HERBAGE MAGAZINE JANUARY ‘23

Grand prize is only available to the first 16 contestants. Only applies to full price products. Does not apply to purchases of any products that are discounted or on sale.

I dipped into this wonderful discovery of a market called Oak Ash & Thorn in Shawnee, OK. This eclectic community of dwellers in a surprisingly rather robust art community of Pott. County, Oklahoma is really stepping up its game.

The walls called for me to look once more for a piece of art that would set off a good year for us all. There she was. Begging me to take her off of the wall and show as many people her beauty as I could. So that’s what I intended to do. I couldn’t help the desire to see what she could see.

“From the Artist: Sonya Spears

My intuition tells me everything I need to know regarding those energies that attempt to blind me.

Knowledge directly opposes fear. So, it has an added benefit of dispelling anything fearful that holds you back from moving freely throughout your life journey.

This is also a portal piece. Wherever it is hanging, the people in that space will also be granted the benefit of clairvoyance and discernment that comes from the portal that I opened to create the painting.

It is an amplifier.

I needed to create this portal for my own clarity. However, art is a gift to be sent out into the world. Everything I create belongs to someone else.

The gift of knowing and clarity will be granted to whoever possesses this portal.

I intend to create more portals as the need comes into my awareness. This is my initial piece, so that's kind of special in its own right.

If it calls to you, it may be an indicator that you could use the clarity it can bring you.

Please Contact Sonya Spears for commissions & gallery

JAMES BRIDGES

OWNER-PUBLISHER JAMES@HERBAGEMAG.COM

BROOK MILLER ADVERTISING BROOK@HERBAGEMAG.COM

JUSTEN CHRISTENSEN PHOTOGRAPHY

LAYOUT & DESIGN JAMES BRIDGES HERBAGEMAG.COM ALL SOCIAL MEDIA

STRAINOPOLY

FOR OBVIOUS REASONS, NO RECEIPTS BY KATHLEEN BARKER

FEMININE DIVINE - DR PEPPER HERNANDEZ BY BRANNAN BELL

THE CULTIVATION CORNER POWERED BY SMOKEY OKIE'S BY TRAVIS SMITH

A TOKE OF WELLNESS HANNAH PEARL ANNA WILDER BRIDGET FRANCIS

KEEPING IT POSITIVE - PHIL LEVENSON HEALI NG OPTIONS BY BRANNAN BELL

PRESSING FOR GOLD - WELLEVATE FARMS BY JAMES BRIDGES

THE PATH CONTINUES - EDITORIAL BY JAMES BRIDGES

HASH CAMP BY BROOK MILLER

COWBOY CUP 2022 WINNERS LIST

VIBES FOR EDITION 49

Check out our friends from DAZED Cannabis Co. Great flower, friends, and VIBES all around. Stock your dispensary with the best!

LISTEN TO THE PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY

HUGH GLASS - PUSH ME HUSH GLASS - FAT DUKE KODAK BLACK - IF YOU EVER TENNESSEE WHISKEY CHRIS STAPLETON

CONFIDENCE - OCEAN ALLEY LEAD THE WAVE - TAKEOFF

Oh how far we’ve come from 1986 and getting our weed through Reefer Rick! Though I think many of us can agree that we’d drop a lot of cash to do a deal with Eddie Munson. But here’s my question, what kind of flower does our favorite metalhead prefer? Is he more of a sativa smoker? Or an indica kinda guy? And what about terps?

“OOOH! My first instinct is to say he'd go for a Sativa. He's a high energy kind of guy, I think that he might want something that would stimulate his mind and fuel his creativity when playing guitar or writing campaigns. Though perhaps on other occasions he may want an Indica just to be able to chill out and wind down, become one with the couch so to speak. He sells it so he's got choices ya know? Options at his disposal for different needs. The terpenes that stand out to me with Eddie in mind are Limonene, Myrcene, and Pinene. Limonene for the elevated mood and anti-depression. Eddie is a naturally positive person so I think he'd appreciate added benefits here. Myrcene for the added creativity that psychoactivity brings, and Pinene for memory retention and alertness since it seems pretty clearly to me that Eddie has ADHD and would really benefit from some help in those areas!” - Lei

“Given that he’s well versed in alternative medicine, maybe even a damned witch doctor due to being a dungeon master, he probably smokes both, but as far as a preference goes I’d guess sativa. He has lots of high yielding energy, he’s very outgoing, so I don’t see his preference leaning towards couch potato vibes which would be indica. As far as terpenes go? Definitely some limonene, but after that shit with Chrissy? Linalool. He needs to relax and sedate himself after all that.” - Johnny

“Eddie Munson is definitely a mood smoker. Majority of the time, I see him smoking a Sativa-dominate hybrid. His creativity is flowing and he is vibing like the true metal man he is. However, when he is wanting to play guitar alone is room, I can see him appreciating an indica. No matter which mood he was sporting that moment in the day, he is definitely lighting up something skunky, linalool, or alpha-pinene dominate.” - Tess

“So I strongly feel Eddie goes for the Sativa strain. As a musician and a Dungeon Master he needs all the alertness he can get and indica’s do the total opposite. Indica’s I feel are more for relaxing. As for the terps, I see him being into Limonene, Myrcene, Linalool, Borneol, and Eucalyptol.” - Becca

Well there you have it puppet’s! Majority rules in favor of sativa for the master of Hellfire! Personally, that was my vote as well, it just seems to make sense for our lovable metal head. But hey, maybe Kas the bloody handed will have a different taste…dun dun DUN!!!! He’s alive dammit, there’s no convincing me otherwise.

UNTIL NEXT TIME - Kat

LETS ASK SOME LOYAL TUMBLR FANS WHAT THEY THINK AYE?

FEMININE DIVINE

By Brannan Bell

What does the Divine Feminine energy represent? Creation, birth, renewal, healing, restoration, acceptance, connection, oneness, receptivity, nurturing, growth, understanding, insight, empathy, compassion, love, and life.

How does she embody the Divine Feminine? Keep reading and you will get to know a woman doing just that.

Dr. Pepper is an educator of health and wellness and an advocate for Cannabis as medicine. She is a holistic health practitioner, trained naturopath, she’s a live food nutritionist, a Cannabis therapy consultant and educator, has a true passion for regenerative farming, while also being a Reiki master and Kundalini teacher.

She speaks with confidence, passion and intention. I’ve always been drawn to Dr. Pepper’s energy and her vast knowledge with depth on many things in life.

During our time together, she brings perspective, insight and lots of passion with her fun loving personality, always eager to learn more and help others do the same. She’s the full package.

"I love getting cannabis medical patients in contact with the people who grow their medicine. That connection is incredibly valuable and extremely important to me."

-DR. PEPPER HERNANDEZ

“Nourishment for the Mental, Physical, Spiritual and Emotional bodies is the only way to heal ourselves completely. This is why we are here.”- Dr. Pepper Hernandez

You have an adventurous spirit and I highly resonate with that. You recently converted a van for your travels, into your lifestyle. What inspired you to take that leap and follow your intuition?

I did convert my van and love going to organic regenerative biodynamic farms to check out good cannabis. I went from a fulltime brick-and-mortar physician to telemedicine to allow me to get on the land and really be with the plant. I’ve always been a van lover. I’ve had three Volkswagen vans prior to this one and I have always loved the more nomadic-free lifestyle. For the last 10 years, I was in private practice but once the pandemic came and shifted everyone’s reality, It gave me the freedom to go back to a lifestyle that I have such a fondness for.

What are some of the everyday rituals that are sacred to you?

I have several rituals that are incredibly sacred to me. First I would say my kundalini yoga practice and devotion is a daily practice and reminder of the work needed to thrive. I love reprogramming my internal dialogue in order to see the best in the world. I have been a long-time conscious consumer of organic raw whole food as well as a daily exercise advocate to keep my body in the best shape possible. I believe in investing now in my health for my future. I’m also a huge listener of positive affirmations and nightly neurolinguistic reprogramming which help retrain my brain in the positive shifts and focus myself into quantum leaping.

You’re full of knowledge and beautiful insight whether it’s surrounding the Cannabis plant, along with being in tune with your divine feminine energy. How do you tap into that? What fuels your fire?

I honestly don’t know if I’m tapping in to anything except for being true to myself. I just do what inspires me and am just guided to tune in with the highest frequency of energy possible.

You founded the Humboldt Hollistic Foundation to help expand and create resources, along with the Cannabis Holistic Institute, in the heart of Humboldt County. Can you touch on why giving the local community a voice is important to you?

It’s incredibly important to me to give legacy craft, organic, cannabis farmers a voice. They have been doing it for the right reasons, dedicating their life to the plant and to the land. I love getting cannabis medical patients in contact with the people who grow their medicine. That connection is incredibly valuable and extremely important to me. That’s why I do it.

You’re passionate about regenerative farming techniques. What does this method look like and why is it extremely valuable?

I think anyone who is truly passionate about the cannabis plant understands that she is female and the earth is female so when we focus on growing her we focus on healing our planet as well. Any farming techniques someone can start putting into practice at their own grow would be beneficial. I am a huge geek for living soil and outdoor sun-grown cannabis. I love looking at the scientific end of how cannabis is grown and how to bring the most nutritional dense medicine to cannabis medical patients.

I always enjoy knowing what books people are into. It says a lot about them and their headspace and direction. So, what are you currently reading right now?

Interestingly enough I always have 4 to 5 books going at any one time so I couldn’t tell you all the ones I have but do you know they rotate pretty randomly and that may say a lot about me.

How have you created a life you love, on your own terms?

I absolutely have created a life that I love & that is on my own terms. Meaning I live within my means, do what I think is best for the planet, and enjoy myself every single day. I have had the luxury of being able to pick and choose my jobs because I am only dependent on myself. With that being said I understand how fortunate I am and I experience gratitude every single day.

Do you have any mentors that you have looked up to along the way, that inspire you?

I think we all have mentors along the way. Every single day the kind people in our lives from family members, to a teacher, to a physician, to a kind person you pass in a bakery. Every single person inspires me and in a different way. Looking for positive things in the external world allows me to continue to create positive things in my inner world and encourages me to continue to do so for others.

Tell me about the Quantum Alignment Podcast that you have. What is your goal with this platform?

Oh, I love this compassion project. It started four years ago for the main reason of me connecting with other holistic health practitioners in my community. Living in Humboldt Northern California, it’s fully saturated with healers, practitioners and I wanted to meet as many as I could. So honestly the podcast became a way for me to connect and get to have lunch with different people every week and I loved it. What came of it is what I believe to be nourishing, enriching content for the world. It currently is on many platforms and I’ve been lucky enough to be one of the longest-running podcasts on our local radio station in Arcata California, Access HUMBOLDT. The podcast itself can be found any place you find podcasts.

What’s the most rewarding part about getting to do what you do, while pouring into other individuals and providing them with educational resources?

Honestly it’s all rewarding. I enjoy what I do and I think that shows in my work. From my content creation on Cannabis craft farmers, to my naturopathic medicine approach to wellness. I really love what I do. I love helping people. I love connecting people with clean medicine and I love making sure people have accessibility to the knowledge of how to heal themselves naturally.

As her practice evolves, Dr. Pepper is truly making waves in the Cannabis industry, not just in one place. Her authenticity and deep love for this healing plant has allowed people to connect with each other, learn something they didn’t know, have access to resources and to keep focus on the medicinal properties of the Cannabis plant and the ways we can all be more intentional with caring for it and what that looks like, with hopes of clean and truly organic medicine for the people.

DOC FERGUSON

IN 200+ LOCATIONS

Doc Ferguson is more than an idea, or a company, it’s a family. The namesake of the company is our own dogs Doc and Ferguson. When we started this company we had one goal in mind “creating a handcrafted product that is done the right way, every time, with pride and care. Giving the patient the best medicine, with the best products on the market” the dream is real, and we are excited to welcome you to our family.

The

Cultivation Corner

Brought to you by Smokey Okies Cannabis

It’s a new year, and for many people, that means making resolutions and setting goals. Well, if you are a home grower, or aspiring home grower, I encourage you to take a big picture look at your grow schedule for this year.

Don’t have one? That’s okay. The purpose of this article is get you thinking in terms of an annual cultivation plan, as opposed to just planting some seeds and hoping for the best.

Don’t know how to put one together? That’s okay too. In this article, I am going to show you.

First, we are going to tie in the last couple Cultivation Corner articles that had to do with veg, and I am going to show you how to apply that advice to the context of your situation, within your annual cultivation plan.

Sound like too much for a beginner grower? Just keep reading, I promise you will see the big picture by the end of this article.

First, get a clear vision of the end goal

When you plant your seeds or clones, you will have this tiny little plants in small pots. Now in order to know how long you will keep these plants in a vegetative state, you must have a clear outline for the entire growth cycle.

As you put together you plan, consider the following:

• How big is your grow space?

• How many strains do you want to grow?

• How often do you want to be flowering or harvesting?

As you ponder those questions, you will want to ask yourself a few more:

• Do you want to grow only a few but large plants?

• Would you instead prefer many small plants?

• Do you want to get as many harvests as possible in a year?

• Are you satisfied with fewer harvests?

Once you start asking yourself these types of questions, you will get yourself in thinking in terms of the big picture. Don’t just grab some seeds and talk about planting them. No, instead, I want you to think about mapping our your entire year!

Travis Smith - Founder - Smokey Okie’s Cannabis

Creating a Cultivation Plan based around your Grow Space

If you have a small grow space, such as a tent, you must acknowledge your limitations. The most obvious is ceiling height. Compare that to a 2-car garage. A grower using his home garage has more space than a person using a tent. But killer outcomes can be achieved in both scenarios, if you have a plan!

Tips for Small Grow Spaces

For small spaces, the goal is to grow small plants. Which means you get to master the art of getting a decent yield out of small plants.

Part of the secret to getting yield with small plants is to simply increase the number of plants. You cannot grow big plants in a small space, but if you do things right, you can grow many small plants in a small space.

You therefore want a shorter veg cycle. But as you condense your veg cycle, you shorten the amount of time you have to get all your chores done! That is okay, you can adjust.

You will want to first use smaller containers. You don’t need 7-gallon pots for a small tent. Stick with 2-gallon. You could even go smaller. The smaller the pot, the more plants you can fit in your tent, and that means more strain variety.

You will need to top these earlier in veg in order to get the plant to start forking out, which will control your vertical growth. Remember, plants will double in size during flower, so we can’t let them get too big during veg.

Keep your veg cycle to about 4-5 weeks. Get at least one topping session in, and at least one pruning session, either before or after your topping session. At this point, you are ready to switch to 12/12.

Your 2023 Cultivation Plan

With a small grow space, you can focus on getting in multiple runs this year. With two weeks for a seedling phase, or for a clone to root, combined with a short veg (4-5 weeks), plus an 8-week flower cycle, you can get three and a half flips in this year. That means you will harvest 3 times and have a fourth cycle halfway completed going into the new year.

With this type of plan, you get multiple harvests, a decent strain variety per run, and best of all…. Lots of practice! Which is the most important fea-

ture here.

Getting three bites at the apple per year, you will triple your experience level than if you only had one run per year. If you have access to additional grow spaces for vegging your next batch of clones or seedlings, you can increase that number to five flips in a year. Imagine your experience level after a couple years of doing that!

Of course, you could go with an entirely different plan of growing really big plants and aiming to get the biggest yield per plant. We will talk about that type of a strategy in next month’s issue.

For now, check out this video that discusses both strategies:

A TOKE OF WELLNESS

Over the past two decades, wellness and selfcare have significantly evolved. It is astonishing how many products and practices are available to us in the modern era, including plant medicines like psychedelics and Cannabis! It might also seem a little … overwhelming? Confusing? Dare we say, sometimes, suspect? Which ultimately begs the question: How do we approach our wellness journeys in an educated, confident and intentional way?

BUILDING TRUST

Our educational sources range from nutrition and wellness experts to social media influencers and more. Realistically, consumers don’t always have the time to research these products and practices the way we would want to. What we really want is a friend who knows and has done the research – an educated guide! Someone we trust; we’re here to help you with that!

HANNAH PEARL

HERBALIST + NUTRITIONIST

Hannah is a practicing herbalist, nutritionist and Reiki master, earning her certification from the Southwest Institute of Healing Arts in Arizona. Hannah works with patients through her own business, Sacred Nourishment. She also co-owns and formulates the Highest Intent products.

Wellness Education & patient advocate

ANNA WILDER

Anna is a cannabis, psychedelic and wellness educator. She researches and analyzes wellness products and practices commonly available. She and her husband founded Highest Intent with the goal to help people proactively care for themselves through the power of plant medicine.

HERBALIST + NUTRITIONIST

BRIDGET FRANCIS

Bridget is a practicing embodiment coach. She holds certifications from AFPA in holistic nutrition, as well as specializing in herbalism from Herbal Academy. Bridget founded Inner Calm Co., a wellness company, with the desire to help her clients find balance and confidence in their wellness journeys.

TOGETHER, WE MAKE UP THE HIGHEST INTENT WELLNESS EDUCATION TEAM

Highest Intent o ers daily wellness tinctures that combine three of nature's most powerful medicinal plants: cannabis, functional mushrooms and ancient herbs. We wanted to make a product that we knew was 100% natural, delicious and trustworthy. With this brand, we hope to introduce others to the ongoing discourse surrounding the impact of nature's medicines on our health. We’re thankful to Herbage that you're reading these words, because that means we’re achieving our goals!

SELF CARE VS. WELLNESS

Yes, wellness and self care can be di erent things. Self-care can exist as ensuring you’re drinking a proper amount of water each day to maintain good hydration, while wellness is knowing that purified water is devoid of the minerals our body needs to adequately process the water we are drinking. This knowledge translates to understanding that purified water will

strip the body of mineral stores in order to process the water we are drinking, granting our bodies the tools to stay properly hydrated.

Wellness is EducatedSelf-Care

Self care is recognizing that we need to take care of ourselves each day in order to maintain a good quality of life. Wellness is knowing that there is pivotal information to be learned and applied in order to maximize the ben efit of our self-care routines.

Our education team often discusses the fact that when we go to the doctor, we’re typically not asked about our diet, sleep habits, wellness routine, daily stressors or exercise. Meanwhile these are all of the things that are foundational to our daily health. Doctors have a wonderful intention to help their patients live healthy lives, however it can be hard to give singular attention and accurate proactive health advice to the 9th or 10th patient of the day!

Over the coming months, we plan to introduce, educate and familiarize you with simple and accessible proactive wellness tips. We believe every person has a right to understand their bodies and feel confident in their wellness decisions and routines. We want to lend a helping hand as you cultivate your own journey!

let’s connect!

For regular wellness information and education from our team, make sure to follow @ highestintent2.0. We’ll see you next month with some juicy information on cannabis, herbs and intimacy!

HIGHEST INTENT

Written By: Anna Wilder

Keeping It Positive

Phil Levenson

By Brannan Bell

I had the opportunity to chat with Phil Levenson, owner of Healing Options dispensary in Wagoner and Eufaula Oklahoma. There is also their sister store, Supreme Flight Cannabis. Phil is the CEO of PAL’s Helping Hand, which was founded to help the citizens of the community that directly fund the foundation.

I always love conversing with people and you can see and feel the passion in their eyes and voice, as they light up while talking about what sets their souls on fire. During our time together, Phil shared his past, his heart and his passion for giving back to people.

Healing Options is a very welcoming place to visit, with happy faces greeting you. When reading reviews of what people had to say about Healing Options, it was nothing but kind words and how amazing their staff is and how affordable the prices are. He has a huge heart for helping others in the community and providing quality medicine for patients in Oklahoma.

“Charity starts at home, and what’s more of our home than our community?”- Phil

A compassionate attitude goes a long way and attracts others and this is that full circle energy, where the magic happens.

“The positive thinker sees the invisible, feels the intangible, and achieves the impossible.” - Winston Churchill

To get a little background on how he grew up and what that was like for him and how it helped shape him today, Phil opened up to me about his past and what it has taught him.

He grew up in Long Island, NY until he was 19. Growing up, education was a huge part of his childhood. He grew up around a hard working family that valued this type of worth ethic. His dad was a very hard worker and worked for an oil company and was always hustling to provide for his family. There was a lot of love in their household, just not money.

His journey with Cannabis began at the age of 13, when he was diagnosed with a major depressive disorder and he wasn’t about the pharmaceutical life and the way the pills made him feel or the side effects that came with it. Phil had an early introduction to Marijuana around this age, after his uncle, who was a professional mountain biker, had been hit by a car on his bike in the late 90s and wouldn’t be able to compete with opiates in his system. His uncle explained why he smoked weed, for a medicine and not to just get high. He expressed to him that there was a huge stigma on Marijuana being a drug and not a medicine and how other countries even view it as that too. This man was a vital part in his life.

A few years later when he was 15, he started trying to grow the plant himself and then moved away from NY when he was 19 to Kansas City, MO. Around age 22, he started setting up some basement grows again to make a little extra money and grow his own medicine. A few years later, he went to Colorado at age 26. He got 40 acres there that they rented, then made his way to northern California, southern Oregon, and eventually landing back in Oklahoma.

Phil expressed how traveling across the country he got to see how different everyone was with how they viewed Mar-

ijuana, which really opened his mind to how many people actually need this medicine and don’t have it. This gave him a lot of perspective on how many mis-informed people there were, but also how many communities that were built along the thought of how Marijuana was their medicine. When he experienced this, it really helped him to find his WHY.

Cannabis is an ally and a tool for many people around the world. I asked Phil what this plant has done for him and how he feels it has shifted his perspective. He went on to say how this plant has done a lot for him and it’s so hard to say just one thing. Most importantly though, it has opened his mind and just because we are told one thing, doesn’t mean it’s always true. He grew up being told that Marijuana was harmful and that it’s bad for you, but now look where it is in this world. This perspective opened his mind to other things, even with mushrooms and stuff that nature provides that truly helps us. It’s here in nature and that’s what he’s learned with Marijuana. This isn’t just something to get you high, we’re talking about a substance that can heal you.

Phil was quick to answer what he believed the key to bringing people together was–Communication. That’s what people really lack. They only talk or hear things from groups they want to hear from, and they only sound good to you because that’s what everyone else is telling you is correct. So, whenever we have one part of the country saying that Marijuana is horrible, and another part saying it’s good, it creates war and they aren’t communicating with each other. The widespread knowledge could help and be more beneficial if communication was in place. He’s big on giving back to the community and loving his patients, and truly believes in patients over profit. You may wonder how one works to maintain this kind of mindset, for the people? This goes back to when Phil went from NY to KS and was going through a really rough time in life. At age 19, he became homeless due to some bad choices, after 3 months of living in a brand new city. He tried his best to utilize his resources in communities that were here to help. When he did this, he met people along the way that gave him opportunities and were open minded and did not question him or his past. This is when he told himself that whenever he could get to a point where he could help and give back to other people, he would. It took him a while to get to the point of understanding that money isn’t happiness.

“We didn’t fight for marijuana to be legal, not to help the people that need it.”- Phil

After learning about Phil and his upbringing in life and the experiences he had, it only made sense to me when he told me about PAL’s Helping Hand foundation and what led him to starting an organization outside of his dispensaries, helping others in need. In the past 5 years, he’s been able to help people across the country and in the local community, giving them a chance. I asked him how he got started with his foundation and what brought it to life. Throughout our conversation, I noticed that everything has happened very organically and fallen into place, as it should. In May of 2021, he was encouraged by a veteran over the phone who he was trying to help out, to open a foundation to help others since he was already giving back to help people, and so it only made sense to put action into it and make it become something special. Instead of people just coming to him for help, he thought why not just branch out.

You may wonder what the flow of the foundation consists of?

Phil made emphasis on the fact that there’s a lot of kids out there and you don’t know what their life is like at home. You may have older siblings that have taken care of their younger ones and got a job to help out and those are the kids they want to help.

“If someone believes in them, it gives them the motivation to move forward and try harder.”- Phil

With PAL’s Helping Hand, they pay medical and utility bills for seniors and vets each month, and participate in clothing and food drives, along with a few different programs. People in the local town will come to him, whether it be getting the kids to band camp, scholarships for the high school, providing shelter and job opportunities. They look for advice from the town on how to help out, instead of just giving stuff away all the time to a certain cause.

Being in the position that he is and doing what he has the chance to do, I had to ask if he had anyone that he looked up to, maybe someone that inspires him or has been a great mentor for himself. He quickly mentioned his father. Everything his father has done in his life has been for his family and has given up so much. He describes him as being a hippie at heart and he’s all about peace and love, and is just always so happy, cheerful, and go-lucky. He also didn’t give up on Phil, which in turn led him to what he’s doing now.

I always love to hear what advice others have from experiences they have been through, which made them who they are today, that maybe they wished they would have received earlier on in life. I asked Phil what his unique advice for someone reading might be? Never give up on your dreams, always fight for them. It’s something simple sounding, yet very mighty whenever you fight for what makes you happy.

The Oklahoma cannabis industry is thriving in many different ways. I wanted to know what Phil loved most about our community, within the state of Oklahoma and what the vibe felt like. His answer: the amount of people in it.

With being pretty well traveled across the country, he’s seen a lot. He expressed that you come across certain places that seem to be in it truly for the money, but you come to a place like Oklahoma and you see these people scraping money together for mom and pops stores, as opposed to being somewhere in the Northwest, where they grow as much as possible to put it on the black market, corporate people and places, etc. In Oklahoma, he had the vibe of running into someone’s mom that has been making a pain salve for the last 15 years, from the 20 plants that she grows every summer, that takes away all the pain in your hands. People here are so much more about it being medicinally focused.

On the other side of that, there’s always things we could improve on as a community. Phil mentioned that there’s a lot of people here that are greedy and that will be the downfall of the Oklahoma market. People are willing to sell out their licensings and their livelihoods for some money for corporate cannabis. The state itself, when the OMMA formed, was designed for corporate cannabis. That’s what the government wanted. They were going for the big tax dollars that this plant has brought to our state. If everyone stays strong and all of these mom and pops shops stick together and not worry about it all, then they can really keep it going.

At the end of every day, the most rewarding part of what Phil gets to do is seeing people smile. That’s really the bottom line. Seeing others happy, with a look of relief on their faces..that’s why he does it. Whatever it is they are happy about. He said it took him a while to realize that money isn’t happiness. For him, happiness is making other people happy. That’s what really brings joy to his life, in whatever simple form it can be.

“We grow so many plants, in the literal sense of growing money on trees, and

there’s an abundance of it so why not give it away? Why not give back?”- Phil

I always have to ask what stigma surrounding the Cannabis plant, people would like to see changed. It’s always a unique answer, unique to each individual.

Phil’s answer: “That it’s an addictive drug and substance. A lot of people in this state still actually believe that. Even some dispensary owners who aren’t in it for the right reasons. It’s the people who called the cops on you for smoking a joint in the Walmart parking lot we’re talking about here. You don’t have to spread false information. You can keep that opinion vs fact to yourself, because that’s a negative impact on this healing plant.”

The definition of “Legacy” is something that is passed on. But Legacy can take many forms. A Legacy may be of one’s faith, ethics and core values. A Legacy may be monetary or your assets. A Legacy may come from one’s character, reputation and the life you lead, setting an example for others and to guide their futures. I wanted to know what kind of impact he hoped to continue on with everything he’s currently doing and will continue to do.

“I would like to see people continue to try and give back more. I want people to see the foundation in Eufaula, or the stores they’re in, and I want them to think about how simple it is to just take a little piece of whatever and give it back and watch how much it can change someone else’s life. For people to be a little more open-minded, not judgemental.”- Phil

While giving back is what fuels his fire, we need more people like Phil. Patients over profits and creating an atmosphere where helping hands are available, and people are taken care of from that full circle energy of love, is what it’s all about.

If you want to be a part of what Phil’s doing for our community and help make a difference you can reach out to PAL’s Helping Hand on Facebook. They are always open to suggestions on things they could do for someone who needs help. There’s volunteer opportunities too. Anything is greatly appreciated, especially your time.

Pressing For Gold

Wellevate Farms

By James Bridges

We pulled into the parking lot of what was obviously a structure built to move heavy machinery and vehicles, I noticed the sign for Wellevate Farms, but I couldn’t help but wonder. I thought to myself, “Why is that large, roughly 75 foot tall, gas rig blocking my parking space?” Then I took a good look around. I noticed more heavy equipment, trailers, and yes, even more rigs that stood tall and inoperable. I thought to myself again, “Maybe I should open my eyes and stop listening to that constant repetitive voice coming from my speakers?”

ELLE V A T E FAR M S

I felt as if I had driven into the wrong address until I recognized a smile. The smile was large and the man behind it couldn’t seem more welcoming. Adam Stockman presented himself as one of the directors. The man that wears many hats with a team of fellow multi-hatters designed to accomplish whatever is put in front of them. We were invited inside.

John Hughes himself would have been jealous and may have even made the motion to dial his attorney if he were to walk into the facilities at Wellevate Farms in Skiatook, OK. The large, almost circular interior structure with a maze/ classroom aesthetic would have him screaming at the old troupe to gear up and shoot The Breakfast Club 2.0.

“So this room will soon be the house dispensary.” Adam pointed over my shoulder. “That’s why we picked the one with the exterior door.”

We met Adam during the Cowboy Cup in December 2022. One of the late nights of the cup led both myself and Brook Miller to a table where Adam and a new product awaited our introduction. The product is actually designed and offered by Wellevate Farms themselves. It’s called the WelleVape.

I will do my best to describe the product. The product is vaporized inside of the device. The vapor then flows and fills the chalice or glass. Then bottoms-up! You drink and repeat. It’s surprising, unique, and comes with an experience to accompany your meds.

We were invited to repeat as many times as desired. We made sure we had plenty of “introduction” time for one another.

“We found a way to procreate our own dispensary.” I listened as Adam opened up more. “Yeah. and, we’re about 60 days out. We were lucky for how we found ours though. I mean, I’ve heard $$$$ over and over, and we found something nowhere near those numbers. We were able to acquire this and even own the building. Most licenses are not available the way ours was, and for that we are very grateful.”

He must have noticed the twitch in my brow as he spoke and peaked my interest. Adam continued, “Yeah. The old owner just didn’t ever put anything together here. We took it off his hands. We think we can do something special with this place. That’s what we are here to do.”

The informed and intelligent Adam pointed out that the goal was to become more of an appointment only dispensary. They want to offer medicines to those specifically in the area that are in need. However, because that is where their cultivation and lab is located, they feel it best to keep the main gate closed to the public.

“Everyone always says they want to carry our product.” Adam showed that giant smile again. “We know we have the right product.” Adam’s confidence was sure. “Our sales have already given us a very positive projection. Now it’s time to network, continue marketing, and advertising so we can become more top of mind for patients when they choose.”

These guys definitely have a “There’s nothing in getting our way” attitude. They have a fully operational grow facility. They are smashing killer solventless hash rosin on a press made for giants. They have 120 Square Feet of freeze drying space. They even have their own CO2! Afterall, we were essentially standing on top of a natural gas well. I couldn’t have been more impressed.

Adam continued to show us around. “I mean, with the equipment that we have and the facility that we have, it’s been a long haul. We are all-in on the investment, time and money. More than I could have fathomed. So it’s a long game. We’re honest with ourselves though. We have an accountant. Other than accounting, we don’t really outsource anything. Everything is pretty much created in-house, even metric.”

The team at Wellevate was surprisingly small compared to the output of the facility. There’s Adam Stockman who is the general manager/all hats, and a very knowledgeable lead cultivator, Brandon Summers.

We ran into Devon Gaines and Chad Upton. Both are hash washers for Wellevate. They help press the magic, which is Wellevate Farms signature hash rosin. Fluid for the god’s, if you will. We actually had the opportunity to witness the making of said fluid.

The press was more than a press. We walked into the dedicated press room and sat back and watched as they prepped the product. At 180 degrees this beast will smash 3 full

15 gram pouches at one time. That is 45 grams in one press. They use a Low temp V2 Medusa. They have also fabricated a custom mechanical arm, which adds tilt to the base of the press to assist the drip. The team claims that they have noticed a slight change in quality since implementing this lift system. I was more than impressed.

“It’s a lot like a family around here.” Adam explained a common scenario in the cannabis industry. However, this one seemed to be run by individuals that have the mental capability to set boundaries around those emotions. They were there for business, and they all knew it. “Yeah. I wouldn’t say that on any given day, we all get along by any means. But at the end of the day, I also know that if I need something, I’m going to call one of these guys. We butt heads, because we all have real high expectations of what we want to happen. We know that we’re on the right team. We are like a bunch of brothers and sisters around here. We’d probably be better off with some boxing gloves some days. In the end we love and respect one another.”

Adam walked us through the place as if he were showing us his newly remodeled house. I felt that if Adam had a second home it would have been the apartment he slept in and paid rent for about an hour away. I even had the thought of asking him for random shop items. I had an inkling that he would be able to whisp off for a minute and retrieve anything that I requested.

I was curious about his thoughts on cleanliness and managing quality and testing. Knowing now of how small the crew was that operated such a large space, I wondered if there might be issues. As I looked around in every room there were signs of constant cleaning. Some of the spaces looked as if the equipment had just been installed. These guys had the pro-

“We’re more hands on.” Blaine took the lead, “We come from a world where we realize that everything mechanical is gonna break and it’s nice to know we can fix it. One of the biggest things for us is the ability to have everything right there. If we don’t we can usually find it or fabricate it ourselves.”

The owners at Wellevate Farms have been able to incorporate the use of other subcontractors. “We’ve brought subs in on our buildouts. These are local electricians, plumbers, contractors, builders, and more. We work side by side with them. Honestly the questions they’ve asked have been game changing. It’s valuable because I never thought of it the way they bring up specific issues.”

Many leaders in cannabis, as well as so many other indus-

The Path Continues

By James Bridges

“That was a long year.” How many times have you heard that? Usually in a negative tone it seems. Well, it has been a long year. A year is a long time. 365 days to be exact. Each and every one of those days are long too. Each day. Each Minute. Each second. Soak it up, buttercup.

What are you going to do with it?

There was an abundance of, what seemed like, magic in the air starting from the moment SQ788 passed. It seems so long ago. However, sometimes it’s a blur. There have been so many shifts in the industry as it matures. 2022 may have been the ugly pre-teen years, if you were to compare to what I believe is to come.

You need to remember why you wanted cannabis to be legal in the first place. That, my friends, is your own personal choice as well. Medicine comes in many different forms. No one has the right to tell you differently.

I’ve witnessed the market in Oklahoma shift from a territorial atmosphere into what has now become more of a collaborative effort to navigate not only the market trend, but also the constant changes tossed down from our governing bodies.

This, in my opinion, is key. If there ever were a plot to kill legal cannabis, then this idea of collaboration could indeed squash it.

Now I go to my creative mind. I like to imagine dark,angry, and dried up individuals sitting around a boardroom table and pounding their fists out of anger and frustration. One of them stands and screams, “Why must they fight together!” The dark “overlords” smoke their smokey cigarettes and discuss ways to split the damn pot heads up.

I digress.

The simplest way to kill something is to gain its trust. It is a shady way of doing things. It’s a way of doing things that we all must look out for. It’s ok to listen to your intuition…

Unfortunately many businesses in the cannabis industry have failed. That’s not uncommon in most industries, to be honest. However, the way that it has come about is a tad tacky in my book. I don’t speak much about politics publicly, but I do love my community.

There are mom-and-pops in this great state that feel robbed. They feel that the system which was put in place during the first years of legalization in Oklahoma was a money grab. They blame many players involved in the governing bodies. They feel that those players would benefit the state rather than the industry itself. Some feel that this grew into an even more greedy situation. Major players within the cannabis industry itself have been accused of having a hand in the pocket of some of those benefitted.

It’s been interesting to observe to say the least. I won’t give you a BS promotional speech that makes you feel that there is a pot of gold waiting for us all. What I will do is encourage you to keep moving forward. Make a more collaborative effort to accomplish your goals. Stick together and create your own ideas. Have fun doing it. We are in a cannabis industry. That’s supposed to be fun right?

Those that oppose our lifestyle and understanding of what good medicine is are waiting for us to trip up. Make sure they trip first. They want this to fail. When it all comes down to it, this is about money. The blanket of fear that is covering the eyes of justice must come down once in a while. At times Justice needs to look the liar in the face in order to gain access to the truth.

HASH CAMP

HASH-MUSIC-FOOD-FRIENDS-NATURE

On The Hunt For Hash Rosin Hash Camp 22’

By Brook Miller,

Quality rosin are certainly synonymous terms when I describe my opinion of Hilltop Gardens. Connor and Jono, founders of the Hash Camp, also know how to host a great event.

I had the opportunity to attend Hash Camp 22. It was full of good vibes, good food, and amazing people. We were given specific GPS coordinates to navigate to the event. This was an added touch to keep the location discreet. That was a pretty cool experience in itself. Between GPS coordinates and camping under the stars…the vibes were set.

Upon arriving I ran into some familiar faces and connected with everyone there. The rosin that was entered into the contest. This was certainly the first thing on the menu for me. There were seven different entries into the Hash Camp competition. The Holy Goat, Evok, Chrome6, Nature’s Kiss, Live Source Labs, Kanati and High Rise. This, in my opinion, was an incredible line-up of some of Oklahoma’s top brands offering hash rosin.

The entire evening was full of incredible hash,and authentic homemade tamales to top it off. “Some of us” were able to get our camping areas set up before the rosin kicked in.

The winners were announced after we ate and had a change to try. I have to say, they were all on point.

3rd - Chrome6 – with an amazing King’s Hawaii packed full of all the “Terple terps” you could handle.

2nd - The Holy Goat – with a very smooth Brandy Wine that carried some serious weight with floral, citrus gas notes.

1st - Nature’s Kiss – with their Chem-D that packed an extreme punch of diesel and citrus.

All of the entries were top tier in my book. My personal favorite was The Holy Goat’s Brandy Wine. Definitely a contender against the Chem D that Nature’s Kiss put up. Cheers to everyone that brought the heat to Hash Camp and helped continue the vibes into the evening. I am super grateful we set the tent up before we started playing merry-go-round with the hash rosin.

We all had a great time with some talented, incredible people. At one point we were all around the fire taking in the experience we had been a part of throughout the day. Picture all of us by the fire with full bellies, laughing and having fun. Smoking hash, listening to great music and enjoying each other’s company by the campfire. It was the best vibe. I am already looking forward to Hash Camp next year and what’s in the future from Hilltop Gardens!

FLOWER

INDOOR FLOWER

1st: Skye Flower: Larry Bird

2nd: Connoisseur Cannabis: Melted Strawberries

3rd: F5 Farms: Sunset Runtz

SUNGROWN

1st: Bar-H-Industries: Royal Kush Best of Terpene: Myrcene

2nd: Bar-H-Industries: Royal Limez

SUNGROWN LIGHT ASSIST

1st: Fusion Botanicals: Motorhead Best of Terpene: Pinene

PREROLLS

1st: Zenoa Cannabis: Picky Stick Orange Sherbet

2nd: Zenoa Cannabis: Picky Stick G’Night Stick

3rd: ALTVM: Slapz

INFUSED PREROLLS

1st: ALTVM: Candy Mob Flower with Mafia Funeral Rosin

2nd: Lake and Bake Shop: Tropicana Mini Primo 3rd: Dazed: GMO EDIBLES

BAKED GOODS

1st: Crispy’s: Hangry Bar

2nd: Muncheez: Cookies N’ Cream Cereal Bar

3rd: Escalated Greens: Chocolate Chip Cookies

CAPSULES

1st: High Sunshine Farms: EZ Dose It Nano Caps

2nd: Natures Key: Battle Buddy Capsules

CHOCOLATES

1st: Nomad Processing: Dandy Lion Salted Caramel Butterscotch Chocolate Bar

2nd: Puraverde: Milk Chocolate Crunch Buffalo Bar

3rd: Platinum Farms: Craft BonBon Variety 6 Pack

DRINKS

1st: Smokies: Smokies Edibles Lemonade

2nd: Platinum Farms: Cup O’ Hoe Nano Coffee Pods

3rd: Pharmer’s Market: Dope Drops

HARD/SOFT CANDIES

1st: DOSD Edibles: Mixed Fruit Nano Bites

2nd: Noble Nectar / Dauntless Health: Ruby Red Gummies

3rd: Abstract Edibles: Relief Gummies

HIGH DOSE EDIBLES

1st: Puraverde: Milk Chocolate Hazlenut Crunch Buffalo Ball

2nd: Noble Nectar / Dauntless Health: Sour Cherry Limeade