Munkey Biz Issue 18

MUNKEY BIZ

ISSUE #18

Content

PAGE 6

Happy Munkey 420 Recap

The first legal 420 in New York was historical! Check in with the team to see how it all went down!

PAGE 14

DMX Tribute

This past month we lost a true New York Legend. The Munkey Tribe pays our respects to DMX

PAGE 20

“That’s Some Strong Ass Glue”

Take a flight out West with MSS Oregon for the latest adventures of the MF Highness!

PAGE 28

“No Justice No Piece”

Now that New York has legalized the time is now for the legacy market to secure its piece of the pie!

PAGE 36

Dab Like The Terp Attorney

This month we take a dive into the world of dab kulture with the Terp Attorney and learn how he sets up the perfect dab.

PAGE 43

Latinx En Cannabis

Check in as we highlight extraordinary Latinx people moving & Shaking in the cannabis industry!

PAGE 46

Cheffin' It UP!

Get cooking with these asian recipes from the Green Panther Chef and Chef Sebastian Carosi!

PAGE 52

Kicks 4 Da Kulture

Happy Munkey’s Jose Rozay has the inside look at Adidas’ tribute to South Park’s stoner icon Towelie!

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

High & happy May Happy Munkey Fam!

This past April the Happy Munkey crew shook the city up and truly set the tone for the new world of legal cannabis in New York! This 420 was unlike any other in New York City history! CANNABIS IS FUCKING LEGAL NOW! To celebrate, the Happy Munkey crew hosted a historic experience and smoked out Wall Street! And even though we have thrown countless Happy Munkey experiences, this one being the first post-legalization the feeling was surreal and well deserved. Big shoutouts to the Munkey Tribe for pulling up and believing in the movement, we truly could not do it without you all!

In this issue, we celebrate that it’s finally springtime! The flowers are blooming, the weather is warming up, and the people are coming back outside! As we all gear up for the summer and world opening back up make sure to stay mindful and find some time to stop and smell the flowers! So spark up, enjoy, and Choose Happy!

David

Happy Munkey

Call Our Happy Munkey

TERPENE OF THE MONTH

NEROLIDOL

Nerolidol is a terpene abundantly found in cannabis. Primarily Nerolidol is known for its sedative effects, its ability to calm anxiety and it even can enhance drug delivery through the skin! Ginger, jasmine, lavender, lemongrass, neroli, orange, and tea tree oil all are good sources of this beneficial terpene. Nerolidol is often used as a fragrance in perfumes, shampoos, cleansers, and detergents. Nerolidol is also permitted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use as a food flavoring agent and it is widely used for that purpose.

Potential Medical Effects:

Sedative

Anti-bacterial

Anti-cancer

Anti-fungal

Anti-inflammatory

420 RECAP

BY STU ZAKIM

photos by Arfan Ghani

There are some dates that transformed New York: In 1858, Central Park opened; The Holland Tunnel’s opening in 1927; The Beatles playing at Shea Stadium in 1965; and the opening of Studio 54 in 1977. The latest date that will surely find its way onto that list is April 20, 2021 –the day NYC’s legendary speakeasy, The Happy Munkey, hosted it’s “Farewell to Prohibition” celebration.

Happy Munkey founders Vladimir Bautista and Ramon Reyes are celebrities in the Cannabis community. When they opened in mid 2017 at an “underground” location, they created a space that offered their invitation only guests a safe, comfortable atmosphere while hanging with very cool people all bonding over Cannabis; black, white, straight, gay, it didn’t matter as Vlad and Ramon often say, “It’s about the culture.” On any given night, you could share a joint with a NFL, NBA or MLB player, a hip hop or rap star, an actor or a famous singer, all there to share their love of Cannabis.

After having to close due to the COVID virus, Munkey fans from all over the world were left with no place to get together. Sure, we had Zoom calls and more recently, Clubhouse chats, but nothing could compare to the in-person experience. That all changed after New York State legalized Cannabis on April 1. With the success of people being vaccinated, Vlad and Ramon and David Hernandez decided what better

way to celebrate this moment in time than doing what they do best. And, to take it to another level, no more “underground” location; in typical Munkey style, they wanted to make a statement now that Cannabis was legal and they sure did – Bobby Van’s Steakhouse directly opposite the NY Stock Exchange building.

What an evening. The restaurant was COVID safe; tables were at least 6 feet apart, masks were required when not consuming or drinking and bottles of hand sanitizer on each table. They turned a steakhouse into The Munkey – DJ, people mingling with each other, consuming responsibly, in this case, not sharing, and everywhere you looked was either an old friend or leaders in the weed space: Leo Bridgewater, Joy Beckerman, journalist Steve Bloom (who discovered the 420 phenomenon while a High Times editor), Curved Papers’ Michael O’Malley, Arnaud Dumas De Rauly and Sasha Aksenov of The Blinc Group, Fab Five Freddy, Phoenix Nutraceuticals Ruben Lindo and other notables were there, all rocking out and smoking through the party.

Looking back on my Cannabis consumption through the years in New York City, I must agree with the cliche, you always remember your first, in this case, my first legal pot party! What a rush and thanks to the Happy Munkey for all they have done to take the culture to the next level. And, the best is yet to come.

photos by Arfan Ghani

High & Her larious

HEY, MY LOVELY BLACK ROSE PETALS.

Herlarious Core Bones consist of 6 amazing, diverse, funny and talented gals.

Rachel La Loca Producer | Hailey Raphael Director | Laura Michelle Head Writer | Carmen Mendoza : Asst. Writer | Black Rose: Production |Yaya Vargas: Production

May is upon us and we want to highlight a beautiful High and Herlarious Comedian, Dee Nasty.

I had the pleasure of meeting and working with Dee a few years back as I was starting my career as a comedian. I loved her energy, super relatable jokes, and a true New Yorker giving it to ppl how it is with her raw comedy. We’ve watched Dee represent us Latinx Women as she steadily climbs to stardom and we are here for it.

'Dee Nasty' is a DominicanAmerican comedian, actress, and Instagram personality, hailing from the Bronx NY. Dee is also a host/producer for VICE's, Dee on The Street, and Fuse's, Like, Share, Dimelo. Dee started her career by using Instagram as a platform to post skits and rants to her followers. These skits satirized everything from her personal experiences as a twenty-something millennial to embarrassing everyday scenarios. She is also the star of HBO’s De lo Mio.’

We asked Dee, How does cannabis help with her creativity?... this is what she said.

“Weed has been a part of my life for a long, long time. To me, it’s the most natural medicine. Being a naturally high-octane

person, weed calms me down and relaxes my anxiety. It also provides a better alternative than just getting shit-faced drunk all the time. As a person who likes to make people laugh, I obviously like to laugh too and one of my favorite things about cannabis is getting the giggles while chilling on my couch with my closest friends. It offers an escape from my overthinking mind and the stresses of the world today. I wish I could say that I am a more productive or creative person while I’m stoned, but bud doesn’t do that for me. I’m not completely mad at it though since production and creativity is literally my job. Weed offers a “no pressure” break from the world for me.”

I know many of us can relate. This beautiful medicinal plant definitely can help us creatives whether you use it to relax or if it helps you with creativity. I tell everyone to experiment and find the strains that work with their body, as Dee explained above. If you share similar high-octane traits and find something that helps you chill or vice versa, you need a stain to help hype you up a bit, you’re sure to find a beautiful flower (weed that is) to help you be creative.

MAKE SURE TO FOLLOW: INSTAGRAM

KEEP A LOOKOUT FOR ALL HER AMAZING CONTENT.

LOVE.

MUCH

ROSEMARY “BLACK ROSE” SEVERINO

@DEE.NASTY AND

IN THE MIX

BY: CALVIN SCHNIEDER

1. Euro Gotit at Authentic Records HQ in Atlanta 2. Lou From Paradise on the Lower East Side of Manhattan 3. Venus X doing a set at the memorial for Chynna Rogers 4. Coi Leray backstage at her sold out show at the Ritz Theatre in New Jersey 5. Dj SkidRow and ASAP 12vy at the memorial for Chynna Rogers 6. Nymlo popping champagne at his new billboard in Harlem 7. Dj Nikita at Valid Records Studio 8. Calvin Ryan recording at Penthouse Studios 9.Diamond Qing at her single release 10. On set with Cantrell at The HBUC

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

DMX 1970 - 2021

Rest In Paradise

photos by Brittainy Newman

Mindfulness Moments with Cannabis

Written by Jamie Partida

Finally, a warmer season is upon us. Spring is my favorite part of the year, as I witness new flowers blossom and growth appear in the form of luscious gardens and gorgeous trees. It seems that everywhere you turn there is something new to perceive, like a small patch of grass among dirt or new flowers budding on the leaves of big trees... While it all sounds poetic, it turns out our brains actually do receive calming and meditative signals when you stop and smell the roses. In other words, being aware of your surroundings can have tremendous effects on your wellbeing. Studies have shown that just being outdoors can have the potential to help heal our body and mind, and even just staring at a flower helps reduce your blood pressure, lower stress and increase serotonin (double points if it's a smokeable flower). So, it’s worth it to take your smoke sesh outdoors now and then to enjoy everything mother nature has to offer. For a quick session, a nicely packed joint or an easy to carry small pipe may be the perfect companion for your daily dose of nature therapy.

SHOP MINDFULLY AT WWW.CULTURECLUBSMOKESHOP.COM @CULTURECLUBSMOKESHOP

photos by Emily Carter

A simple way to practice mindfulness is to choose a relatively quiet location to sit or stand, and begin taking long deep breaths through your nose and out through your mouth while saying the words “inhale” as you breathe in and “exhale” to yourself as you breathe out. Doing this up to 3 times helps center your attention and bring awareness to your being in the outside world. For an even more elevated effect, try incorporating a high-CBD strain or pre-gaming your outdoor adventures with a CBD gummy. This practice also can help with the anxiety we often feel when smoking out in public, (which is common to still experience as cannabis has only recently become legal in New York) however over time this practice will help diminish anxiety as it brings awareness to your surroundings and tells your brain that everything is going to be ok.

Mindfulness can also be practiced indoors in several ways such as maintaining a few houseplants, doing repetitive tasks like cleaning and organizing, or simply standing still for a few moments. When we take time during the week to observe and analyze your growing plants, we are giving our brain a dose of serotonin to help elevate our mood and overall wellness. Doing remedial tasks such as cleaning or organizing space can also become a mindful moment when paired with the proper breathing technique. Setting intentions while breathing can also help the mind focus on more positive thoughts and turn the attention towards achieving our goals and aspirations. However, this wouldn’t

be a cannabis article without suggesting a pre-work smoke to ease into the activity, and that always makes for a more enjoyable time anyways. To get into the center of intention during our meditative cleaning, I personally prefer to pack a water-filled percolator with a sativa dominant strain for a smooth and lasting effect.

Thanks to the legalization of cannabis in New York, it is now permitted to grow up to six plants at home, which could make for the most mindful practice of all, as growing cannabis requires a lot of patience and observation. Watching the entire process from seed to flower can be enlightening as it has been for many home growers everywhere, and creates a deeper sense of connection between you and the plant. Simply start by germinating a seed then planting it into your growing method, then feed it and watch it grow. While the process is a bit more complicated than that, there is an opportunity for more mindfulness to enter your space as you learn about the lifecycle of cannabis.

These options for practicing mindfulness at home or even outdoors are just a few of the ways we can celebrate National Mindfulness Month, and not to mention all the steady progress that has been made towards achieving social equity and legalization of Cannabis nationwide. So spark up...inhale... speak your intentions...and exhale deeply to reap the benefits of this simple yet amazing practice.

photo by Arfan Ghani

HAPPY MUNKEY TRIES DELTA8

The newest trend in legal cannabis is here! Whether in gummies, tinctures, or vape pens, there is no question the Delta-8 fad is in full effect! Delta 8 is federally legal, and in addition to the legality of it, the big buzz behind the Delta 8 craze has been driven by the hemp industry as a way to entice people looking for the psychoactive mind relief of THC. So this month the Munkey crew decided to see what the hype was all about! Big Shoutouts to our friends at The DD8 for providing the Munkey squad with a few vapes to test, and here is our take on Delta 8!

For starters, the body of the vape is a sleek, lightweight red pen with an extremely easy consumption method. Similar to a Juul vape, just inhale and the device does the rest. Off the first pull my lungs were filled with smoke, and on the exhale I enjoyed the terpene-infused taste that tickled my nose hairs. Within a few seconds, I could feel the head rush, similar to taking a hit from a regular THC Dab pen but just a tad more mellow. After a few more drags I wasn't "High", but I definitely was not sober. Something to note that I liked is when using the Delta 8 you feel the potency of the hit on the exhale, not the inhale. Differentiating it from other standard nicotine vapes you will find. Ultimately Delta 8 vapes are amazing for on-the-go consumption when you need a little buzz but can’t risk any of the fogginess of being too HIGH. I am not sure where the Delta 8 fad will end up but like the CBD boom before it, nothing hits quite like full-spectrum cannabis.

That’s some strong ass glue

BY MSS OREGON

As y’all know I keep a variety of highquality flavors & strains. The kind that you only see on the top shelf. Not saying that a good mid can’t work out every now and again but I just prefer the shit that isn’t so reachable. If everybody is smoking it then Ion want it. I could tell you all about what I do want but that wouldn’t be as interesting as what I actually got. What I got is some TOP SHELF gorilla glue that was grown in Portland and leaves an exclusive taste on all my tastebuds. And yes there are so many different strains to choose from but I can’t help but notice how this one sticks out. The 1st pack of this glue I got, I blew through real fast and I’m not even sure I tasted it. I just know I was HIGH AF and I wanted some more. The 2nd pack I played with & never stopped to really check out the bud or quality of how it was grown. I found out someone else was also smokin' and tokin' this bud and I stopped paying any real attention. Now I’m on my 3rd pack of this Glue and I swear this shit got me stuck. I can’t stop going back. No matter what dispensary I am at I be looking for that glue. I mean it took some time but that shit gets my mood right. The Terp profile

must be a Lil linalool & pinene mixed inside pure THC crystals. I’m realizing I gotta take my time and not just blow these diamonds in the air. This is that original glue, that sticky icky, that loud shit that everyone can smell.

420 had me going through all the weed I had access to. I even found myself diggin' through old stashes and sparking up old ass roaches that had been laying in the same spot they were in back in 2012. Knowing damn well I got no business diggin' through roaches when I got this glue with me. But I was curious so I still did it, y’all know I can’t turn down a good adventure. I should’ve realized my top shelf can see what is going on down at the bottom. My mistake was thinking they didn’t care and that they weren't watching. Now before you start judging the situation you gotta understand one thing. See the top shelf MFers always wanna act like they have don’t want you until they see you smoking on a different strain or they see how much access you really have to pick and choose what you smoke. To me, this makes no sense & I guess I’m the bad guy cause as we all know I smoke a lot

and my life brings on many prospects. I've learned not to just start thinking or assuming something is one way unless the words match the actions on all sides. If you're dating me you can’t beat around the weed bush. You gotta be just as strong as that loud pack in your pocket. Say what you want 100% & stand by it. No glass half full type shit! Bring the whole Henny bottle to the table and fill that biiiissshhh up. Do I have a problem sticking to one strain? Nope, not at all actually. I know how to pick a favorite strain and stick with it. The thing is do I want to? Am I scared the strain will lose its potency or my tolerance will change?

Are y’all scared:

Way too often do people sit back and watch what they want to stroll right past them. May it be a job an opportunity or even a mate. People carry so many insecurity-driven fears about being rejected or not being good enough. Some are just tired of being hurt and keep up walls to protect themselves from catching feels for others. The truth is being scared should be the only thing you're scared of because it is the only thing that will stop you from living your full life. Live life, love, laugh, and smoke weed to ease the pain.

5 Ways to Pick your Favorite Strain:

1. How it affects your mood

2. The way your body feels after smoking it

3. If you smile when you talk about it

4. If your friends like it and your momz fuq wit it too

5. The consistency of the high is on point every time

WEED IN THE WORLD OF ZOOM AND CLUBHOUSE

By STU ZAkIM

Happy post 420 Munkey family. Those of you who made it to our Farewell to Prohibition party on 4/20 at Bobby Van’s Steakhouse opposite the NY Stock Exchange building enjoyed what was one for the history books and shows how far the NY Cannabis community has grown.

While it was great to see friends and industry colleagues we haven’t seen in person for over a year, it was still a little eerie to be with that many people, all COVID compliant, in one place. After taking it for granted at the many networking events pre-pandemic, it felt great to smell a roomful of connoisseur grade weed.

But, as cool as it was, reality is back. As the pandemic has shown us, thanks to platforms like Zoom or Clubhouse, the Cannabis industry, like other industries, has been forced to migrate its networking activities there to keep the Cannabis family together as the states legalizing it continues to increase. Personally speaking, I’ve been participating in regular Zoom weed meet-ups with a number of groups throughout the pandemic and have found these conversations much more beneficial than shouting over loud music at a live event.

What I have found more interesting than the Zoom calls is the phenomenon of Clubhouse

and the freedom that it presents for all kinds of conversations. I don’t know if it’s the lack of video, but people seem much more relaxed and also candid. And, the topic rooms - on any given day, the topics, Cannabis related or not, are quite provocative and sometimes those conversations can get a little heated. Clubhouse is certainly one of the lifestyle changes COVID has created that will stay with us once we’re past this crisis.

Both of these platforms present the perfect storm to unite our community on a global scale to take the lead in education and political power to help our elected officials understand what many of their constituents want. The best definition of that is seeing NY Senator and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and his new attitude toward legalization.

As the Munkey’s Farewell to Prohibition party showed, it’s a different world now and if we learn anything from this time WFH, these platforms, while never taking away the fun of MJBIZ or CWCBE or other live events, helps satiate our community’s craving any chance to meet and exchange info and let’s use them to our industry’s best advantage.

Till next time.

Munkey Munchies

BROOKLYN CHOP HOUSE

By David Hernandez

High and welcome back to the latest installment of Munkey Munchies! This month’s pick is in celebration of Black Excellence and decadent top-notch Munchies, I am talking about none other than The Brooklyn Chop House! Situated just a stone’s throw away from City Hall in the Financial District, The Brooklyn Chop House is the premiere spot for when your munchies are calling for a next level dining experience. They nail. the luxury steakhouse cuisine while adding their creative take on traditional Asian dishes, like the french onion soup dumplings. A personal favorite is their dim sum inspired array of appetizers like the bacon cheeseburger dumplings (pictured above), Peking duck tacos, and rock shrimp tempura. Don’t just stop at the dim sum, their cuts of steak are insanely juicy, and the seafood is simply mouth watering.

The ambiance and energy never disappoint. You get the superior quality of one of the top tier steakhouses in the city, but avoid the stuck-up vibe. I always duck out for a quick smoke break in between courses, but if you want an alcoholic drink I recommend the “Sour Diesel”. Because as you all know you can’t ever go wrong with Sour Diesel. Big shoutouts to Peter and Don Pooh for always making the Munkey crew feel at home! As our CEO Vladimir loves to say, “Do the right thing like Spike Lee'' and head to the Brooklyn Chop House next time you get some serious munchies!

photos by Mike Englund

How Much Would You Pay For A Government-Approved Cannabis License Plate?

By Johnny Green

Colorado will always hold the distinction of being one of the first two states in the U.S. to legalize cannabis for adult use (along with Washington, 2012) and is home to the first-ever legal purchase of adult use cannabis (2014). The Centennial State is a true pioneer when it comes to all things cannabis, and that pioneering spirit now even includes license plates.

The State of Colorado recently auctioned off cannabis-themed license plates as part of a fundraiser that supported the Colorado Disability Fund. Colorado has previously auctioned off custom license plates in the past, however, this was the first cannabis-themed plate auction and the first auction of its type in the nation’s history.

Most states prohibit custom license plates that refer to federally controlled substances, including cannabis. That is true even in states which have legalized cannabis for adult use, such as Oregon. Once again Colorado is leading the way and continuing to stay on the cuttingedge of public policy via its cannabisthemed license plate auction concept.

License plate configurations that were up for auction included:

Obviously, some of those configurations are better than others, at least from a cannabis enthusiast standpoint. HAPPY is not necessarily cannabis-focused, and GREEN and HONEY aren’t exactly first-tier choices either.

TEGRIDY is an interesting choice and was a very popular target for bidding. Tegridy Farms was featured on a cannabisthemed South Park episode. TEGRIDY received over twice as many bids as the second closest choice (ITIS420), although the ‘ITIS420’ plate generated more money.

The cannabis-themed license plate auction closed on 4:20 PM on April 20th, and will apparently be part of an annual license plate auction fundraiser. It will be interesting to see what options are included year after year. After all, once a license plate configuration is part of an auction it can’t be included again, although I suppose they can change the color of the license plates or some other way to mix it up.

The auction obviously didn’t bring in a ton of money in the grand scheme of things, with final bids being in the thousands. However, every dollar is going to a worthy cause, it helps promote Colorado’s booming cannabis industry, and it goes a long way to help reduce the stigma surrounding the cannabis plant. Colorado’s cannabis-themed license plate auction is truly a sign of the times!

"Once a license plate configuration is part of an auction it can’t be included again"

photo by Jordan Hiraldo

“NO JUSTICE, NO PIECE”

BY: KENNY MACK

For 50 years, police used cannabis prohibition to unfairly target poor communities of color, leading to the mass-incarceration of hundreds of millions of Black and Brown Americans and perpetuating systemic racism and white supremacy. At the same time, cannabis culture pioneers facing life-and death consequences created and maintained an industry that is estimated to generate $65 billion annually in the United States. I am one of those pioneers.

I sold my first herb as a 13-year-old freshman at Weston High School in suburban Boston, and I launched my first cannabis enterprise as an 18-year-old freshman at Northeastern University. I never got a bachelor’s degree, though I definitely got an education; and I never went to business school, I just went straight into business. I’ve lived in Boston, New York City, the Bay Area, and Los Angeles County doing jobs ranging from a real estate agent, to stand-up comedian, to newspaper columnist. But no matter where I lived or what kind work I was involved in, the one constant in my life has been cannabis commerce. I have sold herb to just about everyone, just about everywhere, in just about every type of situation –– including as a dispensary operator in Venice, California, where I learned the regulated industry from seed-to-sale.

For the last few years I have been meeting with advocates, C-suite executives, legislators, and regulators to get ready to do business in New York. Knowing the devastation that cannabis prohibition has caused in my adopted home, and the economic opportunities available here in the world’s largest cannabis marketplace, it gives me no pleasure to report that the “War on Drugs” did not end with –– and no meaningful equity was achieved by –– the recent passage of the Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act. That’s no shade

at the super-smart and committed professionals who have worked on this for years and whose hearts are most certainly in the right place. It’s more of an acknowledgement that the kind of people who build careers as legislators and regulators shouldn’t be expected to know the ins-and-outs of the herb game, and that there is a lot more work to do when writing the rules of the road.

Estimates are that legal cannabis sales were only about 15% of the combined nationwide total in 2019. Those market dynamics are unsustainable; and recognizing that fact presents the opportunity to create a new kind of public-private partnership between government, industry, and the legacy entrepreneurs who control the other 85%. Governments around the country, who are almost all bringing in less tax revenue, could benefit from increased legal cannabis sales. Licensed operators around the country, who are almost all losing money, could benefit from bringing expertise and new sources of revenue into their companies. And legacy entrepreneurs, who are almost all motivated to create generational wealth, could benefit from converting their books of business into taxable income. What’s missing is the acceptance of the reality that legacy entrepreneurs hold the leverage in these negotiations, and the connective tissue to bring the parties together.

In order to accelerate and facilitate this legacy-to-legal transition for future cannabis business owners and workers, we at Restore The Harm, Inc. have launched our membership organization “National Cannabis United” at www. MakeCannabisWork.org with a commitment to help create and maintain an industry standard that honors cannabis culture. We believe that legalization efforts must include amnesty for legacy entrepreneurs, priority license access, day-one equity, and pathways to middle-class careers.

National Cannabis United understands that incentivizing legacy entrepreneurs to embrace the regulated supply chain is the key to ensuring an equitable, profitable, and sustainable industry. So to help our members get prepared, we work with them to develop Individual Management Planning And Career Training (IMPACT) outlines that include professional certification, tools for valuation, application preparation assistance, and referrals for attorneys, accountants, and underwriters. NCU is growing a diverse and impressive roster of legacy entrepreneurs who will happily enter into a contractual agreement to bring their expertise ––and tens of thousands of customers –– into a licensed operation in exchange for fair market value. Right now.

The alternative to fair and equitable partnerships between licensed operators and legacy entrepreneurs is to maintain the industry status quo of companies losing money with no realistic path to profitability. Corporate cannabis will continue to execute its two-pronged strategy to grow market share by 1) using its power and influence over lawmakers to create a highly-regulated market that marginalizes legacy entrepreneurs, and 2) using its power and influence over media and marketing to convert “fearful rejecters” into “curious intenders” and then “frequent legal consumers.” Meanwhile, the legacy market will just keep on rolling. It’s an approach that can only lead to the re-criminalization of the legacy space using the need for tax revenue as justification, which essentially defeats the purpose of legalization.

It doesn’t have to play out that way. We strongly encourage anyone who believes in this culture and wants to see legacy entrepreneurs succeed to get involved by visiting our website, and becoming part of the movement to prevent re-criminalization and Make Cannabis Work. We need your love, we need your energy, and we need your lived experience. All are welcome.

The struggle continues...

photos by Brittainy Newman

Caf e Cannal Cheers

4/20 was a grand day for the opening of New York’s first CBD café and lounge. Led by the BIPOCwomen powered team Chef Anwuli Obidi and Maya Hayashi, Café Cannal began with a mission to curate a more open, social spot for the cannabis community. They’re right on time to welcome all cannabinoid consumers to enjoy an elevated, inclusive experience in the newly legalized state.

On the corner of Canal and Broadway, the DJ spun a chill vibe as treats infused with Delta-8 circled. The spring menu offered organic Gourmet Munchies, including “Enhanced Nutella” Tartines and Avocado Toast with cannabinoid rich hemp oil in sourdough baked daily. Flatbreads with housemade dough, garlic confit, and herb hemp oil ranged from a vegetarian Heirloom ‘Shoom to their Homemade Sausage. For a sweet pick-me-up, it was an impossible choice between Vegan Pecan Coconut cookies and a Slutty Brownie; so we tried both.

The first 420 post-Prohibition called for a specialty drink. So we enjoyed the Kohii Zerii or “Coffee Jelly” made with espresso jelly bubbles and sweetened milk, along with added doses of CBD for $1 each. The artisanal coffee beans were ethically sourced by Afficionado Roasters and intentionally crafted to produce rare and limited batches of high-grade coffees from Colombia and Brazil. One sip and we knew this was our new go-to Chinatown coffee shop.

BY: AMY DENESON

Life is better buzzed, proclaims their sidewalk sign. We agree! So BYOC to Café Cannal at 416 Broadway at the corner of Canal Street. Open Monday - Sunday 10am - 7pm. Visit their website for a virtual tour of the café’s outdoor sesh spot: cafecannal.com.

"BYOC to Café Cannal at 416 Broadway at the corner of Canal Street. Open Monday - Sunday 10am - 7pm. Visit their website for a virtual tour of the café’s outdoor sesh spot: cafecannal.

ASTOR CLUB

BLACK ROSE

EDEE & LESLIE

HappyAccounting

Investment Checklist: Before You Invest in Cannabis

As more states legalize cannabis, the market continues to grow. Retail sales were expected to reach around $15 billion by the end of 2020, a 40% increase over 2019. Estimates show that total U.S. sales could reach as much as $37 billion by 2024.

With the market experiencing such significant growth, it’s catching the attention of investors. Just as you would consider an investment for any other business, there are several things you need to look at before you decide to invest in cannabis. Here are a few key things to keep in mind.

Check Out the Team

The success of a cannabis business isn’t just about the business itself. It’s also about the team running it. You’ll want to get a good sense of the people running the company and their backgrounds. What have they done in the past that could help them achieve success in the cannabis industry?

Another integral factor to look at is how the team interacts. There should be clearly defined lines of leadership. Too many businesses — cannabis or otherwise — fail because they lack a person in charge.

Read Over the Financials

The information you check out here will depend on whether the business is pre-operational or operational. Evaluating a pre-operational company’s financial data will likely be more challenging. Look at its projections and how detailed they are. Ask how it determined those projections. Did the company use real data or make its best guesses? Are the projections realistic? Ask about the business model.

Finally, don’t be afraid to ask how much money the company needs and how it plans to use it. Knowing this information can help you decide if the business is a worthwhile investment.

For an operational business, you’ll have a bit more financial information to go over. Check out its current financial results. Look at how much of the revenue is recurring or one-time. What are the company’s growth rates? You should also take a close look at its cash flow, as well as the inventory turnover.

Evaluate the Products or Services

Speaking of inventory, you’ll want to check out a business’s products or services. Again, how you go about this will depend on whether the company is in the startup stage or if it’s already established.

If you’re looking at investing in a startup, find out what problem it’s addressing for its customers. Does its solution actually work? You should also find out who the target market is and what the company’s customer profiles look like.

For an established business, look at its current products or services. What does the mix look like, and does it offer opportunities for cross-selling or up-selling? Have the offerings changed over time? If so, why?

Are You Considering Investing in Cannabis?

While the cannabis industry could present a lucrative opportunity, the industry is complex. If you’re thinking about investing in it, you’ll want an accountant who understands how it all works.

www.mycannabisaccountant.com

Cannabis Real Estate Summit

By LELAND RADOvANOvIC

Mannada Hosted the First Virtual Cannabis Real Estate Summit To Educate Entrepreneurs on Complex Rules and Regulations

Real estate is the lifeblood of the cannabis industry. Every legal cannabis license - from retail to cultivation to delivery - requires some form of real estate. Yet, leasing or purchasing a property is just the beginning of the process. With New York just legalizing adultuse cannabis across the Empire State, would-be entrepreneurs need to catch up fast.

To help educate on the complexities of real estate in the industry, Mannada, a minority woman-owned cannabis professional education event production company based in New York City led by the venerable Kristin Jordan (also founder of the Asian Cannabis Roundtable), hosted its first virtual Cannabis Real Estate Summit in early April.

“Real estate is the backbone of the cannabis industry - you can’t obtain a legal license without securing a real estate location for your application,” said Mannada Founder and real estate attorney Kristin Jordan. “We wanted attendees to walk away with a better understanding of the massive opportunity in cannabis real estate and a roadmap of how to navigate the retail side of this nascent industry.”

The conference, a first of its kind and a massive success, hosted more than 200 people. Among its incredible lineup of speakers included a keynote by Barrington Rutherford, SVP of Real Estate and Community Integration at Cresco Labs. He spoke about what he thinks about when looking for a new property. He hammered home the need to understand that each property exists within a larger community and understanding that community is an absolute must.

The summit also covered topics beyond the purchasing or leasing process, including; best practices and pitfalls, how to successfully negotiate real estate transactions in prime locations, site selection, licensing, zoning,

and industry-specific lease issues for both landlords and tenants, and building and designing cannabis retail premises.

These are the devils in the details and are necessary to navigate the complex web of regulations. For example, California regulations state that cannabis businesses cannot be within 600 feet of schools. Yet, in Los Angeles, businesses must be 800 feet from schools. These variants can and will likely happen throughout New York and will play a massive role in shaping the market.

And while the industry feels cautiously optimistic about the SAFE Banking Act passing Congress, the reality is that there currently is little to no federal banking for the industry. However, Barrington was quick to point out that for small businesses, local banks and credit unions are more open to working with marijuana businesses.

One area of real estate that is less complex than purchasing or mortgaging a property for your business is real estate as an investment. Debra Borchardt, the founder of Green Market Report and writer from some of the most significant financial publications, including The Street, spoke about real estate investment trusts, REIT for short, are portfolios of real estate that investors can get into without the risk of owning property outright. Innovative Industrial Properties is one such REIT publicly traded on NASDAQ. Its portfolio provides the REIT with rent as an income source, which pays out to investors through dividends.

If all of this is sounding overwhelming, it’s because, on some level, it is. Mannada exists to help get the industry up to speed.

“Mannada hosts three major summits throughout the year, the Cannabis Real Estate Summit, Cannabis Media Summit, and Cannabis Law Summit,” commented Jordan. “This is the most exciting industry in the U.S. At each of these events, we provide a deep level of knowledge sharing beyond the 101. We also have a weekly newsletter that details cannabis events in the tri-state area called The Maze.”

To follow the summit series or events in New York, you can visit www.mannadaevents.com.

Essentials for Dabbing Like The

Terp Attorney

BY THE TERP ATTORNEY

Cannabis concentrates, colloquially called “Dabs” are the newest and fastest growing trend in the cannabis consumption space. Unlike traditional cannabis flower consumption, cannabis concentrates give users the ability to fully taste and experience all of a strain’s terpenes. Terpenes are not exclusive to cannabis, but they are in fact aromatic compounds found in all plants. Take, for example, the strain “NY Sour Diesel,” the terpenes the user should expect would be a sour gassy taste/ terpene profile. While consuming flower a user may experience some of these terpenes, they are only truly appreciated in concentrate form.

There is no such thing as the perfect dab, but in my opinion, to best optimize that dabbing experience, there is some essential equipment that you must acquire. I am no ordinary Before you sell the house, the best rule of thumb is to buy what you can afford. A trip to your local head shop and they can help you find all of the equipment at an affordable price. But for those ready to dab like the Terp Attorney look no further than this list!

3.

Essential Dabbing Equipment

1. 14 or 10 mm dab rig recycler style

2. 14 or 10 mm quartz banger (Joel Halen,(@joelhalenquartz) JP Toro

3. Carb cap Highly Educated GTR Cap.

4. Butane torch Blazer Big Shot GT8000

5. Dabbing thermometer (temptech or dabrite)

6. Mood mat (bigger is better, Happy Munkey is preferred)

7. Isopropyl alcohol 90% or better

8. Isopropyl bath (Bowl/Tupperware for your isopropyl alcohol to soak your bangers)

9. Q-tips

10. Dab tools (Skilletools master kit)

11. Butane (At least quadrupled filtered, better is always preferred. I use Vector filtered fourteen times butane)

Once you have acquired the above mentioned items you will be ready to set up your dab station. Find a table or large flat service either 12’’x 16’’ or 20’’ x 20’’. Place down your mood mat and your isopropyl bath far away from where you will be heating your banger. Place your dab rig on the mood mat. Make sure your dab thermometer is properly aligned to accurately detect the temperature of the banger when heating. After you have everything placed and set up you are ready to take a proper dab like the Terp Attorney.

Happy Dabbing and Choose Happy Munkey Family!

4.

5.

2.

MarylanD Set to Cap Edible Potency

BY JAMES WYCHE

What's up Munkey Fam, hope everyone had a fun and safe 420 holiday. Also, I want to congratulate all NY readers on now having recreational legalization hopefully Maryland will soon follow. Unfortunately in Maryland, we are dealing with some changes in our medical system courtesy of the MMCC. This change greatly impacts a large section of patients in the state that use anything edible. The MMCC defines an edible as "any medical cannabis product intended for human consumption by oral ingestion that dissolves or disintegrates in the mouth" Not only does this impact infused drinks and "chews" that are available but it will negatively impact the RSO production in the state. This bulletin was made on 4/19, I found it ironic they made the ruling the day before the stoner holiday.

For those of you who are asking "what the hell is RSO?", well give me a moment and I'll explain. RSO is an acronym for Rick Simpson Oil which is named after the inventor of the same name who used this form of cannabis oil to help treat his skin cancer in 2003. Almost 20 years later RSO now is primarily used by patients using RSO caps or can be used to make homemade edibles. The age group that uses RSO the most in my experience is the elderly. They say it helps them with sleep, managing pain, and helping with appetite. In addition to the elderly, I have patients who are battling both physical and mental illnesses that depend on RSO. Using RSO, they've managed to ween off their pharmaceutical drugs which were giving them worse side effects than any cannabis product could ever. The cannabis producers in Maryland within the past 4 to 6 months had released 1000mg capsules because of the demand especially from patients battling serious illnesses like cancer or dealing with chronic pain from major surgeries. Now with these changes, the patient will have to either make edibles at home or pay for even more products at a lower potency.

Thankfully all higher potency edibles are still available on the market but by July 18 all high potency edibles must be gone from the shelves of dispensaries or be destroyed. A few patients that visit the dispensary I work at have told me they've gotten multiple patients together to write to the MMCC and plead

their case as to why this new rule will negatively impact them. In my opinion, this new rule was the byproduct of the fear of a child or pet eating a patient's medicine. This is just another way for the MMCC to keep their hands clean because they don't want to be sued. Also, it is the opinion of this author that patients have to do better concealing their medicine around their pets or children. Even though cannabis isn't going to kill anyone like if a child or dog ate Xanax, patients should treat it as such. Once you get your medicine whether it's RSO capsules, edibles, or bud itself we have to do our best to keep it out of the hands/mouths of people you don't want it to get into.

It's unfortunate Maryland patients who depend on high potency edibles and RSO, will soon face hurdles to consume cannabis. Fortunately, not every patient in Maryland's medical program needs high-potency edibles because they only care about the high and not the medicinal benefits they get. Again I feel bad for elderly patients, those with anxiety/ depression, and those patients I have who have had major surgeries involving rods and other bolts you find at Home Depot. I can already predict a wave of letters and phone calls the MMCC will have to take because of this new rule. I hope though that the MMCC can work with patients and can hear their reasoning as to why Maryland should keep high potency edibles available for patients.

Until next time Munkey Fam

Cultivar of the Month

By THE TERp ATTORNEy

In New Jersey, on St. Patrick’s day Breakwater Alternative Treatment Center released a new strain “Blue and Cream”. Blue and Cream, which was created by Swampboys Seeds, has genetics from GMO (Garlic Monster/Miracle Cookies) crossed with Triangle Kush and an M10 male. To properly assess the strain’s full terpene profile I sampled the Blue and Cream in the Storz & Bickel Volcano vaporizer and in raw cones.

If you are unfamiliar with the volcano vaporizer it is a hot air vaporizer that fills plastic balloons with perfectly vaporized cannabis vapor. It is the preferred method of cannabis consumption in Israeli hospitals and allows you to experience a strain’s terpenes without actually burning the flower. To some cannabis purists, this is perhaps one of the cleanest means of ingesting cannabis flowers.

According to Swampboys seeds, the dominant terpenes in Blue and Cream are Beta-Caryophyllene, Limonene, Mycrene, and Linalool. When ingesting a volcano bag of blue and cream I tasted some earthy flavors of GMO but the creaminess really was what stood out.

When I smoked the cone it had white ash and a solid terpene taste experience. The high was enjoyable, not too intense nor too weak. Overall, I would highly recommend trying this strain if you’re looking for a creamy GMO strain.

photo by Nadir Pearson

FIND THE THE MUNKEY

Latinx En Cannabis

Welcome Back Happy Munkey Fam! The Happy Munkey crew is bringing you another volume of standout Latinx individuals in the cannabis industry. There are a lot of Latinx people making huge strides in the cannabis industry and we plan to continue shining light on our entire Latinx cannaFam in future issues! Until then please enjoy our 7th installment of “Latinx En Cannabis”!

Miriam-Aristy-Farer

Miriam is a longtime supporter of the Happy Munkey Movement and an active canna-community member here in New York City! A veteran expert in the Beauty space, she is the founder of Herbas Bodycare, a lifestyle brand focused on body care through plants. Miriam believes plants should be a part of what you eat, wear, and how you heal. In addition to her efforts in cannabis, Miriam is also the co-chair of Community Board 9 in upper Manhattan!

Mario "Rio" Fernandez

Mario Fernandez is a proud Dominican and the founder of Weekend Warriors Media which is a New York based media company that focuses on the heart of the culture! From recording artists to cannabis companies like Happy Munkey, the Weekend Warriors are known for going above and beyond to capture and present authentic dope experiences. Mario is also working with the Dominican run Culture Farms out in Oregon to produce fire flower and content!

Joel “Grizzly” Bocourt

Grizzly Bocourt is a proud Afrolatino repping the beautiful island countries of Cuba and the Dominican Republic! Grizzly is a rebel who has been challenging the status quo by taking action to advocate positive changes in society. As a cannabis community advocate and industry entrepreneur, he is deeply committed to a legalized market that provides affordable access to the plant for all communities and supports small businesses and employees, particularly those who’ve been devastated by America’s drug war. As the founder of A Rebel Minded Society, Cannaware Society, and New York Cannabis United, he continues to break boundaries by creating avenues of creative expression and cannabis education for people of color.

Fun Ways to Cultivate Mindfulness

By Estefania Valencia & Salam Diri

Mindfulness Month is here and with it, a helpful reminder to direct your focus to the present moment- just being you, exactly as you are.

Anyone can be mindful with enough practice! As long as they work on developing a present-centered awareness in which thoughts, feelings, and sensations that arise, are acknowledged and accepted without judgment or attachment.

There are many ways to cultivate awareness to reap the benefits of mindfulness almost instantly. These practices allow us to observe subconscious programming also known as our default mode and bring us to a state of more control and observation so that we can change our perspective on things that we need to, especially those causing stress and distractions.

For example, let's say you want to try something for the first time but your mind and body automatically react with doubt and fearful thoughts of not being good enough. In a mindful state, you would have the choice to detach from these thoughts and sensations by observing them only, like clouds passing by. You may then understand where these thoughts and emotions are coming from and how they may be distracting you from your true intention, which is learning something new.

Mindfulness gives us a choice to react differently by not becoming attached and immediately believing our emotions and thoughts as complete truth. Although it may feel otherwise, you are

actually not your thoughts or emotions, you are their observer and you have a choice to give them attention or release them. As a result of being mindful, we create a more spacious way of being that is less reactive, more intentional, and joyful.

Below are a few ways to develop your mindfulness!

Breathing Exercises

Mindfulness cultivates our ability to bring mindful attention to the things happening inside and outside of us in the present moment. In these moments of awareness, we can observe things that might be missed when the mind is on autopilot and in twenty different places, such as our breath! Breathing techniques help us control and redirect our emotions and reactions, heartbeat, Nervous system, Respiratory rate, and more! In classes, the breath is usually guided by the instructor to be directed to specific places in the body using mindfulness. "Wherever your awareness goes that's where the breath goes" This is an amazing tool for developing inner awareness, self-healing, and discovery!

Practice Yoga

Yoga is a great way to cultivate mindfulness. The practice allows us to develop inner awareness through movement, breathing, meditation, and mindfulness. Therefore strengthening the connection between the breath, body, and mind.

As you flow through your practice, your thoughts, emotions, and sensations are more likely to be noticed. Allowing you to practice redirecting your attention and energy when the mind wanders, by bringing it back to the present moment without judgment.

Cannabis

Using Cannabis also cultivates inner awareness by enhancing your ability to feel sensations, helping you relax, calming the mind, and stimulating the balance system in your body, The Endocannabinoid System. Mindfulness and the sense of being aware of what's

going on internally and externally is a major part of the Endocannabinoid System function which creates homeostasis by managing stress and supporting peace and balance within you while also being aware of the external chaos.

Meditation & Intention

The goal of meditation is not to control your thoughts, it's to stop letting them control you. Meditation alters our relationship with our thoughts by allowing us to observe them without believing them.

Setting intentions during your meditation can help you be clear and committed to your goals. Allowing you to rewire your way of thinking by creating new thought patterns, actions, and emotions that you want to welcome into your life. An example of setting an intention would be "Today I intend to focus on being and feeling grateful !"

Be Mindful of Others

We often talk about mindfulness in relation to our-self, because your relationship with others is also a reflection of your relationship with yourself. To practice mindfulness with others you have to challenge the way you think and relate to yourself, other people, and the world. To be mindful of others means to be more patient and compassionate to the people around you. Practice listening to people carefully without judgment, acknowledging and respecting their worth. Put yourselves in another's shoes, be empathetic by being mindful of others' feelings and emotions. Practice Self-awareness in your communication and behavior with others.

Cultivating these mindful techniques can enhance the connection and understanding of yourself and the world around you.

CHEF SEBASTIAN

#theshortordercannabisrevolutionary @chef_sebastian_carosi

VIETNAMESE SOUR TSUNAMI FRESH ROLLS

This must be one of my all-time favorite Asian-influenced dishes. You can rely on these rolls for a flavor-packed summer lunch or even a light dinner outside on a warm evening. I prefer heaps of fresh mint, Thai basil, cilantro, shaved vegetables like young carrot, cucumber, and even daikon radish. With a handful of precooked light rice vermicelli noodles, fresh crisp lettuce leaves, and fresh cannabis leaves wrapped tightly in a soft rice paper wrapper (aka a luscious vegetable blanket). These rolls are extremely healthy and light. Ready for a quick dunk into a spicy tang tang or peanut sauce. Truly refreshing in the heat of the late spring or early summer sun. These dank green vegetable rolls are easily distinguished from other rolls by the fact that they are not fried. Quality is always important to keep in mind, especially if you are going to be eating raw cannabis. I tend to choose the younger tender shoots or leaves that have not been sprayed or treated with any chemicals. An abundant addition of raw vegetable protein, THCa, and CBDa are readily available in these raw cannabis and hemp leaves. Other than the fresh cannabis leaves I have chosen both sauces to serve with these rolls are made utilizing full-spectrum cannabis-infused soy sauce and rice wine vinegar. Both sauces are completely vital to serving alongside these fresh rolls in my mind. One is savory, sweet, and fatty. The other dank, dark, and salty. With several prerequisites filled… healthy, light, and slightly cannabisinfused I am ready to dig in. When you decide to make these vibrant snacks at home be sure to have all your ingredients and things in place and ready to go. The process of making the rolls is fast, and they disappear off the plate just as fast as you can roll them!

CHEF SEBASTIAN

#theshortordercannabisrevolutionary

VIETNAMESE SOUR TSUNAMI FRESH ROLLS

DETAILS

Prep time: 45 minutes

Yield: 8 fresh rolls

Total thc/cbd: depends on the potency of the products used

Status: stoner snack or a super healthy lunch

From the cannabis pantry: fresh young cannabis leaves, infused rice wine vinegar, infused soy sauce

EQUIPMENT

PROVISIONS

8 8½-inch round rice paper wrappers

2 oz cooked rice vermicelli noodles

12-15 fresh thai basil leaves

24 fresh cilantro sprigs

12-15 fresh mint leaves

8-12 small hearts of romaine leaves

16-24 fresh young cannabis leaves

16 5-inch long cucumber slices (peeled and seeded)

½ cup shredded carrot (on mandolin)

½ cup shredded daikon radish (on mandolin)

4 5-inch long pieces of fresh green onion or scallion

12 cooked shrimp or tofu (cut shrimp in half and tofu in long pieces to fit in spring roll)

chef’s knife, mandolin, 2 medium saucepans, tongs, 2 medium stainless-steel mixing bowls, small whisk, rasp

DIRECTIONS

For noodles – bring a saucepan of water to boil, add noodles, boil for 3-5 minutes or until done - drain in cold water. set aside.

For the rolls – fill a large bowl or container with warm water. dip wrappers in warm water to soften.

Lay wrapper flat, in a roll across the center lay 3 shrimp halves (if using shrimp), a hand full of noodles, several basil, mint and cilantro leaves, cucumbers, carrots, daikon, hemp leaves, romaine hearts and green onions leaving 2 inches uncovered on each end.

Fold uncovered sides inward, then tightly roll the wrapper, beginning at the end closest to you.

Repeat this process until you are finished with 8 rolls.

Serve rolls immediately with your choice of dipping sauces. (rolls can be cut to share)

*cover premade rolls with a damp towel in the refrigerator for up to two hours but should be eaten as soon as possible

DIRECTIONS

In a stainless-steel bowl with a whisk mix all the ingredients well.

Refrigerate prior to use.

PEANUT SAUCE

DIRECTIONS

In a stainless-steel bowl with a fork or a spoon, mix all the ingredients until incorporated well.

If sauce is too thick for your liking, thin with more warm water.

set aside.

SAUCE PROVISIONS

2 tbsp fish sauce

2 tbsp cannabis soy (made in the mb2e)

¼ cup cannabis rice wine vinegar (made in the mb2e)

¼ cup river water (pond water will do if clean)

2 tbsp fresh squeezed lime juice

2 cloves garlic (finely minced)

¼ cup sugar

2 tbsp chili sauce

1 tsp finely sliced fresh chili rings

SAUCE PROVISIONS

1 cup chunky organic peanut butter

2 cloves fresh garlic (crushed and pulverized smooth)

2 tsp fresh ginger rasped (or grated)

2 tbsp cannabis soy sauce (made in the mb2e)

1 tbsp cannabis rice wine vinegar (made in the mb2e)

1 tbsp brown sugar

2 tbsp lime juice

1 tbsp chili sauce

¼ to ½ cup warm water (more if you prefer a thinner sauce)

3 Garlic Cloves Sliced

1 tbsp fresh ginger

3 Tbsp Infused Sesame Oil

1 Tbsp Soy Sauce

1 tbsp a Fish Sauce

1 Tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar

1 tsp fresh lime juice

2 tbsp Chopped cilantro

1tbsp sesame seeds

Fresh Udon Noodles (As Desired)

Red chili flakes (optional)

Salt and pepper to taste

2- 5 oz Fresh Ahi Tuna Filet (optional)

1 tbsp vegetable Oil for searing

water to a boil, add 1 cup barley, reduce to a Fill a medium-size saucepan with salted water over medium-high heat

Once water comes to a boil add Udon noodles. Cook as instructed typically 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, slice the onion, garlic, ginger, and cilantro.

Make the dressing by mixing the infused sesame oil, soy sauce, fish sauce, vinegar, and lime juice.

Run noodles under cold water and drain to remove all excess water once done.

Toss noodles with dressing

Place noodles in a medium-size serving bowl topped with sliced herbs and crisp vegetables.

Sprinkle with red pepper flakes to finish.

pepper to taste.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and set aside. Over medium-high heat boil water in a saucepot.

In a separate pan, heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat.

Once oil begins to smoke, gently add tuna, sear on both sides for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and rest.

Lastly top bowl with sliced Tuna.

TAURUS: 10th Planet

Happy Birthday, My Nurturing Bulls! The universe wants you guys to let things go with the flow. Sometimes trying too hard or forcing something will only cause a harsh resistance that can potentially set you back. Trust in the universe and enjoy your season.

GEMINI: Chupacabra

While being meticulous is a great quality to have, it is more than OK to take a step back at times and look at the bigger picture. Details are important, but not when it consumes you with everything you do, say, hear, etc. It can bring on unwanted anxiety.

CANCER: Pamelina

Create and maintain manageable goals, it is healthier for your mental state and helps with preventing anxiety. Not planning (enough) can lead to burning out. Success is easier to achieve when you find a balance between your drive and thoughts.

LEO: Everlast

When things seem out of control, it is time to let go and find inner peace. Some of those things can be coming from underlying issues from your past that linger deep within. Accountability is one thing, it is another to sit there and feel guilt over failing others’ expectations of you.

VIRGO: Chairman Chem Sou

It seems the more generous you are with your time, and even finances, the more successful you shall be. Many have been seeing unexpected growth within your funds (aside from a stimulus and tax return) and if you haven’t, you shall. Just stay focused.

LIBRA: Cobra Lips

There shall be some major self-discoveries the more you come acquainted with your kind of energy. From hidden talents to being motivated and encouraged, to exploring new things. It seems that by doing more than the norm you shall find some hidden gems that you have longed for.

C a N as C o PE s

SCORPIO: Poochie Love

Make sure to always stay on the path that most won’t dare take. It is designed specifically for you to face your fears and gain personal growth. Never forget you make the choices and are the pioneer of your journey.

AQUARIUS: Margalope

Alignment between the mind and heart has to happen in order to always manifest things rapidly. The universe will stall things that are not in unison. Disarray means there's an imbalance somewhere due to selfish or irrational choices.

SAGITTARIUS: Lilac Diesel

It’s one thing to exercise tough love upon oneself, but it’s another to beat yourself into believing you are worthless. Your perspective on your own self is how the universe shall treat you in return. Even if you have been at fault, pick yourself up, promise to do better, do it, and watch the blessings pour in.

CAPRICORN: Jacky Girl

A shift in life, or even in how you normally would do/ handle things, can be very beneficial for you and those close to you. Make sure that whatever you choose, excitement and out-of-the-ordinary is key. It seems that the spark created will ignite areas of stability.

PISCES: Grapes ‘n Cream

There are a few things you may have to tidy upon. Any loose ends will be a distraction. Once you make a clearance, an abundance of inspired thoughts, decisions, and actions shall take place immediately and effectively. Enjoy what comes after.

ARIES: Bloo’s Kloos

Seize the moment, especially when you feel a spark of inspiration. Make sure the second you begin experiencing cold feet, snap out of it and take action. Listen to your intuition and continue moving forward with confidence

Kicks FOR da kulture

BY JOSE ROZAY

Welcome back Happymunkey fam for the May edition of Kickz 4 the Kulture. They say when you celebrate your birthday you celebrate it all month. In that case, I chose to celebrate 4/20 all the way to 5/20. So in celebration, I chose to write about a very 4/20 inspired sneaker called the South Park Adidas canvas 80 “Towelie.”

So If your not familiar with South Park the show, which I'm sure many of you are, then you must know that Towelie is a character on the show who is always high. This collaboration is based on the South Park character and you can actually see how creative Adidas got with this sneaker release. Adidas used towel like material on the upper part of the shoe, giving it the actual Towelie feeling. The most obvious detail of the shoe, which gives away the fact that it is a Towelie inspired shoe, are the South Park eyes on the top of the sneaker tongue. The coolest detail of the shoe is not just the eyes on the tongue, but what the eyes actually do when you walk outside. The South Park eyes placed on the tongue of the shoe are UV sensitive so when they get hit with sunlight the eyes change color. The eyes turn blue and pink as if the sneaker just got stoned. It’s one of the most creative ideas I've seen on a shoe and I absolutely love the effect.

The sneakers also feature a small hook-and-loop pocket on the inside of the tongue that lets you stash whatever it is you might be able to fit in there if you know what I mean. For now, it's a Towelie keychain that comes with the sneaker. I think Adidas and South Park did a phenomenal job with this collaboration. They went far and beyond with the design, easily could have just embroidered a Towelie on the side but instead, they found a way to make the whole sneaker look like the character. Also featuring two keychains and one of the coolest sneaker boxes ever made, displaying Towelie and the main characters in South Park the show. This Adidas canvas was the official Adidas 2021 4/20 sneaker.

In conclusion, I was lucky enough to have a chance to grab a pair and they are amazing. This might be the first Adidas canvas sneaker to sell out, showing the difference between general releases and exclusive collaborations. I hope everyone has a chance to grab a pair of these unique sneakers and celebrate by smoking something just as cool in em.

Hope you enjoyed it and until next time Happymunkey fam....stay Happy.

Happy Munkey x Moodmats

glass by MJ Arsenal

photos by Declan Mulligan

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Editor in Chief

David Hernandez (@davehv)

Proofreder

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Dannielle Briggs (@daniellechonbriggs)

Recipes By Sebastian Carosi (@Chef_ Sebastian_ Carosi) & Jazmine Moore (@ greenpantherchef)

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You can reach us at info@happymunkey.com with any questions, concerns, suggestions!

Editor at Large

Keenan “Higz” Higgins (@_Higz)

Creative Director

Danielle Briggs (@daniellechonbriggs)

Contributing Writers

Harry Shurek (@Mycannabisacct), James Wyche (@Spiceisalwaysnice), Jamie Partida (@cultureclubsmokeshop), Salam Diri (@sannacbdyoga ), Estefania Valencia (@sannacbdyoga), James Wyche (@Spiceisalwaysnice), Stu Zakim (@stuzakim ), Tacarra Russell (@Ms_ Oregon), Michael Palmeri (@ TerpAttorney), Declan Mulligan (@ waterbeverage) , Amy Deneson (@ amydeneson), Kenny Mack (@ kennymack007), Leland Radovanovic, and Johnny Green

Contributing Photographers Brittainy Newman (@Bnewmanphoto / The New York Times), Declan Mulligan (@waterbeverage), Calvin Schneider (https://www.calscallection.com ), Emily Carter (@carterastle_), Arfan

Ghani (Artsy_arfan) Jordan Hiraldo (@jordanihraldo ), Nadir Pearson (@ nadirpearson) Michael Englund (@ michael_englund), Danielle Briggs (www. daniellebriggs.com), Rafael Hernandez (@rafaelhphotos), David Hernandez (@ DaveHV)