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Editor’s Note
From High Times to Freedom Leaf Nearly eight years ago, I left High Times after almost 20 years with the venerable pot magazine. I learned a lot there as I went from News Editor to Senior Editor and finally Co-Editor. Now, I’m Editor-inChief of Freedom Leaf, a position I never held at High Times. I owe this to three people: First and foremost, Dick Cowan, who I met when he ran NORML in the mid-‘90s. We teamed up on Hempilation: Freedom Is NORML, a benefit album for NORML released by Capricorn Records that I created and coproduced with NORML and Capricorn. It was a big success, raising more than $100,000 for NORML. Dick is the guiding force behind Freedom Leaf. Secondly, Chris Goldstein, Freedom Leaf’s Senior Editor and my longtime colleague in both activism and journalism. Chris edited the first two issues and suggested that I come aboard as editor of Freedom Leaf for Issue 3. I’m excited to be working so closely with him on this new endeavor. Lastly, Cliff Perry, our CEO, who I met through Chris. I was impressed with his vision for creating a new marijuana journal solidly connected to NORML and SSDP, as well as a network of websites that caters to the varied cannabis audience. After I left High Times in 2007, I went online and started CelebStoner.com. The site is still happening. You can say I’m currently wearing two hats.
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Freedom Leaf brings me back to print, which requires a different skill set than what it takes to publish a website. It’s fun to be editing and dealing with layouts and covers again with a group of people. We’re all over the country, communicating by conference calls and emails. And, incredibly, getting it done. So watch out for Freedom Leaf – the new kid in town with a lot of familiar faces. We’re aiming to get your attention with timely coverage, great writing and photography, excellent layouts, and the idea that we’re onto something big. So let’s get rolling… Steve Bloom Editor-in-Chief
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 Jeannine Crowley NATIONAL SALES MANAGER Ron Dennis SENIOR POLICY ADVISOR Paul Armentano SCIENCE EDITOR Dr. Jahan Marcu FASHION COORDINATOR Lillian Taylor COPY EDITOR Leanna Harshaw LEGAL COUNCIL Keith Stroup MARKETING DIRECTOR Carolann Bass CHIEF ACCOUNTING OFFICER Patrick Rhea EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Felipe Menezes
Letters to the Editor Up Against the Cannabis Victory Wall I want to suggest names of people who ought to be on the Cannabis Victory Wall. My first suggestion is Dana Beal. Give Dana his due while he’s still here to enjoy it. These people are not around anymore and we will never forget them: Jack Herer, Gatewood Galbraith, Robert Randall, Ben Masel, Abbie Hoffman, Allen Ginsberg, Stephen Gaskin, John P. Morgan, M.D., Tod Mikuriya and Norman Zinberg. What happened to Arnold Trebach? And let’s not overlook Judge Francis Young, a man whose integrity gave the DEA fits. Let’s honor Lynn Pierson, Kenny and Barbara Jenks, Mae Nutt, Brownie Mary Rathbun, and tens of thousands of other unsung sufferers and their families and caretakers. With all due respect, why is Rahm Emmanuel on your list? I must have been out of the room when he “saw the light.” You remember former Baltimore Mayor Kurt Schmoke don’t you? And what about Dr. Joycelyn Elders? Continue to page 68
CONTRIBUTORS Sabrina Fendrick, Dale Gieringer, Dan Gibson, Beth Mann, Doug McVay, Alec Pearce, Victor Pinho, Nikki Allen Poe, Cheri Sicard, Dr. Genester Wilson-King Content and advertisements in this magazine are for information purposes only and is 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 2014. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2014 - 2015 Freedom Leaf Inc. – All Rights Reserved
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Contents
12 EDIBLES 4. Editor’s Note Steve Bloom
5. Letters to the Editor 8. News 9. Events Calendar 10. Key West NORML Legal Seminar Chris Goldstein
12. Julie’s Natural Edibles Sabrina Fendrick 6 www.freedomleaf.com
20 CULTIVATION 14. NORML Corner Allen St. Pierre
18. SSDP Spot
24 HIGH ART 32. What’s Next for Cannabis in America? Chris Goldstein
Garrett Reuscher
20. Mendo Dope’s Monster Garden
42. Marijuana Laws in America: A Stateby-State Guide
Daniel Eatmon
24. Puff, Pass & Paint: High Art in the Mile High City Alec Pearce
28. CHAMPS’ Glass Games Fire Creativity Chris Goldstein
45. Anthony Johnson: Paving the Way to Legalization in Oregon Doug McVay
47. Conference Confidential with ICBC’s Alex Rogers Steve Bloom
The Future of Marijuana Legalization – What’s Next?
28 45 61 GLASS GAMES LEGALIZATION STONER MUSIC 52. The Winding Trail to 74. Cannabis & Cancer 92. Mary Jane’s Soup Jahan Marcu, Ph.D Alaska Legalization Kitchen Chris Goldstein
Cheri Sicard
79. New Rules: How to Eat Edibles 96. Movie Review: The 58. California Readies Sabrina Fendrick Culture High for Legalization Push 82. Hemp in the U.S.A. 98. Happy Valentine’s Dale Gieringer Lillian Taylor Day! 61. The Top 20 Stoner 86. Pros and Cons Songs of All Time of the Stoner Steve Bloom Boyfriend Beth Mann
70. Colorado Approves Clinical Cannabis 88. Stoner Movie Crossword Puzzle Trials Paul Armentano www.freedomleaf.com 7
NEWS Freedom Leaf Gives Back to Home City Based in Las Vegas, Freedom Leaf made a $500 donation to the local Toys-For-Tots during the annual holiday charity drive there in December 2014. Mayor Carolyn Goodman was on hand to accept the donation. She also received a copy of the magazine and welcomed Freedom Leaf Inc. to the Las Vegas business community. “Mayor Goodman was thankful for our dedication to educate the public about cannabis and hemp legalization, as well as regulation and compliance,” says Clifford Perry, CEO and Publisher of Freedom Leaf. Nevada recently licensed medical marijuana dispensaries and is considering recreational sales through a 2016 ballot initiative.
Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman holds a soccer ball in one hand and Freedom Leaf in the other during a charity drive in December. Photo by Erik Verduzco/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Marijuana Arrests Continue to Decline 900k 850k
This graph represents the 20% decrease in Marijuana related arrests in the United States over the past 5 years.
858,408
853,638
800k 757,969
750k
749,825 700k 693,481 650k 600k 2009
2010
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2011
2012
2013
Here’s the good news: marijuana arrests in the U.S. have declined 20% since 2009. The latest government stats show a 9% dip from 2012. There were 693,481 pot arrests made nationwide in 2013, 88% for possession and 12% for sales and manufacturing. There were 749,825 arrests in 2012, 757,969 arrests in 2011, 853,638 in 2010 and 858,408 in 2009. Of the 1.5 million drug arrests in 2013, nearly half (46%) were for marijuana. Drug arrests accounted for 13% of all arrests (11.3 million) in 2013.
EVENTS January Jan. 17-19: Cannabis Business Conference Colorado Convention Center Denver, CO CloverLeafUniversity.com Jan. 23:
CannaBash Cluster Studios Denver, CO cannabase.io
Jan. 23-25: HempCon San Jose Convention Center San Jose, CA hempcon.com/ showsSanJose.php
John Fugelsang Jokes at SSDP Soiree Comic John Fugelsang entertained the crowd at the SSDP December 2014 fundraiser at Gallery 151 in Manhattan. “Willie Nelson doesn’t have a marijuana problem, he has a marijuana practice,” he quipped. “Willie’s 81 now, I hope somebody warned him that pot is the gateway to heroin before it’s too late. Of course, you know that pot is not the gateway to heroin. It’s the gateway to nachos.” Surrounded by paintings created by members of the Prison Arts Coalition, New York’s marijuana cognoscenti gathered on a rainy night to show support for the student-based organization which has chapters all over the country and a national office in Washington, DC. In a bit about the country’s early history, Fugelsang explained, “Hemp is as American as apple pie. In the colonies, everyone knew if you smoked the flowering top part of the plant, you would want to eat apple pie.” He finished with this zinger: “Legal cannabis at this point is 400 times more popular than Congress.”
February Feb. 3-5:
CHAMPS Las Vegas Convention Center Las Vegas, NV champstradshows.com
Feb. 7-8:
High Times SoCal Medical Cannabis Cup NOS Event Center San Bernardino, CA cannabiscup.com/ southern-california
Feb. 15-16: International Cannabis Business Conference Hyatt Regency San Francisco, CA internationalcbc.com
March Mar. 13-14: CannaGrow Expo Exdo Event Center Denver, CO cannagrowexpo.com Mar. 20-22: Spannabis Fera de Cornella Barcelona, Spain spannabis.com www.freedomleaf.com 9
SUN, SAND AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE By Chris Goldstein The annual NORML Legal Seminar in Key West is a 30-year tradition among the nation’s criminal defense attorneys helping to end cannabis prohibition. NORML founder Keith Stroup conceived the gathering as a venue for lawyers to share techniques and tips to win cases. Attending lawyers earn CLE (continuing legal education) credits for their local bar associations. The conference also gives ample time for the esquire crowd to socialize and network on the rather cannabis friendly island. Freedom Leaf sponsored two of the social events and handed out our new magazines to those gathered. The weather - 75 degrees and sunny all week - was gorgeous. From Dec. 4-6, 2014, superstar attorneys from around the nation made presentations at the Pier House Resort. Tova Indritz from Albuquerque, New
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Mexico spoke about how marijuana comes into play during immigration cases. NORML Deputy Director and Freedom Leaf’s Senior Policy Advisor Paul Armentano talked about the hot-button topic of the science behind cannabis and psychomotor performance when it comes to driving and DUI. Allison Margolin from Los Angeles addressed medical marijuana in the courtroom and the prospects for jury nullification. Ted Simon from Philadelphia looked at how to get evidence (like a search revealing cannabis) suppressed. Florida attorney Norm Kent discussed the medical marijuana ballot initiative that garnered 58% of the vote in his state but did not reach the 60% needed to pass. He addressed the premature “green rush” of potential business owners that may have held back those critical few points in the zeal for some profit. Kent pointed out that no marijuana business, even in legal states, could declare bankruptcy because that’s a federal ruling so those seeking to become ganjapreneurs better keep the risks in mind. (For more on this subject by Kent, see “Medical Marijuana Loses to Entrepreneurial Greed” in Freedom Leaf Issue 2.) The NORML board member also appealed to the group to be more aggressive in defending every single marijuana case with a trial. “What if you played Nancy Reagan in reverse?” he asked. “Just Say No” to plea bargains!
Several of the speakers noted they’re increasingly being sought out for business consultation in the cannabis industry. As laws change, it may mean there’s far less drug-related criminal defense work. Perhaps the most passionate talk came from Gerry Goldstein, who practices in Texas and Colorado. Goldstein and Stroup traveled around the country in a Volkswagen bus together in the ‘70s defending pot cases. Now Goldstein’s one of the most respected federal trial
search and seizure, as well as what’s commonly known as Miranda rights. “These days, you have the right to remain silent as long as you can stand the pain,” said Goldstein. He also had some positive points, such as regarding Riley vs. California, where SCOTUS unanimously ruled police need a warrant to search a cell phone seized during the course of an arrest. That’s a big win for privacy in our digital world. “The paper of the 18th century has become the digital data of the 21st,”
Legal Seminar attendees proclaim, “Freedom Is NORML!”
attorneys in America. “Under [Chief Justice] Roberts the court prefers government over the people and business over the government,” said Goldstein about the current disposition of the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS). From there, he launched into the changes in interpretation of the 4th and 5th Amendments by SCOTUS dealing with
he said, “We should hold on to that.” When the seminars concluded, the lawyers gathered at legendary local restaurant Camille’s for fresh-caught Mahi Mahi, mojitos and awards. The final night was also a fundraiser for National NORML sponsored by Freedom Leaf. More than $20,000 was raised to help end cannabis prohibition once and for all.
The next NORML Legal Seminar will take place in Aspen, Colorado in 2016. www.freedomleaf.com 11
NORML Business Network Partner
By Sabrina Fendrick
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Photo by Alec Pearce
A strain-specific edible is the most ideal type of cannabis-infused product out there, and Julie’s Natural Edibles sets a fine standard for this boutique market. The Colorado-based company handpicks each strain of high-grade, organic marijuana based on potency and flavor from one of the state’s most famous pesticidefree grows, Maggie’s Farm. In addition, Julie’s uses premium, all-natural ingredients, and their entire product line is gluten free. Each creation starts with clarified butter or coconut oil that’s infused with marijuana and slowly heated to carefully extract every last bit of activated cannabinoids. Julie’s offerings include Fresh Granola, Nutty Bites, Groovy Granola Bars and Roasted Seed Mix, a recipe that took a year to master. Dooley uses different strains for different batches, depending on what’s available from the grows. One may find a nice sativa-dominant product infused with Jack Herer or Chemdog. Other well-known strains include Strawberry Cough, Ace of Spades and Sageand-Sour. Dooley came up with the idea for the company in 2008 while trying to manage the symptoms of celiac disease. Her first sale was in 2010, a year in which her products graced the shelves of just three dispensaries. Today, Julie’s Natural Edibles are in more than 125 stores around Colorado - and demand shows no sign of slowing down. Her infused snacks remain especially popular in Boulder and among senior citizens (who tend to prefer eating THC rather than smoking it), as well as other wellness lifestyle enthusiasts.
Julie Dooley with her edibles.
She and the company were recently featured in the MSNBC series, Pot Barons of Colorado. On an equally impressive note, the company has been highly diligent about labeling, consumer education and product testing since the start. In fact, Julie’s educational efforts preceded Colorado’s labeling laws. In their labeling, the company seeks to prepare the novice consumer for the psychoactive experience by informing them how to achieve the proper balance. Their product labels include information about the recommended amount, the onset of the high, how long it might last, certain foods that can intensify the feeling and how to mitigate the negative effects of over ingestion. Though there has recently been some tension between cannabis edible manufacturers and state regulators over how best to identify and package THC-infused products, Dooley remains firm in her position.
“The manufacturers stand together with a firm message to the legislature regarding packaging and labeling,” she tells Freedom Leaf. “We need more data! We cannot continue to add rules without the proof of need. Currently, we know the most effective way to keep children safe as well as prevent accidental ingestion is to package and label well and keep edibles safely stored. The new regulations that are rolling out Feb. 1 are comprehensive and involve new packaging standards as well as labels with new warnings and reminders to the consumer. We’d like the new packages to exist in the industry before deciding to further mandate more regulations that may prove to be unnecessary.” Julie’s Natural Edibles is a proud member of the NORML Business Network, and serves as an excellent example for edible companies everywhere. Reach them at juliesbakedgoodsmmj.com.
An initiative that seeks to bridge consumer advocacy with the cannabis industry by collaborating with marijuana companies and ancillary businesses that are committed to using their enterprises as positive examples of corporate social responsibility, and a platform for ending marijuana prohibition nationwide. Similar to that of the Better Business Bureau, stores or products that carry the NORML Business Partner seal confirms that they’re operating a “values-driven” enterprise that’s looking out for the best interest of their customers, their community and their environment. Learn more about the NORML Business Network at www.norml.org/business.
Julie’s Granola Bars and an almond mix (middle). Photos by Alec Pearce www.freedomleaf.com 13
Is Marijuana Activism Still Needed in the Age of Legalization?
Allen St. Pierre, Executive Director of NORML in Washington, DC.
Weed has come a long way, but there are still plenty of battles to fight. By Allen St. Pierre At a time of great national impetus to retire cannabis prohibition to the dustbin of history, do cannabis law reform groups still play a role in states where tax and regulation policies are now in place? The easy answer from the head of NORML: “Yes!” A prime example for the need of cannabis consumers to stay organized politically post-legalization was recently found in Boulder, Colorado where the City Council passed a ban last year on local cannabis businesses selling any company-branded merchandise. Can one imagine a bar, winery or brewery not being 14 www.freedomleaf.com
able to sell company-branded merchandise? Shirts? Mugs? Coasters? Wine glasses? In some instances, branded company merchandise can be a terrific supplement to bars, breweries, wineries and distilleries’ bottom lines annually. Indeed, First Amendment principles are also in strong consideration. Citizens wear branded products all of the time, sometimes out of great pride and adoration. The fact that local companies involved in cannabis commerce are not in a strong position politically to advocate for themselves, coupled with a fragile political
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environment for these new cutting-edge businesses, logically makes their interests rightly perceived as strongly parochial. Such is a prime example, at this nascent stage of legalization, as to why non-profit consumer-oriented groups like NORML, working in concert with other like-minded organizations and companies, are still very much needed to help lend a rational and thoughtful voice to the public policy-making processes regarding bringing a greater degree of parity of cannabis commerce to that of other similar products, such as alcohol. Thankfully in Boulder, the very well organized Colorado NORML chapter actively lobbied the City Council to amend the ban on local cannabis companies’ ability to promote themselves through branded merchandise. Chapter leaders wrote articulate pleadings to the Council, attended meetings, and conveyed upto-date health and science reports in support of their advocacy (i.e., some members of the City Council supported the ban based on a belief that children in Colorado are using cannabis more postlegalization). After Colorado NORML sent them policy papers and data contradicting
their assumptions, affirming children do not use cannabis more after a state goes from prohibition to tax and regulation, the City Council agreed that local cannabis businesses can better promote themselves through branded merchandise. Chalk one up for free-market principles, First Amendment sensibilities, common sense and Colorado NORML! There are dozens of other areas of concern that are still fertile for public policy interest work for local chapters of NORML in states where prohibition has been replaced with tax and regulation policies: Too high sales and excise taxes; excessive costs for cannabis businesses to get established; employment discrimination; child custody issues; and restrictions on a cannabis consumers’ Second Amendment rights. Of course, at some point, elected officials in cities and states where cannabis prohibition has ended will have to also confront the festering want of consumers to be able to responsibly imbibe cannabis in the presence of other adults - just like alcohol consumers can - and wearing the local establishment’s t-shirt or hat if that’s what we want to do.
Non-profit consumer-oriented groups like NORML are still very much needed to help lend a rational and thoughtful voice to the public policy-making processes regarding bringing a greater degree of parity of cannabis commerce to that of other similar products, such as alcohol.
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2015-2016 FORECAST: By Garrett Reuscher, DC Campus Coordinator for SSDP The cultural relevance of marijuana policy for young adults has driven students to become a defining force in campaigns and on voting day. Because of their passion for reform, we’ve witnessed an unprecedented drive of student involvement, including the Initiative 71 legalization campaign in DC, which reported George Washington University’s district as having the highest voter support. What was once a subject breached only by reformists and gonzo journalists, marijuana legalization is now one of the nation’s most popular movements. Large media names are now consistently reporting on the marijuana movement. Many, such as the New York Times, have recently come out of the proverbial closet in favor of legalization and are beginning to have an open, honest dialog about marijuana use for the first time. Clearly, 2014 was a big year for marijuana policy reform. The District of Columbia, Oregon and Alaska all passed legalization measures. Fifty-eight percent of Florida voters supported the state’s medical marijuana initiative, falling just short of their required 60% for state constitutional changes. And even with 2014 being such a decisive victory for marijuana, 2015 is going to be the largest marijuana policy reform year yet.
California, Maine and Nevada, as well as lobbying for medical marijuanarelated bills in Minnesota and West Virginia, while building support for decriminalization in Illinois. We’ll be making sure our students have the opportunity to participate in and lend a hand in these pivotal elections. With so many states gearing up for marijuana legalization, you can bet that 2015 is going to be full of reporting on how previously legalized states are doing, new studies conducted by both reformers and prohibitionists, and an entirely new landscape for politicians to navigate.
■ Reintroduction of New York’s Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act: Having previously arrested tens of thousands of people a year for marijuana possession, New York City
Here are four reasons why:
■ Large number of statewide legalization campaigns set for 2016: The reform movement is already gearing up for 2016. We’re aiming to pass marijuana legalization and regulation in Hawaii, Maryland, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Vermont, Arizona, 18 www.freedomleaf.com
Democratic New York State Sen. Liz Krueger
BIG YEARS FOR STUDENT MARIJUANA ACTIVISM decriminalized marijuana possession in November. Now it’s time to legalize it statewide. Democratic State Sen. Liz Krueger plans to reintroduce the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act during the next legislative session.
■ Growing importance of marijuana policy for presidential candidates: Because of marijuana regulation’s recent successes and growing popularity, more and more politicians have begun jumping ship on prohibition. With its polling power, marijuana reform is a subject that candidates can’t afford to ignore in the next presidential election. Candidates will be officially announcing their 2016 campaign runs in 2015, so our most prominent political figures in the country will be forced to take a formal
Marijuana reform is a subject that candidates can’t afford to ignore in the next presidential election. stance on marijuana regulation for the first time. Bringing the issue to light during presidential campaigns will push forward marijuana discussion even more.
■ Selection of a new Attorney General: Many reformers were disappointed with Attorney General Eric Holder’s lack of conviction when it came to taking marijuana off of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) as a Schedule I drug. It’s a question the next AG - Loretta Lynch is the president’s nominee - will be forced to address. This is a pivotal point for marijuana reform, and keeping the momentum built during the 2014 elections will be one of the most critical tasks. By making sure marijuana policy reform remains fresh and relevant in the minds of voters, we can steer the conversation for bigger changes towards those who have previously turned a deaf ear. With 2015 ahead of us, we need to take a look at all we have accomplished, and know that it’s merely the beginning of a much more sensible approach to our marijuana laws. Check out Students for Sensible Drug Policy at ssdp.org.
Attorney General nominee, Loretta Lynch www.freedomleaf.com 19
This is why they call them trees. 20 www.freedomleaf.com
Close-up of 9Lb Hammer leaf.
Mendo Dope’s Monster Garden In California’s Mendocino County, they grow their plants large. This “Mendo Dope” garden features strains like Curvee, Space Queen, Pinot Noir, 9lb Hammer and Timewreck, cultivated from TGA and Aficionado Seeds. Photos by Daniel Eatmon
Space Queen x Pinot Noir = Curvee www.freedomleaf.com 21
Fully budded Curvee, grown in a 400-gallon spring pot.
Curvee close-up, ready to harvest.
A view from behind a grapevine. 22 www.freedomleaf.com
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Color Me Stoned:
Page:of 3 Color Me Stoned: High Art in the Mile High City Our intrepid reporter combines brush strokes and vape pen hits during his maiden visit to Denver’s Puff, Pass & Paint class. Story and photo by Alec Pearce The Rocky Mountains of Colorado have always had a special “air” about them. Maybe the high altitude helped promote the legalization of cannabis and specifically Denver's newest scene, the onset of the “Green Rush,” has helped transition the Mile High City from cow town to cosmopolitan corral. Outside an upscale Capitol Hill mansion, I’m greeted by a redheaded woman named Heidi Keyes. This former international flight attendant, landscape travel painter and Carthage College graduate decided last January - after a friend suggested a “Cocktails and Canvas" themed class that incorporated cannabis into the art-making equation - to start Puff, Pass & Paint. “It just flowed from there,” she says excitedly. I step into the kitchen area where a small group of men and women are talking, drinking and smoking some of Colorado’s finest weed. One attendee is passing through Denver as a pot tourist, and several others are returning to the class, wanting more of the experience. A photographer named Jill thinks puffing and painting might inspire her to get ”a closer artistic connection with the plant.” Keyes has had problems in the past with the Denver police, but I’m told that since we’re in a private residence, the Popo won’t come knocking. A crew from 60 Minutes is here to cover Pass, Pass & Paint, Keyes’ 60th such class of 2014. She kicks things off by asking everyone to pick an easel; six are set up on a large covered table with a myriad of colorful tubes of acrylic paints. Watercolor boards are handed out. Keyes sets me up at an easel in the back of the room, next to a pot plant. What would a Puff, Pass & Paint class be without a plant to inspire? After a few tubes of paint are passed around for the students to fill their pallets 24 www.freedomleaf.com
with wonderfully bright and vibrant textures, Keyes paints colorful swaths that turn into the Denver skyline. With her gentle guidance and smile, she encourages us to follow her lead. Our brush strokes reveal fresh landscapes on the once blank canvases. As I inhale from a vape pen and paint, my years as a drug war refugee (I used to live in Amsterdam) melt away. Our host is onto something; the combination of puffing and painting is having a profound effect on the class. Keyes takes long, thoughtful looks at each artist’s work, commenting and offering guidance. “To me it is more about the experience than perfection,” Keyes tells me. “Process is so much more enhanced by marijuana and this helps people create art without it having to be perfect and to be more in the moment.” This is one of the more fun things to do in Denver when you’re stoned. So if you have a sudden urge to Puff, Pass & Paint, come to Denver and register fop one of Keyes’s high-art classes. They cost $50. Check out the schedule at puffpassandpaint.com. Alec Pearce is a writer and photographer who lives in Denver. CAPTIONS Puff and pass painters show off their creations. Wetting a brush before starting to apply paint to the canvas. The high-art class concentrates on the puffing, passing and painting. A painter puffs between applying brush strokes. Instructor Heidi Keyes enjoys a joint after class. The mountain landscape visible from Denver inspired this paintin. PULL QUOTE
High Art in the Mile High City
Our intrepid reporter combines brush strokes and vape pen hits during his maiden visit to Denver’s Puff, Pass & Paint class. Story and photos by Alec Pearce The Rocky Mountains of Colorado have always had a special “air” about them. Maybe the high altitude helped promote the legalization of cannabis and specifically Denver’s newest scene, the onset of the “Green Rush,” has helped transition the Mile High City from cow town to cosmopolitan corral. Outside an upscale Capitol Hill mansion, I’m greeted by a redheaded woman named Heidi Keyes. This former international flight attendant, landscape travel painter and Carthage College graduate decided last January - after a friend suggested a “Cocktails and Canvas” themed class that incorporated cannabis into the art-making equation - to start Puff, Pass
& Paint. “It just flowed from there,” she says excitedly. I step into the kitchen area where a small group of men and women are talking, drinking and smoking some of Colorado’s finest weed. One attendee is passing through Denver as a pot tourist, and several others are returning to the class, wanting more of the experience. A photographer named Jill thinks puffing and painting might inspire her to get ”a closer artistic connection with the plant.” Keyes has had problems in the past with the Denver police, but I’m told that since we’re in a private residence, the Popo won’t come knocking. A crew from 60 Minutes is here to
The high-art class concentrates on the puffing, passing and painting.
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Puff, Pass & Paint is one of the more fun things to do in Denver when you’re stoned.
Instructor Heidi Keyes enjoys a joint.
26 www.freedomleaf.com
cover Puff, Pass & Paint, Keyes’ 60th such class of 2014. She kicks things off by asking everyone to pick an easel; six are set up on a large covered table with a myriad of colorful tubes of acrylic paints. Watercolor boards are handed out. Keyes sets me up at an easel in the back of the room, next to a pot plant. What would a Puff, Pass & Paint class be without a plant to inspire? After a few tubes of paint are passed around for the students to fill their pallets with wonderfully bright and vibrant textures, Keyes paints colorful swaths that turn into the Denver skyline. With her gentle guidance and smile, she encourages us to follow her lead. Our brush strokes reveal fresh landscapes on the once blank canvases. As I inhale from a vape pen and paint, my years as a drug war refugee (I used to live in Amsterdam) melt away. Our host is onto something; the combination of puffing and painting is having a profound effect on the class. Keyes takes long, thoughtful looks at each artist’s work, commenting and offering guidance. “To me it is more about the
experience than perfection,” Keyes tells me. “Process is so much more enhanced by marijuana and this helps people create art without it having to be perfect and to be more in the moment.” This is one of the more fun things to do in Denver when you’re stoned. So if you have a sudden urge to Puff, Pass & Paint, come to Denver and register for one of Keyes’s high-art classes. They cost $50. Check out the schedule at; puffpassandpaint.com. Alec Pearce is a writer and photographer who lives in Denver.
One take on the Denver skyline.
Puff and pass painters show off their creations. www.freedomleaf.com 27
Glass Games
FIRE Creativity
This year’s theme at CHAMPS glass-blowing competition is enlightenment. By Chris Goldstein The CHAMPS Show in Las Vegas is the biggest expo for smoke shops in America. Those in the business travel from around the country to attend the event. For more than a decade, CHAMPS has been the premier venue for the latest smoking and vaporizing technology. The market has been dominated in the past few years by a dizzying variety of electronic devices like vape pens. But there’s always been a massive market in glassware. One of the highlights of the show, CHAMPS’ Glass Games brings together
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some of the world’s top artists for a “flame-off” competition. There are individual contests like the “Cane pull” where show attendees attempt to pull the longest tube (with no breaks) over 10 minutes. The showcase event is the themed competition called the “Masters Finals.” For two days, attendees get to see some amazing work take shape. Cash prizes from $1,000 to $50,000 are up for grabs. Themes last year included “Tell Me a Story” that had whole scenes depicted in figure sculptures and
“Death Race,” where a remote control car chassis was used as the base for the designs. According to CHAMPS, the 2015 Glass Games theme is: “Things that Enlighten You: It is inspiration and self-expression. A higher realm of spiritual thought. It is the tool or spark that brings you joy inside. It is the vessel for transcendence. For example, spirit animals, sacred geometric shapes and colors, metaphysical understanding, astral planes, transcendent or mind altering experiences – whatever ‘Enlightens’
you! It is not bound by alignments, it is the self-expression of what brings you enlightenment – be it light – or dark.” This type of work is on the rise in popularity. As the marijuana market becomes fully legal in more and more places, the glass industry has seen a real boom. Galleries once looked down on workers who make smoking devices. But this realm of glasswork has brought back the idea of people enjoying, appreciating and utilizing something that can truly be described as functional art.
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Glass sold in local smoke shops used to be pretty basic: some pipes and a few bongs. Much of the utilitarian products are mass-produced, though the best shops have always had that special case of high-end implements. These cross over from smoking tool to object d’art. Over the last five years, the market for boutique, functional glass has expanded considerably. Discerning cannabis consumers are willing to pay upward of $5,000 for a single piece from a wellknown artist. The forms can be eccentric with wild curves and flowing lines. Often these pieces incorporate more sculptural elements, like faces, figures, dancers, animals and even vehicles. Colors can be extravagant, staying away from the washed out monotones of commercial pipes and, instead, presenting dozens of brilliant hues. The process for making top-notch glass is intense. There are acetylene-oxygen torches fixed to tables breathing streams of flame, ceramic-lined kilns for keeping elements soft and pliable, heavy leather gloves and drawers full of metal tools for working the materials, and endless colored rods of the raw glass itself. Large pieces are often collaborations between several artists who work on different elements of the overall design. These can often take weeks to produce. Styles have shifted over the last few
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years. Dab-rigs, used for smoking concentrates, are a whole new device. They resemble a water pipe, but have different armatures; there’s no need for a bowl. Instead, a metal nail is heated with a torch, and then an ingeniously designed glass hood is fitted over the nail to bring the vapor though intricate glass tubing to the smoker. Along with the implements, there are also such accessories as dab wands, storage jars and wearable jewelry. The CHAMPS Show takes place from February 3-5, 2015 at the Las Vegas Convention Center. For more info, go to champstradeshows.com.
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What’s Next for Cannabis in America? The legalization victories in November 2014 have people wondering which states will follow suit and when the federal government will finally reverse its 77-year policy of marijuana prohibition. By Chris Goldstein The next phase of marijuana law reform in the U.S. is going to be the big one. No more crawling or baby steps; 2015 will see a quantum leap. But like the ‘90s television show of the same name, no one quite knows what this incarnation will look like. High prices, heavy regulations and big taxes, or a reduction in cost and a free market? Corporate takeovers or small businesses? A dozen more states legalizing or the real end to federal prohibition? Oregon, Alaska and the District of Columbia followed Washington and Colorado, legalizing marijuana in voter initiatives in November 2014. Still, the result of this ongoing experiment in democracy has also created a stark imbalance to
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liberty. While most states continue to arrest thousands of residents each year for possessing small amounts of cannabis, you can take a quick flight to Denver or Seattle, nonchalantly walk into a boutique pot store and select from a variety of top quality buds, cookies and concentrates. Even in legal zones, consumers face significant discrimination as employees, drivers and parents. Regulating the plant and collecting the taxes do not represent the end of the struggle for cannabis consumer rights. The good news is that members of Congress and even Pres. Obama are increasingly weighing in on the issue. Tucked into the $1.1 trillion 2014
Flag Button Photos credit: somartin / Shutterstock.com
omnibus federal spending bill are several provisions that impact marijuana policy – one that prevents the Department of Justice (DOJ) from spending tax dollars to interfere with state medical marijuana laws, but another that’s attempting to stop legalization from moving ahead in Washington, D.C. It’s a very mixed bag. The DOJ has even told Native American tribes they can explore selling marijuana on their sovereign land, even if they were not in a regulated state. This was a winter surprise to everyone, including most of the tribes. Marijuana policy reform has morphed from pure grassroots activism of street protests and petitions to the hardball, inside-game politics of lobbyists and lawyers. The real question is if one strategy will outpace another or if the multiple efforts can coexist and stay focused on a common goal.
United States of Marijuana Most state governments around the country are openly or quietly jealous of Washington and Colorado’s new cannabis-generated tax revenue. The theme last year from state legislators was “wait and see,” but it’s now shifting towards “how do we get a piece of the action.”
Here’s what’s happening in 16 states: California: The world’s seventh-largest economy started the medical marijuana movement in 1996 and hopes to join the “Legalization Push” in 2016 via a ballot initiative (see “California Readies for Legalization Push” on p. 58).
Delaware: The First State may finally open its first dispensary after an almost four year delay. There’s also a strong push for the legislature to decriminalize. A bill passed committee last year but fizzled out. This year could likely see it pass. Georgia: Legislators have pre-filed at least three bills for 2015: A whole plant medical cannabis law, a revised CBD-only law and a full legalization bill. In 2014, the Peach State passed an extremely limited medical research program for CBD that has yet to get off the ground. Having one of the big Southern states enter the ganja economy would truly signal the end of the prohibition era is nigh. Maine: The most northern of the contiguous 48 states has one of the most robust medical marijuana programs in the country. South Portland voters enacted a form of local legalization in November 2014, joining Portland. Expect there to be competing initiatives for full state legalization in 2016. The legislature may beat voters to the punch with bills filed in 2015.
The overall outlook is categorically positive, with the conversation about cannabis finally active at the national level. www.freedomleaf.com 33
Massachusetts: The state known for strong accents and Ivy League schools has been on the forefront of marijuana reform for decades. The Boston Freedom Rally hosted by MassCann/NORML gathers 50,000 people to the historic Boston Common each year for the biggest reform rally on the East Coast. In 2009, voters decriminalized possession statewide, then said yes to medical marijuana in 2012. Marijuana arrests have dropped almost 80% and medical dispensaries should be opening this year. Reformers are betting that Bay State residents want to go further with Colorado-style stores and will aim for a fully regulated market via legislation or another ballot initiative. Mississippi and Missouri: Both states are gathering signatures on ballot campaigns for full legalization in 2016. Thousands of registered voters will need to sign on this year to qualify. Mississippi is another CBD-only state, but again there’s been no access. Anthony Johnson, one of the key players in Oregon’s successful effort (see “Paving the Road to Legalization” on page 45), is lending some of his expertise in Missouri. Nevada: The Silver State is the first to qualify for a full legalization initiative on the 2016 ballot. Dispensaries are also scheduled to open this year. This all could be a major boon to the lagging gambling industry in Las Vegas. Already a tourist destination, Nevada could attract the canna-tourists who don’t enjoy the high altitude of Colorado. 34 www.freedomleaf.com
New Mexico: The state capitol, Santa Fe, decriminalized in 2014. The Land of Enchantment has looked on with open curiosity to its neighbor Colorado sans the hostility of Nebraska and Oklahoma. New Mexico lawmakers plan to introduce full legalization bills. This could be the first state on America’s southern border to end marijuana prohibition. Pennsylvania: The Keystone State has a new cannabis-friendly governor: businessman Tom Wolf. Bills for industrial hemp and medical marijuana have already been filed for 2015. Wolf also favors statewide decriminalized. But PA could be following in the footsteps of neighbors New Jersey and New York offering a very limited medical marijuana program. So far the bill allows only edible oils and pills. But that could change. Rhode Island: After a strong run at a bill in the General Assembly last year a new group, Regulate RI, has formed to try again in 2015. Republican Gov. Lincoln Chafee, who delayed medical access for years, is the final hurdle. South Carolina and North Carolina: Both states signed CBD-only laws last year and neither have seen patients access the product so far. But this has not stymied progress. In South Carolina, a former police chief has filed a decriminalization bill and North Carolina may try for a whole-plant medical marijuana law in 2015. Texas:
Legislators
are
seriously
considering several changes. Medical marijuana is on the agenda along with statewide decrim. NORML chapters in Dallas-Fort Worth, Austin, Houston and Waco have seen exponential growth. DFW and Houston NORML demonstration marches draw 5,000 people. The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is also making a big investment in Texas. It’s one of the rare instances of the grassroots and the suit-wearing lobbyists joining forces. Willie Nelson would be proud. Vermont: The Green Mountain State is another area where MPP is placing a solid bet and a field director. There’s a large General Assembly in Montpelier: 180 state legislators serve a population of about 626,000 residents. This means a lot of effort must be put into passing any bill. Virginia: Adam Ebbin, a state senator endorsed by the NORML PAC, is pursuing decriminalization. In a state known for low-cost tobacco there are about 23,000 pot arrests every year.
Cities Weigh Decriminalization vs. Deprioritization Philadelphia became the largest city in the country to reduce marijuana possession penalties last year. Instead of handcuffs and holding cells, offenders now get $25 tickets for having less than 30 grams and $100 fines for smoking in public. Philly followed Washington, D.C., where the exact same fine structure was implemented. Then, in a bold move, New York City, where the highest concentration of pot arrests occurs each year, followed suit. These three major metro areas shifted bills taken up by the local city councils and mayors. Dozens of cities across the U.S. have also changed local ordinances through ballot initiatives. There are two kinds of policies employed:
Decriminalization: This has three immediate areas of impact for the consumer: 1) It stops the practice of custodial arrest; 2) it reduces penalties to fines equivalent to parking tickets and 3) perhaps most important, it eliminates a permanent criminal record for the offense making it easier to get a job, gain financial aid, access public housing and enter military service. Deprioritization: Several cities have passed ballots that make marijuana possession the lowest law enforcement priority. This means that police must prove there is nothing else they could be spending time on when they choose to enforce pot laws. Statistics show the greatest number of arrests and the most disturbing racial disparities in those targeted happen in urban environments. So reforming marijuana laws at the municipal level has a real, tangible impact. Big cities are also facing the worst budget shortfalls. Clearing out the courts and focusing police on serious crime saves millions of dollars. It also helps ease some of the tension between police and the community. In areas without medicinal marijuana programs, decrim protects underground patients from arrest. We will likely see more of this fast moving, city-level change in 2015.
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Initiative 71, the ballot D.C. voters approved by nearly 70% to completely legalize marijuana, came under fire in December 2014 when Congressmen Andy Harris (R-MD) and Joe Pitts (R-PA) attempted to subvert the will of D.C. voters by adding a provision to the omnibus bill that would ostensibly block its implementation. Congress has the final say on spending in the District. More than a dozen legislators and Obama decried the tactic. Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ) summed up the sentiment in a passionate speech on the Senate floor: “So when the District of Columbia votes just like Colorado, just like Washington, just like Oregon, just like Alaska to change marijuana laws... When Washington, D.C. grapples with the devastating impact of the Drug War, sees the pain and the challenges and the struggles therein... When the people of the city come together to try a different way forward, should we not honor their results?” Marijuana legalization may still prevail in the Nation’s Capitol. Harris’ language was too vague and may not prevent the initiative from moving forward. Besides, there’s no spending needed to implement the law since it doesn’t regulate retail stores, but simply allows home cultivation and possession by residents.
Flowers on The Hill Looking forward to this year, NORML’s
Top to bottom Sen. Cory Booker, Reps Jared Polis, Dana Rohrbacher, Steve Cohen, Beto O’Rourke and Earl Blumenauer.
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New Yorker that marijuana was no more dangerous than alcohol, parroting longheld reform organization rhetoric. While Obama balked at re-scheduling cannabis through administrative action, he practically dared Congress to take it up. The President clearly wants a legacy that includes a major shift away from a “war” on drugs. The twilight of his administration could leave him with more room for action than most observers are willing to admit. To Re-Schedule or De-Schedule?
2014 annual report states: “The U.S. Congress will have nearly 20 cannabis law reform bills introduced, ranging from legalization to rescheduling to sentencing to industrial hemp reforms.” For the first time in history, there will be numerous serious bills and teams of legislators on Capitol Hill working on this issue – green dream teams in both tiers of the federal government. They’re strong, outspoken and experienced. Congressmen Jared Polis (D-CO), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Beto O’Rourke (D-TX) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) head a growing cannabis coalition in the House. Booker and Rand Paul (R-TN) are leading the charge in the now Republican-controlled Senate. If the same drive and determination can be found again among these politicians and their colleagues, we could see a real federal sea change in 2015. Pres. Obama has also evolved noticeably on the subject. Last year, he told The 38 www.freedomleaf.com
Marijuana is currently listed a s Schedule I drug in the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), defined as having “high potential for abuse” and “no accepted medical use.” The ultimate solution to prohibition is deceptively straightforward: Marijuana should be completely removed from the CSA. Alcohol and tobacco are not (and were never) regulated under the CSA. Decisively taking it out of this realm would allow businesses, consumers and states the real power to effectively bring markets above board. De-scheduling is not a new theory. Raymond Shafer, a two-term Governor of Pennsylvania and a staunch Republican, first proposed it in 1972. Placing marijuana in Schedule I back in 1970 was supposed to be a temporary measure. Shafer led a group that was tasked with studying the categorization. After observing people smoke marijuana for religious, medical and recreational reasons, he and his fellow commissioners could not find justification for the federal government enacting criminal prohibition. Their full report, “Marihuana: A Signal of Misunderstanding,” was insightful, prophetic and reads fresh 43 years later. But taking marijuana down to Schedule II, III, IV or V in the CSA could create an even bigger problem. The states have regulated cannabis without any federal
oversight whatsoever. Agencies like the DEA, FDA, Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and National Institute of Health (NIH) have been unable to impose extra rules or interfere. Move cannabis down in the schedule scheme even one notch and all the agencies listed above would suddenly have tremendous power over every aspect of the plant. They’d come with their own armies of lawyers and lobbyists well honed in the realm of big medicine, Big Pharma and big government. Rescheduling would essentially undo all existing state level reform. It could also re-set the business structure to default towards multi-million dollar mainstream corporations, cutting out the mom-andpop operations overnight. The best way to leave the local structures intact while allowing for further innovations is to de-schedule. This puts marijuana truly alongside alcohol and on an equal footing. It also gives breathing room for small businesses and local cottage industries to thrive. A recent federal District Court in California (see “Federal Trial on Cannabis Spending” in Issue 2) is expected to weigh in on this issue. The CBD Conundrum The issue of legal reform has become increasingly complex. No one could have
predicted the odd sidetrack of CBD-only laws that were enacted in 20% of the states in 2014. CBD (cannabidiol) is one of the many compounds in the cannabis plant. Most people are familiar with delta-9 THC, the compound that produces the euphoric effect commonly associated with marijuana. TV doctor Sanjay Gupta gave CBD a big boost in 2013 when he aired a segment on children with seizure disorders finding relief from cannabis oils high in CBD (he followed-up with another program on the subject, “Weed 2,” in 2014). This has since given rise to a general CBD fad in marijuana companies who tout products (everything from health shake powders to flavored breath mints) containing the compound. Some businesses have emerged that claim to be extracting CBD from industrial hemp plants, which contain only trace levels of any medicinally effective cannabinoids. The hope on the part of these companies is to avoid falling afoul of federal law and to sell CBD products in all 50 states. Just like THC (and every other compound in the cannabis plant), CBD is on Schedule I in the Controlled Substances Act. Meaning that even if a given state has legalized it, moving it across domestic or international borders would still be a big no-no. A powerful anti-oxidant, CBD is often touted as being “non-psychoactive,” an odd claim for something that undeniably
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What has been referred to as the Green Rush may indeed be a big Green Bubble. Only after the burst, like the dotcom era of the ‘90s, will the market truly stabilize. helps with seizures. The right mix of cannabinoids has proved to be extremely beneficial for children with epileptic disorders. Once they start cannabis oil, kids go from hundreds of seizures per day down to single digits and sometimes zero. There’s also evidence that CBD-rich preparations can be used for chronic pain and to benefit dementia patients. However, CBD also seems to work best in concert with THC and other cannabinoids; it’s not nearly as effective alone. CBD’s also hailed as being nonintoxicating. Certainly, strains of marijuana low in THC don’t produce the high many recreational consumers seek. But here’s the dirty secret: there’s an effect nonetheless. The politics of CBD vs. THC has become muddled. In 2014, legislators teamed up with a small pool of pro-CBD business owners to pass laws that are unworkable. The only way to offer CBD-rich strains and oils is to have a
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comprehensive medical marijuana law that allows for a wide variety of products. Otherwise, patients, even the very children the laws are meant to help, are left with nothing. Iowa and the other nine states have gone through the difficulties of passing CBD-only laws with no resulting access for patients. Now the parents of epileptic children are seeking expansion, completely new bills or worse, picking up and moving to Colorado and California. Buyers and Sellers There’s a growing divide between business interests and consumer interests in cannabis. High prices and high taxes are good for the bottom line of businesses and state coffers. Conversely, these margins may grow the already large underground market. While the industry gets more politically savvy, consumers may begin to seek better pricing and protections.
For instance, laboratory testing remains largely unregulated and without any true standards. That THC potency number printed on the side of that eighth of Sour Diesel may be correct, or not. The myriad of fertilizers, pesticides and magic growing formulas used by cultivators could be perfectly safe, or not. The American Herbal Products Association has a monograph that would bring some order to this chaos. But every state regulator would have to adopt it. There’s no independent Consumer Reports for marijuana. But maybe there should be some sort of Cannabis Research Institute to keep up some checks and balances. And what about the stock floats? Several cannabis-related companies are already trading on Wall Street. Hedge
laws: looking compassionate on paper while intentionally doing nothing in the real world. CBD-only laws and “research-only” laws are good examples. They’re misinterpreted by the press and the public as being broad, whole-plant cannabis laws, giving false hope to many who are suffering. Law enforcement has also taken a new approach. More than 90% of the pot smoked in the U.S. is domestically produced. Our high-grade red, white and blue Kush is even being exported to other countries. Instead of trying to seize Mexican brick weed or Canadian BC Bud at the international borders, police are spending more time tracking down local gardens and trunk-loads going from state to state.
The best way to leave the local structures intact while allowing for further innovations is to de-schedule marijuana. funds, start-up investors and bankers are hatching business plans across the country hoping to cash in. What has been referred to as the Green Rush may indeed be a big Green Bubble. Only after the burst, like the dotcom era of the ‘90s, will the market truly stabilize with the serious models intact. The coming year will see that bubble inflate even further but, most likely, it will eventually pop into a shower of broken droplets. Conclusion As the reform movement has evolved, so has the opposition. It’s no longer expedient or productive to come out swinging against medical access. Now the prohibitionist buzz is all about passing limited
In states that have declared victory, roadside THC impairment tests along with court cases about employment rights and child custody will emerge as quintessential issues. Still, the overall outlook is categorically positive, with the conversation about cannabis finally active at the national level. The vast grassroots networks of NORML and SSDP along with partner organizations like the ACLU, MPP and Drug Policy Alliance are now instilled with incredible momentum. We’re assuredly going to witness marijuana and hemp reform dive deeper into the minutia of legalese in 2015. It’s time for freedom, plain and simple. www.freedomleaf.com 41
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Paving the Way to Legalization in Oregon Freedom Leaf interviews Anthony Johnson, the main man behind Oregon’s marijuana victory. By Doug McVay Oregon’s Measure 91 to legalize and regulate marijuana for adults passed with 56% of the vote in November 2014. Anthony Johnson, a young attorney and cannabis business consultant in Portland, led the campaign. We met up at a coffee shop recently to talk about life after Measure 91. First of all, congratulations! What are the changes in law and when do they go into effect? Anthony Johnson, Photo by Doug McVay
Anthony Johnson: I’d like to say congratulations to all of us. This has been really decades in the making, to legalize and regulate marijuana in Oregon. I was fortunate enough to be someone who helped go over the finish line. And yeah, I definitely would take a lot of blame if it hadn’t passed. Fortunately for all of us it did pass, so I’m getting a lot of credit. I would even argue more credit that I really deserve, but I’m happy to take it.
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I couldn’t be happier that we passed a law that’s going to have national implications, and has already improved the lives of people here in Oregon. Multnomah County, our largest county where Portland resides, has already started treating marijuana offenses as if Measure 91 has already gone into effect, which officially isn’t until July 1, 2015. Clackamas County has followed suit as well. On July 1, 2015, personal cultivation and possession becomes legal. That’s the earliest that the state could start accepting applications for the licensed processors, retailers and producers. We provided a January 3, 2016 date for when the state has to start accepting applications, but they could, if they wanted to, start accepting applications as early as July 1, 2015. As of July 1, 2015, every household will be able to cultivate four plants and possess up to eight ounces. You’re also allowed up to 16 ounces of solids and 72 ounces of liquid. Away from home you can possess an ounce legally. Let’s switch to the personal side here. You’re originally from Missouri, right?
Johnson: I was born and raised in a small town called Lexington, Missouri. It’s about 50 miles northwest of Kansas City and has 5,000 people. It’s a very conservative area that very much identified with the South, and was even a Confederate stronghold during the Civil War. One time the Confederacy dipped hemp bales into the Missouri River and hid behind the hemp bales to overtake a Union position, and there’s a re-enactment of the battle of Lexington every couple of years. It’s become known as the Battle of Hemp Bales. I studied political science at the University of Missouri in Columbia. When I was a freshman, the University of Missouri NORML chapter was getting reinvigorated. They held a meeting and NORML board member Dan Viets was the featured speaker. I was there with a few people from Lexington and when Dan, at that first meeting, shared the story of the Battle of Hemp Bales the people from Lexington cheered because it was a point of pride for us. Two African-American friends of mine getting treated more harshly for marijuana
Anthony Johnson and Alex Rogers teamed up for the Portland ICBC last September.
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“I couldn’t be happier that we passed a law that’s going to have national implications, and has already improved the lives of people here in Oregon.” offenses is what sprung me into action, to be more forceful and to really seek for ways to improve this law because it was so unjust to me. That’s why I became active. I was fortunate enough to help lead what became the second and third attempts, and the third time was the charm, to decriminalize marijuana within the city limits of Columbia. When did you move to Portland? Johnson: I moved here in August of 2004. My first job here was working for America Coming Together, which was the get out the vote for John Kerry and the Democrats to make sure that Oregon went the right way in 2004. I passed the Oregon Bar in 2005 and for two years practiced criminal defense with Lee Berger. In 2007, I was hired by Voter Power to run their Portland office and medical marijuana clinic. I went on to help start Ashland Alternative Health.
Conference Confidential ICBC producer Alex Rogers, who owns two Northwest Alternative Centers in Oregon, fills us in on what it takes to run a successful marijuana seminar. When and how did you decide to become a marijuana conference producer? Rogers: The impetus was the rapidly changing laws in Oregon and all of the dis- and misinformation surrounding the new laws and subsequent new rules. More people than usual started coming to me asking all types of questions pertaining to cannabis laws in Oregon. So, I wanted to create events that were information based. I’d been to many cannabis conferences where I felt the information wasn’t gritty enough. My goal was to give out pertinent, germane, esoteric knowledge. Nowadays, many conferences are expo first and curriculum second. Curriculum is my first priority. You’ve produced three conferences so far – all in Oregon. Why did you decide to move the conference to San Francisco?
Johnson: I volunteered to serve as chief petitioner as it is a position that brings legal responsibilities that not many people want. Additionally, my legal background, experience as a chief petitioner for Measure 74 in 2010 and my relationship with elected officials and local and national advocates made me a good candidate to serve as chief petitioner for Measure 91.
Rogers: The Portland ICBC in September 2014 was a rousing success. I asked myself, where is the next place that we should have the ICBC? San Francisco was an easy choice. My partner, Debby Goldsberry, who lives in Oakland, was into it and so we pushed forward. We thought it was a bit odd that there were all of these big business conferences around the U.S., but there were so very few in California. We wanted to bring our ICBC brand to NorCal, the activist birthplace of all of us.
The previous attempt to legalize marijuana in Oregon in 2012 failed.
What are the biggest challenges when it comes to organizing a conference?
How did you become the chief petitioner for Measure 91?
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MARIJUANA POLITICS.com THE NEWS SOURCE FOR AN INFORMED CITIZENRY
Learn More 48 www.freedomleaf.com
888.920.6076 InternationalCBC.com
What made you think Measure 91 would succeed? Johnson: Colorado and Washington passing legalization measures by strong margins really changed the political landscape. Measure 80 in 2012 garnered 47% without much funding for a campaign. It became clear that a more regulated approach with funding could win in 2014. Many in the reform community were nervous about the Oregon campaign. Were you worried as well? Johnson: I was very anxious as Election Day got closer. Personally, I felt a lot of pressure because so many had put in so much work, not only during the course of the campaign, but for decades fighting cannabis prohibition in Oregon. Certainly, I didn’t want to make an unforced error in an interview or debate that could hurt our chances. Now that Oregon and Alaska have joined Colorado and Washington as legal marijuana states, what advice do you have for other organizations that plan to move in this direction in 2015 and 2016? Johnson: I advise other organizations to learn from the states that have gone before them, bring in as many stakeholders as possible and work hard at outreaching to as many influential people, groups and organizations as possible. Look into your crystal ball and tell us which states will legalize marijuana next and when. Johnson: I think California, Nevada, Massachusetts and Maine will all legalize in 2016. My additional wildcard is Missouri, which has a great activist team on the ground. Success there in 2016 could really add to our momentum across the country. Former National NORML staffer Doug McVay edits Drug War Facts. He lives in Portland, Oregon.
Rogers: Figuring out the program is tough! You have to do tons of research and talk to many people to funnel down what you feel is the most pertinent program choices. The other tough thing is to have your event go off without a hitch. It takes an extreme amount of understanding and oversight to “see” the event before it happens. Then, you have to assume that things will not always go as planned and be able to adapt accordingly. These are huge events that people pay lots of money to attend. The attendees deserve this attention to production fluidity. In the past, most marijuana-related conferences were from an activist/ reform perspective. Now the focus has become canna-business. Which direction does ICBC lean towards – reform or business, or both? Rogers: We’re both. My ICBC team is mostly all highly esteemed old-school activists. We’re the ones that scraped and crawled our way to the top. We believe the cannabis revolution is a cultural revolution. Legalizing weed is good public policy. Cannabis is good for society. This was the narrative surrounding cannabis law reform until the recession hit. Subsequent to the recession, this narrative started to change. Many activists saw this as an opportunity to push our agenda forward by telling people and governments how much money they were going to save, and make off this. It’s time to switch the narrative back a bit. The entire first day of the ICBC is dedicated to advocacy, culture and politics. This is not only the “right” thing to do, but it’s imperative. If you plan to be successful in the cannabis space, you better be hip to the many political and cultural variables and elements that exist. You won’t find programs at the ICBC about penny stock www.freedomleaf.com 49
(From left) Anthony Johnson, Rep. Earl Blumenauer and Alex Rogers at the International Cannabis Business Conference in Portland last September. Photo by Doug McVay
investment and so on. My events are not get-rich quick conferences. The ICBC is a venue where you’ll learn valuable information to practically apply to your respective canna-business venture and find success, if you’re willing to work hard at it. What’s exciting you most about this conference? I’m most excited about doing something great and making actual change. I’m excited about being able to grow and employ more people with living wage jobs. I’m excited about letting people out of jail for this shit. I’m excited to do my little part in helping California legalize for 2016.
Interview conducted by Steve Bloom
The International Cannabis Business Conference is being held at the Hyatt Regency in San Francisco on Feb. 15-16, 2015. 50 www.freedomleaf.com
International Cannabis Business Conference Schedule Sunday - Feb. 15 9:15 am
Dr. Carl Hart
10:15 am Rep. Dana Rohrbacher 11:15 am Ethan Nadelmann 1:45 pm
Advocacy panel
2:45 pm
Media panel
3:45 pm
Western States panel
Monday - Feb. 16 9:30 am
Rick Steves
10:00 am Cannabiz 5000 panel 12:00 pm Ben Dronkers 2:00 pm
Dispensary 5000 panel
3:00 pm
Troy Dayton
3:45 pm
Steve DeAngelo
Berkeley Patients Group
has been the model for quality, compassion, and excellence across the medical cannabis industry for over 15 years. Regarded as the leader in self-regulation and the development of industry best practices, our model for success has made BPG the longest, continuously operating dispensary in America. BPG is proud to be the San Francisco Bay Area's premier dispensary and a national leader in the fight for sensible and responsible cannabis regulations.
2366 San Pablo Avenue Berkeley, CA 94702 510.540.6013
myBPG.com Facebook.com/MyBPG Twitter.com/BPGtweet
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Northern Lights:
The Winding Trail to Alaska Legalization Alaska joined Colorado and Washington as legal marijuana states in November 2014. Much of the credit goes to a local attorney named Irwin Ravin, who changed the law there back in 1975.
By Chris Goldstein America’s newest state is also our most extreme environment. Imagine six months where 23 hours of the day is steady sunshine, then six months of constant night. There are huge tracks of astoundingly beautiful but seriously harsh wilderness. Some native tribes are so remote children take airplanes to school every morning. The people of Alaska - homesteaders, oil workers, fishermen and women, miners and even the local bartenders - share a common thread: a stubborn will to survive and thrive. There’s a fierce sense of independence among Alaskans. In November 2014, they voted in favor of legalizing recreational marijuana. The relationship between cannabis and Alaska has always been close. Though the growing season is short, the fertile land yields impressive plants. Long before “BC Bud” migrated down into the lower 48, the Alaskans were enjoying high-quality genetics from their Canadian 52 www.freedomleaf.com
neighbors. One of their most famous strains was dubbed Matanuska Thunderfuck after the valley north of Anchorage. “Back in the ‘80s, my friends in California were smoking Mexican brick weed all day long,” says Judy D. of Anchorage, “It was total shit! They would come up here and it was like the first time they’d ever seen real buds.” Judy runs a tour service, booking fishing trips and other activities for the thousands who flock north on cruise ships each year. Like most of the folks in Alaska, she wasn’t born there (she’s from Ohio). After spending some time in California and then Seattle, Judy followed a boyfriend up to the Last Frontier State in 1985. A few years later, the boyfriend was gone, but Judy liked the job opportunities available to women and had embraced the culture. “If you want to live here, you have to really want to be here,” she explains. “It seems like everyone up here smokes pot.”
Irwin Ravin in his law office, October 1990 Photo by Hal Spence, Homer News file photo. Used with permission.
By 1975, Irwin Ravin had argued the marijuana issue all the way up to the State Supreme Court. NORML helped out by supplying expert testimony and legal briefs. It turned out to be a landmark decision. Because statehood came to Alaska in 1959, it has the most modern constitution. One of the rights enshrined to residents is the strongest legal definition of personal privacy. In 1973, Irwin Ravin, a colorful attorney who migrated from Newark, New Jersey, decided to put it to the test. After being stopped for a broken taillight with some marijuana in his pocket, Ravin refused to sign the
ticket and plead guilty. He was arrested and took the case to trial. By 1975, Ravin had argued the issue all the way up to the State Supreme Court. NORML helped out by supplying expert testimony and legal briefs. It turned out to be a landmark decision. “We conclude that no adequate justification for the state’s intrusion into the citizen’s right to privacy by its prohibition www.freedomleaf.com 53
of possession of marijuana by an adult for personal consumption in the home has been shown,” the court ruled. “The privacy of the individual’s home cannot be breached absent a persuasive showing of a close and substantial relationship of the intrusion to a legitimate governmental interest. Here, mere scientific doubts will not suffice. The state must demonstrate a need based on proof that the public health or welfare will in fact suffer if the controls are not applied.” From that moment forward, possessing up to four ounces of cannabis in the privacy of your home became legal. Possessing up to one ounce was legal in public. For 15 years, police performed marijuana arrests only on the rarest of occasions; several possession cases were thrown out based on the Ravin decision. Not everyone was happy with that
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status quo. Because this was a constitutional issue, the legislature had little room to move. In 1990, some prohibitionists put forward a ballot initiative to criminalize marijuana. It turned out 54% of Alaskans voted to make possession a criminal offense punishable by a $1,000 fine and up to 90 days in jail. But the outcome was challenged in court and Ravin’s concept again prevailed. The Alaska Court of Appeals ruled in 1990 that there was a constitutional limitation. For another 16 years, the legal four ounces at home/one ounce in public remained. In 2006, the legislature amended the 1990 law and made possession of more than one ounce the lowest level of misdemeanor. The move was not popular among residents. About 1,500 marijuana arrests were recorded each year from 2000 to 2011.
Morgan Fox at the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) says that while pot wasn’t a top priority for law enforcement, “Stories from some of our staff indicated that police took it really seriously. People got caught with an ounce and it would make the news.” Medical marijuana was also a part of the mix. A 1998 law allowed residents to
regulations for the businesses allowed will likely not be finalized until this fall. Adults over the age of 21 may posses up to one ounce of cannabis, cultivate up to six plants, gift up to one ounce to other adults and purchase marijuana from state licensed retail stores. The Alaska Beverage Control Board (BCB) currently has regulatory authority
The relationship between cannabis and Alaska has always been close. Though the growing season is short, the fertile land yields impressive plants. register as patients, giving them access to one ounce of dried materiel and allowing the cultivation of up to six plants. However, there were no provisions for dispensaries or licensed growers. The historic ballot victory in 2014 will change things for the better. More than 53% of Alaskans voted for a fully legalized and taxed system for cannabis under Measure 2. The law goes into full effect on February 24, 2015. Rules and
over the law’s implementation. If the BCB fails to act in a timely manner, the legislature may create a separate agency for the law. Under the new law, four types of businesses are allowed: cultivation centers, processing facilities (for extracts and oils), product testing laboratories and retail stores. The tax system is basic: a $50 per ounce excise tax on each wholesale
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ounce sold from a grower to a store. Municipalities will also have a say in zoning and other issues. The Anchorage city government took up a bill to ban retail cannabis stores, but the measure was defeated in a 9-2 vote in December 2014. Anchorage is the state’s largest city and the first destination for most tourists by plane or ship. “Fairbanks is considering something similar,” notes MPP’s Fox. “But I’m sure there are places that will embrace it. If a city is going to allow it, they probably won’t make a big fuss about it.» Alaska also thrives on tourism. Similar to Colorado, the legal protections and ability to purchase from stores is not limited to state residents, but anyone in the state over the age of 21. Still, most important, the law will stop all possession arrests for small amounts (though there will still be a $100 fine for smoking in public). While recreational
consumers will no doubt enjoy a greater variety of strains and products, the full legalization measure will also benefit those seeking cannabis therapy. “This gives safe access for medical marijuana patients,” adds Fox. “There were no legal dispensaries, but now even those patients can access what they need.” Alaska now joins Colorado, Washington, Oregon and the District of Columbia as places where cannabis consumers can finally enjoy the freedom to light up. It goes well with the ideals summed up by Irwin Ravin 30 years ago when he told the Homer Alaska News: “Our territory and now state has traditionally been the home of people who prize their individuality and who have chosen to achieve a measure of control over their own lifestyles which is now virtually unattainable in many of our sister states.”
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Readies for Legalization Push The world’s seventh-largest economy wants to join its West Coast neighbors as a legal marijuana state in 2016. By Dale Gieringer, Director of California NORML Buoyed by last November’s victories for legal marijuana in Oregon, Alaska and the District of Columbia, Californians are gearing up for a statewide initiative to legalize marijuana in 2016. State activists have formed the Coalition for Cannabis Policy Reform (CCPR) to help lead the effort under the banner of ReformCA.com. Members of CCPR include California NORML, the California Cannabis Industry Association, LEAP, the Emerald Growers Association, Americans for Safe Access, the Union of Food and Commercial Workers, NAACP, Students for Sensible Drug Policy and the William C. Velazquez Institute, among others. CCPR is collaborating with two national partners, the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) and Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), in supporting and planning the campaign. 58 www.freedomleaf.com
Organizers are optimistic that California will follow Oregon, Washington and Alaska to make the entire West Coast legal in 2016. Polls have shown support for legalizing, taxing and regulating marijuana at between 53% and 65% among California voters, with up to 46% indicating “strong support.” Reformers will have the advantage of going to the polls in a Presidential election year, when turnout by youth and other favorably minded voters is higher. In addition, the record low turnout in this year’s election has reduced the number of signatures required to make the ballot by some 30%, substantially reducing the campaign cost. A growing number of California officials have joined the bandwagon for legalization. Lieutenant Gov. Gavin Newsom, who led the banner for marriage equality
in California, voiced his support for legalizing marijuana at the state Democratic convention, which voted to endorse legalization in its party platform. “These laws don’t make sense anymore,” he said. “It’s time for politicians to come out of the closet on this.” Newsom is heading a blue-ribbon commission to explore how to legalize in 2016. On the Republican side, Orange County Rep. Dana Rohrabacher has become his party’s leading spokesman for marijuana reform in Congress, having successfully co-sponsored with Democrat Rep. Sam Farr from Monterey a historic budget amendment cutting off Department of Justice (DOJ) funding for federal raids that undermine state medical marijuana laws. For the first time in history during the 2014 election, a major party candi-
Basic initiative goals include: • Establishing a legal, regulated, taxed system of cannabis sales and production along similar lines as alcohol. • Making it legal for adults 21 and over to possess, cultivate, use and share marijuana for personal use. • Decriminalizing and eliminating felony penalties for minor cultivation and distribution offenses. • Allowing for on-site consumption on private property and in licensed premises. • Protecting and strengthening access to medical cannabis for patients in genuine medical need. • Clearing felony records of non-violent marijuana offenders. Organizers aim to raise $1.5-$2
Organizers are optimistic that California will follow Oregon, Washington and Alaska to make the entire West Coast legal in 2016. date for Attorney General, Republican Ron Gold, called for legalizing marijuana in his losing race against popular incumbent Kamala Harris. After ducking the issue in the campaign, Harris announced she’s “not opposed” to legalization, saying: “I think there’s a certain inevitability about it.” CCPR is planning an initiative along similar lines as Colorado and Oregon, with adjustments tailored to the specific needs of Californians - adult users, patients, caregivers, and the state’s longstanding medical marijuana and outdoor growing industries. Advocates plan to propose a regulatory regime that’s competitive, flexible and accessible for existing small-scale growers and medical collectives as well as larger, commercial adult-use enterprises, with dual licensing tracks for medical and adult-use cannabis as in Colorado.
million over the next year in order to qualify for the ballot. A few million more will be needed for the actual 2016 campaign. Supporters are urged to check out the campaign’s website at ReformCA. com. Observers agree that events in California, the world’s seventh-largest economy, will have international repercussions. “If it’s legalized in California,” remarked Mexican journalist Leo Zuckerman, “It’s legalized in Mexico.”
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By Steve Bloom
From “I Like Marijuana” to “Reefer Man” to “Legalize It,” here are the greatest smokin’ tunes ever recorded.
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I Got Stoned and I Missed It Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show (1975) Written by Shel Silverstein, this comedic country number appeared on Dr. Hook’s fourth album, Bankrupt. “I was sitting around my basement, I just rolled myself a taste,” sings Ray Sawyer (he wore the eyepatch, hence the name Dr. Hook). “Of something green and gold and glorious to get me through the day.” The dude gets so high he misses everything else that’s going on around him. It’s one of several songs penned by Silverstein for the ‘70s group, and serves as the title track on I Got Stoned and I Missed It: The Best from Shel Silverstein, 1971-1979.
19
Because I Got High Afroman (2001)
Similar to “I Got Stoned and I Missed It,” Afroman sings about slacking off due to getting high. The song appeared on the Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back soundtrack (as well as his own Because I Got High album) and soared to No. 13 on the charts. Afroman recorded a new version of the song, with more positive lyrics, in 2014.
18
Marijuana Kid Cudi (2010) Clocking in at 4:20, this slow track resembles the mind while under the influence of the indo smoke. A guitar solo punctuates Cudi’s repeats of “Pretty green bud/ All in my blunt/ Oh I need it.” Appearing on his second album, Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, the song reached No. 54 on the charts.
Photo credit: S. Bukley / Shutterstock.com
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17
Roll Me Up and Smoke Me When I Die Willie Nelson (2012) Willie Nelson’s current pot anthem is pretty much the theme song for Farm Aid and other major shows he performs with guests joining to sing along. For the peppy studio version (it appears on Heroes), Nelson assembled friends like Snoop Dogg, Kris Kristofferson and Jamey Johnson. “If anyone don’t like it,” he sings, “just look ‘em in the eye.” It’s also the title of Nelson’s latest book.
16
Champagne & Reefer Muddy Waters (1981)
The Mississippi-bred blues great sings about his favorite intoxicating substances on this tune from his final album, King Bee, produced by Johnny Winter. “Bring me champagne when I’m thirsty,” Muddy Waters hollers. “Bring me reefer when I want to get high.” And at the end he explains, “I’m going to stick with my reefer/ Ain’t gonna be messin’ around with no cocaine.” Covered by the Rolling Stones and Ian Moore (Hempilation: Freedom Is NORML, 1995).
15
Burn One Down Ben Harper (1995) Recorded for his second album, Fight for Your Mind, folk-rocker Harper sings, “Herb’s the gift from the earth/ And what’s from the earth/ Is of the greatest worth/ So before you knock it try it first/ You’ll see it’s a blessing/ And its not a curse.” He performs it live as a duet with his percussionist. Chorus: “If you don’t like my fire then don’t come around/ Cause I’m gonna burn one down.”
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14
Hits from the Bong Cypress Hill (1993) One of several pot-themed tracks on Cypress Hill’s second album, Black Sunday, it follows the “Legalize It” spoken-word interlude and starts with a bubbling bong hit. “Inhale, exhale, just got an ounce in the mail,” B-Real raps. “I like a blunt or a big fat bowl/ But my double barrel bong is gettin’ me stoned.” The main hook is sampled from Dusty Springfield’s “Son of a Preacher Man.”
13
Roll Another Number for the Road Neil Young (1975)
One of several marijuana-themed songs by Young (“Homegrown” is another), he waxes nostalgic about Woodstock and “that lonesome hippie smile” on this country track from Tonight’s the Night (recorded with the Santa Monica Flyers). “I’ll roll another number for the road,” Young warbles. “I feel able to get under any load.”
Photo credit Helga Esteb / Shutterstock.com
12
Cab Calloway Reefer Man (1932) “Have you ever met the funny reefer man?” Calloway asks on this ‘30s jazz classic, written by Andy Razaf and J. Russel Robinson, and recorded with his orchestra. “He smokes a reefer and he gets high/ Then he flies to the sky.” A year later the flamboyant singer/bandleader performed the song in the movie International House. It’s the first tribute to a pot dealer, a theme Calloway returned to on “The Man from Harlem.” Covered by Don Redman, Baron Lee & the Blue Rhythm Band, Big Bad Voodoo Daddy and Taj Mahal.
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11
Panama Red New Riders of the Purple Sage (1973) This Grateful Dead offshoot band went on to record seven albums, including The Adventures of Panama Red. By this point Buddy Cage had replaced Jerry Garcia on pedal steel guitar in the band. The country-rock title track, written by Peter Rowan, tells about a redheaded smuggler who’ll “steal your woman, then he’ll rob your head.”
10
Don’t Bogart Me Fraternity of Man (1968)
Generally known as “Don’t Bogart That Joint,” because of the lyric, “Don’t bogart that joint my friend/ Pass it over to me,” it was written by Fraternity of Man, which included former and future members of Frank Zappa & the Mothers of Invention and Little Feat. Being featured on the Easy Rider soundtrack catapulted the county song to infamy. Covered by Little Feat on Waiting for Columbus (1977) and Robert Bradley’s Blackwater Surprise (Hempilation: Free the Weed, 1998).
9
I Like Marijuana David Peel & the Lower East Side (1968) “I like marijuana, you like marijuana, we like marijuana too,” Peel sings on this comedic tune, one of many penned by the prolific New York-born folk90 Answers on page singer. Featured on his major-label debut, Have a Marijuana, it’s based on the 1961 song “Peanut Butter” (“pea-nut, peanut butter” > “mari- marijuana”). “I wanna be a hippie, got to get stoned on marijuana,” he repeats with his backup singers. Covered by the 360’s (Hempilation: Freedom Is NORML, 1995). www.freedomleaf.com 65
8
Pass the Dutchie Musical Youth (1982) Basically a cover of “Pass the Kutchie” by the Mighty Diamonds, this version by the British teen reggae band on The Youth of Today album was a No. 10 hit in the U.S. and No. 1 in 11 countries around the world. It features the famous lyrics, “Pass the dutchie pon the left-hand side.” Covered by Buck-O-Nine in 1998 and sampled many times.
7
One Toke Over the Line Brewer & Shipley (1970)
Folksy duo (Tom Brewer and Mike Shipley) had a No. 10 hit with this catchy tune that popularized the word “toke,” for a drag on a joint or pipe. The song, which appeared on their third album, Tarkio, invoked “Sweet Jesus” as they’re “sitting downtown in a railway station / One toke over the line.” Covered by Dick Dale and Gail Farrell on The Lawrence Welk Show and the Rainmakers (Hempilation: Free the Weed, 1998).
6
Smoke Two Joints The Toyes (1983) This popular reggae-tinged reggae number was written and originally performed by the Portland, Oregon-based Kay Brothers (Mawg and Sky). It humorously suggests smoking not one, but two joints on virtually every occasion, “because it makes everything all right.” Covered by Sublime (1992), Norman Nardini (1994) and Macy Gray (2012).
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5
Kaya Bob Marley (1978) The title track off Marley’s Kaya album is the one song Tuff Gong completely devoted to ganja. “Got to have kaya now,” he sings, referring to marijuana. It was originally performed by the Wailers and produced by Lee “Scratch” Perry in 1970.
4
Rainy Day Women #12 & 35 Bob Dylan (1966)
Dylan brazenly sang “everybody must get stoned” on this No. 2 hit from Blonde on Blonde. It’s never quite been clear if he was talking about marijuana, but people have long derived that meaning from this raucous number. The title was a ruse so the song could get airplay. But multiply 12 x 35 and you get 420. Was Dylan the real founder of 420? Covered by the Beatles, Jimmy Buffett and the Black Crowes (Hempilation: Freedom Is NORML, 1995).
3
Mary Jane Rick James (1978) This R&B love ballad to James’ favorite lady, the smokeable kind, plays with double entendres (“I love you, Mary Jane”). It appeared on his debut album, Come Get It!, and climbed to No. 41 on the charts. The song has been widely sampled and Coolio adapted it for “(I’m in Love with) Mary Jane” on the Half Baked soundtrack (1998).
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2
Sweet Leaf Black Sabbath (1971)
This classic hard-rock ode to marijuana is the lead track on Sabbath’s third album, Master of Reality. “Straight people don’t now what you’re about,” sings Ozzy Osbourne. “Soon the world will love you, sweet leaf.” How prescient of Sabbath to make such a prediction. It’s also considered the first stoner rock song. Covered by Alice in Chains, Ugly Kid Joe, Godsmack and Sacred Reich (Hempilation: Freedom Is NORML, 1995).
1
Legalize It Peter Tosh (1976) The lead track on Legalize It, Tosh’s debut solo album after leaving the Wailers, says it all: “Legalize it/ Don’t criticize it.” Nearly 40 years later Tosh’s wish is starting to happen in U.S. states and countries around the world. (Even Jamaica is about to decriminalize it). “Doctors smoke it,” the Rasta sings. “Nurses smoke it/ Judges smoke it/ Even the lawyers too.” Covered by Sublime (Hempilation: Freedom Is NORML, 1995).
Letters to the Editor continued from page 5 There should be tribute paid to a modest and brilliant man like Dale Gieringer. What a testament his life is to the importance of intellectual integrity and the courage it takes to persevere through the darkest and most discouraging days, months, years and decades. I could go on and on. Maybe you ought to produce an entire volume of tributes. Oliver Steinberg, St. Paul, MN In your October issue, you spelled Carl Sagan’s name wrong on the back cover. Get it together! Raimen Tapper 68 www.freedomleaf.com
Two nominees for your Cannabis Victory Wall: Grower/author/activist/Guru of Ganja Ed Rosenthal and Steve DeAngelo, owner of Harborside Health Center in Oakland. Joe Gold Thanks for the suggestions and the correction. Look for the Cannabis Victory Wall at freedomleaf.com in the next few months. Please send letters and comments to editor@freedomleaf.com
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Permission Granted Colorado plans to provide funds for clinical cannabis trials. By Paul Armentano Colorado Health Department officials in November approved more than $7 million in grant funding to pay for a series of clinical and observational trials to assess the safety and efficacy of cannabis for posttraumatic stress, epilepsy, brain cancer and other ailments.
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State officials approved funding for eight human trials in December. Legislation passed in May by the General Assembly permits the Health Department to appropriate surplus funds from the state’s medical marijuana registry to pay for “objective scientific research
regarding the efficacy of marijuana and its component parts as part of medical treatment.” Two of the eight studies are designed to evaluate the use of cannabinoids, including the non-psychotropic plant cannabinoid, cannabidiol (CBD), in the treatment of pediatric epilepsy. One observational trial, to be conducted by Children’s Hospital Colorado, will assess the impact of CBD alone, while a second trial, to be performed in conjunction with Children’s Hospital and the University of Colorado School of Medicine, will evaluate the use
epilepsy. Survey data compiled by researchers at Stanford University in 2013 found that a growing number of parents of adolescents with pediatric epilepsy are reporting that CBD-rich extracts reduce seizure frequency in their children. Most recently, clinical trial data assessing the administration of Epidiolex - a proprietary, whole-plant CBD extract produced by the British biotech company GW Pharmaceuticals - reported that adjunctive use of the cannabinoid over a 12-week period is associated with an overall reduction in seizure frequency in children with Dravet
Once the funding for these studies is finalized, researchers will still be required to gain additional approval from various federal agencies, specifically the DEA and NIDA, in order to obtain access to research-grade cannabis or CBD. of cannabinoids as an adjunctive treatment to conventional therapies. In recent months, nearly a dozen states have enacted or amended laws permitting doctors to recommend either the use of cannabis or CBD extracts for various forms of treatment-resistant
syndrome and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, two severe pediatric forms of epilepsy. Two additional state-funded trials are specific to the use of cannabis for the mitigation of symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Both studies will be conducted by the University of
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Dr. Sue Sisely will conduct the PTSD study in Colorado.
Pennsylvania and the Veteran’s Administration National Center for PTSD. An observational study will assess clinical and functional outcomes in PTSD patients using cannabis. The second study will compare the safety and efficacy of four potencies of inhaled cannabis compared to a placebo in 76 veterans with chronic, treatment-resistant PTSD. The latter study was initially approved by the U.S. National Institute on Drug Abuse in March, but was halted when University of Arizona officials fired the study’s lead investigator, Dr. Sue Sisley, from her teaching position. Dr. Sisley will be a co-investigator of the forthcoming study. Data published in 2014 in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs found that a group of PTSD patients in New Mexico reported a 75% reduction in post-traumatic stress symptoms following their use of medical cannabis. Clinical trial data assessing the administration of oral THC and nabilone, a synthetic THC analog, in PTSD subjects has also reported therapeutically beneficial outcomes. Four additional Colorado state studies
will be conducted at the University of Colorado, Denver Anschutz Medical Campus. One observational trial will assess whether the use of cannabis is therapeutic in adolescents and young adults suffering from inflammatory bowel disease. (Israeli researchers in 2013 reported that inhaling cannabis over an eight-week period was associated with a reduction of 100 points or more of Crohn’s disease symptoms in a small cohort of patients with treatment-resistant forms of the disease.) Another study will observe the potential therapeutic effects of marijuana in patients with pediatric brain tumors. University of Colorado investigators will also conduct two randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials involving the plant and its cannabinoids. (Such trials are considered to be the gold-standard method of drug evaluation.) One will assess the safety, tolerability and efficacy of CBD to control Parkinson’s disease related tremors. (Clinical trial data published in October in the Journal of Psychopharmacology reported that CBD administration is associated with
A growing number of parents of adolescents with pediatric epilepsy are reporting that CBDrich extracts reduce seizure frequency in their children.
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improved quality of life in Parkinson’s patients.) The other will compare the analgesic activity of cannabis versus the opiate Oxycodone. Several previous trials have documented the pain-relieving activity of whole-plant cannabis, particularly in subjects with neuropathy. As a result, some chronic pain specialists have suggested the physician-supervised use of cannabis as an adjunct or substitute for conventional opioid drugs. In August, mortality data published by JAMA Internal Medicine reported that opiate-specific overdose deaths decreased by an average of 20% one year following the implementation of medical marijuana laws, and by as much as 33% within five years. Once the funding for these studies is finalized, researchers will still be required to gain additional approval from various federal agencies, specifically the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), in order to obtain access to research-grade cannabis or CBD necessary to carry out the randomized clinical trials. Investigators engaged in observational research protocols will not need to seek NIDA or DEA approval. Over the past decade, California sponsored a similar series of clinical trials assessing the safety and efficacy of marijuana. Those studies primarily evaluated the use of whole-plant cannabis in patients with neuropathy, multiple sclerosis and autoimmune deficiencies. A summary of those trials, published in 2012, concluded, “Based on evidence currently available, the Schedule I classification (for cannabis) is not tenable; it is not accurate that cannabis has no medical value, or that information on safety is lacking.”
Data published in 2014 in the Journal of Psychoactive Drugs found that a group of PTSD patients in New Mexico reported a 75% reduction in post-traumatic stress symptoms following their use of medical cannabis.
Paul Armentano is NORML’s Deputy Director and Freedom Leaf’s Senior Policy Adviser. www.freedomleaf.com 73
Cannabis & Cancer Combining CBD and THC with conventional treatments may be the best synergy for cancer sufferers. By Jahan Marcu, Ph.D Synergy: the interaction of elements that when combined produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc. Millions of Americans now have legal access to medical marijuana. When it comes to cancer treatment, the plant may have an amazing impact when used in concert with traditional therapies. Beyond helping with the nausea of chemotherapy, there is strong scientific evidence of a deeper benefit of using cannabis with conventional therapies. Cancer cells can become extremely sensitive to THC and CBD after being exposed to radiation or chemotherapy. Nearly any research endeavor to look at combinations of cannabinoids or whole plant cannabis is a study of plant wisdom and the synergy between compounds. However, only one study could be found which directly measured synergy between THC and CBD. Conducted in the laboratory of Dr. Sean McAllister, the study shows that THC and CBD can inhibit the growth of cancer cells in a petri dish. When administered together, the effect is far greater than larger doses of individual compounds. 74 www.freedomleaf.com
While combinations of THC and CBD work more efficiently than the individual components, the efficacy of cannabinoids may be greatly enhanced when they’re used as a complimentary alternative medicine. Evidence is emerging from basic research and animal studies that chemotherapy and radiation treatments can greatly increase the sensitivity of cancer cells to THC and CBD. The published research on various combinations of THC, CBD, and conventional cancer treatmentsm shows: • CBD works well with THC and other components of the endocannabinoid system in laboratory models and experiments. In fact, CBD is proposed to be the first modulator of the endocannabinoid system. There’s evidence that CBD can enhance or reduce certain effects of THC. • A cannabis ethanol tincture known as Sativex (1:1 ratio of THC:CBD), which is administered as an oral spray, exerted far greater pain relief and improvements in sleep than THC alone (Notcutt et al., 2004). This mouth spray reduced cancer-related
pain more than a THC-rich extract (Strasser, 2006) (Johnson et al., 2010). Additonally, this product, compared to THC, significantly reduced abnormalities in psychomotor performance associated with schizophrenia (Roser et al., 2009). • CBD can also interfere with the activities of THC by decreasing anxiety and appetite effects related to CB1 receptor activation (Karniol et al., 1974) (Zuardi et al., 1982). CBD can slightly increase the time to onset, intensity and duration of THC effects (Hollister and Gillespie, 1975). CBD has been observed to attenuate THC euphoria
– in other words it can lessen the intoxicating effects (Dalton et al., 1976). • THC and CBD have been explored in combination with conventional cancer treatments. A study published in 2014 examined the scientifically beloved ratio of 1:1 THC:CBD with irradiation treatment in a mouse model of cancer (Scott et al. 2014). Neither irradiation nor the golden THC:CBD ratio alone could significantly reduce the brain tumors of the mice. The combined effect of both irradiation and the THC:CBD ratio amazingly reduced the tumor to almost nothing. This is
Photo by ChameleonsEye / Shutterstock.com www.freedomleaf.com 75
not the first study to explore the truly astounding effect of conventional cancer treatments with cannabinoids. Here’s a list of cannabinoid and cancer treatments that have had significant success in experimental models: • For Brain Cancer: THC and Temozolomide {Torres:2011kw} • For Pancreatic Cancer: THC and Gemcitamide (Donadelli et al. 2011) • For Gastric Cancer: Anandamide and paclitaxel (Miyato et al. 2009) • For Colorectal Cancer: HU-210 and 5-fluorouracil ({Pertwee:2009ej})(Gustafsson et al. 2009) Some cancers are extremely resistant to THC and/or CBD induced cell death. That’s why there is a need for combining cannabinoids with conventional treatments. Cancer cells adapt, change and mutate to almost science fiction-like extremes. Some exotic cancers known as teratomas can even produce bits of teeth. Cancers can also mutate is less subtle ways, such as high-jacking signaling molecules like amphiregulin and midkine. Abnormal activity of midkine and amphiregulin have been demonstrated to be able to block the anti-cancer effects of cannabinoids. Chemotherapy and
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The best bet for patients is combining a cannabisbased preparation with conventional treatments for cancer… In one study, the combined effect of both irradiation and the THC:CBD ratio amazingly reduced the tumor to almost nothing. radiation treatments can knock down this abnormal activity, clearing the way for cannabinoid receptor signaling. Generally, we can say that some cancers may be defeated with the appropriate cannabinoid formulation when combined with conventional treatments. That is to say, CBD + THC is more effective than CBD-only. The best bet for patients is combining a cannabis-based preparation with conventional treatments for cancer. This may deliver the promise of true synergy. Dr. Jahan Marcu is the Director of R&D for Green Standard Diagnostics and Freedom Leaf’s Science Editor.
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MAKE REFORM A REALITY 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
Edibles are the biggest issue in Colorado since retail marijuana sales began last January 2014. Here’s what you need to know so you don’t overdose on these yummy cannabisinfused treats. By Sabrina Fendrick Colorado’s edible debate has been one of the most high-profile challenges to the legitimization of the state’s retail cannabis industry. Regulators and industry leaders did not anticipate the influx of new consumers unfamiliar with the effects of market grade marijuana-infused products. This has caused a backlash in the media and has also created friction between businesses and the government. As a result, lawmakers and companies have been unable to reach a compromise on how edible products should be regulated going forward. The state wants to keep kids from accidentally consuming marijuana products and to have them properly identified for adult consumers. The businesses want to continue
providing these in-demand products, and feel impending restrictions may be unconstitutional. The most extreme idea - which was quickly shot down – was the Department of Health’s suggestion to ban all forms of edibles, except for hard candies and tinctures. Some more sensible suggestions include clearer labels or requiring producers to make edible marijuana items in a unique shape or dyed a unique color. The Department of Revenue’s Marijuana Enforcement Division must adopt final rules by 2016. If you’re thinking about visiting Colorado or Washington (and maybe Oregon or Alaska in the very near future), get ready for the experience of a lifetime. The
Because of the way marijuana is metabolized, ingesting it can produce a stronger and longerlasting effect. Unfortunately, many people have found that out the hard way after eating too much. www.freedomleaf.com 79
key words being “get ready,” especially when it comes to edibles. Because of the way marijuana is metabolized, ingesting it can produce a stronger and longerlasting effect. Unfortunately, many people have found that out the hard way after eating too much. As such, education and preparation is key. If you go unprepared, a potentially great occasion can quickly go awry. Edibles are no joke. But, if done right, in proper portions, you can have a truly excellent and cerebral experience. Maybe you smoked weed in the ‘70s or have dabbled in it on and off throughout the years. Perhaps now you’d prefer eating to smoking. Maybe you’ve never been a consumer, but want to see what all the fuss is about. Even if you smoke weed all the time, yet have little to no experience with market-grade cannabis infused snacks, you need to pay attention. When it comes to eating vs. smoking, it’s important to understand the difference between how marijuana is absorbed by the body.
Smoking: Cannabis gets into the blood much faster and at higher concentrations than edibles when smoked, but the psychoactive experience only lasts for a short period of time. This is due to the fact that THC and other chemicals are absorbed through the lungs and goes straight to the brain, bypassing the liver. This method of 80 www.freedomleaf.com
ingestion allows for better dosing control because effects can occur within seconds upon inhalation and peak within the first five to ten minutes after that.
Eating: Unlike smoking, infused cannabis edibles get metabolized by the liver. What enters the body as delta-9 THC (standard THC) becomes 11-hydroxy-THC, which passes the blood-brain barrier more rapidly and has more of a psychedelic effect than smoked THC. However, onset can take anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours because edibles make their way through the digestive tract. Effects can last up eight hours. So what do you do when you go to a retail marijuana store in Colorado or Washington or a dispensary in the states where medical cannabis is sold?
Potency: Try to pick something with no more than 10 mg a piece and make sure that each piece is individually sealed. Chocolate bars, and similar snacks, can have several small servings (it’s the law in Colorado). But the whole bar can be up to 100 mg. I personally find it hard to just eat one piece of a candy bar, so I say resist the temptation altogether and go with something like a lollipop.
Strains: It’s good to know which strains are being
used in edible products. Different strains can have different effects and if you don’t know what the strain is, it’s harder to know what the actual effects will be. However, strain-specific edibles are harder to find. One is Julie’s Natural Edibles (see article on page 12).
Indica vs. Sativa: If you don’t know what exact strains are used in the edible (or even if you do), the next best thing is to try to confirm whether the product is indica or sativa dominant. Indica’s are generally considered stronger and more sleep inducing, while sativas are a little lighter and more energetic. It’s something you should ask the budtender about.
◆ If you over-ingest: Be aware that fat facilitates THC digestion and intensifies psychoactive effects. So stay away from fatty foods during the edibles high. And avoid eating edibles on an empty stomach. If you’re feeling uncomfortable, relax on a couch with some tea and remind yourself that this too shall pass. ◆ Don’t forget: Be responsible, stay safe and have fun. Sabrina Fendrick worked for NORML for seven years before joining Berkeley Patients Group.
When consuming the cannabis edible: ◆ Be Patient: Edibles can take effect anywhere from 30 minutes to two hours. DO NOT take more until that allotted time has passed. ◆ Plan Accordingly: Effects can last anywhere from three to 10 hours. Make sure you don’t plan on driving anywhere or have any important meetings to go to. ◆ Alcohol can seriously alter the effects: Sometimes good, sometimes bad. Either way, you should have a pure, unadulterated first experience. www.freedomleaf.com 81
U.S.A. in the
Seventeen states have passed some form of hemp legislation. While we’re lagging behind Canada and several other countries, states like Kentucky are starting to cultivate crops. By Lillian Taylor
The United States is slowly coming around to a greener 21st century with hemp farming. But we’re playing catch-up with the rest of the world. The U.S. market for a wide array of products that are all made from imported hemp tops $400 million annually. Over a decade ago, Health Canada amended their federal regulations to allow hemp to be grown under license. Now our neighbors to the North have a robust and profitable annual hemp crop. The same can be said for Russia, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands and the Ukraine. The U.S. agriculture industry is becoming increasingly aware of what they’re missing out on. The Old Farmer’s Almanac contains an extensive list of the many benefits and products that can be made with hemp, followed by a recipe for a hemp seed and banana smoothie. It’s no secret now. “Hemp has been grown worldwide for over 10,000 years,” notes the venerable journal. 82 www.freedomleaf.com
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“Today, many countries around the world produce hemp, like Canada, France and China. In the United States, however, more hemp is imported than grown. This is because of government regulations and some of the misconceptions surrounding it.” Headway at clearing those misconceptions has gained significant ground in 17 states (New York was the latest to legalize cultivation). The laws allow universities and agricultural departments to study industrial hemp’s future use as a commercial product. The following states, according to NORML, have “an active hemp industry or authorized research”: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington and West Virginia. Several more, including Michigan and Pennsylvania, are looking to join this group thanks to upcoming legislation. Even where ostensibly legal for research purposes, lack of seed supply has alienated local farmers from further pursuit. While hemp can be produced from seed to harvest in around 100 days, farmers who were approved to grow “research test plots” in Colorado just gave up because of the seed shortage. The U.S. Federal Court’s directed the DEA to stand down from interference with Kentucky’s lawful importation of hemp seed. Congress also took up the banner of the hemp cultivation in the 2014 Appropriations bill by prohibiting use of funds by the DEA to interfere with hemp seed importation. “Anyone would realize there is no way that you would confuse industrial hemp with the hallucinogenic cannabis,” said Hawaii State Rep. Cynthia Thielen. “Industrial hemp plants are grown for harvesting of fiber from tall stalks, as opposed to a THC-purposed harvest, requiring squatter, bushier plants.” Leading the pack, Kentucky harvested its first crop from the hemp seeds recovered from unlawful seizure by the DEA last May. Though final findings from farmers were not available, the Kentucky Department of Agriculture is accepting applications for more growers, hoping for wide expansion of pilot projects. 84 www.freedomleaf.com
Several Kentucky farmers have expressed a preference for hemp over soybeans and corn, since it’s easier to grow. “There’s so much work invested in farming that this would seem much more economical, if they can come up with processing locations,” says Everett McIntosh, a farmer from Garrard County. “The only problem right now is to see who’s going to invest in that.” CannaVest, a California company with plans to construct mills for cleaning seeds, wrapping hemp fibers and processing for use, estimates the volume of hemp needed to sustain a hemp-growing business at 10,000 to 20,000 acres, which can be achieved by contracting out local farmers. Following passage in Hawaii, $80,000 was made available, authorizing a two-year industrial study, to be completed by this fall. That was good news for Pacific Biodiesel Technologies, looking to the sustainability of hemp oil for biofuel, as well as to remove toxins in the soil. Hemp has been found to be a superior phytoremediator, growing quickly while extracting toxins at a fast rate of absorption without the need to remove contaminated topsoil. Hemp appears to grow unaffected by the toxins it accumulates, binding compound contaminants from the air and soil. Given the obviously innocuous, and seemingly endless benefits of hemp, it’s long past time to end this unnecessary research phase in favor of incentivizing investment. Lillian Taylor is Freedom Leaf’s Fashion Editor and hemp expert.
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Pros and Cons of the Stoner Boyfriend By Beth Mann I’m a pot smoker’s wet dream when it comes to dating. Not only do I partake, but I also know more than your average Jane about marijuana because of my work in the industry. Many a stoner guy has gazed upon me with glassy-eyed reverence, as if I were his own personal Green Goddess standing naked in the pot fields of his mind. Unfortunately, I don’t always view my stoner boyfriends with the same kind of veneration. Stoners are dime a dozen, so I’m not particularly smitten simply because someone is a “420-friendly man.” And while many manage to be righteous paramours, others could stand a little work.
Cons: ● Stoner boyfriends cough like they’re
dying from tuberculosis. Seriously, at our age, no one really needs to hold a hit of weed like your friggin’ life depends on it. We did that as teenagers because we had one joint between 10 of us and had to milk it for all its worth. Just inhale and exhale your weed like a grown adult. ● Some stoner boyfriends suffer from
arrested emotional development, making them about 14. “I don’t know, dude” is a common answer to a wide range of probing questions, from “How are you feeling?” to “Can you pass me the peas?” This stunted maturity can be problematic because relationships are based on emotional interaction. ● Some
stoner boyfriends like pot more than they like you. Heavy users don’t just like weed, they worship it. It’s hard not to experience pangs of jealousy, shouting internally, “Look at me! Look at me!” when your beau eyes his latest bud.
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● Some stoner boyfriends can be too
sleepy and passive. Most women prefer a certain level of decisiveness in their men. Stoners often find themselves mired in a variety of dead-end situations without the internal fire and force to make a change. Not so sexy.
Pros: ●
Stoner boyfriends like ice cream. And I like ice cream too. We like ice cream together. This is good and right.
● Stoner boyfriends are drama-free.
They don’t want to know about your ex-stoner boyfriends. And they don’t want to “process” at 2 a.m. after you drank all the wine and just need to sleep. Overall, they’re chill dudes. ● Stoner boyfriends see poetry and
magic where others don’t. One boyfriend of mine loved the scent of my hair (he called it chocolate flavor) and another thought I looked like an angel while washing the dishes (I kid you not). ●
Stoners boyfriends won’t fight you for the remote control. Because of their ability to be easily amused, stoners will breezily laugh at your programming, even the shows on forensic pathology.
“It’s all good, dude,” he says between puffs. But can you do better? Many of the men I’ve dated have smoked pot. And I’m glad for that. Go pot go. It’s just that an all-consuming preoccupation with pot can get in the way. Numbing out 24/7 strikes of stunted personal growth makes a thriving relationship nearly impossible. But hey, occasional use might be a good thing. If marijuana was used wisely and consciously in relationships, maybe we could find the answers to long-standing problems between the sexes. My perfect pot-smoking boyfriend may smoke, but could easily do without. He doesn’t need to hide from his problems. My perfect pot-smoking boyfriend enjoys partaking, but primarily wants the real flesh-and-blood experience of being with me. Beth Mann is president of Hot Buttered Media and a regular contributor to Freedom Leaf.
● Stoners are pleasure-seeking sen-
sualists. They’re totally down for long make-out sessions, deep-tissue massages or hand-feeding you Raisinets.
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Actors and Characters Who've Turned the Silver Screen Green
ACROSS: 4. "Cause it's Friday" 5. Is Super High 7. Stars without famous partner in "Born in East L.A" 8. Known for being a real Maverick 10. Scooby-Do’s owner 11. Alright, alright, alright 88 www.freedomleaf.com
14. Plays Hunter S. Thompson 16. Buys weed from next-door neighbor 18. Orders pizza to the class room 19. Falls prey to bigots shortly after his first toke 21. He abides 22. Won a Stony Award for being smiley
24. Plays Aeon Flux, likes apple pipes 26. Grows plants in his dorm room 27. Digs fast food, has sex with a bag of weed 29. Blows smoke in trunk 30. Smokes a bong with Robert De Niro 32. Smokes a joint before the TV goes static 33. Curly-haired star of many stoner movies 35. "Littering and smoking the reefer" 37. High in the air 38. He's Farmer Bob in McConaughey film
DOWN: 1. Plays marijuana dealer in "Homegrown" 2. Takes tenacious mushroom trip 3. Battles a gopher on a golf course 4. Gets high on brownies
6. Would name her strain Twilight 7. Directed Up in Smoke 9. Bad Teacher 12. Sells marijuana, seldom talks 13. Befriends a tiger 15. Party girl 17. The Sixth Sense star likes to toke in public 20. Drives an RV stuffed with weed 23. Resigns as Drug Czar 25. One of the Banger Sisters 28. a.k.a. Don Peyote 31. Brad Pitt character who never gets off the couch 34. Dave Chappelle's 1998 screen stoner 36. Gets everyone in detention stoned
Crossword Puzzle answers on page 91, but no cheating!
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Crossword Answers
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Cooking with Kief
Go inside Mary Jane’s Soup Kitchen and learn two terrific stony recipes for a cold winter’s day. By Cheri Sicard
S
oup. For such a small word, it encompasses a whole lot of culinary territory, from light and delicate to hearty and meaty, simple to sophisticated and everything in between. Soup is one of the most versatile, not to mention forgiving, dishes you’ll ever prepare. Nearly every soup recipe can be doubled or even tripled to make bigger quantities, or cut in half to make less. Out of a particular ingredient? No worries, you probably have something in your pantry that you can substitute successfully. The only thing the two recipes here have in common is that they’re both soups. One is so healthy, low calorie and high fiber it could be served as part of a spa menu. The other is a steamy bowl of indulgent comfort food with a gourmet twist. Both are medicated with cannabis. Most soup recipes follow a simple formula, regardless of the specifics that make each one unique: Sauté base ingredients in oil to bring out flavor. These include meats and aromatic vegetables like any in the onion family, garlic, celery and carrots. 92 www.freedomleaf.com
Add
stock: meat, chicken, seafood or vegetable, and bring to a simmer.
Add
additional ingredients like other vegetables at appropriate intervals so that the finished dish has both flavor and texture.
Add
finishing ingredients like cream, cheese or quick cooking proteins like seafood, and garnishes.
Adding Cannabis to Soups Soups of all kinds make terrific culinary cannabis carriers. Decarboxylated dry ice kief is my favorite method to medicate soups, but hash also works. Kief dissolves so well all you need to do is stir it into the simmering liquid about five minutes before serving and you’re done. For hash, which can range from dry and crumbly to thick and gummy, I recommend removing a cup or two of hot liquid to a separate bowl, stir in crumbled hash until all of it gets completely dissolved and incorporated, then stir this mixture back into the simmering soup pot.
Hearty Winter Vegetable Soup
Before you stir that cannabis into your soup... Decarboxylation is the chemical process that changes the THC-A or acid in the raw cannabis plant into THC. (That’s right, there is no THC in raw cannabis). If you’re cooking with kief and want potent edibles, you’ll need to decarboxylate it first. I do this with hash too; I find it can increase potency. Simply place your concentrate in an ovenproof dish and bake at 275 degrees for 25-30 minutes before using in any recipe. The heat of cooking will decarboxylate your cannabis, but depending on the recipe it may or may not be enough. In order to extract maximum potency, I recommend taking this extra step:
Dosing The dosing amounts in these recipes are only suggestions. Each person should dose cannabis according to his or her own needs and tolerance levels. Find more dosing information at: cannabischeri.com/cooking-basics/calculating-cannabis-cooking-dosages
(Vegan)
Making this healthy soup gives you a great opportunity to clean out your refrigerator and use up all those small bits of vegetables that might otherwise go to waste. Soy sauce rather than salt gives this meatless dish a richer flavor. 1
tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1
large leek (white part only), thinly sliced
1
medium yellow or white onion, finely diced
1
celery rib, finely diced
1
large carrot, peeled and finely diced
1
tablespoon minced garlic
3/4 cup red wine 1
tablespoon red wine, balsamic or cider vinegar
1
can (16.5 ounces) diced tomatoes and their juice
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Cheri’s corn and green chile chowder with shrimp.
4
cups vegetable stock
1/2 small head green cabbage, thinly sliced 2
cups chopped mixed vegetables
3
tablespoons soy sauce
1
teaspoon black pepper
1
teaspoon dried oregano
5
teaspoons decarboxylated kief or finely ground hash
hot sauce to taste
Heat olive oil over medium-high heat in the bottom of a large stockpot. Add leeks and onions and sauté until starting to brown, about 10 minutes. Add celery and carrots and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Stir in wine and vinegar, scraping up any browned bit in the pan. Add tomatoes, water, vegetable stock, cabbage and mixed vegetables. Bring mixture to a boil, then lower heat to simmer for about 10-15 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in soy sauce, pepper, oregano, and kief or hash. Cook, stirring, until cannabis concentrate dissolves, about 2 minutes. Makes 10 servings 94 www.freedomleaf.com
Variations: • Make this soup heartier, but still vegan by adding 1 cup cooked beans. • Add 1 cup or so of cooked rice or pasta after cooking. • Stir in a tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese to each bowl just before serving. • Non-vegetarians can use chicken or meat stock for a richer soup as well as stir in some cooked leftover chicken, pork or beef.
Kief
Corn and Green Chile Chowder with Shrimp Along with a green salad and some bread, this thick chowder is hearty enough to serve as main course. You can use canned green chiles or roast your own (see how at right). 2 1 2 3 2
strips thick-cut bacon small onion, finely diced teaspoons minced garlic cups fresh or frozen corn kernels medium russet potatoes, peeled and diced 2 large mild green chiles, such as Anaheim 4 cups chicken stock 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin salt and pepper to taste 2 teaspoons decarboxylated kief or finely ground hash 1 pound medium shrimp, peeled 1/2 cup heavy cream Place a large stockpot over mediumhigh heat. Add bacon and cook until browned. Remove bacon and set aside. Add olive oil and onion to stockpot and sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for one minute more. Add corn, potatoes, chiles, chicken stock, cumin, cayenne and cannabis. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to simmer for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Transfer half the soup to a blender or food processor and puree. Return to pot (you can alternately use an immersion blender to puree in the pot to the consistency of your liking). Return soup to heat and stir in shrimp and cook until pink and just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Divide chowder among 4 large bowls. Garnish each bowl with reserved crumbled bacon bits and additional green onions.
Roasting Chile Peppers
Place washed and dried green chiles: • directly over the flame of a gas stove • on a charcoal or propane grill over high heat • under a boiler In all cases use tongs to turn peppers frequently until blackened on all sides. Place hot roasted chiles in a closed paper bag for 10 minutes. When you remove them they’ll be easy to peel with your fingers. Remove seeds and stems (sound familiar?), chop and use in recipes.
Freezer Friendly Like most soups, the recipes in this article freeze well, which is handy for cannabis cooks because you can freeze leftovers in individual portions to enjoy later and not be tempted to overmedicate just because it’s there. Be sure to cool completely in the refrigerator before freezing. To reheat, place in a saucepan over medium heat until hot, or heat in the microwave. Cheri Sicard is the author of The Cannabis Gourmet Cookbook and the upcoming Mary Jane: The Complete Marijuana Handbook for Women. She’s also on the board of Orange County (CA) NORML.
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MOVIE REVIEW The Culture High The same team that brought us The Union in 2007 is back with The Culture High a two-hour documentary that examines the War on Drugs with the help of Snoop Dogg, B-Real, Wiz Khalifa and a host of legal and science experts. The two-hour film starts ominously with a SWAT raid. The first voice we hear is the dulcet sound of Dr. Lester Grinspoon, who at 87 might be the oldest and most famous living marijuana legalizer. The parade of talking heads has begun. Sit back and go for the ride. The Culture High moves swiftly from one topic to another, with special consideration given to the following: origins of the drug war, police compliance in that war, asset forfeiture, prison privatization, prescription drugs, alcohol vs. marijuana and drug scheduling. Four sub-stories are told by interviewees: smuggler Howard Marks, British researcher Dr. Davis Nutt, former MSNBC news host Cenk Uygur and medical-marijuana dad Jason David. But mostly the film pinballs from issue to issue, utilizing a solid stable of specialists to illuminate various points. While the famous rappers have their say, others such as Sir Richard Branson, Graham Hancock, ex-cops Ed Burns and Steve Downing, comedian Joe Rogan, author Howard Bloom, podcaster Cara Santa Maria, Harvard Prof. Charles Nesson, addiction researcher Dr. Gabriel Mate, former MI5 agent Annie Machon, and producers Todd McCormick and Bianca Barnhill get most of the camera time. Director Bret Harvey uses a wide assortment of documentary tricks, cutting 96 www.freedomleaf.com
The Culture High is relentless in its purpose, deadly serious and mildly optimistic. in all sorts of clips that keep the narrative moving along. The Culture High is relentless in its purpose, deadly serious and mildly optimistic, despite the foreboding score. The end of marijuana prohibition is “inevitable,” Grinspoon says, acknowledging the legalization victories in Colorado and Washington. “They’re never going to get that cat back in that bag again. He’s out.” – Steve Bloom The Culture High is currently available on VOD. To host your own screening of the film, go to theculturehigh.com.
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Speakers include: Dr. Carl Hart, PhD • Rick Steves • Hilary Bricken Congressman Dana Rohrabacher • Amanda Reiman • Ethan Nadelmann …and many more
Exhibitors include: Smell the Truth • Magnolia Wellness Drug Policy Alliance • Oaksterdam University • Tellermate Sensi Seeds • California NORML • Hemp Flax • CelebStoner NW Alternative Health • Apeks Supercritical • 420Radio The CO2 Company • Kiefbot Extraction Systems XY Organix • ArcView Group • Ashland Alternative Health
Learn More 100 www.freedomleaf.com
888.920.6076 InternationalCBC.com