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Songwriter. Outlaw. Legend.
At last, Willie tells the whole story. Download Willie’s original song “It’s a Long Story” at www.myredmusic.com/willienelson Free with proof of purchase. LITTLE, BROWN AND COMPANY
On sale now in hardcover, ebook, audio, and large print wherever books are sold
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Contents
24
32
40
WOMEN
TRAVEL
INTERVIEW
6. Editor’s Note Steve Bloom
8. News 9. Events Calendar 13. 10 Things We Learned at NORML Lobbying Day Mitch Earleywine
17. NORML Chapter Reports: Portland, Oregon and Washington State Erik Altieri
20. Me and Nancy Grace Norm Kent
24. Women Grow: Creating an Inclusive Industry Jazmin Hupp
28. Mississippi Growing Dr. Jahan Marcu
32. The Greatest Global Stoner Destinations Bill Weinberg
40. The Freedom Leaf Interview: Rick Steves Steve Bloom
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The Good News in Marijuana Reform
46
60
69
HEMPFEST
ACTIVISM
FOOD
46. Seattle Hempfest History
64. Hey Dude: The SurferStoner Connection
Vivian McPeak
51. Taking Seattle’s Kush Tour
Beth Mann
69. Summer Sweets Cheri Sicard
Becky Harrison
56. Best Buds of 2015 Rick Pfrommer
60. NJ Weedman: From Zero to Hero Chris Goldstein
73. Reviews 78. Company Spotlight: Viridian Capital Advisors 80. The Freedom Leaf Cannabis Stock Report
Rick Steves cover photo by Dave Mesford
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Editor’s Note Travelin’, Man
As an editor of a marijuana magazine, you get to travel a lot. There are numerous events to attend—be they rallies and protests, activist conferences or business seminars. This year I’ve already visited San Francisco (for the International Cannabis Business Conference), Denver (for the Cannabis Cup) and Washington, D.C. (for the NORML Legislative Fly-In), and plan to be in Seattle for Hempfest in August. I know, it’s a tough job, but somebody’s got to do it. Stoners love to travel. I know I do. I caught the travel bug when I was in college and took summers off crisscrossing the country; I made it to almost every state. Of course, California remains a favorite, with its rich bounty of fresh fruits and smokeable herbs. Cali encouraged me to become a vegetarian—and a bigger pothead. For our summer travel issue, we head to the Northwest, where Washington and Oregon now have legal marijuana (see page 8). It’s the 24th year for the Seattle Hempfest, the world’s largest marijuana festival (dubbed a “protestival” by its organizers), and on page 46, Executive Director Vivian McPeak traces the event’s
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My favorite office in the Rayburn Building.
fascinating history. If you’re in Seattle Aug. 14–16, look for Freedom Leaf magazines at the NORML booth at Hempfest. One of many Hempfest speakers over the years, popular travel writer, TV host and cannabis legalization advocate Rick Steves lives in Washington, and had a big hand in swaying residents to vote for Initiative 502 in 2012. He campaigned for Measure 91 in Oregon last year, as well. We couldn’t think of a better subject for the Freedom Leaf Interview (page 40) in this special issue than Steves, the longtime tour guide whose shows can be seen on PBS and on his many DVDs, and whose advice and pithy commentaries enlighten his many books, including my favorite, Travel as a Political Act.
FOUNDERS Richard C. Cowan Clifford J. Perry PUBLISHER & CEO Clifford J. Perry EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Steve Bloom SENIOR EDITOR Chris Goldstein CREATIVE DIRECTOR Dave Azimi EDITORIAL DESIGN Jean Crow COPY EDITOR G. Moses SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR Paul Armentano SCIENCE EDITOR Dr. Jahan Marcu ADVERTISING SALES Ray Medeiros LEGAL COUNSEL Keith Stroup CHIEF ACCOUNTING OFFICER Patrick Rhea EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Felipe Menezes CONTRIBUTORS Erik Altieri, Russ Belville, Michael Canada, Matt Chelsea, Christian Cortes, Mitch Earleywine, John Fortunato, Dan Gibson, Becky Garrison, Jazmin Hupp, Norm Kent, Ellen Komp, Beth Mann, Vivian McPeak, Alec Pearce, Rick Pfrommer, Cheri Sicard, Natalie Shmuel, Allen St. Pierre, Roy Trakin, Dan Viets, Bill Weinberg, Dru West 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.
Steves, who’s on the NORML Board of Directors, couldn’t be at the Fly-In on May 20–21 in the U.S. Capitol, but I drove down from New York to attend, and met up with my Freedom Leaf colleagues Cliff Perry and Chris Goldstein. The first day, a lobbying seminar was held on the campus of George Washington University. On the second day we converged on the Capitol for a morning meet-and-greet with Rep. Steve Cohen, then spread out in groups in hopes of finding our respective representatives in the halls or their offices. What struck me was how easy it is to enter the Capitol and knock on doors. Apparently, anybody can do it. The Capitol is kind of a Disneyland for wonks. We literally walked door-to-door, looking for our members of Congress. As it turned out, most of them were voting on a variety of proposals. In fact, on that day the Senate Appropriations Committee passed a bill that gives veterans access to marijuana to treat PTSD. After knocking on some New York doors, my group decided to go on a “thank you” tour of representatives who’ve supported medical use and an end to prohibition, including Jared Polis, Earl Blumenauer, Dana Rohrabacher, Sam Farr and Barbara Lee. I didn’t meet any of the reps, but it was a kick just stopping by their offices, giving out magazines and generally spreading good cheer. We were welcomed wherever we went. Though I’m proud to call myself an activist, in more than 25 of years of working to reform the nation’s marijuana laws, I had never walked the halls of Congress. I highly recommend it. For more, check out Mitch Earleywine’s article “10 Things We Learned at the NORML Lobbying Day,” on page 13. Enjoy the rest of the summer! Steve Bloom Editor-in-Chief Send Letters to the Editor to letters@ freedomleaf.com www.freedomleaf.com 7
NEWS
Oregon Legalization Law Goes Into Effect At the stroke of midnight on July 1, marijuana officially became legal in Oregon. Medical marijuana has been legal since 1998, and marijuana was first decriminalized in the Beaver State back in 1973. But this time, there are no arrests, no tickets, no fines and no punishment of any kind for any adult who possesses (or cultivates) marijuana within the limits of the law. After July 1, for Oregon residents above the age of 21, marijuana is legal, as decided by state voters last November when they passed Measure 91. The over-21 crowd will be allowed to possess one ounce of marijuana in a public place. At home, they can cultivate four plants of any size per household, and possess up to eight ounces of dried bud, 16 ounces of solid edible products, 72 ounces of liquid edible products and one ounce of marijuana extracts. Landlords, however,
can forbid cannabis cultivation on their properties, and public consumption will still earn you a ticket. It’s a Class B misdemeanor for an adult to possess “more than two times, but not more than four times, the applicable maximum amounts,” and a Class C felony “if the amount possessed is more than four times the applicable maximum amount.” You’d have to possess two pounds of marijuana at home, a quarter-pound in public, four pounds of edibles, two gallons and a quart of tinctures or a quarter-pound of extracts to face a Class C felony. According to the law, “No person may produce, process, keep or store homemade marijuana extracts.” The crime for possessing any amount of homemade extracts is a Class B misdemeanor, and if it’s over a quarter-ounce, it’s a Class C felony. (This refers to solvents extracted with butane, hexane, ethanol, isopropyl
Hemp Inc.'s decorticator in North Carolina.
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alcohol and carbon dioxide; it wouldn’t apply to ice-water hash, finger hash, kief or vegetable glycerin extracts. Licensing of processors that manufacture legal solvent extracts won’t happen until January. Most observers predict legal marijuana stores won’t open until August or September of 2016. Measure 91 established four licenses—producer, processor, wholesaler and retailer—with minimum fees of $250 to apply and $1,000 for the annual license. The legislature is considering instituting other types of licenses, such as those for testing and for subtypes of processors (cooking or extracting). No limits have been placed on the number of licenses available. Licenses can only be banned in a city or county through the vote of the people.
Oregon has followed the lead of other states, such as Colorado and Washington, in legalizing marijuana. Marijuana taxation is set by the state, at the producer level, at $35 per ounce of flowers, $10 per ounce of trim and $5 per seedling, and no city or county may establish a local marijuana tax. A portion of the tax revenue will be returned to the cities and counties in proportion to their number of marijuana licensees. Measure 91 is by far the most business-friendly marijuana legalization in America. Oregon lacks protection for statutory initiatives, so the legislature can (and probably will) change major portions of Measure 91. But one thing’s for certain: After July 1, adults over 21 will no longer be punished for growing and consuming personal cannabis amounts on their own property. — Russ Belville
EVENTS July July 17–19:
Emerald Empire Hempfest, Maurie Jacobs Park, Eugene, OR emeraldempirehempfest.com
July 21–23:
CHAMPS Trade Show, Las Vegas Convention Center champstradeshows.com
July 23–25:
My Compassion Cannabis Conference, Medical Forum & Exposition, Navy Pier Grand Ballroom, Chicago mycompassioncannacon.com
July 24–26
Abakus Munchie Cup, Green Labs, Denver munchiecup.wordpress.com
August Aug. 14–16:
Seattle Hempfest, Myrtle Edwards Park, Seattle hempfest.org
Aug. 21–23:
High Times U.S. Cannabis Cup, Clio, MI cannabiscup.com
Aug. 27–30:
New Hampshire Hempfest & Freedom Rally, Backwoods Farm, Rumney, NH nhhempfest.com
Aug. 29:
Salem Hempfest, Riverfront Park, Salem, OR salemhempfest.com www.freedomleaf.com 9
NEWS
Puerto Rico Legalizes Medical Marijuana Missouri Gov Commutes Prisoner’s Sentence Jeff Mizanskey, whose only criminal convictions were for three small marijuana offenses, and who was sentenced to serve life in prison without possibility of parole for his third such offense, was granted a commutation of his sentence by Missouri Governor. Jay Nixon on May 22. The commutation makes him eligible for parole. Missouri NORML chapters and members worked with the political action committee Show Me Cannabis to encourage the governor to take this action, and Attorney Tony Nenninger drafted the clemency petition. State Rep. Shamed Dogan of St. Louis also filed a bill in the Missouri legislature this year intended to release Mizanskey, 61, from prison. After receiving an honorable discharge from the Air Force, he worked in construction in Sedalia. In 1993, Mizanskey drove a friend to meet some people at a motel in Sedalia. His friend intended to purchase a few pounds of pot. However, the people they met with had been arrested earlier that day, and after they agreed to cooperate, police had installed video cameras at the motel. While at the motel, Mizanskey was handed a seven-pound brick wrapped in paper, which he held for a few minutes. That’s the essence of the offense for which he was found guilty and sentenced to life without parole as
Jeff Mizanskey. Photos by Aaron Malin
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a three-time offender. The prosecutor asked for the maximum sentence, and the judge complied. Mizanskey was charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana as a “prior and persistent drug offender” under a Missouri statute that provides for a sentence of 10 to 30 years, or life, without possibility of probation or parole. His priors took place in 1984 (felony marijuana possession for selling an ounce) and in 1991 (possession of a quarterpound). Last year, the “prior and persistent drug offender” law was repealed by the Missouri legislature. The Missouri Bar Association (MBA) committee drafted a revision of the entire Missouri criminal code, including all Missouri criminal laws. In the process of that drafting, the MBA recommended to the legislature that this draconian law be revised. The legislature not only repealed that law under which Mizanskey was sentenced, but also adopted several other marijuana law reforms recommended by the MBA. These include eliminating the possibility of jail for first-offense possession of small amounts, and reducing by one-third the maximum sentence for both sales and cultivation of marijuana. — Dan Viets Dan Viets is one of Jeff Mizanskey’s attorneys.
Taking Stock of Freedom Leaf Decrim Hits Milwaukee, Miami and Delaware Delaware Governor Jack Markell signed a law on June 19 making marijuana possession by adults a civil, non-criminal offense. It eliminates any possibility of jail time. Fines are now $100 for possession of up to one ounce and $200 for smoking in public. There are now 20 states that have a decrim law (including the four legal states). Philadelphia and Washington, DC have also adopted a civil citation structure. Those two cities mandate a $25 fine for possession of up to 30 grams. Also in June, Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett signed a new ordinance into law that makes possession of up to 25 grams punishable by a fine of no more than $50. Wisconsin has some of the toughest marijuana possession laws in the country. In Florida, the Miami-Dade County Commissioners passed an ordinance that gives police the discretion to issue a civil citation for less than 20 grams of marijuana. Urged by local law enforcement, the measure passed 10–2. Offenders can still be arrested and face up to a year in jail for any amount. But if they’re issued a ticket, they’ll receive a $100
fine and two days of community service. Dispensaries Debut in Delaware and Massachusetts It took four years since a law was passed for First State Compassion Center in Wilmington, Del., and three years for Alternative Therapies Group in Salem, Mass., to open their doors. Both made their debuts in June. Several thousand patients have registered for the medical cannabis program in Delaware: the Compassion Center is the only facility planned in the state. Several more are set to open in Massachusetts by the end of the year. While no-smoking laws have recently been passed in Louisiana, Minnesota and New York, patients in Delaware and Massachusetts can light up dried plant material. Edibles and concentrates are going to be offered eventually in both states, but no firm timeline has been announced for such products. Louisiana Almost Legalizes Medical Marijuana While Louisiana became the 24th state to legalize medical marijuana in July, it’s an extremely narrow no-smoking law that implies a model of high CBD and no THC in the final products. Republican Governor Bobby Jindal signed the bill on June 30. The language of the bill will make it difficult, if not impossible, to implement. States that allow medical marijuana have doctors “recommend” the treatment. Instead, this law requires a prescription, which is an important distinction. Prescriptions, governed by multiple state and federal agencies, along with voluminous rules, are filled by pharmacies and hospitals. Because cannabis is a federal Schedule I drug, that word could be a major roadblock. — Chris Goldstein www.freedomleaf.com 11
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10 Things We Learned at NORML Lobbying Day By Mitch Earleywine
Just before Memorial Day, NORML hosted a one-day training for folks like you and me to learn how to speak with elected officials and their staffs. The next day we all pounced on Congress and gave them our message. The pleasure of lobbying is hard to describe without sounding like a corny zealot. It’s supremely fun. The dazed delight of trekking down the marble halls and opening the oaken doors instills an unexpected sense of patriotism. Combine that with astonishing insights into the utter insanity of our legal process, and you’ve got about half of it. Like the pleasures of our favorite plant, words don’t quite suffice; you’ve got to share the experience. No matter how many emails and letters we send from home, nothing is as persuasive and satisfying as showing up at the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. and sitting down in a legislator’s office. In an unabashed effort to persuade you to join us next year, here’s a list of recommendations before you attend. There’s plenty of time to plan. Even if you’ve never contemplated lobbying, check these out
and see if you can envision the trip. I guarantee it’ll change your life.
1.
You will not be the dumbest, least-informed person to ever set foot in Congress. Trust me, if you’re reading this magazine, you probably know more about our issue than most of the 535 members of Congress. Elected officials and all of their staff put their pants on the same way we do. You deserve to be there as much as John Adams did.
2.
Bring your posse. Inspire your pals from home, and meet others from your state when you arrive. Go together to your senators’ offices. Approach representatives’ offices in a pack. When a handful of people show up with cannabis leaves on their lapels, the faces of the young interns really light up. You’ll keep your fellow lobbyists motivated and feel closer by day’s end.
3.
Make an appointment. This is the big one. A party of four of us got the eye-roll from Sen. Corey Booker’s counsel. But that same guy met with Freedom Leaf Senior Editor Chris
NORML reps and supporters gathered at the Capitol on May 21. Photo by Charles Steck www.freedomleaf.com 13
Goldstein because he had an appointment. Email a month before you’ll be there. Call if you don’t hear back after a week. Imagine how fun it is to say, “I have a meeting scheduled with my senator.”
4.
Bring 100 business cards. They don’t need to be double-sided in green ink printed on hemp, but you do need business cards and lots of them. Your name, affiliation and contact information will do the trick. Everybody you meet, including all the other conference attendees, should be able to reach you later. Leave one at every office. They could be the start of something big.
5.
Bring printed material. Even if you get 90 seconds with the aide who handles cannabis legislation, that overworked person likely also has to cover minutiae about poultry regulations and accounting contracts. A single page of text in a large font with bullet points will last a lot longer than the vague memory of a casual chat.
6.
Know your legislators by sight. Just as my crew and I stepped down the hall toward my congressman’s office, I saw him racing in our direction. I quickly called out Rep. Tonko’s name, shook his hand and slipped him my card. Getting recognized makes anyone feel like a celebrity. We still went to his office and did our show for his staff, but I would’ve missed a big opportunity if I hadn’t known what he looked like. Photos are all over the Web. Take a quick glance.
7. MAKE REFORM A REALITY
Start with thanks. Before launching into the rationale for freeing
It’s California’s time to legalize cannabis. For legalization to win on the ballot in 2016, we need 6 million votes. We’re building the majority one vote at a time. Join us and let’s Reform California. REFORMCA.COM Endorsed by:
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/REFORMCA
From left: Mitch Earleywine, Keith Stroup, Allen St. Pierre, Rep. Steve Cohen and Paul Armentano. Photo by Charles Steck
the weed, show some appreciation. Even representatives who think epileptic children shouldn’t have CBD are human, too. (Well, barely.) It sets a nice tone for the interaction, and opens anyone up to be a better listener.
8.
Dress for success, with comfy shoes. Men: Wear a nice jacket, slacks and a tie, or a suit. Women: Wear a dress, or pants, blouse and a jacket. I know it’s not consistent with our rebellious, cannabis identities. I spent most of my time talking to chic legislative assistants who weren’t as old as my high school diploma. They didn’t look any more comfortable in a suit than I did. I didn’t want them resenting me because I wore my hemp tie-dye to their office while they were spending a fortune on dry cleaning. It shouldn’t be true, but it is: People who look professional are more persuasive to these folks. You’ll be doing a lot of walking, so make sure to wear rubber soles.
9.
Remember, it’s a process. At the end of the day, I phoned my 11-year-old daughter who wondered, “Is marijuana legal now?” We have to keep our expectations reasonable. I’m open to
the idea that we’re near a tipping point. Nevertheless, let’s not set ourselves up with unattainable goals that might make us feel deflated if we don’t reach them instantaneously. As Sharon Ravert of Peachtree NORML says: “If we’re talking, we’re winning.” You win the minute you step in the door. Most reps don’t get many visitors who aren’t paid lobbyists. They’ll notice our presence. That’s how it starts.
10.
Last one: Don’t bring weed. A TSA bust is no way to start a trip. Despite marijuana now being legal in Washington, D.C., you can’t light up in the Capitol. That doesn’t sound so complicated, does it? These 10 points don’t cover everything, but they’ll get you off to a superb start. I was nervous at first, but once we all got going, it was no big deal. And the feeling at the end of the day is unparalleled. Mitch Earleywine is Chairman of the NORML Board of Directors, and Professor of Psychology and Director of Clinical Training at the University at Albany, State University of New York. www.freedomleaf.com 15
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CHAPTER REPORTS
Portland, Oregon and Washington State By Erik Altieri “What will you do once marijuana is legalized? Won’t you be out of a job?” I heard this question a lot during my time working at NORML. My answer was always a resounding “No!” While the most important goal in the marijuana movement is and has always been legalizing the adult use of cannabis and creating an aboveground industry through which individuals can procure products, that’s only the first part of the fight. What comes next is every bit as important. As the leading marijuana-consumer lobby, NORML will still have a very important role to play in a post-legalization world. After the end of prohibition, a strong voice must continue to advocate on behalf of consumers who want to see reasonable taxation, quality controls on their products and the freedom to not only consume marijuana in the privacy of their home, but also in social settings established for that very purpose. Just a few years ago this all may have seemed a distant dream, but we now have four states and the District of Columbia that have legalized recreational use, and the questions of which regulations we want to see put in place are being actively debated in these locations. NORML affiliates are tackling these challenges head-on. Portland NORML Formed in January (just months after Oregon voted to legalize marijuana) by Russ Belville, Scott Gordon and Randy Quast, Portland NORML works alongside the already established Oregon NORML chapter. Belville was previously National
NORML’s Outreach Coordinator and Oregon NORML’s Associate Director (he also writes for Freedom Leaf and other publications). Gordon is a former board member of Oregon NORML, and remains on their advisory board. Quast founded Minnesota NORML, and is on the National NORML board of directors. In February, Portland NORML held its first public meeting for a crowd of about 50 interested reformers. In March, the chapter tabled at the Oregon Hemp Convention, and in April, Portland NORML circulated educational information to legislators following Belville’s testimony to the
committee charged with implementing legalization. The group also participated in the Global Cannabis March, in May. In the first five months of the chapter’s existence, other members of the board have also stepped up to expand NORML’s reach. Kaliko Castille, a former intern for National NORML, has booked guest speakers for their monthly meetings, including DFW NORML’s Shaun McAlister, State Rep. Lew Frederick and hemp industry expert Joy Beckerman Maher. Jennifer Alexander, a former Oregon NORML board member and the 2012 www.freedomleaf.com 17
From left: Frank Upham, Kevin Oliver, Rick Steves, Keith Stroup, Joy Beckerman Maher, Troy Stephens and Keith Henson. Photo courtesy of Washington NORML
Oregon legalization campaign director, produces a comprehensive weekly newsletter breaking down the latest machinations on legalization happening in Salem, the state capital. “People wonder why we’re marijuana legalization activists if we’ve already passed marijuana legalization,” says Executive Director Belville. “I tell them we’ve just barely passed our Emancipation Proclamation, but we’re still a long way from equality. We won’t rest until marijuana consumers have the same rights as beer drinkers and cigar smokers. Our message is ‘From Legalization to Equalization.’” For more on Oregon, see Belville’s article on page 8. Washington NORML The past several months have been some of the busiest in Washington NORML’s history. Beginning last year, as implementation of I-502 was rolled out, many city and county municipalities enacted bans or moratoria restricting the ability of licensed retailers, processors and producers to open their now-legal businesses. This remains an issue nearly a year later. In the meantime, Washington NORML has organized dozens of meetings with 18 www.freedomleaf.com
hundreds of applicants and licensees across the state to help lobby city councils, county commissioners and citizens. While they’ve had some success, these hurdles remain a challenge for a fledgling industry that is trying to establish roots in areas still mired in reefer madness. NORML doesn’t have a horse in the race in terms of the industry—except, of course, in how regulations affect the consumer experience and how the industry matures to serve users. High taxes on products and inconsistent test results are areas that ultimately impact the consumer, and they have become a central focus of the organization’s lobbying efforts. “Moving forward, Washington NORML’s role as a consumer-focused public opinion lobby will continue to encompass acting as an advocate for those industry practices that best benefit the consumer,” states Executive Director Kevin Oliver, “as well as continuing to be a primary resource for providing accurate information to the media.” For more on Washington State, see Dave Rheins’ article in Freedom Leaf Issue 4. Erik Altieri is the former National NORML Communications Director.
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Me and Nancy Grace
After several appearances on her show, a NORML board member explains why the conservative talk-show host is good for marijuana. By Norm Kent Nancy Grace hates pot, and you should love her for it. She’s Harry Anslinger—the infamous pot prohibitionist—in a dress. On the air, she constantly tells me how “stoned” I am. You know what? Sometimes I am. To go on her show, you have to be. But guess what? I make much more sense stoned than she does sober. For those who aren’t familiar with Grace, whose talk show runs Monday-toThursday on HLN, she thinks pot is an evil corrupting our society, destroying our youth and disintegrating our moral fiber. We know better, don’t we? We know marijuana is a medicine that heals, an herb that enhances, a smoke that does the body good. We know cannabis is not a “gateway” drug, unless you count the doors it opens to self-realization. By telling lies about cannabis to the American people every day, Grace opens
the door for us. We get to tell the truth in a national forum on a popular television show. We get to educate the public, on one hand, and show how stupid she can be, on the other. Grace is a charming Southern woman. She cares about kids and injustice, and is an advocate for victims everywhere. But by attacking cannabis incessantly, she becomes our champion repeatedly. There’s a reason why Saturday Night Live lampoons her. The more extreme her arguments, the more sane we become. Every time Grace tries to tell her TV audience that smoking pot will make you drive off a cliff, she sounds more and more like a woman who already has. In January 2014, Grace said, “People on pot… shoot each other… stab each other… strangle each other, drive under the influence, kill families.” In another
“There’s a reason why Saturday Night Live lampoons Nancy Grace. The more extreme her arguments, the more sane we become. Every time Grace tries to tell her TV audience that smoking pot will make you drive off a cliff, she sounds more and more like a woman who already has.” — Norm Kent 20 www.freedomleaf.com
“The ones that are disagreeing are lethargic, sitting on the sofa eating chips… This is the beginning of widespread usage, and more than just one ounce of marijuana. From what I’ve seen for 10 years in inner-city Atlanta and from being a Fed is the recreational use of marijuana is not a good thing.” — Nancy Grace segment a month later, she opined: “Pot smokers are just more likely to lay on the sofa and eat chips.” These are standard stereotypes refuted long ago. Later last year, Grace made outrageous claims that marijuana legalization in Colorado would set off a statewide crime wave. Instead, it’s created a statewide revenue haul, with legal cannabis generating tens of millions of dollars to fund Colorado schools and educational improvements. Despite her facial contortions and hot air, trains run on time and planes fly on schedule. I’ve been on Grace’s show a number of times to represent the pro-marijuana point of view. When she cuts off my microphone on the air, she’s not silencing NORML or me; she’s saying she can’t defeat common sense. Indeed, Grace is not on television to ply reason; she’s there to pump ratings. If that means being intellectually dishonest and purposely deceitful, it won’t stand in her way. If reefer madness exists today, it can be found in the words Grace spews on the air. She takes isolated instances of aberrant behavior and tries to make them
standardized for all marijuana users. It’s unsound logic, and I let her know it when I finally got to ask her: “Once and for all, Nancy, have you no conscience? When will you stop lying? When will you own up to the fact that millions and millions of Americans can light up a joint—and have been since the age of Woodstock— without impairing their families, driving recklessly or endangering people?” No one wants their babysitter stoned, or a teenage driver impaired, but Grace’s fear-mongering campaign helps our movement because people see how transparently meritless her arguments are. Her repeated unreliable statements make NORML look consistently credible. The “stoners” become the voice of reason, and Grace becomes the irrational opposition. Whether it comes from me or rapper 2 Chainz, or even Dr. Drew Pinsky, Grace just can’t handle the truth. Once, on the air, I stated, “It’s just a joint, Nancy; it’s just a joint.” I held it up to the camera. She called it a “prop.” No, it’s a right. We need to stand united in asserting it. Most Americans know cannabis www.freedomleaf.com 21
doesn’t threaten society. They realize the Drug War and pot prohibition are wrong. But people are still getting arrested and going to jail for marijuana in most states in this country. That’s why Nancy Grace is so important to all of us. Her tenacity keeps the issue out there for us to fight for. Instead of falling into apathy, we’re called into action.
It falls upon all of us to stand up to the Nancy Graces everywhere. I’ve been fortunate enough to occasionally have a national forum in which to stand up to Grace. But the battle is all of ours to fight. There are Nancy Graces in every neighborhood and on every city commission. It therefore falls upon all of us to stand up to the Nancy Graces everywhere, and just say no. There are still people that want to put you in a cage and lock you up for using
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cannabis. They’re willing to allow your car and home to be searched and your property to be seized. They favor putting you in prison, on probation or under house arrest, and drug testing you from now until the end of time. Grace reminds us that those people are still out there, and we have a fight to win, a cause to speak for and an injustice to end, once and for all. Nancy Grace is an media relic, a fossil who will become a laughable footnote to history. So turn on your TV, light up a joint and enjoy the show. Norm Kent, a Fort Lauderdale attorney, is a past chair and a current member of NORML’s Board of Directors. He also publishes SFGN, the South Florida Gay News.
www.freedomleaf.com 23
Women Grow:
Creating an Inclusive Industry Diversity and respect for the cannabis reform movement’s activist roots are keys to developing a successful industry.
Women Grow held several Lobby Days in Washington, D.C. in February.
By Jazmin Hupp In August 2014, 70 female cannabis entrepreneurs met for the first Women Grow meeting in Denver. One year later, thousands of women—and men—in more than 30 cities have joined our effort to create a diverse cannabis industry. Our mission has expanded along with our reach. We’re creating an inclusive multibillion-dollar American industry, and empowering women is a key step. It’s important to recognize that the legalization movement’s veterans are vital to the mission-driven industry we’re building. Primed with a good understanding of cannabis policy, activists have already taken the first step to success in the cannabis industry. Companies that honor the movement’s core values give activists 24 www.freedomleaf.com
new platforms for meaningful change. But inclusion remains important: Despite an equal gender balance in activism, the majority of advocate entrepreneurs are men. Speaking for ourselves and for others, women are forces for positive change. We’re uniquely suited to lead the way as we bridge advocacy and industry. The cannabis industry is gaining momentum, and now is the time for women to take ownership. The cannabis industry will never be this small again. Adult-use cannabis is legal in four states and is likely to be legalized in several more in the coming year. Right now, our personal actions can and will have a major impact on our collective future. As we lay the new
industry’s foundations, we invite people of all genders, colors, ages and experience to take part. Inclusion honors the movement’s legacy of social justice, and diverse perspectives will help the industry flourish. Business is the strongest force for change in America, and the contributions of diverse expertise and experience will make this industry stronger. A commitment to inclusion begins by assembling diverse leadership teams. As the cannabis industry evolves, a wider variety of insights will create sustainable businesses that appeal to wider demographics. Over half of Americans are now living in a state with some form of legal cannabis, and the market is opening wide. First-time consumers, women and seniors are just a few of the groups generating demand for new products. Inclusive companies with firsthand consumer knowledge will be able to respond quickly with cannabis products tailored to new markets. Inclusive companies are also prepared to weather the economic challenges on the horizon. Right now, licensing and other regulatory controls give the cannabis industry artificial protection. But as legalization expands and barriers to entry disappear, investors representing established interests will continue to arrive. With big business in the race, business differentiation will be essential to existing companies’ survival. To successfully compete, businesses will have to create new products that meet the needs and values of women, people of color and small, underserved niches like veterans suffering from PTSD. Diverse companies will be ready to differentiate. Right now, the cannabis industry is vulnerable. Careless or malicious behavior could slow or even set back progress toward a national market. We can’t risk the movement’s hard-earned gains by giving way to greed. Women are strong advocates for their communities and
families; we’re ideal stewards for an industry committed to safety, wellness and fair practices. The industry needs women, especially activists, to lead. We’ll continue to give back to the movement by building cannabis businesses with diverse perspectives. Inclusion is an investment in the cannabis industry’s future. Our support for groups like the Minority Cannabis Business Association that work on behalf of underrepresented industry constituencies
We can’t risk the movement’s hardearned gains by giving way to greed. is essential. For our part, Women Grow is cultivating diversity in the next generation of cannabis industry leaders, with events in 30-plus cities, leadership summits, events at major conferences and online educational resources. We challenge industry groups to include underrepresented constituencies by awarding scholarships to 5% of conference attendees and ensuring that at least a third of the speakers are from diverse backgrounds. With major groups like the International Cannabis Association joining us in this effort, we’re taking an important step toward social sustainability. A true commitment to inclusion will define the cannabis industry. Now’s the time to take part and help ensure its lasting activist legacy. Jazmin Hupp is Co-Founder and Executive Director of Women Grow. Ed. note: We welcome Women GROW into the Freedom Leaf family of cannabisreform organizations that include NORML and SSDP. Each month we’ll feature articles written from the Women Grow perspective. www.freedomleaf.com 25
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Mississippi Growing
FL’s Science Editor tours the marijuana farm at Ole Miss, and experiences the Southern charm of Oxford. By Dr. Jahan Marcu Oxford, Mississippi is a place I might not have ever chosen to visit. Thankfully, my work has taken me there on several trips, and I’ve grown a real fondness for this gem of the South. At first, it seemed that there might not be much to do or see in the area, but on closer inspection I found charming bedand-breakfasts, spectacular food, full-tilt live blues joints, amazing bookstores and numerous historic sites. A little-known fact is that in 1978, Mississippi decriminalized possession of less than 30 grams of marijuana. The state was also once one of the largest producers of hemp in the U.S. But what keeps me coming back is touring the world-renowned natural product and plant research center at the University of Mississippi (a.k.a. Ole Miss). This is a mustvisit destination for cannabis researchers, and is the country’s only source of government-produced pot for research studies. If you’re planning on visiting Oxford, flying directly there is nearly impossible.
Instead, book your flights in and out of Memphis, Tenn., about 85 miles northwest of Oxford. Known for its New Orleans-style entertainment on Beale Street, Memphis is home to the National Civil Rights Museum (450 Mulberry St.) housed in the Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King was assassinated in 1968. The hotel’s facade is perfectly preserved, allowing visitors to feel as though they’re being transported back in time. The museum’s displays include one of the wrecked freedom buses damaged by a firebomb, rare footage of Civil Rights actions, an exhibit on the Black Panthers, a selection of Gil Scott-Heron records that you can listen to and other iconic artifacts. After a tour of Memphis, you’ll be ready to drive to Oxford and relax at a friendly B&B. Most B&Bs are near Ole Miss and Courthouse Square; they come in all shapes and sizes, and have super-friendly and accommodating staffs. The Z (1405 Pierce Ave.) is my favorite. A classic twostory Southern home, it’s surrounded www.freedomleaf.com 27
Marijuana is grown indoors and outdoors at the NIDA farm in Oxford.
by giant shade trees and even has a porch swing. Every morning they make various breakfast items from scratch: corn muffins with strawberry rhubarb jam, pancakes, kale quiche, country ham and cheesy grits. It’s almost worth the trek to Oxford just for another bite of those gooey grits. For researchers like me, the ultimate draw is the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) cannabis cultivation center. The facility was chosen in 1968 as the site of our country’s only federal marijuana garden. The purpose, then and now, is to study the marijuana plant. Under
University of Mississippi’s Dr. Mahmoud ElSohly and Dr. Jahan Marcu.
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extremely strict rules, some of the plant material is shipped to scientists around the country. The facility also directly provides whole-plant cannabis to a small group of medical patients. Starting in the 1980s, 13 people were allowed access under the federal Investigational New Drug program. Each month, two of the surviving patients, Irvin Rosenfeld and Elvy Musikka, still receive tins containing 300 pre-rolled joints from the NIDA garden. Last year, the center got a major funding boost when more than $68 million was approved for more cannabis research. This infusion will allow the staff to experiment with new strains, particularly those rich in CBD. Yet cannabis is just one small part of the agricultural research happening on the campus, and there are a lot of interesting things growing in their greenhouses. One project I found fascinating involves the process of raising plants from cell culture for breeding and horticulture. Basically, you can take a very small sliver of a plant, nurture it in a Petri dish and then produce a whole, healthy tree. The Ole Miss tour includes a drive
through the agricultural grounds and, upon request, a tour of NIDA’s cannabis farm. Inquire with the university about arranging a tour (call 662-915-1005). Tours of the greenhouses and cultivation areas at Ole Miss are usually provided if you’re attending a conference on campus. The Oxford International Conference on the Science of Botanicals in April provides really good tours. Dr. Mahmoud ElSohly, the lead scientist who runs the farm, attends the conference every year, and is very approachable. He doesn’t drink or consume cannabis, but he loves the smell of the plants that are his specialty. (One time, he excitedly commented about a new cannabis strain: “It really smells like mangoes. It’s amazing!”) If you decide to visit the NIDA farm, be sure to note the multiple sets of barbedwire fences, security cameras and guard towers, which, of course, are there to prevent any of the plants from leaving the premises. Still, what’s most impressive is
the sheer efficiency of the place and the vast variety of plants within. After a university tour of the farms, head out for some live blues and beers, or just to people-watch in the area known as The Square, filled with shops,
What’s most impressive about the NIDA cannabis farm at Ole Miss is the sheer efficiency of the place and the vast variety of plants within. cafes, clubs and bookstores. Spring and summer evenings are perfect for relaxing with a good book or watching some blues and fiddle players in an old saloon. A little French bistro, Snackbar (721 N. Lamar Blvd.), serves up a fish dish that’s perfectly paired with a glass of bourbon. For carnivores, Oxford offers a
The William Faulkner statue in Oxford's Courthouse Square. www.freedomleaf.com 29
wide variety of BBQ—Handy Andy Grocery (800 N. Lamar Blvd.) is widely considered the best—and gastro-pubs cater to your inner hipster, serving up such delicacies as whiskey-fried bacon catfish. Music fans should definitely visit Rooster’s Blues House (114 Courthouse Square). Square Books (160 Courthouse Sq.)—a narrow store with a gorgeous interior of hardwood and throw rugs— is another favorite haunt of mine. They have both contemporary works and an impressive array of signed first-edition books at affordable prices. The secondfloor balcony is especially lovely. For supernerds like me, Oxford is also an awesome location to go geocaching (treasure hunting for adults). I picked up some cool stamps in a big capsule behind the local record store, The End of All Music (1423 N. Lamar Blvd.). The bench where William Faulkner’s statue sits, in front of Neilson’s Department Store (119 Courthouse Sq.), is a great place to catch a breath of fresh air and watch the purple sunset fade.
The great Southern author (1897–1962) is from the area, and you can visit the Faulkner House (917 Old Taylor Rd.) where he lived, drank and worked. Many authors pass through Oxford on tour; that’s how I got my signed copy of Patton Oswald’s Silver Screen Fiend. Oxford may not be the Emerald Triangle in California, or the flourishing cannabis gardens of Colorado’s Front Range region, but a tour of the NIDA farm offers a peek into the future of how government-funded cannabis research could evolve. The Ole Miss lab has done important work, often with scant resources. If national prohibition were to end entirely, this facility could surely perform the most astounding cannabis medical science in the world. For now, I’m grateful to have seen the place firsthand, and experience the unforgettable hospitality of Oxford, Miss. Dr. Jahan Marcu is Freedom Leaf’s Science Editor and the Director of R&D for Green Standard Diagnostics.
Square Books is one of the many attractions in Oxford’s Courthouse Square.
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Illustration by Michael Canada
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The Greatest Global Stoner Destinations Take an intrepid tour of 13 countries—from Afghanistan to the United States—where drugs are a major part of the culture. By Bill Weinberg Thinking about hitting the road to visit an herb-friendly destination this summer? Cannabis tourism is booming in some liberated enclaves—and contracting under a backlash in others. Meanwhile, the herb still remains technically illegal in just about every country on Earth, due to the U.N. Single Convention Treaty. Here’s a guide to some obvious marijuana Meccas—and a few places strictly for the very adventurous. UNITED STATES Colorado Cannabis tourists have been flocking to the Centennial State since Amendment 64 took effect in January 2014, making recreational use of cannabis legal under a state-regulated program. The Feds, of course, don’t recognize it, but thus far have been largely taking a hands-off approach. Colorado Rocky Mountain High Tours (coloradorockymountainhightours.com) offers a “luxury tour for the cannabis connoisseur,” featuring a cruise down
Denver’s South Broadway “Green Mile” of licensed outlets “in a fully stocked limo” with your own “cannabis concierge.” At CannaCamp in Durango (cannacamp.co), adult campers get to cook, paint, do yoga and massage, hike, learn how to blow glass and gather around a stony bonfire, all under the influence of the state’s finest cannabis. If you want to experience what really makes Colorado special, consider taking your stash up to a scenic overlook on Pike’s Peak or Mount Elbert to smoke out and meditate, far from the madding crowd. Washington State Since Initiative 502 passed in 2012, the Evergreen State has also emerged as a canna-tourism draw. Washington Weed Tourism (washingtonweedtourism.com) offers the Recreational Cannabis Directory to “provide tourists, residents and industry professionals with the best possible information about recreational cannabis in Washington State.” Kush Tourism
The majestic Mt. Ranier is just 85 miles southeast of Seattle. www.freedomleaf.com 33
provides a similar directory for Seattle, as well as guided tours around the Emerald City (see Becky Harrison’s article on page 51). Seattle Hempfest, held every August (this year on Aug. 14–16) along the city’s waterfront parklands, is the biggest cannabis event in the world, with scores of bands performing for three days. The festival now boasts special I-502-compliant lounge areas where attendees can imbibe in public legally (see “Seattle Hempfest History” on page 46).
Across Puget Sound to the West rise the Olympic Mountains, where psilocybin mushrooms can be had for the picking. In September, the Bumbershoot alternative music and arts festival takes place at Seattle Center, built for the city’s 1962 World’s Fair, along with the iconic Space Needle. A trip up the Space Needle on a clear day offers a great view of the spectacular geography, and whets your appetite for excursions. Right next door is the Experience Music Project Museum (empmuseum.org) designed by Frank Gehry, which is not to be missed. South of Seattle and inland, majestic Mount Rainer dominates the landscape. Across Puget Sound to the West rise the Olympic Mountains, cloaked in coniferous rainforest. Psilocybin mushrooms can be 34 www.freedomleaf.com
had for the picking in this verdant preserve, but you’re advised to consult a trained mycologist before gobbling fresh caps. California The Golden State has long been a leader of U.S. cannabis culture. It was among the first to decriminalize, in 1975, and the very first to pass a medical marijuana law, in 1996. But it still hasn’t legalized, as Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska have done. Technically, you have to be a state resident to buy at the state’s medical dispensaries. Nonetheless, some cannabis tourism hotspots have emerged. Foremost among these is Oakland— home to dispensaries like Harborside Health Center (harborsidehealthcenter.com) and the famous Oaksterdam University (oaksterdamuniversity.com), a “cannabis college” for growers and entrepreneurs. Last summer, Los Angeles held its first-ever marijuana farmers’ market—officially the California Heritage Market—although it was ordered closed by a judge after several days. The state’s cannabis heartland remains the Emerald Triangle along the North Coast and its inland mountains. The Emerald Cup (theemeraldcup.com) is held every December. For a botanical excursion, drive up Highway 101 to Mendocino and Humboldt counties, Above photos: The iconic Seattle skyline in Washington; Christiania in Copenhagen; and row houses on a canal in Amsterdam.
famed for mighty redwoods and impressive hybrid Kush varieties. EUROPE The Netherlands The Netherlands, of course, has led the way in cannabis tourism since Amsterdam established its tolerant policy in the 1970s, leading to a proliferation of coffeeshops drawing international hippies and alterno-tourists. Now the country’s political right has been trying to reverse this progress. A 2012 law bars foreigners from purchasing cannabis at coffeeshops. But the backlash has only taken hold in more conservative Maastricht and other areas on the Belgian border, where weekend warriors from Belgium, France and Germany have long upset city officials. Amsterdam remains its loose and funky self, with the law largely unenforced—due to pressure from the city’s businesses that view cannabis tourism as a cash cow. However, new regulations have seen the closure of such famed shops as Homegrown Fantasy, The Grasshopper and Abraxas. This conservative backlash has also been felt in squatter evictions in Amsterdam. But it remains Europe’s most open city. Denmark Cannabis is illegal in Denmark, but Copenhagen’s city government wants to follow in the footsteps of Amsterdam and has been pressuring the national government to lighten up. In 2011, the city council
overwhelmingly approved a measure to legalize cannabis locally, but the following year the national government nixed it— despite a left-leaning ruling coalition. Christiania, the famous autonomous squatter community on an abandoned military base in the center of Copenhagen, has been pushing the city’s cultural limits since it was established in 1971. “Freetown,” as it’s known, was actually recognized as a special self-governing unit under the city’s 1989 “Christiania Law.” Christiania hosted a vigorous cannabis trade until a crackdown that began about 10 years ago and continues today. So the scene isn’t as open as it once was on Pusher Street. Still, if you’re reasonably sharp, you should be able to find what you need to enhance an afternoon of appreciating the Renaissance splendors of Rosenborg Castle and Frederiksborg Palace. Spain Long the gateway to Europe for Moroccan hashish, Spain has emerged over the past 10 years as one of the continent’s main high-grade cannabis hubs, now rivaling The Netherlands. Principal cultivation zones are Andalusia, Murcia, Catalonia, Aragon and especially Valencia—which the Guardia Civil has described as “a jungle of cannabis.” The freewheeling Mediterranean port city of Barcelona vies with Amsterdam as Europe’s premier cannabis scene, with a proliferation of clubs where merrymakers openly light up. Spanish law allows private www.freedomleaf.com 35
cannabis use, and for users to unite in nonprofit associations to smoke together. As Amsterdam has imposed restrictions on cannabis cafés, the number of clubs in Spain has surged from some 40 in 2010 to more than 700 today—more than half in Barcelona. However, the clubs are not a real option for tourists. Barcelona has never been the same since the development blitz that preceded the 1992 Olympics, but is still one of Europe’s most liberated cities. The visionary architecture of Antoni Gaudí (who was, ironically, a conservative Catholic) makes it a notoriously great town for tripping around with a good sativa head. MIDDLE EAST/AFRICA Yemen and East Africa If you made it to Yemen before the country was engulfed in war, consider yourself lucky. A beautiful and traditionally peaceful nation with ancient archeological sites is now being torn apart in a multisided conflict between Shi’ite rebels, Sunni tribesmen, forces aligned with al-Qaeda and ISIS, regional separatists and the weak and divided government. In the usual irony, both sides in the bitter Sunni-Shi’ite divide—equally intolerant of hashish smokers and khat chewers, and
equally eager to behead them or stone them to death—are turning to the drug trade to fund their arsenals. So hash may be more available in Yemen than in the past, but not for a good reason. A mildly stimulating leaf that’s traditionally chewed in Yemen, khat is now being rejected by fundamentalists (Sunni and Shi’ite) as an intoxicant. Still, it remains legal, and Yemen is something of a haven, as the U.K. just followed the U.S. in banning imports of the leaves. Once available in Arab and East African immigrant communities in New York and London, it’s now largely confined to its war-torn heartland. Kenya and Ethiopia, where the leaf is also grown legally, are safer alternatives to Yemen, and also have much to offer in terms of wildlife, scenery and culture. But be aware that Kenya has some of the harshest cannabis laws on Earth— despite being a major producer of that, too. THE CARIBBEAN Jamaica In February, Jamaica’s Parliament made history, voting in a law that decriminalized the possession of small amounts of cannabis and established a licensing
Overlooking Playa de Las Teresitas, north of the village of San Andrés, in Tenerife, Spain.
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agency to regulate a newly lawful marijuana industry. The bill straddles the line between decrim and outright legalization, as it retains token penalties for possession but foresees licensed production and distribution. Rising drug-related violence helped prompt Parliament to finally take the plunge and start reforming the prohibitionist model. Obvious attractions in Kingston include the Bob Marley Museum at 56 Hope Road (bobmarleymuseum.com) and the Tuff Gong record label storefront (with a big vinyl collection for old-school types). Rasta culture pilgrims will also be tempted to hang out in Trenchtown, the impoverished central district that Marley and the Wailers hailed from—but be forewarned that it still lives up to its tough reputation. Rae Town, along the waterfront, is another center of reggae and Rasta culture, but not quite as edgy. Rising just east of Kingston are the towering, forestcloaked Blue Mountains—famous for both the local coffee and ganja. A pilgrimage to Marley’s resting place in Nine Mile is a highlight. Music lovers will want to time their trip for Reggae Sumfest, the big midsummer festival held in Montego Bay. Another attraction is Negril, on the Western corner of the island, where ganja is plentiful and cheap for beachgoing travelers. SOUTH AMERICA Uruguay and Argentina In December 2013, Uruguay became the first country in the world to legalize marijuana. The small South American nation started registering growers’ clubs last October. Talk of cheap legal pot (a dollar a gram) has dominated the news. But that will only apply for locals, when it’s made available through regulated stores sometime this year or next; to purchase herb in Uruguay, you’ll need to be born there or a permanent resident. Montevideo is not going to be the next Amsterdam, the
The Bob Marley statue at Nine Mile, Jamaica.
country’s leaders insist. But from Montevideo or the resort town of Punta del Este, you can hop across the broad mouth of the Río de la Plata to Buenos Aires—which is emerging as the real capital of cannabis culture in the Southern Cone. Argentina decriminalized cannabis via a court ruling in 2008. Every November since 2001, a Copa www.freedomleaf.com 37
Cannábica—cannabis cup—has been held in La Plata, capital of Buenos Aires Province, bringing together connoisseurs and enthusiasts from around the continent. Paraguay This landlocked country is the continent’s top marijuana producer by far, having overtaken Colombia as the main supplier to Brazil and Argentina. In fact, Uruguayan legalization was partly designed to undercut Paraguay’s outlaw producers, with their links to violent Brazilian criminal networks. But Paraguayan pot can be more easily found in the streets of Rio de Janeiro than in Paraguay’s own capital and chief city, Asunción. If you’re intent on going, Paraguay is certainly “virgin” and well off South America’s Gringo Trail. The Gran Chaco wilderness in the West, a vast expanse of grasslands and desert, is one of the most remote parts of the continent. And the country’s second-biggest city, Ciudad del Este, is a jumping-off point to see one of South America’s true wonders—the magnificent Iguazu Falls on the BrazilArgentina border. ASIA India India’s prohibitive drug laws don’t stand much chance of wiping out a 4,000-year tradition of cannabis use in the country. Bhang thandai—an almond-flavored yogurt shake blended 38 www.freedomleaf.com
with bhang (a traditional preparation of dried, crushed and gently roasted cannabis)—is widely served, everywhere from upper-class private parties to street revelries during the Hindu spring festival of Holi. On that day, its use is completely acceptable for all adults, from youths to grandparents. During Shivaratri—the festival honoring Shiva, which falls on the moonless nights of Phalgun month (from early February to early March)—it’s practically a duty for devotees of the god of destruction to partake in bhang, which is sold for ritual consumption through government-licensed outlets. On the other hand, smoking hashish or herbaceous pot carries a social stigma, and is left to the sadhus (spiritual seekers) and hippies. And it’s illegal, even if the sadhus consider their use devotional. The place most associated with sacred herb is Varanasi, the ancient city on the Ganges whose special deity is Shiva. But terrorist attacks have made it dangerous to visit. The good news is that if these bombings were intended to spark Hindu-Muslim communal violence in Varanasi, they failed. Another worthy trip is to Minali, home to the country’s best charas (handpressed hash). Nepal Rocked by a massive earthquake in April, Kathmandu and other cities in Nepal are still dealing with the devastation. Kathmandu is
home base for backpacking excursions into the Himalayas, and also has a long tradition of hashish and bhang use. Cannabis was outlawed in Nepal in 1973, when the country brought its legal code into conformity with the Single Convention Treaty. Hippie tourists ironically started arriving at just about this time, establishing an enclave in the area of Jochne Street—today known as “Freak Street.” The new hippie scene is now in the Thamel district, and bhang lassis can be had in both areas—illegal but tolerated, as long as discretion is exercised. Nepal is also still recovering from years of civil war. A Maoist insurgency emerged in the late ’90s, followed by the predictable bloody repression. Under a June 2006 peace deal, the Maoists agreed to lay down arms in exchange for their right to stand in free elections. Peace has held since then, but much of the countryside remains bitterly divided. If you’d like to help with the earthquake relief effort, go to engage.rescue.org. Afghanistan Opium is booming in Afghanistan, with production in recent years breaking all previous records—despite some $7 billion spent by the U.S. to combat it over the past decade. The narco economy in Afghanistan has followed the fortunes of war. The Taliban carried out a draconian campaign against opium and hashish when they were in power, while the Northern Alliance
turned to poppy and cannabis to fund their insurgency. Now the Taliban are again in insurgency—and doubtless getting their hands dirty with drugs. Cannabis cultivation rises every time gains against opium succeed. But hashish was far more freely available back in the ’60s and ’70s when the hippies started visiting, and before the war and rise of fundamentalism. The northern city of Balkh was especially famed for its charas bazaars, but the Mujahideen and Taliban have long since cleared these out. Like most of Afghanistan’s cities, Balkh also hosts historical treasures— such as the 9th century Masjid-e-Noh Gumbad, the country’s earliest Islamic monument. But the Taliban destroyed Sufi shrines and Buddhist monuments as “idolatry,” so the country’s archeological heritage is the poorer now. A trip to Balkh to seek out the remnants of its cannabis culture might tempt the intrepid, but be forewarned—being too indiscrete in your probings could result in you getting stoned in a very literal sense. Bill Weinberg is the author of Cannabis Trips: A Global Guide That Leaves No Turn Unstoned and other books. He produces the websites Global Ganja Report and World War 4 Report. Above photos: Iguazu Falls on the Brazil-Argentina border; a man chews khat in Yemen; and Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, before the earthquake. www.freedomleaf.com 39
Photo byby William Adams Photo MichelF.Bonwin
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The Freedom Leaf Interview: Rick Steves By Steve Bloom Tall, dashing and talkative, Rick Steves has a way of getting your attention. His PBS show, Rick Steves’ Europe, is how most people know him. There’s also his weekly National Public Radio program, Travel with Rick Steves, and his dozens of popular travel guidebooks, including Travel as a Political Act. With all of his mainstream success, you might not expect Steves to endorse NORML and campaign for legalization in Washington and Oregon—but that’s exactly what he’s done, placing his career in the cannabis crosshairs. He regularly gives keynotes at pot conferences, and speaks at the Seattle Hempfest. Born and based in Edmunds, Wash., Steves, at 60, is content to live in the Pacific Northwest— as long as he gets to spend about four months a year in Europe. Which are the most cannabis-friendly countries in Europe? Spain, The Netherlands and the Czech Republic are pretty cool that way. What are the biggest mistakes Americans make when traveling to Europe? Three of many would be: They let crowdsourcing dictate many of their decisions; they pack too heavy; and they don’t do the homework it takes to avoid crowds. Most would consider a trip to England, France, Germany, Spain or Italy, but what are some of the more out-of-theway European countries that should be considered? I love Turkey, Portugal and Ireland... the fringes. Sure, you’ve got to see the big blockbuster sights, but the warm welcome and lower prices you’ll receive
off the beaten path can make that a great part of your travels. You recommend independent adventure travel over group tours. How would you describe the former? I teach people how to travel on their own... equipping themselves with good information and expecting themselves to travel smart—they do! You can take an organized bus tour, for the economy and efficiency of going as a group, but if you want to go on your own, you certainly can. You started out as a hippie backpacker. Now that you’re quite a bit older, how do you retain that flavor in your current travels? I understand that, so often, you experience more by spending less. I still travel pretty much as I always have. The big difference with plenty of money is that I can eat better and use my time more efficiently, like hire private guides when out and about, hop in a taxi when I like and order higher on the menu in nicer places to eat. As you write in Travel as a Political Act, the conservative government in The Netherlands has been cracking down on coffeeshops. Even the High Times Cannabis Cup was banned last November. Is the Golden Age of legal marijuana over in Holland? The U.S. is pressuring the federal government, neighboring countries don’t want “leakage” and Dutch conservative and Christian groups are intent on rolling back civil liberties. But the mayors are defending the status quo because they believe the consequence of more regressive www.freedomleaf.com 41
Rick Steves bikes around Amsterdam.
laws is violence and turf wars on their streets—something mayors have to deal with. I think the mayors are winning. You devote quite a few pages in the book to Christiania, known for its Pusher Street, in Copenhagen. Efforts have been made to permanently shut down the community. How has Christiania managed to survive? Christiania is a tough and beloved Danish community. Stamping it out thoroughly would be politically dangerous for any politician in Denmark. It’s always to the brink, and then a compromise emerges. I expect to enjoy mellow evenings in Christiania for the rest of my life. Many view Spain as the next Holland when it comes to marijuana. What are your thoughts on the cannabis culture there? I like the Spanish approach: You can’t sell or buy pot, but you can grow it for personal use. There are plenty of grow shops and lots of growing co-ops where those 42 www.freedomleaf.com
without green thumbs can get their weed legally. It keeps the big business interests at bay and allows for the civil liberty of adults smoking pot. Portugal has earned an extremely tolerant reputation with its reversal on drug prohibition. Why has this worked in Portugal? Portugal has an approach more like LEAP [Law Enforcement Against Prohibition], believing that it’s counterproductive to criminalize any drug, hard or soft. After 10 years, they have an impressive track record, and I understand that even the political parties that originally opposed “Law 90,” as it’s called now, support it. Take the crime out of the equation, and treat drug abuse as an education and health challenge. I like that. As I’ve contended in the U.S., when you legalize pot, use will not go up substantially. That’s what Portugal has found 10 years after legalizing all drugs. Use is not up, crime is down and they saved lots of money in law enforcement.
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Steves has his own travel show on NPR.
Which will be the next European country to legalize or decriminalize marijuana or all illicit drugs? I’m impressed by how varied European countries are with their drug policies. Some are more regressive than the U.S., while others are more progressive. The big news now is that they’re looking to the U.S. for inspiration, implied permission and lessons from our own experience— and we’re providing all of the above. Jamaica recently passed a new decriminalization law. Uruguay has legalized marijuana. Do you expect this to spread to other countries in the Western Hemisphere? Now that four of our 50 states have some form of legalized recreational pot, places like Jamaica, Uruguay and others are emboldened to stand up against the U.S. and its extortionist treaties that require other countries to wage trade sanctions on those who legalize pot. As an internationalist, one of the sweetest results of our 44 www.freedomleaf.com
victory in Washington State was knowing that it would be tougher for our federal government to enforce its stance on other countries when our own states are ending the prohibition within the U.S. Marijuana is now legal in Washington State, thanks in large part to your efforts. But, due to high taxes, former Governor Gary Johnson has said, “The worst-case scenario is playing out in Washington State.” Now that it’s been a year since legal sales began, how’s taxation and regulation going? The worst-case scenario would be the old status quo, with 10,000 Washingtonians a year having run-ins with the law for nonviolent marijuana offenses. I fully expected bumps in the road as we tried to do something no other political entity has ever done—that is, not “decriminalize” marijuana and look the other way, but actually legalize, regulate and tax it. I hope Gary Johnson can help other states learn from our heroic experience
and do better. In the meantime, Washington State is a leader in drug policy reform and far better off, even with the bumps in the progress, than we would have been if I-502 had failed. Do you have any regrets about how I-502 was worded? Our priority was to win. With the momentum we created along with Colorado, Oregon and Alaska, we’re now being taken seriously. With a critical mass of states where recreational pot is legal, it’s
“Take the crime out of the equation and treat drug abuse as an education and health challenge. I like that.” tougher for fear-mongering and regressive forces in media and government to roll it back. Anyone would love the ability to write a law for their cause aggressive enough to win just 51%. But nobody can predict that. We got 56%. In retrospect, we probably could have included home grow, but that also could have meant defeat. I’m patient about all of this, and try to look at it in the context of a nationwide movement. Washington State was the first against great odds. Ten years from now, when Americans are no longer in jail on pot charges, society will look back and thank us. When you were involved with I-502 in Washington State, what kind of reaction did you receive? I framed our cause in such a way that any reasonable citizen—who took the time to learn about it—could respect our stance. Some disagreed, but we were clearly working for civil liberties, smart law and fiscal responsibility, and against a racist, expensive law built on fear
and misunderstanding. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the notoriety my activism on drug policy reform has earned me. To this day, people—not understanding that I was just a public face of a talented, hardworking team of many amazing people—see me on the street and say, “Hey, Rick, thanks for legalizing pot!” Many celebs and marijuana luminaries such as yourself are getting in on the Green Rush—i.e., Gary Johnson, Willie Nelson, Tommy Chong, the Marley family. Have you been approached by any cannabis businesses to be part of their brand? I’m approached all the time. I really have no interest in making a penny from pot being legal. And I have huge respect for drug policy reformers who are motived not by financial profit, but by civil liberties and the other altruistic and moral dimensions of this issue. It is these reformers who inspire me. You also campaigned on behalf of Measure 91 in Oregon, which passed last November. Will you lend your support to other efforts, such as in California? If California can come up with a law that emphasizes public safety and respects the legitimate concerns of people who don’t like pot—a law that, rather than being “pro-pot,” is something that can be embraced by the community at large, including law enforcement—then I hope to give lots of money and lots of my time to help it win. I spent about 20 days on the road explaining the wisdom of legalizing, taxing and regulating marijuana, and spent half a million dollars, on the campaigns in Washington and Oregon. I’d love to at least match those totals in California. Now that we have four legal states, which states do you think will become the next few to legalize it? continued on page 58 www.freedomleaf.com 45
Seattle Hempfest History It’s been 24 years since Seattle’s Peace Heathens launched the festival that has grown into the world’s largest cannabis event. By Vivian McPeak In the fall of 1991, a rogue, insurgent cannabis event emerged in the Emerald City of Seattle, an event poised to transform the model of the American pot rally into a massive and sophisticated “protestival” capable of influencing regional and national public policy. The seeds of the Seattle Hempfest were sown a year earlier at the Peaceworks Park Peace Vigil, a six-month-long continuous occupation of Gasworks Park that ’60s icons Timothy Leary and Allen Ginsberg both visited. Fresh out of the scorched-earth rhetoric of Ronald Reagan’s ’80s Drug War, and after holding a legalization rally that year in Seattle’s downtown retail core featuring the late pot activist and author Jack Herer, my fellow organizers and I knew we had to ramp it up to the next level with something big.
We decided on the aptly named Volunteer Park as the venue for the first Seattle Hempfest (originally called the Washington Hemp Expo) in 1991. Much of the original staff consisted of about 20 volunteer members of the Seattle Peace Heathens Community Action Group. When we got to the venue in the morning, we were concerned that so many homeless people were sleeping in the park. As the event got underway, we discovered that they were not homeless, but were people who had traveled far to attend. A patchwork PA system blasted the message, and we placed two large, budding sinsemilla plants on the stage. Activists, patients, attorneys and authors, including Herer (who missed only one Hempfest),
The huge Hempfest crowd in 1999 at Myrtle Edwards Park. Photo by Tony Lilly
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addressed the throng of about 500 people as the sun shone brightly down. The next year the event was renamed Seattle Hempfest, and over 2,000 hempsters attended. The Herbivores performed that year, eventually becoming the house band. By 1993, Hempfest was attracting as many as 5,000 attendees, and we knew we were rapidly outgrowing our humble venue. At this stage we had not yet detected any visible police presence. In 1994, we relocated to Gasworks Park, ironically the site of an old petroleum plant, its rusty, twisted infrastructure still in place. Featuring the female punk band 7 Year Bitch, Hempfest brought out 15,000 people, creating snarled traffic for miles around. The mosh pit during 7 Year Bitch’s performance gave us a serious scare, as attendees crowdsurfed and dove from the stage like doobies being thrown to the crowd. This was the last year before Hempfest formed a formal, city-approved security force, and began charging fees for vending. As the event grew exponentially in size and notoriety, the cost of production and promotion took off, as well. The need for sound equipment, staging, scaffolding, radios and advertising required the introduction of benefit events and merchandising to offset Hempfest’s monetary demands. Famed Seattle clubs such as the Ditto Tavern, Crocodile Cafe, Rkcndy, Off Ramp Cafe, Weathered Wall, Under the Rail and OK Hotel all opened their doors to help raise green energy for the cause. In order to meet the new demands of our special events permit, we spent many months negotiating with the Seattle PD, the Parks Department and neighborhood groups. With assistance from the ACLU, these negotiations ended up requiring us to purchase a $1,000,000 insurance Woody Harrelson was the main attraction at the 2003 Hempfest. Photo by A.P. Lilly www.freedomleaf.com 47
policy; hire licensed, bonded and insured security; have an on-site ambulance and paid EMTs; and submit emergency evacuation plans. In 1995, we moved to our current home, Myrtle Edwards Park, on the downtown Seattle waterfront, in clear view of the iconic Space Needle. It was in this location that Hempfest began its conversion into the multifaceted protestival that it is today. The crowd of 15,000 repeated the previous year’s attendance. The event gradually expanded to 1.5 miles over three waterfront parks, with six
Ever-increasing crowds led to expansion to a two-day event in 2001. The highlight was Woody Harrelson taking the stage at 4:20. stages of music and speakers, and over 400 arts, crafts, food and informational vendors. Today, the Hempfest volunteer force has grown to 1,000 strong, and the event site is staffed continuously for the 11 days it takes to load in, protest and tear down for cleanup. Comprehensive permit-related plans must be submitted and approved each year, encompassing construction, evacuation, security, traffic, parking, first aid, sanitation and lost-child protocols. A detailed minute-by-minute production schedule must be closely adhered to, and politics requires that I and other organizers meet annually with community and business organizations to address their concerns. In 1998, Washingtonians voted in favor of I-692, which legalized medical marijuana. Hempfest ’99 was the last of the century, and tens of thousands of cannabis supporters came out to show 48 www.freedomleaf.com
the world that the Pacific Northwest is a bastion of political awareness and activism. The same year that the WTO protests paralyzed Seattle with property damage and violence, Hempfest maintained its reputation as a civil, orderly demonstration against the Drug War. Ever-increasing crowds led to expansion to a two-day event in 2001. The highlight was Woody Harrelson taking the stage Sunday at 4:20 to address the screaming crowd of 100,000. In 2003, Hempfest served as a victory party for the Pacific Northwest pot movement as I-75 won by a considerable margin, making marijuana possession the lowest police priority in Seattle. In 2011, a third day was added to Hempfest, which is free to attend. Washington’s initiative to legalize cannabis, I-502, qualified for the 2012 ballot, but the heavy restrictions it mandated fractured
Rick Steves speaks at the 2010 Hempfest. Photo by Vivian McPeak
the Northwest reform community. The Hempfest Core Group was evenly divided, influencing our board to take a shocking neutral position on the initiative. Despite the divisiveness, I-502 passed decisively. That year, we moved into our current Hempfest Central offices and opened the Hemp Boutique 420 Culture Store at 12351 Lake City Way. Since that time the organization and event have grown tremendously; we currently have 119 crews under six departments, led by 125 coordinators. Event sponsorships usually came in the form of media trades until 2006, but have become more diverse since then, and they’ve risen dramatically in the past four years, with THCF as our longest-standing title sponsor. Memberships, which we began offering in 2011, have grown from 400 to 800 new members per year, plus another 400 “trial memberships”
per year, helping to generate the nearly $1 million it takes to produce the annual event. Hempfest’s multiple stages now host over 120 musical acts and 100 guest speakers annually. Our award-winning posters have been created by an array of stellar artists, including Larry Steiner, Jamie Sheehan and Art Chantry, Tom Erdmann, Cory and Catska Ench, Scott McDougall, Stanley Mouse and Ernie Cefalu. The 100% hemp burlap 7 Year Bitch poster from the 1994 Hempfest hangs in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Hempfest speakers have included Harrelson, Herer, travel expert and cannabis advocate Rick Steves (see the Freedom Leaf Interview on page 46), former Nirvana bassist Krist Novoselic, U.S. Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, former U.S. Rep. Dennis Kucinich, former U.S. Sen. continued on page 72 www.freedomleaf.com 49
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Taking Seattle Now that marijuana is legal in Washington State, there’s plenty to see and do on the city’s Kush Tour. By Becky Garrison As the legalization of cannabis has moved from a pipe dream to reality, Michael Gordon and Chase Noble have shifted their energies from leading kayaking tours in the Pacific Northwest to offering behind-the-scene tours of Seattle’s cannabis culture and industry. Founded in 2013, Kush Tourism remains one of the
few companies operating in Washington State that offers visitors and residents a relaxed, safe and legal means of immersing oneself in the world of legal marijuana. On Memorial Day, my friend Don and I went on their three-and-a-half-hour Kush Tour. This particular trek affords cannabis connoisseurs an experience akin to a high-end winery or coffee plantation tour, enabling participants to learn the ins and outs of the industry, from farm to table. Led by Noble, our adventure starts at the Boro School, Seattle’s premier flameworking school and workshop, located at 7 Point Studios in the Central District. Here, studio owner and in-house artist Nathan Aweida (a.k.a. Nate Dizzle) crafts custommade glass pipes, such as the smokable Swiss Guitar featured on the cover of the April 2014 issue of Northwest Leaf. During
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Sky High Gardens' 30,000-square-foot grow facility. Photo by Becky Garrison
the tour, apprentice Erin Bourguignon demonstrates how she crafts one of her colored glass pipes, walking us through the process of shaping the pipe’s mouthpiece, bowl and carb, and adding colored glass to create a singular creation. Next, we take off in the Kush Tourism van, which is nicely loaded with snacks and beverages. Despite the stoner hits playing in the background, this is not one of those brewery-style tours where sampling is the main objective. Rather, the goal appears to be educating us about the nuances of the legal recreational cannabis market. We’re off to Harbor Island for a tour of Sky High Gardens, a Tier 3 commercial production facility. Master grower Jill Lane
leads guests around the 30,000-squarefoot mega-grow, which has the distinction of being one of the largest cultivation facilities licensed by the State of Washington. Instead of attempting to market a wide range of offerings, Lane says they produce only top-shelf buds, and hand-pack 12,000 joints weekly that can be purchased at select rec shops. They expect to produce about 2,500 pounds of cannabis in 2015. While Lane navigates us through the over 3,000 marijuana plants in various stages of growth, I feel like a kid touring Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory as we explore the dizzying array of sativa, indica and hybrid strains. We’re not allowed to sample, but Lane encourages us to sniff the varieties, ranging from the subtle Seattle Haze to the dank, musty scent of indica-dominant Dutch Treat. Our next stop is a tour of Analytical 360, Washington’s first laboratory certified for testing recreational cannabis. A technician walks us through the testing process: After taking a photograph of the sample, they identify and measure Left: Jill Lane inspects the crop as tour guide Chase Noble looks on. Photos by Becky Garrison
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perusing the options, I purchase a gram of Dutch Treat and a bottle of Legal Beverages’ cannabis-infused lemon and ginger sparkling soda. Finally, our tour concludes with a trip back to 7 Point Studios for an opportunity to partake of our purchases. I put a half-gram of Dutch Treat into the Volcano vaporizer that they keep on-site for
Analytical 360 Lab Manager Caitlin Reece. Photo by Becky Garrison
the amount of total cannabidiol (CBD), tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), cannabinol (CBN), cannabichromene (CBC) and cannabigerol (CBG), and also measure the terpene content (linalool, myrcene, limonene, terpinolene, pinene). These key cannabinoids and terpenes give cannabis its many medicinal properties, as well as its taste and aroma. Upon completion of testing, each sample is given a card—resembling a baseball card—with a photograph of the sample and the lab results. For example, on Feb. 21, Sky High Garden’s Dutch Treat recorded 20.43% total THC, 0.22% total CBD and a 0.76% activated total. (The activated total is the combined value of THC, CBD, CBN, CBG and CBC.) Then we travel to the SoDo district to check out the Seattle Cannabis Company’s selection of edibles, flowers, concentrates, topicals and other cannabis products, along with a limited selection of vape pens, pipes and other related paraphernalia. Their budtenders offer expert advice to help me choose the products that will work best for my needs. After
I feel like a kid touring Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory as we explore the dizzying array of sativa, indica and hybrid strains. visitors to use. After just two puffs, Don and I achieve a mellow yet potent head high that jibes with the aroma at Sky High Gardens. “Consuming cannabis has been a pain for travelers visiting both Colorado and Washington since the legalization,” Noble tells me. “We give them the guidance they need, and provide them with places they can stay where it’s safe to consume. Also, we rent vaporizers for discrete consumption.” The Kush Tour is offered every day at 11 a.m., contingent upon demand. Presently, Kush Tourism averages three or four Kush Tours a week. The intimate size enables visitors to have an interactive,
The Bacon Mansion, Seattle’s 420-friendly bed and breakfast on Capital Hill. www.freedomleaf.com 53
Photo by Becky Garrison
up-close, personalized experience. At a cost of $150 per person, the tour tends to attract reasonably affluent tourists over the age of 30, with most between 40 and 55. As many on the tour have little or no connection to the cannabis culture, the guides serve as a walking encyclopedia, educating individuals about how to experience the best legal highs Seattle can offer.
Despite the stoner hits playing in the background, this is not one of those brewery-style tours where sampling is the main objective. Other day trips offered by Kush Tourism include a Grow-Op Tour, focusing exclusively on Sky High Gardens, and a cannabis-friendly painting class, Toke ’n’ Brush, as well as private tours. They also help visitors find places where they can consume their products, and help them book cannabis-friendly lodging at establishments such as the Bacon Mansion, a B&B with 11 rooms that serves an 54 www.freedomleaf.com
elegant breakfast. While staying at the Bacon Mansion, guests can consume their cannabis products in the tastefully decorated outdoor patio, replete with wrought-iron furniture, lovely flowers and greenery. In addition, Kush Tourism offers vacation packages that include lodging and a tour of Seattle’s cannabis scene, as well as direct transportation to and from the Seattle-Tacoma Airport and the Seattle Cruise Ship Terminals to a local retail cannabis shop. Further, Kush Tourism’s Seattle Cannabis Tourist Map, available in many Seattle hotels, lists glass shops, cannabis retail stores and attractions in the greater Seattle area. Future plans include expanding their tour operations to Oregon and Alaska, once these states have recreational cannabis available for sale, as well as offering some tourist services in Colorado. In Seattle, they’re booked most days in the summer months during the height of tourist season, with visitors coming from around the world to experience the legal high in the Pacific Northwest. For more info, go to kushtourism.com. Becky Garrison is a freelance writer based in Portland, Ore. Find her at beckygarrison.com.
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Best Buds
From Gorilla Glue #4 to Trigerian, here are some of the top strains of 2015. By Rick Pfrommer Modern cannabis breeders continue to innovate, introducing impressive strains at a staggering rate. Especially in legal states, patients and adult users are able to access a variety of cannabis that boggles the imagination. Working with the best genetics from Afghanistan to Africa, to Colombia and beyond, today’s breeders continue to bring us new and wonderful versions of the plant we all love so much. As I predicted a couple of years ago, top-selling strain Girl Scout Cookies has developed into prime breeding stock, and has given cannabis growers a strong indica-dominant parent to work with. Not everyone is a fan of Cookies, though; several top-notch growers I know stay far away from this strain due to its strong tendency to turn hermaphrodite. (Herms usually occur due to stress; but some strains, including Thais, have this tendency regardless of conditions.) These folks aside, many breeders have decided to incorporate Cookies’ signature minty
Gorilla Glue #4
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flavor and dense, rocky bud structure into their programs. Platinum Cookies was one of the first crosses to make a splash. Platinum Kush crossed with Cookies adds the fuely notes that OGs are famous for, as well as increases the yield. Other versions are soon to follow. Blueberry and Strawberry Cookies, anyone? The Cookie Fam, led by up-and-coming rapper Berner, are never content to rest on their buds, and 2014 saw the release of several new additions. Sherbet came first, bringing more OG into the mix, soon followed by Gelato. The exact parentage of their strains is a closely held family secret, so it’s fun to guess what their genetics might be. Gelato, with its intense fruitiness—and perhaps Blueberry or Strawberry Cough crossed in—is my favorite. The nose is all berries, while the smoke is a balance of fruit and aroma. Sherbet is also a great addition to the wide world of cannabis, with a much stronger OG-type Lemon Pledge flavor that’s balanced with a smoother, less expansive smoke. Cookie
Nigerian, courtesy of MedicalMarijuana Reviews.com
Fam’s latest release, hardly available yet, is Wedding Cake. One of the most hyped strains of 2014–2015 has been Gorilla Glue #4, winner of the 2014 SoCal High Times Cannabis Cup; the Internet chat rooms have also been abuzz about this cross of Chem Sis, Sour Dubb and Chocolate Diesel. The appearance is amazing, with light green medium-density buds absolutely covered in trichomes. The smell has notes of its Chem and Sour D parentage, but with a richer, chocolaty finish. Seeing breeders branch out from the heavily fuel-dominated strains of the last several years is refreshing. The Glue offers a mixture of strong body effects from the Diesel and more uplifting ones from its Sour and Chem parentage. Overall, Gorilla Glue #4 is a well-balanced example of the modern art and science of breeding, and a welcome addition to the scene. This year has again seen many upand-coming companies continue to make their mark with new additions and reworked versions of classics. Aficionado Seed Company, from Mendocino, Calif., made a big splash at last year’s Emerald Cup with their Black Lime Reserve. A heady cross of old-school Mendo Black Lime and Chem Dog, this strain really smells of ripe limes. Never a strain to be overshadowed, the Chem, as usual, comes through with its
Black Lime Reserve concentrate
distinctive sour bite. Think Sweetart’s Shockers, and you’ll have an idea. African strains are becoming increasingly popular, and Swamp Boy Seeds, a relatively new company out of Santa Cruz, Calif., came through big this year with crosses of Nigerian. The people behind this new company are longtime breeders and growers originally from Florida who love working with difficult, exotic strains. They originally brought the White to the West Coast, and have gone on to create many outstanding strains, including Trigerian (Nigerian crossed with Triangle Kush). The taste is classic African sativa, spicy and peppery with a strong Kush undertone. Flowering time on this strain can run 12 weeks, making it a real treat to get. Limegerian (Lime Kush crossed with Nigerian), another amazing cross that has recently been introduced, features a powerful lime nose and spicy-sweet citrus taste. Effects from both these Nigerian-influenced offerings tend toward the uplifting. Another characteristic of African strains is that they often have no ceiling to the effect, meaning you just keep getting higher. I can’t wait to see what comes next. Rick Pfrommer is former Director of Education and Outreach at Harborside Health Center in Oakland, Calif.
Gorilla Glue #4, courtesy of KindReviews.com www.freedomleaf.com 57
Rick Steves Interview continued from page 45
I wish I knew. But I hope they are not laws written and promoted by people who just want to cash in on the new business. I think California is due. And my fantasy? Texas. You’re on the board of directors of NORML. Recently, an International Business Times article stated that NORML has become marginalized due to other groups that are better-funded. How does NORML distinguish itself from these other groups? As I see it, this stems from one big question within the drug-reform community: Are we defending civil liberties or are we a lobby organization for people who want to make money selling pot legally? Many would say a little bit of both. My best friends at NORML see us as exclusively going to bat for the beautiful idea that we, as responsible adult Americans, have the
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civil liberty to smoke pot simply because it’s enjoyable. That’s why I love NORML and will continue to serve on its board with enthusiasm. How close are we to ending federal marijuana prohibition? Closer then we realize. With each passing year, we have a better and clearer track record showing that the truth is on our side. Corporations have no ethics on this issue, other than profit-maximizing in the short term for their stockholders. They’ll follow... just a few steps behind the public. And I believe politicians are similar. Once it becomes clear to fearful politicians that they’re behind the curve on this, they’ll flock to support it, just as they did with gay marriage. The key for messaging: This is not “pro-pot.” This is anti-prohibition! It’s about civil liberties and smart lawmaking. For more on Rick Steves, go to rick steves.com.
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NJ Weedman: From Zero to Hero
At NJ Weedman’s Joint in Trenton, the tireless marijuana activist shows that you can have your cake and eat it, too. By Chris Goldstein City Hall in Trenton, N.J. is located just a few blocks from the State House. The buildings near the gold-domed Capitol, the seat of state government, are pristine and occupied by lawyers, lobbying firms and politicians. But the area surrounding the city building is grittier. There are a few parking lots, some convenience stores and a half-block stretch of storefronts that until recently were vacant. Robert Edward Forchion, the activist long known as NJ Weedman, saw an opportunity. With some help and a motivated team, he’s transformed two adjacent buildings on East State St. into a buzzing restaurant, NJ Weedman’s Joint, and a sanctuary for cannabis consumers, Liberty Bell
Temple III—directly across the street from City Hall. “The last thing I’d have thought was I’d be the owner of a restaurant,” he says
Photos by Kana Grogan
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in the squeaky-clean kitchen. “Now I’ve got a place across the street from City Hall in the state capital. What have I been smoking?” The restaurant has eight tables, and deli cases filled with salads, desserts and fruit for the smoothies. The menu offers $4.20 and $7.10 platters, with a variety of wraps and barbecued chicken. There’s freshly brewed coffee and a breakfast menu, too. As we sit and chat, customers stream in; they’re a mixture of his many supporters and government workers from the surrounding office buildings. Forchion has been refurbishing the backyard patio, and he shows us around. Among newly grown grass and recently potted flowers is a large outdoor grill and a massive aquarium tank. “That’s where the crabs are going to go,” he explains. “We’re going to have a fish fry on Fridays and fresh crabs from the shore on Saturdays. People can scoop the crabs up from the tank and take them right to the pot.” Next door, the Liberty Bell Temple III is serving as a hangout for Garden State medical marijuana patients. Murals are being painted on the walls, and two Rastas are playing chess with elaborate hand-carved pieces on a big wooden board. Reggae music plays in the background, and the sweet smell of cannabis fills the air. “It’s a safe place for people to chill,” the proud proprietor exhales. Forchion has been a staple of news, politics and court cases in the Garden State for two decades. His journey from outspoken activist—often in trouble with the law—to respected local business owner has taken a long and winding road. Born in 1964 in nearby Atco, Forchion joined the Army after graduating from Edgewood High. He drove a truck for a living before an epiphany led him to change his name to NJ Weedman, and he started running for local office. He
traveled from town to town around the state, encouraging people to register to vote. A tall black man with long dreadlocks, Weedman stood out, not only for his looks, but also with a powerful and articulate message. In 1997, police intercepted a FedEx package containing 40 pounds of cannabis addressed to Forchion and arrested him for distribution. Three years later, he was convicted and sentenced to prison time. After sitting behind bars for 16 months, in 2002 Weedman was released on parole, and he immediately launched a campaign to win a congressional seat, crafting a television ad and buying airtime. But the authorities contended that the ad’s content violated his parole, and he was returned to jail. Forchion, several attorneys and the New Jersey ACLU fiercely argued a First Amendment case, and pleaded for a federal court to intervene. It took five months to win the appeal, during which the federal judge actually apologized to Forchion from the bench. www.freedomleaf.com 61
Weedman promptly relocated to California, where he opened the original Liberty Bell Temple, a Rastafarian haven and medical marijuana shop in Hollywood. Things went well for several years, during which time he frequently returned to the East Coast to visit his mother and his children. On one of those trips, in 2010, Weedman was pulled over by local police, who found a one-pound brick of marijuana in his trunk. In 2012, he won an acquittal from a jury on the most serious charges of distribution, racking up a major legal victory. But the Burlington County judge decided to sentence him to jail time for possession, which he was allowed to serve in increments in order to receive medical treatment for cancerous tumors in his legs. By 2015, he was off parole and appealing his conviction, while appearing frequently in the press. This year The Trentonian gave him a weekly column, and he started a chess group. Then, he had the bright idea of opening a restaurant on the blighted block across the street from City Hall. On July 3, Assemblyman Reed Gusciora, who represents Trenton and serves as a municipal prosecutor, stopped by NJ Weedman’s Joint to congratulate him on his new enterprise. Gusciora brought a surprise—a resolution passed by the legislature recognizing his achievement. “It is altogether proper and fitting for the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey to salute NJ Weedman’s Joint as a new member of the 62 www.freedomleaf.com
New Jersey business community,” the resolution reads. “The grand opening represents the culmination of an extensive planning and building process, which has been brought to fruition only through the extraordinary labors and efforts of a number of devoted people whose commitment to NJ Weedman’s Joint has been exceptional and unwavering.” How ironic that a marijuana activist with a rap sheet has risen from “zero to hero,” as Forchion puts it. Many locals have looked up to him for years as he’s defended himself against unjust prohibition laws, and weathered many a storm. “I have a potentially historic case before the New Jersey appeals court, where I’ve challenged the validity and constitutionality of the state medical versus criminal marijuana laws,” Weedman explains. “The legal landscape of marijuana changed in New Jersey on Jan. 18, 2010. That’s when Governor Jon Corzine signed the Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act.” The case is currently being considered, and could work its way up to the Supreme Court of New Jersey. “Now the criminal laws have to be amended to conform with this new reality,” he says. “Marijuana is a medicine, not a Schedule I drug. I believe my case will be a gamechanger. It will be the Roe v. Wade of marijuana in New Jersey.” But his eyes are also on a bigger prize. “Nationally, it’s snowballing,” Weedman declares. “The revolution I dreamed about 20 years ago is now a reality!”
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Hey, Dude: The SurferStoner Connection By Beth Mann “All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I’m fine.” — Jeff Spicoli, in Fast Times at Ridgemont High Smoking weed and surfing are definitely “high” on the list of activities that just naturally fit together. Both produce a warm, jelly-like state of mind where you feel at one with the world and generally stoked on life. But the similarities between surfers and stoners don’t end there. ▲ Surfers and stoners look alike. Surfers often look stoned simply because a day in bright sunlight and saltwater is sure to redden the eyes as surely as smoking a fatty. Both types can also be seen smiling a lot. Getting high can put a grin on your face—and surfing is a happy sport that tickles the audacious adventurer inside you. ▲ Surfers and stoners often seem a little… touched. After being tossed
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around in a large, angry washing machine for several hours, a surfer can become “water-stoned,” a state similar to that of the heavy toker. Small tasks and sentences seem hard to complete… ▲Surfers and stoners speak the same language. Both need to keep their lingo as simple as possible for easy, no-brainer communication: Dude. Bro/ Brah. Awesome. Stoked! Gnarly. Chill. Whoa! See? Without seeing a surfboard or joint, it’s impossible to tell who’s uttering such advanced vocabulary. However, Surfers have gone a step further, with colorful phrases like: Chaka-kahning: When someone is ripping super-hard: “Oh snap! Randy was chaka-kahning it yesterday.” Cliffhanger: A long, stringy booger hanging out of your nose when surfing, usually undetected until someone tells you about it: “Hey, bro, wipe your nose,
you have a gnarly cliffhanger.” Bat-wing: When you come in from surfing and your sticky testes cling to your leg like a bat’s wing: “I need to peel this bat-wing off before I put my pants on.” ▲Surfers and stoners are mellow revolutionaries. Both are part of a strong— albeit slightly laconic—movement that strives to open the mind and live leisurely in the present. Both dare to interrupt the mania of daily living and simply observe, relax and play. ▲Surfers and stoners really dig chilling. It’s insidiously wonderful when your inner slacker is allowed to take over and your sole desire is just to chill, like, a lot—and work and other mundane responsibilities take a backseat to embracing a day of waves and/or weed. Here’s the story of one occasion that helped me embrace my inner surfer/ slacker: A few summers ago, a young surfer friend of mine picked me up in the middle of my workday to go for a quick lunchtime surf. Hopping in his truck, we cruised down the beach to a favorite destination several miles away. Unfortunately, as we neared the
location, we got stuck in the sand. I had an appointment with a client in an hour, and an assignment due at 5 p.m. Mild panic set in. I stared at the half-buried tire. “What are we going to do? Should we call someone? Dammit.” My friend put his sun-toasted arm around me, and said, “Let’s surf instead.” “No, we can’t… we have to deal with this now,” I replied. “I have a Skype call…” “Come on, check out those sweet waves,” he teased. “We’ll deal with this later.” My inner slacker awoke from her long slumber and slapped down the boringly busy me: “Eh, what the hell… let’s hit it.” We had an amazing session. Strangely enough, when we got back to the truck, we drove out of the sand trap easily, as if my worry had contributed to its stuckness. That day served as a lesson: Do the thing that makes you feel most alive and free. Sure, the surfer and stoner mentality can go too far. There are surfers who could stand to jump out of the water and into, say, a job. And many a stoner could put down the bowl already and join a gym, or fold some clothes, or something.
We all have that barefoot escapist inside who prefers the high life, simply because it’s more fun. www.freedomleaf.com 65
But really, why try to change them? Both lifestyles have a certain warm and wavy appeal that cannot be denied. Nay, it should be embraced. Notable smoker John Lennon concluded, toward the end of his life, that it’s better “watching the wheels go round and round… no longer riding on the merry-goround.” Both the surfer and stoner relate to this conscious act of stepping out of the rat race into a more relaxed life. Both prefer a mellow, breezy way of being to a mindless, hurried one. And who can blame them? Riding waves, real or imagined, is a sweet path that allows one to give up control and let nature lead the way. And, as spiritual teachings throughout time have espoused, it’s when we let go and tune into the world around us that we find true peace and happiness. And while surfers and stoners still endure gentle mocking of their pursuits, we all have that barefoot escapist inside
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Surfer, stoner and the author of this article.
who prefers the high life, simply because it’s more fun. Beth Mann is President of Hot Buttered Media and a regular contributor to Freedom Leaf.
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Summer Sweets
This month’s recipes are creamy and fizzy, perfect for cooling off in July and August. By Cheri Sicard Americans have been celebrating National Ice Cream Month in July ever since Ronald Reagan made it official back in 1984. Reagan, of course, was no friend of marijuana legalization. In fact, he stated, “I now have absolute proof that smoking even one marijuana cigarette is equal in brain damage to being on Bikini Island during an H-bomb blast.” With that in mind, it’s only fitting that we add Mary Jane to this frozen dessert celebration. My favorite way to make cannabisinfused ice cream is to infuse the cream, then use it to make the ice cream and subsequent ice cream-based desserts. But before we go that far, let’s look at the infusion stage. Like cannabis-infused butter and oil, marijuana-infused cream has many uses beyond making ice cream, such as:
◆ With coffee or tea. ◆ As a replacement for regular whipped cream. Chill infused cream well, then whip (add a little sweetener and vanilla extract if desired). ◆ In many pastry, pie and cobbler doughs. ◆ In Crème Brûlée, Pots de Crème, Chocolate Ganache and much more. ◆ In savory dishes like cream sauces, cream soups, vegetable gratins and more. How to Make Cannabis Cream If you’re going to infuse cream on the stovetop, it takes care and patience. Because cream can boil over in a heartbeat, you’ll need to use a double boiler or, alternatively, a metal bowl that can be suspended over simmering water in order to infuse the cream. You must diligently monitor the water to ensure it doesn’t evaporate, which will cause the cream to burn. My advice is to use a slow cooker— it’s easy, as you can pretty much set it and forget it. Don’t be surprised if your infused cream has a fairly strong herbal flavor, especially if you make it with buds as opposed to kief. In the finished recipes, other ingredients will mask much of this, but using kief or hash to infuse the cream will yield a better flavor. www.freedomleaf.com 69
Cannabis-Infused Cream 1/4 to 1/2 oz. low- to averagequality bud OR 3 to 4 gm. kief or crumbled hash 1 quart heavy cream If using bud, don’t grind the plant material—just break it up with your fingers and add to the slow cooker along with the cream. If using kief or hash, stir the concentrate and cream together in the pot. Don’t worry if it doesn’t dissolve at first; give it a few stirs after the mixture heats up and it will disappear. If using a slow cooker, turn on high and heat for about an hour and a half. Stir, reduce heat to low and cook for 3 to 4 more hours. Each slow cooker acts differently, so keep an eye on yours. If the mixture starts simmering, open the lid, give it a stir and lower the temperature. If your slow cooker doesn’t have a lower temperature, turn it off for 30 or 40 minutes, then turn it on again and monitor, turning off and on as needed. Cream infuses best if it’s very hot, but just below simmering. If you use hash or kief, turn off the mixture, transfer the infused cream to another container and chill.
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If you use plant material, line a colander with cheesecloth and pour the cream mixture through it. Allow to cool until you can handle it, gather up the cheesecloth bundle and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Chill the infused cream until ready to use. Don’t discard the cream-soaked plant material: Put it in a small strainer and place over a large mug with a teabag inside. Pour boiling water over the strainer; the cannabis-cream liquid that comes through will help infuse the tea in the cup. Add more cream or milk and sweetener to taste for a great before-bed beverage that’s sure to help you sleep.
OG Vanilla Ice Cream This classic can serve as the foundation for any number of great recipes—flavored ice creams, ice cream sodas, shakes, sundaes, cakes and pies a la mode. 2 cups 1 cup 3/4 cup 1/8 tsp. 6 1-1/2 tsp.
cannabis-infused cream whole milk sugar salt large egg yolks pure vanilla extract
In a medium saucepan, whisk together all ingredients except vanilla extract. Place over medium-high heat and whisk until mixture comes to a simmer. Lower heat and continue to cook, stirring constantly, until mixture starts to thicken and coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla extract. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until very cold, at least 4 hours. Pour into an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s instructions. Variations: ◆ For chocolate ice cream, stir 1 cup finely chopped dark or milk chocolate into the mixture after removing from heat. Stir until chocolate has melted and mixture is smooth. Chill and process. ◆ Experiment with different extracts for different flavor profiles. ◆ When mixture is about three-quarters of the way processed, feel free to add your favorite solid ingredients like chocolate chips, nuts, fruit, marshmallows or candy. Yield: 4 Cups Servings: 8
Black and White Widow Soda This cannabis-enhanced version of the iconic soda-shop favorite is creamy, fizzy, potent and not overly sweet. In other words, just perfect! 2 tbsp. 8 oz. 1/2 cup
chocolate syrup seltzer water or club soda OG vanilla ice cream
Pour chocolate syrup into a tall glass and add half the seltzer water. Stir to mix. Add remaining seltzer. Float scoop of ice cream on top and serve immediately. Yield: 1 Glass Servings: 1
Photos by Mitch Mandell. For more about Mitch Mandell and Cheri Sicard, go to zdogmedia.com. www.freedomleaf.com 71
Reggae Root Beer Float The flavor of infused ice cream blends especially well with the herbal taste of root beer in this classic float. 8 oz. 1/2 cup
cold root beer OG vanilla ice cream
Pour root beer into a tall glass. Add ice cream and serve immediately.
Nice Dreamsicle Freeze Orange is another flavor that tends to blend well with the infused ice cream. Here, it makes a refreshing summer cooler. 1/2 cup OG vanilla ice cream 1/2 cup orange sherbet 6–8 oz. orange soda or Cactus Cooler Put all ingredients in a blender and mix until smooth. Use more or less soda depending on how thick you like your drink. Pour in a glass, garnish with whipped cream, if desired, and serve immediately.
Seattle Hempfest History continued from on page 49
Mike Gravel, former New Mexico Gov. Gary Johnson, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and former Mayor Mike McGinn, Seattle City Attorney Pete Holmes, State Rep. Roger Goodman, State Sen. Jeanne KohlWelles, former Seattle Police Chief Norm Stamper, Seattle PD spokesman Sean Whitcomb, UCFW Director Dan Rush, former Dallas Cowboy Mark Stepnoski, Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein and Libertarian Party vice presidential candidate Jim Gray. Hundreds of bands have performed at Hempfest over the years, including Kottonmouth Kings, Everlast, Bone ThugsN-Harmony, Hed P.E., Pato Banton and the Mystic Roots Band, the Accused, DJ Muggs, Zen Tricksters, the Herbivores, Potluck, Rehab, Throw Logic, Chimaira, Los Marijuanos, Gruntruck, the Cannabis 72 www.freedomleaf.com
Cheri Sicard is author of The Cannabis Gourmet Cookbook and Mary Jane: The Complete Marijuana Handbook for Women. Cup Band, Rocker T and Jah Levi & the Higher Reasoning. The seminal Seattle Hempfest protestival (this year it takes place Aug. 14–16) has risen to be one of the flagship events of the global cannabis culture. We’re licensing other Hempfest events so they can take advantage of the experience, the resources and the vast network that we’ve developed over the past quarter-century. We’re excited to announce our new partnership with the Las Vegas Hempfest®, scheduled for October 3. The entire history of the Seattle Hempfest, along with hundreds of photos and graphics, is contained in my book, Protestival: A Twenty Year Retrospective of Seattle Hempfest, available at hemp fest.org. Vivian McPeak is Executive Director of Seattle Hempfest.
REVIEWS BOOK
Bill Kreutzmann’s Drumming, Dreams and Drugs With the Grateful Dead having played their five final “Fare Thee Well” shows— two at Santa Clara’s Levi Stadium in June and three at Chicago’s Soldier Field over July 4th weekend—there’s been a flurry of associated book and film releases, from David Browne’s comprehensive, retrospective tome So Many Roads: The Life and Times of the Grateful Dead, and the Mike Fleiss documentary The Other One: The Long, Strange Trip of Bob Weir (available on Netflix), to Bill Kreutzmann’s memoir, Deal: My Three Decades of Drumming, Dreams and Drugs with the Grateful Dead, with Benjy Eisen (St. Martin’s Press). Leave it to their co-founding drummer to be the fly on the wall for the band’s history—a self-described hippie who, along with his Rhythm Devils bandmate Mickey Hart, was as responsible as anyone for the Dead’s flights of lysergic-fueled improvisation. Kreutzmann, who grew up in Palo Alto, Calif., first met Garcia when they were young teens and the local musician stopped by his house to purchase a banjo owned by Kreutzmann’s father. There are plenty of other little-known facts revealed in the drummer’s no-nonsense style, including the revelation that his grandfather—and idol—Clark Shaughnessy coached the Stanford University football team to the 1941 Rose Bowl championship, and went on to become head coach of both the Los Angeles Rams and Chicago Bears. Kreutzmann doesn’t get too caught up in personalities, except to state his reverence for Garcia, but his recounting of those early San Francisco experiences, playing for the Merry Pranksters’ Acid Tests alongside Ken Kesey and Neal
Cassady, bring those fabled times to life. From there, Kreutzmann breathlessly races from event to event—and through a nonstop series of drug experiences that make it remarkable that his wits are still intact enough to recall them—stopping along the way to pay his respects to those who didn’t survive (with a pithy, understated “darn it”). There’s the time they dosed the entire set of Hugh Hefner’s Playboy After Dark TV show before a tentative two-song set that still lives on YouTube; the hotel fireworks battle with then-presidential candidate George McGovern that had the Secret Service scrambling; glimpses back at the band’s disappointing performances (which they refused to release on film) at Monterey Pop, Woodstock and Watkins Glen; and www.freedomleaf.com 73
REVIEWS
Playing in the Band: Jerry Garcia and Bill Kreutzmann.
Kreutzmann’s own misadventures with the departed, including infamous acid manufacturer and occasional Dead soundman Owsley “Bear” Stanley, John Belushi and many more. Kreutzmann remains a card-carrying counterculturalist who experienced the band’s meteoric rise from his drum riser. He has had five wives; lived through the drug- and alcohol-fueled fatalities of at least three Dead keyboardists (Ron “Pigpen” McKernan, Keith Godchaux and
Brent Mydland); and watched the long, slow deterioration of Garcia. After the guitarist’s death on Aug. 9, 1995, Kreutzmann questioned whether the Grateful Dead could still exist, and he’s still pondering that, though he does leave the door open for a reunion, which has just taken place. It appears promoter Pete Shapiro’s offer was just too good for the band and its extended family to pass up, even if it goes against Kreutzmann’s firmly held belief that no one should attempt to replace Garcia, even Phish’s Trey Anastasio. That the survivors of the Grateful Dead can still sell upwards of half a million seats for the 2015 shows is testament to the hopes, dreams and cosmic experiences the band has engendered. Bill Kreutzmann was there from the beginning, and is still standing at the end. What a long, strange trip, indeed. — Roy Trakin
ALBUM
Slightly Stoopid’s Meanwhile... Back at the Lab Originally signed to Sublime frontman Brad Nowell’s Skunk Records label while the band’s two founders were still in high school, Slightly Stoopid have maintained a genuine affection for an eclectic range of musical styles. The Ocean Beach, Calif. combo’s expansive palate fuses reggae, folk, funk, punk and metal into one giant melting pot. Led by stony schoolyard pals Kyle McDonald and Miles Doughty, they gained a substantial foothold with their self-titled 1996 debut, and frequent touring. Over the course of eight solid studio albums, Slightly Stoopid have become a reliable purveyor of socially conscious proclamations, mystic revelations and cheeky derivations. In a casual manner 74 www.freedomleaf.com
not far removed from Nowell’s best studio work with Sublime, McDonald and Doughty relay genuine concerns with
warmth and wit. At one end of the spectrum, Stoopid revisit reggae’s finest guiding lights; on the other end, they craft beautifully restrained folk-rock vignettes. And with a twisted cornucopia of weedfriendly numbers like “I’m So Stoned,” “Just a Buzz,” “2am” and “Sensimilla” already in their catalog (along with their hilariously titled 2007 LP, Chronchitis), their spirit and passion for ganja has remained a constant muse. While 2012’s Top of the World represented a major national breakout (cracking Billboard’s Top 20), Slightly Stoopid continue to refine their delicious musical stew on the newly released Meanwhile… Back at the Lab (Stoopid Records). Whether daydreaming about “summertime music and my seed, Mary Jane,” or letting everyone know they’re “smoking our trees,” Stoopid not only praise the good herb, but also cautiously seek political enlightenment and personal security. And when they feel like it, the bohemian messengers can deliver a sassy, soulful instrumental like the album’s appropriately titled opening salvo, “Dabbington,” where spurted trumpet, trombone and saxophone riffs neatly recall the ’80s ska band Madness. Even though a majority of the tracks lean toward reggae, the tempo, mood and dynamics constantly shift. Flawless Jamaican riddims underlie the steady percussive groove of “This Version,” a nifty dub-styled Black Uhuru send-up, and the similarly derived “Come Around” (not to be confused with the Collie Buddz herb anthem). Barrington Levy’s influence is felt on the simmering, horn-punctuated “Guns in Paradise.” And the lively “Hold It Down” owes a debt to the English Beat’s peppy ska classic “Ranking Full Stop.” Perhaps the most enticing number, “The Prophet” retains a mellow acoustic
Kyle McDonald, Miles Doughty and Ryan Moran.
groove and sedate, half-spoken vocal delivery similar to rapper Everlast’s “What It’s Like.” A classic folk love song, “One Bright Day” (featuring sultry songstress Angela Hunt), and a gentle, reflective ballad, “What Your Friends Say,” tug on listeners’ heartstrings For a complete change of pace halfway through, the band’s easygoing restraint gets upended by the fiercely rambunctious hardcore blaster “Fuck You,” a loud and angry manifesto featuring guest vocalist Beardo’s vindictively paranoiac screams and shouts. That corrosive slammer is followed by the jazz-funk contemplation “Time Won’t Wait,” and the slow beat of harmonica-infused blues-rocker “Rolling Stone.” Combining Jimi Hendrix’s signature “Castles Made of Sand” guitar lattice with Jerry Garcia’s “Sugar Magnolia” riffage, the easygoing “Life Rolls On” cops the compositional structure of The Band’s classic “I Shall Be Released”; its homage-like eclecticism reinforces Stoopid’s pleasurable resourcefulness. Though it deals with remorse and loss, “Life,” like many of the band’s songs, offers a glimmer of hope behind the sadness. Within the established idioms explored on Meanwhile and their preceding albums, Slightly Stoopid prove highly capable of stirring up some highly melodic fare. — John Fortuanto www.freedomleaf.com 75
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Company Spotlight:
Viridian Capital Scott Greiper is creating a swift revolution in how investors view cannabusinesses. After graduating from the University of Chicago and attending the Executive MBA program at Columbia University, he worked as an investment banker on Wall Street, and as an analyst at C.E. Unterberg, Towbin, specializing in security and defense technology. Greiper’s newest venture, Viridian Capital Advisors, applies innovative business strategies to the growing number of publicly traded companies in the cannabis space. We spoke to Greiper—Viridian’s president and founding partner—about the future of the legal marijuana market. What’s driving your new venture, Viridian Capital? The opportunity to bring everything my team and I have done over many years on Wall Street to the cannabis marketplace, because it hasn’t been done before. This rapidly growing market is merging into the mainstream of politics and people. We were able to do the first cannabis investment conference in New York City. We were the first to put out company reports. It’s very exciting and thrilling to create and launch the first investment banking practice in the cannabis space. While all this momentum and growth is happening, many of the underpinnings of business are just emerging, and for Viridian to be at the forefront is just an exciting opportunity. Why is the Viridian Cannabis Stock Index so important? The marijuana industry has evolved as a new sector. With the number of states that have legalized medical or recreational 78 www.freedomleaf.com
Scott Greiper
cannabis, and the amount of legal marijuana that’s being sold—$2.7 billion, and doubling each year—Wall Street tends to jump in. This is like the Internet days of the ’90s, or homeland security after 9/11, with hundreds of companies going public. That’s what’s happening now for cannabis. In the last five years, we’ve gone from a dozen public companies in the cannabis industry to over 350. While that represents the growth profile of the industry, it’s a challenge for investors. Where do I put my money? Where do I place my bet? Is it in dispensaries, lighting companies or other fields? By creating the Viridian Cannabis Stock Index, we do that work for the investor. We track each company— the money they raise, their results, teams and products. Out of those 350, we chose 75 for our index, which effectively says to the investor, “We’ve done the homework.”
We think these 75 companies have the makings for management teams, boards of directors and business models to develop real market share and revenues. As investment bankers and ana-
“This is like the Internet days of the ’90s, or homeland security after 9/11, with hundreds of companies going public. That’s what’s happening now for cannabis.” lysts, we’ve done a lot of the hard work that investors should do before placing their bet. And we also categorize different sectors in the index: We have biotech, security, cultivation and others. Only by getting down to the granular level, by understanding these businesses and business models, can you really make an educated bet on where to put your investment capital. I believe that’s why Barron’s has called Viridian the benchmark for the cannabis industry. When you took on this project, what was the reaction of your team? Was there trepidation, or was it more gung-ho? I really did my homework before jumping in. Without exception, the reception was
a combination of intrigue, interest and surprise, followed by “How do I get in?” Nobody said no. There’s such a general awareness of the social movement around marijuana, with CNN and Dr. Sanjay Gupta and so many others changing their minds about this plant. Everyone sees it as the next rush. Everyone sees an industrial revolution of creating businesses around this. There is tremendous support. And the only way to not jeopardize our SEC licenses is to do really great work and bring our experience to the sector. Is the cannabis industry sustainable? Where do you see this heading in five to 10 years? There’s $45–$50 billion worth of marijuana purchased every year in the U.S. Last year, $2.7 billion was bought in legal recreational or medical marijuana states. That leaves $47 billion worth of purchases of marijuana that are still being made on the black market. By 2020, we expect there will be a $15–$18 billion market for marijuana in legal states. For the Viridian Cannabis Stock Index, what I hope that means is there will be more companies to choose from as the emerging market leaders. And because our index is so well ranked and is so strong, we’d like to create an exchange-traded fund [an ETF tracks the performance of an index or commodity] so people can purchase the index. We’ve created the leading cannabis Index. It’s going to take some time, but we’re going to create an ETF next.
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The Freedom Leaf Cannabis Stock Report Infused products, cultivation and retail sectors boast tripledigit gains as more investment funds entered the market in the first quarter of 2015. The Viridian Cannabis Stock Index gained 23.6% in the first quarter of 2015, significantly outperforming the Dow Jones Industrial Average (down 0.3%), the S&P 500 (up 0.4%), the NASDAQ (up 3.5%) and the Russell 2000 (up 3.0%). This gain follows a strong 2014 performance (up 38.4%), despite two down quarters (Q3 and Q4). Viridian attributes the strong first quarter to several factors:
of a national brand in recreational and medical marijuana; up 1,060.0%.
➨ Cannabix Technologies Inc. (OTCQB: BLOZF), a developer of the handheld Cannabix Marijuana Breathalyzer for law enforcement and workplace testing; up 193.0%.
➨ An increase in mergers and acquisi-
During the first quarter there were 42 capital raises totaling approximately $43.2 million, vs. a total of 47 capital raises totaling approximately $80.4 million in all of 2014. In regard to M&A, the quarter saw a total of 11 companies completing 13 acquisitions, vs. 29 companies completing 46 acquisitions for all of 2014.
tions (M&A) and partnership activity, helping companies to accelerate growth.
Key trends in the cannabis industry that are driving further gains for public companies include:
➨ The traditional “January effect” in small-cap stocks, whereby prices recover from year-end tax selling.
➨ An increase in the number of capital raises to 23 companies.
SECTOR PERFORMANCE Of the 11 sectors that make up the Viridian Cannabis Stock Index, four showed positive gains: Infused Products (up 163.0%); Cultivation and Retail (up 102.1%); Ancillary Products and Services (up 76.4%); and Biotechnology (up 10.9%). The performance of these sectors is indicative of the revenue and market share growth of the underlying companies in each sector, and their longer-term growth potential. The top three stock performers for the first quarter of 2015 were:
➨ Totally Hemp Crazy (OTCPink:THCZ), a provider of various hemp-infused products including candy, chewing gum and energy drinks, etc.; up 1,535.4%.
➨ Cafe Serendipity Inc. (OTCQB:CAFS), a brand builder focused on the build-out 80 www.freedomleaf.com
➨ An increase in the number of registration statements clearing the SEC review process, providing both increased stock trading liquidity and growth capital for these companies.
➨ An increase in the number of fund investors in the market and those seeking to enter the market. This provides more financing alternatives and potentially friendlier structures for public companies.
➨ Pro-legalization legislative progress in at least half a dozen states, providing hope for successful ballot initiatives in 2016. SECTOR HIGHLIGHTS Infused Products Legalized recreational marijuana sales in Colorado and Washington have driven
rapid market growth of infused products and extracts, as many retail stores, particularly in tourist areas, report that edibles and extracts represent an increasing percentage of their sales. With cannabis purchases by out-of-state visitors accounting for an estimated 44% of all retail sales in the Denver area, and about 90% in mountain resorts, infused products and extracts are experiencing soaring demand. The industry is also seeing the convergence of vaporizer brands and infused products. The Infused Products and Extracts sector was the best performer in the first quarter, increasing by 163.0%, following a gain of 66.1% in 2014. The top performer in the entire index, Totally Hemp Crazy, soared after clearing the last hurdles required to ship their Rocky Mountain High Hemp Energy Drink via Amazon.com. Global Hemp Group (OTCQB:GBHPF) was the second-best performer, due largely to the appointment of new board members and strategic advisors. Cultivation and Retail Despite lingering concerns of breaking
federal law that are keeping most publicly traded cannabis companies away from the direct production or sale of cannabis in the U.S., a growing number of companies have emerged with a risk tolerance high enough to position themselves as direct handlers. Production is growing on a massive scale, with larger and larger cultivation facilities being developed. Competition will drive down raw flower prices and inevitably push many small and medium-size operations out of the market. If these first movers are able to successfully refine their operations, they’ll be strategically positioned to generate high returns and capture significant market share in the industry. The Cultivation and Retail sector was the second-best performer in the first quarter, rising 102.1% after a 33.3% climb in 2014. While only three of the nine companies in the sector gained during this period, it was bolstered by Cafe Serendipity, after announcing the company’s name change (from Force Fuels Inc.) and strategic redirection to a franchising model of upscale, turnkey marijuana retail locations. Med-Cannabis Pharma www.freedomleaf.com 81
(OTCBB:MCPI) was the second-best performer, rising 33.3% after opening a new retail location in Oregon. Biotech Biotechnology companies are looking to grow the cannabis-derived pharmaceutical market by leveraging the mounting data on the therapeutic effects of cannabis, and by deploying rigorous testing for quality, safety and efficacy. Cannabinoid research, historically led by scientists in Israel, has lately garnered much interest in the U.S. Numerous studies have been initiated to investigate the potential effects of cannabinoids in the treatment of a wide array of ailments, including but not limited to cancer, diabetes and neuromuscular disorders. While natural plant extracts can’t be patented (according to the 2013 Supreme Court ruling), FDA approval guarantees seven years of market exclusivity for specific formulations of various cannabinoids or their derivatives that have certain
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indications for the remedy of a targeted illness. These formulations can lead to a strong intellectual property portfolio from which products can be subsequently developed and/or licensed as a way to monetize those assets. The Biotechnology sector gained 10.9% in the first quarter, following a gain of 117.5% in all of 2014. Several of the companies in this sector showed gains:
➨ InMed Pharmaceuticals (OTCQB:IMLFF), the top performer, doubled its stock price following the announcement of a private placement of C$1,050,000.
➨ Oxis International (OTCQB:OXIS) appreciated 50.0%, spurred by the release of a letter from the CEO to shareholders that laid out their pipeline positioning and plan for growth through the rest of the year.
➨ Medican Enterprises (OTCQB:MDCN) gained 61.5% after forming a subsidiary to focus on opportunities in the Native American community.
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