pleading, “Save me from sorrow,” as Hermann drapes early Genesis-like prog-rock drama across the smooth, soulful salutation. Herring stands out with a solo that closes the catchy number. Stray Dogs falls a little flat in the middle section, with a meandering seven-minute dirge, “Jamais Vu (The World Has Changed)” and the languorous, “Angels Don’t Sing the Blues.” But overall, Widespread Panic show great fortitude and spunk with this rambunctious return to the studio. — John Fortunato
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HOT PRODUCTS Innovative Items for the Cannabis Consumer: Portable Vape Special
The DipStick Tired of getting gummy oil products all over your hands? With The DipStick from Improve you don’t have to touch the stuff directly. Click the blue-lit button five times, wait for three blinks and in seconds the vapor tip turns hot. Place it in your oil, wax or shatter container, and inhale. It’s that easy, and that clean. For those without a dab rig, The DipStick is the next-best thing. $249.99 thedipstick.com CloudV Platinum Tommy Chong Fans of CloudV pens will want to have this model in their collection. Like most simple oil pens, all you need to do is load it up and inhale. What makes this one stand out is the Chong logo and cartoon image of the legendary stoner—known best for his movies with Cheech Marin, like Up in Smoke—printed on the device. It comes with a slick black case that can double as a joint holder. $99.99 cloudvapes.com DaVinci Ascent Haze Dual V3 These two models have similar looks and functionality. Both have doors that swivel, allowing the vapes to be opened. You place your flowers or concentrates in little containers that fit inside the device. In the case of DaVinci’s Ascent model, the containers are made of glass. Haze Technology’s V3 provides three different small metal-mesh “cans” (two for dry herb convection or conduction, the other for liquid concentrate). Both are stealthy. While the Ascent resembles a smartphone, the V3 looks like a flask. Each has straws that you pull up when using. Removing the containers and cans can be problematic; they get hot, so be careful. DaVinci Ascent: $199 davincivaporizer.com Haze Dual V3: $260.99 hazevaporizers.com
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