Culture Magazine Colorado January 2016 by Culture Magazine

CULTURE // January 2016

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January 2016 // CULTURE

CULTURE // January 2016

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January 2016 // CULTURE

january 2016

Contents 18

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102

Features

62 . Moratorium in Englewood Expanded 64 . MMJ LEGALIZATION IN CANADA MAY BE ON THE WAY 66

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

74 . HOPE IS RISING FOR THE INDUSTRIAL HEMP FARMing ACT

10 . News Nuggets 12 . By the Numbers 18 . Dispensaries Get Permission to Stay Open Late in Boulder 22 . legal corner 26 . healthy living

76 . EXPERIENCE THE WONDER OF MURALIST PATRICK KANE MCGREGOR

reviews

. HEMP CBD vs. CANNABIS CBD

70 . INDUSTRY INSIDER: IRVIN ROSENFELD, AUTHOR AND ADVOCATE

80 . YOUR 2016 CANNABIS TRAVEL PLANNER 84 . GET COZY WITH CANNABIS TEAS 88 . DMVU IS DENVER’S DUBSTEP MASTER 90 . START HEADBANGING WITH DREADNOUGHT 108 . U.S. Cannabis Reform Sets Global Pace for Change

52 ORIGINAL ROCK

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30 . advocate highlight 32 . dispensary highlight

50 . Colorado Now! 92 . shooting galleries 96 . Growing Culture 98 . Destination Unknown 100 . Profile in Courage 102 . Recipes 110 . News of the Weird

WEB Exclusive! Vermont Medical School Offers Cannabis Science Course

Design Innovation Breaks Apart Open Floor Plans with HempBased Barriers

36 . Strain, Edible and

Concentrate Reviews 44 . cool stuff 46 . Entertainment Reviews 48 . liner notes

Japan's First Lady is Completely Down for Hemp

SEE MORE ON OUR WEBSITE

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

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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, Scott Rappold, Randy Robinson, 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 Sales Manager Kim Cook Account Executives Greg Andes,Callie Belo, Jon Bookatz, Eric Bulls, 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 50,000 magazines at over 1,400 locations throughout Colorado. No articles, illustrations, photographs, or other matter within may be reproduced without written permission. Culture速 Magazine is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. 8156 Wadsworth Blvd | #E239 Littleton | Colorado | 80128 Phone 888.694.2046 Fax 888.694.2046 www.iReadCulture.com

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CULTURE速 Magazine is printed using post-recycled paper.

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C STATE NEWS NUGGETS

_______________________

forth in administering medical cannabis, physicians must make sure to “develop and maintain” these habits in order to keep their DEA certification.

Colorado Springs City Council Gives Preliminary Approval for Cannabis Paraphernalia Law

The Colorado Springs City Council voted 7-2 to give approval for a city mandated ordinance forbidding minors below the age of 18 to be in possession of cannabis paraphernalia, unless they are registered medical patients. Although the regulations comply closely with state law, the punishments are slightly more severe. For example, the city ordinance charges a fine of $500 to offenders, when the state maximum is only $200. Other possible consequences include probation or a deferred sentence along with treatment, according to Colorado Springs Gazette. Many parents have reported that this new law is unfair for first time offenders, and show concern that children who handle cannabis paraphernalia without intended use will be labeled as criminals. The City Council will make a final decision on January 12.

Updates on Colorado’s New MMJ Guidelines for Physicians

In November, CULTURE featured an article about the Colorado Medical Board’s latest regulations on how physicians will be able to administer medical cannabis to patients 18 years and older. These guidelines stated that doctors must conduct consultations in person, review patients’ history with other medicines and narcotics, review patients’ mental and physical well being and conduct a pain assessment on patients to make sure that they truly qualify. An official document published on November 19 stated details associated with these regulations. Other guidelines specified in the official document are that physicians must maintain a relationship with patients prior to administering medical cannabis, educate their patients on the effects of cannabis and follow up with their progress after administering cannabis. Aside from having to abide by the guidelines set

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__________________________

NATION

Intractable Pain Approved as a Qualifying Condition for MMJ in Minnesota

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.

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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

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 concerns have risen as to whether or not the state’s two approved medical cannabis providers will be able to meet VISIT US AT

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by the numb3rs

The amount of money, in millions of dollars, made from cannabis tax revenue which will fund future Pueblo community projects: 2 (Source: KKTV 11)

The percentage of Colorado voters who say that cannabis has been good for the state: 53 (Source: Quinnipiac University)

8 The percentage of Colorado visitors who said that the legalization of cannabis was “extremely” or “somewhat influential” to their decision to visit the state: 48 (Source: The Denver Post)

99 1,081 12

The percentage of Colorado tourists who say that they visited a cannabis dispensary while in the state: 8 (Source: The Denver Post)

The number of projects that will be funded by Pueblo’s cannabis tax revenue: 16 (Source: KKTV 11)

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

Indo Trade Show and Conference Acknowledging Colorado’s title of “The New Amsterdam,” Indo Trade Show is a two-day event that focuses on B2B cannabis relationships. There will be a number of vendors showcasing the best goods in cannabis merchandise and equipment, while many educational organizations will be present to offer insight on safety and legality. Note that the first day of this event is open only to business professionals, which encourages those who participate to create relationships with their peers. The second day however, will be completely open to the public, giving those interested in working in the cannabis industry a change to attend a job fair and network with exhibitors participating in the event. This is a great way to integrate yourself into the ever-growing cannabis community in Colorado, while possibly being introduced to new career opportunities.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Indo Trade Show and Conference. WHEN/WHERE: Sat, Jan. 30-Sun, Jan. 31. The Denver Mart Expo Building, 451 East 58th Ave., Denver. INFO: Visit www.indoexpo. com for details.

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Extended Access

by Addison Herron-Wheeler

Boulder dispensaries get permission to stay open until 10 p.m.

Legal cannabis is one of the most convenient and exciting things to happen to cannabis enthusiasts in this lifetime. But because legalization is so new, there are many things that could be improved. Not every county in Colorado has legal cannabis, most places don’t allow smoking lounges, so cannabis can only legally be consumed at home, and dispensaries still close earlier than most places, usually around 7 p.m. These things all make it difficult to use recreational cannabis as a substitute for alcohol after hours. For this reason, dispensaries in Boulder just got permission to stay open until 10 p.m., making it easier to obtain cannabis late in the evening. Starting in January, all licensed dispensaries in Boulder are going to be allowed to stay open three hours later. According to an article in Times-Call, the new regulation in Colorado will allow dispensaries to stay open until 12 a.m., but local governments will be able to set their own regulations for when stores must close, and Boulder County has chosen 10 p.m. While this regulation has officially been passed at a recent city meeting regarding cannabis regulations, it will not officially become local law until the commissioner drafts a resolution that spells out these changes. So far, all the local businesses have spoken in favor of the hour extension, as it means alter hours for them to be open and make profits. Deliverers of cannabis goods also expressed happiness with this new regulation. According to Times-Call, Roland Eibl, a representative from 7 Sacred, an edibles company based out of Telluride, explained that since they have to deliver cannabis to both Denver and Boulder stores, the extended hours will help them to cover more ground. Another revision in Boulder that has been tentatively approved is the addition of “dual operations” stores in town. Unlike most

CULTURE // January 2016

places in Colorado, Boulder currently allows stores to only sell recreational or medicinal cannabis, rather than selling both. Under this new regulation, stores will be able to sell both medical and recreational cannabis as long as there is a clear divide between the two sides. Another issue brought up at the meeting was posed by a local yoga teacher who wanted to be able to legally use cannabis at a retreat he is setting up. It was tentatively decided that this could be possible as long as he agrees that no cannabis will be sold on the premises, only consumed. One issue that was not brought up this time around was that of cannabis clubs—an idea which is going to be considered on the ballot next year, similar to the way this issue is being treated in Denver. With every passing year, new cannabis regulations in Colorado counties allow for the industry to advance and move forward. Hopefully all counties in Colorado will have legal cannabis soon, and everyone will be working together to make sure there is more recreational and medical availability. c

Cannabis Entrepreneurs Colorado Meetup With recreational cannabis being legal in Colorado and creating positive impacts on the state’s economy, cannabis seems like a great investment for any business mogul. For those who are interested in venturing into cannabusiness, Colorado Cannabis Entrepreneurs is ideal. The group’s intention is to establish a platform for cannabis entrepreneurs to network, share business ideas and discuss other insight on Colorado’s cannabis industry. Aside from monthly meetings, Colorado Cannabis Entrepreneurs puts together other formal and informal events that include special keynote speakers and insightful workshops. This is a wonderful foundation for those in the industry to share insight with one another in order to provide a safe and compliant cannabis industry for their communities. Meetup locations vary from month to month, so you might want to keep up with the Cannabis Entrepreneurs group online for updates.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Cannabis Entrepreneurs Colorado Meetup. WHEN/WHERE: Tues, Jan. 26. Casselman’s Bar and Venue, 2620 Walnut St., Denver. INFO: Visit www.facebook. com/Colorado-CannabisEntrepreneurs for details. VISIT US AT

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C r e n r co l a g le by Ann Toney

Driving and

Cannabis

here was an American College of Medical Toxicology conference held in Denver recently. The attendees were primarily scientists and laboratory people and it appeared that I was the only attorney attendee. We were there to learn about and discuss current research on cannabis and driving. The main attraction was the presentations by Marilyn A. Huestis, PhD., National Institute on Drug Abuse, Bethesda, MD. She has been the federal government’s chief expert on cannabis and driving research and she is retiring this month. Driving Under the Influence of Drugs (DUID) has become quite a large area of interest as the legalization of cannabis has spread like wildfire across the United States. Law enforcement seems to believe that if you use cannabis and drive you are therefore, impaired. Drivers often believe they actually drive better after smoking. Defense attorneys are trying to perfect the art of defending a DUID case and the government is tasked with figuring out what it all means and how to protect the

CULTURE // January 2016

public while driving. There was one interesting recent research study at this conference which is of note. The United States Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has authored a research paper on “Drug and Alcohol Crash Risk” by Richard P. Compton and Amy Berning. The paper looks at what role cannabis plays in contributing to occurrences of car crashes. What the researchers were looking to assess is a driver’s “risk” for a driving accident when cannabis was used by the driver versus the “risk” of accident, when cannabis was not used. As part of this study, the researchers also looked at other factors which could increase the risk of driving accidents. So the researchers found if you take the risk for accidents for drivers who tested positive for THC (1.25 times greater than people without THC) and adjust that risk to include other known risks such as that person’s age, gender, ethnicity or alcohol concentration level, there was no significant increase in the

risk level associated with the presence of THC. The study reviewed much research on crashes and the drivers involved having reported such factors as cannabis use, no drug use, etc. Importantly, original data was collected in Virginia Beach, VA and analyzed. The researchers were testing for the impact of alcohol and drugs (including THC) on causing crashes. The research used drivers who were involved in a crash and drivers not involved in a crash (“control” group of drivers). While looking at THC by itself, there was an increased “risk of crash” for drivers who had THC in their system which was measured after the crash. The researchers found other factors present in the driver which statistically contributed to that person crashing. Factors in addition to THC which were relevant to the driver crashing were: The presence or absence of alcohol, and demographic factors such as whether the driver was male or female, if alcohol was on board in addition to THC, the driver’s age and race/ethnicity. c VISIT US AT

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C g n i v i l y h t l hea by Lanny Swerdlow, RN

A Paradigm-Changing, LifeEnhancing New Year’s Resolution

t’s time to make your new year’s resolutions and if I may be so bold, I would like to suggest considering a resolution that will not only improve your own wellbeing, but the well-being of your family and community. For many people, the resolution I am suggesting may be frightening and bewildering because for many it takes them out of their comfort zone and thrusts them into a whirlpool of interpersonal connections, public communications and intimidating collaborations. Yet, I guarantee that if undertaken and followed through, your life will be transformed. 2016 will be a pivotal year for cannabis. Not only will there be half dozen or more states with medical cannabis and cannabis legalization measures on the ballot, but it will be a major component of the political discussions taking place throughout the country— even the world. This is where you come in. Resolve to not sit passively and watch this exciting year unfold on your TV screen, but to take that bold step into the fray and put your shoulder to the wall and shift the cannabis paradigm. Not only will you be

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making a powerful, meaningful and vital contribution to ending cannabis prohibition, but you will also be improving your own life. It’s more than just making cannabis easier to obtain. Family, friends and community are external parameters that develop feelings of self-worth whereas careers, avocations and pursuits are internal parameters that develop selfworth. For many the all-toocommon loss of a sense of self-worth is one of the most common causes of depression and is a precursor to excessive alcohol consumption, dependence on prescription pharmaceuticals and a principal cause of the development of a multitude of health problems. Some who have experienced a loss of self-worth and alienation may turn to cannabis for relief – but that’s all it does—provides relief without the collateral healthdamaging consequences of alcohol, methamphetamines, prescription pharmaceuticals or other drugs, but cannabis doesn’t resolve the underlying problems causing the loss of feelings of self-worth. Your resolution and follow

through to become actively involved in ending cannabis prohibition can reignite your feelings of self-worth as research strongly suggests that political participation increases feeling of well-being. Lynn Sanders, PhD from the University of Virginia in a research monograph entitled The Psychological Benefits of Political Participation writes that political “participation is a resource that alleviates psychological distress” and that “protesting injustice, fighting back, demanding rights, articulating claims and otherwise resisting oppression, is a healthy thing to do.” Granted, there are other worthwhile causes other than working to end cannabis prohibition that can be “a healthy thing to do,” but it is important to choose a cause that is meaningful to you personally. Since you are reading this magazine, it would not be too far off base to assume that cannabis plays an important role in your life. Even if low self-esteem is not your problem, multiple studies supported by the prestigious Mayo Clinic have shown that having a passionately enthusiastic purpose in life can reduce the

likelihood of cognitive decline, delay the onset of dementia and even add years to your life. No matter your level of self-worth, you know that cannabis plays a significant role as part of a healthy lifestyle. For yourself, your family and your community, make a resolution to use your valuable time to end cannabis prohibition. As if to underscore the importance of ending cannabis prohibition, cannabis ingestion can help significantly in following through on your resolution to shift the cannabis paradigm by enhancing and facilitating political participation through its legendary ability to reduce anxiety, ease socialization and just making whatever you do more fun. Do not feel guilty or hesitate to consume cannabis while you shift the paradigm. Prevent cancer, get a good night’s sleep and have safe, lively, enjoyable and productive times as you exuberantly join forces with friends, old and new, who are working alongside you to end cannabis prohibition. Make that resolution now! c

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Advocate HIGHLIGHT

Peggy Moore

Occupation: Owner, Love’s Oven; Edibles Chair, Cannabis Business Alliance

When and how did you become an advocate for cannabis? I became an advocate for cannabis in 2011 when I joined Love’s Oven as a partner. We were focused on medical cannabis at that time, and we were looking to serve patients through delivering high quality cannabis with small batch, home-style baked goods. I was interested in Love’s Oven’s philosophy to deliver medicine that was very clean. Love’s Oven’s method for THC extraction is a food-based extraction method, no solvents are used to extract THC into the butter. I viewed this as a healthy way to provide the medicine. In 2011, the medical aspects of the plant were just beginning to be understood, and we were also looking at marijuana as an alternative to alcohol and other relaxation products in the adult-use market. Of course, we successfully passed the adultuse law in November of 2012 and have now introduced the benefits of cannabis to a whole new market. How has cannabis benefited your life? Personally, I am just an occasional user of cannabis. I find it useful for pain relief and relaxation, but it has benefited my life in other ways. Being a part of a burgeoning industry allowed me to step away from Corporate America, and to have an impact on many lives. Love’s Oven’s products have been embraced by many medical users

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as well as adult-use consumers who are really looking for a clean way to solve issues with pain, as well as relax. What’s your greatest achievement for the cannabis cause? I have had an opportunity to draw upon my mentoring skills to help others in the industry improve and become more proactive rather than reactive as issues

arise. From an industry leadership perspective, in 2014 Love’s Oven implemented child resistant packaging for our products that is above and beyond what the laws require. We apply three layers of packaging for each of our multi serving products: Each individual serving is packaged in a poly bag, and each of those pieces go into a child resistant package, and then we put a tamper evident seal on that child resistant package. Since we put these safety measures into practice we have seen many others in the industry follow our lead. Who do you look up to or admire? Sue Sisley is a terrific advocate for medical marijuana research, and is doing really great work in that area. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment awarded her a $2 million grant for a planned study of marijuana for symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in 76 U.S. veterans. This will be one of the first published studies on this very important issue. If you could change one thing about the way cannabis is viewed and/or treated right now, what would it be? I would change the fear mongering and the false claims that cannabis harms people. We need to continue to work with folks that don’t understand marijuana to educate and inform them. c VISIT US AT

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Dispensary HIGHLIGHT

LoDo Wellness Center Interviewed: Haley Andrews, General Manager 1617 Wazee St., Denver 80202 lodowellnesscenter.com (303) 534-5020

How and when did your dispensary start up? The owner of the building, Don Andrews, saw an opportunity to use his downtown space to provide a comfortable, discreet place to shop. We started as a medical dispensary in 2009, but now help medical and recreational customers. What’s the story behind the name of your shop? We proudly wanted to incorporate the historic “Lower Downtown” district, in which we are located, into our name. What does your dispensary offer clients that they can’t find anywhere else? What do you specialize in, if anything? We like to think our shop has a unique, relaxed atmosphere. Our budtenders specialize and excel in customer service providing kind, knowledgeable answers to all questions. Whether you’re shopping alone or in a big group, we do our very best to

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make everyone feel informed and comfortable. We specialize in small-batch grows which allows us to focus on getting the highest quality cannabis on our shelves. What are the biggest challenges you face in this industry as a dispensary? Biggest joys? Our biggest challenge is keeping up with the demands of this growing industry that is evolving and changing so quickly. Our biggest joy is seeing how happy people are shopping for a product that most thought they would never see legalized. Like a “kid in a candy store!” What is one thing you want patients to know about your dispensary? We pride ourselves on being friendly and knowledgeable. We want everyone that walks in our door to have a great relaxed experience, and leave feeling like a part of our LoDo Wellness family. c

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STRAIN + EDIBLE + concentrate White Tang Haze

Purple Haze may have been all in Jimi Hendrix’s brain, but we have no doubt he would have preferred White Tang Haze all in his lungs. Our first duet with the hot new strain came courtesy of Lush in Denver, and we’ll definitely be back for an encore. Growing in true Haze fashion with chunky nodes shooting out every which way, the scent is fruity with butter undertones and Middle Eastern spice, like the green room at The Acropolis. Definitely best suited for a night at an EDM show or a mosh pit, White Tang Haze is a body mover that has a pulsating energy and long lasting effect. Just make sure you don’t overindulge, as some reviewers experienced slight paranoia and almost tried to leave the band. Available AT: Lush in Denver.

Heavenly Hash Bath Available WHEREVER: Mary Jane’s Medicinals products are carried.

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While it may be freezing outside, there’s never been a better time to draw a bath and relax now that the holidays are over. Add in some Mary Jane’s Medicinals Heavenly Hash Bath, though, and you may experience the side effect of your roommate trying to hop in, too. One of our favorite new bath products, the infused herb bag steeps in the hot water, releasing a relaxing combination of lavender, chamomile and peppermint that’s intoxicating on its own. Hopping in, the silky water and herb oil will cause stress to melt away and drain with the water. That is, if you can bring yourself to leave. The 45mg of THC and 4mg of CBD were plenty to give us a body effect that a regular bath couldn’t touch. Welcome to your new bedtime routine.

www.iReadCulture.com Available at: Good Meds Network in Englewood and Lakewood.

Citrix

Grapefruit: Is there anything it can’t do? From doubling the effect of your coffee to being chocked full of Vitamin C, it’s also responsible for the great taste of Citrix, a high flying sativa we picked up from Good Meds Network. We salivated while opening the jar, as it’s like a ruby red grapefruit was crossed with really great herb, even if the genetics are really LA Confidential and Grapefruit the strain. The tight nugs glistened with trichomes that were given ample curing time to hit maximum flavor. Mentally stimulating, Citrix was perfect for getting the creative juices flowing as we planned a ski trip, although we would have been equally at home on the actual slopes. Also solid for nausea and muscle spasms, this strain is a great way to wake up and start your day.

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FLO Vape

We’re a bunch of 21st century guys and gals, so we’re constantly on the go and when having something rolled up isn’t an option, having the FLO Vape handy is a lifesaver. Strain specific, we were shocked by how well our Girl Scout Cookies x OG18 oil hit. One reviewer, who is used to having to pull forever to get a decent hit out of a cartridge, had quite the coughing fit when they realized how potent the FLO Vape actually is. The rest of us were fine, experiencing a relaxed and anxiety-reducing effects that made running errands surprisingly pleasant.

Available wherever: FLO Vape products are carried.

Strawberry Kush

Available AT: Original Cannabis Growers in Colorado Springs.

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If we had our way, these would be the strawberry fields that went on forever, as Strawberry Kush makes you feel like you’re piloting a yellow submarine. Our favorite cut right now is available at Original Cannabis Growers in Colorado Springs, where they started it from seed back in 2004. Hand-trimmed and benefitting from an excellent cure, the flavors of ripe berry and kush pine stayed with us through the entire joint. Not that we needed it. As this strain keeps you alert, several hits are all you need for an afternoon as it definitely qualifies as strong medicine. There’s no couch lock here, as several reviewers found themselves pacing the office during a brainstorming session, relieved of pain issues that dog them. Strawberry Kush is the ultimate meeting strain.

CBD Living Water

Partied too hard on New Year’s Eve and are still feeling it? Smoking away a hangover is great, but our new favorite cure is CBD Living Water, one of the most innovative products we’ve seen in awhile. Developed by actual physicians—don’t let words like “nanotechnology” and “quantum physics” intimidate you— this stuff is the real deal. Also enriched with CBD, this water somehow tastes more wet and refreshing than any we’ve tried. Sounds crazy, right? The best part, you can’t taste that it’s infused at all, and with no head effect, it’s perfect to drink on any morning. Many who tested felt a calm, relaxing sense of wellbeing that didn’t distract or muddy their days. Also containing d-Ribose, Methycobalamin and Coenzme Q10, each brings a specific benefit to the table that would be best left to scientists to explain.

Available AT: naturaleaf, MC caregivers and other dispensaries throughout colorado.

Available AT: Greenfields in Denver.

NYC Power Diesel

For the city that never sleeps, a little sativa certainly helps keep things moving along. If you have the Big Apple fever after watching the ball drop, get a taste of New York Power Diesel, coming to us from Greenfields in Denver. Everything about this strain screams quality diesel, from bulbous calyxes to the funky, intoxicating gas station aromas that are pure fuel mixed with pine air fresheners. A cross of sativa Mexicana and Aurora indica, we liked the surprisingly heavy relief that seriously dulled deep pains that can set in after a raucous day walking the city. Still heady, this is the next level up from Sour Diesel for those looking for stronger medical benefits, including arthritis relief, helping us stand up straighter than a skyscraper.

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Quigley’s Cannabis Shot

Available WHEREVER: Quigley’s products are carried.

While the name Quigley’s might evoke a 1940s general store, this is definitely not the kind of beverage you’d find at an old-timey soda fountain. The latest in cannabis-infused shots has become an office favorite for potency and its rapid release formula. Complete with a dosing cup attached to the top, there’s no guessing when it comes to exactly how much of the 50mg of THC you’re drinking. Just like the smokable form, there’s zero calories and it’s 100 percent fat free. The flavor is a real winner, as the berry works as a shot or as a mixer if you’d like to spice up a cocktail. Giving euphoric but not-too-racy effect, we liked that while it stimulated us, we could also close our eyes and get some rest at the end of the day.

GET YOUR CLICK HERE

Available AT: Medicine Man in Denver and Aurora.

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Canna Tsu

Lao Tzu famously said “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step,” which is about how far some people travel to find CBD-rich strains. Canna Tsu, a cross of Cannatonic and Sour Tsunami, is one of our favorites for those seeking wellness. Found this month at Medicine Man in Denver and Aurora, we appreciated how aesthetically pleasing Canna Tsu was for a high CBD strain. A definite sweetness hits the nose first, with hints of grape and bubblegum behind it, all coming through in the smoke. For reviewers dealing with GI issues, this strain was a godsend, making for happy stomachs and even happier lunches. While there is a head effect here, you’ll feel most of it in your body, leaving you in a Zen-like state.

Honey Dew Melon Sucker Available wherever: Mountain High Suckers products are carried.

Agent Orange

Just about everything is better when you have a sucker, part of the reason they give them to you at the bank as they take all your money. Instead of waiting until payday, we’d recommend heading to just about any dispensary to pick up the affordable, brand new and refreshing Honey Dew Melon Sucker. While other lozenges on the market can make you feel like you’ve been sucking on hash oil for an hour, we loved its clean taste with barely any “green” flavor. With little psychoactive effect, these are perfect for someone who is looking for the healing benefits of cannabis but might be nervous trying an edible. Available AT: Northern Lights in Edgewater.

For an evil, faceless corporation, Monsanto sure did a great job when they named Agent Orange. We’re just proud that Northern Lights is taking the word back for cannabis users with their amazing strain of the same name. A 50/50 hybrid, this legend lives up to its name with bright citrus tones that reminded one reviewer of tangerines in their Christmas stocking, as well as long-flowing orange hairs jutting out everywhere. The flavor comes through as well, as we preferred vaping to get an incredibly ripe orange flavor per hit. Intensely cerebral to start, you’ll want to have something active to do or risk feeling like a bottle rocket trapped in a safe. Ideal for daytime headaches or muscle pain when you still need to be active, you can use Agent Orange for just about anything, other than sleep.

CULTURE // January 2016

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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

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, full-flavored 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.

Holmes Smart Wifi-Enabled WeMo TrueHEPA Premium Air Purifier

Thanks to this bad boy, you can keep the air in your home clean and pure for you and your loved ones, no matter where you are. The Holmes® Smart Air Purifier with WeMo® can be controlled from anywhere using your smart phone or device. Set a weekly schedule, receive air quality status and be informed when to adjust settings. This air purifier operates quietly and reduces common odors and allergens without any annoying buzz or hum. True HEPA filtration captures up to 99.97 percent of airborne particles like pollen, dust, mold, pet dander and smoke. Seriously clean air at the touch of your finger.

CULTURE // January 2016

PRICE: $589 MORE INFORMATION: growgeneration.com

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PRICE: $19.99 MORE INFORMATION: makingyoubetterbrands.com

Xternal Cream

PRICE: $199.99 MORE INFORMATION: holmesproducts.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!

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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.

Cannabis Wedding Expo

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)

Muscle Beach Muscle Beach Sailor Records

Denver’s own Muscle Beach has been working hard and rocking harder over the last two years, garnering a reputation for being one of the fiercest and most explosive post-hardcore bands in Colorado. With its self-titled debut record, the band further establishes themselves as one of the heaviest bands in the west. The riffs are powerful and incredibly well crafted, the rhythms hit like sledgehammers, and the vocals are piercing and raw—confirming that Muscle Beach is ready to take its sound as far as it can, and that it will do so while swinging for the head. (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

Cannabis bars are the latest wedding trend, and for couples interested in offering their guests an alternative to alcohol, the Cannabis Wedding Expo is here to help. Not only will the expo help to elegantly incorporate cannabis into your wedding, it will teach couples how to “safely and intelligently” do so, along with how to pair cannabis with food and drinks. With a variety of vendors offering some of the most delectable cannabis infused treats and beautiful cannabis themed décor, couples can find products suitable to their specific needs. Since the event venue is consumption friendly, guest will be able to sample products to ensure that they get something they truly enjoy. Treat yourself and your guest to a fun and exciting experience, making your wedding a memorable event for all.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Cannabis Wedding Expo. WHEN/WHERE: Sun, Jan. 17. Point Gallery, 765 Santa Fe Dr., Denver. INFO: Visit www. cannabisweddingexpo.com for details.

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liner notes

t’s been an awesome month for politically conscious hip-hop. KILLER MIKE, half of Run the Jewels, interviewed Democratic Candidate for President Bernie Sanders. They’ve been spotted together talking in Killer Mike’s barbershop and getting lunch together. But now, the pair announced a six-part conversation in which they talked about politics, religion, the drug war, minority voters and much more. In Atlanta, at a rally for Sanders, in front of a crowd of thousands, Killer Mike voiced his wariness to support any political candidate. He added, however, “after spending five hours with someone who has spent the last 50 years radically fighting for your rights and mine, I can tell you that I am very proud tonight to announce the next president of the United States, Senator Bernie Sanders.” Sanders is still trailing Senator Hillary Clinton by quite a significant margin with black voters in the southern states. He has acknowledged this in several interviews, including the one he had with Killer Mike. The Atlanta rally was, among other things, an attempt at rallying the southern minority base around him and to show his political record as one that would help give their struggles voice better than his opponent. K’NAAN, the Somali-Canadian rapper, has also been making moves and partnerships in unlikely political waters. He’s teaming up with Kathryn Bigelow, the director behind Zero Dark Thirty, Point Break and The Hurt Locker, to make a new HBO drama about radical Islam. The series “will draw open an iron curtain behind which viewers will see the highly impenetrable world of Jihadi recruitment,” HBO said in a press release. K’naan has posted calls for audition in the Minnesota Twin Cities area for Somaliborn actors. There’s no word yet on how long the show will run or how involved Bigelow will be beyond producing and possibly directing a few episodes, but the series is already generating significant buzz online and in the trades. NICKI MINAJ has also shown her political side recently, speaking in interviews about social injustices from sexism to the War on Drugs. “When I see how many

CULTURE // January 2016

by Kevin Longrie

people are in jail,” Minaj said, “I feel like, ‘Wait a minute. Our government is aware of these statistics and thinks it’s okay?’ The sentences are inhumane.” She continued, “what it has become is not a war on drugs. It has become slavery. Or something crazier.” Minaj is not the only rapper to speak out against the War on Drugs, especially the mandatory minimums that drug possession charges often carry. These regulations, as well as police tactics, lead to significantly more drug arrests and harsh sentencing in neighborhoods primarily inhabited by people of color. Minaj is referring to the staggering number of black men, specifically, who are incarnated in the United States now which, according to The New Jim Crow by Michelle Alexander, exceeds the number of people held in slavery in the United States. I predict, with the critical election a year away, these issues will continue to take center stage not just in political realms, but also in musical and creative realms. In lighter news, WILL SMITH announced his first tour in decades, saying that he and Jazzy Jeff will be going out on the road for several dates in 2016. The rapper-turned-movie star also hinted that new music might be in the works. He’s not the only huge name heading out on tour next year: ADELE also booked over 50 dates for 2016 North American tour, expected to sell out in something approaching instantaneousness. c

CSU RAMS vs. San Diego State The CSU Rams take on Mountain West rivals, the San Diego State Aztecs, in this home game at Moby Arena. Making history last year with a 27-game winning streak, the Rams came back strong this year, making it to the Corpus Christi Coastal Classic Championship after beating Portland in a 90-74 game. Although the Rams didn’t take home the championship, their perseverance throughout the tournament, showed fans what to expect this basketball season. In its fourth season with coach, Larry Eustachy the Rams continue play with aggression and dedication, making each game action packed and exciting. Although the team continues to persevere, none of its accomplishments could be made possible without the continual support from its school and local community. Watch as the Rams play the Aztecs in one of two games against the team this season.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Men’s Basketball, CSU Rams vs. San Diego State Aztecs. WHEN/WHERE: Wed, Jan. 13. Moby Arena, Moby Dr., Fort Collins. INFO: Visit www.csurams. com for details.

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January 2016 // CULTURE

event listings

colorado ITALY!, Jan. 15-30

Sunday Brewery Yoga, Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

Local playwright, Michele Berdini, is debuting her play called “Italy!” Embrace your inner feelings, for this is a romantic comedy about passionate love that features an array of wacky characters. Funky Little Theater Company, Colorado Springs funkylittletheater.org

With “an unshakable commitment to soulful grooves,” Late Night Radio is working hard to make his mark on Colorado’s electronic music scene. One listen to Late Night Radio and you won’t stop grooving to the funky riffs and hip-hop inspired beats incorporated into his music. The Ogden Theater, Denver Latenightradiomusic.com

Telluride First Thursday Art Walk, Jan. 7

Rodina, Jan. 23

Breckenridge Second Saturday Art Walk, Jan. 9

Aside from being Colorado’s largest historical district, Breckenridge has a growing art community. Visit the city’s galleries and take in the talent of local and international artists. Various locations, Breckenridge breckgallerywalk.com

CULTURE // January 2016

featured event

Late Night Radio, Jan. 15

Join the Fort Collins Brewery & Tavern each Sunday throughout the month of January for a one-hour power yoga session followed by a refreshing adult beverage. A great way to destress before going into the busy week. Fort Collins Brewery & Tavern, Fort Collins fortcollinsbrewery.com

A popular ski town in Colorado, Telluride welcomes visitors with its art walk every second Thursday of the month. This is a free event with 22 galleries hosting receptions and local restaurants offering art walk specials. Various locations, Telluride telluridearts.org

NOW!

This weekend features the calming sounds of the band Rodina, accompanied by members of The New Mastersounds and Dechen Hawk. Ophelia’s is an boudoir-style live music venue that doubles as a bar and restaurant—which makes for the perfect place to check out unique sounds of the locals. Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox, Denver opheliasdenver.com

William Shakespeare’s A Winter’s Tale, Jan. 27-31

Shakespeare teaches a lesson in mindfulness through this heartbreaking story. A king who condemns his family realizes his

The Heartstring Hunters, Jan. 14 Recently moved to Boulder, The Heartstring Hunters switch between up-beat country to mellow folk. Singer Carolyn Nicely has a soft and angelic voice that fits perfectly with the wonderfully produced sounds of band mate, Daniel Hunter. The Laughing Goat, Boulder thelaughinggoat.com faults when it is too late. University of Colorado Theater Loft, Boulder colorado.edu

listen for yourself to experience its cutting edge sound. Ullr Grass, Golden Headforthehillsmusic.com

Fasching Winter Karneval, Jan. 30

Head for the Hills, Jan. 29

Fort Collins natives, Head for the Hills’ sound is rather hard to describe. With influences in folk, indie, jazz and hip-hop it’s best to

Fasching is the German version of Carnivale, inspiring those who participate to dress in costumes, similar to Halloween. This is a 21+ event that includes dancing and costume contests, a great way to recover from the Christmas season! Sangre de Cristo Arts and Conference Center, Pueblo www.sdc-art.org VISIT US AT

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January 2016 // CULTURE

CULTURE // January 2016

Photos courtesy of Blues Traveler and Brandon Hill

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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

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January 2016 // CULTURE

CULTURE // January 2016

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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

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January 2016 // CULTURE

Ready for Research— Not Action

Englewood Delays Cannabis Club Decision

by Addison Herron-Wheeler

or a while, there was buzz going around that the city of Englewood, located just outside Denver, would be the first place to legalize cannabis clubs, allowing Denverites somewhere they could go to hang out and smoke as an alternative to smoking at home or going to a bar. However, Englewood has now decided to postpone this decision for six months in order to gather more data and take time to analyze this decision and the factors involved. Back in October, according to Westword, the Englewood Liquor and Medical Marijuana Licensing Authority wrote up an ordinance draft that would outline the rules for cannabis consumption clubs and set a cap on how many clubs could be opened in the county. This was to come in light of the six-month moratorium on cannabis clubs that was set to expire in January. However, they have decided to extend this moratorium for another six months in order to give the new City Council that will be elected the chance to

CULTURE // January 2016

decide, and to give the people of Englewood more time to think over this decision. “The new council is going to have a lot to say about it,” Councilman Steven Yates told Westword. “I don’t know what direction that is going to be.” Currently, Englewood is somewhat conservative when it comes to allowing cannabis use. Only medical cannabis is allowed within city limits, and there are currently no recreational dispensaries. However, there is one private cannabis club in the city currently, called iBake Englewood. The only people who are allowed to consume cannabis at iBake Englewood are official members, and in light of the new moratorium it is to remain a private club. The club is also grandfathered in, so the moratorium is not going to affect their ability to keep their doors open. Yates told Westword that some concerns about opening these clubs are the fact that the air quality would make employees intoxicated, cannabis and driving laws are still a slippery slope and people would be leaving the club intoxicated, and fire safety since there will be so much

“ . . . the Englewood Liquor and Medical Marijuana Licensing Authority wrote up an ordinance draft that would outline the rules for cannabis consumption clubs and set a cap on how many clubs could be opened in the county.”

smoke in the clubs. “I was there for 30-35 minutes, and then I walked outside and sat down,” Yates told Westword regarding a visit he made to the iBake Englewood. “I had a little buzz going on.” Although talks are still tentative because of the extended moratorium, people are already coming up with solutions to these problems. A member of the Englewood Liquor and Medical Marijuana Licensing Authority suggested that putting a limit on the number of members allowed in clubs would help keep intoxicated drivers off the roads. “In (city) code, it doesn’t necessarily address this type of environment,” Yates added. “If we’re going to bring the limelight to us, I want it to be a success.” It is still up in the air how this will play out, and whether or not Englewood will make history by legalizing cannabis clubs, but however this pans out, one thing is for sure— people in urban areas want places where they can smoke in public, and cannabis clubs appear to be just around the corner. c VISIT VISIT US US AT AT iReadCulture.com 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

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

Proud in Paint

Denver-based muralist is helping the cannabis community show their creativity, one wall at a time by Addison Herron-Wheeler

any local artists in Denver choose to bring cannabis into their work, but very few blend local pride and cannabis culture into their art as seamlessly as Patrick Kane McGregor. A Denver native, born and raised, McGregor has been drawing for as long as he can remember. “I have been drawing since I could hold a crayon,” he told CULTURE. “I started drawing ‘Eddie’ from the Iron Maiden album covers and staring at Frank Frazetta art and later making flyers for bands. Then I worked for Tower Records in Dublin and Berkeley, California as the store artist. I got into graffiti after that, and eventually I got into signs and advertising murals for work, and now I’m trying to utilize all of these things in my art today.” >>

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January 2016 // CULTURE

“Cannabis helps the process and gets me focused, and will un-fog my creative mind. Cannabis can pull me out of a rut when I hit a wall or when I get uninspired as well.”

McGregor employs his graffiti background to create awesome murals around the city. “I usually work in sign painting enamels and artist oils,” he stated. “Brushes and rollers. I am not against spray paint and will use it from time to time, but prefer the old school method of billboard art. My themes are portraits and photorealism on a large scale if possible, a lot of figurative stuff and a few landscapes here and there.” “I have a few murals planned for Denver in the Spring,” he adds. “I am always looking for a new wall to paint or working on new canvasses when I have the time and inspiration. I still travel a lot

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from coast to coast painting advertising murals for Colossal Media in Brooklyn, New York, and I will be travelling to California in January to paint an advertisement over 10 stories high.” McGregor also enjoys painting while using cannabis, and tries to work the plant into his art as a theme. “Yes, I just did a mural for Pax off Colfax and I painted a wall of marijuana for my friends at Alife in New York City,” he told us. “It was for a secret Cyprus Hill concert in their backyard. You can also find me painting under the influence. Cannabis helps the process and gets me focused, and will un-fog my creative mind. Cannabis can

pull me out of a rut when I hit a wall or when I get uninspired as well. It’s a good medicine for me, but not for everyone.” In addition to supporting cannabis, McGregor also has a lot of love for the local art scene. “I was born in Denver, he stated, “so I am happy to see the art scene growing here, and it is getting bigger every year. It is becoming a hub for international artists. Certain communities, like RiNo and

South Broadway, have really embraced the art scene. You can discover really amazing art in every corner of the city, from the murals that were painted during Colorado Crush in RiNo, to the Colfax MuralFest. Denver is definitely where I want to be now, and where I want to be doing art and murals in the future. I want to leave my mark in my hometown, and paint as much as possible. So give me your walls, Denver!” c

www.patrickkanemcgregor.com | VISIT @patrickkanemcgregor 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.

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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. >>

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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January 2016 // CULTURE

Underground Denver Dub Love Local producer Damnesiavu is passionate about Denver, rad beats and local green by Addison Herron-Wheeler

The underground dubstep scene in Denver has long been flourishing—promotional group Sub.mission brings in acts all over the world for their DJ nights and special showcases, and the city is starting to mirror London as a hotbed for great local producers, but with our own special touch—legal cannabis, mountains and a quickly growing transplant population. CULTURE caught up with one of these up-and-coming producers, DamnesiaVu or DMVU, to hear about his latest projects, passion for producing and love for local cannabis.

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“I’ve been playing music pretty much as long as I can remember,” he told us. “When I was in sixth grade, my amazingly supportive parents bought me a drum set. That really changed a lot of things for me, because I love rhythm; I love percussion; I love beats. With the drum set I started drumming over old soul records and blues tapes, and I would play hip-hop style breaks over them. By the time I got to my first year of high school, my roommate at the time downloaded Audacity, and we would use a laptop mic to record me playing drums, while he played the piano. That just slowly led to me realizing how to use a computer to produce.” DMVU has been busy lately, and there are many things in the works for the local Denver producer. “As far as releases go I have a lot coming up,” he said. “I’ve been working on a project with the amazingly talented Ill Chill for the past year, and that’s going to be big. I’ve got a record coming out on Silent Motion, as well as my usual business with my European

“What really separates Denver from other places is our saturation of talented artists. There are more artists in Denver with raw talent than a lot of places. The music scene here has been blooming quickly and I don’t see it slowing down anytime soon.” friends at Encrypted Audio. Recently I started a much more experimental project called Pocket Rocks, and I will have my first release through Transcendent Tunes pretty soon! A lot on my plate, but I could use more.” When it comes to cannabis and the local music scene, DMVU has nothing but good things to say. “Honestly the best word I could use to describe the local scene is blessed,” he said. “I mean sure, with all music scenes there is drama, there are people who are in it for the wrong reason, and there are people who just don’t care. But in Denver, we are so, so lucky to have what we have. What really separates Denver from other places is our saturation of talented artists. There are more artists in Denver with raw talent than a lot of places. The music scene here has been blooming quickly and I don’t see it slowing

down anytime soon.” DMVU is also grateful to live in Denver because of legal cannabis. “For me, I’ve found that weed just makes everyday activities more fun. And I have more fun making music than anything. So when you add weed to the equation, it’s a blast. We even had an outdoor plant at the studio this year; it came out pretty good! Making your own music whilst smoking weed that you grew is a really great feeling. I think the legalization here is amazing and wouldn’t ask for it any other way. I also feel it’s been a HUGE influence on the music scene here. Musicians and pot go hand in hand; its’ always been that way, and now, with pot and music being on almost every block, I think people in Denver are just happier. Now the rest of the country seems to be catching on to the idea (somewhat) that weed is a good thing.” c

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January 2016 // CULTURE

IN CONCERT

Progressive and Passionate

January 10 @ Mutiny Café with Iwakura and Haunter from TX February 12 @ High Dive with Cloud Catcher

Denver progressive metal band Dreadnought is entertaining and approachable

Denver prog-metalers Dreadnought are starting off 2016 on a strong note. 2015 saw the release of the extremely well-received sophomore record Bridging Realms, which has received positive reviews in metal magazines and on websites across the country. This year, they are gearing up to tour more in support of the record, as well as write and record more music. CULTURE caught up with Dreadnought to talk about legal cannabis, metal and the local scene.

“Cannabis has helped me think outside the box when approaching the drums and the sax. I tend to try crazier things between the drums and sax than I thought were possible after a good toke and some time jamming.”

by Addison Herron-Wheeler “Before Dreadnought became a band we were all playing in different projects in Colorado Springs,” Kelly Schilling, the group’s vocalist, guitarist, and flutist, told us. “Jordan (clancy, drums, alto, and tenor saxophone), Kevin (Handlon, bass, mandolin, lyrics), and I were in a band together called Kastigation and Lauren (Vieira, keys, clean vocals) was in a band called Recondite. We all moved up to Denver at separate times and the three of us reconnected with

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Lauren at a Kastigation show. We were in need of a fourth member at the time and thought she would be a perfect fit, so we asked her to join. After adding her to the lineup we realized that our sound was moving in a different direction and thus decided to start fresh with a new name.” “We don’t feel as if we can or want to box ourselves into one particular style or another, so it’s difficult to describe,” Schilling adds regarding the group’s sound. “I tend to give examples of the

genres you will hear throughout our music, for example prog rock, post rock, black metal, folk, classical and jazz. We all have many different influences and they continue to change. Recently Kevin and I have been influenced by a lot of black metal, the new Leviathan on his end, Altar of Plagues on mine. I have personally fallen in love with Ulver, both old and new. As a whole I would say we have all been consistently influenced by Opeth, Moonsorrow, Yes, and Jethro Tull.”

The group currently has several tour and recording plans in the works to follow up their successful sophomore album. “We released our sophomore album, Bridging Realms, this last August and toured the East Coast in promotion of it,” Schilling told us. “Our current plan is to write for the next album and record an acoustic EP in January or February. We are also playing a few local shows within the next few months. There are plans for a few tours next year.” While not everyone in the group is a cannabis

user, they are advocates and supporters, and Clancy is an occasional smoker. “Cannabis has helped me think outside the box when approaching the drums and the sax,” he stated. “I’ll tend to try crazier things between the drums and sax than I thought was possible after a good toke and some time jamming.” “We have not ever made cannabis a theme in our music,” adds Schilling, “but we support the use of it nonetheless, especially when listening to our music!” c

www.dreadnoughtdenver.com VISIT US AT iReadCulture.com

January 2016 // CULTURE

shooting gallery

Good Chemistry Holiday Party photos by Shawna McGregor

CULTURE // January 2016

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January 2016 // CULTURE

shooting gallery

o.pen vape party @ Opheliaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s photos by Joel Meaders

CULTURE // January 2016

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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.

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

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by Sheryll Alexander

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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

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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Scallops

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

Directions

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Local eateries with similar dishes

L’Atelier 1739 Pearl St., Boulder (303) 442-7233 www.latelierboulder.com Carlos’ Bistro 1025 S 21st St., Colorado Springs (719) 471-2905 www.carlosbistrocos.com Elway’s 2500 E 1st Ave., Denver (303) 399-5353 www.elways.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.

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“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

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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

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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

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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

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“nuclear weaponry”—as Rouhani demanded an alcohol-free meal, which was nixed by Hollande, who insisted that the French never dine without wine.

COMPELLING EXPLANATIONS u Skeptics feared it was just a

matter of time, anyway, until the “political correctness” movement turned its attention to dignity for thieves. San Francisco’s SFGate.com reported in November on a discussion in an upscale neighborhood about whether someone committing petty, nonviolent theft should be referred to by the “offensive” term “criminal” (rather than as, for example, “the person who stole my bicycle,” since “criminal” implies a harsher level of evil and fails to acknowledge factors that might have caused momentary desperation by a person in severe need).

u Reginald Gildersleeve, 55 and free on bond with an extensive rap sheet, was waving a gun as he threatened a clerk and tried to rob a store in Chicago on Halloween night— until a customer (licensed to carry) drew his own gun and, with multiple shots, killed Gildersleeve. Closer inspection revealed Gildersleeve’s weapon to be merely a paintball gun, leading the deceased man’s stepson to complain later that “Some people (the licensed shooter) don’t actually know how to use guns. They go to firing ranges, but it’s not the same ... as a bullet going into flesh. ... Someone’s got to answer for that.” THE CONTINUING CRISIS u U.S. and European

entrepreneurs offer extreme “games” in which liabilitywaiving “players” volunteer for hours of kidnapping, pain and death threats, but the cult-like, under-the-radar “McKamey Manor” in Southern California (said to have a waiting list of 27,000) is notable for the starkness of its threats of brutality—and the absence of any “safe word” with which a suddenly reluctant player can

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beg off. (Only Russ McKamey himself decides if a player has had enough). The “product” is “100 percent fear,” he said. “We’re good at it,” he told London’s The Guardian in an October dispatch from San Diego (whose reporter overheard one of McKamey’s thugs promise, “I’m going to tear that girl (player) apart” and “No one is leaving with eyebrows today”).

u In October, the student newspaper of Toronto’s Ryerson University reported a mighty scandal that upset the student body: The school’s executive offices’ restrooms routinely supply two-ply toilet paper while most other campus buildings offer only one-ply. Following up on the hard-hitting Ryerson Eyeopener’s expose, The Canadian Press noted that the universities of Guelph, Ottawa and Toronto comfort all toilet-users’ bottoms the same. Ryerson officials defensively noted that older plumbing in many of their buildings cannot handle two-ply paper. LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINALS u Nicholas Allegretto, 23,

was convicted of shoplifting in Cambridge, England, in October (in absentia, because he is still at large). The prosecutor knows Allegretto is his man because, shortly after the February theft, police released a surveillance photo of Allegretto leaving the store with the unpaid-for item, and Allegretto had come to a police station to complain that the suddenly public picture made him look guilty. In fact, he claimed, he intended to pay for the item but had gotten distracted (and besides, he added, his body language often looks somewhat “dodgy,” anyway).

RECURRING THEMES u Lowering the Bar in Zero

Tolerance: The 6-year-old son of Martha Miele was given an automatic three-day out-of-school suspension at Our Lady of Lourdes in Cincinnati in October after, VISIT US AT

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emulating actions of his favorite Power Rangers characters, he pretended to shoot a bow and arrow at another student. Principal Joe Crachiolo was adamant, insisting that he has “no tolerance for any real, pretend or imitated violence.” An exasperated Martha Miele confessed she was at a loss about how a 6-year-old boy is supposed to block out the concept of a super-hero fighter (and instead imagine, say, a super-hero counselor?).

u Cavalcade of Fetishes: (1) Among the approximately 100 arrests Seattle police made in an October drug sting were of a man, 63, and woman, 58, accused only of retail theft of $150,000 worth of goods—including about 400 pairs of jeans. Police said the couple “ordered” items from shoplifters and seemed to have an “insatiable appetite for denim.” (2) In November, police in Bethel, Connecticut, arrested Nelson Montalvo, 50—accused of taking about 30 items of underwear from one particular home. Montalvo’s motive is being investigated, but police said his modus operandi was to remove items, cut holes in them and return them to the home. A NEWS OF THE WEIRD CLASSIC (JANUARY 2011) u Name in the News: Sought

as a suspect in a convenience store killing in Largo, Florida, in December (2010) (and an example of the highly revealing “Three First Names” theory of criminal liability), Mr. Larry Joe Jerry—who actually has four first names: Larry Joe Jerry Jr. (He was convicted in 2013 and sentenced to 42 years in prison).

IT’S SNOT HYGIENIC u The manager of the agency in

Louisville, Kentucky, responsible for, among other things, development planning, zoning changes and historic landmarks revealed in November that his headquarters has a “boogers” problem and ordered users of the third-floor men’s room to

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stop hocking them onto the walls adjacent to the urinals. According to an internal memo cited by InsiderLouisville.com, Metro Planning and Design Services manager Joe Reverman called the mucus buildup “a very serious situation” and had his executive administrator post signs instructing restroom users on the basics of proper disposal of “anything that comes out of or off a person’s body.”

GREAT ART! u The 1968 Cy Twombly

“blackboard” painting sold for $70.5 million at New York City’s Sotheby’s auction in November (higher than experts’ estimate of $60 million). The painting consists of six horizontal lines of continuous circular swirls (white chalk on a “blackboard”)— perhaps the same swirls that might be made by an extremely bored, aggressive first-grader given a supply of chalk and the absence of the teacher.

u The Baltimore-based “experimental music” creators Matmos announced the release of their new album, “Ultimate Care II,” consisting entirely of “music” made by a Whirlpool washing machine (the Ultimate Care II model). According to a November report in Time magazine, the machine’s 38-minute wash cycle will be “sampled and processed” to lighten the original sound. (Matmos previously “played” canisters of helium on stage at Radio City Music Hall and a cow’s uterus at the San Francisco Art Institute). CULTURAL DIVERSITY u In an enterprise somewhat

resembling “American Idol,” amateur performers in China become self-supporting online not by soliciting money directly, but through virtual gifts from enthralled fans, with performers getting a cut of each sale. Beijing’s YY.com hosts original performances, and two of the site’s favorites, Mr. Earth and Ms. Cloud, earned the equivalent of about $160,000 last year from their universe of 1.8 million fans (according to a VISIT US AT

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November Wall Street Journal report). In an ancillary industry (led by 9158.com), hard-core fans can purchase access (think “virtual limousines,” shown “arriving” at a “concert”), giving them bragging rights. (A simple “applause” icon after a song costs about a penny).

BRIGHT IDEAS u The exasperated drug

enforcement chief of Indonesia told reporters in November (following confiscation of a massive quantity of methamphetamine from China) that the ordinary death penalty was insufficient for drug runners, who should instead be forced to overdose on their own shipments. Budi Waseso also mused that crocodiles would make better prison guards than humans because crocs can’t be bribed and later added tigers and pirhanas to the proposed guard roster. Even so, Waseso’s boss reiterated that the government is committed to rehabilitation over punishment.

NEW WORLD ORDER u Watch Your Language: (1)

Recently added to the list of words and phrases to be officially discouraged on campus, according to the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s website: “political correctness.” The phrase is said to be a “microaggression” that might make some students feel uncomfortable or unsafe if they hear it or read it. (2) In November, the University of Vermont held a (voluntary) three-day “retreat” open only to students who “self-identify as white,” so that they can study the implications of “white privilege” in society (e.g., “what does it mean to be white?” and “how does whiteness impact you?”).

GOVERNMENT INACTION u The Queens (New York)

Redbird Tourist Information Center was finally ordered to close in July following an extraordinarily unsuccessful seven-year run in which, possibly, not a single tourist ever walked through the door. The New York Post, interviewing neighbors in Kew

Gardens, found no one who ever saw a visitor, and the center’s lone staff member said she recalled only lunchtime drop-ins from jury duty at the criminal court building down the block.

THE CONTINUING CRISIS u Marshall University

(Huntington, West Virginia), seeking a “star free agent” for its medical faculty, hired neurosurgeon Paul Muizelaar in July despite controversy from his previous work at the University of California, Davis. There, Dr. Muizelaar and colleagues, in a daring experiment, introduced live bowel bacteria into the brain—on lab rats—supposedly to stimulate the immune system when other remedies had faltered. However, Dr. Muizelaar, emboldened, also introduced the bacteria into brains of a man and two women who had highly malignant glioblastoma tumors (each patient having consented). However, two died within weeks, and although the third survived more than a year, UC Davis found numerous protocol violations. Dr. Muizelaar’s new supervisor told the Associated Press that he nonetheless felt lucky to land him because “not everybody wants to move to Appalachia.”

IRONIES u Deputy sheriff Michael

Szeliga of St. Petersburg, Florida, in Fort Lauderdale for a weekend training session in July, was to receive a commendation at the formal banquet, for exemplary DUI enforcement, presented by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. (This is News of the Weird; you’ve already guessed the outcome). He, escorted by two fellow deputies, arrived for dinner “staggeringly drunk” (though he did not drive), according to an internal affairs investigation, and he was ordered to go sleep it off. (Szeliga wrote an apology and was transferred out of DUI work. Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said Szeliga was a good deputy but that the incident was “one of the most ridiculous things” he’d ever heard of).

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