Culture Magazine Michigan March 2016 by Culture Magazine

March 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

iReadCULTURE.com march 2016

contents

03.16

inside

ECLECTIC EMBRACE AWOLNATIONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Aaron Bruno speaks exclusively with CULTURE about success, music and cannabis. ON THE COVER: Photo provided by Red Bull Records

features 40

The Emerald Isle Wants Green Too! Ireland is making headway in medical cannabis access.

The Complexity of Organic Cannabis Regulators begin weighing in on pesticides like never before.

Industry Insider

Embracing Heritage

Cannabis Attorney Christian Sederberg is one of the pioneers behind Coloradoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s legal cannabis scene.

Gaelic Storm has been mixing traditional Irish music with modern influence for 20 years.

online Exclusive!

departments news

d Scientists Isolate The

reviews 20 Collective 28 Entertainment Reviews in every issue

8 News Nuggets 10 By the Numbers 14 Local News 18 Legal Corner

Highlight

22 Strain & Concentrate Reviews 26 Cool Stuff

54 Growing Culture 56 Destination Unknown 58 Profile in Courage

March 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

60 Recipes

62 News of the Weird

"Paranoia Gene" in Cannabis Smokers d Facebook Attacks

Cannabis Collective Pages

Vol 7 IssUE 9

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CULTURE M

Publisher Jeremy Zachary Editor-In-Chief Evan Senn associate Editor Ashley Bennett Editorial coordinator Victoria Banegas Editorial Contributors Sheryll Alexander, Marguerite Arnold, Jake Browne, Jasen T. Davis, Alex Distefano, David Downs, Natasha Guimond, Addison Herron-Wheeler, Anthony Herrold, Pamela Jayne, Heather Johnson, Joe Jatcko, David Jenison, Kevin Longrie, Emily Manke, Tyler Markwart, Meital Manzuri, Sandy Moriarty, Madison Ortiz, Denise Pollicella, Paul Rogers, Joy Shannon, Lanny Swerdlow, Simon Weedn, Zara Zhi Photographers Steve Baker, Kristopher Christensen, John Gilhooley, Joel Meaders, Duncan Rolfson Art Director Steven Myrdahl production manager Tommy LaFleur Graphic Designers Tanya Delgadillo, Jonathan Ibarra Account Executives Jon Bookatz, Eric Bulls, Kim Cook, Cole Garrison, Gene Gorelik, Emily Musser, Beau Odom, Justin Olson, Jim Saunders, Chris Thatcher, April Tygart general Manager Iris Norsworthy Office Assistant Angelina Thompson director of digital media Brian Gingrich digital media Editor David Edmundson Ctv Contributors Anna Logan, Chris Salazar Distribution Manager Cruz Bobadilla

Culture速 Magazine is published every month and distributes 25,000 magazines at over 500 locations throughout Michigan. No articles, illustrations, photographs, or other matter within may be reproduced without written permission. Culture速 Magazine is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. 34841 Mound Rd. | #241 Sterling Heights | Michigan | 48310 Phone 888.694.2046 Fax 888.694.2046 www.iREADCULTURE.com

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NEWS

nuggets Collectives in Detroit Have 30 Days to Place Bid for Legal Operation Starting on March 1, a window has been open for the 211 collectives operating in Detroit to put in a bid to legally operate, as reported by The Detroit News. The announcement for this opportunity was announced on February 2, by Detroit Corporation Counsel Melvin Butch Howell who revealed that collectives will be given one month to place a bid. If collectives do not meet the standards set forth in an ordinance the Detroit City Council approved last year, they will be subject to closure. This isn’t going to be an easy task for collective owners, as they will have to have everything in place before applying, including a location in a permitted zoning area, security plans and background checks, amongst other guidelines set forth in Detroit’s licensing rules. Although regulations do not set a cap on how many collectives can operate in Detroit, The Detroit News states that it “does not allow grandfathering existing and future dispensaries operating in Detroit.”

Pharmacies in Croatia Set to Distribute Cannabis Capsules Cannabis capsules are expected to hit pharmacy shelves in Croatia sometime this month, according to Total Croatia News. With the help of a Canadian manufacturer, the Institute of Immunology will be distributing capsules with small amounts of cannabis oil, at less than one tenth the cost of capsules on the black market. According ˘ to Vecernji List, a monthly dose of capsules on the black market costs 15,000-20,000 kuna ($2,224-$2,965 USD). Director of the Institute of Immunology, Dr. Nevenka Kovac, states that their capsules will only cost patients 1,500 kuna for a monthly dose. Although there is not currently a set price on cost of the capsules, Kovac states that it will be determined based off of transportation costs and profit margins. Medical cannabis has been legal in Croatia since October 2015, however, substances like cannabis capsules will only be available to those suffering from AIDS, Multiple Sclerosis, cancer and Dravet Syndrome.

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Cannabis Firms Take Legal Action Against Warren Officials Two medical cannabis firms are taking legal action against Warren officials after they were denied permission to cultivate medical cannabis in permitted zoning areas. Macomb Supreme Industrial Inc. and JJN are asking court officials to force the Warren Zoning Board of Appeals (ZBA) to overturn a decision made by zoning inspector, Everett Murphy, who denied the firm’s applications to run their business, according to Macomb Daily. Macomb Supreme Industrial Inc. and JJN accuse Murphy of failing to process inspection papers because cannabis is not specifically permitted in the city’s zoning ordinance. Both firms have pointed out that Murphy’s decision goes against the Michigan Medical Marihuana Act and rights of due process. An attorney defending the firms, Denise Pollicella, reveals that just because cannabis is not mentioned in the city’s zoning ordinance, it does not mean that MMJ businesses should be prevented from conducting business. “Put in a candy store or coffee shop—those things aren’t listed in the zoning code, either. Medical marijuana caregivers and patients are allowed to be caregivers and patients anywhere they want” Pollicella states.

Senate Bill 73 Will Allow Patients to Legally Medicate in Utah Things are looking up for medical cannabis patients in Utah. With the efforts of Senator Mark Madsen, Senate Bill 73 was approved and will allow patients to ingest cannabis with recommendation from a certified physician. Under SB-73, cannabis can be ingested through vaporizing, oils and edible consumption, but smoking the plant is prohibited. Illnesses that qualify patients to legally use medical cannabis under SB73 include Alzheimer’s, AIDS, ALS, cancer, Crohn’s disease, PTSD, epilepsy, Multiple Sclerosis and chronic pain. Senator Madsen tried to make medical cannabis legal last year during a legislative session but was defeated in the senate. This year’s bill was approved because it was equipped with research from stakeholders, state agencies and industry leaders, as reported by KUTV. Like other medical cannabis markets, Utah’s will be highly regulated for patients, doctors and collectives.

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NEWS

The number of medical cannabis patients who reside in Wayne County:

The number of collectives operating in Detroit that have one month to apply for a business license under the city’s new medical cannabis laws: (Source: Detroit Free Press)

25,949 (Source:

211

The Compassion Chronicles)

The percentage increase of registered medical cannabis patients in Michigan since 2013: (Source: Licensing and Regulatory Affairs)

53.83

The percentage of Michigan medical cannabis registrants who list cancer as the qualifying condition and reason they use cannabis: (Source: Licensing and Regulatory Affairs)

The number of months that illegal collectives in Detroit have to apply for a business license, starting March 1: (Source: Detroit Free Press)

4.47

The number of residents in Chicago, Illinois who qualify to receive medical cannabis from medical collectives throughout the state: (Source: ABC 7 Chicago)

4,000

The estimated amount of medical cannabis, in tons, that was consumed last year in (Source: Arizona Daily Star) Arizona:

11th Medical Marijuana Conference

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5.4

What: 11th Medical Marijuana Conference. When/Where: Tues, March 19-Wed, March 20. The Orbit Room, 2525 Lake Eastbrooks Blvd., S.E. Grand Rapids. Info: Visit www.theorbitroom.com for details.

Another fun and informative cannabis event to attend this year, the 11th Annual Michigan Medical Marijuana Conference will include a variety of activities for cannabisloving adults to enjoy. At this year’s event, participants will have the option of attending panels concerning medical cannabis laws where they’ll also get to meet and talk with industry experts or grow classes where they can learn to properly set up a personal grow site and utilize

The amount of money, in billions of dollars, that was made from legal cannabis sales in the U.S. in 2015: (Source: CNBC)

organic growing techniques. Along with these informative activities, dozens of vendors showcasing cool artwork, pipes, clothing and seeds will also be present as well as a few other vendors who will be offering services unique to your cannabis needs. Although this is a cannabis supporting event, medicating on the premises is not permitted. Celebrate Michigan’s cannabis culture as the Medical Marijuana Conference goes into its 11th year!

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March 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

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NEWS

LOCAL

45th Annual Ann Arbor Hash Bash

Water is Life

The Flint water crisis is affecting cannabis growth in Michigan

by Natasha Guimond

n case you haven’t noticed, Flint’s been making headlines for all of the wrong reasons these past few months. It all started when, in April 2014, Governor Rick Snyder decided to take Flint off of Detroit’s clean water supply and connect it to the Flint River instead. As you can guess, it was a bottom-line issue. Unfortunately, instead of saving money, the switch caused irreversible damage to the pipes, causing lead to contaminate the water, and poisoned the entire town. Even though they’ve since switched back to Detroit’s clean water supply, the pipes are still damaged. After trying to be covered up, people on social media and other activists were able to bring the issue to national attention and almost a year later, in January, Flint was declared to be in a state of emergency. What we and our readers want to know, however, is what does this mean for the medical cannabis coming out of the Flint area? Is it safe? How do we know? Has it been tested? Can it be tested? Fortunately, we were able to reach out to PSI Labs and Iron Laboratories for their expert feedback. Claire T. Moore, plant expert at Iron Laboratories, provided us with some valid scientific feedback. While she admits, after thorough research, that, “Some authors suggest that land contaminated with heavy metals such as cadmium, nickel and lead should not be used

March 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

for agricultural production . . . ,” she says. “This suggests that if the cannabis plant is exposed to lead, under the right conditions, there may be significant accumulation of lead in various parts of the plant, particularly the leaves, followed by stem tissue and seeds. With this in mind and given medicinal value of cannabis, it seems that we should be careful in using cannabis that has been grown with lead contaminated water until there is more research available.” If that scares you, just think about all of the families that were forced to bathe in this water. Moore gives us some hope, however, that “some research has been done with cannabis sativa as a candidate species for phytoremediation. Phytoremediation is essentially the use of plants to clean up contaminated ecosystems by pulling heavy metals out of the soil and storing them in various plant tissues so that the plant itself can be harvested and used for another purpose. As a result, the ecosystem experiences an overall reduction in heavy metal concentration. Cannabis happens to be a very promising candidate species used for phytoremediation. This is just another positive use for cannabis as a species, but without further information regarding the effects of lead contaminated cannabis use on humans, it is impossible to discern what sort of effects it may have.” >>

The historical Hash Bash is back for its 45th year to bring to attention Michigan’s current cannabis legislation and movement towards legalization. Having started in 1972 in response to the conviction of activist John Sinclair for being in possession of two joints, the Ann Arbor Hash Bash is tradition amongst advocates working towards better cannabis reform. Like years before, this year’s Hash Bash will host a variety of vendors, guest speakers and other activities with Mr. HashBash serving as emcee. Come and join hundreds of cannabis lovers as they celebrate the plant and discuss what can be done to bring forth legality. As cannabis legislation rapidly changes it’s important for the cannabis community to work collectively, come out, support the cause and meet like-minded people at this year’s Hash Bash. WHAT: 45th Annual Ann Arbor Hash Bash. WHEN/WHERE: Sat, April 2. University of Michigan, 500 South State St., Ann Arbor. INFO: Visit www. hashbash.com for details.

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When speaking with Lev Spivak-Birndorf, PHD, Chief Science Officer & Co-Founder of PSI Labs, he was able to go a little more in depth to how this issue is directly affecting the area and what we can do about it. Pay attention, growers! “Most cannabis growers are very aware of their water chemistry and the effects that has on keeping their plants healthy. It’s pretty likely that a lot of them are using clean sources of water like those treated with reverse osmosis (RO) systems to remove contaminants and purify the water . . . Extraction of cannabinoids with hydrocarbons as is typically done might actually be a way

to clean up contamination from heavy metals in cannabis flowers. This is because the solubility of inorganic heavy metals in organic solvents like butane and ethanol is substantially lower than the solubility of metals in inorganic solvents like nitric and hydrochloric acid. Therefore, during extraction, you could leave metals behind in the plant residue as you extract cannabinoids and terpenes into oil,” he says. “However, there are no data to test this so it is just an idea. Similarly, when preparing edibles it’s unlikely that many metals would end up in the extraction butter/oil. Unless actual plant material is being eaten and exposed to the

acidic environment in the digestive system then it is unlikely a lot of metals would be introduced into the body this way.” Dr. Spivak-Birndorf leaves us with a very thoughtful conclusion and reminds us

“This is just another positive use for cannabis as a species, but without further information regarding the effects of lead contaminated cannabis use on humans, it is impossible to discern what sort of effects it may have.”

that there is always a way to make sure our medicine is safe. If you have any uncertainties, you can always question your sources and ask for details on how your medicine came to be. “While there is some data and caution should be taken until more studies really answer some of these questions, the data that is currently available suggest that overall the issue of contaminated water in Flint should have a relatively minimal impact, if any, on the health and safety of medical cannabis users in the area. It’s important to consider all of the available data and facts when evaluating a complex scenario like this and to not let irrational fears drive the decision making.” c

www.ironlaboratories.com | www.psilabs.com

March 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

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NEWS

legal corner

HISTORIC OPPORTUNITY MILegalize Helps to Avoid Bad Policies by Matthew Abel

“I don’t really smoke”—it’s become a familiar phrase to the ear of a daily smoker working to legalize recreational cannabis use for adults. Some daily smokers wake and then bake all day, while others just toke in the evening. And then there are the people we meet who say “I don’t really smoke.” People who do not smoke cannabis do not say “I don’t really smoke”—they say simply “I don’t smoke.” The people who say “I don’t really smoke” actually do smoke. But when they do, it’s commonly at a social event when someone offers a toke. A good portion of the population clearly view themselves as persons who don’t smoke (even though they do). People who are in the closet on this issue increase the stigma. A century of “reefer madness” perpetrated by the government on the unsuspecting American people has taken its toll. Many successful individuals are cannabis consumers, but the stigma effected by propaganda against cannabis, and the punishment of our draconian criminal laws, keep most people from publicly acknowledging their use. The harms of prohibition hopefully would be well understood at this point, but the government 18

March 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

is subject to the undue influence of the alcohol, tobacco, police and corrections industries. The prisonindustrial complex has become an out of control beast, over-incarcerating our fellow citizens at alarming rates and in racial percentages which are incredibly unequal. In Michigan this year, we may have an historic opportunity to push the reset button on some of the bad policy. This opportunity presents itself to us in the guise of a statewide ballot initiative quest in Michigan this year. Many people wrongfully assume that there is no doubt that a ballot initiative making cannabis legal for adult use will appear on the general election ballot in Michigan in November 2016. If only we could be rest assured of that fact, this year would be a lot less stressful for all of the activists who are putting their hearts and souls (and money and time

“MILegalize is working to legalize cannabis ‘the right way’—one that works for everybody, not just the titans of industry.”

and energy) into the effort known as MILegalize. Other groups have taken a shot at the ballot, but MILegalize is the only one that is within striking distance to give citizens the opportunity to vote on this. The Michigan legislature will be against legalization (much as they are against medical marihuana) until their friends can corporatize the ownership, including requiring mandatory middle men in the guise of regulation. Those mandatory middle men would be entities who neither, grow, process, test or sell cannabis at retail, but would be licensed to charge a fee for their mandatory transportation and tracking services. If one of the benefits of legalization is ending the illegal market, this type of over regulation by government will fall far short of that goal. MILegalize will allow any city, township, village or federally recognized Native American tribe to license (or ban) commercial cannabis facilities within their jurisdiction. The benefit of local licensing is twofold: It will foster innovation and experimentation in the licensing process, and it will prevent the state government from obstructing prompt implementation. The MILegalize initiative allows any adult to grow 12 plants and to transfer up to 2.5 ounces without remuneration. Any sale requires a license. It leaves as criminal offenses only two situations— selling to minors, and driving under the influence. All other infractions would be civil violations only punishable by a fine. Commercial operations without proper licensing would be subject to closure pursuant to zoning violation abatement procedures. MILegalize will impose a tax of 10 percent on the retail price of any cannabis sold, except to medical marijuana patients, where the sales are tax exempt. The monies will go 40 percent to education, 40 percent to transportation and 20 percent to the local community. MILegalize is working to legalize cannabis “the right way”—one that works for everybody, not just the titans of industry. It takes money to make this dream a reality. If ever you wanted to do something to help legalize cannabis in Michigan, now is the time! Support this initiative whether you smoke or not and donate now at www.milegalize.com. c

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REVIEWs

collective highlight

Riverside Meds 7311 E. Jefferson Ave., Detroit, 48214 instagram.com/riverside_meds

How and when did your collective start up? I found this location in complete shambles, it took us a good year of pouring our hearts and souls into this building to complete the restoration. I have always had a passion for cannabis, but I have love for the people in this community. After it’s all said and done, we are happy to be a part of the movement, making a greater Detroit.

What’s the story behind the name of your collective? Our collective is located in a prime location, just off of East Jefferson Avenue across from Belleisle. The MacArthur Bridge and Belleisle views from our collective’s doorstep were our main sources of inspiration. What does your collective offer patients that they can’t find anywhere else? Our collective offers a fun and knowledgeable

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Top Selling Strain: Purple Alien OG Top Selling Concentrate: Girl Scout Cookie Crumble Top Selling Edible: RJ’S 100mg Koolaid and 60mg Cherry Bomb Brownie

environment where our patients not only receive high quality meds, but they leave here educated too. How has the cannabis industry changed since you have been in the business? Where would you like to see it go? The marijuana industry is the nation’s fastest growing industry. Now that there is proof that cannabis can be used to treat diseases, we are hoping for federal legalization both recreationally and

medicinally in all 50 states! What are the biggest challenges you face in this industry as a collective? Biggest joys? There are challenges you face in every industry. I believe in going with the flow. Our greatest joy is in helping our suffering patients. At the end of the day that is what it is all about, helping to better our community. What is the one thing you want patients to know about your collective?

The one thing we would like our patients to know about our collective is that our product is sent out and lab tested. We will only provide the highest quality meds to our patients. What is the more important this you hope to accomplish while in the MJ/MMJ community? The most important thing we hope to accomplish while being a part of this community is to bring happiness to the city of Detroit. To better our community and bring the people together. c

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REVIEWs

strain & concentrate Available at: The Green Room in Detroit.

Candy Jack An obvious cross between Northern Lights and Cheese strains, this sticky bud is sold exclusively at Brothers Cannabis Club in Portland. It is an indica-dominant hybrid strain that also creates a very clear feeling in the mind. It has 23.2 percent THC and .16 percent CBD, making it a great pain reliever anywhere in the body. You will feel a bit light headed, in a good way, with a very strong numbing feeling everywhere else. A very smelly strain with the strong odor of cheese, it also smells very natural, like fresh lettuces or herbs. It also has a very distinct flavor, almost like eating a sandwich. This is a really good strain for relaxing before bed.

Blue Lime Pie

Available at: Top Notch Solutions in Detroit.

Key Lime Pie and Blue Power were crossbred to create this 70/30, indica-dominant blend. This wildly flavorful phenotype of Blue Lime Pie has a sweet and sour kush and cookie flavor. The flavor profile, very much so mimics one of its parent strains, Key Lime Pie, which is a gourmet phenotype of the superstar Girl Scout Cookies with a bold lime flavor. Blue Lime Pie is a fan favorite with patients looking to relieve chronic pain and insomnia. Be cautious, this strain contains a whopping 30.2 percent THC and although incredibly beneficial medication to regular consumers, this one could be overwhelming to those less familiar with cannabis.

Available at: Far East Holistic Center in Detroit.

Super Glue Cannabis enthusiasts everywhere are super stuck on Super Glue. With beautiful big, dense buds heavily covered in trichomes, this strain is surely one to write home about. Smells like sweet earth with a super strong pine after note. Parent strain Northern Lights shares itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s well revered psychoactive effects, while the crossbred Afghani parent strain lends to the sticky nature of the plant, which is hinted to in its name, Super Glue. This indica-dominant strain (80/20) provides a functional relaxing effect to your chronic pains, and/or nausea, leaving you feeling relaxed but energetic enough to participate in the evening ahead. The relaxation effect lingers gently throughout your body, which will eventually beg your body for rest. Go ahead and snuggle up, you deserve to be glued to the bed tonight.

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REVIEWs Available at: We Grow in Flint.

Death Star The name boasts its ultimate power. This medicine should be used as a weapon as it has the capacity to destroy the entirety of your pains with a single glob. The slightly sweet, skunky, jetfuel aroma and mimicking flavor open your senses to a galaxy of exploration as the immediate head effect takes hold. Battle the galaxy from a throne fit for an emperor, as the back end of the head and body effect creeps up packing an aftershock, sure to leave you locked and loaded. Reward yourself with relief, relaxation and perhaps a movie that encourages your mind to escape to a galaxy far, far away.

I.C.E. Cookie

Available at: Motown Meds in Detroit.

This indica-dominant (60/40) blend is a wildly unique phenotype of Girl Scout Cookie. Visually, I.C.E Cookie has hints of familiar purple hued leaves, like the Girl Scout Cookie we all know and love, but the leaves have slightly heavier frosted appearance and the structure of the bud seems a bit more dense. The aroma boasts loudly of cookies, with an extra hint of sweetness. Yum! “I.C.E” must stand for “In case of emergency” because this is one of those strains you’re going to want to lock up and save for when you need it most. Patients with varying chronic pains find immense relief with this strain. When you do come around to sparking up, you’ll see that I.C.E. Cookie is packing a punch with an immediate head effect that subtly fades into a lingering body effect leaving you feeling much more relaxed than you began. Although you will be left with a slightly functional feeling, don’t start your morning with this one, I.C.E. Cookies is best for nighttime use.

Available at: Metro Meds in Detroit.

Bio-Organic Girl Scout Cookie Parent strain OG Kush was crossed with Durban Poison to create this particular bio-organic phenotype of Girl Scout Cookie, exclusively found at Metro Meds. The grower passionately notes that this (25/75) sativadominant strain is bio-dynamic organically grown, meaning there is no powder/liquid nutrients used while growing this medicine. The soil was amended in a process that allowed the plant to uptake all the nutrients it needs via the soil. The light green frosted color may not be the uniform you’re used to seeing your Girl Scout Cookies wearing, but don’t be shy, she’s just from a different troop, and an equally a heavy hitter (25.5 percent THC). Expect a comfortable head and body effect, leaving you feeling pleasant, motivated and perhaps courageous enough to go doorto-door preaching the good word about your new favorite Bio-Organic Girl Scout Cookie.

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REVIEWs

For More Products Go To www.iReadCulture.com

1. Times Hemp Company T-Shirts

3. BULLET Bluetooth Earpiece

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The BULLET Bluetooth Earpiece is said to be the smallest of its kind, featuring lightweight design at 3.5g and it's also comfortable. It will allow you to not only take calls with its built-in microphone, but also stream music when you aren’t chatting up a storm. It uses CVC noise reduction, and has crystal clear sound. While it has a battery that will keep going for about six hours, it makes sure you won’t be without as it comes with a capsule for charging that can juice it up four times over. PRICE: $150 MORE INFORMATION: schatzii.com

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REVIEWs

entertainment

BOOK

WEED: The User’s Guide: A 21st Century Handbook for Enjoying Marijuana

Release Date: March 8 Available on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC

GAME

Tom Clancy’s The Division

David Schmader Sasquatch Books

Dev. Ubisoft Massive Pub. Ubisoft

In this busy and growing contemporary canna-culture craze, author David Schmader explores the cannabis culture in every facet, for a new and interested generation and audience. WEED explores the history, the uses, the medical and recreational effects and varieties of cannabis, as well as cannabis etiquette, what to do if you’re not having a good time while using, and what to do to keep yourself entertained while enjoying cannabis. With humor and factual information, this is a great new user’s guide to all things cannabis. (Alex Bradley)

New York is ravaged by a horrible smallpox virus that is spread on the infamous shopping holiday, Black Friday— five days later, the entire U.S. Government collapses. In The Division, you play as a member of a group of tactical agents who must prevent the fall of society at all costs. This thirdperson shooter offers highly detailed setting, including destructible environments and a unique weather system, and free-roaming capabilities that allow players to truly immerse themselves in the world. Team up with friends to take out those who are infected with the virus, as well as those behind its unleashing. (Nicole Potter)

March 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

MOVIE

Black Mass MUSIC

Warner Brothers Pictures Dir. Scott Cooper

In My Mind

Just in time for Saint Patrick’s Day, one of the most brilliant and dark depictions of Boston’s Irish Mob, Black Mass, is on the shelves. With a story that seems almost too scary to be real, Black Mass handily showcases not only its stars’ acting abilities, but truly brings to life one of the most terrifying marriages of law enforcement and organized crime. Featuring such megastars as Benedict Cumberbatch, Kevin Bacon and Johnny Depp, Black Mass takes viewers on a ride through the seedy bars, dark alleys and criminal underbelly of Boston’s Southie neighborhood circa the 1970s and ‘80s. (Simon Weedn)

Many listeners have become very familiar with the voice and style of BJ The Chicago Kid. BJ has brought a distinctive voice and soulful character wherever he goes. It comes as no surprise that The Chicago Kid’s debut album, In My Mind, is a tour de force of modern R&B, soul and hiphop, that features a relative "who’s who" of contributing artists and producers. In My Mind is a home run of a first outing for BJ The Chicago Kid. With songs and content this extraordinary, let’s hope we don’t have to wait another 10 years for the follow up. (Simon Weedn)

BJ The Chicago Kid Motown

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By Addison Herron-Wheeler

Everyone in the 21st century is familiar with the feeling of

Aaron Bruno is no stranger to being in the limelight, but has

being roped into an awkward social situation and wanting

always preferred the D.I.Y. ethics of underground subgenres,

to leave to work on a craft, see a significant other or just go

an ethos Bruno brings to his high-profile status as leader

home and sit in front of the television. AWOLNATION has

of this wildly successful new band. While AWOLNATION

created an ode to that loner mentality with his musicâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;his

may be experiencing pop stardom, Bruno keeps his feet

very name references the urge to suddenly go AWOL and

planted firmly on the ground. In between hiding out and

disappear, and reaching a whole nation of people who want

making awesome music, Bruno took the time to chat with

that same thing. As a seasoned hardcore and punk musician,

CULTURE about music, cannabis and success. >>

March 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

Photos provided by Red Bull Records | Live photos by Matthias Heschl

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How does having a background in punk and rock inform what you do as the leader of an electronic band? How do you think those influences and the electronic elements of the band work together? I feel pretty lucky that I went down that path—I took that road in a lot of ways because it gave me a completely different perspective than someone who is aspiring to be in a big rock band or a big pop artist. I didn’t ever take those aspirations too seriously, but I felt at home in the hardcore scene and the punk rock scene. At that time, there was no way to really promote your band online; you had to go to local high schools, flier cars and get in trouble for that, or go to other concerts of minor bands, so if

nothing else I learned how to operate as a functioning band and how to do everything on my own, so the work ethic of that was great, feeling like it was you against the world. Those are things that are invaluable to me, and on an artistic or more musical tip, I feel there are a lot of great parts in a lot of the songs that I listened to my whole life that people haven’t heard, so I am lucky I have a library from that world of influences that maybe others wouldn’t pull from. I feel like it’s an advantage for sure.

Do you listen to mostly electronic music or rock? Have you always had an eclectic taste in music? I never listen to just one kind of music—I think there

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is greatness in all forms and genres of music. I spend a lot of time trying to explore and look for new music—at least new to my ears. I am constantly trying to search for something that will mature my songwriting and craft. That’s always the hardest question to answer; I think it takes time to really decide if something lasts the test of time.

What is it like being signed to Red Bull Records? You’ve referred to that relationship as more of a “partnership” than a typical record deal— what do you mean by that? There are ups and downs just like everything else, but I think there would be a lot more downs if I was with a more traditional label. When they came to me they were

still new and hadn’t had any success with any of their bands yet. It has been really nice to kind of work together and navigate the wild west of the industry while we try to figure out how to have a presence in such an oversaturated marketplace. I didn’t want to do another major label deal because I had been involved in two prior and they didn’t work for me. When they came to me they offered to allow me to continue down this tunnelvision path I had in my mind which was to make a record with no compromises where I controlled the whole thing. It wasn’t that I had ego or wanted to be thought of as a solo artist—I just felt I didn’t want to have arguments and deal with the stress of having >>

other bandmates. My other band had broken up and I saw that as an opportunity to just go at this alone and really put it all on the line and utilize everything I had seen along the way.

Rumor has it the band name comes from your high school nickname. How did that nickname come about, and what made you decide to use that as the band name? The nickname came from my name being Aaron and a play on the first letter of the word, like a lot of rappers that came up at that time. As a joke, I called myself that, and then it became somewhat relevant when I realized I am bad at saying goodbye and getting out of a social situation where you have anxiety and want to disappear but can’t. I find that your good friends will understand when you are in a situation where you just want to leave and you do. At a certain point I attached “Nation” to it because I thought you might as well go for it and I have this ambitious movement in my mind that I never thought would actually happen, and then six years on we have somewhat of that ambitious dream before us. I just figured there had to be a hypothetical nation of people who had the same feelings on certain issues in life, and that is sort of what the name means to me at this point. But everyone has an interpretation of what the name means, so I don’t want to change what that means to anyone in general. Sometimes it is disappointing to discover the meaning behind names or songs, so I want to remain deliberately vague about it.

Which album do you feel best represents your career, and how do you feel your sound has changed since AWOLNATION first got together? I am in love with the newest record and very proud of it artistically—I think it is one of the best records >> 34

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in years. Why do it if you don’t believe what you are producing is one of the best records of all time? I believe it; I really do; I don’t think anyone else is going to think so, but I still do believe it. I know a lot of artists who say they don’t like their records and I can appreciate that and relate to it, but it can be interpreted strangely because if you don’t think your music is good, does that mean you think your fans are lame for liking the music? I have a philosophy in my mind that I am very proud of the music I put out there.

What do you have in the works now—are you releasing a new album? I am of course producing and working and writing with two different artists—one’s name is Iron Tom and I am halfway done with their record—they are about to get some sort

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of record deal and I just love them—I became kind of part of them. I threw everything I have into their songs—it has been a labor of love like everything else and has been my pleasure to mentor these kids who haven’t had the influence or help I had. I am very passionate and excited about the six songs they already have. People can look forward to hearing some of their stuff in spring or summer.

What do you have going on as far as tour plans or other projects? We are about to go on this arena tour with Fall Out Boy—they are so big that I don’t know if I’m even helping promote the tour (laughs). They have had this incredible career through the ups and downs and have lasted for a long time. It will be the first time we’ve played for a pop audience and gained

a few fans. I am still trying to get used to us being a headliner—a lot of times when we headline one of these bigger shows I am surprised that we are headlining.

Do any of you use cannabis recreationally or medically? Has cannabis ever been a theme in your music? I was completely sober until I was 21, when I had my first sip of alcohol and smoked weed for the first time. It seems to be the opposite for most people— they get in trouble at a young age and get caught smoking weed when they are 14, where I was too much of a nerd and was too afraid to try mindaltering stuff. It wasn’t until I was 21 and felt comfortable trying that stuff. It was a great experience, and there are so many benefits to it, obviously— but just like anything else, too much of any other thing can dumb down it being good.

It’s a weird question because I’d like to say it’s a good thing for everyone but it doesn’t necessarily work for everyone. Sometimes you are in a good headspace and sometimes you are not. There have been ups and downs, but mostly I find it to be a wonderful thing. And creatively speaking, everybody knows it’s great. Having said that I will tell you there have been many times that I thought something was incredible I had worked on and then listened with a sober mind and it was awful. (Laughs) It’s about finding the balance.

Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers? I always want to thank anyone who took the time to read this or be part of this interview and took the time to care about what I think in any way—it’s a pretty interesting feeling. c

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Medical Cannabis Gains Headway in Ireland Dr. James Linden is working hard to get Irish patients access to medical cannabis

by Victoria Banegas

In last year’s March issue of CULTURE, we told the story of Dr. William Brooke O’Shaughnessy, who introduced cannabis as a medicine in 1839. Over 100 years after O’Shaughnessy revealed to the western world the medical benefits of cannabis, his homeland remains in opposition of his findings, as cannabis is still medically illegal in Ireland. Cannabis became illegal in Ireland and the rest of the U.K. in 1928 following the 1925 Dangers of Drugs Act. However, doctors were able to prescribe cannabis for a while, until 1971 when the Misuse of Drugs Act was passed. Since then, cannabis has remained strictly illegal in Ireland, making access to the plant nearly impossible. Luckily, another Irishman and doctor, James Linden, has been leading the Dublin-based research firm GreenLight Health in a quest to make medical cannabis legal in Ireland, by highlighting its effects on various medical conditions. >>

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With a number of people in Ireland suffering from conditions like Multiple Sclerosis (MS), glaucoma and cancer, the black market is their only source to turn to for medicine. As of last year, being in possession of a substance like cannabis resulted in a €2,750 fine and up to 12 months in prison. Seeing these ludicrous penalties, Linden and his group began working a campaign to address this issue to the government. With hopes of utilizing some fundraiser money for its campaign, GreenLight Health created a page on fundraising Indiegogo, where they were only able to raise €147. Although the amount of financial support shown to GreenLight Health was null, the team has found other investors, Linden told CULTURE. In an effort to revolutionize Ireland’s medical cannabis market, Linden and the team at GreenLight Health have been working hard, “researching and developing effective and affordable cannabis medicines,” according to Linden. As the only Irish pharmaceutical company dedicated to producing medical cannabis products, the team is currently implementing a trial of supplements designed to treat joint and muscle pain, as well as arthritis. Not only does GreenLight Health hope to improve the lives of those affected by conditions that are seemly only treatable with cannabis, the company hopes to create 500 research and development jobs within the next five years. When asked why he decided to start up a cannabis research firm, Linden explained in the podcast Newstalk, “Cannabis gives people relief from symptoms of cancer but it also gives people relief from chemotherapy but there is also research that shows THC, one of the cannabinoids in cannabis . . . directly impacts tumors and can kill cancerous cells.” He finished by saying, “that kind of research is breaking through and we realize that there’s an opportunity in Ireland, an English speaking country, good pharmaceutical exporting country, great knowledge based around research, door steps of Europe and America, to get a very interesting cannabis research and development company going here.” While medical cannabis remains unobtainable for patients, in November 2015, the Irish government revealed plans to move towards decriminalization of substances like cannabis. Chief of Ireland’s national Drug Strategy Aodhán

“Not only does GreenLight Health hope to improve the lives of those affected by conditions that are seemly only treatable with cannabis, the company hopes to create 500 research and development jobs within the next five years.” Ó Ríordáin, even expressed plans to open injection rooms as a way to show empathy towards heroin addicts. If empathy can be given to addicts of a substance with no known medicinal value, patients in need of medical cannabis in Ireland should not have to suffer much longer. Hopefully, with efforts put forth by Linden and his team, patients will have access to effective and cost affordable medicine without having to pay the penalties. c Photo by Patricia Hofmeester

iReadCULTURE.com march 2016

Organic Rules

Just in time for planting season, state regulators weigh in on pesticides like never before

by David Downs

Washington State regulator Erik Johansen gives lots of public talks to farmers about pesticide use, and he expects a mute shrug or maybe one or two questions in response. Not with cannabis. “The enthusiasm for me to be there is just—they line up afterward to shake my hand, and they thank me,” said the Department of

Agriculture policy assistant. “Cannabis growers have as many questions as you have time to answer. If you have handouts, every last one will be gone. They’re hungry for information.” Fact is: America’s amateur and professional cannabis gardeners are getting more state guidance than ever before. Medical and recreational cannabis laws in 35 states

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have forced officials to weigh in on what should be allowed on cannabis crops—which can be tainted with dangerous chemical sprays. State agencies are responding with unprecedented, official lists of allowable pesticides. These guidelines are rudimentary, but they’re a historic start. State agencies in California, Colorado, Washington, Oregon and beyond are now routinely posting and updating

lists of approved pesticides. California’s Water Board released a modest, one-page list. Colorado’s allowable pesticides list is 26 pages long, and Washington’s list is 22 pages long. Oregon released a list of 257 allowed pesticides on February 5. America now has a patchwork of cannabis pesticide laws, with two New England states mandating their programs be completely organic. >>

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This guidance is the first minor step in cleaning up America’s cannabis supply. Thousands of consumers will likely sicken themselves or others either applying or consuming pesticides on cannabis. Significant amounts of black market cannabis, as well as medical and recreational supplies are tainted, experts say. Under total prohibition— cultivators face little official consequences for spraying. Some farmers will do anything to save the valuable crop, which is subject to infestation from dozens of pests and diseases. The United States’ first medical cannabis law in 1996 and adult use law in 2012 have helped ignite efforts to clean up legal supplies. Since cannabis is still federally illegal, no pesticide is federally approved for use on cannabis. So states are guiding growers to the most benign active ingredients already allowed for use on analogous crops like tobacco or herbaceous herbs. They’re adapting EPA guidelines of “minimal risk” natural pesticides exempt from mandatory approval—often essential oils, and beneficial molds, fungus, insects or 44

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other animals. “Until things change federally—it’s kind of tough,” said Johansen who developed Washington’s allowed list. “It’s not a perfect system, but it’s a system that at least tried to address [the issue] by allowing things that are fairly low in toxicity.” Legalization regimes have also begun mandating testing of supplies, which have helped reveal commonly banned pesticides in use. Colorado’s mandatory pesticide screening has resulted in 19 product recalls in 19 weeks as of early February, affecting hundreds of thousands of items in circulation, from vaporizer cartridges to edibles. In January, an Oregon lab caught the pesticide abamectin in supposedly organic “Guardian Mite Spray.” Washington State regulators verified the finding, leading to a national advisory and the pulling of Guardian from store shelves. Washington fined two commercial cultivators in the last year, but guidelines can have the most effect on home growers who now have a concise list of allowed products to use, Johansen said.

Just Getting Started “There’s no reason at this point to open this industry to chemical dependency. That’s where the states should be right now. It’s a huge opportunity. I wish we had these opportunities in some other crops that don’t need pesticides.”

Washington cannabis farmers now have about 80 allowed active pesticide ingredients, versus about 1,000 for an apple farmer. The state is under pressure to add more allowed chemicals. “I think we’re being fairly conservative and there’s a reason for that. We just don’t have data to go any further,” Johansen said. Consumers who want to ensure they are inhaling clean products must either grow their own according to new guidelines, or buy products that come with an independent, third party certification for “organic”grade cleanliness. In Washington, two

companies—Certified Dank and Clean Green—provide such certifications. “It’s tough right now, to be honest with you,” said Johansen. “I think we’re beginning to get a handle on it. The industry by and large has been very supportive.” In California, the Department of Pesticide Regulation will help set standards for allowable levels of pesticide residue this year, officials told CULTURE. Jay Feldman at the non-profit Washington D.C. advocacy group Beyond Pesticides said America has a golden opportunity to ensure the next major legal crop is fully organic. Colorado’s 26-page list is already too lax, Feldman said. States are giving users a false sense of security, when regulators should be enforcing federal law that no pesticide has been evaluated, let alone approved, for use on cannabis. Copying EPA recommendations from tobacco “is really un-protective of public health and the environment,” he said. “I would say it’s worse than nothing.” Beyond Pesticides advocates banning all pesticides on cannabis, except organic ingredients listed as OMRI-certified (minus registered pesticides) as well as the EPA’s “minimal risk” “25b” list. Cannabis has a chance to be a global agricultural role model, instead of another dirty crop, he said. “There’s no reason at this point to open this industry to chemical dependency,” Feldman said. “That’s where the states should be right now. It’s a huge opportunity. I wish we had these opportunities in some other crops that don’t need pesticides.” c

Usual Suspects Banned Pesticides Commonly Found in Cannabis Myclobutanil: Fungicide. Active ingredient in notoriously popular Eagle 20 pesticide. World Health Organization (WHO) considers it “slightly hazardous.” Label warns of nervous system problems and toxic fumes.

Imidacloprid: Insecticide. Found in popular Merit and Mellet brand pesticides. WHO considers it “moderately hazardous.” Considered moderately toxic in ingested or inhaled.

Abamectin and the avermectin chemical family: Insecticide. Found in Avid and Lucid pesticide brands. The Pesticide Action Network lists avermectin as a “bad actor,” and Avid is labelled as “harmful if inhaled.”

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“I believe people in this country should have an option to use a substance that’s objectively less harmful than alcohol and not face the collateral consequences of using that substance.”

I ndustrynsider I Cannabis Attorney

Christian Sederberg by R. Scott Rappold

If you live in Colorado and enjoy cannabis, the next time you walk into a store and make a legal purchase, you can thank a lawyer. Specifically, you can thank Christian Sederberg and Brian Vicente. They’re the Denver attorneys who helped

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guide Colorado from the dark depths of cannabis prohibition to a system of regulation and taxation that is a model for the rest of the nation. Yes, the voters approved medical and then recreational use, but as they say, the devil is in the details, and the lawyers made sure the nascent cannabis industry had a strong voice in how legalization was rolled out. And from the Rocky Mountains to the nation’s capital to the United Nations, the work has only begun. “I believe people in this country should have an option to use a substance that’s objectively less harmful than alcohol and not face the collateral consequences of using that substance,” said Sederberg, 37, whose chrome-domed, bespectacled mug you might recognize from any number of television appearances. “It really should be an individual choice and the people who suffer most are not upper or middle class folks, its generally people of lower socio-economic status and people of color who have taken the brunt of the prohibition model.” >>

Photos by Joel Meaders

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it Began in college It could be argued that Colorado’s cannabis revolution began on the campus of the University of Colorado at Boulder. It was there in 2005 cannabis advocate Mason Tvert coordinated a successful student voter initiative to make the penalties for cannabis the same as for alcohol. That same year Denver voters approved possession of up to one ounce. Sederberg, himself wellacquainted with cannabis growing up in Denver and studying law at CU-Boulder, graduated that year. Though he was strongly procannabis, he went to work for a big law firm, handling corporate and real-estate transactions and all the regulations they entail. Not exactly Perry Mason type of lawyering. He was on a ski trip in 2009 with Vicente, his friend and fellow attorney who had founded Sensible Colorado four years earlier to advocate for legalization. Vicente suggested they start a law firm focusing on cannabis law. Colorado’s voter-approved medical cannabis system was exploding, thanks to a relaxation of regulations on the number of patients dispensaries could serve and the fact the Obama Administration had indicated the federal government wouldn’t interfere if properly regulated. Sederberg sensed the opportunity to be part of something special. “If there was going to be statewide regulatory system they were going to need business lawyers,” said Sederberg. In May of 2010, he quit his job. He hasn’t looked back.

A maze of regulations Corporate law paid pretty well. Sederberg discovered cannabis law did not. “At first there were zero dollars coming in. I had to borrow money from my parents for rent,” he recalled. That didn’t last. Dispensaries and growers were facing tight deadlines to comply with everchanging laws. The requirement

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“I feel like the luckiest person in the world to be able to work with the people I work with.” of vertical integration—meaning dispensaries had to grow most of their own—was resulting in plenty of “shotgun weddings” between the two. Local governments were enacting their own rules or banning dispensaries outright. Along with representing individual businesses, he became a “citizen lobbyist,” testifying at legislative hearings, sitting on task forces and speaking for the industry at city council meetings. “In 2010 our structure was really truly the first full, top-down, state-regulated and locallyregulated system,” said Sederberg. “And a system of collecting taxes and having an enforcement arm that can address licensing issues and putting this in the hands of responsible business owners that are regulated by the government is really the reason why we were ultimately allowed to proceed.” By 2012, Colorado cannabis advocates had decided it was time to take another stab at full legalization. Voters had rejected such a measure in 2006, but much had changed. Hundreds of medical dispensaries around the state had not caused an increase in crime or major societal problems. Attitudes towards cannabis were changing, and a Presidential election year promised a big turnout. If you’re reading this, you probably know how it turned out. Cannabis won.

Devil in the details Sederberg and Vicente were both key players in the legalization campaign and the laborious process of determining what form it would take. Yes, cannabis was legal to possess, but when it came to how >>

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“The thing we’re obviously most proud of is the fact that we were told the sky was going to fall. We were going to get marijuana legalization and it would have such a negative impact on business and the growth of the state and that simply hasn’t been the case.”

it would be grown and sold to the adult public, the devil was once again in the details. Sederberg was appointed to the governor’s Amendment 64 Implementation Task Force. Though Washington had also approved recreational cannabis, Colorado, with its existing medical cannabis infrastructure, was to be the test case, and the world was watching. Four years later, he gives Colorado a grade of A-. “The thing we’re obviously most proud of is the fact that we were told the sky was going to fall. We were going to get marijuana legalization

and it would have such a negative impact on business and the growth of the state and that simply hasn’t been the case,” said Sederberg. “If you look at the way it was rolled out in Washington and Oregon, it went nowhere as smoothly as ours did. Not that it was smooth, but I think people look at our program and say, ‘Wow. They’ve done it in a way that works. Needs work but really does work.’” Some concerns remain, including rules that prohibit former felons from being involved in the industry; a requirement that owners be longtime Colorado residents; a lack of oversight on

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pesticides in grow operations; the lack of banking options for cannabis businesses; and the ban on public use that basically gives tourists nowhere to legally consume.

Taking it global These days, the VicenteSederberg law firm has offices in Denver, Boston and Washington D.C. They travel often; Sederberg has spoken at the United Nations about cannabis and visited Uruguay. He points out that, though lawyers occasionally get a bad name, they have been involved in pretty much every

major policy change in the nation’s history. He’s proud to be part of this one, and for the record, is having much more fun than he did as a corporate lawyer. “I feel like the luckiest person in the world to be able to work with the people I work with . . . To be able to be really at the forefront of something that involves the intersection of entrepreneurship, social justice, criminal justice and really something that is fundamentally changing the way the United States operates. It’s an incredible privilege that I make sure to tell myself not to take for granted.” c

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Keeping the Irish Spirit Alive Irish band Gaelic Storm creates music for the people by Simon Weedn

“. . . the music just seems to bring the past alive and helps inspire this innate sense of coming together.”

For many, it might be hard to believe that 2016 marks Gaelic Storm’s 20th anniversary as a band. What started out as a small group of friends playing their traditional Irish music at their favorite pub quickly burgeoned, with a little help from an appearance in the movie Titanic, into one of the most well-known and successful Celtic bands to rise out of America. While deeply rooted in Irish and Scottish musical influences, Gaelic Storm has distinguished themselves from the rest of the Celtic scene by not only composing great volumes of original material, instead of relying on tried and true traditional songs like countless other Celtic acts, but also by incorporating aspects of other musical traditions as well. Though the band’s line-up has undergone a few changes over the years, Gaelic Storm continues to be helmed by its two founders, Patrick Murphy and Steven Twigger, and the group remains just as strong and powerful, both on recordings and in concert. In light of this month’s St. Patrick’s Day holiday, CULTURE reached out for a conversation with Steven Twigger to hear all about the attraction and charm of Irish music, the band’s inspirations, and of course, his opinions on cannabis.

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Though a lot of your music is composed of original material, your sound is obviously very rooted in classic and traditional Irish music. What is it about that style and sound that you think people continue to find so alluring? Steve Twigger: You know, I think it’s a connection to the past. Especially in America here, people are fairly obsessed with their heritages. As one would be, this is a vast country and you can become anonymous very quickly here. So, to root themselves in their own history is an important part of connecting. The songs themselves are based on a storytelling tradition; a lot of our songs are story driven, so that’s easily relatable as well. Then, of course, there’s just the great party spirit of the jigs and reels that we play. Additionally, the Scottish pipes are just stirring in nature. So, I don’t know, the music just seems to bring the past alive and helps inspire this innate sense of coming together.

We heard that your album Chicken Boxer was inspired by a trip to Ireland to reconnect with your roots. Have there been any other experiences that you or the band has had in recent years that have seriously inspired or affected your song writing? For that album, Patrick and I went off to Ireland and traveled around; I believe we did 1,100 miles in a week. As you said, a lot of songs came from that, and continue to come from that experience. But, we meet amazing people along the way all the time that inspire us. As we gotten older we’ve lost a few good friends, which inevitably happens, and songs like “What A Way To Go” are inspired by that, by the spirit of somebody else’s life. Songs like that are about the common experience. We get people that come up to us after our shows, shake our hands, and just say, “Thank you, thanks for the music it got me through this

band time,” or, “It helped me celebrate this good time.” People get married to our songs; people get buried in our songs. Just to know that we’re part of that very serious nature of life, we take that very seriously, because of that we try and take inspiration from our fans. They can just be ordinary people and ordinary lives, but we try and put that into song. You all tour the country extensively and get to see a wide variety of people and social movements. What are your thoughts on the cannabis legalization movement, happening around the globe? I’m not against it in the slightest, let alone for medical purposes. Anything that helps people I’m all for. It makes sense to me to legalize it, there are way too many people filling up the jails for what I’d consider minor offenses. Any type of musician is around marijuana all the time, everybody knows

“Anything that helps people I’m all for. It makes sense to me to legalize [cannabis], there are way too many people filling up the jails for what I’d consider minor offenses.”

that it’s all out there, and I’m all for legalizing it generally, and very specifically medically if it helps. Besides your current tour, does Gaelic Storm have any other ambitions for 2016? We started a documentary towards the end of 2014 where we started filming a tour up through Utah, The Rockies and way on up through Idaho and Washington State, and we interviewed various interesting people we met along the way. We did this to show the world all of the kinds of various characters we meet while we’re on the road. So, this is going to be an ongoing project, and what we thought was maybe going to be a yearlong project might turn out to be a five year project. Eventually though, we’d like to cover the whole country and show people the diversity of people whom we encounter. It’s tentatively titled, American Crossing. c www.gaelicstorm.com

iReadCULTURE.com march 2016

culture growing RECIPES UNKNOWN DESTINATION

by Ed Rosenthal

Last month, I planted 35 different varieties in six-inch round containers. They include 3/8-inch braided nylon wicks that hang down into a reservoir of water/nutrient solution. This provides passive irrigation, keeping the soil moist by replacing it, as needed using capillary action. I carried out my plan to have the plants grow vegatatively for 10 days, and then force the plants to flower by changing the lighting regimen from continuous light to 12 hours of light and 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness. I kept to the schedule, despite some unanticipated problems. I had prepared the soil using fibrous and chunky coir, previously used planting mix and homemade compost. As soon as the plants came in contact with the mix they began showing symptoms of various nutrient problems including Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg) and Iron (Fe) deficiencies as well as unidentified fertilizer burn. At first I thought it was only a Ca/Mg deficiency, which sometimes occurs even in fertilized water here in the Bay Area, because of the low natural mineral content. This is common in water derived from snow run-off, the San Francisco East Bay’s water source. I decided to add extra Ca and Mg to the water using a fertilizer composed of the two minerals. This solved some of the problems but there were still signs of overfertilization as well as Fe deficiency. Analyzing the symptoms further, I realized that the planting mix was the cause of the problems. The coir had been washed before it was used so I didn’t

Nutrient Problem Symptom Ca-Necrosis of edges and then interior of new as well as older leaves. It appears as brown dried spots. Mg-Leaves in the middle first and then in upper leaves as well, the veins remain green while the tissue between turns yellow. Fe-Upper leaves grow bright pale yellow. Fertilizer burn-Leaves curl downward or upward, sometimes look ultra-dark green.

TIP OF THE MONTH FROM ASK ED® Use spring light to enhance your garden. During the spring, south facing windows, sun patios and greenhouses receive light at an oblique angle, so the light penetrates into the space from the side. In the southern tier of the country they can be placed directly outdoors when the temperature rises into the high 60s. If you are just starting plants or are growing just a few plants you can save electricity by moving the plants from the electrically lit grow area and placing them in the sunlit space. The plants are returned to the electrically lit area when they become shaded.

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.

Next month: Flowering in full bloom!

PROFILES

COURAGE

Testing The Varieties: Part 2

think that it was excess salts left from the manufacturing process. Other plants were growing in combinations of my aged used planting mix so I didn’t think that was a problem. That left the homemade compost. It had been slow aged for over a year and was crumbly with a healthy earthy odor. However, it was probably absorbing the nutrients from the fertilizer and preventing the plants from getting proper nutrition. The solution: run nutrient water solution through the containers three times over the next few days. This provided extra nutrients to the planting mix so that it would absorb as much as it could use. At the same time, the roots were able to absorb nutrients directly from the water. Within days the new growth showed signs of total recovery. I decided to move the plants to a larger space because they were growing more vigorously than I anticipated, even though they were flowering. I removed them from the grow tent and the 35 plants were placed in a four-foot by eight-foot tray in a greenhouse giving them just a little less than a square foot per plant to finish flowering. Right now they are getting natural light enhanced with eight hours of a 1000W HPS lamp on a track. Another lamp will be added shortly. c

The garden, one week the light period was reduced to 12 hours to force flowering.

THC Bomb one week after the light period was reduced. Notice that the plant was suffering from nutrient deficiencies.

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The garden two weeks later.

THC Bomb beginning to flower, and in recovery.

The garden a month from beginning flowering.

THC Bomb in full flowering and recovered.

THC Bomb close-up showing somewhat arrested flower development.

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culture

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HERE

if you go:

Illinois Lights Up for Spring by Sheryll Alexander

Illinois is known for baseball, farm fresh produce and road trips in spring, but this year, the “Land of Lincoln” has one more reason to visit: 25 newly-opened cannabis collectives. Although Illinois’ medical cannabis law went into effect in 2013, it took until late Fall 2015 for about nine collectives to go online in Evanston, Schaumburg, North Aurora, Addison and Ottawa while another dozen have opened in the greater Chicagoland area this winter. In Spring, Illinois comes alive again with loads of outdoor adventures. Baseball used to be the state’s most popular pastime, but new trends are emerging including farm-to-table experiences at top notch eateries such as Elburn’s Heritage Prairie Farm, Fairbury’s Slagel Family Farm,

Caledonia’s Kinnikinnick Farm and Effingham’s Epiphany Farms. Illinois is also a place to explore some of the nation’s best craft breweries and distilleries. In Chicago, check out Revolution Brewing or tour J.K. Williams Distilling in East Peoria. While there’s no mountains to climb in this plains state, Illinois is the perfect place for cyclists, rock climbers and even aquatic escapes and underground cave networks. Don’t miss Savanna’s Mississippi Palisades State Park, Harrisburg’s Garden of the Gods and Madison’s Old Chain of Rocks Bridge. Ready to head to Illinois farm land or the urban sprawl of Chicagoland this spring? Illinois has finally weathered its cannabis storm and is heading hopefully into the smooth waters of being a cannabis-friendly state. c

Actual medical cannabis dispensaries are so new to Illinois that it’s hard to gauge how a visitor should react. To get “licensed,” MMJ patients meet with a certified physician, fill out an application, pay $100 (fee is reduced to $50 for veterans) and provide an inordinate amount of documentation including an annoying fingerprint check and passport-sized self portrait. And even though Illinois’ has finally opened its dispensary doors, a historic anti-prohibition law was recently filed in the Illinois General Assembly. State Rep. Ken Dunkin filed House Bill 4276, which would allow adults 21+ to legally grow and consume cannabis. Illinois NORML says the bill also allows for “licensed retailers, commercial growers as well as private non-commercial production of cannabis.” The bill has some political backing as while lawmakers in Illinois are looking to add revenue to their state budgets and finding ways to create jobs, a recent study shows legalization in Illinois could add up to the beleaguered state’s $90 million in annual tax revenues.

Fun-Filled Facts

COURAGE

DESTINATION

UNKNOWN

RECIPES

growing

Time to Go: Spring Weather: Mild, cardigan weather $$$$$

Celebrate Spring’s colorful beauty by attending the annual Chicago Flower & Garden Show. This year, the show heads to Chicago’s renovated Navy Pier from March 12-20. The show features 20 lush and fragrant gardens created by top landscape architects. There’s also art, free activities for kids, wine tastings, cooking demonstrations and loads of shopping for garden gadgetry. 1

PROFILES 56

GET YOUR CLICKS

March 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

Illinois surprisingly has more than 100 wineries and vineyards located all over the state and even in Chicago itself. Just find the official Illinois Wine Country map to road trip through the state’s many vineyards or plan a wine-themed romantic escape to one of the state’s charming winery-based B&Bs. 2

iReadCULTURE.com march 2016

culture PROFILES

COURAGE

DESTINATION

UNKNOWN

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growing

Carlos Castro

March 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

Age: 27 Condition/ Illness: Lower spine nerve damage, fractured L1-L5 and S1 Using medical cannabis since: 2010

Why did you start using cannabis? I was at home still bedridden from my fractures and injuries and I was on pain medication— vicodin and morphine— and it always left me in depression, always feeling bad and with intense headaches. One day, my brother said “Why don’t you try marijuana? Maybe it will help with your pain.” When I did, not even five minutes later, my pain was subsiding and I wasn’t feeling depressed, and I was able to eat fine. Then, after a while, I let go of my pills and just stayed with the medical cannabis. It was the best decision I’ve ever made. I started seeing significant changes in my mood, I wasn’t

depressed as much and now, I’m able to sleep at night without any pain. Did you try other methods or treatments before cannabis? Yes I was on vicodin and morphine for awhile. I hated the feeling of it. What’s the most important issue or problem facing medical cannabis patients? The closed-minded people that don’t see past the “stoner” stereotypes. What do you say to folks who are skeptical about cannabis as medicine? I would say it works and I’m proof that it can really make a difference for people. Don’t judge so quickly and pick up a magazine, read an article about it, look online for more answers. You will be surprised by the great benefits of medical cannabis. c

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.

iReadCULTURE.com march 2016

culture

Canna-Pickled Vegetable

Infused Berry Perserves

RECIPES

growing

Canna-Dijon Mustard

For more of these recipes go to ireadculture.com

DESTINATION

UNKNOWN

Infused Roasted Fingerling Potato Salad

PROFILES

COURAGE

Roasted Red Pepper Canna-Hummus

Infused Kumquat Marmalade

March 20162016 february iReadCULTURE.com iReadCULTURE.com

Sweet & Spicy Infused Nuts

Menu:

Sweet and Spicy Infused Nuts Infused Kumquat Marmalade All About the Olive Tapenade

2 lemons, juiced 8 cups water, or as needed Directions

Payton Curry has a thriving non-cannabis restaurant called Brat Haus in Arizona, and works with dispensaries coast to coast developing local sourced, organically driven edible kitchens. He is hoping to broaden awareness of what he calls a “nutrient-rich vegetable” by writing the upcoming Nutritional Cannabis Cookbook. He teaches medical cannabis patients how to cook with cannabis and has partnered with the Epilepsy Foundation of Arizona to provide free cannabis and cannabis cuisine classes to parents of sick children and the sons and daughters of aging parents. Payton has also just launched a raw cannabis juicing platform, which Payton says “showcases the abilities of marijuana to oxygenate aging blood cells and improve motor function all without being psychoactive.”

Finely chop the kumquats and oranges, combine them into a large pot. Add 3 cups of water per each cup of fruit. Let soak in a cool place for 12 hours, or overnight. Bring the fruit mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the rind is very tender. Remove from heat, and measure cooked fruit. Add one cup of sugar to the pot for every cup of the fruit mixture. Mix in the lemon juice, about 1/4 cup. Return the fruit to the pan, add in infused honey, and bring to a boil once again. Boil, stirring occasionally, until the gel stage is reached (the temperature of the marmalade should be between 220 to 222° when checked with a kitchen thermometer). Remove from heat, and skim foam from the surface. Transfer the mixture to sterile jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace, and seal immediately. Process any unsealed jars in a water bath for 10 minutes. Refrigerate until needed, or after seal has been broken.

All About the Olive Tapenade Ingredients 1 cup mixed olives, pits removed

culture

4 tablespoons cannabis-infused honey

2 oranges, rinsed, sliced and seeded

growing

6 cups sugar, or as needed

Charcuterie boards are classic artisanal creations, with house-made pickles, roasted nuts, pâtés, cheeses and meats. You can usually find them at your local craft cocktail lounge or new hip neighborhood restaurant. Well, these boards are also some of the most fun ways to cater your own party with sophistication and ease. Cannabis Chef Payton Curry created the perfect cannasseur’s charcuterie and cheese board exclusively for CULTURE. Good for both canna-friendly guests and non-cannabis using guests alike, we’ve got the perfect charcuterie and cheese board with a few classic and easy cannabis-infused details like roasted nuts, fruit preserves, artisanal potato salad, pickled vegetables and tapenade. With a little help from your friendly grocer, you can find no-stress, high end breads, meats and cheeses to finish off this versatile platter.

24 kumquats, rinsed and thinly sliced

RECIPES

Recipes by Payton Curry

Ingredients

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Infused Kumquat Marmalade

DESTINATION

The Cannasseur’s Charcuterie and Cheese Board

1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes 1 teaspoon fresh thyme

Sweet and Spicy Infused Nuts

Directions

Ingredients

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 cup raw nuts (your choice of nuts)

Directions

1 tablespoon cannabis-infused olive oil t

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and pulse until chunky. Allow to rest overnight before serving.

1 tablespoon sugar 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 teaspoon cinnamon

Preheat oven to 325°. Toast nuts on a sheet pan in your preheated oven for about 7-10 minutes. Once the natural oils have come out, pull nuts out of the oven and drop temp to 225°. Toss nuts in medicated oil, and then the sugar/spice mixture while they are hot. Return nuts to the oven on a parchment-lined sheet pan for 10-15 minutes.

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.

t Additional recipe can be found at iReadCulture.com

iReadCULTURE.com march 2016

3 tablespoons cannabis-infused olive oil t

PROFILES

2 garlic cloves

COURAGE

2 tablespoons white onion, chopped

Chuck Shepherd's

News of the

Weird

LEAD STORY— STREAMING NEWS u (1) The “public art” statues unveiled in January by Fort Myers, Florida, Mayor Randy Henderson included a metal structure by sculptor Edugardo Carmona of a man walking a dog, with the dog “lifting his leg” beside a pole. Only after inspecting the piece more closely did many observers realize that the man, too, was relieving himself against the pole. Carmona described the work as commentary on man and dog “marking their territory.” (2) A recent anonymously authored “confidential” book by a National Football League

player reported that “linemen, especially,” have taken to relieving themselves inside their uniforms during games, “a sign that you’re so into the game” that you “won’t pause (even) to use the toilet.” CAN’T POSSIBLY BE TRUE u The popular Nell’s Country Kitchen in Winter Haven, Florida, was shut down again (for “remodeling,” the owner said) in December after a health inspector found that it had been operating for two weeks without its own running water—with only a garden hose connection, across its parking lot, to a neighbor’s spigot. It had also closed for a day earlier in 2015 because of mold, roach activity and rodent droppings (although management insisted that business had immediately picked up the day they reopened). WAIT, WHAT? u Fort Worth, Texas, firefighters, responding

to a suspected blaze in January at a grain elevator, encountered smoke on the structure’s eighth floor—along with a man “juggling flaming batons.” No explanation was reported (except that the man “did not belong there”). A department spokesman said his firefighters “put (the man’s) torches out.” u In December, animal protection officers in Halland County, Sweden, confiscated two cats that the officers found being “mistreated” in a home—coddled (by two women) as babies in “pushchairs” and spoonfed while strapped in high chairs. Both cats had been encouraged to suck on pacifiers, and one woman reportedly allowed the cats to suckle her breast. The public broadcaster SVT reported that the cats were removed from the home because they were not being allowed to develop “natural animal behavior.” UNDIGNIFIED DEATHS u (1) A 40-year-old man driving a stolen truck was killed after a brief high-speed police chase on Jan. 14 in Alameda County, California. Police noted that the man had pulled to the side of Highway 238 to flee on foot, but fell to his death off a cliff—landing on the grounds of the San Lorenzo Pioneer Cemetery. (2) A coroner’s hearing in Folkestone, England, in January determined that a 16-year-old boy had died of accidental asphyxiation from spray deodorant. According to the boy’s mother, he preferred massive application of the spray instead of bathing, and police recovered several dozen empty spray cans in his room. UPDATE u Marie Holmes, that 2014 Powerball winner in North Carolina whom News of the Weird had reported in September rapidly running

March 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

through her winnings by bailing her boyfriend out of jail (alleged drug dealer Lamarr “Hot Sauce” McDow), had already tied up $9 million on two arrests. In January, Hot Sauce was arrested again (only for “street racing,” but that violated his bail conditions), and Holmes was forced to fork over another $12 million (as bond basically doubles with each violation, but Holmes would get about 90 percent back—if Hot Sauce shows up for court). (Holmes earlier addressed her critics on Facebook: “What y’all need to be worried about is y’all money ....”) A NEWS OF THE WEIRD CLASSIC (OCTOBER 2011) u Refreshing the Witness: A convenience store clerk, Ms. Falguni Patel, was giving testimony in the witness box in the September (2011) trial of a man charged with robbing her in Hudson, Florida, two years earlier when she began shaking and then passed out. A relative of Patel’s approached, removed her sneaker and held it to Patel’s face, without success. The relative explained that Patel was subject to such blackouts and that sniffing the sneaker often revived her. (After paramedics attended to her, Patel took the rest of the day off and went back to court the next morning). NEWEST FASHIONISTAS u In January, the upscale Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana introduced stylish hijabs and abayas aimed at Muslim women unafraid to call attention to themselves as they exercise their obliged modesty. D&G’s marketing effort even accessorized models’ headscarves and cloaks with stilettos and oversized, gaudily framed sunglasses. It was clear from the suggested retail prices that D&G would be pitching the line mainly in the wealthy Persian Gulf countries like United Arab Emirates.

iReadCULTURE.com march 2016