Lil Wayne 420 Honeysuckle

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INSIDE FRONT COVER

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Honey Does 420 With Lil Wayne

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Lil Wayne photo: © Danny Wonders

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CONTENTS

4 REDMAN On a Mission From God 6 CHRIS BALL Building a Cannabis Legacy with Ball Family Farms 8 ETAIN Women Owned & Family Grown 10 GARY CHAMBERS Senate Campaign Stirs the Pot 14 LIL WAYNE 420 16 EMPRESS STATE East Coast Women in Weed 22 NEW YOUNG MONEY GKUA Inspired Spotlighting Artists 34 COMPOUND GENETICS & NODE LABS Sneak Peek: The Art of Cannabis Science 38 LOVE. DANCE. WEED. Dancers Who Smoke Weed 40 FYLLO MEANS: FUTURE Cannabis Consumer Data Transforming the World 42 ARCADIAN CAPITAL Worthy Investments 43 STINJE The Robin Hood of Weed 44 MOVEMENTS FOR MOVEMENTS Making Positive Waves for Change 46 GKUA SPOTLIGHT Weezy’s Weed and Where to Find It! 56 SONOMA HILLS FARM Uncovering the Regenerative Cannabis Ecosystem and Why it Matters 58 THE BUZZ Timeka Drew 60 4 CANNABIS COMPANIES 20 ESSENTIALS Something for Every Cannasseur @honeysucklemagazine

EDITOR’S LETTER Honeysuckle Times Square Billboard w/ Etain & The Green Haus, New Years Eve, NYC, 2022

Lil Wayne photos: © Marcus McDonald

EDITORS LETTER

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Honey420 It’s 4/20 -- time to celebrate! Or as our cover artist Lil Wayne told us, “It’s four-twenty. Enjoy it.”

What was once referred to as “Weed Day” is now an expression of all kinds of freedom, both in the U.S. and beyond.

This year, Honey does 420 with Young Money - Lil Wayne and Mack Maine’s record label - one of the hottest labels on the planet. We feature a plethora of artists, including Mellow Rackz and Alan Cubas. Their transformational stories speak to the power of creativity in the journey from surviving to thriving. Here you’ll meet the rapper who wrote his first songs behind bars at age 13, the young mother who used music to heal from a near-fatal gunshot wound, the Broadway star from New Orleans who sees the artistic process as a divine experience, the children of immigrants making the American Dream come true. Mula Baby! #ThatGKUA Meanwhile, the women of the East are burning up the coast! The future of East Coast cannabis is female. Here, you’ll find some of the most innovative leaders and investors in the field. Though statistics still show that female C-suite and board appointments are far below those of men in the cannabis industry, the women of the East Coast are creating their own paradigms as business owners, investors and advocates. These are some of the magic-makers shaping the industry we know today. honeysucklemag.com

Our special contributor Steve Bloom, founder of CelebStoner, helped popularize the term 420 in the early 90’s. Steve comes full circle in this issue with his interview of Redman, whom he originally interviewed in the 90’s while editor of High Times Magazine.

From the latest in tech advances with companies such as Fyllo and Compound Genetics, to our interviews with athlete Chris Ball and investor Matt Nordgren of Arcadian Capital, Honey has the most titillating 420 for you.

So, enjoy, and don’t puff-puff-pass on this one!

FOLLOW ON SOCIAL

IG: @HoneysuckleMagazine Twitter: @honeysucklemag Youtube: Honeysuckle Magazine Publisher / Founder Ronit Pinto Creative Director Sam C. Long Editor-At-Large Jaime Lubin Editor Theara Coleman Guest Editor Natalia Kopelman Special Contributor Steve Bloom

Interior Design Jorge Asuaje Billie Haas MJ Salinas Contributors Jake Wall Natalia Kopelman Theara Coleman Jaime Lubin Advisory Board Bobbi Paley Paul Rosen Dan Foehner Cover Image: Lil Wayne © Baqi Kopelman 2019, Miami Special Thanks: GKUA

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Honey@HoneysuckleMag.com 646-632-7711 New York, NY 10023 Printed in Grandville, MI USA

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Genie Adagio @genieadagio: © Sam C. Long

Cover Design + YM+GKUA Spotlight Ken Schalk

High Times March 1993 cover courtesy of Steve Bloom.

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Redman’s on a Mission from God

The “How to Roll a Blunt” rapper discusses his work with the National Cannabis Party.

It’s been a long, strange trip for New Jersey rapper Redman. He broke out with Whut? Thee Album in 1992 and by 1993 was on the cover of High Times smoking a blunt. Nearly 30 years later, he and his sister Sephida Artis-Mills co-founded the National Cannabis Party (NCP). Formed in January 2021, the young organization is seeking to educate people on the importance of cannabis as a political issue, speaking at forums across the country like the National Cannabis Festival and launching its first state committee, the National Cannabis Party of Georgia, led by NCP’s National Director Chris Brown in Atlanta.

“We want to be the main umbrella group for the cannabis industry,” Redman (né Reggie Noble) tells Honeysuckle in an exclusive interview. “To hold people accountable, to hold these politicians accountable, to hold these companies accountable. That’s what we are. We’re ready to get our hands dirty.”

Mostly, Redman and NCP are keeping an eye on equity in cannabis for those most impacted by the War on Drugs. “Everybody keeps saying, ‘Social equity, social equity.’ What the fuck is social equity? No one has a real meaning on social equity. We talk about empowerment, expungement and equality. But in order for you to know about these things, you have to educate yourself about the cannabis industry, bottom line.”

Redman’s watching the new adult-use regulations in New York and New Jersey closely. “They’re kind of beating up each other,” he says. “New Jersey still has a lot to learn. They both feeding off each other.

Just know the East Coast will be the biggest market for the cannabis industry. That’s why you have so many people from California coming to New York.”

His advice to prospective Black and brown licensees? “You have to have the knowledge, the money, the paperwork, and the right strategy and plan. They’re not gonna give it to just anyone. I can’t stress enough that when that window is open for you to state your claim about the cannabis laws and regulations in New York and New Jersey, please do it!”

That’s because Redman fully expects Big Pharma to eventually dominate the cannabis industry. “Once Walgreens starts selling Purple behind the counter, the world changes for the cannabis industry,” he notes. “We want to get ahold of it before it does.”

Unlike his friend and performing partner Method Man, who owns the Tical cannabis brand, Red has refrained from jumping into the legal markets with his own product line.

“Except for Cypress Hill, who actually grow their shit, everybody else just do[es] the regular rapper bullshit as far as cannabis, putting their name on it and white labeling it,” he gripes about celebrity cannabis brands. “Meth was white labeling too. I think he wants better. I don’t want to buy white labels. I turned down lots and lots of money to not endorse.”

Here’s where God stepped into the picture. Rather than join the crowd of burgeoning celebrity entrepreneurs, Redman sought guidance from the Highest of the High.

“People be making so much money, why you got me sittin’?” the devout rapper asked God. “Two years ago, he told me, ‘I got you here for a bigger plan. I don’t want you to just white label, stick your name on something.’ That ain’t what he had for me. He told me, I’m gonna put you on something that’s gonna be way better than that, which is the National Cannabis Party. He told me, ‘Look, you won’t be making money at first. You’ll be helping lots of people.’ So, that’s what I’m doing right now. I love it. My 10 toes are down to the ground.

“Now, once things come into fruition, and people start recognizing more what we’re about, then he’s going to allow me to open up with brands,” Red figures. “It’s gonna make whatever I do bigger.”

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By Steve Bloom

CHRIS BALL BUILDING A CANNABIS LEGACY WITH BALL FAMILY FARMS, SOCIAL EQUITY AND THE BLACK BOX PROJECT

By Theara Coleman

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hris Ball is clearly passionate about cannabis. A former professional football player, Chris and his family are building a legacy in the industry with Ball Family Farms.

He is a visionary leader in cannabis; his products are some of the world’s best.

He recently joined a collective of Black entrepreneurs for the Black Box Project, which honored social equity applicants and Black History Month.

Ball Family Farms received its local cultivation license in 2018 through Los Angeles’s social-equity program and its state license shortly thereafter,emerging as a leading producer of high-quality cannabis products in California. The brand’s flower is hand-crafted from raw and organic nutrients. Each component of their genetics is pheno-hunted, developed, and produced in-house to the most precise standards. Ball Family Farms currently offers three premium indoor strains: Daniel LaRusso (hybrid), Bonzai (sativa) and Miyagi-Do (indica).

The Black Box Project was founded by LA-based Black-owned dispensaries and brands to highlight the importance of equity and inclusion in cannabis while creating unity and support amongst the Black cannabis community. It also provided an opportunity for Angelenos to buy Black during Black History Month. Dispensaries involved included Josephine & Billie’s, Gorilla Wellness RX, Sixty Four & Hope, Mid-City,

Honeysuckle Magazine: What inspired you to enter the cannabis industry?

Chris Ball: I got involved in cannabis when I was about 16, like a lot of kids in the inner city. I started selling weed at a very young age. It wasn’t as easy as I thought. The first time I smoked, I got super paranoid and didn’t like it. I thought “You know what, this may not be me.”

I aspired to be a pro football player, so I picked up selling weed again in Junior College; that was how I paid my tuition until I got my football scholarship to Berkeley, and a full academic scholarship to Cal State, and then I put it down again. After college, I played pro sports, but it got deep when I landed in Canada to play in the CFL. I was in Vancouver, British Columbia. That’s where I first saw cannabis from seed to harvest. I fell in love with the plant, cultivation, and process. So I dabbled around, played sports, and did a little drug trafficking between Canada and the US for the next few years until I made a name for myself in Southern California.

In 2010 I was charged with conspiracy to distribute 2000 pounds of marijuana across the US. I was looking at a 10 year mandatory minimum, but I wound up pleading out for 30 months. I was actually only in prison for about a month and I was out on pretrial release for the next 4 years. By the time that was over, the judge gave me time served.

I came back to Los Angeles and bought a 14-light grow in Van Nuys, California, [applying] all I had learned from Canada.

Burnt up plants for the next two years to figure out the process. I spent another two years selling products to property compliance shops until I was introduced to the Social Equity Program in 2018.

That’s when Ball Family Farms was born!

Ball Family Farms is a family affair!

Can you talk about the importance of generational wealth?

We are a family-owned business. I started the business with my brother, now my CFO, and my cousin, our facilities manager. I also brought in honorary Ball siblings, such as Ebony Anderson, our COO; Dustin Brody, who handles the

brand procurement and relations; and my head of genetics, Ashton Howarth.

I knew from being in the traditional market my entire life all the trials and tribulations; from getting robbed to people getting jealous. All those things you deal with when you’re in the street or the trap. I knew if I was going to do this at a legal level I needed people around me that I loved and trusted. I taught them my habits and how I wanted to structure my company, the culture I wanted to instill.

As far as generational wealth is concerned, they go hand in hand. I wanted to get our name on a jar without having to look over my shoulder, waiting for the DEA or a fire marshal to shut down my grow.

Now that Ball Family Farms is becoming the voice of social equity, our company is taking on a whole new meaning. We’re trying to make sure that we do it right, that we stay correct and compliant, that we keep showing America that social equity can work when you have the right formula.

How did the Black Box collaboration come to fruition?

The Black Box project was spearheaded by my COO Ebony Anderson. We were involved in a project with Nugg Club and they wanted to do a box for Black History Month. We actually helped Nugg Club secure some of the social equity brands that were going to be in their box. But [by the numbers], the project started to feel like it was exploiting social equity applicants. We [asked], Why don’t we have it so that it feels fair, and like we’re celebrating social equity and Black history? They didn’t want to do it. We left their box and program to create one on our own.

We reached out to our brothers and sisters in the space and everyone got on board in about two and a half weeks.

Everybody put resources together, donated flower. We set a great price point so we all made a tiny profit. But it wasn’t about the money. It was about proving that we could do it ourselves, uplifting other social equity applicants and celebrating our Black history. It sold out in two days, so it worked!

What do you see as the current reality of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts in the industry?

Right now there still really isn’t any.

There’s a concept of getting it done, but it’s not being executed and the right

resources aren’t in place. It’s extremely important because we are the ones who have carried the burdens of cannabis on our backs for the last 20 years with our families getting torn apart by the system throwing us in jail for a little weed. I definitely don’t think there are enough Chris Balls in the space right now.

What does a potentially bright future for DEI in cannabis look like to you?

The social equity program needs to be run like college sports. I was a college student-athlete on a 4 year scholarship.

When you go to a university as an athlete they give you free admission. They actually pay me a little money so that I can support myself and they give me free books, a free tutor, the tools I need to be successful not only as an athlete, but also as a student. The same thing needs to happen with the social equity program.

There needs to be some free financial aid to help the social equity applicant because to qualify you have to be low income. You can’t afford to pay for your license or all these things that you’re going to need to run a successful company. The program needs to be able to do that [and] give resources [through] a mentorship program, or consultant, who’s had success in cannabis who [can teach] this social equity applicant the do’s and don’ts. Graphic designers to help with branding. The list can go on.

Hopefully, more social equity applicants will start having some success, and then we can start giving back. Maybe the state and cities will start incentivizing us. If you incubate this social equity applicant, we’re going to cut or relieve you of your taxes, so you can take those extra resources and invest them into another applicant. Until they understand this and listen to guys like myself who are making it work, it’s going to stay broken.

What’s your advice for entrepreneurs in new legal cannabis markets like NY and NJ? Don’t give out too many licenses.

Designate licenses per area so the consumer only has a couple of places to go shop. If the consumer has a place on every street corner, then the money’s just getting spread out. But if you got 3-5 places per borough, you can target your demographic. Those five places are going to thrive and the state’s going to make their tax dollars. The [business owners] are going to be able to change their lives because the revenue’s coming in right.

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and Melrose District. Leaders from Ball Family Farms, Josephine & Billie’s, Viola, Biko, House of Tyne, and Justice Tree collaborated on the project under the direction of Ebony Anderson, COO of both Ball Family Farms and Josephine & BIllie’s.

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WOMEN OWNED & FAMILY GROWN

Etain Health’s N e x t Ev o l u t i o n

by Jaime Lubin It’s often said that the future is female, but for the Etain Health team, womanhood is a state of past, present, and future simultaneously. Etain is New York’s only womenand family-owned cannabis entity, run by CEO Amy Peckham and her daughters Hillary, the Chief Operations Officer, and Keeley, the Chief Horticultural Officer.

Hillary says the work is “a labor of love,” a project that began when the whole family started researching medical cannabis as a treatment for her grandmother’s ALS (a degenerative neurological disease). The Peckhams’ longevity in the cannabis industry is as legendary as their brand’s sterling reputation; they were awarded one of the first five licenses New York issued for medical cannabis businesses and launched in 2015, shortly after the Compassionate Care Act passed to allow registered patients access to cannabinoid oils.

Seven years on, with the state gearing up for adult-use retail, Etain’s horizons are expanding but its core ethos remains the same. Etain is named for a sun goddess in Irish mythology who transforms and is associated with rebirth; and so the Peckhams resolve to shine light on the healing benefits of cannabis, along the way radiantly uplifting other women-owned brands and helping their community revive. As New Yorkers prepare for a recreational market, the women of Etain are building out more land for cultivation, offering new product lines and exclusive honeysucklemag.com

From Left: Amy Peckham, Keeley Peckham, Hillary Peckham

items, and even looking beyond the Empire State’s borders to its neighbor for the next phase of evolution.

As Hillary describes it, daily operations teem with excitement: “A lot of our focus is on ‘how do we scale’ and ‘how can we continue to provide the quality products that we do today,’ but… in appealing ways for the adult-use market. Right now we’re in expansion and growth mode. We are under construction at our manufacturing and cultivation facility. We’re looking at different layouts for our stores… and doing a lot of research and development on new products.”

These large build outs come on the heels of Etain’s relatively recent brand refresh, starting in 2020, which featured a reimagined logo and store redesign for more space and increased ability for consumer traffic. “When we had done the refresh,” Hillary recalls, “adult-use had been proposed in New York [but hadn’t passed yet]. We were thinking, ‘Okay, we know adult-use is coming; what’s the type of consumer that we’re looking for?’ Our mission has always been high-quality, easily accessible and easy to understand cannabis products that people can trust… And when we think about the adult-use consumer, many people who are buying in the recreational setting are actually purchasing for medical reasons. They might buy a balm because they want to treat sore muscles [or] because they want to sleep better, and they’re trying to manage it themselves. Just because they’re not a medical patient doesn’t mean that they’re not using this in a medicinal way.”

The brand refresh became a pathway for the Peckhams to view preparation for the recreational market as an unlimited opportunity for innovation. They’ve launched a brand-new CBD line showcasing products for a mainstream market that are made to medicinal standards, including tinctures and lotions. Hillary comments, “The way that we’ve approached product development is supposed to be inviting and comfortable. We have capsules and our water-soluble powder that you can bake with or mix into a beverage. That to me is much more appealing for someone who doesn’t know cannabis or isn’t comfortable smoking or rolling a joint. You can explore the options there. For us, it’s really about educating customers that [there are options].”

Hillary has a definite soft spot for the water-soluble powder, a favorite product that she mentions provided a unique solution to New York’s initial ban on edibles.

“We were trying to find a way that we could still give people access to create that kind of product,” she notes. “A powder that could be mixed with liquid was a way

Since the refresh, Etain has not only reintroduced their water-soluble powder to the general public, but stocked their shelves with unique items at every turn. The hit Motif Magnetic Vape Pen, created exclusively for Etain, is another multifaceted invention, one that elevates using the device to the sensation of a mini spa visit with its pure oil and precise dosing. Additional strains for the vape pen pods and further accessories will be forthcoming to enhance the experience. For those who prefer a modern twist on a classic smoke session, there’s the Omura dry herb vaporizer made in collaboration with House of Puff. A revolution in vaping, the device uses heat-not-burn technology to gently warm House of Puff flowersticks in a luxurious designer casing. It’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s meets Star Trek – and only available at Etain locations.

In fact, everything in Etain’s stores originates from women-owned companies.

Some of the brands spotlighted in Etain include Potli, Ananda Farms, NSNT Spray, Sackville & Co., Barbari, TribeTokes, Gron, NFZD Beauty, Piecework Puzzles and more. “We try to do as much collaboration with and promotion of other women in the cannabis industry [as possible],” Hillary explains. “There’s a big opportunity for women to enter this industry… One of our biggest collaborations is with Buy Weed From Women, [founded by] Jasmine Mans, a poet in Newark. We have a huge shelf section dedicated to her. We have multiple categories of products that compliment our medicinal products: CBD, chocolate, gummies, room sprays, books, and designer and textile merchandise. It’s a whole experience.”

What matters to the Peckham family, Hillary continues, is supporting diversity in all its forms throughout the cannabis industry. Women and minority-owned businesses historically have restricted access to funding compared to their white male counterparts, and that capital is particularly lacking in the cannabis space. Understanding that struggle is what inspires Etain to keep uplifting fellow womenowned brands and making it possible for small businesses to succeed in New York’s competitive market.

Hillary especially expresses gratitude for the collaborative relationship between Etain and these brand partners. “The benefit of working with smaller companies is there’s a lot of flexibility.

All of the brands we carry in our stores… they go

out, they really try to assist on social media and support us [too]. They’re helpful with sales and products, they’re helpful with our staff. Promoting each other’s businesses has been very wholesome and wonderful to see and experience.”

That’s part of the process that the Peckhams intend to continue in their New Jersey venture. Etain applied for a vertical cannabis license in New Jersey in 2019, and in the fall of 2021 was announced as one of the first fourteen businesses awarded a license in the state. Just like with New York, they will be able to cultivate, create products, and sell retail in the Garden State, and they look forward to giving local women-owned businesses a place on their shelves.

At the same time, Etain’s cultivation facility in upstate New York will add another 50,000 square feet of land. Keeley Peckham as Chief Horticultural Officer is concentrating on developing thirty new strains specifically for the adult-use market to be released over the next few years. More exciting updates are yet to come, but fans of the company should stay tuned for events to be hosted in their Manhattan store.

For Hillary, though, all the enthusiasm stems from one crucial idea: Giving people the choice to heal as they wish to be healed. “People want to be able to manage their own health and quality of life and have control over that,” she asserts. “And I think cannabis is a really great way to do that. There’s a big stigma about people who use cannabis recreationally [but] there are so many different opportunities for people to use the plant that haven’t been recognized or accepted. That’s what we’re trying to change.”

And as Etain evolves to meet the growing needs of diverse cannabis consumers, Hillary can’t help reflecting on the impact the company has made on her own life.

“The first time we applied, we didn’t get a license but I got engaged,” she laughs.

“The second time we applied, I got married. And when we got the license in New Jersey, I had my baby. So it’s been every milestone in doing this with my family… and we love working together.”

Women united and growing. That’s the essence of what Etain is and will always be. As we look onward to a more fully-legal East Coast, we must cheer, “Well done, sister Puffragettes.”

For more information about Etain, visit etainhealth.com or follow @etainhealth on Instagram.

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of entering into the edible space within the limitations of New York regulation [during that time]. It spun off from there – now we’re looking at creating more iterations of it… It’s so easy for people to understand and it’s super popular right now because it’s very multifaceted.”

GARY CHAMBERS 10

SENATE CAMPAIGN STIRS THE POT

BY JAIME LUBIN

honeysucklemag.com

When Gary Chambers lit and smoked a blunt in his campaign ad this January, the cannabis industry snapped to attention.

The Senate hopeful cut his spot to 37 seconds, explaining in the video that this represents how often someone is arrested for marijuana possession, and that Black people are four times as likely to be arrested for cannabis-related charges as white people.

“Most of the people police arrest aren’t dealers, but rather people with small amounts of pot, like me,” Chambers intoned.

It didn’t take long for the ad to spark notice. Within twenty-four hours, the video went viral, ingniting headlines in national media outlets and making the rounds of late-night television. But it was Chambers’ sincerity that caught the eye of cannabis industry professionals particularly, as well as the fact that he’s running as an underdog in Louisiana to unseat long-entrenched Republican incumbent John Kennedy.

THE ORIGINS OF GARY CHAMBERS Chambers seems to have been on a lifelong trajectory to public office. Born and raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, he believes his attunement to justice was shaped by his father, who came of age during the Civil Rights movement, and his mother, who he says often cried out in prayer for people in pain. While Chambers’ mother died from suicide while her son was an infant, her sensitivity to the suffering of others clearly remains strong in the candidate today.

An ordained minister, Chambers has dedicated himself to the citizens of Louisiana in multiple ways over the years. Living briefly in New Orleans to help with economic restorative efforts after Hurricane Katrina, he then returned to Baton Rouge in his early twenties to open a business. In 2012, he launched the publication The Rouge Collection, focusing on Black communities in Baton Rouge, eventually becoming known as an outspoken civil rights activist. Through intervening years, he would host Town Halls on themes such as Trayvon Martin and pervading racism, lead movements drawing attention to the deaths of Alton Sterling and Lamar Johnson in police custody, and assume a position as a public advocate on local school boards.

A June 2020 school board meeting gave Chambers one of his first national spotlight moments. The purpose of the meeting was to debate renaming a district high school that had been named after Confederate general Robert E. Lee. At the debate’s public comment session, Chambers displayed a photograph of one school board member shopping online during the meeting, asserting that the board didn’t care about racial justice. A video clip of his testimony received millions of views online.

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SEEK JUSTICE

Add to this that if he wins, Chambers will be the first Black person to hold statewide office in Louisiana since 1872, and you have the makings of a genuine grassroots hero.

“His mission in life is to do good and seek justice,” said Montel Williams when he hosted Chambers on his cannabis-themed show Let’s Be Blunt with Montel. It’s clear other cannabis leaders feel the same way; groups like Minorities for Medical Marijuana (M4MM) and the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) rushed to learn as much about the candidate as they could. And as Chambers has continued his campaign tour, he’s made special efforts to connect with cannabis and hemp businesses, and industry voices such as Tahir Johnson, Director of Social Equity and Inclusion for the U.S. Cannabis Council and Marijuana Policy Project, and Mehka King, founder of Cash Color Cannabis and Urban Grow Media.

“He shook the room when he made that [cannabis] video,” King commented after interviewing Chambers in Atlanta. “What he did was remind people of what their fears were – that the cannabis user is him, that the person you’re going to be looking for is a big Black dude. It’s always going to be that kind of connotation. So he definitely shook the room and I loved it because [he] started that conversation up. What’s happening in the South is not going anywhere anytime soon. We’re watching states in the East Coast, West Coast and Midwest pass laws legalizing cannabis use left and right, where people in the South are still debating whether or not this is even worth having a conversation. And it’s primarily because of the image they’ve been selling you of who the cannabis consumer is and why this is a negative. I like the fact that [Chambers] used his own image as a way to battle against that.”

In February, Chambers released his second ad, “Scars and Bars,” in which he set a Confederate flag on fire while sharing facts about the continued presence of Jim Crow policy in Louisiana. The ad was part of a response to the state legislature’s special session just days earlier in which Republican lawmakers announced a redistricting plan that would fragment neighboring areas – predominantly affecting the voting power of Black communities in those districts.

“Gerrymandered districts are a byproduct of the Confederacy,” Chambers stated in his video, as he listed off more statistics about inequity for Black citizens. The ad ended with his declaration that “the South will rise again, but this time, it’ll be on our terms.”

Though political experts and analysts note that Chambers’ chances of winning against Kennedy are a long shot, that hasn’t stopped him from inspiring hope in audiences everywhere. According to King, “I love how he’s actually running his campaign. It’s very creative and it’s one of those things that definitely draws in voters. We’re at a point now where younger people are shying away from voting [and some] older hardcore voters are being phased out… But I feel like he’s the type of person who could really energize a new crowd of people to get involved in voting and really want to know what a Senator does, what a Congressperson does. He did that perfectly. I think he’s created a kind of energy that’s going to make people who didn’t think about voting before, interested in voting now.”

VOTING Following this and other public efforts to remove symbols of the Confederacy, Chambers was encouraged by Real Justice PAC founder Shaun King to run for office. He campaigned in Louisiana’s 2021 special election to determine who would take the vacant seat left by Congressman Cedric Richmond when the latter became Director of the Office of Public Liaison and a senior advisor to President Biden. Though Chambers ran on a progressive platform that included Medicare for all, support for the Green New Deal, a universal basic income and other issues, he was unsuccessful in his bid for the seat. However, Chambers told Montel Williams that he only lost his place in the special election runoff by 1550 votes, “less than a percentage of 1 point.”

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CAN GARY CHAMBERS WIN IN 2022?

So can Chambers win the Senate race against Kennedy? Mary Pryor, co-founder of the cannabis collective Cannaclusive and a nationally renowned social equity leader, takes an analytical view to the question based on her years of experience as a political strategist.

“I think him [highlighting cannabis and inequity] is important,” she says, “but I think what’s more important is him being positioned to win. That’s going to take a lot of money for Louisiana. When I look at his record, he’s run races and lost them… I don’t think people really understand how government operates in the South and the reality of Louisiana. I’m glad that people want to utilize him, talk about what’s going on with cannabis, but people [should be] making sure that he’s able to raise a million dollars every month to aggressively go for a state that has a huge racial issue and a huge disparity issue, especially considering that he’s running in a place that doesn’t really give Black folks in leadership desirable places or a fair shake. So for anyone who’s trying to utilize a politician or a potential political hopeful, especially someone Black they need to have a good idea of how to help him fundraise a million dollars a month, because it’s going to take that plus a real look at the racial underpinnings of how government doesn’t work in this regard.”

Mehka King agrees that Chambers faces an uphill battle, but feels optimism and authenticity could lead him to victory. “This is not his first time running. This is not even his first time going viral. He has to overcome voter fatigue… but you’ve got to give him credit for what he’s doing with the videos. You’re now engaging a group of people who never voted before, 18, 19, 20 year-olds… You have to do things that capture people’s attention immediately, and he did that.”

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As for the support from the cannabis industry, Pryor is skeptical about its effectiveness. “I’m not in the mind of utilizing another Black person, because I know what it is to be used by the industry.

If I don’t also have a way for them to win outside of being someone I feature on a Live or a YouTube channel, [there’s] no way to know that this is going to help them raise a million dollars… Everybody wants to utilize him to talk about these things, that’s great. But he hasn’t won a race yet. Strategy-wise, it’s not just getting cannabis people to give you money. I don’t know if the industry’s [generating what he needs] and I don’t know who is going to do that in the industry, but that needs to be something that is done only with industry dollars, from cannabis alone. Everything else that needs to be done to be able to win this race needs to be from outside industries that are not cannabis related. There needs to be a focus for that. But if he’s going to lean on the cannabis industry needs to be helping and raise a million dollars a month to be able to beat [Kennedy].”

King admits that he wanted to do extensive research into Chambers before endorsing him in any way. “I wanted to make sure he was fully involved as a politician and not just trying to position [himself] as VP of a cannabis company, you know? [But] when I met him, I thought he was very genuine. I thought he was very much understanding of the power that comes with the position he’s running for and that he fully understood [the concept that] you’re now responsible for groups of people… We need new blood in the Senate [and] House of Representatives. I was proud his campaign wasn’t based solely around cannabis. Tell me what you’re going to do for small business, for agriculture…

He could speak to that.”

“It’s going to be a tricky midterms in general,” Pryor concludes.

“Right now I’m concerned for Democrats across the board.

Cannabis hasn’t gotten us far with these bills, at least with certain people. The Safe Banking bill is the most anti-equity bill out there… I don’t support any bill that shuts out Black people.

Overall when it comes to midterms, if Black voters are feeling less respected and the current government isn’t able to fix that right now, that’s the biggest issue I see… We’re going to have to be sorting through an inconvenient truth behind the government and its ‘responsibilities’ to marginalized communities, including women… There’s a lot going on outside of thinking about cannabis.”

For his part, King encourages voters to do their own research into candidates, but also emphasizes future-oriented thinking: “When you think about voting, understand that you’re voting for someone who is younger than eight years old… This [candidate] is going to affect that person. The vote I’m putting out here is not necessarily for me. It is, but as long as this person is in office, it’s going to affect somebody right behind me.”

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INSIDE BACK COVER

@honeysucklemagazine

WAY4 Photo: © Danny Wonders

LIL

By Ronit Pinto

L

il Wayne is a man of few words – when he’s not rapping. But the world’s best rapper (born Dwayne Michael Carter Jr.) was able to spare a few for us.

Admittedly, we caught him at a busy time. Not only is he planning for the next phase of touring with Young Money, the cohort of talented artists he’s mentoring, after a successful run with the inaugural UPROAR Hip-Hop Festival, but he’s also deep in the creative process on his own work. In January Lil Wayne penned and was featured on The Weeknd’s single “I Heard You’re Married.” Most recently, he collaborated with Machine Gun Kelly on the song “Ay!” The two also duet on one of the tracks from MGK’s new album Mainstream Sellout. Apparently 2022 is all about the collabs, because Lil Wayne will reunite with 2 Chainz later this year for the sequel to their 2016 hit ColleGrove. According to sources, ColleGrove 2 will be “lyrical excellence from two of the South’s finest wordsmiths.”

And then there’s continued innovation with his cannabis brand, GKUA Ultra Premium, which is planning a multitude of diverse activations and rollouts this season. In the midst of the action, Lil Wayne spent a moment with us this 420.

YNE 420 He shared his thoughts on art, creativity and music –all of Honeysuckle’s favorite things.

You’ve said that cannabis and music have always gone together, and rap makes cannabis “more acceptable.” How does cannabis influence your ability to create, and why do you think the two will continue to fuel each other? How does UPROAR reflect this?

This is creativity. If you are a creative person, it’s up to you to put the creation together and weed has always been part of my process.

As Honeysuckle’s 420 cover artist, what do you have to say to all of our peeps on 420? A lot of us are based in NYC and can’t wait for all the adult-use provisions to take effect.

Four twenty - enjoy it.

What is your perfect way to spend 420? Which GKUA strains do you recommend for the sacred weed holiday?

I love all the GKUA strains and of course I have to love Mr. Carter OG a little extra - I share what I love and I love what I share.

Mar cus M cDon o© Phot

With any business, to be a success, you have to embrace - you gotta learn it and love it.

ald

What has been most rewarding for you about seeing GKUA evolve and bring different elements to the legal cannabis industry?

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Imani Dawson, Founder/President of TCC Media, Board Member of Community Education Advocacy Symposium & Expo (CEASE) @ imanidawson; Tremaine Wright (seated), Cannabis Control Board Chair, NY Office of Cannabis Management @tremaine4ny; Chef Ali, -Founder of HiFive Edible Wonders @thechefali; Ronit Pinto, Founder/Publisher of Honeysuckle Media @honeysucklemagazine

Empress State 17

East Coast Women in Ouid

Special th

anks to N

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Their persuasion can build a nation - or at least, an industrial revolution. The women of New York’s cannabis community have indelibly shaped the direction of the movement from the beginning. After all, the Big Apple was the country’s cannabis consumption capital even before legalization. We paid tribute to some of the East Coast’s ganja goddesses in an epic photo shoot, saluting their diversity of background, brilliance and bravery. Meet the women who laid the framework for legal cannabis businesses; those who figured out how to heal themselves and others with

the plant; warriors who fight for an equitable future and BIPOC justice; the innovators, communicators and entrepreneurs making it their mission to uplift fellow Amazons. Plus the truth is that we’ve barely begun to scratch the surface. In a world where the numbers of women executives are still shockingly small, let these pictures stand as a reminder that the present and future are female. Here’s to the ladies who lead. These are by no means all of the women on the East Coast. Keep up with us for more features on your favorite women. @honeysucklemagazine

18 RONIT PINTO, Founder/Publisher of Honeysuckle Media @honey_ronit

ELANA FRANKEL, Founding Editor in Chief/book author of Women and Weed and founder of Indigo + Haze @indigoandhaze

E L I Z A B E T H SANTANA, CEO/ Co-Founder of Greenhaus (opening Aug 2022!) and CEO of The Stone Age Experience NYC @lizziej8xo

KASSIA GRAHAM, Director of Community & Strategy, Cannaclusive @msgoodegg

BOBBI KOZ PALEY, Founder/CEO of Balco Partners @balco_ partners @PaleyBobbi

JEANNE M. SULLIVAN (seated), Chief Investment Officer of Arcview Ventures @Gianna212

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19 CHEF ALI, Founder of HiFive Edible Wonders @thechefali D E B R A BORCHARDT, Cofounder/Executive Editor of Green Market Report @borchardt100 CHARLOTTE HANNA, Founder/CEO of Rebelle @rebellecharlotte T R E M A I N E WRIGHT (seated), Cannabis Control Board Chair, NY Office of Cannabis Management @tremaine4ny

PENELOPE NAMSTEPHEN, Chief Commercial Officer of Rebelle @rebellepenelope GERALDINE HESSLER, CMO/ Creative Director of Rebelle @geraldinehessler

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NOT PICTURED, AMY DENESON, Co-founder of Pheno @amydeneson CHICA CRUZ, Founder, Kreadky Products, Inc. @kreakyproducts PILAR DEJESUS, Founder of All That Jive NYC @pilars_orenda KAIT CARIDI, Cannabis Influencer, Leader & Producer @kayejayecee MIRIAM ARISTY-FARER, founder of Herbas Bodycare @miriam_aristy_farer

20 GIA MORON, Founder/CEO of GVM Communications, President of Women Grow @gia_vm SOLONJE BURNETT (kneeling), Co-founder/CEO of Humble Bloom @solonjeburnett CHENAE BULLOCK, Managing Director of Little Beach Harvest, Founder of Moskehtu Consulting @netooeusqua LAURA EISMAN, Co-founder/ Co-CEO of Her Highness @herhighnessnyc HOLLY HAGER, Principal/COO of House of Puff @hollyjhager KRISTINA LOPEZ ADDUCI (seated), Founder/CEO of House of Puff @ kristinaadduci honeysucklemag.com

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NOT PICTURED, DR. MARY CLIFTON, Cannabis Expert, Internal Medicine Dr. @marycliftonmd CHRISTINA DE GIOVANNI, CEO and founder of Emerald Media @christinadegiovanni SHELLISE ROGERS, Founder/CEO Sistah Rogers LLC, Exec. Dir NYC NORML @sistahrogers COLLEEN MAIRÉAD HUGHES, Founder Creative Consulting Consortium & HEART Program, Deputy Dir, NYC NORML @colleenmairead

DANNIEL SWATOSH (seated), Co-founder/CMO of Humble Bloom @ dannielswatosh KYMBERLY “KYMB” BYRNES, Co-founder of TribeTokes + Conscious Cannabis Project @highitskymb KRISTIN JORDAN, Founder/CEO of Park Jordan, Executive Director of Asian Cannabis Roundtable @kristin2473, @ parkjordanrealestate MARY PRYOR (seated), Cofounder of Cannaclusive, CMO of TONIC CBD/Tricolla Farms @iammarypryor DR. JUNE CHIN, Founder of MedLeaf RX @drjunechin TANYA OSBORNE, Founder of The CannaDiva, Director of Community, Women Grow @grooovie725

LULU TSUI, Co-founder/CXO of Ontherevel; President, Cannabis Media Council @hyperlicious @honeysucklemagazine

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COMPOUND GENETICS &

Node Labs Sneak Peek: The Art of Cannabis Science Is cannabis a science or an art? If you ask the teams at Compound Genetics and Node Labs, it’s both. Node CEO Lauren Avenius readily compares cannabis to music, explaining that distinct terpene and flavor profiles make individual strains function like new tracks, each eliciting a different high from consumers.

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“If breeders are the artists, Node is the recording studio,” she says, “so we bring them onto the platform and help push them [to the public].”

Node is the licensor and plant-touching home of Compound, one of the most illustrious breeders in history – and particularly known for collaborations with icons Berner and Wiz Khalifa.

Compound was incorporated in 2017 by Chris Lynch, a breeding prodigy who has grown cannabis for nearly 20 years. Originally based in Oregon, Lynch brought his genetics library to Node, co-founded in the Bay Area by his longtime colleague Felipe Recalde, so that Compound’s genetic banking would have a full laboratory base to develop new strains. Compound’s reputation for innovating potent, flavor-rich strains has quickly become legendary: Its star products include Apples and Bananas, created exclusively for Berner’s globally-renowned brand Cookies; Jet Fuel Gelato, one of the most popular Gelato crosses on the market; and Pavé, a recent hit made for rapper Quavo from Migos.

Avenius and Recalde gave Honeysuckle a peek behind the scenes at the wild world of genetics, collaborating with Wiz Khalifa’s brand Khalifa Kush, and more. Let’s just say that in the future, everyone will choose favorite strains as easily as favorite songs – and the day is closer than you think.

HONEYSUCKLE MAGAZINE: How do Node and Compound work together?

FELIPE RECALDE: Chris had a library of genetics and didn’t have any licenses or infrastructure. It was literally in garages. So we went from the garage into a PC lab where we started banking the DNA and freezing the genetics so they don’t get sick… We’ve been building a team around Chris and Node supports the agronomic studies and genetic banking that we use.

LAUREN AVENIUS: Chris wanted to be able to operate in the licensed space and get access to the full market. Node, being a tissue culture and cannabis biotech company, has a unique proprietary technology that allows us to store cannabis and other plant genetics in a young cellular form indefinitely.

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LAUREN: It’s so funny because we’ll have some that our scientist is like, “This is a fire strain” and Chris will be like, “Nah.” And I will tell you every time, regardless [of how it tests for THC potency]and the wizard was like, “No,” we shopped it around and no one liked it. He was absolutely right. I call it the Oomph. There’s a quality to a plant that he intuitively understands. He’ll look at all of these plants on the vine, all the flower out of jars, and he’ll be able to within seconds identify which ones have that special quality even without knowing the test results.

FELIPE: We’ll put the same jars in front of all the clients and they zoom into the same ones every time. There’s a difference between what science says and what consumers really want.

HONEYSUCKLE: You’ve collaborated with Wiz Khalifa and Khalifa Kush (KK), helping with their California rollout, and will be working on launches in other states. What’s it like working with them?

FELIPE: It’s really cool. Wiz knows weed. Wiz smokes more weed than most rappers I’ve ever seen in my life. He’s very particular about what he likes.

35 G

FELIPE: Then [Lynch] does a qualitative approach.

LAUREN: There is no one in the industry who’s hustling harder and is more involved in setting the tone, the flavor and the overall trends than Berner. We love our partnership with him, he’s family. It’s been incredible to see how the industry’s rallied around him right now.

But also how already we’re seeing the ripple effects of what Berner is doing with Cookies globally.

d oun

LAUREN: Where science and art come together is in this pheno hunt. Chris Leavitt, our [Chief Scientific Officer], will have the agronomic studies. He’ll [see that] this is how the plant grew. This is how much it yielded. This is how it tested. This is how we think that it would be in terms of a commercially viable plant… Then [Chris Lynch[, who I call our Chief Executive Wizard, will look at the structure, see the flavor; he’ll be able to identify based on how it smokes and tastes and looks, if it is right for the market and for what type of consumer. He’ll also take that flower and go back to our library of 300 plants and say which ones we should cross it with to create something new. We have a 173 point grading criteria that goes through all of the elements of how that plant works. It’s very data driven, quantitative and a scientific approach.

FELIPE: Yes. [One day] Berner picked up Chris and took Chris to Wiz’s house. It’s a great relationship.

Berner has done so much to promote Compound. I can’t be thankful enough for all the support we’ve received from Berner and Cookies.

mp Co

HONEYSUCKLE: What happens during a pheno hunt?

HONEYSUCKLE: Compound also has a history with Cookies. Berner was the first to bring Compound to Wiz, right?

unde cs fo i t e en

LAUREN: We just did a pheno hunt with 37 strains coming out of one harvest… You can’t launch 37 strains all at once. Some of those, we might wait a couple years. Some of them have a unique flavor profile, so we want to do more breeding projects with them. We’re able to preserve those [plants] for years until Chris is ready to do something with that particular pheno.

LAUREN: It’s really fun working with the KK team, because they’re so involved and directive. Wiz treats this the same way as his music. He is so involved in the pheno-hunting process, the breeding process, the collaborations.

He wants to see the flower at every stage. He wants to understand the plant, where it comes from, what goes into it. He’s very intelligent on what is going to work for the Khalifa Kush line. For how he wants to grow it, what he wants to introduce in terms of flavors.

What he wants to continue to build out in the same way that an artist builds out their album. Thinking about each song and note, and putting it together.

ng Sam C. Lo

FELIPE: When we create seeds, what we’re selling in December, we started last September. It’s a long process to create, validate, test the seeds. We pop all [feminized] seeds, but they’re genetically different… Some have different bud structure or smell or color or whatever property happened to vary. If we were to say, “I want to keep this exact one forever,” you [used to] keep it in a room with a light on and constantly cut it. Eventually all those cuts introduce places for the plant to get different viruses. The difference between us and our competitors is we take the little cells and put them in gels in a clean room. Node can then bank it and keep it pathogen free. If I come back three years later for that exact plant I wanted, I have it without what’s called slow clonal variation. That’s where over time [a plant] diverts from its initial morphology and expression. That’s why we work well together.

FELIPE: But what’s interesting is his palate is also defined to a feeling. When you recognize the terpene profiles that he’s into, they’re energetic, creative highs. I see why an artist who wants to produce new songs is going to want to do that. The guy wants to smoke all day long and be as creative as he can.

h© ris L ync r Ch

For a breeder like Chris, who would normally be keeping decades worth of seeds that he has collected from the years that he lived in Amsterdam or traveling the world, in a garage - this gave him a way to be able to bring to life all of those strains and have a full research facility to build it out. It gave [Node] a library to start sifting through, to better understand the plant, to do deeper research and to expand the Node platform, to highlight and bring a breeder to market.

LAUREN: He has a very defined palate.

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FELIPE: When we have brand-new phenos, we call him immediately.

LAUREN: He gets all the first jars.

HONEYSUCKLE: Do you see the future for Compound and Node as developing strains for individual consumers?

LAUREN: We’re looking at doing exactly that… We helped Compound launch its first NFT in December. With that, they built an entire online community leveraging Discord, the NFT, and then Dime, a new NFT marketplace that just launched. What we want to do is to allow people to create their consumer, cultivator, breeder [and] retailer profiles, everyone to be able to say what they’re buying and consuming, whether it’s through an NFT or a verified purchase. Then they can start to list out their preferences and have a way for that data on the blockchain to be aggregated and completely transparent and available to the market… So when we talk about that Node-Compound relationship? We’re not only innovating on the plants, we want to be innovating on the platform and the products and that whole consumer experience. Felipe was hacking and building websites as a young teenager, so his entire life has been tech and weed. Chris Lynch actually got connected to the people he met in Amsterdam who introduced him to the art of breeding and pheno-hunting because he was in an IRC, talking about being able to create “best of” music tracks by downloading music from the internet, creating and sending them out as box sets. He thinks about flower as these “best of” box sets and he is scraping them from everywhere. This combination of tech and innovation and that hacker mindset is deep in the Compound DNA. HONEYSUCKLE: No wonder Node and Compound work with all the rappers!

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LAUREN: Cannabis is like music, and this goes into terpenes.

The reason why people like the new, new with cannabis, they always want to smoke something different, is biochemical. As you’re smoking that same flower, that specific terpenoid profile cannabinoid profile, your body builds a resistance to it. So you don’t get that same high every time. You naturally want to try something different. It’s just like with music where you might love a song on Tuesday, but will change the station when it comes on Friday. We approach cannabis like those music tracks. There’s genres, there’s classics that you bring back or sample from and put them together to create something new. In that way, we talk about Node as the recording label.

FELIPE: Yeah. Hopefully [Compound] can be like Dr. Dre producing and bringing other artists onto the Node platform.

HONEYSUCKLE: What’s next for your teams?

LAUREN: The team [was just] at [the Spannabis conference], launching Compound Europe. We have a partnership with Paradise Seeds there. We [did] a launch party at the Cookies Barcelona Social Club. [We’re] really excited to let Compound come back to its roots in Amsterdam and in the [European Union]. We’re also looking forward to the rest of the markets and doing more breeding projects. Your readers and audiences in New York, Florida, Michigan, and Arizona should expect to see us there this year.

-For more information on Compound Genetics and Node Labs, visit compound-genetics.com (@compound_genetics) and nodelabsca. com (@nodelabs).

37 Audrey Love @theaudreylove: © Zoran Prodanovic

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L o ve .

Dance .

Weed .

MIA "The MVP," was the producer of HONEYSUCKLE's previous Wiz Khalifa issue launch.

"I only hired dancers who smoke weed," she told Honeysuckle. " It influences your act." Honeysuckle's 13th issue launch celebrated Black History Month, Cannabis, and burlesque. Here are some of the 420 dancers who graced the stages and NYC's House of X.

Susie Dahl, @brwnpaperdolli

Mia Preisser, @miavpart

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Gigi Holliday, @gigiholliday

Foxworth Vorn, @foxworthvorn

Kerime Konur, @kerime_konur

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HOW CANNABIS CONSUMER DATA IS TRANSFORMING THE WORLD state. We’ve gone to market not only with that, which is our secret sauce, but we’re also tying in enrichment partnerships

40 Are cannabis consumers the most progressive consumers in today’s markets?

The team at Fyllo certainly thinks so, and they have the data to prove it. Fyllo is an innovative cannabis compliance and marketing company leading the charge on the industry’s moves in data, and the staff are taking the opportunity afforded by their position and expertise to bridge a cultural moment that will have profound effects on the future of business.

As Fyllo’s Chief Commercial Officer Jeff Ragovin explains, the company offers a suite of software and services for businesses both within the cannabis sector and mainstream brands (such as food service, consumer packaged goods, entertainment and more). Cannabis brands can use Fyllo’s Data Marketplace and Regulatory Database – formerly CannaRegs, which Fyllo acquired in 2020 – to target customers while adhering to specific regulations for each state and municipality. Simultaneously, Fyllo grants mainstream brands access to cannabis and CBD purchase data that’s infused with information about many other purchasing categories and interests. For the first time in history, the power of cannabis as a marketing tool is being recognized by major industry players and could be the starting point to unify diverse groups in much larger ways.

“We’ve created this entire taxonomy all the way down to the product level,” says Ragovin. “Down to the transaction and honeysucklemag.com

What makes cannabis consumers so attractive to mainstream brands? According to Fyllo’s data, accumulated in part from MRI-Simmons surveys, cannabis and CBD consumers comprise a market of approximately 65 million movers who share an enthusiasm for trying new things and communicating with others about their experiences. They are 25 percent more likely to seek out variety in their daily lives, 33 percent more likely to be new tech adopters, 25 percent more likely to be among the first trying just-released products, and 24 percent more likely to be influencers for fashion, health and food. That translates into an audience with exponential possibilities for businesses to reach, learn from, and sell to.

Ragovin and Fyllo’s Chief Marketing Officer Conrad Lisco point out that the COVID-19 pandemic significantly impacted the business world’s perception of cannabis on this front. When cannabis businesses were deemed essential services during lockdown, they saw growth that traditional sectors like alcohol didn’t.

“In [2020], sales for beverages tanked because no one was going to bars and no one was buying enough products because no one was socializing,” Ragovin notes. “In some focus groups, 10 percent of the audience said they’re not drinking at all anymore because they’ve switched to [cannabis products].

[Alcohol companies] have to play defense because now they’re losing people to cannabis.” But, he adds, if a beverage company utilizes that knowledge by targeting a specific audience through Fyllo’s services, they can find many avenues to convert cannabis consumers to their own products by emphasizing other common interests.

“That’s the next step, that it will start to drive creative development,” Lisco predicts. “There’s a maturity curve in the industry. That’s what [the Weedmaps ad] ‘Brock Ollie’ is all about. It’s Cannes Lions award-winning quality that rivals anything you could get from today’s hottest ad agencies.”

“Brock Ollie” features an anthropomorphic broccoli stalk who bemoans his status as a stand-in for the word cannabis. Weedmaps submitted the educational ad to run during Super Bowl LVI, but NBC rejected it. Eventually, the spot went viral online.

“At Fyllo, we sit in an interesting middle ground,” Lisco observes. “We’re going to help cannabis brands reach into the mainstream to further their ambition to normalize and destigmatize the category. And we’re going to help mainstream brands reach into cannabis, to help them discover and ally with this new, really progressive consumer group… While Fyllo audiences cover a wide range of demographics and lifestyles, they all share the progressive mindset and propensity to buy that make them a powerful growth audience for brand and response-driven marketers. And today, more than a thousand advertisers activate our data monthly to supercharge targeting for programmatic advertising. This helps them to ‘see around the corner’ and build new first-party data pools.”

What Lisco’s driving at is a vital issue: We must stop seeing cannabis consumers as Other.

More likely to be spin-cyclists

“Today people of all lifestyles and life stages consume cannabis and CBD, making up one of the largest and fastest-growing consumer groups in the world,” Lisco states. “And yet, many people still view cannabis, and cannabis consumers, in the margins of culture.”

Often this is due to mainstream media portrayals, which perpetuate stereotypes like “the lazy stoner,” or that continue to ridicule cannabis through pot puns or other stigmatized language. We’re experiencing a cultural paradox where over 70 percent of Americans today are in favor of legalizing cannabis, yet the purveyors of popular culture who believe they are the arbiters of prescient consumer behavior are unwilling to acknowledge how much this is affecting our evolution. True, some signs of change are becoming more evident. South by Southwest, which has had its own Cannabis track for several years, hosted its largest number of cannabis programs in 2022 than ever before. A Super Bowl ad for Skechers featured cannabis icon Willie Nelson and the tagline “Legalized Comfort.” But until we see cannabis brands alongside designer fashions in Vogue, or accepted as TV commercials, or even reported on by major news outlets with dignity instead of skepticism, we remain stranded in a no man’s land of knowing, but never finding.

“Our mission is to accelerate the economies of tomorrow,” Lisco asserts. “When cannabis realizes its true potential in the next five years, it’ll be massive. We’re here to help the pioneering brands on the front lines of the industry realize their vision. And to introduce today’s most progress consumer group to non-cannabis brands. And when cannabis wins, so do more players, more advocates, more leaders, everybody. The fact is, the world wins when we stop Othering each other.”

For more information about Fyllo, visit hellofyllo.com or follow @hellofyllo on Instagram.

More likely to have purchased excercise equipment in last

More likely to be crossfit lovers

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The same holds true outside of alcohol. Fyllo’s collaboration with Uber Eats, as reported in Bloomberg last April, worked successfully because Uber acknowledged cannabis consumers’ penchant for tech, new experiences, and greater access to disposable income. (Of course, the sway of the munchies doesn’t hurt either.) Companies in various sectors are reevaluating how they can reach people, from streaming services that may want to catch viewers during a smoke break to pharmaceutical brands that could be trying to reinvent themselves for a more health-conscious and environmentally friendly society.

Matthew Nordgren @ Fyllo’s Panel, SXSW, Austin

WORTHY INVESTMENTS: WHAT DRIVES ARCADIAN CAPITAL Interview By Ronit Pinto

Arcadian Capital Management leads the pack in cannabis investment. The venture capital firm’s diverse portfolio features 30-plus brands known for pioneering the industry across healthcare, media, life sciences and AgTech, supply chain infrastructure, and data and technology services. Arcadian adheres to a set of values that drive it to support businesses which aim for a higher purpose. With mission-focused investing, also called Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) investing, Arcadian is empowering the human element of the cannabis industry.

Honeysuckle caught up with Arcadian founder and CEO Matthew Nordgren, who shared his insights on Arcadian’s role in shaping the cannabis industry.

HONEYSUCKLE MAGAZINE: What do you see as the role of Arcadian Capital in the burgeoning cannabis industry?

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MATTHEW NORDGREN: As an investment manager, our role continues to be to see the industry from a macro perspective while working within each niche category to connect the dots.

We make sound investments meeting the mandates of our various funds to achieve the goals of our investor base, and we aim to do this with integrity and class along the journey.

We view ourselves as a leader, because we understand what it means to serve. Servant leadership is the key to long term success. We believe in community and that the industry and its leaders are stronger together than divided.

Arcadian operates with three core values in mind: Profitability and purpose; revitalizing communities impacted by the War on Drugs; and environmental sustainability/regeneration.

What do you look for when deciding to invest in a brand?

We have developed proprietary technologies and practices for which we hold companies accountable for these exact measures. We lean on a variety of organizations who specialize in ESG to help track and quantify our investments so that we are able to measure the checklist that we use when making investment decisions. Although ESG has been somewhat of an art form versus science, we are seeing that large financial firms have been able to develop best practices that are measurable and we hold ourselves to this same standard. We aim to see ESG initiatives fleshed out across the board within our own firm and the companies we invest in so that we truly create a better world for tomorrow. We strongly believe in this industry’s ability to empower women and minority-run businesses, create environmentally sound practices, and drive social impact.

Arcadian’s portfolio includes some of the most innovative companies in legal cannabis: Akerna, High Times, Fyllo, Greenlane, Flowhub and more. What do you see as being the next evolution for these brands?

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We have been blessed to work with so many great businesses, brands who have paved the way for the growth we are all experiencing. The next evolution for the sector is to see the B2B businesses scale and consolidate while the B2C sector is just starting to find its own lane. Because the rules and regulations are becoming more clear each quarter that goes by, we expect consumers to continue to align with consumer-facing brands that deliver quality [and consistent] products. We believe that it takes a level playing field where the final rules are in place with how consumer-facing brands can market and sell products. This will result in CPG [consumer packaged goods] companies that are more in line with what the consumer audience understands within other categories.

What do you see as helping erase the stigma most?

Education is the key component. Unlike other emerging industries which have the task of bringing something brand new to the world, the cannabis and hemp plants have been around since the beginning of time. Most every adult on the planet has an understanding of the plant in its flower form. This works for some people, but for many it does not. We have to take the great benefits that the plant offers and create products that fit every consumer’s needs. Beverages, medical applications, pet care products, topical creams, and food products. And with hemp, categories such as textiles, fabrics, concretes and other items that are sustainable and environmentally friendly.

What is your biggest hope for the industry?

To see it flourish in a way that takes all humans’ needs into consideration. The beautiful thing about building a new industry at this moment in history is that we have a chance to do it right from the beginning. We are confident that the leaders within the cannabis and hemp industry care more about doing it the right way rather than just getting rules and regulations passed quickly. We hope that the natural plant wellness space can create an example for other sectors to model themselves after and that’s why we wake up every day inspired to do the work we do.

Eventually [I wanted] to find a nice cut of OG [and] put it in stores… But I still give out free weed when I can.”

That he does. When Honeysuckle caught up with Stinje at Berner’s on Haight, the Cookies-owned flagship retail store in San Francisco’s historic counterculture neighborhood, the cannabis hero was at the top of his game. Not only did he stop several times to receive samples from local entrepreneurs who encouraged him to try and give away their wares, but he also displayed the “dab gun,” his giant configuration of a massive weed chamber that sprays a fine strong vaporous smoke into the faces of happy consumers. When Stinje’s invention emerged, people came running from up and down the street to experience a one-of-a-kind high.

We imagine Berner can’t be too mad that his wasteconscious companion stole his cannabis. Stinje’s is now a popular brand carried at Cookies retail locations, with new products constantly in development. Make merry, dear friends – faint hearts never won fair Lady Ganja!

STINJe

He can poke fun at the origin of his name.

Some people might take offense to being called stingy, but the artist laughs about it now. He says the inspiration for his name occurred when a friend noticed he paid extremely close attention to money. “When we were at his house, there were some pants on the floor, and a dollar was sticking out of the pocket,” Stinje remembers. As soon as he mentioned the dollar, the friend remarked that he was “so stingy” – and then, Stinje laughs, it all clicked.

He’s a loyal friend.

As part of the Cookies inner circle, Stinje is always by Berner’s side. With the rapper going through chemotherapy to fight his cancer (with which he was diagnosed in October 2021), Stinje states that he makes an effort to be as careful as possible to keep his friend’s environment clean and safe.

He also enthusiastically shouts out collaborators on new Stinje brand product lines, such as the Churro pre-roll he did in partnership with Berner’s brother Matt. And he gives nostalgic props to Champelli, creator of the eponymous strain that was one of the first to blow up in cannabis communities on the West Coast. Stinje knows his weed history well, asserting that Champelli set the bar for the many adventurous strain cultivators out there today.

Is he still stealing from the rich to give to the weedpoor?

Well, Stinje and Berner are given free weed all the time. Is that really stealing, or is it more re-gifting to save the world? For the cannabis connoisseur, it’s definitely the latter.

“Berner gets a lot of free weed,” he grins. “It’s my job to spread it back out!”

THE ROBIN HOOD OF WEED

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His name may be Stinje, but when it comes to cannabis, he’ll give you the nugs right out of his backpack. Rapper and producer Stinje (born Eric Farb) has had a fascinating journey to his current reputation as the “Robin Hood of Weed.” A close friend of the iconic artist Berner, Stinje came to prominence as Berner’s right-hand man and a co-founding team member of the globally-renowned cannabis company Cookies.

He’s since come into his own with a namesake strain, Stinje OG, and a Stinje’s brand featuring a line of potent pre-rolls and eighths.

But as Stinje relates, his first impulse was to gift weed to the masses. “Stinje OG came about in 2016,” he recalls.

“Berner has a plethora of weed… and one day he posted a video of a pound that went bad… and of him flushing it down the toilet. People got so mad when they saw that. I got the idea: ‘He gets so much weed and forgets about it because he always gets new weed.’ I decided to essentially steal Berner’s weed and give it to the people. So I would always have some in my backpack, I’d see somebody, and boom.

What Do We Love Most About Stinje?

He knows what he wants in a strain.

Stinje created his signature OG because he was looking for a particularly strong indica-dominant hybrid. “It’s a cross of Chemdawg and Belarus OG,” he says. “Stinje OG is a fire OG. It’s a very funky, gassy cut of OG. It will definitely put you on your ass.”

MOVEMENTS FOR MOVEMENTS: M

C r h o v i t e f i a s W o nge a g P n i s v e k a

by Natalia Kopelman

44 Quentin Robinson knew something big had happened when he saw his friend Fasil laughing with a man from Pakistan. They were Marines, serving in Afghanistan and they weren’t supposed to be battling in the rec room, but Quentin had a tendency to organize dance battles without permission. He and his buddy would put up cash prizes, sometimes as much as $2000, and whether the men came to battle or just to watch and hear some music, all of them welcomed this chance to cut loose.

Everyone on base was invited, men from all different backgrounds. And here’s the thing: Fasil was from India. He had hatred for Pakistanis.

“You mean everyone in Pakistan?” Quentin asked him. “Yes. Everyone.” Fasil would answer. “Did everyone in Pakistan hurt you, though? Every Pakistani person didn’t do anything to you.” Quentin went back and forth with him, but there was no getting around his thought process. “They’re all bad,” Fasil insisted. Until that night in the rec room…and there was Fasil, dancing to Wiz Khalifa’s Black & Yellow. With his new friend from Pakistan.

Quentin has always understood that dance has the power to break down barriers, both inward and outward. He started dancing when he was 12 and is an accomplished dancer. He’s shared the stage with amazing people and he continues to perform, but somewhere along the way, he realized that what he wanted wasn’t to see his name on a billboard. What he really wanted, was to spread the feeling dance gave him. To facilitate those breakthrough moments, where people forget their differences, their inhibitions, even their pain…and surrender to the joy of movement.

In 2018, Quentin formed Movements For Movements (M4M), a non-profit organization comprised of five dedicated individuals including Quentin. They conduct workshops, outreach programs, retreats and one-on-one sessions, all with the aim of creating positive waves of change via the language of movement.

Because movement is so fundamental to our existence, the potential for this conscious application is limitless. M4M works with people of all ages, from all walks of life. Their tailor-made workshops have been extended to women’s groups recovering from cancer, youth groups, refugees, corporate retreats and families working stuff out together. Some programs are designed for people processing trauma, some are for immigrants struggling with immersion.

Of course, Quentin didn’t just jump from organizing illicit battles to running a non-profit. He knocked on doors, participated in programs and productions while wrestling soulfully with the why and how of what he wanted to do. The real impetus honeysucklemag.com

set about finding a space they can use.

Someone might donate a location. Some volunteers might come on board to help situate the space or cook for participants.

Quentin got involved in planning and fundraising for the trip. He went to Nakivale with the goal of teaching a dance routine that would be taught at different locations around the globe. The people he met there had fled from unspeakable horrors, lost loved ones, lost their homes…and yet, the exchange they shared with him, was one of exultation. They were in a field together, dancing and laughing.

No words could do justice to describing that experience. It became the inspiration for M4M and importantly, Quentin crystalized his approach, which in essence is the approach of an activist. You organize, you mobilize and you follow your heart.

Quentin did teach that same dance routine in Burundi and in several American cities, but his vision had expanded to something more wide reaching and longer lasting than teaching routines.

He’s learned that some people run when they hear the word dance. They think they might be getting into something that requires special skill or a gift they weren’t born with and that can be intimidating…but we all move. We all speak and feel and express with our bodies. We all have pain that needs an outlet. We’ve all felt the failure of gaps in communication and we’ve all been short-changed, by cultural barriers that don’t need to be there.

Often, when we move away from words, which we’ve used to solidify our thoughts and perceptions, we come closer to ourselves and each other. We allow ourselves new ways of relating and expand our notions of what we’re capable of. Sometimes it’s as simple as releasing pain. Emotional trauma is stored in the body and begs to be released through the body.

It is always M4M’s first objective to find mobility. Often, they won’t even start with music. They’ll start with a word and have everyone attach a movement to it. Then a few more words. They create a flow that way…and Quentin smiles, “If you happen to turn some music on…and everyone’s moving how they would like to…then we’re dancing.”

When Quentin speaks about founding M4M and running a non-profit, he glosses over the tedious details involved in such an endeavor. The grant writing, team building, planning and phone calls. He just waves his hand in the air, “You know…It’s a web of connections. The constant work.” He prefers to focus on the WHY of what they’re doing. That moment when a shy kid throws down in front of everyone, the day when a woman who hasn’t left her house in three years can sob and dance and laugh with nine strangers.

Quentin feels the outcomes for their efforts are outstanding. Every exchange has been extremely positive and that’s how he measures M4M’s success. The biggest challenge is funding, of course…but when funds are lacking, M4M doesn’t sit on their hands and wait. Their credo is movement, after all. They simply ask themselves what they can do— with or without funding. They’ll get the personnel together and

“It’s never cookie cutter, because when you have ten people in a room, there are thirty different situations going on at once. So we have a sit-down with whoever we’re getting ready to do a facilitation with. We have a consultation where we’re like, ‘Hey, what’s going on? What’s the environment like?’ That’s prior to the workshop and even when we get there, we ask multiple questions.”

Though the situations vary widely, they all have one thing in common— there is always that breakthrough moment. A new level of understanding is reached. Those positive waves for change are set in motion. That is M4M’s mission and their reward.

In a workshop at CS Porter Middle School in Montana, the students each wrote a poem that told “their story” by attaching the words to movements. The teachers then learned those stories and performed them with the students. In the course of this 3 hour exercise, the teachers realized that their “problem student” was living in a car. There was good reason why he was late and always asking to go to the vending machines. He was hungry and looking for change.

From 2018-2019, M4M found a natural momentum where one project led to another. The connectivity was on fire. They partnered with other organizations like Camp Make A Dream and Soft Landing. Based in Missoula, they traveled to several states and solidified plans to go to Ecuador and Africa. Then the pandemic hit.

Quentin’s right eyebrow shoots straight to the top of his head when asked how that affected their ability to function. “In every single way. Our work is on-location type of work…everything we’d booked just cancelled out.”

They did go ahead with some virtual workshops and after a daunting stall in activity, they’re building back. They’re wearing masks, taking tests, implementing precautions and moving forward. Projects are starting to roll in again, locations are opening back up and they’re in the process of planning trips to four countries in Africa next year. Sometimes the whole world is stopped in its tracks…but that’s no reason not to keep moving.

Throughout life, we encounter barriers. Cultural, physical, financial, mental…and it’s always our job, as living beings, to move through them. Like water which flows unstoppably, so does life. We know that, but often don’t how to start. In our struggle to survive, or problem solve or ponder, we lose our flow, or feel it’s been stolen.

If M4M were to have a motto, it’s

“CAN YOU TAKE A STEP? YES, YOU CAN.” @movements4movements

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came in 2017, when he went to Uganda with ARC (American Refugee Committee). He’d attended a HATCH convention in Montana and ran into some folks from ARC in a coffeeshop after the event. They needed a ride to the airport, which he offered and on that serendipitous ride, they mentioned their plans to visit the Nakivale Settlement, home to 120,000 refugees. The eighth largest refugee settlement in the world, where the average person waits 20 years before being re-settled. They were leaving in two months and would he like to come?

True to the fluidity of their cause, M4M is a mobile and constantly evolving group. There is no building with their name on it, no set schedule of classes or formulaic methods. These workshops happen in schools and shelters, in studios and air bnbs.

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UNCOVERING THE REGENERATIVE CANNABIS ECOSYSTEM OF SONOMA HILLS FARM AND WHY IT MATTERS.

By Jake Wall

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Just north of San Francisco, traveling through the Sonoma area of Northern California is a slice of Americana that feels perfectly preserved from a bygone area. Time here seems to move just a little slower, the sun shines just a little brighter, and the sky is just a little more blue.

Tucked between the rolling hills and grazing lands, you’ll find Sonoma Hills Farm, the site of a premium craft cannabis company. Once you set foot on this land, you can’t help but notice the land itself seems almost to hum with a certain rhythm.

This unique space is rich with history; the land at Sonoma Hills Farm was previously regenerated via cattle grazing for about 30 years before beginning its transformation to a fully regenerative farming ecosystem that is now blazing the trail for how cannabis can be grown and thrive. It’s part of a greater experience of becoming one of the very first OCal “comparable-toorganic” -certified farms in California.

Curated by Aaron Keefer – former Executive Gardener for Thomas Keller Group, parent company of California’s destination farm-to-table restaurant The French Laundry – all that comprises Sonoma Hills Farm tethers back to a deep commitment in the idea that consumers deserve to know how their cannabis is grown and where it’s sourced, just like their tomatoes, lettuce, and beef. It’s this commitment which has led to the Farm achieving the very important milestone of OCal certified. A rather obtuse acronym, OCal is a new certification program through the California Department of Food and Agriculture and is the first cannabis certification program of its kind in the U.S. Mirroring the USDA’s National Organics Program, OCal ensures consumers that cannabis products bearing the OCal seal have met the consistent, uniform standards ensuring that one is consuming only the cleanest, most robust, naturally grown and cared for plants.

Awarded in late 2021, the certification was a true labor of love for Sonoma Hills Farms that could only be accomplished with an unprecedented commitment to understanding all the ways in which plants, animals, and people could work together more like instruments in a symphony than simply machinery tilling soil.

“OCal cannabis certification celebrates the integrity and transparency of cannabis growers who use long-established organic practices such as cultivating healthy soils, fostering biodiversity, and eliminating the use of cancer-causing pesticides,” said Kelly Damewood, CEO of the California Certified Organic Farmers. “Like all agricultural crops grown in California, cannabis can, and should, be grown with production practices that protect the land and our communities. We applaud Sonoma Hills Farm for leading by example.”

It’s no secret that cannabis is very sensitive to its environment, which is why the open space and natural terroir of West Sonoma County matters. The rolling hills don’t lend themselves to large industrial farms like those you’d find in California’s Central Valley. Instead you find a world peppered with dairy farms, thousands of acres of regenerative grazing, and the sustainable oyster farms of

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GREEN ACRES IS THE PLACE FOR ME

Bodega Bay. As you explore Sonoma Hills Farm, you can’t help but notice that there’s a certain balance to this place – everything in equal measure.

Here, the soil is the foundation. The earth fuels a bounty in which everything works in synchronicity. This is a place where one doesn’t just feed the plants and animals, one feeds the soil and unlocks something truly magical in the process. The Sonoma Hills Farm team digs in to their inspiring commitment that if you are taking something off the land, even when utilizing the most responsible farming and cultivation practices, you need to bring something back in.

They must replenish the ground following each harvest with a keen gratitude. And here is where the ecosystem really starts to reveal itself, taking from their own animals and compostables alongside oyster shells from local oyster beds in Bodega Bay, glacial rock dust and kelp meal that, when woven together, deliver the perfect blend of local nutrients to bring vibrant life back to the soil. Everything on the farm has a relationship to something else and in that relationship one can see the most wonderful of ecosystems reminding even the most jaded that what you put in your body matters.

Regenerative farming is better for consuming what comes from the land and Sonoma Hills Farm puts the same care that goes into organic produce into the world of cannabis. By creating a healthy microcosm under the soil - one teeming with life - all the goodness comes into play in the plants themselves, delivering unprecedented flavor-rich flower with some of the most interesting cannabinoid and terpenes levels that elevate as much as they enrich.

Things don’t just taste different here, they look different and that has a lot to do with the sun. Frankly, sun-grown cannabis looks different and there’s a clear reason. While the plants produced are rich in terpenes and flavor, there is also a more intense, wider light spectrum from the sun vs artificial lighting – meaning it makes more chlorophyll from natural sunlight – so the colors are darker and more pronounced. It’s the natural expression of the plant, and this plant wants to reach its full genetic potential. Natural sunlight paired with the larger spectrum of nutrition from the soil changes the look of the plant and leaves it with a deeper green and hues of color so specific one might need to call the team at Pantone to match them perfectly.

They say patience is a virtue and, if so, the Sonoma Hills Farm team must be the most virtuous of people. They wait until the time is just right for each flower pulled from the grow.

There are simply no shortcuts to quality and at Sonoma Hills Farm, it shows at every level. And whereas their commitment to “doing it right” may equate to more work and greater cost, it also results in products with remarkably better flavor, and flower that boasts higher terpenes perfect for an advancing consumer taste profile.

Their winning recipe for success is simple: if it is the right thing to do for the land and for the overall environment, then it is right for the plant too. That is the real story of Sonoma Hills Farm – a love letter to what cannabis can truly be when grown with and fueled by passion.

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fueled her own continued entrepreneurship in the industry including the formation of BIKO.

She’s Just a Girl and She’s on Fire From Eaze to NUG to BIKO, Timeka Drew is leading the way by doing when it comes to couture cannabis and she’s not backing down.

By Jake Wall

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Drew’s journey in the industry blends with her experience as a medical patient prior to adult-use legalization, when she dreaded having to go to the dispensary.

In her early days as a consumer, dispensary raids were common, and Drew found herself in situations where her dispensary of choice was closed, leaving her with irregular access to important plant-based medicine. Access was only part of the problem as so many retail locations – adorned with posters mixing machine guns, naked women, and cannabis leaves – left her feeling unseen, turned off, and disinterested in the retail experience.

There are old souls and then there are authentic souls. To spend five minutes in the presence of Timeka Drew, you realize she is the very definition of the latter. The founder of BIKO Flower and Chief Growth Officer of NUG is dedicated to celebrating the cultivation and use of cannabis as a time-honored tradition for all.

However, Drew approaches the plant with a special eye toward shining a bright light on women. Her path to cannabis, like so many, is anything but a straight shot.

Drew’s passion for cannabis was born out of love. It’s just in this case it was her love life first and then her love of the flower. In the beginning stages of her relationship with her now-husband, Drew visited him in Canada where he was working in a legal medical cannabis cultivation that was managed by his close friend from high school. Finding herself immediately intrigued, it was only a matter of time before Drew got in on the industry. Her love found his way stateside and, together back in California, they created a patient collective and obtained a license to deliver cannabis to medical patients within specific regions before adult-use legalization. This early adoption and first-mover dedication would enable Drew to later obtain social equity licenses set aside for prior medical operators when Los Angeles opened its licensing application process and has honeysucklemag.com

“BIKO serves cannabis connoisseurs with consistency and awardwinning production quality, while helping normalize Black women as curators of luxury cannabis experiences,” said Drew. “Through our products and our voice, BIKO exists to create a safe space for growth within the industry, and work to build with underrepresented brands and businesses through partnership and collaboration.”

Honeysuckle’s

Over the course of her 20-year deep relationship with cannabis, Drew is still fueled by these early experiences as she chases down the gaps she sees in the industry. Inspired to be the change herself, Drew charted a course to make an impact by creating the products that she found missing

Inside Look Inside The Canna-Biz!

Through BIKO, Drew is leading by example and holding it down as one of the few Black women-owned and led cannabis brands in the country. Leading with an undeniable commitment to quality, BIKO is also an iconic example of a Black luxury brand surviving and thriving within the cannabis industry, and this representation matters. Alongside BIKO, Drew has recently joined the NUG team as their Chief Growth Officer to supercharge a clear strategy that supports social equity businesses and powers up underrepresented entrepreneurs. Through her role at NUG, she is opening doors and driving reinvestment in social equity as part of national expansion.

Drew wants to combat the status quo of established companies who, all too often, are incredibly skeptical of social equity licensees. Instead of working with these applicants to create mutually beneficial partnerships, they find reasons to undervalue social equity assets. She’s driving forward taking up NUG’s historic model and making spaces for social equity licensees where they are celebrated for being complex individuals and encouraged to explore career aspirations outside of one license when exploring possibilities with partners.

This year is all about collaboration for Drew. Less of a buzzword and more an essential way of doing business, she sees collaboration as the secret sauce that continues to drive all innovative marketing and product development efforts in this industry.

As she sees it, small cannabis operators will not be able to survive without working more closely together. Like water seeking its own level, Drew envisions a world where like-minded, value-aligned operators in the space team up to offer their customers higher quality products and more options than ever. This is a big part of what she is up to with BIKO, drawing together a diverse group of brands this year and offering loyal customers the ability to learn about different types of products that have been curated and built specifically with their preferences in mind. This is brought to life with BIKO’s Red Series Select, produced in partnership with a local farm committed to sustainable practices. Her first collaboration is with a southern Humboldt farm called Midnight Gardens whose flower is all Sun + Earth Certified as well as Clean Green Certified, leading with a full season varietal called “Raspberry Parfait” which tastes as delicious as it sounds, with notes of berry and vanilla supporting calm, creative energy.

Midnight Gardens. helmed by legacy farmer Chris Larsen-Gould and herbalist Selena Rowan. is dedicated to growing top quality medicine, celebrating the growers before them with careful, time-honored traditions that respect the sacred medicine and the magical process of cultivating it and hits and additional key trend of consumers caring more about where their flower comes from and true appreciation of sustainability in this budding industry.

There’s an old adage that together, ordinary people can achieve extraordinary results. This begs the question of how that same statement levels up when truly exceptional people like Drew lead the way. What we can say for certain is that one can’t help but see the flame that’s in her eyes, inspiring her to light up both the day and the night.

“Coming together is just our foreword,” says Drew. “We are stronger together and we are writing a new story for cannabis every day and every way, one chapter at a time.”

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from the retail experience. As such, BIKO was born.

Through BIKO, Drew has engineered products that are dedicated to quality while also ensuring a perfect blend of effects for functional connoisseurs who rely on smokable products that elevate creativity, alertness and engagement.

Her passion for quality has empowered and fueled her to seek out the most exceptional boutique offerings. Looking closer at BIKO’s first product – the Juseyo Diamonds preroll – and you can’t help but appreciate that this is a product with clear intention. Unique and elevated are the immediate words that come to mind with anything that Drew weaves into the BIKO world. Her products are disrupting spaces and places historically dominated by white men, leading to well-earned accolades like being an Emerald Cup finalist.

4 CANNABIS COMPANIES WORTH WATCHING IN 2022 A.

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THE GARDEN SOCIETY

This fan-favorite women-owned California Wine Country cannabis brand featuring craft edibles and sun grown pre-rolls recently closed in on $7 million in funding to level up their game and continue to redefine cannabis for women. Focused on delivering products for the truly canna-curious who want a comfortable experience without having to think too hard about the science, The Garden Society has an uncompromising commitment to excellence and are truly dedicated to bringing joy through the power of the flower to all women.

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Glass House Brands

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With marquee products from Glass House Farms like Jelly Fish CBD Flower and F/ ELD Infused Pre-Rolls added to their mix and the recent acquisition of PLUS, Glass House Brands is one of cannabis’s fastest-growing, vertically-integrated companies in the U.S. It is clear that Glass House is on a mission to create the largest cannabis brand-building platform in California and adding edibles into the mix amplifies their mission to make cannabis safe and approachable, with high-quality products that deliver consistent consumer experiences.

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MAISON BLOOM

Founded by a team of upstarts from luxury fashion and Michelin award winning restaurant and hospitality veterans, MAISON BLOOM has burst onto the scene in 2022 with their clear vision to elevate the everyday through a bold vision for perfectly dosed, premium cannabis-infused beverages that take a true culinary approach to the cannabis plant using all aspects of the flower as a true signature ingredient that not only amplifies effect but delivers a revolution in flavor. Rumor has it they are lining up some key collaborations with some of the biggest names in cannabis that will drop seasonally similar how fashion designer’s drop seasonal collections.

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THE PEOPLE’S ECOSYSTEM

Grounded on the intrinsic value of cannabis culture, The People’s Ecosystem is on the forefront of some of the boldest and most innovative thinking across cannabis community. Actively promoting equity in the cannabis industry in a way that authentically reflects the plant’s diverse history, they are dedicated to bringing equity and opportunity to marginalized communities by helping companies through their experience and network to canna-entrepreneurs and recently added the first cannabis Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO) to the mix. The People’s DAO intends to provide financial freedom, education and opportunities to BIPOC and women-owned businesses, creatives, and initiatives by using Web3 technology.

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BIKO JUSEYO DIAMONDS

Crafted with premium whole flower, infused with THCa. This is a highpotency smokable for high-functioning connoisseurs. Our small batch process ensures an even, pleasurable smoke.

Each JUSEYO DIAMONDS package contains a single preroll with .9g of flower and .1g of THCa.

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INCREDIBLES SNOOZZZEBERRY GUMMIES The incredibles Snoozzzeberry line has both CBN and THC, perfectly blended for a well-deserved good night’s sleep. Each edible is made with pure distillate in a homogeneous mixture to help deliver a consistent experience, no matter which flavor you savor.

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FLOWER MILL’S PREMIUM EDITION Stop pulverizing your herb and level up your flower powered experiences – these patent-pending mills are second to none thanks to the rotor design which rolls the herb across the screen, progressively crumbling the herb where it naturally wants to break apart leaving you with naturally soft and fluffy herb.

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DD8 BY DOSE OF CHILL

Dose of Delta 8 experience is the perfect mild high. DD8 is great for lightening your vibe without compromising your productivity. DD8 is lightly psychoactive and made for mending and mischief.

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FARNSWORTH FINE CANNABIS CIGARETTES Focus on “Effects,” this unique take on cannabis cigarettes has taken the strain out of picking your strain by engineering perfectly balanced filtred cannabis cigarettes blended into three distinct effects across Light, Classic, and Bold. This trio puts the power of choice in your hands and gives you a perfect mix for any time of day and night.

GOOD GREEN SATIVA

Not just flower, but a movement. Good Green brings cannabis, responsible, consumers, and a change-making organization together to create real, sustainable progress against the War on Drugs and their Sativa is perfect for taking action and supercharging your every day.

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ESSENTIALS FOR EVERY CANNASSEUR

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FLOWER BY EDIE PARKER FRUIT PIPES Better than anything on a cheese plate, these pipes are made of borosilicate glass and are too much fun. Add the orange, cherry and grape pipes to your collection, then display them together for the ultimate high-concept fruit bowl.

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KOKO GEMZ HANDMADE INFUSED CHOCOLATES Offered in a wide range of flavors including Cookies N’ Cream, Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate, Milk Chocolate With Peanut Butter, Mint Dark Chocolate, and Sea Salt Milk Chocolate ensuring something for everyone. These rich and smooth cannabis infused handcrafted Belgian chocolates are made using the highest quality ingredients by 4Front Ventures’ master chocolatiers.

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KLAUS MezzroleTM Filling your nose and mouth with the bold aromatics of cannabisforward terpenes married with tangy bursts of ginger root, rice vinegar, and lime brought to life by famed mixologist Warren Bobrow.

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NASHA ALTITUDE HASH JOINT This whole-flower preroll is sativa-dominant and rolled with top of the line hash extracted using only the purest of mountain spring water.

ALTITUDE delivers superior relaxation while uplifting your mind and body. Perfect for an at-home chill session or venturing out for urban hikes, ALTITUDE is your secret weapon to destress and deliver some wellearned self-care.

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Lost Farm by KIVA’s Strawberry Lemonade Live Resin Gummies These full-spectrum gummies deliver the perfect bit of flavor enhanced by the 100% live resin from Super Lemon Haze flower. Bright and citrus forward with just the right amount of sweetness, this sative-leaning confection is a great way to infuse the day and deliver an upbeat and relaxed mindset.

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KIKIKO BOOST LITTLE HELPERS Boost Little Helpers are the best way to take on the day. A beautiful blend of coconut, yuzu, and just a hint of pepper with each mint infused with 2.5mg of THC and 2.5mg of THCV. Uplifting and energizing, these Little Helpers energize the everyday delivering a perky effect while keeping you present and focused.

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PAPA & BARKLEY RELIEF BALM

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NUG FROST ULTRA PREMIUM CONCENTRATE

Pure and clean THCa cannabinoid, frost is an exceptionally versatile concentrate. You can top your bowl, dip your dab or roll it in a joint with 99% THCa.

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The struggle can be all too real when pain sets in. But our friends at Papa & Barkley have delivered the secret weapon to combat any level of pain with their 1:3 ratio of CBD:THC. A beautiful mixture of cannabis, coconut oil, beeswax, and essential oils – this balm makes aches, pains, and soreness a fleeting moment and layers onto the skin without any frustrating residue making it perfectly discreet.

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PURE BEAUTY NEON MENTHOL CANNABIS CIGARETTES

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POTLI CANNABIS-INFUSED SPICY SHRIMP CHIPS

If comfort could come in a box, there’s nothing better than this fresh mint infused cannabis experience. Simple, clean, discreet and perfect for any occasion –cannabis cigarettes are 100% whole flower ensuring quality married with their proprietary hollow wood-pulp crutch dipped organically derived menthol that does not get inhaled but gives you that welcomed burst of flavor.

These salty-sweet umami chip with a fiery sensation that you’ll want your friends to experience. Each chip is dusted with a light blend of spices, including Sichuan peppercorn. Eat them on their own as a perfect snack or use them as a topping on your favorite pizza for the ultimate “Stoner’s Delight” or top on a salad for a healthier choice.

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SPARK MIMOSA BY HOUSE OF SAKA Combining premium, alcohol-removed sparkling chardonnay with a mimosa strainspecific live resin emulsion and natural essence of orange blossoms and tangerine to deliver a unique take on a classic beverage enhanced through cannabis.

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SUBSTANCE PREMIUM PRE-ROLLS

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With strains like Sour Guava and Raspberry Parfait, these perfectly sized prerolls are sourced from some of the best regenerative farms in California’s Emerald Triangle. The best part beyond the buzz? Their commitment to social justice with $8.46 of each pack donated to Impact Justice.

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BATTERY

STIIIZY OFFICIAL

This award winning device is still the gold standard. The device itself consists of a 210mAh rechargeable battery that is both discreet and easy to use with automatic inhale activation and is perfect with anyone of their premium pods.

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VIBES SLURRICANE

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When you are looking to supercharge your creativity blended with the perfect euphoria, Slurricane is the perfect choice. This punchy flower is a cross between Dosidos and Purple Punch to deliver indica-dominant flowers with a wonderfully sugary coating drawn from the OG and Grand Daddy Purple genetics in their lineage.

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Gigi Holliday @gigiholliday © Sam C. Long

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ELE VATE YOUR VIB E THC MIC RODOSE MIST

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LE T S REB ELLE .CO M Please consume responsibly. This product may cause impairment and may be habit forming. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this drug. This product has not been analyzed or approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). There is limited information on the side effects of using this product, and there may be associated health risks. Marijuana use during pregnancy and breast-feeding may pose potential harms. It is against the law to drive or operate machinery when under the influence of this product. KEEP THIS PRODUCT AWAY FROM CHILDREN. There may be health risks associated with consumption of this product Marijuana can impair concentration, coordination, and judgment. The impairment effects of Edible Marijuana Products may be delayed by two hours or more. In case of accidental ingestion, contact poison control hotline 1-800-222-1222 or 9-1-1. This product may be illegal outside of MA.

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