Culture Magazine NorCal January 2016 by Culture Magazine

CULTURE // January 2016

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

CULTURE // January 2016

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

CULTURE // January 2016

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

january 2016

Contents 20

GET YOUR CLICK HERE

Features

22 . MMJ LEGALIZATION IN CANADA MAY BE ON THE WAY 24

. HEMP CBD vs. CANNABIS CBD

30 . INDUSTRY INSIDER: IRVIN ROSENFELD, AUTHOR AND ADVOCATE 36 . HOPE IS RISING FOR THE INDUSTRIAL HEMP FARMing ACT 38 . THE CANNA-NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS 44 . YOUR 2016 CANNABIS TRAVEL PLANNER 50 . Artist Daniel Leighton Explores Augmented Realities

60 ORIGINAL ROCK

www.iReadCulture.com

Get a taste of Blues Traveler’s passion and dedication to its own blend of Southern rock—not to mention its pure love and support for the cannabis industry. On the cover: Photo courtesy of Blues Traveler

Departments

NEWS

14 . News Nuggets 18 . By the Numbers 20 . New Cannabis Breathalyzer in the Works

reviews

78 . Growing Culture 80 . Destination Unknown 82 . Profile in Courage 84 . Recipes 90 . norcal Now! 93 . News of the Weird

68 . cool stuff

Vermont Medical School Offers Cannabis Science Course

70 . Entertainment Reviews 72 . Strain and Concentrate

Reviews

Design Innovation Breaks Apart Open Floor Plans with HempBased Barriers

54 . GET COZY WITH CANNABIS TEAS 58 . Lil Eazy E is following in his father’s footsteps 88 . U.S. Cannabis Reform Sets Global Pace for Change

Japan's First Lady is Completely Down for Hemp

SEE MORE ON OUR WEBSITE

CULTURE // January 2016

WEB Exclusive!

VISIT US AT

Look out for these icons to find out what website-only extras you’re missing out on!

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

Vol 7 IssUE 7

Publisher Jeremy Zachary Editor-In-Chief Evan Senn associate Editor Ashley Bennett Editorial coordinator Victoria Banegas Editorial Contributors Sheryll Alexander, Marguerite Arnold, Jake Browne, Jasen T. Davis, Alex Distefano, David Downs, Natasha Guimond, Addison Herron-Wheeler, Anthony Herrold, Pamela Jayne, Heather Johnson, Joe Jatcko, David Jenison, Kevin Longrie, Emily Manke, Tyler Markwart, Meital Manzuri, Sandy Moriarty, Madison Ortiz, Denise Pollicella, Paul Rogers, Joy Shannon, Lanny Swerdlow, Simon Weedn, Zara Zhi Photographers Steve Baker, Kristopher Christensen, John Gilhooley, Joel Meaders, Duncan Rolfson, Rick Thompson Art Director Steven Myrdahl production manager Tommy LaFleur Graphic Designers Tanya Delgadillo, Jonathan Ibarra Regional Manager Gene Gorelik Account Executives Greg Andes,Callie Belo, Jon Bookatz, Eric Bulls, Kim Cook, Ryan Dunn, Cole Garrison, Gene Gorelik, Yolanda Imoberstag, Emily Musser, Beau Odom, Justin Olson, Jim Saunders, Chris Thatcher, Paulina Porter-Tapia, April Tygart general Manager Iris Norsworthy Office Assistant Angelina Thompson director of digital media Brian Gingrich digital media Editor Kimberly Johnson Ctv Contributors Anna Logan,Chris Salazar Distribution Manager Cruz Bobadilla Culture速 Magazine is published every month and distributes 30,000 magazines at over 700 locations throughout the Bay area. No articles, illustrations, photographs, or other matter within may be reproduced without written permission. Culture速 Magazine is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. 2175 Sampson Ave. | Suite 118 Corona | California | 92879 Phone 888.694.2046 Fax 888.694.2046 www.iReadCulture.com

CULTURE // January 2016

CULTURE速 Magazine is printed using post-recycled paper.

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

CULTURE // January 2016

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

C NEWS NUGGETS

__________________________

STATE

Registry Open for Medical Cannabis Cultivators in Humboldt County

The Humboldt County Planning Commission passed legislation that immediately went into effect, allowing cultivators to participate in a medical cannabis registry, according to KRCR News. By registering, cannabis cultivators will be able to determine whether or not they are in “good standing” with the county and those in good standing on the registry will have top priority in licensing. To be clear, this registry does not permit cultivators to legally grow under current California law; rather it is a necessary step in being able to do so. The county had 30 days to determine exactly how cultivators will qualify to be in “good standing.” Legislation requires that those in good standing must continue to comply to the county’s regulations if they want that status to remain.

Sacramento Plans to Make Changes Zoning Regulations

The city of Sacramento is making moves to allow cannabis cultivation in agricultural, industrial and commercial areas as the Sacramento City Council Law and Legislation Committee approved an ordinance that will allow such changes. Currently, cultivation is restricted to residential areas in Sacramento, and the city has until March 1 to create new legislation before the California Department of Food and Agriculture becomes the sole regulator

CULTURE // January 2016

for the city’s cannabis laws. Collectives that are licensed to run in the city are expected to meet up with the Community Development Department to finalize any changes to the ordinance, according to Capital Public Radio. Final approval is needed from the Planning and Design Commission, who is expected to vote on the movement sometime this month and a vote by the City Council is expected to take place in February.

__________________________

NATION

concerns have risen as to whether or not the state’s two approved medical cannabis providers will be able to meet the demands of patients. Minnesota was the 19th state, out of the 24 that have legalized medical cannabis, to add intractable pain to its list of qualifying conditions. Ehlinger will be able to consider and approve other conditions throughout next year, prospectively expanding the list.

__________________________

World

Germany Embraces the Cultivation of Medical Cannabis

The German government has decided to permit the cultivation of medical cannabis within the country. This comes as a relief for the German Hemp Association (Deutscher Hanfverband - DHV), who made this demand long ago for patients to have guaranteed access to the plant, according to DHV. This new regulation will eliminate Germany’s dependence on imported medical cannabis and contribute greatly to the country’s economy. George Wurth, Spokesman for the DHV, states, “Finally, the German economy is not decoupled and can develop their own cannabis industry. We are increasingly being contacted by entrepreneurs, interested in the production of medical cannabis.” Although this is great news, the DHV still demands that the government should allow patients to grow their own cannabis, which would allow them to eliminate insurance agencies and grow strains they find more appropriate for treating their conditions. c

Intractable Pain Approved as a Qualifying Condition for MMJ in Minnesota

Minnesota has added intractable pain to its small list of conditions that qualify patients to use medical cannabis. The decision was announced by the Department of Health’s Chair, Ed Ehlinger, nearly a month before the state’s January 1 deadline, according to Lexington Herald-Leader. Intractable pain is defined by the state as “pain that can’t otherwise be treated or cured” and is common amongst those who have been in car crashes or have undergone back surgery. The state’s medical cannabis program already has 760 patients, it is unsure how much the recently added condition will add to this amount, but VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

CULTURE // January 2016

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

by the numb3rs

The estimated number of people who attended the 2015 Emerald Cup in Sonoma County: 21,000 (Source: The Press Democrat)

The amount of square footage that potential growers in Clear Lake would be allowed to grow cannabis in, if the newest ordinance is approved: 10 (Source: Lake County News)

21,000

The number of mature plants that will be allowed for qualified patients to grow in Benicia, if the new ordinance is passed: 6 (Source: Times-Herald)

The distance, in feet, that cannabis grows would have to be located from public and private schools in Clear Lake, if the new ordinance is passed: 600 (Source: Lake County News)

99 1,081 18

184

The number of eligible sites for medical cannabis businesses in commercially zoned and unincorporated areas of Marin County: 184 (Source: North Bay Business Journal) The decreased percentage of cannabis possession arrests since cannabis was legalized last year, in Washington D.C.: 99 (Source: The GW Hatchet)

The amount of money, in thousands of dollars, that was collected by Illinois medical cannabis businesses during the first week of the state’s medical cannabis program: 211 (Source: Daily Herald)

211

The number of new medical cannabis license applications received in Maryland: 1,081 (Source: WBOC)

CULTURE // January 2016

Hempcon As “The largest cannabis show in America,” Hempcon is the place to be for the best medical cannabis insight and offerings. An 18+ event, Hempcon is open to the public with a Prop 215 Area available for medical cannabis patients with valid certification, and on-site doctor evaluations available for those who aren’t yet certified. Aside from having a Prop 215 approved area, Hempcon will be offering up live music by A-list performers, and a wide selection of exhibitors. Guests can tend to all of their medical needs by visiting the various collectives, merchandisers and caregivers who are excited to be exhibiting at this event. With plenty of food, games and entertainment, Hempcon is a fun and informative event where patients and advocates can mingle while supporting a very important and rapidly changing industry in California.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Hempcon. WHEN/WHERE: Fri, Jan. 22-Sun, Jan. 24. San Jose Convention Center, 150 W San Carlos St., San Jose. INFO: Visit www.hempcon. com for details.

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

Innocent or Impaired:

That is The Question

O by Pamela Jayne

Operating out of Oakland in conjunction with scientists from the University of California at Berkeley, Hound Labs Inc. has set its sights on sniffing out drivers who may have recently smoked cannabis with a new device that tests your breath. Citing proprietary science, and thus unable to explain to the public exactly how the device actually works, Hound Labs claims to be able to detect and accurately measure THC in human breath. What sets apart this new technology is the fact that it is small and portable, making it easy for roadside use (or abuse) by law enforcement. Older technology relies on urine, saliva or blood tests that cannot distinguish between recent and chronic cannabis use. This new device also holds the dual purpose of being a cannabis and alcohol breathalyzer. Hound Labs CEO and founder, Dr. Mike Lynn, is an emergency room doctor in Oakland, as well as a reserve deputy sheriff for Alameda County, and a former venture capitalist. He describes the current standards for cannabis impairment as “sketchy,” and hopes that the handheld breathalyzers that he is marketing to law enforcement agencies at less than $1,000 each, will shift the national dialogue from being focused on whether or not THC is present in the body, to a broader discussion about creating standards that reflect actual impairment. Dr. Lynn stated, “When I started the company, it was my intention of finding a way to measure this stuff in breath. Every single death or injury from an impaired driver is preventable and there aren’t many things in life like that that are preventable.” The company plans to also offer a less costly version that will be available to the public.

CULTURE // January 2016

Possibly accurate cannabis breathalyzer coming soon to a city near you

“[Dr. Lynn] hopes that the handheld breathalyzers . . . will shift the national dialogue from being focused on whether or not THC is present in the body, to a broader discussion about creating standards that reflect actual impairment.” Hound Labs plans to begin testing in early 2016, beginning with the city of San Francisco. Hound Labs Inc. is not alone in its quest. Other inventors and companies have been perfecting their own versions of the breathalyzer for a couple years now, with Washington State, Canada and the U.K. in first-running. The trouble in creating the perfect breathalyzer lies in the difficulty to tell whether a person is impaired from cannabis or just has cannabis in their system. But, with the competition becoming steeper in this technology and industry, the positive influence of the proper kind of technology and investment in these devices, with the cooperation of the police and highway patrol will hopefully mean less innocent people being wrongfully given a cannabis DUI in the very near future. c VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

Historic Conviction in Canada May be One of Many Steps Towards Legalization by Victoria Banegas

recent conviction set forth by a Canadian judge reveals the gradual changes the country is making towards the acceptance of cannabis culture. Judge Pierre Chevalier of Quebec, made history one day in late November when he charged, 46-year-old cannabis patient, Mario Larouche $1.30 for cultivating 30 cannabis plants. Larouche, who suffers from pain as a result of a 2000 car accident, tried many times to get certification for medical cannabis, but was denied. Taking matters into his own hands, Larouche cultivated plants for personal use, which were seized from his truck by police in late June. When Chevalier announced Larouche was guilty, no one expected the verdict that he was to follow. “We are in a society where people are accused of possession and use of marijuana while more than half the population has already consumed. These are laws that are obsolete and ridiculous,” Chevalier said in support of his decision. So far, 600,000 Canadians have criminal records for possession of small amounts of cannabis, while statistics show that cannabis use amongst Canadians 15 to 24 is the highest amongst the developed world, according to the Washington Post. With the government spending 500

CULTURE // January 2016

million in Canadian dollars annually on drug reformation, roughly 50 million of that goes towards regulating cannabis as police forces conduct massive sweeps of cannabis grow sites each year. Although the country has shown indifference towards cannabis, recently instated Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau promised to make it legal as early as 2016, according to Yahoo News. Trudeau, like Chevalier, believes that cannabis prohibition is outdated and unjustified. So far, there is no specific information as to how Trudeau and the liberal party plan to begin this journey, but they have revealed plans to regulate cannabis similar to Colorado and Washington. Support from Canadians is evident as cannabis support is at its highest rate in three decades. A recent poll conducted by Forum Research revealed that 59 percent of those who participated were in support of the Liberal Party’s plans to legalize cannabis recreationally. Although things seem to be changing for the better, there are still those who are clinging onto cannabis prohibition for dear life. CULTURE got in touch with Larouche’s lawyer, Catherine Barriére Gratton, who informed us that the Crown’s office is appealing the sentence. Gratton went on to state in an email, “Legal precedents in similar cases were

“We are in a society where people are accused of possession and use of marijuana while more than half the population has already consumed. These are laws that are obsolete and ridiculous.” presented before the Court and have shown the Court’s clemency in such situations. Fines are sometimes presented as joint submissions and given in our district for similar cases.” Let’s hope the Court’s clemency allows Larouche to receive the medical attention he needs and is convicted fairly for his actions. c VISIT VISIT US US AT AT iReadCulture.com iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

Hemp Derived CBD vs. Cannabis Derived CBD

CULTURE // January 2016

Where’s the

Difference?

by Lanny Swerdlow, RN LNC

ven though most people who experience the cannabis high produced by THC find it to be pleasant and stimulating, for some reason medicine that makes you feel good while getting you well is frowned upon. Enter cannabidiol, commonly referred to as CBD, as a way to obtain the medicinal benefits of cannabis without the THC psychoactive effects making CBD an acceptable gateway drug to the world of cannabis. CBD is a powerful cannabinoid with research showing it to be effective in reducing cancer cell growth, minimizing seizures and convulsions in children, decreasing inflammation, mitigating pain and providing therapeutic relief for many other ailments. This newfound interest in CBD has led to an explosion of CBD oils made from industrial hemp. In terms of its molecular structure CBD is CBD is CBD—it’s the same molecule whether the CBD comes from hemp, cannabis or a test tube. Hemp generally has a CBD concentration around 3.5 percent CBD which is pretty low but the concentration of THC is even lower, usually less than 1 percent. Hemp meets the criteria of being low in THC, but its level of CBD is relatively low especially in comparison to certain cannabis strains, which have significantly higher amount of CBD than industrial hemp. Whether the CBD comes from hemp or cannabis flowers is not the ultimate factor. The key factor is the process by which the CBD is extracted, concentrated and formulated. Cannabis strains such as Charlotte’s Web, Avidekel and ACDC are low in THC but high in CBD with up to a 20 percent CBD concentration level. By comparison, hemp’s typical 3.5 percent CBD concentration level is rather paltry. Since the concentration of CBD is low in hemp, it requires large amounts of hemp to produce a small amount of CBD oil. The most efficient and least expensive way to extract the CBD oil is to use solvents, but dangerous solvent residues can remain in the CBD oil. In 2014, Project CBD, a California-based nonprofit dedicated to promoting and publicizing research into the medical uses VISIT VISIT USUS ATATiReadCulture.com iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

“The whole effort to harness CBD from industrial hemp is fraught with challenges that are made more difficult by the fact that fiber hemp plants with high amounts of CBD by dry weight—like the ACDC cannabis strain—are not yet available for industrial grows.”

of CBD, tested several CBD hemp oil products available to the public over the Internet and found significant levels of toxic solvent residues in random samples. CBD oil extracted from industrial hemp is a thick tar-like substance that needs to be thinned with a compound such as propylene glycol. A widespread additive found in CBD vape oil cartridges, propylene glycol may convert to formaldehyde, a known carcinogen, when heated and inhaled. Hexane, a solvent frequently used to extract CBDs from hemp, has been found by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to be neurotoxic producing numbness in the extremities, muscular weakness, blurred vision, headache and fatigue, according to a official statement by the EPA. Even if it is possible to produce solvent-free CBD oil from hemp, there is another problem in that industrial hemp is a bio-accumulator that naturally absorbs toxic substances from the soil. Hemp is such an efficient

CULTURE // January 2016

bio-accumulator that it was used at the Chernobyl Nuclear power plant after the meltdown because it is excellent at sucking up heavy metals and radiation, according to McGraw Hill Education. Great for healing the earth, but not for healing humans. Martin Lee, co-founder and Director of Project CBD, summarizes the problems of obtaining CBD from hemp. “The whole effort to harness CBD from industrial hemp is fraught with challenges that are made more difficult by the fact that fiber hemp plants with high amounts of CBD by dry weight—like the ACDC cannabis strain—are not yet available for industrial grows.” There are other considerations as well. One of the most important is that CBD by itself does not work as well as CBD in conjunction with THC. In what is known as the entourage effect, the medical efficacy of CBD is enhanced in the presence of THC. The proper ratio of CBD to THC varies from person to person, but as Martin Lee points

out “the best ratio of THC to CBD is often the most THC a person can comfortably handle.” The bottom line is since hemp is so low in THC and other cannabis components, you don’t get much of an entourage effect when you use hemp oil as when you are using oil derived from a CBD-rich cannabis plant. If certain cannabis flowers are so much better for producing CBD, then why all this fuss over industrial hemp? Rather than anything to do with medical science, it has everything to do with the illegal status of cannabis. The manufacturers of CBD oil from hemp claim that it is legal to market their products as a dietary supplement even though the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has refused to recognize hemp-derived CBD oil as a dietary supplement. The FDA singled out for criticism CBD oil producers for making unsubstantiated medical claims about treating pain, spasms, cancer and other ailments. The

FDA has never approved CBD as a supplement for any kind of medical use. Under current state medical marijuana laws, the only way a CBD-infused oil product—derived from hemp or cannabis—can be used legally for therapeutic purposes would be for it to be grown, harvested, processed and consumed by a certified patient in a state that has legalized medical cannabis. That is not the case with products made from CBD hemp oil imported from abroad which remain illegal under both federal and state laws. For many reasons, CBD-rich cannabis is a better source of CBD than industrial hemp. The only reason CBD derived from hemp is gaining any notoriety is as an attempted end-run around federal law. When cannabis prohibition is ended and cannabis is treated like any other agricultural product, CBD will be extracted from the best source of cannabidiol—CBD-rich cannabis. The need to derive CBD from industrial hemp will end. c VISIT VISIT USUS ATATiReadCulture.com iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

CULTURE // January 2016

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

Irvin Rosenfeld

is the longest surviving federal medical cannabis patient in the United States by R. Scott Rappold

Once a month, a tin case of 300 joints arrives at Irvin Rosenfeld’s pharmacy in Florida. Some people roll their own. Rosenfeld’s are rolled and shipped by Uncle Sam. Yep, that same Uncle Sam that considers cannabis a Schedule 1 drug with no medical benefits and locks up its own citizens for using it. It’s ironic that Rosenfeld has been living for more than three decades, as one of just a handful of people to receive government-grown cannabis for a medical condition. The

CULTURE // January 2016

VISIT US AT

Photos by FatCat305

Stockbroker and advocate

10 joints he smokes a day ease his pain from a rare bone tumor disorder and let him live a normal life. “I’ve not had a tumor grow develop since I was 21, and the doctors don’t know why, but I know why they haven’t developed. It’s cannabis,” said Rosenfeld, 62, a stockbroker. “Cannabis has saved my life.” Today 23 states allow some form of medical cannabis, but those two words had rarely been used in the same sentence in the 1970s, when he discovered how much it could alleviate the pain and grant him mobility. He fought to become only the second person to receive government cannabis under the Compassionate Investigational New Drug program. That program never reached more than a dozen patients, and only two are left, including Rosenfeld. But Rosenfeld believes the program, and the efforts of patients like himself to tell the American people about it, helped set the stage for cannabis law reform sweeping the nation. “It helped launch the whole national movement. When we could stand up and say, ‘We are using this. We are legally using it and doing very well,’ people stood up and took notice,” said Rosenfeld, author of My Medicine, a book about how he “forced” the government to provide his medicine. The government had only negative things to say for cannabis, but, Rosenfeld said, “If all that is true, if it’s so bad for you, explain me.” >> iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

Another 28 were approved but awaiting final enrollment when President George H.W. Bush ended the program. The 13 patients were grandfathered in but no new ones would be accepted. Despite a campaign promise, President Bill Clinton never reopened the program, which might have vanished into obscurity but for the efforts of patients like Randall and Rosenfeld to tell the world about it.

Taking the fight to the states

Discovered by accident

Rosenfeld was 10 years old when, after throwing for the final out in a baseball game, he suddenly couldn’t move his arm. Movement returned shortly thereafter but he was eventually diagnosed with multiple congenital cartilaginous exostoses, which causes painful bone tumors. He survived four major surgeries by the age of 18 to remove the tumors, but doctors said the possibility of death from internal bleeding related to a jagged tumor was real. He couldn’t attend school or play sports and took a cocktail of medications and painkillers that left him in a fog. He moved to Miami for college and because he thought the warm climate would

all, he did some research that showed cannabis was used in many medications between 1850 and when it was outlawed in 1937. So he kept smoking and noticed his pharmaceutical use dropped by 80 percent. His sleep, appetite and movement all improved. He started playing sports again. But questions nagged at him. Why did he have to go to a drug dealer to get this medication? And why did using it make him a criminal?

Fighting the power In 1976, glaucoma sufferer Robert Randall defeated the federal government in court and won access to marijuana for his condition, which helped save his eyesight. The story

“My disorder had caused me lots of problems. I was able to take that disorder and make something good come out of it. I was able to help millions of people nationwide to help understand medical cannabis.” help his condition. A law-abiding citizen, he’d never smoked cannabis and once, he even kicked out a girlfriend for bringing a joint over. But cannabis was everywhere in Miami in 1971, and he gave into peer pressure, not feeling a thing until the tenth attempt. Though not feeling sedated or euphoric, he noticed that he had been sitting still for a half hour; normally stiff joints forced him to get up every 10 minutes or so. And then he realized he hadn’t taken a pain pill in six hours—also unusual. Maybe there was something to this. After

CULTURE // January 2016

inspired Rosenfeld, who had been conducting a scientific study with his orthopedic surgeon on himself and how cannabis improved his condition. He met Randall, who suggested he apply to the Compassionate IND program. After years of stonewalling , the Food and Drug Administration gave him a hearing before a panel of doctors. Much to his surprise, the panel approved and in 1982 Rosenfeld began receiving government cannabis. The little-known drug program survived the anti-drug furor of the ‘80s and expanded to 13 patients, many of them AIDS patients.

Rosenfeld insists he doesn’t get high. Maybe it’s tolerance, a side effect of his bone condition or the low THC content of the government cannabis, but he is able to take his medicine and live his normal life without being impaired. Supervisors and clients took some convincing, but they accept a stockholder smoking joints while working. His tumors haven’t returned and he hasn’t taken a narcotic for pain since 1990. Cannabis has improved his life so much he has spent much of it fighting to help others gain access. When California voters went to the polls in 1996 to become the first state to allow medical cannabis, Rosenfeld estimates he did some 50 radio shows in support of the measure. It’s one thing to tell people how medical cannabis can help people. It’s another to show them. Medical cannabis passed in one state after another, with the help of patients like Rosenfeld. “I felt exonerated. Here I’ve been saying for years that it’s medicine. Bob (Randall) and I had educated people to the point that the largest state in the country had recognized the use of medical cannabis and approved it,” Rosenfeld said. He self-published his book (available at his website Irvinrosenfeld.com and on Kindle) in 2010 to spread awareness and has watched with pleasure as many states have approved recreational cannabis. His utopia is a world where anyone can grow as much cannabis as they want without fear of prosecution. And he’ll keep supporting legalization efforts, because while some states have relaxed laws, most of the country has not. He remains the only legal cannabis smoker in the state of Florida, though activists hope to change that in the 2016 election cycle. For Rosenfeld, it’s a very personal fight. “My disorder had caused me lots of problems. I was able to take that disorder and make something good come out of it. I was able to help millions of people nationwide to help understand medical cannabis,” he said. “It’s like me giving the middle finger to my bone disease. F*ck you, look what I’ve done because of you.” c VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

CULTURE // January 2016

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

HOPE FOR HEMP A Rundown of Hemp Farming Act History

by Nicole Potter

imilarly to the fight to legalize cannabis throughout the U.S., the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015 is a campaign that aims to legalize the cultivation of industrial hemp on a federal level for use in development and production. This particular movement was most recently introduced to the Senate with SB-134 on January 8, 2015, but has yet to garner any attention by congress. So far, almost 30 states have legalized industrial hemp for production— and more are likely to do so in the future. Considering the act’s history and the rapid increase of attention to hemp as a versatile material, 2016 may finally be the “Year of Industrial Hemp.” Over the past few years, a number of industrial hemp bills have been introduced to congress. The attempts to make industrial hemp legal have been many, largely increasing in popularity over the past decade or so. The

CULTURE // January 2016

Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2005 reached for the stars as the first bill of its kind, and aimed to define industrial hemp as different than cannabis, specifying that hemp is a cannabis sativa L. and the THC content is less than 0.3 percent, but it did not receive a hearing. Next came the proposal for the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2007, a bill with the same language as its earlier predecessor, co-sponsored by Ron Paul and 13 others—but it also did not receive a hearing. Paul brought the bill back yet again as the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2009, which also did not get a chance for a hearing or floor vote, but gathered 25 cosponsors by the end of the congressional session. Paul sponsored the bill one more time with the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2011, which was his last attempt before retiring. Impressively, by the end of the legislative congress, it had 37 cosponsors despite a lack of hearing.

To date, no Industrial Farming Acts have been made legislative progress, but there was a victory with the Agriculture Act of 2014, which was signed by President Obama. That particular Farm Bill contains Section 7606, entitled “Legitimacy of Industrial Hemp Research,” which defines the THC levels of industrial hemp as 0.3 percent or less. It also allows both universities and state agriculture departments the ability to study hemp, so long as the states they are located in has already legalized hemp. It’s not nationwide legalization by a long shot, but an important step in spreading the word.

All of these bills lead to the most recent attempt to legalize industrial hemp, with the Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2015. It’s sort of a legacy bill, one of many in a long line of attempts to reach the members of congress. So far, according to the legislation tracker on Congress.gov, it was “Read twice and the referred to the Committee on the Judiciary” and has so far gained 10 cosponsors. It’s high time that the newest version of the Industrial Farming Act be taken into consideration, and there’s still hope. The best way to get congress to recognize the newest form of industrial hemp bill is to bring attention to it. Share its status, make people aware, and visit websites like votehemp.com or www. nationalhempassociation.org for updates on the bill and how to spread awareness. The Industrial Hemp Farming Acts have come so far, and it’s about time that it gets some much needed attention. c VISIT VISIT US US AT AT iReadCulture.com iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

CULTURE // January 2016

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

Get Rid of the Schedule I Status for Cannabis

It’s becoming clear that the Schedule I status for cannabis needs to be done away with if we want to move forward with scientific research. In 2015, a group of U.S. senators proposed that we re-schedule cannabis as Schedule II—a substance that has some medical value—so that tests can be done to determine why and how it helps people with conditions like chronic seizures. Some people didn’t like this because they wanted to make the substance completely legal— but either way it works out, it’s clear that there is no reason cannabis should be scheduled as something with no medical properties.

Legalization in California

The Sunshine State has been nearly-legal for a long time, and the great access they grant medical patients and variety of products they offer makes them one of the states at the forefront of the cannabis industry. “California was the first state to adopt a medical marijuana law and it inspired states around the country to adopt similar laws,” Mason Tvert, head of the Marijuana Policy Project, told Time Magazine. “It’s a state that carries a lot of weight nationwide. It’s a massive population center and it’s a very diverse state.” If this state legalizes, that could equal a lot of the money, scientific advances and huge strides in general for the cannabis industry.

CULTURE // January 2016

Medical Access Everywhere for Extreme or Chronic Conditions

As much as we’d all like to have cannabis fully legal in the U.S., it’s clear that it may take a while for certain states to warm up to the idea of recreational cannabis, or even of readily-available medical cannabis that can be prescribed for many ailments. However, there are people out there, including children, with severe, chronic conditions like epilepsy that only respond to cannabis. We would like to see those individuals get access to medicine regardless of where they live. Pennsylvania just legalized medical cannabis for serious conditions, and Virginia now allows people with severe conditions to import CBD oil and use it. In 2016, it would be great if everyone in the U.S. who suffers from these serious conditions has equal access to the medicine they need. >> VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

Better Access to Cannabis in Legal States

Lastly, let us hope for better access to cannabis in legal states. Although cannabis is legal in Colorado, for example, many counties still don’t allow dispensaries, meaning that access to the product is limited mostly to those in urban areas. And some urban areas don’t allow smoking lounges, meaning the only legal place to consume cannabis is inside the home instead of out on the town. Let’s hope 2016 brings us new products, access and areas to smoke, as well as better quality products for everyone! c

Legalization in the South-West and North-East

Yep, that’s right—right now these are the two areas of the country that are leaning the furthest towards legalization. In addition to California, Nevada and Arizona are considering legalization in 2016. Polls now show that most Americans support legal cannabis in general, but although Arizona will be voting on this issue, it’s a mainly conservative state. Arizona could go either way, but with any luck they may just take the leap and fully legalize. Nevada, although another conservativeleaning state, is also putting legalization on the ballot. “Voters will have the opportunity to end marijuana prohibition next year and replace it with a policy that actually makes sense,” Tvert told Time. “Law enforcement officials will be able to spend their time addressing more serious crimes, and adults will no longer be punished simply for using marijuana.” In New England, both Maine and Massachusetts are considering legalization. Maine already decriminalized in their major cities, and are notorious for voting liberally, even favoring Ron Paul as their political candidate one year. “There’s been an ongoing public dialogue,” stated Tvert. “I’ve always believed that the more people learn about marijuana and the fact that it’s not as dangerous as they’ve been led to believe, the more likely they are to support treating it that way.” In Massachusetts, cannabis is medical already, and polls are supporting the idea that most residents favor full legalization.

CULTURE // January 2016

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

2016 Cannabis Travel Planner

Consider touring the great U.S. of A. with green-colored glasses!

by Sheryll Alexander

hether you live in a recreational or medical cannabis state, a soon-to-be legal state or your state is still in the dark ages when it comes to cannabis, travel to a recreational state seems like a whole lotta fun, right? In fact, cannabis tourism is still in its infancy and– even in legal states–the continued stigma has kept cannabis tours on the fringes of the multi-billiondollar travel industry.

CULTURE // January 2016

Still, with a whopping eight states (California, Arizona, Maine, Massachusetts, Nevada, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio) having good potential at going recreational this fall in 2016’s election cycle, now is a good time to start planning for that ultimate cannabisfriendly trip. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of cannabis cups, music festivals, expos and business summits to please any and all travelers. And the list keeps growing every year. >>

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

Ready to book a cannabis-themed trip in 2016? Hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a comprehensive global calendar to help with your travel plans:

Top 2016 Cannabis Events January 8-10: HempCon, Bakersfield, California January 9-10: THC Hemp & Cannabis Fair, Medford/Ashland, Oregon January 21-22: The Emerald Conference, Las Vegas, Nevada January 22-24: HempCon, San Jose, California January 29-31: Hawaii Cannabis Expo, Honolulu, Hawaii January 30-31: Indo Expo Show, Denver, Colorado January 30-31: High Times Cannabis Cup, San Bernardino, California February 1-2: Dispensary Next Conference, Portland, Oregon

CULTURE // January 2016

February 3-5: Women Grow Leadership Summit, Denver, Colorado February 5-7: High Times Cannabis Cup, San Bernardino, California February 13-14: Cannabis Business Conference, San Francisco, California February 18: California Year of Marijuana Law Symposium, Los Angeles, California March 3-5: Marijuana Investor Summit, San Francisco, California March 7-9: Canna Tech International Summit, Tel Aviv, Israel March 9: Dab.A.Doo Invitational, Barcelona, Spain March 11-13: Spannabis, Barcelona, Spain March 12-13: The Hemp & Cannabis Fair (THC), Roseburg, Oregon

March 18-22: National Medical Cannabis Unity Conference, Washington D.C.

April 24: Oregon Marijuana Business Conference, Eugene, Oregon

March 19: Cannabis Grand Cru, Seattle, Washington

April 30-May 1: MardiGrass, Nimbin, Australia

March 26-27: Abracadabs Cup, San Bernardino, California

May 7-8: CannaGrow Expo, San Diego, California

April 2: Ann Arbor Hash Bash, Ann Arbor, Michigan

May 14-15: THC: The Hemp & Cannabis Fair, Corvallis, Oregon

August (Dates TBA): Northwest Cannabis Classic, Tacoma, Washington

April 2-3: THC: The Hemp & Cannabis Fair, Bend-Redmond, Oregon

May 28-29: Lift Cannabis Expo, Toronto, Canada

August 19-21: Seattle Hempfest, Seattle, Washington

June 15-17: Cannabis World Congress, New York City, New York

August 28-29: CannaGrow Expo, Portland, Oregon

April 16-17: THC: The Hemp & Cannabis Fair, Salem, Oregon

June 19-25: International Weed Science Congress, Prague, Czech Republic

September (Dates TBA): Expo Cannabis, Madrid, Spain

April 23-24: Cannabis Film Festival, Garberville, California

June 20-22: Cannabis Business Summit, Oakland, California

April 23-24: New England Cannabis Convention , Boston, Massachusetts

June 25-26: Product Earth Hemp Music Festival & Exhibition, Peterborough, England

April 15-17: Hempcon, San Francisco, California

June 27-30: International Cannabinoid Research Society Symposium, Bukovina, Poland July 9-10: Chalice California, San Bernardino, California

November 12: Cannabis Grand Cru, Los Angeles, California

dates and locations are subject to change

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

Augmenting Reality Exploring the mind and world of artist Daniel Leighton by Sarah Elise Abramson

R 50

CULTURE // January 2016

ecall the iconic photographs of Frida Kahlo in

entire process, it becomes immediately apparent that

her full body cast, head propped up by some

these works are coming from an honest and undiluted

odd contraption, painting in bed. 45-year-old

place deep within himself. He emanates sincerity and

filmmaker, painter and app developer Daniel

has that very specific wisdom found in people who have

Leighton is a modern day Kahlo. Leighton was born

faced and overcome massive hardships throughout

with Crohn’s Disease and was diagnosed by the

their life. CULTURE sits down with Leighton at LAAA/

age of five. This had a major impact on almost every

Gallery 825 where his solo show is currently on exhibit

aspect of his life, including, if not especially so, on his

and gets the low down on life, art and of course his

art. Listening to him talk about his art pieces and his

recent app, Augmented Reality.

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

How did “Augmented Reality” come to you? What inspired it?

When I first encountered “Augmented Reality,” and I realized what I could do with it, I became very excited. I could see a future with endless possibilities. In my work right now, I am combining film, sound, animation and interactivity.

What inspires you on a daily basis?

Love, pain, loss, connection and disconnection. Color, motion and curves. Music and movement. Expression. People and how they relate to each other and how they feel deep down inside. Beauty.

What are your thoughts on how medicinal cannabis has helped you personally?

It’s an extremely effective medicine for dealing with the symptoms of Crohn’s Disease. There are also many studies from highly regarded institutions showing great promise in how medicinal marijuana can help many diseases. There is no question that it should, and will be legal everywhere. Keeping medicine away from people who need it is unconscionable.

How has the tablet and the apps you work with changed the way you make and perceive art?

One of the biggest things is immediacy. My setup time is a matter of seconds. My studio (i.e., my iPad) is available all the time. This is especially important when I go through periods of more intense illness.

Can you describe your process?

Sometimes I start with a specific idea, but more often than not, I just start drawing and see what develops. I start moving my stylus across the screen—this brings instant calm. As I do this, I’m checking in with my body, feeling into what my body is telling me—it’s this constant feedback loop, a back and forth that brings me closer and closer to the center of my being.

How did you start making art?

There wasn’t really a point where I started—it’s just always been a part of who I am. I always saw things that others didn’t and I always had an intense drive to create. I think the need to express and create was intensified by all the trauma I’ve been through, but I think I would have been an artist regardless. I didn’t always identify myself as an artist, which is kind of bizarre now that I look back on it, because, clearly, I always was one.

What challenges do you enjoy? What challenges do you dislike?

I enjoy making new stuff and constantly learning and growing as a person and an artist. I dislike willful ignorance, which many people practice particularly when it comes to dealing with their feelings and taking responsibility for their lives. Life is hard, but it’s not that complicated. Find something you love to do and do it as much as you can; make the best of whatever circumstances you find yourself in and do what you can to make them better; and spread as much love as you can to yourself and others.

Would you say your art comes from a dark place?

In a sense, yes, because it’s unexposed and people don’t necessarily want to look at that. c

CULTURE // January 2016

VISIT US AT iReadCulture.com www.danielleighton.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

n some areas–especially the Middle East, Russia, China and Japan–the tradition of serving up a piping hot cup of tea is not only warming, but also nourishing and nurturing. In winter, drinking tea also heats up cold hands, soothes the throat, relaxes the mind and can even reinvigorate the soul. These calming aspects of herbal teas are especially true when it comes to cannabis and hemp brews.

Drinking hot teas not only warms you up in winter, but also provides a bounty of healthful nutrients. Like edibles, cannabis infused into a tea takes longer for the body’s endocannabinoid receptors to get the message to chill out. Currently, our favorite kinds of cannateas are THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) and CBD (cannabidiol). THC teas are psychoactive and will have similar effects to

that of your favorite edible, depending on dosage and product specifics. CBD is non-psychoactive, and will make you feel slightly relaxed, lighten your mood and provide healthful benefits (as CBD in high doses can literally kill cancer cells). Ready to try out cannabis teas to discover for yourself if you feel more overall happiness, balance and serenity?

Before getting into a taste test, consider these simple rules about making herbal teas:

Always use what is called “freshly drawn” water from a fastrunning faucet to oxygenate the water before boiling.

CULTURE // January 2016

How hot is too hot? Herbs should not be scalded so bring water to a rolling boil, but then let it sit a bit before pouring.

Use at least one tea bag per mug serving (about 1¼ cups water).

It is best to use a warmed up two-cup porcelain teapot with a lid to get the best out of infusing and heat retention.

Let the tea steep for at least three minutes for black teas and up to five minutes or longer for lighter teas such as green and chamomile. >> VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

An even more ancient method to enjoying maximum nutrients found in herbal teas such as cannabis and hemp is to infuse freshly-drawn and boiled water along with several tea bags or a handful of loose leaves in a large mason jar. Leave on a counter overnight. In the morning and throughout the day, drink this nourishing brew at room temperature in place of plain water or other beverages. So, how do cannabis teas taste? Is the taste pungent and too earthy like some edibles? Or is it mild and drinkable? In fact, cannabisinfused teas look, smell and taste like any other herbal tea and provide a tasty way to fill your endocannabinoid receptors with cancerfighting health-promoting medicine. Perhaps this blistery winter is finally time to try cannabis in tea form for one of the most relaxing and yummy ways to medicate.

Top Cannabis Tea Brands

Venice Cookie Company’s Subtle Tea brand has four “flavors” each with 40mg of THC including black, green and chai. The “PM” tea is a potent sleepinducer as it is filled with chamomile, peppermint, lemongrass, lemon balm, catnip, tilla Estrella and 25mg of valerian root.

CULTURE // January 2016

Cannabis tea is just beginning to be recognized for its relaxing and healing properties. So far, just a handful of companies have created cannabis-infused teas, including:

Pure Hemp Botanicals has created a vegan-friendly and cruelty-free 25mg CBD tea, which comes in a delightful silver tin with bags also made from hemp.

Jane’s Brew has some of the best-tasting brews including 20mg doses of green, black and chamomile teas in both bag and pod forms.

Pot-O-Coffee’s black and green (and soon-to-be-launched chamomile) teas come in both THC (10, 50 and 100mg) and CBD (10mg) bags and Keurig-style pods. Pot-O-Coffee sources its hemp-based CBD oil from highquality manufacturer, CannaVest.

The Mad Hatter Coffee & Tea Company claims it was the first to infuse cannabis into teas and has a long list of brews that come in 20, 60, 80, 120 and 160mg bags.

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

Carrying an Empire Hip-hop prince, Lil Eazy E is following in his father’s footsteps by Kristopher Christensen

CULTURE // January 2016

The name Eric Wright Jr. may seem benign and unfamiliar to most, but the name Lil Eazy E invokes a singular bequeathed descriptor: Controversy. Hip-hop, in its infancy, embodied spoken word, fused with thumping fresh beats, funk and a powerful resonance; a spawning style that appealed to a broader audience than any other genre since rock and roll. NWA pioneered the movement and along with Dr. Dre and Ice Cube (and Arabian Prince although he departed just prior to the crew’s explosion), Eazy E introduced a completely new realm of musical existence to all walks of youth. Kids loved it. And, those same kids were shocked into reality learning of Eazy E’s disconcerting early demise. Eric Wright Sr., aka Eazy E, was a towering influence on west coast hip-hop with the creation of Ruthless Records, and his legacy perpetuates. Attributed in part to this summer’s release of the biopic Straight Outta Compton, NWA is on fire again and attention has drummed up around the original member’s children. Lil Eazy E in his own unique style invokes these pioneering influences, while modernizing and originating, creating a sound that’s totally legit. Culture sits down and talks to Lil Eazy E, or Eric Wright Jr., about the music industry, his dad, life and his favorite cannabis. >>

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

What is it like being the CEO of NWA Entertainment at your young age? Lil Eazy E: It’s tough because I started so young. As I grew older, I started working with Ruthless Records run by my step mom Tomika, who helped me flourish in business. From that point, it was a transition of learning and doing things right, like I should have been doing when I first started out. Now I’m very hands-on running things. What’s in the future? I’m working on three projects; my first official LP coming out soon, my brother Derrek’s album, and I’ve got a group called Compton Money Gang (CMG). CMG is myself, Derrek and some other family members. I also just performed with NWA Family. I kept the melodies of my father going, included my brother’s work along with CMG in the new songs and the people really liked it. How does it feel being the son of someone so influential? It’s good and I’m happy now, but as a child, it was very hurtful. Everyone in the world knows what happened to my dad. As I grew

up and got into the business, I realized that my father’s image had been stigmatized. I mean, I love life so don’t get me wrong, but it would be so much better if my dad was still here. You were only 11 when your dad died, how did you deal with that? As a kid my dad ran with his crew, so it was the street life for me. The anger from not having him pushed me to grow up tough, growing up in the streets and hustling. But I realized I was missing out on everyday things other kids did. The father/son thing with school, the person who teaches you how to throw a football the first time, helping you with your first date with a girl. Because of all this and growing up in Compton California, I know it made me a stronger individual. How do you feel about medical cannabis? I’m 110 percent for it; for medical and recreational use. On the medical side, it’s factual that patients with various illnesses are being cured and helped with cannabis. We all know that big pharmacy has been making money off America and it’s time to

climb that mountain. As for recreational use, it should be to help deal with stress and that’s a fact. Do you have a favorite strain and a way to medicate? I’m an Indica man, so OGs for sure, with rolling papers like Raw. Snoop, Shade Moss and Xzibit are joining the “Celebrity Canna Game.” Are you coming out with anything soon? A few years ago we did tests on a strain that would be named after my father. We have jumped back into that, working with some real green scientists. Soon everyone will be able to get an Eazy Roll and another big surprise. I can tell you the Eazy Roll will be a real strong OG. I’ll have a whole line of products and can’t wait for them to come out! Anything you want to say to all the NWA and Lil Easy E fans and cannabis patients out there? Big thanks for all the love and support from the fans. Wake and bake, keep yourself on the healthy high; don’t forget to show peace and love to the world. c

January 2016 // CULTURE

CULTURE // January 2016

Photos courtesy of Blues Traveler and Brandon Hill

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

Blues Traveler won our hearts with its original rock music, but its dedication and passion keeps us comin’ back for more by Paul Rogers The true success of a rock band is measured by decades of experience in musical creation and performances—but a band can only truly be honored when it manages to both, innovate and maintain its core sound over the course of a long career. Blues Traveler, for instance, didn’t win a multi-platinum Grammy Award for lack of hard work—its strides in the blues rock genre have transformed the category into the scene that you see today. Many believe that the “jam band” scene of the 1990s blossomed because of Blues Traveler. Others praise its unique approach to improvisation during live shows or uniquely segueing one song to the next. But everyone can agree that Blues Traveler has approached its Southern rock sound in a way that few can emulate. Blues Traveler, like many great rock bands, began as a simple garage band made of up high school students John Popper, Brendan Hill, Chan Kinchala and Bobby Sheenan living in New Jersey in the mid-1980s. However, it wasn’t until the group moved into a shared apartment in New York City following graduation that Blues Traveler began to gain notoriety at local venues. Soon enough, the band signed to its very first record label, and began touring the East coast following the release of its first self-titled album. Later on, following the group’s founding of the H.O.R.D.E. festival and its release of the next album, four, famous tunes such as “Run-Around” and “Hook” were conceived. One could say that the rest is history, but Blues Traveler’s rise to mainstream success was only the beginning. The band’s movement across the blues rock board has been steadily climbing, leading up to its newest album release, Blow Up the Moon, early last year. CULTURE caught up with the band’s drummer, Brendan Hill, at a tour-stop in Minneapolis to discuss the current progress and future of Blues Traveler’s music, what he thinks about medical cannabis, and his own personal venture into the cannabis industry. >>

January 2016 // CULTURE

of the culture. So I think it hasn’t really changed that much from my perspective! I think we’re seeing it become more mainstream. I love the shift that I have seen [away] from the ecstasy and cocaine which was kind of in my lifetime, in the ‘90s, and heroine and those kinds of much harder substances that were highly addictive and destroyed peoples’ lives. My prediction is, a few years from now, you’re going to see there’s going to be a huge artistic blossoming from those places like Washington, Oregon and Alaska because these artists and people that have been hiding or not using [cannabis] openly being able to say “this is my artwork that was inspired when I was able to consume legally.” I think it’s just a wonderful time to be in the forefront of this industry and it’s a great opportunity to do some good as well as to be a part of this exciting venture.

Blues Traveler released its 12th studio album, Blow Up the Moon, in April and will celebrate its 30th anniversary in a couple of years. What are the secrets of this rare longevity? We’ve been through pretty much everything together and I think we’ve stayed friends, which is a very important part of making music together. You want to be able to trust the other people you’re playing with. This latest record reflects even a new approach to that trust, in which we’ve brought outside people [including 3OH!3, Plain White T’s, The Dirty Heads and Thompson Square] in to collaborate . . . I

think it’s one of the most innovative [albums] for us, in our career, just because it spans so many different styles, musically. Blues Traveler was associated with the 1990s jam band scene, which was somewhat synonymous with cannabis use. How have you seen attitudes to cannabis shift over the course of your music career? It was just part and parcel of being in the scene back in the day. We were in the New York club scene and it was very prevalent. Most of the groups that we played with in the early days were jam band music that we all listened to–Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, even The Beatles–and all those groups sort of had that same acceptance of cannabis and it was just kind of part

CULTURE // January 2016

You’ve been a professional musician for the great majority of your adult life. Is your dispensary, Paper & Leaf, your first business venture outside of the music industry? I’ve done production, producing of records and I’ve done a lot of [recording] engineering. I’ve been in other music groups. But outside of the music industry, yes. [My partner had] never done anything like this before either . . . and we had a shared vision, so I think for us both this was a really exciting adventure to do but we kind of needed somebody else to bounce ideas off of that we kind of spoke the same language with. Washington is one of only four U.S. states where recreational cannabis has been legalized. How does so-

called “pot tourism” factor into the Paper & Leaf business model? We’ve seen . . . people coming in from other states and even from Canada and other countries who are interested in just seeing what [cannabis] looks like. I think before Washington and Colorado legalized that Amsterdam was possibly the only place where you could actually go into a store and look at a menu and order something and feel like you weren’t doing something wrong. It’s a really good thing for people to see that the stores can be done in a way which is very friendly, very artistically done and very welcoming, so when they go back to their home state they’ll be more likely to encourage their friends and family to vote in the positive for initiatives that might come on the ballots in the future. >> VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

CULTURE // January 2016

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

How have the (non-regulated) medical and (regulated) recreational cannabis industries coexisted in Washington since the state’s first recreational licenses were issued last July? And how could the overhaul of Initiative 502 earlier this year help to effectively merge the two? It’s been a fine line. There have been some excellent dispensaries that have been open for years and years and perhaps started on the underground but had been serving and doing everything correctly–basically serving as a coop and a collective garden for medical patients that really do need the product. I think the dispensaries that have followed the rules and have paid their taxes and had business licenses, I think with Initiative 5052, these will be the first ones to actually receive the next set of licenses . . . And I think that’s a really great way to do it. I think the state’s doing it basically merit-wise, which I think is a really good next phase. I think there’s going to be quite a few more medicinal/recreational stores opening up–it could be in the hundreds, maybe even the thousands, but I do see that there is a big move for the medicinal market to be kind of rolled into the recreational, because now it’s kind of this slightly grey line. I think the state’s just saying that if you kind of lump it all together and you’re able to tax the medicinal customers slightly less but increase the amount that they can buy . . . it’s a little more easily governed. That will also dissuade the

CULTURE // January 2016

black market and the other various elements which have given cannabis a bad name. Is the integration of medical and recreational going to become the new model for legal access to cannabis nationwide? I believe that there are many states now that have medicinal marijuana on their ballots and the way Washington did it and Colorado was perhaps different than other states are going to do. I think recreational first and then kind of putting the medicinal into the recreational was just how it happened in Washington, but in states like Michigan, I think even Florida and New York State have medicinal initiatives coming up on the ballot [and] actually it might be better to start that way because those are the people that really kind of feel like they’re being persecuted for something which they believe is medicine, which I think is very accurate. [Cannabis] should be accessible by everybody who needs it and then I think the recreational part is something that will follow hopefully quicker after that, because people will see that it’s not, in my opinion, as dangerous as alcohol—you can’t overdose on it. There are so many reasons why cannabis should be legal recreationally for people over 21. What could be the social and medical ramifications of such a proliferation of legalized recreational cannabis? So many people are clamoring for it–there’s

got to be a reason why. Let’s start studying [cannabis] and I think that will kind of force the hand of the federal government to deschedule it as a Schedule III, I’m hoping, so doctors and pharmacists and chemists can actually start doing the research. There’s so many unofficial studies about the effects of [cannabis on] chemotherapy, easing stomach pain and increasing appetite; and glaucoma, reducing stress on the backs of the eyes; to muscle aches . . . I think it would be so wonderful if we could finally say, OK, this does help treat X. It just baffles me that we’re not doing research on a plant which seems like it has so many wonderful medicinal benefits and we need to change this–declassify it so that the researchers can actually start looking at this and not fear prosecution. Finally, what does the near future hold for you–both with Blues Traveler and Paper & Leaf? Very busy, I think! I’m a player, so I love being on stage, I love playing my instrument, I love recording–I love those aspects, which I don’t think will ever go away. There’s a kind of adrenaline you get when you’re performing on stage–it’s hard to replace that with anything else, so I think music will always be a part of my life and Blues Traveler is a wonderful thing that I helped to create and so it’s always going to be a part of my life. c

bluestraveler.com VISIT US AT iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

cool stuff Phantom Open D.E. System

The Commercial DE Open Lighting System is state-of-the-art doubleended technology that uniformly delivers optimum photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) value over a broad footprint. With the unique ability to remove its ballast, this product allows you to eliminate heat generated by the ballast, making it convenient for controlling temperatures. Designed with a high-precision microprocessor, the ballast is totally silent, lightweight, highly efficient and extremely reliable. Aside from its innovative design, Phantom Ballasts Commercial DE is equipped with an efficient reflector that dissipates heat and elongates lamp life.

miVape

PRICE: $589 MORE INFORMATION: hydrofarm.com

GET YOUR CLICK HERE PRICE: $259.99

Utilizing high-quality quartz crystal glass components, including a glass heating element, heat chamber, airway and mouthpiece, the miVape delivers the truest tasting, fullflavored vapor of any portable vaporizers. The uniquely designed and patented spiraling glass airway cools the vapor long before it gets to the mouthpiece, so there’s no burning in your throat. Its long battery life is just as important as its clean and discreet ergonomic design. The miVape is also dual voltage and can charge on 110/220V.

www.iReadCulture.com

PRICE: $19.99 MORE INFORMATION: makingyoubetterbrands.com

Xternal Cream

The Mothership Filigree Mini Bubbler

This beautiful hand-blown glass Mini Bubbler is the premiere product of the amazing and brilliant glass work of Mothership Glass. Gorgeous design work that covers the entire bubbler pairs perfectly with premium glasswork. High function and high quality, this rare, holiday-inspired, designer filigree edition is only gracing a few select shops across the country, but you can get yours at The Cave in San Mateo.

CULTURE // January 2016

MORE INFORMATION: thecavesmokeshop.com

The wondrous aspects of cannabinoids and their capacity for cell rejuvenation are infused into this amazing facial grade, all natural Xternal Cream for full body relief. Simply massage onto an area that hurts! This amazing cream is cited in Ed Rosenthal’s book, Beyond Buds, and is great for sprains, stiffness, joint pain, arthritis, muscle aches and even skin irritation! Because the main ingredient in this cream is THCA, which is an anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective, people are using the cream as a beauty aid showing impressive results. This cream is used by professional and weekend athletes alike to deter pain in 60 seconds before and after their sporting activities too!

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

entertainment Release Date: January 26 Available on: PS4

Cannabis Regeneration: A Multiple Harvest Method for Greater Yields J.B. Haze Green Candy Press

The Witness Dev. Thekla, Inc. Pub. Thekla, Inc.

CWSS 2016 Annual Conference

Coming from the mastermind behind the unique platformer, Braid, comes a new game about discovery. The Witness is a puzzle game set in first-person view with a simple goal: Complete the puzzles in all 10 sections of the island in order to reach the top of the mountain. There’s a total of 650 puzzles to seek out and complete, which will allow players to explore the vastly different genomes of the island and pick up clues about the its previous inhabitants who have long since disappeared. (Nicole Potter)

Archy Marshall A New Place 2 Drown True Panther Sounds

King Krule took the world by storm in 2013 with his genre bending debut full-length, 6 Feet Beneath The Moon, and just two years later he returns, this time under his real name, Archy Marshall, with his follow up, A New Place 2 Drown. His beats never get too outrageous or hard to follow, instead they seem to flow perfectly to stay brilliantly dusky, and bring to mind images of cool, dimly lit basements, shadowy alleyways or city streets on moonless nights. Marshall’s new album shows that he’s an artist of incredible, diverse talent, and one to continue watching in years to come. (Simon Weedn)

This is a great new book for cannabis growers, large and small. Written specifically for the intermediate cannabis grower, this book focuses on showing exactly how to get multiple harvests from one single plant. Including info about the basics of growing as well as expert tips, the author goes into great detail about his revolutionary grow method that increases plant production at home, and saves time and money. Utilizing the whole plant for multiple harvests using regeneration, this author shows us how easy it can be to use the same plant for as many harvests as possible, without compromising the quality of your buds. (Alex Bradley)

Cooties Lionsgate Dir. Jonathan Milott, Cary Murnion

Over the last few years, the zombie genre has undergone something of a renaissance. New directors Jonathan Millot and Cary Murnion put a new twist on some classic horror monsters with their debut film, Cooties. The film follows the harrowing struggles of a group of elementary school teachers, lead by Elijah Wood (Lord Of The Rings, Wilfred) and Rainn Wilson (The Office, Super), as they battle their way through ever growing hordes of zombie children and attempt to escape their infested school. For those with a particularly dark sense of humor, Cooties is one to watch immediately. (Simon Weedn)

CULTURE // January 2016

The California Weed Science Society (CWSS) will be holding its annual conference this year in Sacramento. This year’s conference will be covering the topic, “Diverse and Dynamic Challenges in Weed Management” and will include a variety of lectures on various aspects of the matter. Some of the topics up for discussion include the investigation of herbicide symptoms, California water issues and overall perspectives of California agriculture. Not only will this event cover the various aspects of cannabis management, there will be a brief awards ceremony for students who have dedicated themselves to the scientific research of cannabis. In a time when cannabis regulations are changing rapidly and recreational cannabis seems to be on the brink of legality, knowledge of cannabis production is essential, not only for professionals but the public as well.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: CWSS 2016 Annual Conference. WHEN/WHERE: Wed, Jan. 13-Fri, Jan. 15. Hyatt Regency, 1209 L St., Sacramento. INFO: Visit www.cwss.org for details.

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

STRAIN + edible + concentrate Available AT: Airfield Supply Co. in San Jose.

Sour Tahoe Hash 90u

The best of San Jose’s new local-only, regulated medical cannabis supplies are taking flight at Airfield Supply Co.—starting with this Sour Tahoe Hash 90u. It’s a type of cold-water extract perfect for folks a little sketched out by extracts made with butane and other flammable hydrocarbons. Simple ice water and 90-micron screens (90u) yielded this ultra-fine extract, which is great for boosting the potency of flowers or bowls. Extract is only as good as the source, and judging by the look of it, the Sour Tahoe (Sour Diesel x Tahoe OG Kush) was fresh and potent. This extract has a superb, ultra-light, blond sand color, and an exemplary amount of rich limonene terpenes. It’s loaded with heaps of trichomes and little else. This extract melts and vaporizes into a sweet, astringent, pungent, highly-potent vapor. Lab-tested to 69.3 percent THC and 0.6 percent CBD, these extracts are especially sought out by people who want to cut down on smoking plant matter.

Available AT: Caliva Collective in San Jose.

Leroy OG

A maximum-strength, maximum-flavor, high-THC flower that’s highly sought after by lovers of OG Kush—Leroy OG crosses Triangle Kush with Rare Dankness #2. Available at the swanky Caliva Collective in San Jose, Leroy OG flowers are big, angular, dark-green, glistening buds that’ll perfume a room with that profound OG lemon-pine-fuel-sour-dank. Triangle Kush is OG Kush further hardened by breeders in Florida. Rare Dankness is one of the leading breeders out of Colorado, with a specialty in OG genetics. Growers DragonFish Farms bring out the best in this pristine 60-40 indica hybrid. The buds are perfectly dried and cured, with a tight manicure. A grinder really helps prep the flower for a bowl or joint. Patients smoke or vape Leroy OG for a fast-acting interruption of stress or tension, pain relief and other issues. The mix of THC and OG terpenes is relaxing, sedating and can bring on appetite.

Available AT: grass roots in san francisco.

Jack Dawg

A really unique strain with a very distinct aroma—Jack Dawg is high-potency, elite cut of two phenomenal strains: Jack Herer and Chemdawg. Chemdawg emerged out of the Grateful Dead scene to give the world OG Kush and Sour Diesel—among the top two strains of all time. Jack Herer is Dutch breeding at its finest—a unity of global genetics under a sweet sativa appearance. We can feel the sativa in the medium density of these large, pale-green maximally resinous Jack Dawg nugs from Grass Roots in San Francisco. The distinct aroma is astringent, sharp, alerting, energizing, uplifting and engaging. Which is why terpenes from this family—along with THC—are an alternative therapy for mood disorders like depression.

CULTURE // January 2016

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

Available AT: Theraleaf Relief in San Jose.

Shipwreck Cookies

The amazing crosses just keep coming in the New Year with Theraleaf’s Shipwreck Cookies— mixing Shipwreck and Girl Scout Cookies. There are so many stories in this “wreck:” A Trainwreck pheno wedded to an Afghani; the Cookies medley of Kush, Durban and NorCal Purple. Shipwreck Cookies reminds us of Wedding Cake with its icing-like trichome coat. But Shipwreck Cookies has a very unique peppery smell all its own. The aroma seemed totally dominated by hashy, sharp, pepper and skunk notes—downright savory. Theraleaf Relief’s batch is dried, cured and manicured professionally into these dusty, dense balls of white resin and red pistils. Grinding makes the aroma more savory, and Shipwreck Cookies’ smokes mediumbodied with a Cookies-kush finish. Patients are using these heavily hybridized, high-THC strains to manage PTSD, types of seizures and muscle spasms, among many other conditions.

Available wherever: Fatty’s products are carried.

Fatty’s Pre-rolls

The pre-rolled, pre-packaged flower market hits another milestone with Fatty’s elegant, on-trend pre-rolls, available in over 20 different strains. Fatty’s pre-rolls start with c02-fed, temperature-controlled indoor hydroponic flowers with “naturally enhanced” THC and no additives or chemicals. Fatty’s Pre-rolls are made with all flowers, and no shake. Each beautiful box contains a five-pack of pre-rolls in a sealed plastic and foil pouch. Tear open the pouch for the super-hot strain of 2015, Black Diamond Sherbet, and boom, the mix of creamy berry and spiked kush hits you. Each one-gram joint comes with a substantial crutch and is packed nice and tight. An unlit hit hints at the terpenes to come. The joint’s density resists catching fire, then nurtures a hot stable cherry for a slow-burning party pre-roll as potent as it is flavorful. The learning curve is nil. Patients are smoking hybrid flowers for dozens of conditions including chronic neuropathic pain and stress.

CULTURE // January 2016

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

Available at: HTP Group in Vallejo.

Dankman x Sherbinski415 Gelato Wax

HTP Group in Vallejo has an impressive collection of extracts including leading rosins, cartridges and this exceptional wax from Dankman x Sherbinski415. The source strain here is the flower of the year—that Cookie Fam Gelato—a cross of Sunset Sherbet (Cookies X Pink Panties) and Thin Mint Cookies. Fresh, dried potent Gelato flower grown organically outside on CookieFam Farms were extracted and then Steep Hill tested to 0ppm residual solvent. The semi-translucent darkgold shiny extract smells sugary and fruity, like a Fig Newton, and works best with a dabber and rig. It vapes cleanly into a hyper-potent, light, ephemerally creamy-berry flavored vapor. Also works fabulously in wax-type vape pens or atop a flower bowl. Patients are inhaling high-THC extracts for the same dose of cannabinoids as much larger volumes of flower.

Hardcore OG

Available AT: The Cookie Company 415 in San Francisco.

San Francisco’s Mission St. hotspot—The Cookie Company 415— brings back possibly their best bud ever, the must-try Hardcore OG. It’s simply OG at its finest—grown indoors, organically by the Russian Boyz crew. This is a max-potency, 100 percent indica flower that’s the number one strain of Los Angeles—likely because Angelenos need this stress-killer after sitting in traffic all day. Hardcore OG’s bag is clouded over by the ridiculous trichome volume of the flower. Inside the bag, OG-lovers take note: Hardcore OG has that fiery lemon-fuel-pine loudness and grinds even bigger, with a spicy-savory meaty note. It smokes with a massive OG front note, and a delightful, surprisingly fruity, tropical finish. Effects are near instant, and can shut down a migraine and unlock muscle tension. Patients are vaping or smoking indica hybrids at night for help with sleep, pain and appetite.

CULTURE // January 2016

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

by Ed Rosenthal

growing culture

1 Plants are basking in the greenhouse. They will be cut to dry in a few minutes. I recently purchased another four clones from a local dispensary. They are now about 30 days into flowering.

Indoor-Outdoor

WINTER GARDEN II

wo months ago a friend delivered two well-branched, two-foot tall plants of “3x Crazy.” Since then, the plants have been in a flowering routine in a small greenhouse. At this time of year, dawn takes place around 7 a.m. Then at 8 a.m. a 400-watt HPS lamp hung from a light mover goes on and starts moving back and forth about 2 feet. It covers the length of the garden with light. During most of November it was sunny and warm enough for the plants to go outdoors for some natural sunlight between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. When they returned to the greenhouse they received another two hours of light from the HPS lamp. Towards the end of the month, the weather turned cloudy and chilly. The plants have been enjoying the cozy greenhouse, which is kept at a minimum temperature of 60 degrees day and night. The two plants were about halfway through flowering when I reported on them last month. Now, another 30 days have passed and the plants are ready to harvest. The buds are small but are covered with trichomes and have an intense floral/pineapple/diesel odor. I have picked them and hung them to dry and cure. I am using an unheated indoor space.

At this time of the year, the temperature here varies between the low 50s and high 60s. The humidity varies between 43-54 percent with an average at just about 50 percent. These are ideal conditions for a long, slow dry and cure. The low temperature keeps the terpenes from evaporating. Terpenes, the odor molecules that give all marijuana varieties their particular “personalities” are essential oils. Many of them are volatile at room temperature so they are often lost in the dry, transport or storage phases. The low temperature in the drying space keeps them from evaporating and they will lend their odor and activity to the smoke or vapor. Rather than mess with cutting these small plants into branches I’m hanging them uncut with all of their leaves on. They will be cured, that is, aged for several weeks after they dry in continued cool temperature and 50 percent humidity condition. During this time they lose some of their harshness, becoming a smoother smoke. Then I’ll manicure them and place them in a glass or metal container. I’ll keep some buds in a small bar for easy access. The rest will be stored in a steel metal container made for that purpose, which comes with a pad that stabilizes moisture, keeping the buds fresh. c

TIP OF THE MONTH FROM ASK ED®

2 The Cut. The plants are being cut using a clipper on the first plant.

The bend and snap on the second plant, which was finished off with a clipper.

The Hang. The two plants will now begin the month-long drying-curing process. They will be manicured after that.

The Problem With Zip-Lock Bags

id you ever notice the sides of a Ziplock bag that has been holding grass? They are covered with gland heads that were pulled from the bud and have attached to the plastic, especially if you were carrying

it in a pocket and continually opening and closing it. The plastic’s electrical charge attracts them. If you tried to scratch them off you were largely unsuccessful, they were already locked in. Those glands were removed electrostatically,

and lost to your use. Glass, most hard plastics, metal and wood don’t have electrical charges that attract trichomes. Use containers composed of these materials and place them in a cool-tocold dark place for storage.

Copyright by Ed Rosenthal. All rights are reserved. First North American Magazine rights only are assigned to culture Magazine. No other reproduction of this material is permitted without the specific written permission of the author/copyright holder.

CULTURE // January 2016

5 The greenhouse is heated by a gas burner, often called a CO2 generator that is controlled by a thermostat set at 60 degrees.

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

by Sheryll Alexander

SEE MORE ON OUR WEBSITE

destination unknown

Nevada is Full of C Winter Fun and Frolic if you go: Yes, you really can fly or drive into Las Vegas and then buy your buds and edibles—if you remember to bring a government-issued form of identification that shows you are 21 and older and your up-to-date medical cannabis license. The Vegas area has five dispensaries including Euphoria Wellness, Nevada Wellness Center, Las Vegas Releaf, Inyo Fine Cannabis Dispensary and Nevada Pure. Sparks and Reno have one dispensary each in Silver State Relief and Sierra Wellness Connection, respectively. Nevada’s medical cannabis program is regulated by the state’s Division of Public & Behavioral Health and recognizes the following conditions for a MMJ license: AIDS, cachexia, cancer, glaucoma, PTSD, muscle spasms or seizures and severe nausea or pain. Plus, Nevada’s cannabis states “other conditions are subject to approval,” which opens the door for just about everyone with a chronic health problem. Inside a dispensary, cannabis patients can purchase a maximum 2.5 oz. of flower buds and a rather ambiguous “allowable” quantity of edibles and other THC-infused products. Time to Go: Spring or Winter. Weather: Mild with cool breezes in Spring; cold with some snow in Winter. Budget: $$$$$

Fun-Filled Facts

CULTURE // January 2016

The small Southern Nevada town of Sparks was the first city in Nevada to open a dispensary (Silver State Relief). While that may sound strange, it makes perfect sense when you realize the infamous Mustang Ranch brothel is located on the town’s east end. 1

Want to hit The Strip and ski in the same day? In-theknow locals go to Lee Canyon. Only an hour’s drive from Vegas proper, Lee Canyon is located just north of Mount Charleston. Although Lee Canyon has a rather small ski facility, this resort sits higher than any other ski resort in the state at 8,510 feet—giving it some of the best “dry” powder in the state. 2

annabis patients may be overjoyed to hear Nevada is one of the few states to allow out-of-state medical cannabis licenses at its five Vegas-area and two Northern Nevada dispensaries. Most travelers think of the glitz of Las Vegas and its surrounding desert towns when considering hitting Nevada for some down time. In winter, however, Nevada’s mountain cities such as Lake Tahoe, Reno and Sparks are the places to be for skiing, snowboarding and winter’s many other recreational activities. Nevada’s mountain towns celebrate January in grand style. Don’t miss the Fire & Ice Show in Ely. This snow and ice sculpture competition runs this year from January 15-17 and includes lots of food and drink, an ice fishing derby, rides on a historic “ghost trains,” sledding and ice skating. The weekendlong festivities are capped by a grand fireworks display set against the town’s snowy wonderland. Although the Lake Tahoe side of Nevada (only a 45-minute drive from Reno) does not have a cannabis dispensary, the city’s ski resorts are brimming with the best of winter fun and frolic. For example, Tahoe’s Diamond Peak Ski Resort celebrates every Saturday in January (and through April) with “last tracks.” Guests start at the resort’s mid-mountain Snowflake Lodge—which has an incredibly scenic view of Lake Tahoe—and sip on fine wines and craft brews paired with delicious appetizers at sunset. After drinks and apps, skiers then hit the slopes for the final run of the day down the resort’s perfectly-groomed trails. Wherever you decide to medicate in Nevada, winter’s chill seems just a little more exciting. c

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

Clarissa profile in courage

Age: 37 Condition/ Illness: Ovarian cancer, depression, anxiety. When did you start using medical cannabis? 2011

Are you an MMJ patient with a compelling story to tell? If so, we want to hear from you. Email your name, contact information and details about your experiences with medical cannabis to courage@ireadculture.com.

CULTURE // January 2016

Why did you start using medical cannabis? When I was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, I was 31, and at the time I had open abdomen surgery to remove my tumor, and then I underwent chemo. Marijuana was kind of this miraculous way to counteract the side effects of chemo, due to a lot of not sleeping, not eating and nausea. The edibles really helped me to sleep—more than the other pharmaceuticals that were prescribed to me at the time. Did you try other methods or treatments before cannabis? Oh yeah, they give you a pharmaceuticals to counteract every symptom. I just couldn’t sleep, and Ambien, which they prescribed to me actually, acted very weird on me. So I was like, Ambien is not working and I have to sleep, so that’s how that came about. What’s the most important issue or problem facing medical cannabis patients? I think the stigma, because marijuana is considered a “drug,” you know. We also don’t have enough data, so I guess the best thing is to encourage skeptics

to research CBD because it doesn’t have the stigma with the “high” that comes with cannabis anyway. So I think the miseducation in the market in general about the differences between non-psychoactive components of the cannabis plant, which have an amazing potential for medicine, and those that have traditionally been more recreational because they have a psychoactive effect. What do you say to folks who are skeptical about cannabis as a medicine? When I was undergoing conditional treatment for chemotherapy, marijuana helped me tremendously to survive. Cannabidiol (CBD) was not even available yet. Five years later now, I’m out of remission and was only recently pronounced cured, but CBD hemp oil now is becoming more well-known. Now, it’s is available in all 50 states. There are people I’ve seen that it has helped with epilepsy, glaucoma and PTSD, to name a few. I’d also like to mention projectCBD. org to skeptics—it’s a nonprofit group that is putting out really legit, impartial information on CBD and they’re not selling anything. It’s a really cool resource and I think people might be surprised. c

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

Starting the New Year Off Right recipes

Menu:

Scallops with Cannabis-Infused Pesto Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Hemp Seed Parmesan

With January comes the arrival of a fresh new start. New Year’s resolutions have been made, and often not kept throughout the year, but if there’s one thing you can count on, it’s the blossoming innovation of cannabis and hemp foods. This year, more than ever, will be a time of great transformation for medical patients who choose to utilize cannabis and hemp in their daily meals. Coming far from the origins of the cannabisinfused brownies and cookies of yesteryear, this year we propose a culinary cannabis revolution. Make your own hemp seed parmesan and sprinkle it over a zesty roasted asparagus, or embrace cannabis in fine dining with scallops and a unique cannabis-infused pesto sauce. Embrace that hungering appetite and make this year a great one!

Roasted Asparagus with Lemon and Hemp Seed Parmesan Ingredients 1 pound asparagus spears (thick spears are best for roasting) 1-2 tablespoon cannabisinfused olive oil t 2 cloves garlic, minced kosher salt freshly ground black pepper lemon juice

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400°. Rinse the asparagus spears. If the ends are tough, break them off and either discard or save for stock. In a large mixing bowl, toss the asparagus spears in the infused oil. Line a roasting pan with foil (or silpat), and drizzle some of the infused oil on the foil-lined pan. Arrange the asparagus spears in a single layer on the lined roasting pan. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and minced garlic. Roast for 10 minutes or until the asparagus are just lightly browned and tender when you pierce them with a fork. To serve, drizzle with fresh lemon juice and sprinkle with hemp seed parmesan.

CULTURE // January 2016

Hemp Seed Parmesan Ingredients 1/2 cup hemp seeds 3/4 tsp garlic powder 2 tbsp nutritional yeast Heaping 1/4 tsp sea salt

Directions

Pulse all hemp seed parmesan ingredients together in a food processor until combined and crumbly. Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Legal Disclaimer Publishers of this publication are not making any representations with respect to the safety or legality of the use of medical marijuana. The recipes listed here are for general entertainment purposes only, and are intended for use only where medical marijuana is not a violation of state law. Edibles can vary in potency while a consumers’ weight, metabolism and eating habits may affect effectiveness and safety. Ingredient management is important when cooking with cannabis for proper dosage. Please consume responsibly and check with your doctor before consumption to make sure that it is safe to do so.

VISIT USatATiReadCulture.com iReadCulture.com t Additional recipe can be found

January 2016 // CULTURE

Scallops

with CannabisInfused Pesto Ingredients 24 large sea scallops, muscles removed 2 tablespoons cannabutter t salt freshly ground black pepper Cannabis-Infused Pesto

Directions

SEE MORE ON OUR WEBSITE

Local eateries with similar dishes

Le Papillon 410 Saratoga Ave., San Jose (408) 296-3730 www.lepapillon.com Vazo Assurro Ristorante 108 Castro St., Mountain View (650) 940-1717 www.vasoazzurro.com Contigo 1320 Castro St., San Francisco (415) 285-0250 www.contigosf.com

Season scallops with salt and pepper. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat, then add butter. When butter begins to brown, add scallops and sear until golden, 1 1⁄2-2 minutes. Turn scallops and cook until opaque, 1 1⁄2-2 minutes more. Spoon pesto onto your choice of serving material, then set scallops in pesto for each serving.

Cannabis-Infused Pesto Ingredients 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves ½ cup cannabis-infused olive oil t 3 garlic cloves, peeled 3 tablespoons pine nuts ¼ cup parmigiano-reggiano salt freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Pulse pine nuts and 1⁄2 teaspoon of salt together in a food processor until finely ground. Add garlic and basil and, with the motor running, drizzle in cannabis-infused olive oil. Add parmigiano-reggiano and process into a smooth paste. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

CULTURE // January 2016

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

“The renewal of the Rohrabacher-Farr Amendment suggests most members of Congress are ready to end the federal government’s war on medical marijuana.”

New Spending Bill Prohibits Justice Department From Interfering in State Medical Cannabis Laws and Quietly Lifts Federal Ban

n Tuesday, a new federal spending bill was unveiled in Congress which will continue to prohibit the Justice Department from interfering in state medical cannabis laws. The provision included in the bill titled the RohrabacherFarr Amendment intends to prevent the Department of Justice and DEA from arresting or prosecuting patients, caregivers and businesses acting in compliance with state cannabis laws. The piece of legislation stems from an amendment sponsored by Representatives Dana Rohrabacher (RCA) and Sam Farr (D-CA) that was first approved in the House of Representatives last year. “The renewal of the RohrabacherFarr Amendment suggests most members of Congress are ready to end the federal

CULTURE // January 2016

government’s war on medical marijuana,” said Robert Capecchi, director of federal policies for the Marijuana Policy Project. “There’s a growing sentiment that the Justice Department should not be using taxpayer dollars to arrest and prosecute people who are following their states’ medical marijuana laws.” The new spending bill as well renews the Harris Amendment, signed into law in 1962, which prevents the District of Columbia from regulating cannabis for adult use. Although District voters approved a ballot initiative in 2014 to make possession and growing of of cannabis legal for adults 21 years of age and older, the halfcentury-year-old amendment prevents the District of Columbia from regulating the cultivation and distribution of the substance, which for some, breeds a feeling of collective disappointment.

“Marijuana is now legal for adults in the District of Columbia, and it needs to be treated like a legal product,” Capecchi said. “It is irrational to prohibit D.C. officials from establishing a regulatory system to control the cultivation and distribution of marijuana. By renewing the Harris Amendment, Congress is posing a real threat to public health and safety in our nation’s capitol.” “This amendment has teeth, but only as long as it keeps getting renewed,” Capecchi said. “It’s time for Congress to adopt a more permanent solution. The CARERS Act is one option, but Senator Grassley is not allowing it to get a committee hearing. Unfortunately, some members are still clinging to antiquated prohibition policies.” The spotlight continues to shine on the country’s capitol as the presence of the cannabis scene continues to take shape. c VISIT VISIT USUS ATATiReadCulture.com iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

event listings

NORCAL

“Sublime Beauty: Raphael’s Portrait of a Lady with a Unicorn,” Jan. 9-April 10

As mysterious as the Mona Lisa, Raphael’s “Portrait of a Lady with a Unicorn,” is observed for the first time in the United States. This exhibit explores the woman’s identity and the iconographic unicorn settled in her lap. Legion of Honor, San Francisco legionofhonor.famsf.org

Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen, Jan. 15

NOW!

Join Anderson Cooper and Andy Cohen as they sit and talk with audience members about pop culture and world events. The setting of this event is rather intimate, giving fans a chance to feel connected to the speakers as they casually speak their minds. The Masonic, San Francisco ac2live.com

Dream State, Jan. 16-17

Dream State comes to San Francisco for two days of non-stop trance music. With veterans like Paul Oakenfold on the lineup, this is the ultimate trance event. Bill Graham Civic Auditorium, San Francisco www.dreamstateusa.com

Chase Rice, Jan. 14

Heart throb, Chase Rice reached number one on the Billboard Top Country Music Charts in 2014 with his album Ignite the Night, which features a variety of love songs and party anthems. With plans of a new album in 2016, Rice continues to evolve along with his growing popularity. Fox Theater, Oakland thefoxoakland.com

Genesis 3 Smash Tournament, Jan. 15-17

After a four-year hiatus, one of the Nation’s biggest Super Smash Bros. tournaments is back. The tournament will feature international players competing in Melee and Smash Wii U—the ultimate Nintendo lover’s dream. San Jose Convention Center, San Jose smash.gg

CULTURE // January 2016

featured event

Shatner’s World, Jan. 30

Join William Shatner in his one man show where he tells the story of his life through comedic storytelling and musical numbers. With over 50 years in show business, Shatner is a seasoned veteran whose performance is one you won’t want to miss. The Warfield, San Francisco thewarfieldtheater.com

The Fab Four: The Ultimate Beatles Tribute, Jan. 22

Martin Lawrence, Jan. 21

Martin Lawrence has been a successful comedian since the early ’90s starring in the hit show, Martin and movies like House Party and Bad Boys. With his hilarious body language and impersonations, Lawrence has a way of keeping audiences entertained. Paramount Theater, Oakland paramounttheater.com

Since you’ll never get the chance to see The Beatles live, check out the next best thing. The Fab Four have been performing as a tribute band since 1997 with their impressive costumes and sets, taking audiences on a journey through Beatles history. Palace of Fine Arts, San Francisco palaceoffinearts.org

“Looking East: How Japan Inspired Monet, Van Gogh and

Other Artists,” Through Jan. 31

After ending its self-imposed isolation through trade in the 1850’s, Japan stunned the world and its artists with the various compositions, colors and textures presented in its art, clothing and other items. This exhibit explores the Japanese influence on artists who are famously known today, including Vincent Van Gogh, Edgar Degas and Mary Cassatt. Asian Art Museum, San Francisco asianart.org VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

CULTURE // January 2016

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

Chuck Shepherd's

News of the

Weird

LEAD STORY—THE PATIENT WILL SEE YOU NOW u Professional patients

now help train would-be doctors, especially in the most delicate and dreaded of exams (gynecological and prostate), where a becalming technique improves outcomes. One “teaching associate” of Eastern Virginia Medical School told The Washington Post in September that the helpers act as “enthusiastic surgical dummies” to 65 medical colleges, guiding rookie fingers through the trainer’s own private parts. The prostate associate might helpfully caution, “No need for speed here,” especially since he will be bending over for as many as nine probings a day. A gynecological teaching associate, mentoring the nervous speculum-wielder, might wittily congratulate pupils on having a front-row sight line the “GTA” will never witness: an up-close view of her own cervix.

LATEST RELIGIOUS MESSAGES u American Sharia: (1) U.S.

parents have a right to homeschool their kids, but are subject to varying degrees of regulation, with Texas the most lax, and one El Paso family will have a day before the Texas Supreme Court after one of its kids was reported declining to study because education was useless since he was waiting to be “raptured” (as described in the Bible’s Book of Revelation). (2) U.S. courts increasingly allow customers to sign away state and federal rights by agreeing to contracts providing private arbitration for disputes rather than access to courts—even if the contract explicitly requires only religious resolutions rather

than secular, constitutional ones. A November New York Times investigation examined contracts ranging from Scientology’s requirement that fraud claims by members be resolved only by Scientologists— to various consumer issues from home repairs to real estate sales limited to dockets of Christian clerics.

LEADING ECONOMIC INDICATORS u At a ceremony in Kabul in

November, prominent Afghan developer Khalilullah Frozi signed a $95 million contract to build an 8,800-unit township and was, according to a New York Times dispatch, toasted for his role in the country’s economic rebirth. However, at nightfall, Frozi headed back to prison to resume his 15-year sentence for defrauding Kabul Bank of nearly $1 billion in depositors’ money. Because he remains one of Afghanistan’s elite, arrangements were made for him to work days but spend his nights in prison (in comfortable quarters). Said one Western official, laconically, “(I) f you have stolen enough money, you can get away with it.”

CULTURAL DIVERSITY u Before the terrorist murders

gripped Paris, President Francois Hollande and Iran’s President Hassan Rouhani had been trying to arrange a formal dinner during Rouhani’s planned visit to the city to celebrate the two countries’ role in the recent accord limiting Iran’s nuclear development. France’s RTL radio news reported that “dinner” is apparently more vexing than “nuclear weaponry”—as Rouhani demanded an alcohol-free meal, which was nixed by Hollande, who insisted that the French never dine without wine.

January 2016 // CULTURE

CULTURE // January 2016

VISIT US AT

iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE