Mellow Rackz Honeysuckle Magazine

MELLOW RACKZ

CHAMPELLI • SHIEST BUBZ • DELISIOSO • ALLIGATOR JESUS • FAB 5 FREDDY NANCY HALL MATTERKIND, FYLLO, HONEYSUCKLE ON THE LOOSE, FUCK BOI, NEW YORK VINTAGE, ART, CULTURE, FASHION, BLING, CALI --> NEW YORK CANNABIS

The design and development partner behind many of your favorite consumer products is also the team behind cannabis innovation. MNML and its cannabis incubator, Loop Labs, are pioneering new brands, products, technologies and experiences, helping our partners elevate their game.

BOLDLY FORWARD

BY RONIT PINTO

Here we go again! Issue #15: CULTURE. Had anyone asked me six or seven years ago if I thought that we would be where we are today, the answer would be YES! Although the journey and outcomes have been different than expected. For me, the value of a burgeoning media house with forward-thinking views, traversing multiple platforms including digital, print, out of home, photography, creative services and film, might be more important than ever.

What was not able to predict was the escalating cannabis industry here in NYC, and the role that Honeysuckle would play in its development.

When we printed our first 40-page zine in 2015, we did not know that the Marijuana Regulation and Tax Act (MRTA) would be signed into effect six years later, or that the figures we were covering such as Dasheeda Dawson, now the Founding Director for Cannabis NYC (AKA the city’s first official “Cannabis Czar”), and long-time cannabis female entrepreneurs such as Shella Eckhouse, would be in such pivotal and critical positions in New York’s legal market.

Just this week, we saw Cookies - the billion-dollar globally-renowned cannabis brand founded by rapper Berner - launch its first NYC retail location in Herald Square. As we go to press, we’ve been notified that several of the Conditional Adult Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) license applicants are moving to the next level, meaning that justice-impacted individuals will be among the first to open recreational cannabis stores in the state in 2023.

By the time this issue is printed, many of the legacy brands mentioned here, including The Smoker’s Club, Astor Club, Certz, Buddy’s Bodega and Stoned Pizza may find themselves in completely different landscapes and positions. We trust ourselves and our communities to hold New York’s government accountable for the purveyors of this culture and attend to their needs.

A recurring theme in this issue is transformation. Our cover artist, Mellow Rackz, referred to as one of the strongest women alive, is a true superstar. The Young Money artist, whose magnificence goes beyond her viral videos and sensational concert appearances, has experienced an enormous amount of trauma and challenges, survived through them, and come to a place of impressive maturity beyond her age of 20. We are grateful to tell her story in our pages.

Transformation tells the story of legendary cultivator Champelli, whose eponymous strain is name-dropped as a favorite by every major hip hop artist. With the pioneer’s special relationship with the plant, his ups, downs and spectacular rebirth as an epic creator, we get the scoop in his own words.

We delve into Richard DeLisi’s inspiring tale. As the nation’s longest-serving nonviolent cannabis prisoner, DeLisi was incarcerated for 32 years of a 90-year sentence before being released in 2020. Today he uses his freedom and platform to advocate for others behind the wall. HIs new family-owned cannabis brand, DeLisioso, works to benefit those impacted by the criminal justice system. His adventure of hope, perseverance, and The Grateful Dead is one to take to heart. As is Fab 5 Freddy’s brand B Noble, based on the story of Bernard Noble, who received a 13-year prison sentence for two joints’ worth of cannabis.

Honeysuckle’s own evolution has seen us continue our pioneering firsts, with the first-ever international Tribal cannabis alliance over Times Square and New York State billboards; we received our first CLIO award for our creative work; and have been loving the opportunities to provide media services to the industry’s hottest artists and brands such as Fyllo, ETAIN, Arcview, 40 Tons, and more. Our Miami cover shoot with Mellow procured the cover of her latest single “RICH BITCH PARTY”. As they say, game recognizes game.

“GO BIG. Honeysuckle moves at the speed of the Cannabis Industry: Fast. For our first big rebrand, thanks MNML, we want to take your tactile experience as far away from screen time as possible. Belly up and enjoy a sensual experience as you inhale our best issue yet, in our largest format yet!” Sam Long, Creative Director

15th issue is important because it proves Honeysuckle’s staying power as a cultural vector and predictor of social evolution. We’ve been here since the beginning to chronicle and share with the world every subject it should normalize and care about - now, we know people are listening.”

Jaime Lubin Editor-at-Large

Photo Credit © Sam C. Long 2022

Can you spot the one AI image in the magazine?

“Our

Indigenous Peoples Day Campaign included Timesbillboards,Square stencils and the first-ever cannabis cab swarm around Columbus Circle.

CanExpo,

Styles P at Good Times 2.0 20th Anniversary Concert, Irving Plaza, NYC

The Legendary Rolling Certz; in conjunction w/Rolling Loud, NYC

East Hampton, NY

Dorian Harrington and Coi Leray at SIN, NYC -->

BryantTiyahnn of RollUp Life and Jeff Finkle at Arcview AccessInvestmaentCannabis Summit, NYC

From block parties to concerts, billboard campaigns and corporate events, Honeysuckle is THERE. Among the many services we provide our clients and partners, we really shine in our out-of-home and full media production that includes videography, photography and editorial amplification. We have a presence in every major market and event, including Cannes Film Festival, SXSW, Rolling Loud, MJBizCon, Benzinga, and a plethora of community events at the most exclusive and important corporate and cultural happenings.

won a CLIO! Our 420 spread featured many of the top women leaders in East Coast Cannabis. The awards ceremony was held at MJ Unpacked in Las Vegas.

Pro ducer, Vaughn Jefferson; Honeysuck le founder/ Producer, Ronit Pinto; and Cre ative Direc tor/Filmmak er Sam C. Long at the premiere of ‘The Cure Rater’ do cuseries at Catalyst Film Festival in Duluth, MN.

Dead Prez at the On The Revel’s Revelry Block Party in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn

Barbari Airplane Mode

CONSCIOUS MARKETING MATTERS:

For the average person, marketing is a fact of life – even if you don’t realize it. From the ads on our phones, social media platforms, web browsers, smart TVs and more, we’re receiving subtle and not-so-subtle sales pitches based on accumulated data. It might sound annoying at first, or even potentially scary, but if businesses step up to the idea of “conscious marketing” and target audiences with exactly the ads that they want, then the practice becomes not only profitable but also the best way for consumers to create their perfect brand experience.

Enter Matterkind (formerly Cadreon), the activation intelligence company that builds its entire mission on conscious marketing. As part of the global marketing technology giant Interpublic Group, Matterkind focuses on what it terms “addressable activation” –the ability to show that ideal ad to the right person at the right time – and engages some of the world’s most successful businesses as its clients. One of the few international brands led by a female global CEO, Erica Schmidt, Matterkind is also helming efforts to direct clients and content toward a wider inventory of BIPOC owned and operated publishers and sites, a move that’s encouraging greater diversity at all levels of the marketing industry.

Nancy Hall, CEO of Matterkind US, is an incredible example of that. Recently named one of the country’s Top 30 Changemakers in Partnership Marketing, Hall had years of experience as a digital marketing executive at various companies, but could never score a promotion to the C-suite due to the sector’s discrimination against women. (In fact, she recalled that her senior advisor in college told her “only six-foot-tall men are CEOs – that stuck with me as a motivator, being a five-foot-tall female.”) When she found Matterkind, which she sought out strategically for its diverse thought and practice, Hall knew she was home.

Since Hall’s recent promotion to CEO, she has pioneered Matterkind’s impact outreach toward generating more marketplaces for BIPOC owned brands, publishers and audiences to converge. She states that the company is always seeking dynamic

AN INTERVIEW WITH

MATTERKIND’S NANCY HALL

BY JEFF RAGOVIN

approaches to audience groups and clients alike. That’s why their team has recently partnered with cannabis data and compliance firm Fyllo to explore cannabis consumers as an evolving marketing demographic and a new data source for their clients.

“We really like Fyllo,” said Hall, “because Fyllo is bringing cannabis to the digital marketing ecosystem in a way that is digitally responsible. We have a digital responsibility team within Matterkind in order to ensure that the partners we work with are those that are bringing ethically sourced opt-in data to us, and therefore to our customers.

Fyllo passed this with flying colors because Fyllo has as its premise that cannabis data is an important data source, also [one] that is opted-in, ethically sourced, and compliant.”

Jeff Ragovin, Chief Commercial Officer at Fyllo, sat down with Nancy Hall for an exclusive interview in the Hamptons to dive into the possibilities of conscious marketing, the future of diversity and cannabis in targeted advertising, and their companies’ truly fantastic partnership.

JEFF RAGOVIN: Nancy, what was it about Matterkind that attracted you?

NANCY HALL: I love that Matterkind was and is a hybrid of an ad tech data and agency company, and that a company like that could do really great things for their clients and their brands. It’s imperative today in the digital ecosystem to have a true understanding and practice within the ad tech and MarTech space.

Matterkind’s already doing a lot for diversity, but what needs to change in business across the board for women and minorities?

I believe that a diverse executive leadership team is important for business today, that trickles down to a diverse though process. That allows for different experiences and points of view to infiltrate and become part of a company and their culture. That is how we see inclusive, strong businesses that are representative of the general population and are doing things for their clients that represent the world’s diversity.

What is Matterkind doing to further the mission of conscious marketing? Conscious marketing is intentional

purposeful marketing with the consumer at the center that is taking into consideration the way the person who receives the message will feel, showing them a relevant message at the right time, in the right place, that’s convenient for them on the right device. And considering the amount of times that they will see that particular ad from that particular company, it is creating a bridge between a brand and a consumer so that the consumer has a positive feeling and engagement with that brand.

Matterkind is at the forefront of the conscious marketing movement. We’re one of the leaders and a proponent. It is the core of everything that we do. And it’s not only about messaging to a consumer, that conscious marketing is a part of, it’s also about the ethos of an organization. It’s about working with partners who are digitally responsible and data companies, like Fyllo, who have privacy compliant and ethically sourced data. And that is an important part of Matterkind’s mission and the way we operate our business.

What’s the most effective way to activate conscious marketing?

That depends on the consumer and their journey. When we put on our consumer hats, we think about the fact that we utilize devices when the time is right. And it’s convenient to us, our phone on our commute in the morning, the iPad at night before we go to bed, a TV when we’re relaxing. It’s really not about the device. It’s about the people. So ensuring as a brand that you can showcase the right message and consistently storytell to a consumer across all of those channels is a critical part of marketing.

We’re in a time of public mistrust. There’s so much misinformation around privacy rights and people using data in the wrong way. How should society in general think about the way their data is being used?

Education of the public is critical. The data’s anonymous and it’s being used to inform messaging and to make sure that people receive relevant ads... For example, if I’m planning an all-inclusive vacation to a warm climate, it’s important for me to see messaging from cruises and hotels and resorts that I can consider as part of my

vacation planning. That only happens with targeted data, anonymous data that’s used to inform a brand about me and what I’m interested in. That is how we build up advertising in a way that people can relate to and people can learn about brands. If we do it in the right way, when we employ concepts like conscious marketing, we’re able to build relationships and trust between brands and consumers.

Right. I’m an avid fisherman and I get ads all day long for lures and rods. I also cook, so I get a ton of ads for cutlery, specialty foods, and gourmet items, which I love. If I get ads on things I don’t love, it’s going to be annoying. That’s part of the public discourse where we need to better educate people. Most people

are operating on hearsay and think, “Oh, they’re using my data against me.” How do we let most consumers out there know that this is the way that data should be used?

I think the same way that brands utilize data and these concepts for marketing to sell their products, their goods and services, we should be utilizing data in order to run ad campaigns to educate the consumers, the general public, on the states that have passed privacy laws about conscious marketing and about good use of data. And when consumers understand, I think they’ll be agreeable to the way we market. And when they understand that many companies are digitally responsible and that the data that’s being used is only opt-in, they’ll feel good about it. But if they don’t know, it’s hard to get to the point where they want to [do that].

At Matterkind, you place a high value on addressability in marketing. What is that?

Addressability is the ability to show messaging that is data-driven, people-first, not channelfirst. It is the way to utilize data, to inform messaging, to ensure that that right and relevant message is shown to a person at the right time in the right place. That is the way to market well to consumers, so that you can ensure that people are seeing that message that they want to see, and that is intentional and purposeful to that point in time for them.

What does that mean for audience interaction with your brands?

There are different audiences the brands would like to reach, [and] utilizing data as an input to ensure that we know who the people are, is important. That is the way that we message to consumers on behalf of our brands to drive that positive brand experience. There are underserved communities and audiences today that brands have not typically been reaching, and that is an area that we believe is really important. The ability to understand and utilize data and inventory [of] publishers that are BIPOC-owned and operated is a way for us to deliver reach and amplify that reach for our brands to those underserved communities and audiences.

How do you create impact for minorityowned brands and sites through addressability?

By ensuring that you’re reaching the right group of consumers through data and through BIPOC owned and operated publishers – those websites that are owned and operated by the BIPOC community. They have reached those different audience groups; it’s a way to deliver that messaging and reach to those audiences.

Matterkind is a proponent of utilizing an inventory of BIPOC owned and operated publishers and sites. We ensure that a certain percentage of [brands’] media is dedicated to those BIPOC publishers and sites. In some cases we create marketplaces for a particular community, for our brands to utilize those BIPOC sites so that they reach the audience they intend.

With those sites you’re creating general and sub-marketplaces. What’s the difference between the two, and how is the strategy different for brands in those marketplaces?

General marketplaces could be anything. It could be reaching auto intenders [people who are seeking to buy cars]. But those submarketplaces where we’re aggregating the BIPOC inventory, those BIPOC owned and operated sites ensure that we’re reaching, for example, auto intenders from those certain audience groups or underserved communities. That allows us to reach those audiences and amplify the reach so that we can scale out a program for a brand.

It’s all about utilizing consumer data in a thoughtful, targeted way, which is what we do at Fyllo. And we work with Matterkind specifically when it comes to consumer data. How does access to data help minority-owned businesses?

Access to the data allows us to execute on precise marketing. Reaching that specific group of people in the right place at their right moment that is convenient to them.

At Fyllo we’ve spent a lot of years getting people over the hump on cannabis data. It’s a very specific subset of data we’ve never had access to before, but it’s another mechanism for us to reach people. How do Matterkind’s clients feel about cannabis?

Our clients are within a number of different verticals, so there’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to the way they feel about it. Some utilize cannabis consumer data as an input because it is relevant to their consumers and therefore it is a way for us to know and to show relevant messaging to those particular people.

It used to be that we couldn’t talk about cannabis, because it was seen as a drug. Now cannabis is looked at the same way we’d look at cocktails. From Matterkind’s perspective, how are you implementing that into the business?

First, we’re talking about cannabis consumer data, or cannabis networks or publishing sites. As a company, we don’t have a stated corporate policy – at least not yet – toward cannabis usage. We do have clients that have a customer base that they want to reach [who consume cannabis. Therefore, utilizing cannabis data informs us about who these people are, what they like, what they like to do. That allows us to show them relevant messaging and ensure that we’re reaching them in a way that is important to them. That is the way to build bridges between brands and consumers, showcasing that brands know them. It’s conscious marketing.

How are you working with your clients to destigmatize cannabis?

As a business, our role is not to destigmatize any topics. Our role is to advise our clients, the advertisers, on how to precisely target and reach their consumers with the right message. When cannabis is an input, it is one that we talk to our clients about and give them an understanding of the data source,

and how it’s digitally responsible and ethical. We’re utilizing it to truly understand their consumers and to message to them in a way that is meaningful to that person receiving the ad... There are obviously many different uses and use cases for cannabis data. And when it is relevant to our clients, we will advise them to that we would like to utilize it and that we think it is the right input for them, for that particular campaign.

We’ve been touting at Fyllo that cannabis consumers are one of the most dynamic groups out there. How do you feel about that?

We see all consumer groups as dynamic. That’s our business and that’s how we have to operate for our clients. We are as a business agnostic across partners and data sources, and that is a benefit to our clients. It’s also agnosticism across different data types, but we want to hone in on the data that’s going to inform in a very specific way so that our messaging is really relevant. The dynamic nature of it comes in utilizing data sources that are new. Cannabis data sources are new. They’ve evolved and are becoming a more mature type of data source, and the usage of it is interesting and new for our clients.

To that end, Matterkind and Fyllo have a fantastic partnership. Our business and the way we operate it is about innovation. Sometimes that’s a test and learn approach, and sometimes it’s about bringing something new and exciting to our brands that can deliver different types of targeting. Utilizing Fyllo data allows us not only to understand consumers in a different way, but it allows us to utilize a different data source to target and reach new customers for our brands. That’s always the key, reaching new people you might not have reached before.

To learn more about Matterkind, visit matterkind.com. For more about Fyllo, visit hellofyllo.com.

Nancy Hall at Jeff Ragovin’s home, 2022. Photo: Sam C Long

Champions, Cannabis, and Consumer Evolution: Buzz from the Fyllo Marketing Summit

By Jaime Lubin

This September, the Fyllo Marketing Summit launched its inaugural event at the famed Gurney’s Montauk Resort and Seawater Spa, bringing together 80 executives and innovators to explore how cannabis is shaping the rise of the progressive consumer. Appearances from some of the world’s most recognizable athletes, such as Mike Tyson and Ric Flair, also helped create memories, education, and relationships that last.

“This was an intimate, immersive event where you got to spend time with everyone,” said Jeff Ragovin, Fyllo’s Chief Commercial Officer. “We really wanted people to understand, this is an amazing data set that most people have never thought of as existing… Cannabis went from emerging to essential.”

Fyllo, a cannabis compliance and marketing/tech company, has been transforming national approaches to data and brand storytelling. Diverse industries now see what the firm believes: Cannabis consumers represent the most progressive demographics. They’re quick to adopt disruptive technologies, try new foods and experiences, and enjoy focusing their interests toward wellness and fitness-based lifestyles. This positions the cannabis community to unify groups from other interest areas, creating a dynamic future for how brands and consumers communicate. As Ragovin explained at the Marketing Summit, Fyllo makes it easy for companies to join the adventure.

One of the Summit’s standout panels featured Ragovin in conversation with Christi Lazar, Marketing Director of BlueTriton Brands (a portfolio of leading North American water brands including Poland Spring, Deer Park and Pure Life). Lazar became what Ragovin calls “a trailblazer” for Fyllo’s journey into the mainstream. She pitched the BlueTriton team to test progressive audiences; with Fyllo’s help, their brands performed spectacularly among a variety of segments, including the custom “Runner’s High” data set. (Those are consumers who love cannabis, athletics, and nature.)

“Something really integral to the Poland Spring brand is connecting our customers with nature,” Lazar noted. “[Working with Fyllo], we weren’t departing from our brand ethos, book or messaging. But those audiences through Fyllo were super successful… With real-time measurements, we could optimize our media based on actual scans at the store. The proof is in the data.”

Numerous other speakers praised Fyllo’s methods. Nancy Hall and Sean Muzzy of leading activation intelligence giant Matterkind demonstrated how conscious marketing –communicating to customers with empathy and well-timed messaging – fits the firm’s special data sets. They layer in a variety of qualities and attributes, like being a foodie or concerns about sustainability, that help identify the very precise audiences that brands are addressing. Kristen Colonna, Vice President of Marketing Accelerator at Pernod Ricard, asserted that “cannabis is a

need segment” and that the best thing companies can do is “understand the need state and what’s behind it… If we chase the ‘what’ alone, that’s a very short runway. We also need to chase the ‘why.’” Celebrity marketing became the highlight of the Summit when notable athletes and entertainers took the stage. Legendary boxer Mike Tyson appeared with financial wizard Jason Wild and Fyllo co-founder Chad Bronstein to discuss his cannabis brand Tyson 2.0. Bronstein helped Tyson launch the brand at the beginning of 2022, and Wild was one of its primary investors (as well as being Fyllo’s first investor). Tyson 2.0 has exploded onto the scene as a source for premium cannabis products and high-quality collaborations. The minds behind its popularity have also partnered with wrestling icon Ric Flair, who appeared in Montauk to discuss his Ric Flair Drip product line, which officially debuted just days after the Summit.

“Cannabis is like a family,” Bronstein commented of the Tyson-Flair venture. “Mike is the most authentic cannabis consumer in the space.”

The boxer spoke about his healing evolution with cannabis, exhorting that “Now, it’s no more Iron Mike, no more Baddest Man on the Planet. It’s Ganja God.”

Later, Tyson, Flair and ice hockey champion Tie “The Enforcer” Domi discussed what constitutes greatness. All three men claimed that their proudest achievements were becoming fathers. They also concurred that finding energetic balance is key to a productive life, and are excited about the mainstream future of plant medicine.

Ric Flair’s daughter Charlotte Flair, a 13-time WWE championship winner, had a fascinating conversation with Julianna Peña, the top-ranked fighter in UFC’s women’s bantamweight division. Analyzing the role of women in professional athletics and marketing, the leading ladies relayed how they’ve fought harder for opportunities to headline an event or be the face of a media campaign than men in their industry. Peña, known as the Venezuelan Vixen, observed that “a woman will let her arm break before she gives up a fight,” while men are more likely to tap out.

“Why can’t I be the face for 10 years when the men have been the face for 25?” Flair wondered. “I always want more and to be the best, which is natural [in this space]. But if I was a male, would people be asking me, ‘Why do you want more titles?’”

While not cannabis-specific, that important panel reminded everyone in attendance what the Fyllo Marketing Summit really meant: Marketing evolution. We are all living in a new ecosystem where, regardless of product, message and consumer must meet to have any true impact. Our values define what we buy and how we live, a dictum that Fyllo is sharing at every turn.

“We’re more than just cannabis,” Ragovin enthused. “We’re providing a value where people can actually take what they learned and apply it in their businesses. And we have spectacular clients who are proving the model right.”

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

Left: Ric Flair

Top right: Jeff Ragovin, Chad Bronstein, Mike Tyson and Jason Wild

Bottom right: Charlotte Flair, Nancy Hall, Julianna Pena, Christi Lazar.

All Photos by: Joaquin Vargas / Sinematic Studios

Open Your Heart With Kanna: Stephanie Wang’s Journey to KA Empathogenics

By Kally Compton

“We’re not just a mind, we’re a mind, body, heart, and soul,” says Stephanie Wang, the founder and CEO of KA! Empathogenics. “When we start to truly understand that and come into full presence with all aspects of ourselves, we’re able to be more present with other people, whether it’s our loved ones or not.”

With every plant medicine journey comes the potential for evolutionary growth and expansion. Wang mentions that through her path to healing she developed a relationship with plants and became an ally and advocate for plant medicine. Her varied path of self-discovery led her through multiple healing modalities while she pursued successful careers in finance and film, before being opened to a new dimension of personal transformation through the power of plants, in particular, entheogenic and psychoactive plants. Initially she made the switch to the plantbased wellness space through joining the conscious lifestyle company Evolver Holdings Corp., and launched its dynamic botanical retail brand The Alchemist’s Kitchen soon after. Then, just a few years ago, Wang decided to follow her heart and share what she had learned through her own healing journey. Not only did she start her own podcast, How Things Connect, that discusses insights and wisdom on evolution, empowerment and the regenerative culture, she also came full circle back to the very first sacred plant medicine that she had connected with - kanna.

Kanna (sceletium tortuosum), a succulent with psychoactive properties, would form the basis for Wang’s newest venture, KA! Empathogenics, which launched just this summer and combines modern science with ancient healing wisdom. Found in South Africa, the kanna plant has been essential to the indigenous Khoi Khoi and San communities for millennia. In their healing traditions, these hunter-gatherers unearthed this revolutionary plant to enhance energy, focus, and mood. “There are amazing aspects to this plant,” Wang describes regarding kanna’s benefits. “Kanna has an ability to lower stress and anxiety, to increase endurance and focus, and to suppress hunger and thirst. That makes it ideal for multi-day hunts [how the indigenous traditionally used kanna]. And you feel more alive, more connected to everything in nature, to those in your party. It’s this openness and connection that adds layers [to the experience].”

As Wang learned, kanna has played a key role in the medicinal, social, and spiritual culture of South Africa’s indigenous Khoi Khoi and San people, and now it’s being introduced to people around the world. “I’ve always felt, in many ways, indebted to all the amazing wisdom traditions that include shamanism,” Wang says. “[This] exposed me to this modality of growth, healing, and learning. I first experienced kanna in a shamanic plant ceremony, which is a South American plant ceremony, particularly through this shaman who had a worldview of all plants. I was very fortunate in that way… [Kanna] has this extraordinary ability to break down all the masks and barriers that we have between us so we can connect to this very primal love that is always there, but which we don’t often feel so much because of stress and intervening factors of our daily lives.”

Wang describes her experience with kanna as one of the most powerful plant ceremonies she has taken part in. She believes this plant has the power to open the heart and mind. This distinguishes kanna from other kinds of psychedelic plant medicines, which take you out of body; kanna, by contrast brings you into your heart, making the participant intensely aware of how they feel within, and how they are a fractal part of the universe.

“People feel the oneness with everything around them,” she says, “to feel a deeper connection with themselves.” With Wang discovering kanna’s benefits, she began integrating it into her life and creating products she felt that the world needed to experience the open-heartedness she has. “I really dug deep, especially on the scientific side of how it works with the human body, and brought that into a product that can be accessible to more people.”

Here is the science behind how kanna works: It acts as a natural serotonin reuptake inhibitor and is also a natural serotonin releasing agent through the activation of a protein called VMAT2 (Vesicular Monoamine Transporter 2) that transports neurotransmitters out of cells. Kanna also activates receptors for GABA, opioids, cholecystokinin and melatonin, thus helping to calm brain activity, decrease anxiety, create a sense of wellbeing, reduce hunger, prevent inflammation in the gut and improve sleep quality. In addition, kanna also boosts energy use in the body by blocking an enzyme called PDE4 (phosphodiesterase 4). This is the reason why kanna has both the effect of calming while also providing grounded energy at the same time.

Enter KA! Empathogenics’s signature product, KA! Kanna Chews. The small chewy squares contain 30 milligrams of high-potency, standardized kanna extract, along with a proprietary blend of pure botanicals for maximum neuroprotective benefits. Ingredients include lavender, mint, snow lotus, the “tongue and spirittickling” acmella plant, and biodegradable acacia gum (which gives the squares their chew). This treat is vegan, gluten-free, and produced with intention; even the packaging is compostable and eco-friendly and the chews are lovingly and artisanally handcrafted in New York.

“These other plant ingredients help to amplify the ability for the neuroreceptors to be activated in sync with kanna,” the founder explains. “Sensorially, biochemically and through olfactory neuroscience, it creates this full spectrum of an enlivening effect.” Not only do the KA! Kanna Chews have synergistic plant ingredients, but they are healthy and first-of-its-kind. “We were able to create these chews without any plastics, elastomers, or sugars,” Wang says. “And there’s zero calories, no GMOs, and no preservatives. So that was a breakthrough for us.” KA! Empathogenics also works with a supplier in South Africa that directly shares profit with the Khoi Khoi and San. This ensures they get to participate in the business benefits of kanna. Giving back to indigenous and ancestral communities is of critical importance to Wang, who believes that stigmas around plant medicine are being broken in large part because the wider world is reconnecting with indigenous cultural traditions that are part of our collective ancestry.

“We’re revisiting or remembering a lot of these ancient plants that have been with us for a long time,” she claims. “And a lot of that has to do with the stewardship by indigenous cultures.” Emphasizing that many of these communities’ ways

of life are marginalized and under threat around the world, Wang feels it’s imperative that we respect their healing gifts and wisdom derived from nature. For example, with the Khoi Khoi and San, she explains that although “they’ve been in existence for hundreds of thousands of years, their language is not part of the eleven languages that South Africa officially recognizes. There are a lot of community and local organizations trying to rectify that, but it’s not an easy road. We [at KA! Empathogenics] are doing this in such a small way, but even just letting people know that these ancient and relevant tribes exist is super important.”

Wang is also in the works of actively seeking an aligned Khoi Kohi and San non-profit in South Africa for her company to partner with while exploring collaborations with nonprofits and social equity groups in the U.S. to provide greater education around kanna and the wider scope of plant medicine and adaptogens. Today, 80 percent of the world relies on plant medicines, yet thousands of people rely solely on pharmaceuticals, many of which have negative side effects and can lead to addiction. There are more natural solutions that exist which can provide additional options for people seeking to improve their health.

“There are a lot of plants that many people aren’t even aware of,” she notes. “The plant and fungi kingdoms are massive… We forget [the] people who have been safeguarding a lot of this plant knowledge and wisdom, and also really keeping those traditions alive.” Beyond the historical aspect of plant medicine, Wang feels that the human-plant relationship needs to be contemplated more deeply. She says that our existing paradigm is one which treats the natural world as a resource to be exploited, in a transactional exchange. When we can actually come into a healthy relationship with nature that is respectful and regenerative, we begin to understand our role in the ecosystem we live in, and recognize how our own health and wellbeing is intricately tied to the kind of relationship we have with the environment.

“We are living systems, and we are all part of greater living systems,” she states. “The more we can understand this relationship, the more powerful our own healing will be.” That’s why Wang advocates trying different plant medicines to see what works for you since it’s never a one-size-fits-all. Every person is unique, with different genetics, sensitivities and medical histories. Seeing how particular plant medicines interact with you is a personal journey. It requires feeling and noticing the effects physically, emotionally and energetically over a period of time. Some plants pair together well in conjunction with others. For example, the KA! Kanna Chews combine well with cannabis as they help to ameliorate any paranoia sometimes experienced by cannabis users. “It’s a beautiful way to smooth out the edges and have a softer kind of experience.” Wang says.

The entrepreneur clarifies that kanna can benefit anybody. Wang suggests taking the chews with intention. “We really encourage people to kind of ‘chews’ their own adventure in a sense,” she remarks with a smile. “They are subtle. This is not a drug.”

For the innovator, who labels herself an overthinker, Wang prefers to start her day with a Kanna Chew on an empty stomach before breakfast. “It basically sets the tone for the day for me,” she explains. “It allows me to tackle all the things I need to do in sequence without feeling

Other KA! Empathogenics customers take the chews for more creativity and focus at work, or during meditation, yoga, and many different types of exercise because of their ability to help center and increase endurance. The chews are also a great alternative to drinking alcohol, especially if you have some social anxiety. Kanna has been referred to as “onse droë drank” (meaning “our dry drink” in certain Afrikaans speaking Khoi-descendent cultures in South

Some people take the chews in intimate situations with their partner(s) or friends. “Because it does act as a heart-opener,” Wang observes, “you’re able to have an intimate conversation. Things come up and you can actually connect more deeply. So it’s kind of sexy that way. Alternatively, it could be taken in the same way, but for challenging conversations. Someone has an issue with a friend, and they both take [one chew], and then they’re like, ‘Okay, this has been bothering us. Let’s just have it out now.’ Then they talk and it shifts everything. I wouldn’t describe [kanna] as a truth serum, but when we can actually come to a conversation without being stressed, and we can really be in presence with someone else, that alone is huge.”

Being more heart-mind connected is of utmost importance to Wang. “We live in a world that values the mind and not so much the heart,” she assesses. “A big reason I wanted to create this product is because it’s so needed in the world. We have a great deal of intellect but that’s not the same as wisdom. When you’re heart-connected, boom, you’re centered back in your body. Most of us are so disassociated from our feelings and our bodies; we’re on our digital devices or God-knows-where. But when we come into presence, we start feeling ourselves. That brings us back to connecting to the wholeness of who we are, our innate intelligence. It’s those moments that actually help us reconnect to be human.”

When we calm our stress we are able to experience more homeostasis in our bodies and open our hearts. We can access more love which helps to bring more healing and peace into our lives. Wang reminds us that the emotion the Khoi Khoi and San most associate with kanna is joy, but connecting to our full selves means feeling the full spectrum of our emotions which is our aliveness.

Joseph Campbell, the American author famous for his synthesis of mythology, modern science, psychology, art history and literature once declared, “People say that what we’re all seeking is a meaning for life. I don’t think that’s what we’re really seeking. I think that what we’re seeking is an experience of being alive.” Is this how you will “chews” your own adventure? If so, KA! Empathogenics is waiting with their KA! Kanna Chews in hand.

To experience KA! Kanna Chews for yourself, visit ohmyka.com. Get a 20% discount off all purchases with code HONEY20.

Stephanie Wang (C) KA! Empathogenics

BUILDING THE RAINBOW COALITION FOR CANNABIS

By Cassady Fendlay

The national movement to legalize cannabis is growing, as Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Virginia and New Mexico become the most recent states to legalize recreational adult use. Nineteen states, two territories, and the District of Columbia have legalized small amounts of cannabis (marijuana) for adult recreational use. If we include states that have passed medical marijuana legislation, cannabis is now legal, in some form, in 46 of the 50 states.

But is legalization repairing the harm that was done by decades of prohibition? That’s the question that many are now trying to answer, as the cannabis market expands and the possibility of federal decriminalization looms near.

“As the conversation around social equity grows, it’s critical we follow the lead of a ‘Rainbow Coalition’ of unlikely allies: advocates, activists, workers and businesses,” says Marvin Bing, Founder and Creative Director of Blackflower, a culture and social impact agency. “Progressive politics often happens in silos, meaning one interest group isn’t necessarily aware of the needs of another group.”

“In the space of cannabis policy, this means criminal justice groups fighting for expungement–which is necessary–but not stronger workplace rights for the future labor force of a brand new industry. If cannabis legalization is really going to be the social justice panacea that many of us hope it will be, we have to come together to make sure that everyone benefits: formerly or currently incarcerated people, workers, business owners who are women, BIPOC and queer folks,

communities that were damaged by the War on Drugs, people with disabilities and more. We need a truly united front.”

Bing says the baseline for equity is expungement of prior cannabis convictions. This removes current barriers presented by an old conviction–and there are thousands of restrictions on employment, housing, parental rights and more. It’s essential, but expungement can never go back in time and repair the harm.

Some states, like New York and California, are trying to figure out licensing procedures that create space for people with previous cannabis convictions. This is also crucial, but in Los Angeles, these “legacy operators” have been mired in bureaucratic red tape that big money cannabis companies simply do not face. In New York, a sort-of gatekeeper is being created, the Cannabis Control Board, an appointed body that will make the rules and decide who gets legacy licenses.

“Expungement and operator licenses are both necessary, but not enough to achieve social equity alone,” says Bing, pointing out that “the majority of people who get involved in the industry are going to be workers, not owners.”

In New York, at least, legislators, cannabis businesses and unions are working together to make sure the jobs created are good jobs that give workers financial stability, healthcare access and paid time off.

“The cannabis industry in New York will not be a minimum wage industry,” says Nikki Kateman, an organizer with Local

338 of the United Food & Commercial Workers (UFCW) union. UFCW represents cannabis workers across the U.S. and Canada. “We recognize the value of the work they’re doing and the unique skill set they have.”

“It’s very rare that you get to be in a state that’s creating a brand new industry,” Kateman adds. “We have to make sure the jobs created are good jobs, not ‘Amazon jobs’ and low-road employment. It should be treated as a career and compensated well.”

Thanks to UFCW’s efforts, union workers in the cannabis industry will have access to guaranteed wage increases, full family medical coverage, and paid time off. While retirement plans are restricted by federal prohibition, the union negotiated other long-term benefits, such as job skills training programs, college education and scholarships. But perhaps most importantly, they’ll also have a ‘voice on the job’ and workplace protections when interacting with management.

Not every cannabis workplace in New York will automatically be unionized, but UFCW also negotiated a “labor peace agreement”, which means to get an operator license from the state, cannabis businesses have to agree to remain neutral and not to actively oppose efforts by workers to unionize. In return, the union agrees not to organize strikes and work stoppages.

“The great thing about high rates of unionization is that even in non-union workplaces, workers fare better,” Kateman says. “The bar has been set for the industry and the rising tide lifts all boats.”

A CANNABIS MOVEMENT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

The majority of cannabis businesses have benefitted from a lack of competition, especially those in states that began aalso highly restricted the number of recreational operator licenses available, artificially creating a bigger share of the market for businesses with the connections needed to obtain one of those limited number of licenses.

“In Florida, it’s basically a corrupt scheme to benefit the wealthy,” says Justin Strekal, a political organizer who has worked on cannabis legalization at the national level. “There are a dozen and a half companies operating in the entire state and no social equity program.” Juxtapose that with Oakland, CA, where there are seven times as many cannabis businesses in one city–and almost half of the operator licenses granted have been social equity licenses.

“This is an entire new economy with an established consumer base. It’s imperative that we don’t prevent people from the industry,” Strekal says. “Big companies are lobbying to keep their fiefdoms.”

Another red state, Oklahoma, has taken an opposite approach, issuing about 13,000 business licenses since 2018. While this has helped close the gap between new businesses and established medical operators expanding into the new recreational markets, it’s also saturated the industry, creating what some are calling a “Wild West of weed”. Still, very low licensing fees have reduced the barriers to business for people who have been impacted by the detrimental intersections of race, class, and cannabis prohibition.

“More can be done to encourage the success of cannabis businesses owned by Black and brown people, women and LGBTQ folks in the marketplace, across the nation,” says Marvin Bing. “And fortunately, political support for cannabis decriminalization is growing at the federal level, at the same time this social equity conversation is at the forefront of new state policies.”

Justin Strekal agrees. “Just a few years ago, in 2016, only a few members of Congress would sign on” to legislation decriminalizing cannabis, he says. “Fast forward to today and the House has twice passed a bill that would not only decriminalize cannabis, but it would use tax money to reinvest in communities and regions most impacted by the War on Drugs–giving them a real shot at building better opportunities in the future.”

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has evolved dramatically on the issue over the years, going from opposing it to becoming the first Senate Majority Leader in history to introduce the bill. Former Majority Leader and Republican Senator Mitch McConnell still wants prohibition and incarceration.

Strekal gives a lot of credit to the Marijuana Justice Coalition for the movement on the federal level. He believes the “Rainbow Coalition” that Marvin Bing mentioned is the Marijuana Justice Collective, created by the Drug Policy Alliance, and uniting cannabis lobbyists and advocates with Civil Rights groups, social workers, the UFCW union and other unexpected allies.

Naturally, marijuana legalization is popular nationwide. Almost every swath of America has seen the effects of cannabis prohibition, either personally or through somebody they know. It’s not only arrests for cannabis–people have lost custody of their children, lost their housing, jobs, and their ability to participate in society.

“There is enough public support for parents drinking wine to relax that we print it on t-shirts and sell it,” points out Strekal, “but get caught smoking a joint in your house, and your custody of your children may be at risk.”

President Biden recently made good on his campaign promise to pardon marijuana possession convictions and recommend that chief law enforcement agencies review the scheduling of marijuana, potentially leading to reclassification or even full decriminalization. This is a major step forward, but we have to be realistic about the extent to which this will affect the landscape.

“A pardon and record expungement are not the same,” says Bing. “We need automatic expungement for people who have been saddled with thousands of legal restrictions coming from an old conviction.”

Bing also points out that rescheduling cannabis–moving it from a serious to minor infraction–would be “an incremental step in the right direction,” but would not remove federal criminal penalties, which put obstacles in the path of researchers and make some states and localities nervous about legalizing cannabis.

“We’ve

says Bing. “Now is a crucial moment that will determine the future.”

“Do we want to see a world where cannabis is legal, but sold by a handful of powerful, multimillion dollar corporations?” Bing asks. “Where workers are paid low wages and cycle in and out of employment that leads them nowhere? Where people who were sent to prison for growing or selling weed remain in prison, or unable to get a job or housing due to the restrictions of an old conviction?”

“Or do we want to see cannabis legalization create a flourishing, diverse market, full of small businesses run by people once criminalized for growing and selling weed, with plenty of women, BIPOC and queer people in leadership? Bud-tenders and grow laborers who are working towards their college degree and supporting a family while working in the cannabis industry? Communities that were once over-policed and under-resourced, full of new investment in infrastructure, commerce and housing?”

“We need more than just zero-sum legalization,” Bing continues. “We need legalization that creates social equity for

1.

2. Cannabis workers and UFCW union members, part of the union’s Cannabis Workers Rising initiative. (Courtesy of Blackflower)

3. (C) National Cannabis Industry Association

4.

5,

all.” And he wants to see people marching and using collective action strategies to make it happen.

However you look at it, the choice is up to us.

“People gotta vote,” says Strekal, “and demand that candidates show their position on marijuana reform.”

already missed our chance for cannabis legalization to actually repair harm and create equity in too many places,”

Cannabis workers from UFCW 328 in Rhode Island on strike after an employer illegally fired workers for union organizing.

Photo Credits first page left to right.

Kika Keith, owner of Gorilla Rx dispensary in Los Angeles, CA.

(Photo: Christina House, L.A. Times)

Edward Bullock takes his order from a Pure Oasis employee during the grand opening of Boston’s first cannabis store in Boston’s Dorchester on March 9, 2020. Its opening also marks the first for someone in the state’s economic empowerment program, which is aimed at helping people harmed by the War on Drugs.

(C) Jessica Rinaldi/Boston Globe VIA GETTY IMAGES

Roll Up Life co-founders Precious Osagie-Erese (left) and Tiyahnn Bryant (right) created an event to offer free legal services to help New Jerseyans with marijuana possession and other charges expunge their records. (C) NJ Spotlight News

FAB 5 FREDDY EXPLAINS HOW TO

NOBLE

far. He really wanted to be part of the legal business… but had served time as a victim of the War on Drugs, so he’s legally forbidden from being involved in a plant touching capacity. Ron shared his brilliant idea to start a consultancy business called Forty Acres and A GreenHouse. I loved the idea and further relayed the irony that people of color were at the forefront decades ago as legacy operators laying the foundations for this business. I shared how cannabis was popularized widely on many early jazz records by the top musicians of the era. And how [major] artists from rock to reggae to R&B [and hip hop] were smokers and advocates, like Snoop Dog, Cypress Hill, Method Man and Redman who I introduced to America on Yo! MTV Raps. I told Ron I thought it was a dope idea for a film and went to work immediately. On 4/20, 2019, it dropped worldwide on Netflix to amazing response and 100% on Rotten Tomatoes!

How did Bernard Noble’s involvement in the film come about?

By Tracy Daniels

Fab5Freddyisavisualartist,filmmakerandahiphoppioneerwhorecentlyarrivedinthe cannabisgameandisgoinghard.Heco-foundedBNoblewithbusinesspartnersRonSamuel andBernardNoble,thelatterhavinghisprisonstoryfeaturedinFreddy’sfilmGrassisGreener andistheinspirationbehindthebrand. TheyteamedupwithleadingMSOCuraleaftoproduce highqualityproductsandbuildwidespreadawarenessaroundsocialequityissuesatstakeinthe biz.TracyDanielscaughtupwithherhomie@fab5freddytodiscusshisjourneytobecominga cannabisentrepreneur.

TRACY DANIELS: Tell us about your most memorable time smoking weed.

FAB 5 FREDDY: I have some amazing up in smoke memories burning weed with friends and legends no longer with us, like Notorious B.I.G., Tupac Shakur and many others reading this from cannabis heaven. Hanging in the downtown scene back in the day with friends like Debbie Harry and Chris Stein from Blondie, Glenn O’Brien and JeanMichel Basquiat is when I first tasted that next-level California weed not many people had access to at the time. Shep Gordon [Super Mensch], Blondie’s manager at the time, had his own strain of Maui Wowie that he grew at his home in Hawaii. We became good friends and he still produces sun-grown weed from the original cuttings we smoked in the eighties! Even today when I light up with Shep, it triggers fond memories of the exact same smell, taste and head that we experienced years ago.

What was the inspiration to make Grass is Greener?

FREDDY: Grass Is Greener evolved during a phone conversation with my good friend and business partner Ron Samuel. He’s an African American brother from California and a legacy participant in cannabis, having moved fire flower grown in Humboldt to parts near and

FREDDY: I really wanted to illustrate a victim of the nonsensical War on Drugs, specifically nonviolent victims of color… A year or two before I made the film I saw a show on Vice TV about Bernard’s case. It was so sad to see this guy was given a thirteen year prison sentence for two joints worth of cannabis. So when we filmed that tearjerking moment with his mother and his sisters, it just touched me deeply. I knew then that moment would become a significant part of the film.

He got hard labor, right?

FREDDY: Yeah! Bernard explained to me that hard labor meant taking inmates in a windowless van to a field of cotton. When the correction officer told him, “Hey, man, get out there and get to picking cotton,” Bernard was like, “Oh hell no, I’m not picking no cotton!” He was put in the hole aka solitary confinement for like 60 days or more. Bernard had been in prison for seven years, and two days after interviewing his family, we got word that his parole had been granted. We had to wait another two months and then flew back down to Louisiana just to film him coming out of prison. That’s when I met Bernard Noble.

That was an inspiring moment! How did that lead to the B Noble brand?

FREDDY: That was another conversation with Ron. I was like, “Man, this Bernard Noble situation, let’s create a cannabis brand in his name to inform people about this damaging history and try to correct that narrative.” We decided to call it B Noble, with the idea of raising awareness of the lies we’ve been told and giving back a portion of our earnings to organizations fixing the harm done. To put these ideas into full effect, we collaborated with world class brand builders Aboud & Aboud to visualize our narrative and create a business plan. This is all happening at the onset of the pandemic by the way. We docusigned the deal on 4/20/21 and soon after we were in business!

Fab Five in his art studio. © Honeysuckle Media, Sam C. Long Photographer

What impact has this had on Bernard’s life?

FREDDY: The entire world meets Bernard in Grass is Greener when he walks out of prison. He’s such a nice guy. We let him know we had a real possibility of making something happen. We partnered with Curaleaf, the world’s biggest cannabis company, who’ve been very supportive and involved. The product went on sale 7/13/2021 in [Massachusetts and Maryland] to echo the seven years of a thirteen year sentence Bernard served. Our first product is a two joint pre-roll reflective of the amount of cannabis he was arrested for. [Bernard is] happy to be free and enjoying his new life as an advocate for other victims…His case had become a cause celebre leading up to his parole. People like Jason Flom from The Innocence Project and hedge fund billionaire Dan Loeb fought hard and lobbied tirelessly to get him out of jail. It’s been incredible working with Bernard these last couple of years. He’s amazed that we’ve become good friends because he was a fan of Yo! MTV Raps. He’s one of the funniest people I know! The jokes are nonstop with him. So it’s like his true self has emerged.

Why is it important for Curaleaf to engage with B Noble?

FREDDY: Curaleaf sincerely wanted to address the unjust targeting and harm caused to people of color nationwide. Particularly nonviolent cannabis arrest rates that disproportionately criminalize and victimize Black and brown people in spite of similar usage rates among white people. Curaleaf hired Jason White, Raheem Uqdah, Khadijah Tribble and other people of color to help guide them to do the right thing in the right way. And they really have, along with distributing and promoting our product in eleven states with more to come. B Noble is available across the country right now which makes us a Black-owned MSO (multi state operator) with a multi state message!

It’s unique for companies to genuinely give a shit, you know.

FREDDY: I call the B Noble venture conscious capitalism and entrepreneurial activision on our part. As a serious creative, I could never justify operating solely out of greed. So it’s a sincere enterprise. What we’re doing is not just lip service, we’re cutting checks to beneficiaries working to heal the harm caused by the War on Drugs. There’s a negative cloud around MSOs, aka corporate cannabis, and it’s great to see how Curaleaf has stepped up in the right way.

Which organizations does B Noble support?

FREDDY: Mass Cultivated in Massachusetts [works] with formerly incarcerated folks and prepares them to work in the business from cultivation to dispensaries. North Lawndale Employment Network in Illinois [provides] job placement for formerly incarcerated people. Changing Perceptions in Maryland helps former inmates adjust to their new freedom. In New Jersey, we work with From The Block To The Boardroom, which provides economic opportunities and entrepreneurship training. It’s a very humbling feeling to cut checks for these orgs now that B Noble is becoming profitable.

What’s the future look like for B Noble?

FREDDY: [So far] there’s a lot of repeat business from people sharing info about their favorite strains. Our two joint pre-roll just became available at Curaleaf dispensaries in New Jersey and the response has been very enthusiastic.

We’re a cannabis content lifestyle brand with a loud message about social equity and criminal justice reform, [through] an array of dynamic social media content. Ideas are in the works for a Grass Is Greener TV series following the blueprint of my film. We’ve been thinking about what a B Noble dispensary would look like and an out of this world consumption lounge concept. We also plan to hit the California market hard with new B Noble branded products [including] an infused pre-roll product we’re calling Champ and Little Champs, and hopefully some other states we’re selling in now. We’re also working with skateboard entrepreneur and filmmaker Mikey Alfred’s Illegal Civilization on some unique collaborations. Cannabis cultivation legend Mario Sherbinski is developing genetics for a next level B Noble Gelato strain we’re very excited about. Ultimately, we’re looking to take B Noble global. We’re in talks with Fotmer Life Sciences, based in Uruguay, who produce huge amounts of cannabis that ship overseas for medical usage. But with adult usage clearly on its way, we feel brands like B Noble are what’s needed and we hope to lead the way on a global scale.

Any final words for the readers?

FREDDY: People are in prison for nonviolent cannabis possession right now and they need to be freed! The fact that they’re not says we still have a lot of work to do! So, B Intelligent, B Educated, B Involved, and B Noble!

Tolearnmorevisithttps://b-noble.com/. Follow@bnobleofficialandvisithttps://curaleaf.com/bnoble tolearnaboutupcomingproductsandevents.

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FOR SHIEST BUBZ, EVERY NIGHT IS LIVING IN THE TWILIGHT ZONE. LITERALLY THE ARTIST-PRODUCER AND CANNABIS MOGUL NEEDS TO WATCH A HANDFUL OF EPISODES OF THE CLASSIC TV SERIES BEFORE HE FALLS ASLEEP. HE SAYS IT HELPS HIM UNDERSTAND DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES AND THE DELUSIONS PEOPLE CREATE.

“ ROD SERLIN G’S MY GO D , ” BUBZ DECLARES. “ [ WATCHING THE SHO W ] IS A REMINDER THAT I CAN CREATE MY OWN TWILIGHT ZONE FOR OTHER S ... I ’ M NOT IN SEARCH MODE, BUT OTHER PEOPLE ARE. SO NOW WHEN PEOPLE SLIP INTO THEIR DELUSIONAL REALITIES, I CAN GIVE THEM ALTERNATE ENDINGS OF COMING HOME AND THEY LISTEN. ”

IT ’ S THIS ATTITUDE TOWARD LIFE THAT HAS ALLOWED BUBZ TO EFFECTIVELY CHANGE REALITY FOR SOME OF THE WORLD ’ S BEST KNOWN HIP HOP ARTISTS (AND BY EXTENSION FANS) THROUGH LINKING MUSIC AND CANNABIS. IN 2010, BUBZ, ALONG WITH PRODUCER JONNY SHIPES AND RAPPER SMOKE DZA, CO-FOUNDED “ THE SMOKERS CLUB TOUR, ” AN EVENT SERIES WHERE RAPPERS INCLUDING WIZ KHALIFA, CURREN$Y, MAC MILLER AND OTHERS GOT THEIR START AND WHERE THEY GOT ACCESS TO THE NATION ’ S TOP-CALIBER WEED. THAT ’ S BECAUSE SHIEST BUBZ IS A TRUE CONNOISSEUR OF THE PLANT IN EVERY WAY. HIS BRANDS PURP INVADERS, THE SMOKERS CLUB AND OFFICIAL SHIEST BUBZ ARE LEGENDARY IN CANNABIS CULTURE. WHILE HE DOESN ’ T GROW HIMSELF “ I ’ M IN BUSINESS WITH CULTIVATORS, BUT MY GENIUS IS IN MARKETING AND PRESENTATION, ” HE SAYS BUBZ HAS BECOME EMBLEMATIC OF NEW YORK ’ S VETERAN CANNABIS INDUSTRY. “ I REPRESENT THIS CITY TO THE CORE, ” BUBZ ASSERTS. “ FOR MUSIC, ART, FASHION, CANNABIS. THE WAY I SELL AND REPRESENT WEED IS IN TRUE NEW YORK FORM. IT ’ S FOR EVERYBODY, ALL NATIONALITIES, AND IT ’ S PACKAGED UP LIKE THAT ALSO. WHEN I SAY PACKAGED UP, I MEAN MY WHOLE COMPLETE PACKAGE OF EVERYTHING THAT I TRY TO PRESENT TO THE TABLE. MY PARTNERS, WE ’ RE ALL ON THAT SAME PAGE. WE WANT TO PROVIDE THE BEST PRODUCT THAT WE COULD POSSIBLY PROVIDE. SO WHEN IT HITS THE MARKET, EVERYONE ’ S LIKE, ‘ I CAN RELATE TO THAT. ’”

BUBZ CONSIDERS CANNABIS CULTURE HIS ART, WHICH HE ’ S CONSTANTLY MANIFESTING AND REFINING THROUGH HIS BRANDS AND HIS PODCAST THE HEAVY SMOKE. HIS APPROACH TO ALL CULTURE HAS BEEN INFORMED BY HIS ECLECTIC UPBRINGING, WHICH HE REFLECTS IN HIS CANNABIS OFFERINGS. BORN IN NEW YORK TO A FATHER WHO IMMIGRATED FROM TRINIDAD AND A MOTHER WHO MOVED NORTH FROM LOUISIANA, BUBZ EARLY ON GOT THE SENSE OF THE BIG APPLE AS A PLACE WHERE DREAMS CAME TRUE. AS A CHILD, HE WAS ENROLLED IN THE BLOOMINGDALE HOUSE OF MUSIC, LEARNING A BEVY OF INSTRUMENTS WITH INSTINCTUAL TALENT. HE ALSO SPENT MUCH OF HIS FORMATIVE YEARS TOURING EUROPE WITH HIS AUNT, WHO INSTILLED IN HIM A CURIOSITY FOR FOOD, ETIQUETTE, AND FASHION.

“ I ’ M LOOKING AT LIFE FROM A WHOLE ART PERSPECTIVE OF ELEGANCE, ” BUBZ NOTES. “ I JUST UNCONSCIOUSLY KNOW MUSIC; I CAN JUST TELL HIT RECORDS, I CAN HEAR THEM. AND BEING FROM NEW YORK CITY, AND MY MOTHER BEING FROM THE SOUTH, THE WHOLE ASPECT OF SOUL MUSIC GIVES ME A DIFFERENT FEELING.

SO WHEN THE MUSIC FREQUENCY COMES IN, IT ’ S NOT JUST ORCHESTRA MUSIC BUT SOUL MUSIC … IT ’ S BARRY WHITE AND THE MANHATTAN ORCHESTRA. THAT ’ S THE BLUEPRINT OF MY ECLECTIC LIFE: BLACK MAN LEADING AN ELEGANT ORCHESTRA. THE CONDUCTOR, THAT ’ S MY PART. I COULD BE THE ARTIST SOMETIMES, [BUT I ALSO ENJOY] LETTING OTHER GREAT ARTISTS TAP INTO WHO THEY ARE. ” THAT ’ S CERTAINLY HOW SHIEST BUBZ AND HIS PARTNERS HAVE DEVELOPED THE SMOKERS CLUB, WHICH MADE BONA FIDE CELEBRITIES OUT OF WIZ KHALIFA, CURREN$Y, AND MAC MILLER, AND GAVE MAINSTAY ARTISTS LIKE METHOD MAN, REDMAN, B-REAL, AND JUICY J NEW INSPIRATION. BUT BUBZ ’ S PERSONAL HISTORY WITH CANNABIS GOES BACK MUCH FURTHER.

“

SHIT, MY CAREER STARTED IN 1991, ” HE RECALLS WITH A LAUGH. “ 30 YEARS AGO IN HARLEM, IN HIGH SCHOOL. ” BACK THEN, BUBZ EXPLAINS, KIDS CHIPPED IN TO BUY FROM DIFFERENT “ WEED SPOTS ” AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD, USUALLY SMOKE SHOP BODEGAS OR HOLE-IN-THE-WALL SECRET AREAS. LAYING DOWN SOME SWEET STRAIN HISTORY, HE LAUNCHES INTO HOW MOST CANNABIS CONSUMERS THROUGH THE LATE 1980S AND EARLY 90S KNEW ONLY “ BRICK WEED ” HARD AND BROWN OR GREEN AND SKUNKY VARIETIES, BOTH CALLED “ REGS. ”

“ THERE WAS ALWAYS BRICK WEED, ” BUBZ CONTINUES. “ CHOCOLATE WEED, JAMAICAN WEED, COLOMBIAN WEED, THAI WEED, LAMB ’ S BREAD. THERE ’ S ALWAYS BEEN EXOTIC WEED, BUT IT WASN ’ T ACCESSIBLE TO US REALLY, BECAUSE WE [WERE] ENTRY-LEVEL SMOKERS, SO WE WERE SMOKING THE GENERAL WEED … [BY 1990], PURPLE HAZE GOT INTRODUCED TO NEW YORK AS THE EXOTIC. THAT ’ S LIKE $300 UPWARDS TO $600 AN OUNCE. THEN SOUR DIESEL HAS BEEN AROUND FOR A WHILE. NOT EVERYWHERE, IT WAS IN CERTAIN NEIGHBORHOODS. BY THE TIME IT GOT REALLY POPULAR AND PEOPLE WERE LIKE, ‘ YO, THIS IS THE SHIT WE WANNA SMOKE, ’ THAT WAS AROUND 2005. ” AS SOUR DIESEL GAINED POPULARITY OVER PURPLE HAZE, EAST COAST UNDERGROUND GROWERS BEGAN MOVING WEST. NEW STRAINS, PARTICULARLY SOURS, WERE CROSSED, CREATING THE INTRODUCTION OF WHAT WOULD BECOME STAPLES LIKE HEADBAND AND BLUE DIESEL. SOME IN THE BUSINESS MARKETED THE LATTER AS NYC DIESEL, TO BUBZ ’ S AMUSEMENT.

“ IF IT WAS CALLED NYC DIESEL, YOU KNEW FOR SURE THAT THAT WAS SOME [CALIFORNIA]-GROWN SOUR DIESEL, ” BUBZ STATES. “ IF YOU ’ RE FROM NEW YORK, YOU ’ RE NOT GOING TO CALL IT NYC DIESEL. THAT ’ S WHAT THEY THINK WE LOVE IN NEW YORK. BUT WITH THE CROSSING OF ALL THOSE WEEDS, THEY STARTED DOING ALL TYPES OF OTHER SHIT. KUSH STARTS BECOMING POPULAR PLATINUM KUSH, CHINA PACK KUSH, CANADIAN KUSH. THEN EVERYONE ’ S LIKE, ‘ WE ’ RE NOT INTO KUSH NO MORE, WE WANT GORILLA GLUE. WE WANT GRAPE APE AND GRANDDADDY PURP. ’ THE BAY AREA WAS FAMOUS FOR THAT. ALL THESE THINGS ARE SO POPULAR HERE IN NEW YORK. AND THE HOOD IS STILL SMOKING HAZE AND SOUR AT THE TIME, BUT IN OTHER MARKETS, PEOPLE ARE SMOKING ALL THESE EXOTIC WEEDS BECAUSE THE GROWS ARE LEGAL IN CALIFORNIA AND PEOPLE HAVE MORE ACCESS. SO IF YOU KNOW ANYONE IN CALIFORNIA, IT ’ S LIKE, ‘ SEND THAT SHIT OVER HERE ’”

NUMBER

S

SHE ’ S BEEN A SHOWSTOPPER AT A BEVY OF MAJOR EVENTS FROM ROLLING LOUD TO LIL WAYNE ’ S LIL WEEZYANA FEST, EVEN APPEARING ON THE RED CARPET AT THE BET AWARDS. SAID TO HAVE “ THE BEST SMILE IN HIP HOP, ” MELLOW RACKZ IS ALSO KNOWN FOR HER STUNNING FREESTYLE OVER DJ KHALED ’ S TRACK “ GOD DID ” THAT WENT VIRAL THIS SEPTEMBER. A PROUD CANNABIS ADVO C A TE, S HE HEADLINED THE INAUGURAL G K UA VIP S ERIE S A L IVE C ONCERT SERIES IN COL L ABOR A TION BETWEEN YOUNG MONEY, LIL WAYNE ’ S GKUA ULTRA PREMIUM CANNABIS BRAND, AND WEEDMAPS THAT BROUGHT THE ULTIMATE PLANT-INFUSED MUSIC AND DANCE PARTY TO SAN FRANCISCO ’ S ICONIC VENUE TEMPLE SF.

NOTHING CAN SLOW DOWN THIS

SUPERSTAR

EXCEPT, PERHAPS, A THOUGHTFUL CONVERSATION ON LIFE, MUSIC AND VALUES. WHEN MELLOW RACKZ MET UP WITH TEAM HONEYSUCKLE IN MIAMI FOR OUR PHOTO SHOOT AND INTERVIEW, THE ARTIST TURNED OUT A DAZZLING SESSION FOR THE CAMERAS BEFORE SETTLING IN TO ANSWER

SERIOUS QUESTIONS WITH SUCH GRACE AND MATURITY, YOU COULD SWEAR SHE ’ S BEEN DOING THIS SINCE BIRTH. IN SOME WAYS, SHE HAS.

BORN MELODY FAITH, MELLOW RACKZ GREW UP IN WHAT SHE DESCRIBES AS A“BROKEN HOME”IN ONE OF BROWARD’S ROUGHEST NEIGHBORHOODS, WHICH TAUGHT HER TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT AS FAR BACK AS SHE CAN REMEMBER.

THOUGH SHE HAS A TIGHT BOND WITH HER HAITIAN-BORN MOM, SHE RELATES THAT BEING ONE OF FIVE CHILDREN MADE FOR A TOUGH EARLY ENVIRONMENT.

“ WE ’ RE FOUR GIRLS, ONE BOY, ” SHE EXPLAINS. “ MY BROTHER HAD MENTAL PROBLEMS. FOUR GIRLS WERE ALWAYS FIGHTING. IT WAS INN CENT AT HOME, BUT I TURNED TO THE STREETS FOR I DON ’ T KNOW, FUN, LOVE, JUST TO ESCAPE. ” BETWEEN HER STREET ACTIVITIES, WHICH WOULD EVENTUALLY GET HER KICKED OUT OF HIGH SCHOOL, THE TALENTED GIRL FOUND A SAFE HAVEN IN MUSIC. SHE SANG IN HER CHURCH CHOIR, AND ALTHOUGH SHE DIDN ’ T ENJOY MUCH OF HER FORMAL EDUCATION IN CATHOLIC SCHOOL, SHE BELIEVES SINGING MAKES HER FEEL CLOSER TO GOD.

PUTTING HER FAITH IN MUSIC WOULD LATER BE KEY TO HER SURVIVAL. BEFORE THE AGE OF 18, MELLOW RACKZ BECAME A MOTHER, AND LESS THAN A YEAR LATER, SHE WAS SHOT JUST OUTSIDE HER MOTHER ’ S HOUSE. THE BULLET WENT THROUGH HER STOMACH AND OUT HER BACK. RECUPERATING IN THE HOSPITAL, THE TENACIOUS YOUNG WOMAN LIVED UP TO HER NAME. SHE RECALLS “ HUMMING THROUGH THE PAIN ” AND MAKING MELODIES AND LYRICS TO SOOTHE HERSELF, PULLING THROUGH WITH ALL HER MIGHT TO ENSURE THAT HER SON WOULD NOT BE LEFT PARENTLESS.

“

“

I LIKE TO JUST EXPRESS MYSELF AND VENT THROUGH THE MUSIC, ” SHE COMMENTS.

“

PUT IT IN THE MUSIC, YOU DO IT, AND YOU JUST LEAVE IT THERE ... TRAUMA AGES YOU. I COULD SAY HAVING A CHILD AT A YOUNG AGE AGED ME TOO. I HAVE A KID, SO NOW I HAVE TO GROW UP. BUT NOTHING WILL DISTRACT ME. ONCE I HAVE MY MIND SET ON ONE THING, I ’ M GOING TO GET IT DONE FOR SURE. ”

HER INCREDIBLE WORK ETHIC AND FIGHTING SPIRIT WERE NOTICED BY CLEOPATRA BERNARD, MOTHER OF THE LATE RAPPER XXXTENTACION. IT WAS BERNARD WHO BROUGHT MELLOW RACKZ TO THE ATTENTION OF MACK MAINE AT YOUNG MONEY. MAINE NOTICED HER STAR POWER IMMEDIATELY, SIGNING HER TO A YOUNG MONEY CONTRACT WITH LIGHTNING SPEED.

“

SHOUT-OUT TO MACK MAINE FOR CHANGING MY LIFE, ” MELLOW RACKZ ASSERTS. “ FIRST TIME IN THE STUDIO WITH MACK, HE GRAVITATED TO EVERYTHING [I WAS DOING]. HE LIKES SINGING, RAP, POP. HE ’ S OPEN TO TRYING DIFFERENT THINGS. [HE ENCOURAGES ME] TO NOT BE IN ONE LANE, BUT BE AN ARTIST. ”

BOTH MACK MAINE AND LIL WAYNE HAVE MENTORED THE DEVELOPING PRODIGY. CALLING LIL WAYNE ’ S MUSICAL CATALOGUE “ TIMELES S , ” MELLOW RACKZ SHARES HOW THE ICONIC RAPPER HAS INSPIRED HER WITH HIS OWN DEDICATION TO THE CRAFT:

THE ONE THING I HEARD WAYNE SAY IS, ‘ JUST GO SO HARD. THEY CAN ’ T COMPARE YOU TO NOBODY. JUST KEEP WORKING . ’ HE DOES LIKE 30-HOUR STUDIO SESSIONS. HE WORKS SO HARD STILL TO THIS DAY. AND I ’ M LIKE, WHAT THE HELL? HE ’ S FILTHY RICH AND HE ’ S STILL WORKING. THE WORK NEVER STOPS, BECAUSE HE ’ S REALLY AN ARTIST. ON HIS FACE HE HAS A TATTOO THAT SAYS, ‘ I AM MUSIC. ’ HE REALLY IS BECAUSE HE DOES NOT STOP WORKING. SO IT MAKES ME WANT TO GO HARDER. WHY AM I TAKING ANY BREAKS IF HE ’ S STILL GOING HARD? HE HAD AN INTERVIEW WHERE [HE SAID] HE STILL GOES BACK IN AND CHANGES HIS VERSES. SO WHEN I HEARD THAT, I STARTED GOING THROUGH ALL MY OLD VERSES LIKE, HOW CAN I MAKE THIS SONG BIGGER? ALL ABOUT ELEVATION. HOW CAN IT GET BETTER? I ’ M ALWAYS JUST FOCUSED ON IMPROVING. IF I FEEL LIKE I ’ M THE BEST, I CAN ’ T IMPROVE. SO I DON ’ T THINK I ’ M THE BEST.

I ’ M STILL LEARNING EVERY DAY.

“ PEOPLE FEEL LIKE I HAD IT EASY, BUT I DON ’ T , ” SHE ADMITS . “A LOT OF PEOPLE HAVE BEEN AT THIS FOR A MINUTE, BUT I FEEL LIKE MY LIFE HAS GENERALLY NOT BEEN EASY. I DO GO THROUGH A LOT BEING IN THIS POSITION AND BEING SIGNED TO YOUNG MONEY. THAT ’ S A BIG NAME TO CARRY WITH YOU. I FEEL SOMETIMES PEOPLE ARE AUTOMATICALLY LIKE, ‘ OH, SHE THINKS SHE ’ S BETTER BECAUSE SHE ’ S SIGNED THERE. ’ I TRY TO STAY HUMBLE, BUT I HATE THAT SOMETIMES I DO CATCH MYSELF DUMBING MYSELF DOWN TO BE ACCEPTED. ”

THAT ’ S AN ASPECT OF SELF-IMPROVEMENT SHE ’ S CONSTANTLY WORKING ON. HOWEVER, OUTSIDE THE STUDIO, MELLOW RACKZ ’ S LIFE IS FULLY TRANSPARENT AS TO THE PERSON SHE IS AND WHAT MATTERS. IT ’ S ALL ABOUT CREATING A HAPPY, HEALTHY ENVIRONMENT FOR HERSELF, HER SON, AND HER FAMILY. “ AS LONG AS I KEEP THE BILLS PAID, [MY SON] WILL BE FULLY TAKEN CARE OF, ” SHE STATES. “ MY KID HAS TO BE WITH MY MOM OR MY AUNT [IF I ’ M NOT THERE]. NO STRANGERS, NOBODY ELSE. PEOPLE ARE CRAZY. I WORK HARD SO MY FAMILY CAN BE COMFORTABLE. BLOOD IS THICKER THAN WATER; ALWAYS STAND ON THAT. ” AND WHEN IT COMES TO DATING, SHE ’ S JUST AS CANDID AND SELF-RELIANT. “ IN THIS INDUSTRY, YOU REALLY NEED A FRIEND. I DON ’ T REALLY THINK YOU NEED A MAN. YOU NEED MORE THAN SEX I NEED MORE THAN JUST PLEASURE. LIKE I NEED SOMEONE FOR MY MENTAL HEALTH, A SHOULDER TO CRY ON, SOMEONE TO TALK TO, TO VENT, TO GET ADVICE. SO I DON ’ T REALLY FOCUS ON DATING. I FOCUS ON BUILDING A BOND, THE STRONGEST BOND. AND YOU NEVER KNOW, IF WE RIDE IT OUT, WE CAN GET MARRIED ONE DAY. IT ’ S ALL ABOUT TIME. YOU ’ VE GOTTA PUT THAT TIME IN, YOU KNOW? ”

THIS MUSIC IS REALLY MAGICAL AND POWERFUL. ”

TH E CANNABIS PLANT.

“ ONCE I ’ M DONE DOING WHAT I GOTTA DO, I GET HIGH AS FUCK, ” SHE GRINS. “ I USE IT TO RELAX FOR ANXIETY. IT DEPENDS ON MY MOOD AND MY HEADSPACE, WHO I ’ M AROUND. LATELY IT WAS MAKING MY ANXIETY WORSE, SO I TOOK A BREAK, BUT I ’ M A BIG STONER THOUGH, FOR SURE. ”

BUT SHE ’ S PRETTY SURE THAT LIL WAYNE OR WIZ KHALIFA COULD

STILL

OUT-SMOKE HER

ANY DAY.

WE EXPECT BIG THINGS TO COME FROM MELLOW RACKZ, AND FRANKLY, SO DOES SHE. THOUGH SHE REMAINS TRUE TO HERSELF ALWAYS, SHE IS INTERESTED IN THE DICHOTOMY BETWEEN THE WOMAN AT HOME AND HER PUBLIC PERSONA. “ OH MY GOD, IT ’ S LIKE I GET TO BE A WHOLE NOTHER PERSON, ” SHE LAUGHS. “ I NEVER THOUGHT IT COULD BE LIKE I ’ M A SUPERHERO, BUT IT ’ S MELODY AND THERE ’ S MELLOW RACKZ. MELODY IS WAKING UP IN MY HOUSE WITH A T-SHIRT ON, MAKING SURE MY SON IS POTTY TRAINED. SO I ’ M MAKING SURE MY SON DON ’ T PEE ON THE FLOOR, AND THEN CLEANING I DON ’ T DO MAIDS, I CLEAN MY OWN PLACE. I LIKE TO BE REGULAR, CHILLING. AND THEN BOOM, I GET A PHONE CALL, ‘ PERFORM. ’ SO IT ’ S LIKE NOW I GO PUT MY COSTUME ON, MAKEUP ON, I ’ M ONSTAGE LIKE, ‘ WHAT ’ S UP? ’ IT ’ S A WHOLE OTHER WORLD. A WHOLE OTHER ME. I GET TO BE A SUPERHERO, AND I REALLY FEEL LIKE I’M GOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD. ONCE I REACH MY PEAK AND GET TO BRANCH OFF INTO DIFFERENT THINGS AND EXPRESS THE THINGS THAT I REALLY WANT TO EXPRESS. ” ON THAT NOTE, SHE WANTS TO REMIND YOUNG WOMEN WHO ASPIRE TO BE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY TO “ BE YOURSELF. BE AUTHENTIC AND DON ’ T LISTEN TO WHAT ANYONE SAYS. CHASE YOUR DREAMS AND DON ’ T STOP. AND WHEN THEY DON ’ T BELIEVE IN YOU, MAKE THEM BELIEVE. ” WITH HER REFRESHINGLY GENUINE NATURE, HER POISE UNDER PRESSURE, AND PEDAL-TO-THE-METAL ATTITUDE, MELLOW RACKZ HAS DEFINITELY MADE US BELIEVERS. WE CAN ’ T WAIT FOR THE ACHIEVEMENTS COMING OUT FROM THE NEXT PHASE OF HER UNCHAINED MELODY.

Fighting After Freedom: Richard DeLisi Wants Cannabis Justice For All

Richard DeLisi is free at last, but his mission is far from over. He’s known as the nation’s longest-serving nonviolent cannabis prisoner, having survived 32 years incarcerated (of a 90-year sentence). Advocating for his release took the concentrated efforts of numerous people, the restorative justice nonprofit Last Prisoner Project (LPP), and a widespread Free DeLisi campaign operated over several years that involved both civilian and high-profile contributors, including actor and cannabis entrepreneur Jim Belushi. Attorneys Chiara Juster, Elizabeth Buchannan, and Michael Minardi also worked pro bono on Richard’s case in conjunction with LPP and Free DeLisi, filing his clemency application and taking his case to local officials and key stakeholders in Florida where he was held.

Though DeLisi was eventually released in December 2020, he hasn’t spent a moment resting. Hyperfocused on ensuring freedom for all cannabis prisoners, he has jumped wholeheartedly into activism and paying it forward. With his family, Richard continues to operate Free DeLisi to raise awareness of incarcerated citizens in need, and gives back to the community through the launch of his brand DeLisioso. His is the story of a true OG.

Interview: Ronit Pinto and Sam C. Long Written: Jaime Lubin

Richard DeLisi protests outside the White House, October 2022 (C) Sam C. Long @ tissuekulture

families of prisoners whose lives DeLisi has improved, through his advocacy and his ability to remind the public of what’s at stake, are deeply thankful that he keeps their loved ones’ plight in the spotlight. “If there’s 40,000

people in prison,” DeLisi asserts, “it’s half a

He’s been sitting so long, waiting so

long,

it gave him the will to want to do things and just keep going,” comments DeLisi’s son Rick, who co-founded the DeLisioso brand. “It’s like the Energizer Bunny now.”

Anyone who meets Richard DeLisi will describe him as the most caring, generous man they’ve ever encountered. At the time of this writing, Honeysuckle has spent months following DeLisi and his team across the country, where the icon involves himself in every possible initiative to help release incarcerated citizens and to create greater

access to cannabis for those in need. From New York’s underground lounges, to California genetics enclaves, to Florida retail centers, he receives a hero’s welcome. Artistproducer-cannabis mogul Shiest Bubz, co-founder of The Smoker’s Club, praises DeLisi for his “swagger.” Renowned cultivator Champelli, who first connected Richard with Last Prisoner Project, regards him as a close friend, but also a symbol of hope for the future of cannabis policy reform. New York operators pay him homage as an innovator of the legacy market. And

million or even a million people on the street who are connected to that 40,000. The fight is not over yet. It’s not over until the people who are in prison can be out on the street like me. And can go have dinner with their families. They’re in there and they shouldn’t be.”

“He’s a legend,” Matt Siegel, co-founder of The Astor Club, says of the activist. “He paved the way and we owe him a lot for what he had to do.”

Many view DeLisi as a visceral reminder of the utter devastation of the War on Drugs. There are currently over 40,000 people serving

RichardDeLisi,ShiestBubzandfriendsatTheSmoker’s Club,NYC(C)SamC.Long@tissuekulture

Richard DeLisi and Chris Barrett (The Pizza Pusha), founder of Stoned Gourmet Cannabis Pizza (C) Sam C.

Left to right: Benjamin Leiner, Ronit Pinto, Richard DeLisi, Matt Siegel, Ken Darby at The Astor Club (C) Sam C. Long @tissuekulture

time in prison for cannabis-related charges. Many are victims of harsh criminal justice penalties, such as the twostrikes law that brought DeLisi down. Initially busted in 1980 for flying from Colombia into the U.S. with 7,500 pounds of cannabis aboard, he served a five-year sentence and was released. But in 1989, he got caught up in a police reverse sting operation, receiving a sentence that was virtually for life.

“I was trying to collect some money that someone owed me,” DeLisi recalls. “And they set me up, friends of mine. I thought the guy was a real close friend. His name was Jim White. He and

they set me up.”

Not much has been publicized on what’s happened to the Whites since, but Richard retains an enormous amount of trauma from the betrayal and his subsequent incarceration. Only his advocacy and treating himself with cannabis – he has to take eight drops of cannabinoid oil just to get to sleep – seem to be a salve

to that pain. “It’s hard for me to think about the guy that was in three cells from me, who got popped for growing it in the house like 25 miles from where I got arrested,” he notes. “And he’s still got 40 years… ‘Cause all that’s [gone] on in my head throughout the years, all the disappointments on the motions – when you know you’re going to win a motion and you’re going home, and then they deny it for no reason. That happened to me 20 times.”

Now 73 years old, DeLisi can reflect on the wide scope of his influence in the cannabis space with greater clarity than ever before. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he came from a working-class family whose members had a history of living on their own terms. His grandfather was a bootlegger during Prohibition, teaching Richard’s father to become what he describes as “corrupt.” But the younger DeLisi wouldn’t be interested in alcohol. Instead, a special plant came calling to him.

At age 13, the rebellious thinker smoked cannabis for the first time, and he asserts that he’s sworn by it ever since. The experience, listening to music in the back of his brother’s 1955 Chevy hotrod, made him feel like everything was going 60 miles an hour. These glorious vibes eventually led DeLisi into a career that was more heavily musicconnected; just a few years later, he developed a close

his wife Shelley,

Champelli and Richard DeLisi (C) Sam C. Long @ tissuekulture

Richard DeLisi Senior, right, with Richard (Rick) DeLisi Junior, left (C) Sam C. Long @tissuekulture

Shiest Bubz and Richard DeLisi (C) Sam C. Long @ tissuekulture

friendship with Mickey Hart, the drummer known as an integral part of the pioneering rock band The Grateful Dead. Meeting first through their mutual friend Huff in New York, both DeLisi and Hart enjoyed using cannabis, LSD, and various drugs. When DeLisi was tasked with driving Huff’s car from the East Coast to California, the young man found a new world opened up to him. Touring around with the Dead for a few years, DeLisi would supply the band with cannabis. He would also end up trying all kinds of substances with the artists, and had wild times bringing as many guests as he liked backstage. Soon, Richard would begin a more complex operation smuggling cannabis into the U.S. from Colombia. Convincing his brother to work with him, he bought a coffee farm in Colombia that included some land where he could grow cannabis plants. After investing in some aircraft, the entrepreneur started running a stunning amount into the country. “15,000 pounds into New York,” DeLisi remembers. “From Colombia into Florida. Right from South America, I’d fly it on my airplane and then I would take it from Fort Lauderdale, Pompano, wherever, and I would then drive it – we’d put it in a tractor trailer – to send it to New York. If I came here on a Friday, by Sunday they’d be asking me for another truckload.” He adds that he did it all because he sincerely believed, then and now, in the plant’s power to make a positive impact. “I could have become a billionaire and killed [people over drugs], but I became a millionaire and I never hurt anybody. I made so many people happy, and got so many out of pain. Me and my brother did that.”

When the reverse sting operation landed DeLisi in court, the judge saw him as embodying the scary stereotype of a violent drug dealer, despite Richard having no history of violence whatsoever. A small clip of DeLisi bragging about his financial success with cannabis featured on the TV program American Vice further swayed the judge toward the extreme sentencing. During his 32 years behind bars, the advocate would suffer enormous tragedies. Both of his parents passed away, and his relationships with his three children, all of whom were under the age of ten when he was incarcerated, proved difficult to maintain. In 2010, DeLisi’s wife and youngest son Steven died unexpectedly. Then in 2018, his daughter Ashley was involved in a car crash that paralyzed half of her body; today she is wheelchair-bound. Still, hope and strength somehow endured. While in prison, DeLisi resolved to keep fighting for his freedom. Due to undiagnosed dyslexia, he’d never learned to read and write properly, but finally found the education during his incarceration. He took 30 self-betterment classes, ultimately applying these newfound skills to develop his own alternative teaching method. Through the years, he mentored hundreds of fellow inmates. Today, both Delisi Senior and Junior work to reform the justice system so that nonviolent offenders can be released expeditiously. Forever grateful to Last Prisoner Project, the father and son are now able to aid their cause directly. (Learn more at freedelisi.com.) Rick owns a cannabis business based in Amsterdam that produces edibles and concentrates, focusing particularly on products for cancer patients and those struggling with epilepsy. Together with DeLisi’s nephew Ken Darby, they decided to launch a new company in the United States.

DeLisioso was officially announced in early 2022, and this spring initiated a partnership with Trulieve, the country’s largest cannabis entity. With deep support from Trulieve’s co-founder and CEO Kim Rivers, the DeLisi family is collaborating closely with the juggernaut company to cultivate unique strains and product lines for the Florida market. Their first strain, Flamingo Kush, debuted in Trulieve retail locations on April 15th. Apparel and accessories are also available for purchase. Proceeds from the sales of all DeLisioso products go to benefit Last Prisoner Project, as well as several other cannabis education and justice nonprofits.

For Rick DeLisi, having his father home at last is empowering him to unlock more of his own identity. He shares how taking an ancient Tibetan personality test revealed the startling similarities between Richard and himself.

“I always kind of resented him before the test,” Rick admits. “Because my mother would do that thing – ‘You’re like your father’ – when she thought I was getting up to no good… When I did that test, [the results told me] ‘Your father is your soul twin.’ And when I started understanding that he had a special star power in his life, the star power where you walk in a room and people wonder who you are, I understood that I had that too.”

Rick continues, “When you don’t have your father, it’s really hard to believe in yourself as a man. But it’s just amazing what he had to go through, and [when] I understood that, I understood my mother’s compassion for him. Because underneath all that ‘you’re like your father’ shit, there was an amazing compassion and empathy for what he had gone through. My mother served her time too; someone snitched on her also.”

Richard Senior is just glad to have the opportunity to be part of his son’s life again, for the first time in decades. He intends to do as much advocacy as he can, and then to spend any free time with family, getting to know his grandchildren. But he would like to “talk some sense into their asses in Washington” about cannabis legalization – a goal he’s made some steps toward, accompanying Last Prisoner Project and other groups in a protest outside the White House this October. And wherever he goes, DeLisi remains an inspiration. AngelDustCEO, a landmark figure of the legacy cannabis scene (associated with the notable Certz, I Bud You, and Soil2Oil1130Gang brands), speaks on his admiration for the elder man and how the unjust nature of the current laws mistreats OGs. “He’s been at state and federal charges; I’ve had cultivation charges in New Jersey for multimillion-dollar grow houses. It all comes with the territory.

[But] to leave us out of the market, not have a place for us in the market, is unacceptable when the only reason you want a market is ‘cause we were doing

these things that you were throwing us in jail for Whether it’s down to the little people, people’s families, it’s not just the person that you’re targeting. It’s that person’s family and whoever they take care of, and their wellbeing. There’s ramifications that come with every action that’s taken. And it doesn’t matter on what level –someone’s affected by it. ”

Over 32 years, those “someones” were Richard DeLisi and his family. Now they are the ones wielding their star power for good, lighting the way to freedom for those whose only crime was lighting joints. May their story be a beacon of hope, and their heroism deliver a promise: Cannabis justice is coming. There’s no going back.

For more about Richard DeLisi and DeLisioso, follow @_delisioso and @ freedelisi on Instagram.

TRULIEVE TALK : KIM RIVERS ON THE DELISIOSO PARTNERSHIP AT TRAILBLAZERS NEW YORK

Kim Rivers, co-founder and CEO of Trulieve, believes it’s time to reinvest the company’s good fortune into legacy cannabis. One of the nation’s largest and most successful cannabis operators, Trulieve announced this spring that it would be the exclusive producer, processor and retailer of DeLisioso. The new brand was developed by Richard DeLisi, one of the longest-serving cannabis prisoners in history. DeLisi was incarcerated for 32 years of a 90-year sentence, released in December 2020 thanks to the restorative justice nonprofit Last Prisoner Project, and founded DeLisioso with his son Rick to continue fighting for those still wrongly imprisoned. Proceeds from sales of DeLisioso products benefit education and justice efforts in the cannabis space.

Honeysuckle’s founder Ronit Pinto sat down with Rivers for an exclusive interview at Trailblazers New York following Rivers’ panel discussion at the exclusive conference, curated for high-level executives and leaders in cannabis and psychedelics.

RONIT PINTO: How did the Trulieve-DeLisioso partnership come about? Richard DeLisi says you’ve been very supportive.

KIM RIVERS: We were introduced to [Richard’s nephew] down in Miami at an event, and he approached me about working with Last Prisoner Project – which we actually have a long history with – and asked if we would be interested in working with his uncle. I loved [working] with the DeLisi family to bring their vision to life in terms of what the DeLisioso brand looks like.

Seeing the joy for [the DeLisi family] to work together on this project –they’re going to events, traveling around Florida, meeting our patients and customers – you can just tell what it brings to them. It also provides a stable lifestyle for [Richard], because when you get out of prison, you don’t have anything. So being able to rebuild a life in this industry that he continues to be so passionate about has just been incredibly rewarding.

We’re starting with flower and genetics. [Richard’s] been very involved in selecting and helping us hone in on the specific genetic makeup he and his family were looking to launch their line with. Our cultivation facilities in Florida have a large footprint, almost 3 million square feet. To meet with our breeding and genetics team, and work hand-in-

hand with how we were going to bring this brand to life, was [incredible]. They also have an apparel line, which 100 percent theirs and which we’re very supportive of as well. We’ll continue to develop products with them over time… And then [we’re talking] with his son Rick, utilizing his experience in the concentrate arena to potentially launch a concentrate line. We feel very fortunate to be in this position as a larger company, to cultivate and help build brands that are meaningful and are truly giving back to someone who has given so much of his life to this industry.

I don’t think people understand, until they meet someone who’s been incarcerated, just how heavy all these things land for a person in Richard’s position. He’s so excited to go to every event.

He is.

What’s the mentoring process that you go through with a brand like DeLisioso?

When we partner with a brand or a person like Richard DeLisi, we want that [project] to be successful. It’s attempting to work with that person so they understand all of the steps in creating a sustainable business, so that as decisions are made, the business grows with or without us. That the foundation is very solid.

We have an exploratory process where we’re trying to understand what is going to be the backbone of this brand. Then we take them through a process on the cultivation and production sides, tactical as well as [looking at] branding. They work with the top-level folks in our company and various departments to bring it to life. And they are involved in the process along the way, [to ensure] an authentic brand.

Our hope is that it’s a long-lasting and sustainable brand. But it’s also a learning process on both sides. That’s for all of our products and product lines on a go-forward basis.

How did you decide on Flamingo Kush as the first strain to launch DeLisioso in Florida?

That was a conversation: “What are you looking for out of this particular strain?” Then it was a brainstorming session between the teams and they wanted something very Floridaoriented. [Richard] served his time in Florida and he was definitely a Kush guy. And that’s what the team came up with.

What can larger companies do to help with cannabis prisoners’ reentry efforts?

One, work with nonprofits like Last Prisoner Project and invest in their mission to assist in identifying [cases]

and getting folks out of prison. Two, [at Trulieve] we spend a lot of time and energy around expungement. To the extent that we can, we want to help folks clear their records so that they don’t have those barriers to entry any longer. People don’t realize it’s primarily a paperwork and cost situation for low-level cannabis offenses that can cause those barriers to entry for individuals [convicted of a minor crime]. We do work and run clinics in each of our markets, and also in markets that we’re not even in yet, because we do feel it’s important for those folks to be able to participate in the industry fully, and to exercise their right to vote and to be impactful as this cannabis ecosystem is developing over time. Three, look to help in a meaningful way. That’s one of the challenges – as companies grow, there’s a lot of demand on resources, and knowing where and how to invest so that you’re actually making an impact is so important. It’s time and energy helping create and build these brands from the ground up. But it’s so rewarding because we can see how much we’re impacting and influencing these lives.

For more information about Trulieve, visit trulieve.com.

late 1970’s and early 80’s, where one of his older brothers, Steven, who passed away from cancer in 2010, then owned a coffee shop.

“I remember seeing bricks of hash in my brother’s closet, the smell of Lebanese blonde hash with the red AK47 stamp, the opium-infused Chitrali, the Moroccan kief and the sound of Bob Marley,” Champelli says. “I didn’t really know the legality of it at the time, I was like 7-8 back then…I didn’t put two and two together. The sounds, the smells, and the bricks of Lebanese blonde hash stuck with me.” Recalling his early years of living in Bernal Heights in San Francisco after he and his mother moved out of the Tenderloin, Champelli notes: “I remember my brother growing [cannabis] in our mom’s kitchen pantry. It was basically lit with skylights, that’s where the plants, the dishes, the cat, and the litterbox were. This is when I was in elementary school, and that was the time I first tried smoking.”

He scraped up whatever dried leaves he could find at home left over from his brother’s grow and tried to roll it up with his homies in elementary school, eventually proceeding to smoke anything he could find out of the spice rack. He then started his journey growing in the very same pantry where his brother had cultivated, working with seeds from cannabis that he bought, even though his mother was “totally opposed to it and raising hell about me trying to grow.” Now this is where it starts to get spicy. By the time he went to high school in the late 1980’s, Champelli had been introduced to a friend of his brother’s, “an old school smuggler type hippie from Mendocino. My brother Steven, RIP, took me up to his farm in the mid-80’s and I got to see a working cannabis farm, which was highly illegal at this time. Later on My brother’s friend gave me cultivation tips, particularly that cutting down light would encourage bud development.” This was where the young grower started pioneering light deprivation.

“I started bringing the plants from the kitchen pantry down into the basement at 6pm and depriving them of light and then bringing them back up,” Champelli describes. “That’s called

Champelli: The Culture’s Cultivator

By Adam Ali If you really want to learn about cannabis, you have to grow. I’ll die on that hill. Cannabis growersAKA cultivatorsare incredible. Being a grower means you’re pretty much MacGyver. That’s what it means for someone like Champelli, who’s done it all in his 37-odd years in the cannabis culture. “I’ve been immersed in so many different facets of the plant from day one,” Champelli says. There’s not too many people who can flout his experience of the early days in the cannabis mecca of San Francisco, where it all began. The legendary cultivator, whose name and eponymous strain have been immortalized in hip hop over the past several decades, is such a giant precisely because he has done and can do it all. Cultivators may in fact be the most important part of the supply chainwithout growers, where would all the cannabis come from? He believes everyone who touches the culture has had a hand in shaping its destiny and community from the earliest pioneers to the newest gold rush of people coming into the industry.

Because of years of prohibition, growers have become some of the hardest people to find in the cannabis supply chain. But back in the 90’s (before Berner and Sherbinski), “Champelli” was the name on everyone’s tongue. The name was heard from your local plug to the legendary Snoop Dogg, and the Champelli strain was referenced in rap tracks by artists such as Mac Dre, Memphis Bleek, The Jacka, Beanie Sigel and so many others. As it turns out, Champelli got into music production from a young age and went on to start his own record label, Champelli Ent., in the mid 90’s; he was running with the West Coast’s best hip hop artists and creatives starting in his teens, developing beats for Mac Dre, San Quinn, Gonzoe and Bad Azz among others.

Over the years, he’s added production on songs for Wiz Khalifa, Gucci Mane, Young Dolph, Berner, Styles P and B-Real of Cypress Hill to his resumé. How could a producer of an (at the time) illicit product be known coast to coast?

To get the answers, we spoke to the man himself. Honeysuckle met with Champelli (born Joseph Rutherford) at his latest brand headquarters in San Francisco, California. Champelli was born in Spain but raised in the Bay Area when his mother moved back to the U.S. The youngest of five brothers, he grew up in San Francisco’s Tenderloin neighborhood. San Francisco would soon be considered a plant haven for the young Champelli; however, his first memories of cannabis go back to Amsterdam in the

New Orleans for rapper Juvenile’s birthday in 1999 and hanging with him in the Magnolia Projects, plus numerous parties with B.G.,Turk and the then-teenage Lil Wayne. Or there was the time when he got to hear The Blueprint album in Miami on Star Island before its release which JAY-Z played for him personally!

He recalls “Throughout the late 90’s, the whole Roc A Fella crew always showed me mad love and I have nothing but respect for them, some of the realest in the game to date.” There was also the memory of smoking Champelli at P. Diddy’s Christmas party and rubbing elbows with some of the largest hip hop artists and moguls of the time. “New York in the 90’s was different,” Champelli recalls. “I remember being in a club another time, dancing next to Diddy with girls smoking ‘The Pelli’ listening to ‘I Got 5 On It’ from Luniz, everyone tripping out because no one was smoking giant joints in the clubs in New York at that time.”

It’s suddenly clear why Champelli succeeded. He wasn’t just part of the culture; he was the culture. But that came to an abrupt halt in 2001. “I got a tip from a lawyer friend who basically recommended that I should leave the country, due to me being adjacent to some other people’s legal issues that I kind of got caught up in,” the icon explains. Despite the fact that he’d just finished building a music studio and “ had my record label in full swing with a lot of planned project releases and was doing my thing at the time,” the cultivator decided to leave the U.S. “It was kind of an interesting human zen experience… a lesson on being able to let go of literally everything: family, material possessions, etc.” He spent almost ten years out of the country, and during that time his iconic strain disappeared with him. Often imitated, never duplicated, Champelli was still immortalized in cannabis culture and urban myth and lore. The man himself returned just before the federal statute of limitations came into effect for his warrant. Arrested soon after his arrival back to the States, Champelli was then charged for conspiracy to distribute marijuana and served six months in prison. “[Six months] isn’t a ton of time considering people do, or are doing, time and years for cannabis still,” he reflects. “But serving any time for a plant that nature gave us with so many positive benefits seems unjust. So it is an issue that’s close to my heart and I try to be active where I’m able to as far as bringing light to the injustices in cannabis reform and legalization in general.”

So what’s next for Champelli? He’s taken a backseat for now on direct cultivation, though he’s focused on his brand and phenohunting. His new mission: Taking popular strains of today’s market and crossing them with old school seed stock pushing them to bring back flavors that were lost with time.

light dep now, which is a super common practice. Back then, hardly anybody in cannabis was thinking about light dep at all.”

Definitely the pioneering days for sure! Light deprivation is the process of triggering the plant’s flowering cycle by cutting its light (or sun) exposure down. This allows cultivators to really dial in their plants and effectively manage them. An extremely common practice today, it’s wild to think this man was working with these then-experimental techniques on a highly illicit plant in the late 1980’s when everything about cannabis was highly illegal and underground guerilla style.

“It started with just smoking and buying to smoke for myself and my buddies,” Champelli explains. “And then it turns into, well, how can I sustain this? Weed is expensive so you pool together with some friends to buy an eighth or a 10 sack, everybody pitches in. At that point…you put two and two together. You buy from somebody you know, share it with a friend and charge ‘em an extra five bucks and save yourself five bucks.”

And those, my friends, are the exact same reasons why I started hustling in college and the reasons why my buddies started growing. It’s literally a story as old as timestart flipping to support your habit. Except Champelli’s people were different; they were buying at $400 an ounce, in 1988, of the weed he was personally growing and naming! He quickly realized he could make real money doing this. That, combined with love of the plant and teenage energy fueled his journey to become the man we know him as today. He dropped out of high school as a junior and got an apartment on his own when battling with his mother about cannabis and hustling out of the house came to a head. Taking the only place that would rent to him, a broken-down unit on 69 Woodward Street amid multiple crack houses, Champelli started his first proper indoor grow in 1991. One of the top strains he had was called Ant Juice: “I named it the Ant Juice because it had all these little ants getting caught in the crystals of the weed. And the taste was super unique. Nothing like today. A lot of strains were lost through time. Back then people didn’t quite have the foresight to keep genetics around and keep ‘em going, it was so underground and illegal, no one thought stuff would disappear so quickly. So a lot of stuff was lost. But these particular genetics were just amazing…So I was already branding and naming stuff back then.”

Of Champelli’s “branded” strains“branded” in quotes because he branded both the cannabis and himselfhis most legendary would be the Champagne strain. It evolved a few times to eventually settle on Champelli, a strain that found its way into the hands of extreme sports athletes, rappers, and other artists from coast to coast. Partially through his involvement with the music and art scenes, Champelli achieved an explosive underground success in the mid-to-late 90’s. Among his “holy shit moments” of hanging with hip hop royalty, he remembers flying to the House of Blues in

“Yeah, I actually still have seeds of the original Champagne…I’ve kind of just been holding out waiting for the right situation to crack ‘em.”

“I named it the Ant Juice because it had all these little ants getting caught in the crystals of the weed. And the taste was super unique.”

When asked about the original Champelli strain, he admits, “Yeah, I actually still have seeds of the original Champagne…I’ve just been holding out waiting for the right situation to crack ‘em. A lot of it is just my own trust issues with where I decide to crack it. It’s a lot to maintain genetics and I don’t currently have my own nursery that I really have full control of. I have a couple partner nurseries that I work with, but for something like that, I’d really like to own my own space to crack those and vet ‘em out.”

His focus is not on high THC, but the perfect terpene profile: “Terpenes are a major thing to me. They play a huge role in the medicine and how you experience cannabis. The energy and the insight, everything that it gives you is through the terpenes. The fact that high THC is being pushed by the industry so heavily is misguided and misinformed. You can smoke a strain of 35 percent THC and not get high at all, whereas a strain with 17 percent will get you super high.”

Champelli treats cannabis just like his art and music. He often equates different plant traits to various visuals or sounds he likes, and he intends to remix modern strains with his classic strains to add to the genetic diversity and create new flavors we haven’t experienced yet.

The artist has also continued to go strong with music production and visual creation. Among his current projects, he’s working with several reggae artists including Kalihi, with whom he just released the singles “Moonshine” and “Whine In Champelli Tree Mix.” As a record label, he has “at least 150 unreleased songs” that he did with Bay Area artists in the late 90’s, not including his previous album releases from that period, which he’s steadily trickling to an eager public.

Champelli is dialing in the brand’s supply chain and partnering with different licenseholding entities. Though the innovator notes his company is marketing, branding and genetics-focused for the moment, he says the ultimate goal is to pursue cultivation licenses and strategic partnerships to eventually become vertical. It will only serve to grow the legend of Champelli as he and his team gear up to develop more and release some existing remarkable strains.

His Champelli lifestyle brand now offers clothing as well, which has always been part of the brand ethos even from it’s early days. “I’ve always been passionate about fashion, design and creating. Every medium is an opportunity for me to express myself, whether it’s designing a new cut and sew piece for the clothing line, or creating a new strain cross and bag design. I truly enjoy the process of creating and I apply all my skills from producing music to painting and even cooking; it’s all just making art to me in different forms.”

“In the creation of my cut and sew pieces I’ve been trying to find ways to reduce the brands footprint and move away from the fast fashion model; for example, in my retrograde line of jackets I used almost all upcycled materials from my manufacturers warehouse. They used to do the original cut and sew for The North Face before they became what they are today. So the retrograde jackets are literally old North Face nylon material from the 80’s. Even down to the zippers, excluding the embroidery and the labels, which were new production. Trying to find a way as a brand to do our part as it aligns with my own beliefs of reducing, reusing and recycling wherever possible. Cannabis also has a large ecological footprint, from its power usage to petroleum-based nutrients and petroleum-based packaging. Moving forward as an industry, I think it’s our job to accept accountability and take steps towards reducing our impact on the environment. We’re using a piece of plastic that will be here for thousands of years for a quick transaction that is later discarded a few minutes later after consumption. I believe it starts with awareness and education and brands should be on the forefront of finding solutions wherever possible.”

Champelli pieces are designed to encapsulate the uniqueness of the musicskateboarding-graffiti-art influences that made the icon himself what he is. If you want some new threads, check out his website at https://champelli.co/

Sharing some wisdom on what’s truly important for the cannabis industry from a justice and culturally honorable viewpoint, Champelli adds, “A lot of the prisoners who are still locked up are the people who paved the way for this whole culture and this billion dollar industry to exist! A lot of those stories, lessons and messages are getting lost in the hustle and bustle of consumption and the material side of the cannabis industry now. We need to make sure these stories are maintained and heard. We should be using [cannabis] to balance our lives and respect the Earth and Mother Nature. That’s what I believe its real purpose is [and] even mushrooms have that same message if you really tune in. There’s so many people that had a hand early on that were inspirations to me. Whether it was early jazz musicians who were huge proponents in promoting the herb and the medicine through their music, or going back to Indigenous people and their ceremonies. The connection to this plant dates back thousands and thousands of years.”

In this ever evolving industry, Champelli has maintained cultural relevance and continues to push the envelope while paying homage to those before him.

To keep up with all things Champelli, check out his social media channels @ Champelli and @Champelli.co.

JESUS GATOR

Cover Page: Hayley Williams Paramore

KourtneyKardashian Lemme

Hell Is Not Living Your Truth

By Eden Gordon

Alligator Jesus is a difficult person to track down. The first time we speak, he’s unexpectedly been called to help out with a show. The second time we manage to connect, he’s recovering from a bout of bronchitis, stopping our conversation now and then to handle shipments arriving in his Los Angeles studio and preparing for another night in the life of one of the rising stars in the statement jewelry business today.

In part, he’s crunched for time because everyone seems to want a piece of him, from friends who wander in for quick chats that turn hours-long to A-list stars. “At some point in the week, I know I’m going to be called upon by a Doja or a Lil Nas, and they’re going to need me somewhere,” he says. “I’m just ready to fly and go anywhere at any time.”

Doja Cat and Lil Nas X are just two of the names on his glittery list of clientele. The shipments that arrive during our conversation are for a piece for Demi Lovato; he’s planning on shipping it to his mom in Miami, who will hand-deliver it at Lovato’s show over the weekend. He’ll be delivering her a custom-made pair of grillz, his trademark at the moment. In addition to crafting them for the likes of Megan Thee Stallion and Bad Bunny, he made the golden plates on Robert Pattinson’s teeth that appear on his blond, bruised March 2022 GQ cover. Their glint is at the center of an image that would go on to sell out magazines worldwide, multiple times.

Alligator (born David Tamargo) has been a creative force behind a number of groundbreaking projects like that shoot, but he hasn’t always been credited for his work. Back in his days as president of the Fine Arts Student Association at Miami’s Florida International University, he launched a series of film events, trying to develop a scene to counter New York and LA’s gravitational pull. “I would rent out these theaters,” he said.”We would all just come together and show our shitty films.” The project garnered some funding from nonprofits, and soon Miami directors took notice. “That’s how we ended up introducing Tarell McCrainey and Barry Jenkins,” Alligator says. “They went on to do a short film with me and my friends.”

Later on in LA, McCrainey and Jenkins asked Alligator to help out with their low-budget full-length film. “It was scrappy. We made it happen,” he says. “I was like, hey, you know what, I’ll do all this work. Just give me an associate producer credit or something.”

That film would go on to become “Moonlight,” which won Best Picture at the Academy Awards in 2019. The assistant producer credit never materialized.

This was becoming a pattern. “I’m in my 30s and I’m continuing to do this,” he recalls. “There was even a relationship that ended because my girlfriend was like, ‘Yeah, I don’t see a future with you. You always get fucked over by people.”

So Alligator turned to jewelry, realizing he had more control over his narrative when shaping precious stones and metals with his hands than making intangible stories happen behind the scenes. Today, in addition to grillz, he makes everything from pins to necklaces to hats, drawing on themes ranging from naked bodies to ancient relics.

He found his first major client through synchronicities. As a kid in Miami in the mid-’90s, he taught himself to code using his college professor father’s computer. He was also a big fan of Insane Clown Posse, and one day he reached out via email to the band, proposing that he help them with an event. They responded, and Alligator found himself with boxes of ICP merch, planning a party the band would later promote on their website.

In 2017, he had backstage access to an ICP show, and the band’s manager recognized him from their collaboration when he was 13. They started talking; Alligator said he made jewelry. The band happened to need jewelry, and their partnership was born.

Eventually ICP got “greedy,” Alligator says, and they went their separate ways. But ICP’s impact on him remained, both in the success of his brand and because of the fact that his early experiences with them were the start of a long love affair with DIY culture. “I aligned myself with an underground, and that’s

really where I came out of and embrace still,” he says. “Even though I may work with the Beyonces and Madonnas, I still am an underground artist.”

His first love was photography, though he initially dabbled in jewelry at FIU. “When I first started off with this weird jewelry, people hated it,” he says. “I started making this giant, clunky, sculptural — it looks like shit from the ‘60s — surrealist stuff. Everyone’s like telling you, that’s not jewelry. You can’t wear that, it’s too big. You know, I was always destined to be making statement pieces and stuff for red carpets.”

At the same time, the stage was calling. At a show by his thengirlfriend’s father, an Afro-Cuban Santeria musician, he remembers seeing an old woman in the crowd. “She started jumping up in the air, and [doing] jumping jacks,” he says. “This fucking woman was just using a walker, and now her eyes are rolled up into the back of her head, and she’s doing all these crazy movements because she’s possessed.” His respect for music’s power to move people — often literally — inspired him to pursue performance art, and he began touring as a hype man alongside Miami icon Otto Van Schirach and exploring solo projects.

That’s how he found himself following two guides deep into the Florida wilderness. They were looking for an alligator to wrestle as

Deochii Grill

Jaylah Hickman

part of an immersive experimental art project called “Feats of Masculinity.” The experience was “less glamorous” than he expected; the gator seemed to just want to be left alone.

Afterwards, his guides moved to kill the creature, but Alligator stopped them. On the boat ride home, they christened him Alligator Jesus, and the moniker that would become the brand was born.

In LA, he built his following at underground events, spending every Saturday for months making grillz at an all-night BDSM party. “I saw a need for an entire underground community that wanted this kind of custom jewelry,” he says.

Years later, he’s still injecting bits of underground subversiveness into the mainstream and nurturing it where he finds it. He’s friends with Lil Nas X, who he sees as “operating in the way of an underground artist that’s always striving to prove himself, because of his message and who he is.” They met when Lil Nas came over for a mold for Halloween grillz, and wound up “hanging out for three hours” and talking about the art of great music videos, which led Alligator to bring up Hieronymus Bosch’s “Garden of Earthly Delights.”

“I have a very strong connection to that painting.

I told him, it’s a story told in three acts — a panel that is heaven, the panel that is Earth and hedonism, and the panel that is hell and judgment,” Alligator says. They spent a

it, Alligator proposing that “hell is not living in your truth.”

When he received the treatment for Lil Nas X’s “Call Me By Your Name (Montero)” video,

three acts: heaven, earthly hedonism, and hell, a mirror of Bosch’s triptych.

Nas X wears in the single’s cover art, which evokes the heavenly part of the

down a stripper’s pole and seduces the devil in a magnificently radical

he’s naked except for a few pieces of Alligator’s jewelry, as well as, of course,

In the future, Alligator plans on moving towards fashion. “We’ll continue to do grillz and jewelry. But I want to be a full service space,” he says. His 4000-foot LA warehouse is on its way to becoming a 24-hour showroom hosting everything from Met Gala dress designers’ work to 3D-printed shoes.

He’s planning on seeing Lil Nas X the day after we speak. In the evening, he was invited to a friend’s show at the Hollywood Bowl; tomorrow he’ll meet up with a Russian band called Highest Peak on their first U.S. tour. He also might have to drop everything after getting a call from the likes of Bad Bunny or SpaceX, both of whom have reached out with rush orders before.

When it comes to picking the artists he wants to feature and work with, though, names aren’t the most important thing. Above all, Alligator wants to collaborate with the people he’s always vibed with — “people who still have a very personal connection [to the art] and aren’t just about their money,” he says. “The ones that really truly respect what they do. Those are the ones I really want to work with and continue to make innovative, cool things with.”

For more about Alligator Jesus, visit alligatorjesus. com or follow @alligatorjesus on Instagram.

Left: Doja Cat Grillz

while discussing

it was framed around

Alligator designed the jewelry Lil

video — the part before Lil Nas falls

display of queer subversion. In the image,

intricate custom grillz.

KISS KISS

SHANNON HOEY

Getting Haute: Couture Queen Shannon Hoey of New York Vintage

Interview

and Photos

By Sam C. Long

Shannon Hoey may be the queen of vintage clothing, but she’s an ul tra-modern working woman. We caught Hoey, the co-founder and CEO/ Creative Director of New York Vintage, just as she was flying to Peru for a project with Madonna and wrapping up a Fashion Week collaboration with avant-garde icon Suzanne Bartsch. For this innovative stylist, it’s all in a day’s work.

Hoey has dressed everyone from Beyonce and Lady Gaga to Michelle Obama. She and business partner Jon Schneck established New York Vin tage in 1999, a museum-quality clothing collection of designer vintage fashion that makes its rental showroom available only to those in the fash ion and entertainment industries. Pieces from their collection have been worn in films like Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby and on TV shows in cluding Sex and the City and Boardwalk Empire, as well as featured on the pages of countless top magazines such as Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Harper’s Bazaar. The New York Vintage Archive, a digital fashion tool, makes cre ative inspirations available to designers and fashion industry professionals. But beyond her work in making pretty people even more glamorous, Hoey is a master artist with an impressive knowledge of fashion history. Bold, brassy and brilliant in the classic sense of Old Hollywood leading ladies, she has a star power all her own that blows you away - a genuine fashion pioneer skilled in reimagining past designs and taking them right into the future. (And if you need more proof, just check out her work on Mellow Rackz’s look in our cover story!)

HONEYSUCKLE MAGAZINE: Why did you choose to work with vin tage fashion?

SHANNON HOEY: There’s a lot of reasons why [I chose] vintage fashion. You’re saving the planet. Everybody’s on this sustainability kick right now and we’ve been pio neers in this industry for 20 years, recycling the past and dressing the stars. [Vintage is] exclusive. It’s personal, it’s political, it’s not easily attainable, depending on the garment you’re looking for. So you’re not showing up in Us Weekly as a “Who Wore It Best?” situation.

What is your inspiration?

Fantasy is my inspiration. Working with creatives or cre ating looks or building out sets that tell a story that are fantastical and are reimagined through vin tage.

What would you say is a signature piece of yours?

What’s sexy to you?

More is sexy. More is more. Sexy for me is not bodycon dresses or [being] half-naked. It’s more about the mystery of what’s underneath. The layering upon layering, upon layering. That’s sexy.

So if I came to New York Vintage and wanted to look down to fuck, like super dripping sexy, how would you style me?

Who are some of the photographers and fashion houses you love working with now or would like to work with someday?

The collection spans 150 years, so I have signa ture pieces from every decade. I can probably name at least one signature piece per decade. For example, I really love all the Paco Rabanne in our collection. His use of unconventional materials that were never used in fashion before. For me, it’s about pushing limits and overcoming bound aries in the fash ion world. So, I mean, Paco Ra banne against Schiaparelli - the oddities, the conversa tion pieces, the things that you don’t see on a day-to-day ba sis. That’s truly the art of fash ion for me. I work very closely with Gucci. I love working with them - I think that they are really strong in the fashion game and I quite enjoy [their projects]. I would love to work with Schiapparelli. I have not done so yet. But my interest in fashion and my passion for it began with Schiappar elli, the surre alism and the outlandish, very Dali-esque inspired looks. Works of art, really, is what that is. For pho tographers in fashion, I love working with all of them. But a few standouts - Steven Klein, Terry Richard son, Tim Walk er. Tim Walk er’s amazing, working with proportions, and again, fan tasy and story telling.

How would you describe your personal style?

Very androgynous. When have you seen a fashion designer walk down the runway after a show in couture or in their own collection? I’m a jeans and T-shirt kind of girl. For me, my clients and the creators I work with - that’s my canvas. But for my personal style, it’s very androgynous. It’s avant-garde, it’s architectural, it’s structural, very masculine. I did wear a cocktail dress the other day, but it had this trained cape that just went to the floor. And I like very strong silhouettes.

What is the future of fashion and where are you and New York Vintage in that evolution?

Again, just layer ing it on. We have all that in our show room. We have those piecesdrippy, sexy rhine stones and crystals, that are ac cessible in our show room. So we would just layer it on. Oh, I think we’re all going to have avatars. It’s going to be very technical and every thing will be digital with the NFTs. We will buy [clothes digitally] and have avatars. And where am I in it?

Really, my focus right now is building out New York Vintage Archive, which is a design and media resource for the fashion industry and other creatives to be able to source vintage and utilize pieces from our collections that span 150 years. It’s for profession als’ creative proj ects and their use, whether that’s film, TV, media,

By Mary Gehlhar

While clothing made of hemp may still conjure up images of Woodstock-era harem pants and flowing boho tunics, the need for more sustainable choices in fashion is prompting designers to upgrade hemp from its hippie heritage to the world of high fashion.

Fashion vs. the planet

Behind all those Instagram trends from “norm core” to “coastal grandmother”, is the fact that fashion is one of the most polluting industries in the world. Huge amounts of water, chemicals pesticides and fertilizers are required to grow and process the plants which eventually become our #OOTD. Cotton is an especially thirsty fiber and it takes approximately 713 gallons of water just to make a single cotton tee shirt. But hemp fiber, made from the stem of the cannabis plant, is a highly sustainable crop that grows quickly and requires little water and no fertilizer or pesticides. The plant gives nutrients back to the soil and the fiber is easy to color with non-toxic natural dyes.

Hemp is back in fashion

Now that farmers can plant hemp again, the fashion industry is rediscovering and re inventing this remarkable fiber. Pure hemp fabric feels like linen, and it softens quickly the more it is washed and worn. Many designers are mixing hemp with organic cotton and even silk to create different weights and textures. Hemp is also one of the strongest and most durable natural fibers, and can be easily machine washed and dried. Accord ing to the Council of Fashion Designers of America, hemp fabric can keep you warm in winter, cool in the summer and it is resistant to mold, mildew and even UV rays from the sun.

The Designers

New York based designer Mara Hoffman is a pioneer in sustainable fashion and has been including hemp in her collections for years.

HEMP in high fashion

So why aren’t we all wearing hemp?

As you probably know, the U.S. has a long and politicized history with hemp. George Washington and Thomas Jefferson both grew hemp and even the very first American flag by Betsy Ross was made from hemp fiber. But hemp production decreased dramat ically when the cotton gin was invented in 1794, making cotton easier (and therefore more profitable) to harvest.

Money was the motivation in the 1930s when hemp was demonized by two powerful businessmen. Publisher William Randolph Hearst was invested in thousands of acres of forest land, which provided his newspaper empire with wood-based paper versus the cheaper and more durable hemp paper.

Lammot du Pont was head of the chemical company DuPont, where polyester and ny lon fibers were first created, opening the door to a new synthetic clothing market that our activewear lifestyle is still expanding today.

According to author Jack Herer, who wrote the fittingly named book The Emperor Wears No Clothes, du Pont lobbied the U.S. Treasury Department to slow hemp pro duction. Then Harry J. Anslinger, the first commissioner of the Treasury Department’s Federal Bureau of Narcotics, lumped hemp and cannabis together and created a racist campaign to blame them for violent crime and insanity. Hearst’s wood-based magazines and newspapers spread the propaganda far and wide until they all got what they wanted in 1937, when the US government banned hemp production making it illegal until 2018.

Her hemp pieces range from structured jackets and high waisted pants to flowing skirts and voluminous dresses. The flirty Raya crop top with its full sculptural sleeves takes ad vantage of the linen-like crispness of hemp and along with the natural hues you might expect, her hemp also comes in bold tropical prints and colors.

The autumn/winter 2022 collection by London based designer Bethany Williams is entitled The Hands That Heal Us in honor of the makers and manufacturers who create the clothing. Overall the collection reflects the designers commitment to innovation and the environment in its use of cactus leather, bamboo silk and upcycled materials. The denim is where the hemp is, blended with recycled cotton for stand out shirt jack ets, jeans, dungarees and gilet vests.

LA based designer Reese Cooper keeps the community, education and the environment

core to his brand. His recent collaboration THE LEVI’S® X REESE COOPER® COL LECTION brings high-fashion to authentic workwear materials and construction. The collection of jeans, truckers, hoodies and tees include a patchwork chore coat and straight fit jean in indigo denim made from cottonized hemp.

While not a designer brand, I have to include Pangaia, the materials science company of designers, scientists, and technologists known for innovation in sustainable materials. They make fashion from plant based leather alternatives (as opposed to the many vegan leathers which are mostly plastic), recycled cashmere and fill their puffer jackets with down made from flowers instead of goose feathers. Pangaia also has a denim collec tion made from “rain-fed PANhemp™” which is blended with certified organic cotton and treated with their trademark PPRMINT™ Oil which controls odor and keeps the products fresh for longer. The hemp denim collection of jackets and jeans in multiple styles come in a rainbow range of colors from traditional light and dark indigo washes to bright flamingo pinks and jade green. They have the sizes to dress your kids in hemp and complete the look with hemp baseball and bucket hats and cross body bags.

Hemp can also be used to make shoes, but Nike proved it’s not just ‘Jesus’ sandals any more when their Air Force 1 “Hemp” styles dropped in early 2022. The shoe upper has a knitted texture made from hemp textile and soles made of recycled materials. When not in sneaker mode, luxury shoe designer Nicholas Kirkwood offers pearl detailed combat boots, fringed trimmed sandals and mules made from a blend of merino wool and hemp.

There are many more hemp and hemp blend items online from well-known designers Rick Owens, Yohji Yamamoto, Giorgio Armani and JW Anderson. Expect the selection to grow as more of the fashion forward commit to responsible threads, and whatever you choose you can always top it off with a charming and luxurious 60% hemp Hermes Cavale Pop Cap.

Mary Gehlhar is an educator and consultant on fashion entrepreneurship and sustain ability. She is author of the best-selling book The Fashion Designer Survival Guide and an advisor to the United Nations Conscious Fashion Campaign.

All photos from Fall and Spring 2022 Looks (C) Mara Hoffman

CYPHER STYLE

FIT Honors 50 Years of Hip Hop Fashion

Interview by Tracy Daniels

The Museum at FIT is celebrating the birth of hip hop fashion with the exhibit Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip Hop Style. Tracy Daniels sat down with co-curators Elizabeth Way, Associate Curator of Costume at The Museum at FIT and Elena Romero, Assistant Professor, Marketing Communications at FIT, to unpack one of fashion’s biggest global phenomenons and examine the core of hip hop’s style roots.

TRACY DANIELS: The words fresh, fly and fabulous are symbolic with hip hop style. What’s the meaning behind them?

ELENA ROMERO: I turn 50 [this year] along with hip hop, so I’m very much a part of the hip hop generation. I chose those words intentionally to describe a continuum of iconic moments in

Let’s talk about the exhibit. How do you design a space covering fifty years of hip hop style and get all these

Necklace: Chanel, Fall 1991. The Museum at FIT. Gift of Depuis 1924 (C) The Museum at FIT. Shoe: Nike, Air Jordan 10, 1985. The Museum at FIT. Gift of Nike, Inc. (C) The Museum at FIT.

ELIZABETH WAY: We are really, really lucky to work with designer Courtney Sloane, who also worked on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 25 Year Anniversary of Hip Hop exhibition. So the perfect person, really. And she conceptualized our space in three different ways. We have an introductory space where we explore the beginnings of hip hop style. In that first section, we have a space that looks at the club scene and what’s happening there. And we have a section that looks at fashion and media, because hip hop and media really conspire to use fashion to promote hip hop. Our main section is split into two themes. The largest piece is called “Around the Way” and is where the large majority of our sub-themes are located. We look at early style, the influence of Black pride from the seventies to now. We look at important categories that have been influential in hip hop. For example, outerwear is a huge centerpiece of hip hop style in so many instances. We look at the color pink and how different artists, men and women, have used it to transgress respectability politics and other kinds of cultural barriers. We look at the baggy years, the sports influence. And then we have a section that looks at celebrity style and stage style which kind of meld together these looks that I think people will get really excited about. For example, we’re borrowing Aaliyah’s colorblocked bandeau and baggy jeans ensemble from Tommy Hilfiger, which is an iconic look. We have Kanye West’s pink polo as another example of styles hip hop artists made popular in mainstream fashion. And then our back section is our red carpet section,

50 years ago, it was all about

Tracksuit: Dapper Dan of Harlem for The Roots, 2009. The Museum at FIT. Loan from Rebecca Pietri. (C) The Museum at FIT.

WAY:

I mean,

What can you tell us about some of the iconic pieces in the exhibit?

WAY: We’re very lucky to have pieces representing key moments in hip hop fashion. We have a custom jacket from 1987 created by legendary Harlem tailor Dapper Dan. We have pieces from Shirt King Phade, April Walker, Cross Colours and Karl Kani. We have some custom pieces that 5001 Flavors made for Missy Elliot. Looking at important industry moments, we have a piece from the Sean John Fall 2008 collection. Sean “P Diddy” Combs was the first Black designer to win a CFDA [Council of Fashion Designers of America] Award in 2004 and he really broke open this idea that not just hip hop celebrities, but celebrities in general, could be serious designers. It really changed the way the fashion industry interacted with artists as designers, especially hip hop artists. We have examples from labels like Louis Vuitton, Gucci and Christian Dior, which hip hop artists and practitioners were regularly remixing and adapting into their style. We’re really excited to show a Versace ensemble that Lil Nas X wore to the Grammys. We have some beautiful pieces worn by Cardi B. We’re also looking at the influence of sports on fashion. But, we’re not just displaying sports jerseys, we’re looking at how FUBU took the sports jersey and made it a signature of their design. Our goal is to create these kinds of conversations with the pieces in the exhibition.

Walk us through the origins of hip hop style.

ROMERO: Fashion and ideas of success were being communicated to us from a White gaze and urban youth had to find a way to add their own unique flavor to what was popular at the time. Some of the early adopted brands came from mixed elements- a combination that was part fantasy and part what was attainable. It was about communicating to the world the idea of never wanting to look like we didn’t have anything.

So it became very aspirational.

ROMERO: Absolutely! That was the key to looking fresh, you know, dressing crisp and clean, so as not to be labeled poor or othered. It’s like living beyond our means as a way to be socially accepted. And we did that through fashion. The brands that we wore reflected this idea of being as close to the grass is greener without actually being on that lawn. Then we began to have our own entrepreneurs, unsung heroes like April Walker from Brooklyn, Karl Kani, Carl Jones and T. J. Walker of Cross Colours out in LA, and Maurice Malone in Detroit. These early designers decided to create brands addressing the needs of the African-American and Latino consumer. They addressed issues of comfort and fit by adapting their clothes to our varying body forms. Because brands we saw on television and in advertisements back then didn’t necessarily fit us, they were slimmer cuts for slender

Hollywood movie stars, but today it’s hip hop stars who are pushing fashion forward.

ROMERO: The same artists who were onced shunned on Rodeo Drive are now the ones sitting in the front row of every major fashion show internationally.

Right!

Black and Brown people created this style and with this exhibit we want people to understand where it came

bodies. This was long before the current body positivity we’re finally seeing from mainstream brands.

How has hip hop fashion been categorized and labeled over the years?

ROMERO: Hip hop style has been called everything from “ethnic” and “Black” to “urban,” which became an acceptable term during its commercialization up until the early 2000s. Today, it’s morphed into the broader category of streetwear. And as such, you now wonder if we’re starting to erase the original roots of the style because it’s getting watered down with all these other subcultures of fashion and influences.

WAY: This idea of watering it down, I think in some ways the genie is out of the bottle and there’s no way that we can pull it back. That’s why it’s so important to Elena and me, with exhibitions like this, that we show people where it came from. It’s not that we don’t want K-Pop to exist, but as the culture evolves we want those people and those fans to understand that this is actually a take off of hip hop and its origins lie within American Black and Brown youth culture.

How have female artists, like Mary J. Blige and Lil Kim, influenced hip hop fashion?

ROMERO: As we saw more women succeed in hip hop and move through the channels of commercialization, the fashion industry reacted to that. Cardi B is a great example through her collaboration with the late Thierry Mugler. It reflects the evolution of female artists having access to work with any designer of their choosing. And now we’re seeing brands offering not only women’s brands, but also a wide range of fits and silhouettes to accommodate our sensibilities.

WAY: Today the biggest hip hop fashion stars are definitely women. We think about the Met Gala and how many of those hip hop artists are the stars of the show. And they’re not just wearing beautiful gowns, they’re wearing avant garde styles that are pushing fashion forward.

I’m suddenly reminded of the time Diana Ross cupped Lil’ Kim’s breast on the red carpet.

ROMERO: (Laughs) I was there, I remember this event quite well. I was covering the VMAs in 1999 for the fashion trade newspaper

Hat:Kangoi,2022.The

(C)The MuseumatFIT.

CollectionofEileenCosta.

Daily News Record (DNR). That was one of the first times that you really saw the spotlight on a hip hop stylist, even though Misa Hylton had been dressing Lil’ Kim for years. Stylists like Misa should be given a lot of credit because they were infusing not only what was being seen in the streets, but also mixing luxury and contemporary designs that were not readily accessible to these young people that were making the music.

It was groundbreaking because early hip hop women often wore male brands, like TLC known for wearing Cross Colours. In that moment we went from baggy to high fashion and pasties!

ROMERO: And we haven’t gone back! How can we see the exhibit?

WAY: The exhibition opens on February 8, 2023 at The Museum at FIT in New York and will run through April 23rd. Leading up to the exhibition opening in November 2022, we’ll have programs with guest speakers like Misa Hylton and we’re working with the Apollo Theater on a program with choreographers from the Hip Hop Dance Conservatory (H+) and Keep Rising to the Top (KR3Ts) dance company. During the run of the exhibition in spring 2023, The Museum at FIT will host a symposium. If you’re a true hip hop head, fashion aficionado or even history buff, you don’t want to miss it!

ROMERO: Best of all, the symposium and the exhibit are free and open to the public.

WAY: Yes, and we hope everyone will check out our accompanying book published by Rizzoli coming out February 7, 2023. It will include hip hop fashion’s fifty-year history along with some beautiful photos.

Fresh, Fly, and Fabulous: Fifty Years of Hip hop Style opens February 8, 2023, at The Museum at FIT, 227 West 27th Street at 7th Avenue. For more information about the exhibit and other events go to https://www. fitnyc.edu/museum/ exhibitions/ hip-hop-style. php

Museum at FIT.at FIT.

Museum at FIT. Gift of Rebecca Pietri. (C) The

Jacket: Shearling Jacket, 1970s-1980s. The

Rapper Berner and the globally-renowned Cookies, through their merchandise brand CookiesSF, opened their

latest store on October 30, 2022 in the heart of Manhattan’s Herald Square shopping district, right across from

Macy’s. This is the first flagship retail location that Cookies has launched in New York. A line wrapped around the

block, awaiting the blue-ribbon cutting at high noon. The store at 958 6th Avenue stocks clothing and CBD/hemp

bigvibestotheBigApple.”

products, but none with THC. “This will NOT be a dispensary selling any THC products until we legally can,” the

company notes. “This is a huge move for CookiesSF and solidifies us as one of the most recognized streetwear

brands in the world,” Cookies co-founder Berner said in a press release. “This location is iconic for so many

reasons. We plan on doing some incredible things. We’ve hired some really cool employees and plan on bringing

CookiesSF started as a single shop in San Francisco in 2011, five years before cannabis was legalized in California,

where Berner (né Gilbert Milam Jr.) is from. One of the fastest-growing multi-state operators in cannabis, Cookies

now has more than 50 stores in 10 legal states. Major advancements in this growth have been made in just the past twoyears.In2021,thecompanyopeneditsfirstEastCoastdispensariesthroughapartnershipwithTerrAscendinNew Jersey;laterthatyear,itachievedamilestonewiththeveryfirstCookiesconsumptionloungeintheUnitedStates,locatedin Coalinga, California and partnered with Evidence, a brand founded by the Dalton family and reggae icon Damian Marley. This summer, CookiesenteredtheFloridamarket-saidtobethefastest-growingstateformedicalcannabis-withitsinauguraldispensaryinMiami.The brand is also known for offering customers over 150 proprietary cannabis varieties and product lines. These encompass everything from InflowerandvapestoCBDandmedicinalmushrooms,withnewitemsdebutingregularly.However,Cookiesisnotyetpubliclytraded. bearecentcoverstoryinForbes,Bernercommented:“Legalizationisjustgettingstarted...It’sgoingtoplayoutlikealcoholplayedout.There’sonlygoingto a few players... This is survival of the fittest.” Berner is the fourth wealthiest hip-hop performer, according to Zack O’Malley Greenburg at Substack.

Greenburg worked at Forbes and has long tallied wealth in hip-hop. Berner follows Jay-Z ($1.5 billion), Sean Diddy ($1 billion) and Ye ($500 million) with

$410million.

Greenburgsummarizes:“TheBayArearapper’sCookiescannabisempiresells70strainsofweedand2,000differentmarijuana-related products across its 48 stores in seven countries and 20 U.S. states. It’s also the foundation of Berner’s fortune, thanks to an unusual business

structure that could one day allow him to buy out local partners and create a unified multibillion-dollar cannabis conglomerate. He’s managedtoretainanestimated30%stakeinthecompany.Withlegalizationcomingtomoreandmorestates-andperhapstheentireU.S.eventually - he’s uniquely positioned.”

“If it goes federal, and the market wants to see us with all these stores and production, then we’ll roll ‘em all up,” Greenburg says

Berner told him earlier this year. “So we’re achieving what these other companies are doing without having to put up our

own capital.”Cookies was listed by AdAge as one of America’s Hottest Brands of 2021, a first for a cannabis brand. Berner

also received an honorary award at the recent 2022 Clio Cannabis ceremony in Las Vegas. This special honor goes to an

individual whose creative contributions have shaped popular culture, championed the benefits of cannabis and pavedthewayforbetterunderstandingofthemarketplace.“I’vebeenputinaboxmywholeandstereotypedbecause[of] whatIdoforaliving,thisfeltgood,”BernerwroteonhisInstagramaccountafteracceptingtheaward. AsBernertoldHoneysuckleinourexclusiveinterviewlastyear,histrueblessingandfavoritepartabouthiswork with Cookies is “bringing people together, putting our genetics all around the world, sharing some of the best

weed in the world.” Now that he’s taken New York, where if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere, it

seemsBerneriswellontracktohelpusallliveinaglobalCookiesjar.Howdeliciousisthat?

*A version of this article originally appeared on CelebStoner.com and repurposedherewithpermissionfromCelebStonerandSteveBloom.

For

Native New Yorkers:

Buddy’s

Bodega

A premium cannabis delivery service and globally recognized brand, Buddy’s Bodega was born in the heart of the Big Apple in 2018, with the aspiration to curate the best menu for New Yorkers by New Yorkers. Featured in the New York Times, MSNBC, High Times, Leafly, and of course Honeysuckle, Buddy’s Bodega is rooted in an understanding of what wows the East Coast consumer. Cofounders Byron Bronson and Lou Cantillo have maintained the company’s mission: Introducing top-quality products while educating, growing, and strengthening the cannabis community. Indeed, Buddy’s has become known for providing the “best of the best” in all product categories. This is partly to do with the brand’s close ties to California, where the highest caliber of cannabis is cultivated, and partly because the Buddy’s team knows how to mobilize their community for a good time. From championing accessible events like Soul Kitchen, to helping honor fellow advocates at the NYC Cannabis Awards and organize local education and health-focused gatherings, Buddy’s has their focus right at home.

Buddy’s teamed up with The Astor Club, one of NYC’s most esteemed consumption lounges, to produce VIP extravaganzas. Their partnership grew throughout the year, including an exclusive 420 rooftop celebration at the McKittrick Hotel, and an upcoming East Coast growers invitational called the Greenwolf East Coast Zalympix. In Bronson and Cantillo’s own words, “We are sharing our love of the plant with the world.”

Find out more @buddysbodega_ca; @buddysbodega.shop

The Astor Club

Originally touted in Forbes as one of “the most risque things to do in New York City,” The Astor Club is a members-only cannabis club on the Lower East Side. Though they’ve come more into prominence as a lifestyle brand since then, organizing outside events with the flair and gusto to make them the successors to New York’s greatest cultural impresarios, the Astor Club vibe as a whole is to remain secret. If you know, you know. Frequently featured in the New York Times, the Astor Club is a veritable who’s who of cannabis industry insiders and celebs, playing host to special guests like rapper Joey Bada$$, “Shameless” actor Ethan Cutkosky, producer Scram Jones, reggae artist Rocker-T, and many more. The atmosphere is chill, but in the best tradition of smoke-easies, you’ll need a friend to get in. Find out more @astorclubnyc.

Certz

Certz is a multimillion-dollar brand recognized worldwide for its premium strains, one-of-akind merch, and absolutely fire events at its exclusive Midtown lounge. Owner and creator Steph V also helms the music label Certz Entertainment; his work in hip hop is legendary, as he’s produced hit records for artists including Jim Jones, The LOX, Lumidee, Yung LB, the late Black Rob, and many more. One of the original New York legacy providers, Steph V has made Certz the go-to brand for cannabis lovers with serious creative talent. In recent years, Certz has expanded even further through its partnership with Yung LB’s JokesUp, allowing for the release of strains that “close the gap” between coast cultures and events that put key operators in the same room. That’s a tune we can all sing to! Find out more @certzbrand.

Hidden Garden

Garden is a nighttime cafe experience from the creative minds of HighGarden and Work’n’Roll. Open weekly, this penthouse in New York’s Chelsea neighborhood offers city views, cafe style service, live entertainment and elevated cozy vibes. Come sip on warm or cold beverages, snack on waffles, try exclusive gadgets and special treats! The team just celebrated Hidden Garden’s one-year anniversary, so it’s a great time to discover the magic inside. Follow @highgarden.nyc for more info on Hidden Garden and other High-end events!

Dasheeda Dawson, New York’s First

Cannabis Czar

Industry trailblazer Dasheeda Dawson has been officially appointed Founding Director of Cannabis NYC, making her the city’s first official “cannabis czar.” Dawson will lead the agency, which is run through the City’s Department of Small Business Services (SBS), and direct strategies to support the emerging cannabis market through education, services to cannabis entrepreneurs and businesses, legislative advocacy, and public levels of government. Born and raised in Brooklyn, and a corporate-to-cannabis industry leader who was pivotal to the passage of the Marijuana Regulation and Tax Act (MRTA), Dawson is widely viewed as the perfect candidate for the role. Among her achievements, Dawson is co-founder and Chief Strategist of the Cannabis Health Equity Movement (CHEM), Board Chair of the national Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition (CRCC), and a co-founder with her sisters Imani and Ice Dawson of Community Education Advocacy Symposium and Expo (CEASE), a Brooklyn-based nonprofit educating communities across the country about the myriad of opportunities in the cannabis industry. Most recently, she worked as the City of Portland’s Cannabis Program Manager, becoming at that time only the third Black woman in history to lead a government cannabis agency.

From political leaders to cannabis experts, reactions across the board to Dawson’s appointment have been ecstatic. New York Assembly

with Dawson on initiatives like creating the state’s EquityPAC political action committee, called Dasheeda “one of the most knowledgeable

Joseph Bondy, one of the nation’s leading cannabis and criminal defense attorneys and a member of the Board of Directors for the

Marijuana Laws (NORML), stated that “The mayor could not have appointed a better qualified person than Dasheeda Dawson to serve as the founding director of Cannabis NYC. For many years, Dasheeda has represented the absolute best in our American cannabis legalization movement… I have no doubt that Dasheeda will ensure fairness in our city’s cannabis industry and culture, and facilitate participation by all interested New Yorkers, regardless of background or economic status.” Shaleen Title, co-founder of CRCC and CEO of The Parabola Center, echoed the thoughts on fairness and noted that “New York City is lucky to have a leader with her vision and determination.”

Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes, who worked

and accomplished professionals in the space.”

National Organization for the Reform of

Hidden

Photos by: Joaquin Vargas / Sinematic Studios

The Man Behind I Bud You: Legacy Operator and NYC canna b is community leader, Mario Ramos

By Kally Compton

Mario Ramos is the founder and CEO of Bud You (@ibudyouinc), a coveted lifestyle brand in the cannabis industry and beyond. He brings joy to people worldwide through cannabis-themed home decor and apparel. His famous stickers, white squares reading “I Bud You,” are ubiquitous and instantly recognizable throughout the cannabis space. Born on 168th Street and Riverside Drive in Manhattan’s Washington Heights neighborhood, Ramos became a staple in the NYC cannabis community and he wears his legacy operator badge with pride. In the 80s, the teenage Ramos was a breakdancer and a graffiti artist. With other local kids, many aspiring artists, Ramos often played Manhunt, a sort of reverse-tag urban game, for marathon sessions. It was during one of these epic games that he was hiding in a basement and found copies of High Times magazine, which would jumpstart his lifelong journey in cannabis.Even before getting hooked up with High Times, Ramos had developed an interest in cannabis from his teenage years, first as a consumer and then a cultivator. “My little brother, and I—may he rest in peace— started growing real young, 17 and 16,” he shares. “I was already on fire.”

The plant enthusiast learned more about the space from his cousin and other creatives in the neighborhood, who were selling weed to supplement their artistic careers. As Ramos engaged in sales, he also used his graffiti art to showcase his appreciation for cannabis. After three years of painting murals on his own to celebrate High Times’ anniversary, he received a letter from the editors. They invited Ramos to the magazine’s exclusive anniversary party, gifting him a copy of High Times with his picture and name in it. At the party, Ramos met legendary writer and then-editor Danny Danko, who gave him a pass to get into cannabis-focused events throughout the city. This would be the start of an on-and-off career creating content for the publication, span ning over 40 years, and the beginning of Ramos’s true “in” into the cannabis industry. Through the decades, he would make himself invaluable to legacy cannabis and High Times, taking on various roles and even serving for a time as the High Times Cannabis Cup’s Event Coordinator.

Stoned Gourmet Cannabis Pizza

Ramos honed his cultivation techniques while also pursuing an art career and attending Parsons School of Design. Eventually he would attract a clientele and reputation based on his mastery of potent strains, particularly Gorilla variants. But by 1989, Ramos at age 21 decided he needed a break from grow ing cannabis. He left Parsons and joined the Navy, where he served for four years; he would go on to the Marine Corps for an additional twelve. Upon returning from his military service in 2004, Ramos found that NYC’s arts scene wasn’t the same as he remembered. “Crack cocaine took over,” he says, describing how both the crack and AIDS epidemics harmed the families in the historic communities where he had grown up. During that time, cannabis brought comfort to people suffering from addiction or illness. “Weed was like your savior back then,” Ramos comments. “People don’t know that.”

In 2008 Ramos was inspired to create I Bud You. “My art became what I was growing,” he notes. The brand developed an increasingly large cult audience that expanded even further when he and his team opened an art store on the Lower East Side. “We had a beautiful following,” Ramos recalls. “And when we turned from graffiti to more cannabis, got the sticker.” They would print 100,000 units of the first Bud You Sticker, and it would soon be everywhere. “I said ‘We ain’t going back,’” he laughs. “And people took it in.” From 2010 to 2017, Ramos bounced between California and New York and New Jersey. High Times was flowing, he was growing, and Bd You was kicking off. He moved back to the East Coast for good in 2017, by then an icon among the legacy can nabis set. Curating a wide array of projects and intent on expanding the Bud You brand into operations to cultivate in New Jersey, he seemed primed for a successful new evolution. Everything changed when police arrested Ramos in a raid on the New Jersey-based location he’d been scouting. Eight people were charged, including Ramos, for “conspiracy to grow marijuana.” Due to his California-issued medical cannabis card, authorities deemed him a flight risk and had him detained. “Once they even see one plant,” Ramos claims, “they’re like ‘you’re guilty.’” Law enforcement charged him as though he was a career criminal, though his only previous charge had been for simple possession. To this day, Ramos believes they saw him as a “trophy” due to his association with High Times. Ironically, New Jersey legalized medical cannabis cultivation right as Ramos entered prison. Sentenced to seven years, Ramos ended up serving a year and 48 days in prison before being released on December 11, 2018. He asserts that this is because the judge and other authorities knew the state of New Jersey was on a path to legalize adult-use cannabis. That would eventually happen on November 9, 2020 but before Ramos could make additional plans for his career in the Garden State, his case was sent back to court on No vember 16. In the new court proceedings, the judge declared that home cultivation had not been approved as part of the state’s cannabis legalization, and therefore Ramos had to return to prison. He spent the next four and a half months incarcerated, enduring a lengthy period of near-total lockdown days and not being allowed to have visitors due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ultimately, Ramos was released on March 24, 2021 under the Intensive Supervision Probation (ISP) program, known as “Prison Without Walls.”

He claims he got lucky because this program is very selective. Under the terms of ISP, Ramos can continue to treat himself with medical cannabis, but he also has to abide by curfews and other rules like regular drug tests. “You go through that you become stronger,” he says. “Be wiser about who you bring around.” Meanwhile, re-entering the New York and New Jersey cannabis communities as they were lauding the milestone of adult-use legalization “was like a new world popped. It’s like everything left off. They took the baton and ran with it—it was amazing.”

After Ramos’s release, he pledged to advocate for cannabis with all that he had. And the battle has been no easy feat. “We always use it as medicine. You’re taking a herb from us,” Ramos says. “How could you take that from us?” His hope now is for a brighter future for those in his community, one of freedom, education and access for all. “Now because of the education,in the future they get it. “I don’t want people to forget all the people who made this happen.” What’s next on Ramos’s agenda? Pushing for more research and opportunities for cannabis to bond communities, heal people, and be shared with the world including federal legalization in the U.S. “Let us study this medicine better. We know it’s good,” he says. “We, the whole world, have already said yes.”

It takes a vision and untethered relentlessness to revolutionize an industry, especially one as particular as making pizza. No surprise then that in 2017, the rise of a new kind of pizza would emerge in New York City. Stoned Gourmet Cannabis Pizza was created by Chef Chris Barrett (AKA The Pizza Pusha), who describes himself as “an Italian kid born and raised in Brooklyn.” Growing up with a passion and seasoned palate for pizza, Chris took a six-month trip to California in 2015 that engaged his lightbulb moment, changing the way that people enjoy pizza forever. On the West Coast, he was invited to a cannabis dinner and wanted to be among the first to bring a similar experience to New York. By combining the things he loved most - private events, great food, the perfect ambience, celebrities and other cool guests, his dream became an instant sensation. Today, The Pizza Pusha and Stoned Pizza have been featured in multiple high-profile media outlets, including the New York Times, CBS, New York Magazine, Vice, New York Post, FOX News, New York Daily News, The Source, and TMZ. The brand operates a restaurant in the East Village and a Lower East Side location that hosts regular exclusive supper clubs. Among the celebrity guests Stoned Pizza has welcomed are The LOX’s Jadakiss and Styles P, rapper Method Man, entrepreneur Rohan Marley (son of Bob Marley), and the late music executive Andre Harrell. Chris is dedicated to giving back as well, getting involved with numerous events and organizations that help justice-impacted individuals in the cannabis community. When looking at his gourmet empire, he often reminds himself, “Cannabis paid for all this, but there are people who just came home.” He makes it part of his mission to support those working to free the thousands remaining incarcerated on cannabis charges. Find out more at thepizzapusha.com and @pizzapusha on Instagram.

‘The’ Wolf Stoner Queen

You haven’t truly smoked like a New Yorker until you’ve tried one of Wolf Stoner Queen’s rolls. The content creator and artisan roller is a staple of the Five Boroughs’ cannabis scene. She has rolled and created an amazing array of custom blunts and joints, including for celebrities such as RAW founder Josh Kesselman. You can find her showcasing her skills for your smoking pleasure at events around the East Coast, particularly those hosted by women-owned brand TribeTokes or in her role as an ambassador for the lifestyle brand Happy Munkey. Check out her standout artistic works and tips for smoking at @wolf_stoner_queen on Instagram.

You Can’t Rain on Her Parade

Taking liberties with an iconic line from one of her favorite musicals –Hamilton – her name is Christine De La Rosa. There’s a million things she hasn’t done. But just you wait.

By Jake Wall

If you haven’t taken a look at Christine De La Rosa’s LinkedIn feed, you really should. Hailing from a small South Texas town where racism flowed through the streets easier than some are able to get clean water these days, one could easily excuse De La Rosa if she opted to talk about anything but equality, diversity, inclusion and the all-important equitable access to resources that allow people to level up. But drawing from the legacy of a great family of Mexican-American teachers with further roots to the Purépecha tribe, De La Rosa is not one for excuses. She’s focused on more than action – she’s focused on change.

“Cannabis IS medicine,” says De La Rosa. “For me, it is my primary medicine for treating my Lupus. I know I am not alone. I am on a mission to improve access to the best, cleanest plant based medicine not just for me but for everyone.” In her current role as Chief Executive Officer of cannabis conglomerate The People’s Ecosystem - and across the bread of People’s offerings including The People’s Fund and The People’s DAO - De La Rosa has a vision for empowering communities through cannabis. As part of this, she has no interest in maintaining the status quo, instead leading the charge and kicking open new doors for women and underrepresented BIPOC players at every point in the supply chain.

With one foot still firmly planted in Texas and another in Northern California, clad in black and never without her signature spectacles, De La Rosa is a bit like vintage Diddy in that she “can’t stop, won’t stop” advocating for building a better cannabis industry. You’d be forgiven if you were under the impression that she was a bit of a vagabond, given how she lends her voice to panels, discussions, gatherings, and summits across the nation. Yet De La Rosa doesn’t seem to mind pushing others towards change as well, because for her, this is personal.

Turning back the clock by just over a decade, De La Rosa found herself quite literally in a fight for her life. After almost dying from a pulmonary embolism due to complications of undiagnosed Lupus in 2010, De La Rosa was prescribed a battery of opioids and mixed pharmaceuticals that left her in a haze unable to function and, in some ways, sicker than the Lupus itself. Seeing De La Rosa’s suffering only sustain but never ebb, a dear friend introduced her to cannabis through her handmade infused chocolates.

For the first time in years, De La Rosa slept through the night pain-free.

That friend was Chef Charleen Caabay – the first Filipina-American chef to win Food Network’s “Chopped” – and she would end up changing De La Rosa’s life through a simple act of kindness. With that, setting the two on a different path towards success. Caabay would end up becoming De La Rosa’s co-founder for what has become a consortium of upstart offerings focused on ensuring underrepresented people of color and women are active players in the cannabis industry: The People’s Ecosystem, as well as funding and finance through both The People’s Fund and The People’s DAO.

“There has always been such a focus on ‘dispensaries,’ especially for BIPOC and women owned founders,” says De La Rosa. “That is a scam. We need to be the cultivators, manufacturers and distributors of our own brands that we supply to all dispensaries in our respective states. We have to

own every part of the supply chain and make sure we continue to be part of the industry.”

Both player and coach in this industry, De La Rosa and her team have had their heads down since they made their first moves into cannabis. The Ecosystem – the operating company of the consortium – is one of the most diverse in the industry, serving to highlight BIPOC and women from “The People are Blunt” podcast to the suppliers they work with across products and, most recently, to their licensed co-founders in Fresno, CA and New Mexico. Alongside this, The Fund invests in BIPOC and women led companies and the DAO is working on creating a crypto community type bank with a vision towards funding both plant touching and ancillary cannabis businesses that need less than $1 million in debt or equity.

2022 is wrapping up with the Ecosystem taking a major step forward in the release of a new line of gummies, followed by beverages that use a new technology that delivers cannabis through protein for a different experience in onset and euphoric effect. With the Ecosystem being the first company in California and only the second in the U.S. to start producing products using this all-natural delivery system, this is a major moment for De La Rosa. Her personal crusade to provide access to clean quality cannabis is vindicated, as this revolutionary delivery method is poised to be the cleanest way to consume cannabis to date.

It’s been a long journey for De La Rosa, from an individual caught up in the histories of her own culture and communities around cannabis. She’s the first to highlight that she didn’t try cannabis for many years because of the stigmas both within and outside her community as a Mexican-American, where to be seen as someone who smokes marijuana was to run the risk of being seen as “a lazy Mexican” and other propagandist tropes. But she had a good guide to set her on a different journey and, armed with her own first-hand experience of what cannabis did to improve her own quality of life, she forged a new path. She’s not even remotely done yet, as De La Rosa points out that every other emerging industry has been met with the full power of the federal government.

“Money, incentives, subsidies and, for some, bailouts. Railroads, steel, airlines, wind energy, solar power, agriculture, automotive, big pharma have all received undeniable Federal support,” says De La Rosa. “Yet here we have an industry built around a plant for healing with little to no support from our government and in most cases active roadblocks and downright disdain. I’m on a mission to change that, but that requires constant pressure from their constituents. So let’s all be [the] constant pressure.”

No one knows what might be said about or to us should we arrive at those pearly gates once we shed our mortal coils, but it is safe to say should heaven exist, that De La Rosa will be greeted with open arms and the simple words: Love what you did on earth, sis.

Christine De La Rosa

(C) Greg Doherty