Culture Magazine Michigan May 2016 by Culture Magazine

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iReadCULTURE.com MAY 2016

inside

contents 05.2016

24 34

Fluffy and Fantastic

Gabriel Iglesias’ impressions, jokes and friendly demeanor make this comedian one-of-a-kind in CULTURE’s exclusive interview! ON THE COVER: photo by JUSTIN STEPHENS

features 48

Motherly Support Mothers who use cannabis often face terrible repercussions, but there are some who are fighting for moms’ rights.

The Faces Of Success The high percentage of women in executive positions of the cannabis industry shows equality at its best.

Cannabis Survival With only an estimated one month left to live, 17-year-old AJ Kephart miraculously beat cancer with cannabis.

Industry Insider Dr. Ethan Russo has held many prestigious titles in his career in researching cannabis as medicine.

departments news 8 News Nuggets 10 By the Numbers 12 Local News 13 Healthy Living reviews 14 Collective Highlight 16 Strain Reviews 20 Cool Stuff 22 Entertainment Reviews in every issue 46 Growing Culture 48 Destination Unknown 49 Profile in Courage 50 Recipes 53 News of the Weird

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online Exclusive! d Cannabis as Birth

Control? d Cannabis Chapel in

Las Vegas Offers CannaWeddings

V o l 7 I s s UE 1 1

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CULTURE M

Publisher Jeremy Zachary Editor-In-Chief Evan Senn associate Editor Ashley Bennett Editorial coordinator Victoria Banegas Editorial Contributors Benjamin Adams, Sheryll Alexander, Marguerite Arnold, Jake Browne, Cole Garrison, 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, R. Scott Rappold, 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 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 Quinn Marie Distribution Manager Cruz Bobadilla

Culture速 Magazine is published every month and distributes 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

CULTURE速 Magazine is printed using post-recycled paper.

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NEWS

nuggets Recreational Cannabis in Canada Proposed for 2017

Cannabis progress in Canada has been a constant topic in the industry, with a demand that could support a healthy and well-balanced market offering plenty of business opportunities. Now, Canada is finally making the jump towards decriminalizing and legalizing cannabis, according to Canadian Federal Health Minister Jane Philpott, who announced on April 20 that legislation for allowing the widespread use of recreational cannabis in Canada is in the works and will be introduced in Spring 2017. The rules will pay special attention to keeping cannabis out of the hands of children as well as public safety, according to Philpott. “I am proud to stand up for our drug policy that is informed by solid scientific evidence and uses a lens of public healthy to maximize education and minimize harm,” Philpott stated in her announcement to the United Nations General Assembly special session on drugs. If, or when, Canada legalizes cannabis next year, it will be the first G7 country—made up of the U.S., Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the U.K.—to have made such a decision.

Lansing Unsure of How to Regulate Medical Cannabis Collectives Since medical cannabis became legal in Michigan in 2008, the state has had a variety of issues concerning how the plant should be regulated. Currently, the city of Lansing is going through issues concerning a 2011 ordinance it passed regulating medical cannabis collectives. In 2013 the Michigan Supreme Court ruled collectives illegal, but many remain in operating in Lansing and elsewhere. In late March, the Lansing Public Safety Committee held a meeting to address this issue and how state law is supposed to be addressed on a city level. Many opinions were expressed at this meeting, mostly in opposition of one another, collective workers opposed the idea of a ban and concerned citizens opposed of regulating. “We’re not going to make everybody happy but at least we can come to some kind of mutual ground and be satisfied,” said Nancy Mahlow of Eastside Neighborhood Organization.

New Zealand Health Board Officially Approves Cannabis Spray for Tourette’s Syndrome Patient In 2015, Dixie Brands released a line of health products under the name Aceso, and one of its cannabis sprays called Calm has been approved for use by a single patient in New Zealand. Associate Health Minister Peter Dunne approved the spray for an unidentified patient with Tourette’s syndrome hours after receiving an application from the patient’s doctor. This is only the second time that a patient has been approved by Dunne to medicate with a cannabis based-product. The first patient to receive Dunne’s approval was teenager, Alex Renton who was given a hemp-based oil called Elixinol. Currently, the only cannabis based product in New Zealand that does not need Dunne’s approval to be used is Sativex. Although Dunne did not want to share the recently approved patient’s name, he commented on why he approved the Aceso product, “While Sativex has previously been shown to be efficient in treating, the Aceso product has been chosen due to its reduced psychoactive effects,” Dunne stated. Though small, this is one more step toward full medical access in New Zealand.

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University of Michigan Finds that Cannabis Use Decreases Opioid Use A study conducted by the University of Michigan revealed that chronic pain patients who medicated with cannabis showed a decline in use of opioid pain medication. According to Michigan Radio, researchers surveyed registered cannabis patients in Ann Arbor and found that cannabis use is associated with a 64 percent decrease in opioid use amongst patients who suffer from chronic pain. Lead author of the study, Kevin Boehnke, stated that this doesn’t prove that cannabis can replace opioids when it comes to chronic pain relief because effects vary for each individual, “Just because some people found that it was useful enough for them that they could completely cut out their opiate use that doesn’t mean that would be the case for everybody,” Boehnke said. The study also revealed that cannabis use decreased the side effects caused by opioid pain medications, giving chronic pain patients a 45 percent increase in quality of life.

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NEWS

The number of Michigan patients in the tri-county area of Huron-Sanilac-Tuscola who used cannabis in 2015: (Source: Huron Daily Tribune)

182,000

The percentage of Michigan voters who say yes to legalizing and taxing cannabis: (Source: WZZM 13)

53 The ranked number that Michigan lies on a list of most enthusiastic cannabis states: (Source: The Michigan Daily)

The increased number of Michigan medical cannabis patients from 2012 to present: (Source: MLive.com)

57,960

The estimated number of people who attended this year’s Ann Arbor Hash Bash in April: (Source: WNDU 16)

8,000

The length of a cannabis joint, in feet, that cannabis activists brought to protest outside of the White House in Washington D.C. in April: (Source: WTOP)

The estimated amount of money, in billions of dollars, that Americans will spend on legal cannabis by 2020: (Source: The Week)

EXPOCÁÑAMO

The estimated amount of money, in millions of dollars, which will be earned in revenue in Washington D.C. if it implements laws allowing recreational cannabis sales: (Source: The GW Hatchet)

WHAT: Expocáñamo. WHEN/WHERE: Fri, May 13-Sun, May 15. Pavilion of the Future, Sevilla, Spain. INFO: Visit www.expocanamo.com for details.

In 2015, Expocáñamo was visited by over 4,000 visitors, 70 exhibitors, 25 speakers and 10 unique musical bands. Now that the convention is entering its second year, and it’s about to get much better. As one of Spain’s largest hemp and cannabis culture festivals, Expocáñamo aims to spread awareness of cannabis as a material that’s beneficial in both industrial and therapeutic ways. Countless exhibitors from the local area will show off their wares. A handful of famous speakers representing different aspects of 10

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the cannabis industry will also be present and ready to spread knowledge to the event’s many attendees. Of course, a cannabis festival isn’t really complete without a few outstanding musical performances. Expocáñamo will have multiple bands performing, such as La Selva Sur, Scurro & Papa Wilson and more. With a wealth of information and entertainment, Expocáñamo is bound to be one of the world’s most interesting and influential cannabis festivals around. Make sure you don’t miss it!

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NEWS

legal corner

Ending the “War On Drugs” by Matthew Abel

We are in the midst of an exciting presidential campaign. The four states which have legalized cannabis for adult use have widely varying statutory schemes, and activists and those in the industry are having soul-searching conversations about the design of the commercial cannabis markets across the county as we move forward. Numerous states are moving forward to vote on legalization of medical cannabis, with some allowing growers also to process and sell (what is called vertical integration), with others requiring a tiered distribution system. Legislation in Michigan, which would allow medical cannabis stores, is bogged down in the conservativelygerrymandered legislature. There is strong sentiment in the community that it is best that HB-4209 not move forward in its present form, because it will create as many problems as it is intended to solve. It would not provide reasonably priced access, nor would it stem the underground trade. Prohibition is bad on so many levels. President Richard Nixon’s expressed purpose for increasing the criminalization of cannabis was for its effect on anti-war protesters, liberals,

MAY 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

or people of color. Nixon found those people to be irritants, and he wanted them suppressed. Many activists feel that they have carried the ball almost to the end zone, only now to have it snatched from their grasp by corporate interests. There may be no way to keep “big business” out of the commercial cannabis market (and there is a place for both big and small businesses in a properly regulated market). The ability for consumers to purchase cannabis in a retail outlet is only one of the desirable outcomes. We also should seek to end Nixon’s

“Not only do we want reasonable pricing, a good employment climate and quality cannabis, but we also want to move to a system which will end the war on cannabis and treat it as the herbal wonder it is.”

Photo by Rena Schild

war on people, by ending the “war on drugs.” Ending the war on drugs would go a long way toward getting the government out of our private lives, and reducing the unnecessary strain on the criminal justice system caused by prosecuting these victimless “crimes.” Leland Berger, one of the most widely-respected cannabis lawyers in Oregon, recently spoke at the National Conference on Cannabis Therapeutics Conference held in Baltimore, Maryland on the current tug-of-war between old-line activists and new money preferences in the design of markets which will be coming online in the next few months and years. Berger laid out a few principles which he felt any welldesigned system should include. In order to protect society, and promote economic growth in a way which does not play favorites, any well-designed system would include home growing, leave the DUI laws alone (because people should not be prosecuted if their ability to drive is not affected), protect the rights of medical cannabis patients, allow free sharing without compensation, and allow for production of concentrates, extracts, edibles and topical cannabis products. Here in Michigan, MILegalize meets all those criteria. The National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws has endorsed MILegalize. MILegalize will not prohibit big business, but it will also allow small businesses to exist and compete. Any city, township, village or federally regulated tribe will be allowed to ban or license any size growing, processing or sales facility. This may be the only realistic opportunity to establish and maintain a “craft beer” type model before an expensive big business proposal gets through. Not only do we want reasonable pricing, a good employment climate and quality cannabis, but we also want to move to a system which will end the war on cannabis and treat it as the herbal wonder it is. A final push is on with the petition drive to raise money and get the necessary signatures for filing on June 1. Step up, participate and make sure that MILegalize gets the money and signatures needed to get on the ballot. Please contact www.milegalize. com to collect signatures or donate to the campaign. It’s now or never. c

NEWS

healthy living

Cannabis as a Treatment for Opioid and Heroin Abuse by Lanny Swerdlow, RN LNC On May 14, 2014 Nora Volkow, M.D., Director of the National Institute of Drug Abuse, testified before the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control stating that there are “ . . . growing and intertwined problems of prescription pain relievers and heroin abuse in this country.” She also reported there is “an estimated 2.1 million people in the United States suffering from substance use disorders related to prescription opioid pain relievers in 2012 and an estimated 467,000 addicted to heroin.” On February 2, 2016 President Obama approved a $1.1 billion program to stem the prescription opioid abuse and heroin use. The severity of this issue is seen in statistics from the Center for Disease Control, which reported that of the 47,055 drug overdose deaths in 2014, two-thirds were linked to opioid and heroin use and that “opioid overdose deaths, including both opioid pain relievers and heroin, hit record levels in 2014, with an alarming 14 percent increase in just one year.” Speaking at the National Rx Drug Abuse and Heroin Summit on March 29, President Obama noted that more people die of narcotic drug overdoses than die in car accidents each year, stating “When you look at the staggering statistics in terms of lives lost, productivity impacted,

cost to communities, costs to families, it has to be something that has to be right up there at the top of our radar screen.” Amplifying the President’s remarks at the Summit, Michael Botticelli, Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy, announced a new program to encourage the use of drugs like methadone and buprenorphine to treat the opioid/heroin epidemic explaining, “Expanding access to medication-assisted treatment for opioid-use disorders has been a top priority for this administration.”

cardiac arrest. In a July 2015 study conducted at Columbia University and published in the international Journal of Drug and Alcohol Dependence, researchers concluded that the synthetic THC “Dronabinol reduced

“Participants who smoked marijuana had less difficulty with sleep and anxiety and were more likely to remain in treatment as compared to those who were not using marijuana, regardless of whether they were taking dronabinol or placebo.” Using drugs like methadone or buprenorphine is not without controversy, as critics are apprehensive that they could be diverted and lead to further addiction. They also note the serious negative side effects including anxiety, insomnia, nausea, diarrhea, constipation, impotence, seizures, coma and

the severity of opiate withdrawal during acute detoxification.” Most significantly, the study’s author recognized the effectiveness of real cannabis, noting that “Participants who smoked marijuana had less difficulty with sleep and anxiety and were more likely to remain in treatment as

compared to those who were not using marijuana, regardless of whether they were taking dronabinol or placebo.” A recent study by researchers at the University of Michigan reported similar findings, that “among study participants, medical cannabis use was associated with a 64 percent decrease in opioid use, decreased number and side effects of medications, and an improved quality of life.” Other studies have come to the same conclusion, including a study jointly conducted by the RAND Corporation and the University of California, Irvine which suggests that cannabis is a good substitute for opioid pain medication as a whole. There are over 19,000 deaths every year in the U.S. from opioid overdoses and zero deaths have been recorded from cannabis use. There are more and more studies and sources being published every day that conclude cannabis is a safer—and could be a more effective—method of treatment for opioid and heroin abuse. c

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REVIEWs

collective highlight Top Selling Strain: CATFISH Top Selling Concentrate: Nectar Collector Top-Selling Edible: ArborSide Delights

ArborSide

1818 Packard St., Ann Arbor www.arborside.com

How and when did your collective start up? After Medmar was raided in 2011, ArborSide opened days later in the same location. What’s the story behind the name of your collective? Our collective’s name comes from both the location in Ann Arbor and the influence of Steve DeAngelo, the owner of Harborside Health Center, and the vision of his store. What does your collective offer patients that they can’t find anywhere else? Our collective offers one of the 14

widest varieties of flower, edibles and concentrates in the area at all different price ranges. We also carry our own brand of award-winning edibles, ArborSide Delights. We also provide our members with daily specials, a reward points program and we act as a drop off point for cannabis testing for PSI Labs. How has the cannabis industry changed since you have been in the business? Where would you like to see it go? The cannabis industry has evolved a lot over the last five years. We are seeing a lot more innovation in creating and branding of new products, a larger variety in the different

MAY 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

strains we carry, and a higher emphasis on potency and purity testing. We would like to see regulations put in place so that we can become a licensed facility and continue to provide safe access to medical marijuana patients. What are the biggest challenges you face in this industry as a collective? Biggest joys? One of the biggest challenges we face in this industry is keeping up with the increased demand while keeping service consistent. We see over 100 patients per day, so being consistent is imperative in order to make sure service runs smoothly. Another challenge is providing a wide variety of flower, concentrates, edibles and other cannabis products at all price points. We work with over 70 local vendors to provide our patients with the largest number

horticulture enthusiasts from beginners to experts and gives them a chance to ask questions to these industry experts.

of choices possible. One of our biggest joys is being able to be open and to provide to all patients in need while making their lives better. What is the one thing you want patients to know about your collective? We enjoy educating the public about cannabis and we host cultivation seminars throughout the year. Over the past four years we have hosted events featuring Kyle Kushman, Ed Rosenthal, Ken Morrow and DJ Short. These events draw crowds of

If someone wanted to open an access point and get their feet wet in the industry, what advice or counsel would you give them? Get involved with city council meetings and seek a good location, a good lawyer and a good accountant. What is the most important thing you hope to accomplish while in the MJ/MMJ community? To continue to provide safe access to the widest varieties of products possible to all patients in need. c

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REVIEWs

strain

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Han Solo

Available at: Capital Meds in Lansing.

Navigate your next journey through the galaxy alongside one of the great leaders of the Rebel Alliance. Although one parent strain Pure Dog doesn’t come up on our radar, parent Cinderella 99, otherwise known as c99 or simply “Cindy” is a sativa-dominant hybrid lending her sweet, fruity flavors and cerebral dominant effects. As a whole, Han Solo’s flavor profile is sweet and sour, much like grapefruit with a hint of haze. Containing 17.52 percent THCA, patients looking for symptomatic relief associated to conditions such as cancer, chronic pain, migraines, nausea, PMS, are graced with a comfortable lasting effect, from this strain. Beyond the nostalgic name and quick glance of its beauty, we’ve come to discover this strain is absolutely worth getting acquainted to on a more intimate level.

Hitman OG Though this strains mysterious proprietary genetics, from Dirt Kings 517, prevent us from understanding the entirety of its genetic background, we know that it is a pure indica plant with a bold chem-fruit aroma. The dense, bountiful nug boasts its confidence at any angle. Proving true to its namesake, Hitman OG’s 30.83 percent THC content has the capacity to assassinate symptoms associated with anorexia, anxiety, arthritis, chronic pain, glaucoma, insomnia, migraines, muscle spasms and/or nausea with a euphoric, long lasting body effect. Don’t be surprised if this one knocks you out for the night. You asked for it.

Available at: Superior Genetics in Lansing.

Legend OG The qualities that define a legend are boundless, though a common ground stands, legends are extraordinary. We call them like we see them around here, and this one’s namesake is right on the money. The full body effect in this indica-dominant strain (70/30) is apparent within a few puffs. At 24.7 percent THC, patients who are looking for relief from a variety of chronic pains, insomnia, migraines, muscle spasms and nausea, find sincere, lasting relief from Legend OG. Grown by Superior Flowers this “clone only” phenotype is truly magnificent, even as a visual specimen. The knobby calyxes heavily dusted in trichomes are quite a sight. You’re sure to be talking about this strain long after it’s gone.

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Available at: Green Harvest Caregivers in Detroit.

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REVIEWs

Available at: Metro Meds in Detroit.

Bio-Dynamic Organic Purple Headband This Detroit original strain took five years of love and cultivation to get to where it is today. Mimicked qualities reign from parent strains Plum Daddy Purps and True Headband, with a boldly sweet, berryfull aroma packing a punch of a jet fuel as an undertone. The nugs are quite dense and leave your fingers a bit sticky after breaking one apart. Above all else, the organic growing methods are what makes this strain a true treat. The grower notes that nothing is added to the soil and all-natural sprays are used to protect against fungus and bugs. Patients looking for relief from symptoms associated to arthritis, cancer, chronic pain, migraines, nausea, PMS, appreciate the comfortable potency (22 percent THC) and balanced body and cerebral effects (50/50-indica/sativa) this strain offers.

Available at: Chef Curry in Lansing.

Grape Fuck Pardon our French, but this Dirt Kings 517 strain is simply too good to go untold. A sensational product of its lineage, Grape Fuck borrows flavors and aromatics from both Gorilla Glue #4 (sour, earthy) and Querkle (grape, berry) which round out to an overall sweet white grape flavor, thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so good it may just have you shouting profanities. Patients who are looking to alleviate symptoms associated with anorexia, anxiety, arthritis, chronic pain, glaucoma, migraines, muscle spasms and/or nausea, find that the cerebral dominant effect (30/70) provides quite a powerful dose of relief (29.26 percent THC). Though you may be tempted to show this one off and share with a fellow patient, we wouldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t blame you for stashing your leftovers away and just keeping this one a secret. 18

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3. Uma Sound Lantern If you’re not much into traditional design, Carmine Deganello and Pablo Pardo, have created something that is both, modern and practical, the Uma Sound Lantern. Fusing sound and light together the pair of designers have created the oil lamp of the 21st century. What makes the Uma Sound Lantern unique and practical is that it serves as a portable light source that can be used indoors and outdoors as well as a 12W speaker with a frequency range of up to 20,000Hz. Even more convenient is that the Uma Sound Lantern allows you to easily stream music via Bluetooth while it offers 360-degrees of sound. PRICE: $479 MORE INFORMATION: pablodesigns.com

1. Mass Roots’ Strain Scented Candles Mass Roots Strain Scented Candles are truly ideal for cannabis lovers from all walks of life. Equipped with sleek packaging, these candles are all natural, hand-poured in America and burn 50+ hours. Omitting a strong and delightful scent that will eliminate unpleasant odors, Mass Root’s Strain Scented Candles come in six different scents: Green Crack, Blueberry Yum Yum, Maui Wowie, Purple Haze, Peppermint OG and Strawberry Cough. The perfect gift for any cannasseur, these candles will compliment any living space or office, with a pleasant smell and attractive pop of color. PRICE: $15 MORE INFORMATION: shop.massroots.com

4. Cannabis Rose Eau De Parfum Fresh® is a beauty brand dedicated to creating the best, most alluring products with only natural ingredients. To complement its popular Cannabis Santal collection, Fresh® has created a feminine perfume, Cannabis Rose Eau De Parfum. This fragrance is elegant with top notes of Bulgarian Rose, pomegranate and bergamot and intended to “capture the essence of an intimate moment between lovers.” Perfect for a night out or everyday wear, Cannabis Rose Eau De Parfum is the perfect fragrance for those who want to make an impression. PRICE: $90 MORE INFORMATION: www.fresh.com

2. Smokies Toke Couture Cannabis Hair Comb Cannabis weddings are all the rage right now, and everything from hemp dresses to cannabis inspired fashion accessories are being created. Smokies Toke Couture offers a special vintage hair comb that features two silver cannabis leaves set around an ivory pearl and clear rhinestones. Its unique design is subtle and beautiful, but still allows the wearer, whether they’re a bride or just a fashionista, to look amazing while showing off their love for cannabis. This particular comb is also offered in gold, but the store seller has a handful of unique handmade hair combs, as well as necklaces and earrings. PRICE: $30 MORE INFORMATION: www.etsy.com/SmokiesTokeCouture

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5. Podo Selfie sticks and tripods can come in handy for any group photo or selfie, but if you want to get a creative angle it’s not always easy to do so. Offering a new alternative to photo taking is Podo an 8 megapixel camera that you can stick anywhere, freeing up your hands and opening a world of creative possibility. How Podo works is it has an adhesive backing that can stick to most surfaces that is easily reusable, all you have to do is clean the adhesive backing after each use and let dry. Easy to use, Podo is a must have gadget for your next vacation or day out with friends! PRICE: $99 MORE INFORMATION: www.podolabs.com

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entertainment

REVIEWs

BOOK

Forty Years Stoned: A Journalist’s Romance Tom Huth Heliotrope Books A touching and humorous memoir, Forty Years Stoned takes readers on a journey of care and love. The book follows Tom as he grows into a caregiver for his beloved wife Holly, who struggles with Parkinson’s disease. The story is more about the experience of cannabis as a bonding agent between this loving couple, and the personal exploration of using cannabis as a very successful medicine for Holly. This book serves as a small window into the very normal lives of millions of Americans who use cannabis for care and health. A poignant story to say the least. (Alex Bradley)

Release Date: May 24 Available on: PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One

Overwatch

The Revenant

Coming from the developers of World of Warcraft, Diablo and StarCraft games is the highly anticipated new competitive multiplayer first person shooter, Overwatch. There are over 20 unique characters to choose from, each with his or her own set of combat abilities and backstories, and many more are expected to be added in the future. The premise is simple: Two teams of six players are set against each other in maps with one of three objectives. Choose your strategy and work with friends to overcome the enemy team while you gush about immersive graphics and enjoyable backstory cinematics. (Nicole Potter)

Based loosely on the experiences of American frontiersman and explorer, Hugh Glass, The Revenant brings the early 1800s to life in the setting of roughly mapped Native American territory. The Revenant tells the story of Hugh Glass’s treacherous betrayal by his fellow fur-trappers, and his subsequent harrowing quest for survival and vengeance. With a cast of Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy (Mad Max Fury Road), Domhnall Gleeson (About Time) and Will Poulter (The Maze Runner) and excellent direction from Alejandro G. Iñárritu (21 Grams), The Revenant is certainly one not to be missed. (Simon Weedn)

20th Century Fox Dir. Alejandro G. Iñárritu

This Path Tonight Graham Nash Blue Castle Records For nearly six decades, Graham Nash has been an integral part of the international music community and, more specifically, a guiding voice in rock and roll and folk music both in Europe and the United States. This Path Tonight is a record which seems to find Nash contemplating both his slightly tumultuous present and his eventual end. Not dwelling on his past or resting on his laurels, Nash continues to push himself and his music forward with This Path Tonight, and easily demonstrates that he is just as capable as he ever was of holding his ground amongst veteran peers and modern contemporaries alike. (Simon Weedn)

WHAT: Medical Cannabis Bike Tour. WHEN/WHERE: Tues, May 17-Thurs, May 19. Tour begins in Ljubjana, Slovenia and ends in Bologna, Italy. INFO: For more details visit www.medicalcannabis-biketour.com.

Backpacking through Europe is overrated, but biking in support of cannabis research definitely isn’t. Every year the Medical Cannabis Bike Tour asks cyclists to bike 420km in the course of three days, ending on May 19 at the Indica Sativa Trade Fair in Bologna. Since starting in 2012, with only two riders, the race has expanded and raised €250,000. This year, 100 cyclists will tour through Slovenia and Italy, and proceeds

MAY 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

MOVIE

Dev. Blizzard Entertainment Pub. Blizzard Entertainment

Medical Cannabis Bike Tour

MUSIC

GAME

will go to Complutense University in Madrid who will be working with the Spanish Group of Neurological Investigation (GEINO). With funding provided by the bike tour, these institutions will conduct clinical trials of cannabinoid effects on glioma (brain tumor) cancer patients. As there is limited research providing solid evidence on the effects of cannabinoids on cancer cells, this research is very important and all contributions make a difference!

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Hot

and

F l u ff y 24

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p h o t o b y M a a rten d e Boer

Comedian, actor, writer, producer and all-out amazing human being, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias is on a roll, and he ain’t slowin’ down by Paul Rogers

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erhaps today’s ultimate everyman comedian, Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias’ animated yet unpretentious stage persona is almost indistinguishable from his real-life self. Iglesias’ observational material, enhanced with uncanny impressions of everything from police sirens to GPS voices, revolves around his adventures as a touring comic and at home with his girlfriend and stepson. For all of his growing fame and critical acclaim (the San Antonio Express-News declared him a “comedy genius”), he’s still that great storyteller in your workplace or the sassy uncle who turns family dinners into laugh-fests. Though he’s yet to hit 40, Iglesias’ approachable, slightly self-deprecating personality (catchphrases include “I’m not fat, I’m fluffy”), and hilariously relatable tales have already made him a household name. His Fluffy Breaks Even reality television show was recently picked up for a second season by Fuse, he hosts a new weekly show on SiriusXM called Gabriel Iglesias’ Stand-Up Revolution Radio and fills theaters nationwide. The youngest of six children to a single mother, Iglesias spent his early years bouncing around numerous Los Angeles neighborhoods before settling in Section 8 housing in Long Beach, California, for the majority of his youth. Still an L.A. resident, he was working for a cell phone company before first trying his hand at comedy in the mid 1990s. Initially, littering his act with references to weight (Iglesias peaked at 437 pounds), including detailing different “levels of fatness” (including “Daaaaamn!!!” and “Oh, Hell No!”), Iglesias moved away from this theme after losing over 100 pounds while battling diabetes. Fluffy Breaks Even follows Iglesias and his entourage of fellow comedians as they travel the country, asking fans where they should eat in each city and how to best work off the resulting calories. His off-the-road antics may soon grace the small screen too, as Iglesias recently inked a pilot deal with ABC Television for a series based on his home life (provisionally titled The Fluffy Shop). A loveable and flawlessly polite man, Iglesias also comes across as a keenly focused self-promoter and brand-aware businessman. CULTURE grabbed a chat with Iglesias about his past, present, future—and this “Fluffy” thing.

Growing up, did people around you tell you that you should be a comedian, or was it more of a “hidden talent?” It was more of a hidden talent, just because around school I wasn’t trying to be funny. I was actually not the popular kid—I wasn’t the athlete; I wasn’t the loud jokester. I was actually very, very quiet. It wasn’t until I got on the speech team— for some reason that just brought it out of me . . . I would just get 26

“I think eventually it’ll get to the point where it’s legal everywhere; it’s just going to take a little bit more time.”

up in front of the class and just tell a random story about my day and incorporate some characters into it. And they started laughing.

fun and if I happen to crack something funny or silly, then cool, but if not, I don’t feel like I’m hurting myself by it. I’m just a regular dude.

So are you funny to be around in day-to-day life or is your comedic persona something you turn on for the stage and cameras? I’m a pretty witty guy, but I wouldn’t say that I’m going out of my way to entertain. There are some comics that never turn it off . . . [But] I just hang out and have

Is there a history of show business in your family? Actually there is . . . My whole family is mariachis, from Mexico, [and] also a couple of actors in Mexico. One of them was actually a comedian by the name of Pompin Iglesias . . . [in] the ‘70s and early ‘80s. >>

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photo by JUSTIN STEPHENS

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“If [cannabis] is going to keep somebody from getting upset to the point where they do something stupid and it’s going to keep them at home for that night, then I’m all for it.”

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p h o t o b y R a n d y M ir a montez

So did that help you break into the business? No, because I had no idea about [Pompin] until maybe a couple of years ago. I just thought it was kind of interesting . . . When they say it’s in the blood, in my case it really was! How did you break into professional comedy? Who and what were central to getting you to where you are today? It took a long time . . . From the time I was out of high school to the time I went up on an actual stage where it was called stand-up comedy; there were a few years in between. A buddy of mine actually pushed me up on stage and after that it was kind of like a slow [process of] meeting people and then finding out where I could go to perform and then, of course, television breaks. My first TV break happened in December of ’97—I went on a TV show called Make Me Laugh on Comedy Central, and that show right there, they booked me three times. Next thing you know, you wind up on The Tonight Show or you wind up getting a halfhour special, and it just kind of snowballed. Social media played a huge part of that, because I jumped on the whole MySpace deal when it first came out, after Dane Cook started popping up. And as soon as Facebook came around, I jumped on that right away—then Twitter, then Instagram . . . I just ran with it. I call it grassroots marketing. You stay in touch with the fans by being the actual person who sends out all the messages and interacts. I have people who help me with social media in the sense that they’ll help me structure the account, but they don’t put out the content for me. Who and what has influenced your style of comedy? In the beginning, only in the beginning, it was probably 30

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Eddie Murphy and Robin Williams. Eddie Murphy for the characters and Robin Williams for . . . the craziness and for making it look like it was all spontaneous. I think over the years, I’ve just started trying to incorporate my real life into my act . . . [and] instead of saying something, painting a picture incorporating sound effects and characters. I never write anything down. Everything that I put out on stage is either on video or audio recordings. I cannot fit structure, myself—I have to go out there and just kind of free-flow it . . . and if it’s funny then I’ll say it again the same way the next time—and if it’s not then I’ll change it until I find a way to make it funny. I try to tell stories that are relatable. I try to avoid things that make people uncomfortable. For example, I don’t get political; I try not to get religious . . . I avoid things that get people riled up. Some people say, well, I’m not taking chances. But I’m also not offending people, which opens the doors to more people coming in to see my show. For the uninitiated, can you introduce “Fluffy?” Is Fluffy just a nickname; an alter-ego; or is it gradually replacing “Gabriel Iglesias” as your brand? Fluffy’s always been the brand. Originally, I tried my [real] name . . . [but] for some reason “Fluffy” just stuck more than Gabriel Iglesias did. I’ll [nowadays] incorporate Fluffy into my name, so it’ll be Gabriel “Fluffy” Iglesias. So now the name is in there and the branding is in there. I caught onto a word and it was catchy in the beginning. I used to get upset because people would call me Fluffy, and then I learned to embrace it. Why would it upset you? I didn’t want people to think I was a character—I wanted them to know that, hey, I’m a real person . . . The last

“I think I’m funny regardless of whether people are smoking or drinking or using anything else. I don’t rely on them doing that in order to have a successful career. But I don’t hate on ‘em for it—if that’s what they wanna do before the show, hey, have fun!” thing I wanted was to not have people know who I really was. Fluffy Breaks Even was recently picked up by FUSETV for a second season. What do you think lies behind the success of the show? I think it’s a combination of branding and incorporating fans into the show. I incorporate the fans in the sense that we ask fans what’s a good restaurant to go eat at when we’re in that area . . . [and] what’s a good way to work off this [meal]—what’s a good workout; what’s something different than just hitting the gym. So the success of the show is because the fans want it to go this way. By letting them pick, it’s a recipe for success. You’re currently crisscrossing the country on the Fluffy Breaks Even tour. How does the Fluffy Breaks Even concept translate to the stage? I think it went from the stage

to the [TV] show; I don’t think it went the other way around. It was something that we always do on the road—that’s why it felt so organic to do this type of show. We’re always going out to restaurant and, because I’ve recently lost 100 pounds, I’m trying not to gain that weight back, so we’re always trying to find a way of working off the meals. So we said, you know what, all we gotta do is incorporate cameras and let the fans have fun with us and it should be a good show. You recently signed a pilot deal with ABC Television to write and star in a multicamera series with the working title The Fluffy Shop. Is that something you can talk about in more detail? Absolutely! The Fluffy Shop concept comes from the three or four days that I’m home from the road. So I would be playing myself [and] how I come up with the show that people see on stage. >>

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“. . . people are sure that [cannabis] does help out people with certain issues." Not just at home, but I also have a merchandising/ clothing business called The Fluffy Shop . . . I’m going on auditions; I’m doing other projects; I’m interacting with my son, with my girlfriend. There’s all kinds of things that are happening . . . and so that’s going to basically be the premise of the TV show.

wanted to look better, but because I wanted to be around; I wanted to be alive. My stand-up has very little to do with my weight. I mean, yeah, the title Fluffy’s in there, and maybe I might make a comment or two, but in the course of 90 minutes, you’re not going to hear any fat jokes anymore.

Your weight, weight-loss and eating are central to your comedy. So if you got, like, really skinny, how would you revamp your comic persona? I think that’s already happened in the sense that I’ve already let the fans know that I got to a certain weight [and] it was unhealthy. I had to lose—not because I

What is your personal history with cannabis? Has it played any role in your life or your comedy? Between the ages of 23 and maybe 27, I was quite the recreational user . . . It was relaxing. I’d come home from the road and I had a couple of buddies who’d hang out and we’d smoke and watch

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cartoons. We’d sit around and watch Family Guy . . . they were really good times.

the point where it’s legal everywhere; it’s just going to take a little bit more time.

In your experience with audiences, can using cannabis make things seem funnier? I think I’m funny regardless of whether people are smoking or drinking or using anything else. I don’t rely on them doing that in order to have a successful career. But I don’t hate on ‘em for it—if that’s what they wanna do before the show, hey, have fun!

And is that something you would support? I would . . . I mean, people are sure that [cannabis] does help out people with certain issues. If it’s going to keep somebody from getting upset to the point where they do something stupid and it’s going to keep them at home for that night, then I’m all for it. Obviously, with kids, I think people should wait ‘til a certain time before they allow their children [to be] doing it, even if it is legal—just like with alcohol . . . [There’s] a time and a place for everything. c

What are your thoughts about the current state of cannabis legislation in the U.S.? I think eventually it’ll get to

www.fluffyguy.com

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Shafted:

Moms Who Use Cannabis Need Our Help For Mother’s Day, CULTURE examines the sorry state of a mother’s right to use cannabis

Equal To Heroin

by David Downs

This Mother’s Day, CULTURE reports that the state of American mothers’ right to use cannabis is woefully poor, and we all have to fix it. Even in the most progressive states, moms or their children can be screened for cannabis without their consent, and the results forwarded to welfare agencies. In less progressive places, women face mandatory drug screens, then jail if their newborn fails a THC test. And that’s just the beginning—literally. As the kids grow up, moms who use cannabis can lose children to Protective Services, or in divorce proceedings, and face workplace discrimination, lack of access and stigma— for cannabis use alone. None of the consequences seem proportionate to the known scientific harms of cannabis exposure, especially in comparison to legal drugs, alcohol and tobacco, experts say. “Even in states that allow legal adult-use or medical use of cannabis, mothers and pregnant women continue to face devastating legal risks if they use cannabis, including losing their children,” reports Shaleen Title, representative of Moms United to End the War on Drugs. “This is outrageous.”

Every mom who has cannabis in the house is the parent of a federally designated “drug endangered child.” So keep your edibles locked up, or they will take your kids away. Since 1971, cannabis became a federally illegal, “Schedule I” drug, treated as though it is as dangerous as heroin. No matter the state law, federal funding warps the states’ perspectives. Women on welfare who give birth are a target for drug screenings in at least 15 states, even though welfare

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recipients use drugs at a lower rate that higher-income earners. New laws to combat methamphetamine abuse in the ‘90s, and efforts to combat the prescription opioid epidemic have also driven new punishments. Cannabis often gets swept up in the hysteria. According to the state of Colorado, “Marijuana is now legal for adults over 21. But this doesn’t mean it is safe for pregnant moms or babies. Some hospitals test babies after birth for drugs. If your baby tests positive for THC at birth, Colorado law says Child Protective Services must be notified.” >>

prescribed Zofran off-label. “I refused to take it because the physical risks seemed unclear,” she said. “But even though I lived in a state that allows medical cannabis, I was too afraid of the legal risks to try cannabis. The result was absurd—I didn’t feel comfortable taking any medicine, and I ended up having to quit my job and lost 30 pounds in the first few months of my pregnancy,” she said.

THe Science

“Even in states that allow legal adult-use or medical use of cannabis, mothers and pregnant women continue to face devastating legal risks if they use cannabis, including losing their children.” decades of looking and millions in research—says THC’s effects are so subtle, they can’t be distinguished from confounding factors like diet, parenting or other drugs. The strongest pregnancy warning states can muster refers to the plant’s “potential” to cause harm. But that’s versus alcohol and tobacco or antidepressants, which we know, 100 percent, “can cause birth defects,” premature birth, long-term deficits, and are fully legal. Shaleen has lived the consequences. During her pregnancy, she had nonstop vomiting and was

The Patchwork

Moms are subject to an unacceptable, gnarly patchwork of laws from state to state, and the “states rights” argument is no excuse. It’s not enough that some states are allowed to legalize cannabis, and thereby lessen the persecution of a whole class of innocent women, while others may keep imprisoning moms for the presence of a substance scientifically shown to be safer than legal recreational drugs and prescription alternatives. At a bare minimum, all 50 states must commit this year to legal language stating that “cannabis use on its own does not make a parent any more subject to sanction for child neglect or abuse than tobacco or alcohol use alone does.”

The Wins

In 2015, Colorado rejected a ban on selling cannabis to pregnant women, because the science doesn’t support it. Legalization in new states like Pennsylvania—and hopefully Florida— will continue to spread the notion that medical cannabis use alone cannot be considered child endangerment. Groups like Moms United to End the War on Drugs have also begun flipping the script on prohibition, the way women did at the end of alcohol prohibition. “Many of the moms in this group have been through the worst tragedy a person can go through (losing a child) and they are taking action to ensure it doesn‘t happen to others,” Title said. “They have some of the most powerful voices that you can hear, and you can tell people are listening as you see our culture gradually turning away from punishment-based approaches and starting to support non-judgmental harm reduction approaches.” c

Parallels: Moms Against Alcohol Prohibition

America’s punitive treatment of moms is out of proportion to the known harms of cannabis exposure, many experts state. “The research on the effects of cannabis on unborn children is at worst unclear, and at best shows it to be safer than other drugs prescribed to pregnant women,” Title said. Five percent of pregnant women use cannabis. The American Medical Association said in 2013 that fetal exposure to THC has the “potential” to cause harm; a summary of decades of mixed findings. At its worst, heavy fetal exposure to THC could be associated with some attention and learning problems and lower IQ. But even the National Institute on Drug Abuse—after

Moms helped lead America into alcohol prohibition, before they led the way out. The Women’s Christian Temperance Union went from pissed off “Mothers Against Drunken Dads” to a potent political force, working up from local alcohol bans to the Constitution of the United States. Prohibition began January 19, 1920. With 1,000 Americans dying every year from tainted liquor, and widespread corruption of all levels of law enforcement, women reversed course. The Women’s Organization for National Prohibition Reform (WONPR) in 1929 campaigned on protecting families from the crime, corruption, and secret drinking prohibition had created, and returning decisions about alcohol to families, where they belonged. With a secular, modern, rich and fashionable look, WONPR became the largest female repeal organization, even attracting disillusioned prohibitionists.

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Big Business Women who are making their mark in the cannabis sector

Jessica Billingsley Image courtesy of MJ Freeway Software Solutions

by Jamie Solis

Although the cannabis business sector is largely male-dominated, female entrepreneurs and activists are known as significant influencers in the booming industry. According to a recent survey, 36 percent of the executives in the cannabis market are women. This is an increase from the percentage of women who hold executive roles in all markets, which was found as 22 percent of women by Pew Research Center. With so many prominent women moving the cannabis industry forward, it is only appropriate to once again shout out some of the top female entrepreneurs in the cannabis sector. Influencing public policy, educating the market, setting operational standards and making millions, find out how the following 12 cannabis businesswomen are

taking the industry by storm. Dale Sky Jones is the Executive Chancellor at Oaksterdam University as well as the Chairwoman at The Coalition for Cannabis Policy Reform. A prominent activist in the cannabis industry, Sky Jones was considered to be one of the leading media spokespersons for Yes on Proposition 19 in California. Sky Jones and Oaksterdam University are hugely successful in establishing top quality education, skills and support on the control, regulation and taxation for the cannabis industry. Amy Poinsett and Jessica Billingsley are Co-Founders of MJ Freeway Business Solutions, and they both are considered national industry experts in their field. Amy Poinsett is the Chief Executive Officer of MJ Freeway

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Business Solutions, and Jessica Billingsley is the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Chief Operating Officer. These two women created software solutions made solely for the sale of cannabis at the onset of Coloradoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cannabis legalization. With top quality software and impeccable timing, MJ Freeway Business Solutions has been recognized on the Inc.5000 fastestgrowing companies list. Two more powerful women in the cannabis sector are Jazmin Hupp and Jane West. Jazmin Hupp is the Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Women Grow, which is an organization that brings together various types of leaders in the cannabis industry through networking, education and support. Forbes and Fortune Magazine recognized Hupp for her expert entrepreneurial skills within the cannabis industry. >>

Jane West Image courtesy of Jane West

Amy Poinsett Image courtesy of MJ Freeway Software Solutions

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“36 percent of the executives in the cannabis market are women. This is an increase from the percentage of women who hold executive roles in all markets, which was found as 22 percent . . .”

Dale Sky Jones Image courtesy of Dale Sky Jones

Jazmin Hupp Image courtesy of jazminhupp.com

Jane West is the Founder & National Events Director of Women Grow. She is also the CEO of Jane West Enterprises, which features her collection of cannabis accessories that are geared toward the female consumer. West is also the owner of Edible Events—a mainstream events company that is cannabis friendly. Another powerful businesswoman is AC Braddock. Braddock is the Chief Executive Officer at the extremely successful multi-million dollar technology company, Eden Labs. She also remains active in the industry by serving on two boards, The National Cannabis Industry Association and Council of Responsible Cannabis Regulation. In addition to these two boards, Braddock is also a member of The Marijuana Business Association’s Women’s Alliance and as well as another Washington-based cannabis business group, Women of Weed.

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Anne Holland and Cassandra Farrington are Co-Founders of Marijuana Business Media. Anne Holland’s success in the cannabis industry is due to her role in electronic publishing as the founder of Anne Holland Ventures, which is dedicated to publishing and professional education. Cassandra Farrington is the President at Anne Holland Ventures Inc., and it’s safe to say this two-woman powerhouse is connecting cannabis industry professionals in a big way. Youzdon’t have to be from Maine to know about the thriving Chief Operating Officer of Wellness Connection of Maine, Patricia Rosi. She runs four statelicensed medical cannabis dispensaries in Maine. Since 2011 her multi-million dollar company has grown to over 200 employees and counting. This wealthy businesswoman is providing her community with top quality medical cannabis and turning a huge profit.

A.C. Braddock Image courtesy of Cashinbis

Ophelia Chong Image courtesy of stockpotimages.com

Last but undoubtedly not least, established photographer and creative director, Ophelia Chong, has gained notoriety in the cannabis industry since her launch of StockPotImages.com. This company was the first of its kind, because it hosts cannabis specific stock photography, videos and illustrations that are rights-free and rights-managed. Chong’s attention to professional photos along with a persistent will to bring this much-needed resource into existence is worth noting. The progress of the medical and recreational cannabis industries is largely in part due to strong and successful women entrepreneurs. This is only scratching the surface of powerful, strong women who rock the cannabis sector day in and out, as they are many other women who dedicate their lives to making a difference in our community every day. c

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Boy on His Deathbed is Cured with Cannabis

AJ’s parents were told their son had one month to live, but today he is cancer free after putting him on high dosages of cannabis oil by Pamela Jayne

In a last ditch effort to save his life, 17-year-old Alexander “AJ” Kephart’s dedicated parents, Sheila and Chris, decided to try out cannabis oil on their dying son with miraculous results. Here’s one American family’s painful, inspirational, devastating and heroic medical cannabis-cures-cancer story. AJ’s super supportive father, Chris, admits his son’s story is complicated– even doctors have a hard time understanding everything he is now “missing” and how he’s been put back together (with titanium, prosthetics and even a “cage” around his back after having three vertebrae removed). It all started in August 2012, when AJ noticed a persistent pain in his knee. In January 2013, he was diagnosed as having bone cancer. Later it was found that he also had stage four lung carcinoma as well. That’s when AJ started

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chemotherapy. In May of the same year, his entire knee was removed along with some bone in his thigh and calf. At this point, doctors also found six tumors on all four of his lung chambers. To keep his lungs from collapsing, AJ was kept in the hospital for months hooked up to a breathing apparatus. AJ was healing up when the cancer came returned in 2014. He had his first three vertebrae removed, his top two ribs and sections of his back removed. The surgery itself even had to be stopped halfway as AJ was losing the use of his nerves. He ended up having to wear a cage around his body until the surgery could be completed a week or so later. Just a few months after the spine surgery, AJ’s oncologist, Dr. Susan Storch, informed Sheila and Chris that his left lung lobe was covered with 20 plus cancerous tumors. They started chemo. Again.

That’s when they got the news: It’s time to “get your son’s things in order,” said the doctors. They gave AJ only a month more to live. In complete desperation, Sheila and Chris asked their doctor about medical cannabis and its cancer-fighting effects. Dr. Storch agreed cannabis oil would be a good “alternative” medicine to pursue along with another series of chemotherapy sessions. She recommended cannabis pioneer Dr. Bonni Goldstein. In her Lawndale, California office, Dr. Goldstein explained how cannabinoids– especially CBD–work by telling cancer cells to commit suicide, plus it stops the formation of new capillaries, which cancer cells need to grow and spread. But even Dr. Goldstein had to admit AJ’s case was going to be experimental as she has never before treated a child with this particular cancer. >>

On the way home to Simi Valley, the Kepharts made a stop in Beverly Hills to Tracy Ryan’s then new cannabis clinical built specifically for children, CannaKids. “When we met AJ, he was super frail and was wearing a neck brace. He was taking handfuls of pain medications daily. His Mother Sheila was terrified and she looked like her soul had been ripped out,” remembers Ryan, whose daughter Sophie was healed of a brain tumor via cannabis oil. In fact, AJ was in excruciating pain. His father Chris says AJ was taking two of the following each day for pain: OxyContin, Norco, Tylenol and Motrin. Without the pain killers, AJ would scream and cry in horrendous pain whenever he was awake. After five days on CBD and THC oils by CannaKids,

Chris says AJ’s pain has decreased so much that he was down to taking only one OxyContin daily. “Wow,” he exclaimed when remembering this stressrelieving moment for the whole family. Because AJ had nothing to lose, his loving parents decided to speed up the dosage process. Dr. Goldstein had recommended a threemonth process to increase the dosage, but Chris decided to fly at warp speed. In two weeks, AJ was up to the highest dosage, but he was also tired all the time and felt loopy. “No, son,” father Chris said to AJ, “you are just stoned out of your mind.” Chris admits that this was a sad, but comical moment for father and son. Two months later, the Kepharts visited their

oncologist who was shocked that AJ looked much better and stronger. She also discovered his white blood cell counts showed lots of improvement. Four months later, a scan showed the

“Dr. Goldstein explained how cannabinoids–especially CBD–work by telling cancer cells to commit suicide, plus it stops the formation of new capillaries, which cancer cells need to grow and spread.” multiple tumors on AJ’s lungs were completely gone. Chris says Dr. Storch told them something like: “I can’t explain it. There’s no reason for it. But your scan came back totally clear. There’s no cancer. There’s no tumors in his lungs. It’s all gone.” Since then, every scan has shown there’s no longer any cancer. “I believe cannabis is keeping him alive,” says Chris.

Very unfortunately, high dosage medical grade cannabis oil is expensive and costs the Kepharts almost $2,000 a month to keep AJ cancer and pain free. The stress this financial burden has put on the family has even affected AJ’s mental health. “He was freaking out about everything,” says Chris, who made sure to provide AJ with a psychotherapist and as relaxing an environment as he can provide given the extreme circumstances. Today, AJ is still cancer free. He has completely stopped chemotherapy after having more complications. He and his family are seeking less expensive ways to get high-grade cannabis oils, but they have yet to find a more affordable answer before this health crisis literally puts the family in bankruptcy. AJ’s very brave cancer survival story truly is a medical miracle and another reason cannabis needs to be legalized and affordable for everyone who needs it. c

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“Doctors get little or no training about cannabis in medical school and almost none about the endocannabinoid system. The system predates cannabis. It’s been present in us and animals for millions and millions of years, before there even was cannabis.”

I ndustry I nsider Board-certified neurologist, psychopharmacology researcher, innovator, author, editor and former Senior Medical Advisor to GW Pharmaceuticals’

Dr. Ethan Russo by R. Scott Rappold

The first time Dr. Ethan Russo talked with a patient about medical cannabis, the canna-landscape was a very different place than today. The year was 1980. The Reagan Era would soon

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begin a backlash to the excesses of the 1970s that would evolve into a wide-spread war on cannabis and Americans who enjoyed it. A physician advocating for cannabis faced no small amount of personal, professional and even legal peril. Yet when Russo, then a young neurologist working at a Veterans Administration clinic, met a patient whose muscle deterioration had slowed since self-medicating with cannabis, he could not ignore it. In fact, it sparked a revolution in his thinking about medicine and natural treatments. “It occurred to me that I was giving increasingly toxic drugs to my patients with less and less return, whether it be treating epilepsy or migraines,” he said. Russo would go on to become one of the foremost advocates of the medical benefits of cannabis, writing several books and pioneering numerous pharmaceutical cannabis medicines. He had to battle the federal government and the mainstream medical establishment along the way. But with medical cannabis now legal in two dozen states and more countries each year, it sure looks like he won. Or at least he’s no longer a voice out of left field, but a founding member of a global movement. >>

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Opening Minds Like many who came of age in the ‘60s and ‘70s, he was already acquainted with cannabis. “Unlike some people, I inhaled frequently, deeply and with forethought, but that was a long time ago,” he told us in a recent phone interview. After completing his residency at the Seattle VA hospital, he opened a practice in Missoula, Montana, a liberal bastion in cowboy country. If a patient asked—or if he thought it could help their condition—he freely espoused the benefits of cannabis. Multiple sclerosis, muscle tightness, mood problems, depression; cannabis seemed to have benefits for these and more. A patient with ALS, a degenerative condition, taking only cannabis lived for a decade with no deterioration. “We didn’t cure anyone, however, the people that did use it tended to be better clinically and certainly had a better adjustment to their illness,” he said. And he was open about it, telling the state’s medical board that he was advising, but not prescribing, patients on cannabis. Soon other doctors were sending patients to him. Russo also began to wonder about what other plants out there could benefit human health. So in 1995, he took a sabbatical to live with an indigenous tribe in the jungles of Peru, studying the many plants and herbs used medicinally. The experience further shaped his curiosity of herbal benefits and helped inspire his first book, Handbook of Psychotropic Herbs. But one herb in particular was still his main focus.

Battling the Feds There was a twisted irony to anyone wanting to legally study cannabis in the 1990s. In 1997, the Food and Drug Administration denied his research request to study its effect on migraines. The FDA denied it again the next year. The study was approved in 1999, but cannabis for scientific research was required to come from the National Institute on Drug Abuse. That agency refused to provide it. Russo said, “I realized I was never going to be able to do the kind of cannabis therapeutic research I wanted in this country.” So in 2003, he quit his practice and began working for British company GW Pharmaceuticals. He didn’t have to move

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“I realized I was never going to be able to do the kind of cannabis therapeutic research I wanted in this country.” to Europe, but spent quite a bit of time there. He helped develop groundbreaking products like a liquid extract spray for MS patients, currently approved in 27 countries, but not the U.S. He remains frustrated by federal roadblocks to cannabis research, even as people in places like Washington and Colorado can simply walk into a store and buy the plant for recreational purposes. “Essentially what the government has set up is a situation in which American companies who might have a great deal of experience in this area cannot compete with companies from abroad,” he said. “What they’re doing is inhibiting commerce and proper research that could lead to better advancements and not only improved therapeutic applications but better safety as well.” Last year, he became medical director of startup company PHYTECS, where he is conducting research on the human endocannabinoid system, a network of receptors in the brain and nervous system that he believes holds the key for many more breakthroughs in cannabis medicine. Russo envisions a time when patients

will be able to go into a pharmacy to get their cannabis medicine instead of a tie-dye-draped dispensary. And of a time when mainstream doctors will be comfortable prescribing it. “Doctors get little or no training about cannabis in medical school and almost none about the endocannabinoid system. The system predates cannabis. It’s been present in us and animals for millions and millions of years, before there even was cannabis,” he said. “Why isn’t this important system that regulates how our bodies operate being taught in medical school?” Still, he has reason to be optimistic. “I do think when a cannabis-based medicine like (anti-seizure medicine) Epidiolex is approved in the US, physicians will take notice. If it’s been through the FDA process, they’re much more likely to accept it, be interested in it and be comfortable prescribing it so patients can get a script, go to a pharmacy and it will be like any other medicine at that point. The comfort level will increase and the intellectual curiosity will kick in and we’ll begin to make progress.” c

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culture growing RECIPES

Testing The Varieties: Part 4 The winter garden was started in January in a 4’ x 4’ tent. The 35 plants were in 6” containers that were lit by a 1000-watt HPS lamp and were irrigated using a wick system. They were kept in vegetative growth for about two weeks. Then the light regimen was switched to flowering; 12 on and 12 off, and the fertilizer was changed from a vegetative to flowering formula. The plants were getting crowded, so in late February they were placed in a 4’ x 8’ greenhouse that received a limited amount of natural light but which was also given supplemental light using two 1000watt lamps that were on during the early part of each day for five hours. This was a winter garden and it was before the Spring Equinox (March 22) so the plants received fewer than 12 hours of light. The garden

TIP OF THE MONTH FROM ASK ED® Get Ready For Growing Outdoors Are you planning to grow outdoors or in a greenhouse this summer? There’s still time to give your plants a headstart indoors. Whether you are starting from seed or clone, by starting indoors under lights the plants get more total growing time. This is important because cannabis plants of the same variety, whether big or small, will flower at the same time based on hours of uninterrupted dark time each day. With a headstart, the plants grow bigger before they transition to flowering which results in a much larger yield.

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.

PROFILE

COURAGE

DESTINATION

UNKNOWN

by Ed Rosenthal

harvest began on March 25, just six weeks after the plants were placed into flowering. All of them ripened within a two-week period. Once they were cut, some of the fan leaves were removed and the plants were hung to dry in a cool room. Usually the room stays between 65-70 degrees, but it has been cool recently and the room temperature has stayed in the low 60s, which slows drying. It’s also been cloudy and rainy, keeping the average relative humidity around 65 percent, but 50 percent is ideal for drying and curing. So after two weeks, the plants are still a little moist, very pliable and not ready to take the next step in their journey, manicuring. To speed things up, I have plugged in a dehumidifier that will heat the room a little bit as it removes moisture. The plants had a number of different shapes in life, and as they are hanging without their fan leaves it is easy to see the different shapes that the plants have developed. The buds will be manicured and then weighed and tested for cannabinoid content. Then we will have a profile of what they look like their relative yield and their shape. Having this information will help farmers to plan their gardens or fields, and help answer questions such as how far apart to space the plants and how to prune them for bigger yields. When this experiment was first started, we ended up with some extra clones that we eventually planted in threegallon containers. We placed the plants outside and let them go. Five of the six plants ripened about a week after the last greenhouse plants were harvested. So those plants were cut leaving only small immature buds and leaves from the lower part of the plant. Hopefully, the plants will regenerate and be ready to harvest later in the season. c

The 35 plants in the greenhouse are ready to harvest.

A typical greenhouse plant.

MAY 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

Six of the plants spent most of their flowering time outdoors.

Bud of one of the outdoor plants.

Harvesting one of the outdoor plants.

The fresh cut outdoor plants hanging next to the greenhouse plants.

The indoor plants were still too moist after two weeks.

iReadCULTURE.com MAY 2016

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iReadCulture.com

HERE

if you go:

May in Madrid Spain

Remember, cannabis is and isn’t legal in Spain. While most cannabis enthusiasts grow their own plants hydroponically or on a balcony or in a backyard, it is still illegal to grow big crops or to sell cannabis for public (or black market) consumption. A legal provision, however, allows for private use inside a residence. (Smoking cannabis outside or in public places is not a crime, but can end up in a hefty fine of 600 euros.) Spain’s now hundreds of non-profit cannabis clubs run with very little government intervention or police busts. Locals (and travelers) must become a “member” of the club, which usually means dropping a small cash donation and signing the community ground rules paper work. Some clubs focus more on medical cannabis applications because CBD oil is legal here. At “smoking” clubs, expect to hit your flower bud purchase immediately from a community bong or buy a few papers for rolling in a living room-like setting complete with strong Spanish espresso and a THC-laced chocolate treat.

by Sheryll Alexander

May is one of the best times to visit cannabis-friendly Madrid, Spain. While Barcelona may be known as Spain’s most groovy (and most cannabis friendly) Spanish beachside destination, Madrid is more metropolitan in a good way. As the capital of Spain and located smack dab in the middle of this charming Mediterranean country, Madrid is on the rise. Everything from Spain just seems a little better these days, including the cannabis culture. Plus, the people in this pulsating metropolis are known for their warmth and generosity. But cannabis in Spain isn’t yet fully legal. A loophole in Spanish law has, however, allowed

for not-for-profit private “cannabis clubs” to flourish. Most are set up like any dispensary in California, Colorado or Washington, but also have an available smoke room as toking indoors amongst friends is perfectly fine. Flower strains, edibles and paraphernalia can also abound at a Madrid-style cannabis club, but they are not for “sale.” The price is labeled a “cash donation” and this donation system seems to work rather well in a country that’s way into sharing homegrown plant strains. There’s no shortage of things to do, eat, drink and smoke in Madrid. Countless tourist attractions await as well as neighborhoods bursting with Old World charm, New

World music, taste bud titillating tapas and everflowing cava (a light, sparkling, champagnelike alcoholic beverage). The art of performance is also unleashed in this creative city too. Dance (ballet, flamenco and modern), Broadwaystyle musical theatre and live theatre abound, especially in spring and through summer. It’s no wonder Madrid—and all of Spain for that matter—should be number one on any cannabis enthusiast’s travel bucket list with a veritable feast of cultural assets along with some of the warmest people on the planet, easy-toget smoke and some of the world’s best hotels, attractions, food, drink and weather. c

Fun-Filled Facts Madrid has accommodations for every budget from funky apartment rentals to artsy boutique hotels to palatial resorts. But did you know this third largest city in Europe is also one of the most diverse with accommodations for romantics? Some springtime and summer visitors choose a hotel with a rooftop pool for some of the best views and vibes in the city. 1

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DESTINATION

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RECIPES

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Time to Go: Spring Weather: Mild temperatures (average low is 52°F and average high is around 72°F) with sparse showers. Budget: $$$$$

PROFILE 48

GET YOUR CLICKS

MAY 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

Currently, Madrid’s elegant Teatro Lope de Vega is hosting a longstanding run of El Rey Leon, which is the Spanish version of Disney’s The Lion King. Other big box musicals in town through May are the Tony-award winning Priscilla Queen of the Desert (Nuevo Teatro Alcala) and what has been called an “ambitious” Cabaret (Teatro Rialto). 2

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Garth Wilson

Age: 55

PROFILE

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Using Medical Cannabis since: 2012

Why did you start using cannabis? Mental health medication all had unpleasant side effects. The pain medications impaired me; I was vomiting, constipated and I had little to no focus. I was unable to drive because of my feeling uncomfortable behind the wheel. Did you try other methods or treatments before cannabis? Yes. Opiates, as well as mental health pills for depression, anxiety and bi-polar disorder (which I later learned were not needed or beneficial for me at the time). What’s the most important issue or problem facing medical cannabis patients? There are unnecessary

delays in issuing patient cards with a broken system that relies on the Department of Health, and now this year, BioTrackTHC. I feel like there are unnecessary and arbitrary rules, regulations and legislation, where numbers are simply pulled out of the hat. What do you say to folks that are skeptical about cannabis as medicine? The risk of death and the potential side effects from taking opiate-derived analgesics (pain pills)— these were the things that made my life nightmarish. When I use cannabis to control my pain, I do not consider death. However, before I started using cannabis, I would take a pain pill and I would worry about losing my life. Now, that worry has disappeared, thanks to 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 MAY 2016

culture growing RECIPES UNKNOWN DESTINATION COURAGE IN PROFILE 50

Light and Lean

Perfectly prepared dishes for the month of May

Menu: Sesame Canna-Chicken Salad with Strawberry Canna-Sesame Dressing Mini Ricotta Pineapple-Crepe Soufflés

by JeffThe420Chef

Spring is in full swing all over the country this month. May is also the month to celebrate Mom! So, this issue, renowned Canna-Chef JeffThe420Chef has prepared some lovely dishes in perfect harmony with moms across the board, and Spring taste buds too! Relying on fresh produce and the subtle sweetness of a mother’s love, he’s picked two of his favorite light dishes just in time for Mother’s Day or any special occasion, made even more special with some precise cannabis dosing. Dig in and enjoy the season! Dedicated to improving the lives of other people, JeffThe420Chef is the only cannabis chef in the world who specializes in cooking and baking with specially crafted canna-butters and canna-oils, created specifically

to achieve the health and wellness goals of those who choose to medicate with cannabis. Jeff also specializes in teaching how to properly prepare and dose cannabis edibles. Dubbed “The Julia Child of Weed” by The Daily Beast, “The Ganja Gourmet” by Newsweek and “The King of Edibles” by Elite Daily, JeffThe420Chef works with a myriad of both THC and CBD rich strains of cannabis known for their unique attributes. He then removes the majority of the cannabis odor and taste from the flower or “bud” and infuses the cannabinoid compounds from the cannabis into grass fed butter and healthy oils, creating “pedigree” canna-butters and canna-oils that he uses to create tasty, properly dosed cannabis infused gourmet meals and treats.

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.

MAY 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

p h o t o s b y L E E L A C YD

10%: 2.5 milligrams / 5 milligrams 15%: 3.8 milligrams / 7.6 milligrams 20%: 5 milligrams / 10 milligrams

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This colorful grilled chicken salad is a fan favorite. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and savory. The salad is not only light, simple to make and chock-full of flavor, but it also kicks in pretty quickly since the cannabinoids are in the dressing and are therefore easily metabolized.

Approximate THC per Serving*

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Sesame Canna-Chicken Salad with Strawberry Canna-Sesame Dressing

Number of servings: 12 side salads / 6 entrée salads Preparation time: 40 minutes Cooking time: 8 to 10 minutes

Ingredients For the chicken and marinade:

¼ cup hoisin sauce ¼ cup barbecue sauce

½ teaspoon kosher salt

RECIPES

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

2 tablespoons sesame oil (plain) ½ cup of water

For the dressing: ½ cup strawberries, muddled

¼ teaspoon dry mustard

2 tablespoons canna–sesame oil, plus 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil t

1 teaspoon minced garlic

¼ cup sesame oil (plain)

Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper

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½ tablespoon strawberry jam

3 tablespoons rice vinegar For the salad:

1 cup green cabbage, shredded 1 cup red cabbage, shredded 1 cup brussel sprouts, shredded 2 blood oranges, divided into supremes (remove the membrane), or 1 small can mandarin oranges

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3 cups baby greens

1 cup broccoli florets ¾ cup strawberries, sliced 1 mango, diced 1 cup snow peas 1 Italian cucumber, sliced thin ½ package dry instant ramen noodles, crumbled 3 teaspoons sesame seeds

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3 cups kale, torn or as chiffonade

Directions

Make the dressing: Make the dressing by mixing all the ingredients together in a small bowl. Set it aside to let the flavors develop. To finish the salad: Toss the kale, baby greens, green cabbage, red

cabbage, brussel sprouts and broccoli. Top with the marinated chicken, orange supremes, strawberries, mango, snow peas and cucumber. Drizzle with the salad dressing and sprinkle with crushed ramen noodles and sesame seeds before serving. *Approximate dose per serving is based on infusing 5 grams of cured/dried/ de-carbed cannabis into 5 ounces of oil.

t Additional recipe can be found at iReadCulture.com

halfway through cooking time. Remove from the grill and let cool 5 minutes. Cut chicken breasts into bitesized pieces.

PROFILE

Marinate the chicken: Pound the chicken breasts until the sides are even. Separately, mix the hoisin sauce, barbecue sauce, kosher salt, and plain sesame oil into ½ cup of water and stir well. Pour the mixture into a 1-gallon Ziploc bag along with the chicken and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, or overnight. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, rotating each side 45°

iReadCULTURE.com MAY 2016

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One of my all-time favorite dishes! I make 6 minis to snack on during the week. You can also make one large soufflé by placing all the blintzes on top of the melted butter in a large baking dish. Then just pour the soufflé mixture over the crepes and bake for 1 hour. Number of servings: 6 2-ounce ramekins Preparation time: 15 minutes Cooking time: 1 hour

Ingredients For the crepes: 1 cup milk ¼ cup cold water 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon sugar

Approximate THC per Serving*

2 eggs, lightly beaten

15%: 11.4 milligrams 20%: 15.2 milligrams

1 stick grass-fed butter, cold (you won’t use the whole stick—it’s just to grease the pan)

For the cheese filling: 1 cup ricotta cheese

¼ cup crushed

½ cup mascarpone

pineapple, drained

cheese

1 egg

3 tablespoons confectioners’ sugar For the soufflé: 1 stick grass-fed butter, melted 1 cup sugar

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4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla Pinch of cinnamon ½ cup crushed pineapple ½ teaspoon salt

1½ cups sour cream 2 teaspoons pineapple juice

DESTINATION

Directions

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Blend together the crepe ingredients: Milk, cold water, flour, sugar, eggs and canna-butter. Heat a small nonstick pan on medium. Rub the stick of grass-fed butter around bottom and sides of the pan. Pour enough batter into the pan to coat the bottom. Cook for 30 to 40 seconds until the batter sets. Shake gently to loosen. Flip, using a small silicon spatula and cook another 30 to 40 seconds. Transfer to a plate and repeat until all the batter is used. In a medium mixing bowl, combine cheese-filling ingredients: Ricotta cheese, mascarpone cheese, confectioners’ sugar, crushed

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¼ cup creamy cannabutter, melted and cooled t

10%: 7.6 milligrams

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Mini Ricotta Pineapple-Crepe Soufflés

pineapple and egg. Mix well. Place 1 tablespoon of the cheese filling in each crepe and fold them opposite edge to opposite edge, then roll open sides over folded edges to create a closed little blintz. Set aside and repeat. Preheat oven to 340°F. Pour 1 to 2 tablespoons of melted butter to cover the bottom of each ramekin. Place 1 crepe in each ramekin. Blend the soufflé ingredients: Sugar, eggs, sour cream, pineapple juice, vanilla, cinnamon, crushed pineapple and salt. Pour the mixture over the crepes, filling each ramekin threequarters full. Bake for 1 hour until golden brown and then serve.

*Approximate dose per serving is based on infusing 5 grams of cured/dried/decarbed cannabis into 1 1/3 sticks of butter.

MAY 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

Chuck Shepherd's

News of the

Weird LEAD STORY—TAKE THAT, PORTLAND! u Seattle’s ambitious Office of Arts & Culture has allocated $10,000 this year to pay a poet or writer to create a work while present on the city’s Fremont Bridge drawbridge. The office’s deputy director told the Seattle Post-Intelligencer in January that the city wants to encourage “public art” and that the grant will oblige the recipient to create a work of prose or poetry from the bridge’s northwest tower, to help the people of Seattle understand the function of art in the city. (The artist will not be “in residence,” for the tower has no running water). THE CONTINUING CRISIS u The dominant-submissive lifestyle soared to higherbrow status in February when The New York Times reported on the recent marriage of the celebrated composer of “moody, queasy” works (and compulsive dominant) Georg Friedrich Haas to Mollena Williams, who blogs introspectively about her own kinky bondage as “The Perverted Negress.” Friedrich had introduced himself to her on a dating site with the note, “I would like to tame you,” and credits her acceptance for his improved productivity— because, he said, “I am not (any longer) disturbed by unfulfilled thoughts.” Although Williams-Haas is a black woman submitting to a white man, she explained that, “To say I can’t play my personal psychodrama out just because I’m black, that’s racist.”

NEW WORLD ORDER u Exasperated, Columbia County (Pennsylvania) District Judge Craig Long felt the need to post a sign outside his courtroom in January informing visitors that they should not wear pajamas to court. However, even Judge Long acknowledged that his admonition was not enforceable and that he was merely trying to encourage minimal standards. BRIGHT IDEAS u The roadside billboard giant Clear Channel Outdoor Americas announced in February that it would soon be recording the cellphone locations of drivers who pass the company’s signs in 11 cities in order to give advertisers more information on how to pitch products to people with those particular travel patterns and behaviors. Clear Channel asserts that no individual identifications would be sought, but privacy advocates fret about potential abuses, and even a Clear Channel executive acknowledged that the program “does sound a bit creepy.” (On the other hand, as Clear Channel pointed out to The New York Times, cellphone users’ locations and characteristics are already being extensively monitored by advertisers). NOT THE USUAL SUSPECTS u A then-married couple, both graduates of elite California law schools, were convicted of felonies and went to jail briefly two years ago for a criminal scheme inexplicably tawdry—and in February 2016 lost a resultant civil lawsuit for $5.7 million to the scheme’s victim. A woman at their child’s school had referred to the lawyers’ son as “slow,” enraging Kent Easter (University of California at Berkeley) and then-wife, Jill (UCLA), who retaliated by planting drugs and paraphernalia iReadCULTURE.com MAY 2016

in Kelli Peters’ car and then, a man identified via circumstantial evidence as Kent (with an accent as if from India), called in a DUI tip to police, resulting in Peters’ arrest. According to Peters, neither perpetrator has ever expressed remorse, and although Kent admitted to “stupidity,” he now complains that Peters does not deserve her windfall (like a “Powerball winner,” he said). CAN’T POSSIBLY BE TRUE u Vicky Leyton, 72, announced her retirement recently in Benidorm, Spain, over health concerns, but the lady’s 30-year run in her one-of-a-kind, “Sticky Vicky” magic show can hardly be forgotten by the 6 million fans who have witnessed it. Trained as a ballerina but emulating magicians who pull rabbits out of top hats, Vicky extracted an impressive array of items, also—from the body cavity that is occasionally the subject of News of the Weird stories. One review in Spain’s El Pais newspaper described a typical inventory: fluffy flags, flowers, ping-pong balls, sausages, eggs, a string of razor blades, a bottle and a light bulb (that was aglow!). NOTHING MORE TO SEE HERE? u Additional Details Needed: (1) Andrew McNeil, 34, was arrested in Lincoln, Nebraska, in January and charged with disturbing the peace. According to the police report (and lacking follow-up reporting by local news outlets), McNeil was found around 11 p.m. naked and “covered in sawdust.” (2) Rob Moore, 32, was arrested for misdemeanor drug possession in Marathon, Florida, in February, but he had only come to police attention when an officer heard him banging on the trunk of his car from the inside. Without follow-up reporting, Moore’s story was that he was 54

MAY 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

looking for something in the trunk, fell in, and couldn’t get out. LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINALS u Perps Who Needed to Hit the Gym: (1) Anthony Nemeth, 26, seeking pain medication but lacking a prescription, leaped over the pharmacy counter of a Walgreens in Bradenton, Florida, in February and demanded a supply. Customer David West, 25, standing at the counter with his girlfriend, ended the “robbery” with four quick punches, sending Nemeth to the floor. (West is a competitive boxer and reportedly a former state champion). (2) Wheelchairuser Betty Jeffery, 76, was briefly the victim of a pursesnatching in Pitsea, England, in February. She appeared vulnerable, but in fact is a former national arm-wrestling champion and slugged the young female thief in the face, slowing her down and leading her to drop the purse as she fled. u Didn’t Think It Through: (1) Simon Chaplin, 62, thought he had cleverly evaded police near Hebron, England, recently (thus avoiding a speeding ticket) by employing a do-ityourself, James Bond-style smokescreen device on his Peugeot sedan, facilitating a smoggy getaway. Initially, baffled police officers were forced to hang back, but of course as the haze broke, they merely followed the smoke trail up ahead and caught Chaplin (who was convicted in Swansea Crown Court in February). (2) The man who tried to vandalize a cafe in the Richmond suburb of Melbourne, Australia, in February, got away, but surveillance video showed that, in dousing the outside of the building with fire accelerant, he had also doused his own shoes and was spotted running off with his feet on fire.

A NEWS OF THE WEIRD CLASSIC (AUGUST 2011) u Unclear on the Concept: A Singaporean army draftee caused a public stir in March (2011) when he was photographed by a visitor as he underwent physical training in army fatigues but with his maid following behind him carrying his backpack on her shoulders. (Army officials told reporters the draftee had since been “counsel(ed).”) HARDLY A “DO-NOTHING” CONGRESS u In March, U.S. Rep. Pete Sessions of Texas, chairman of the House Rules Committee, introduced a resolution to recognize “magic” as one of America’s “national treasure(s),” backed by a 711-word paean urging all to “support and protect” the storied craft—which needs to be “understood and promulgated,” especially given that, according to Sessions, it “requires only the capacity to dream.” Sessions made no link of magic to resolving other congressional business (such as, for instance, ending the string of 64 consecutive failed votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act). LEADING ECONOMIC INDICATORS u People With Too Much Money: Residents on London’s swankiest street (Kensington Palace Gardens), stymied in efforts to build upward on their relatively small lots, instead plan elaborate “basements”— extending as far as five stories down, with elevators, swimming pools, gyms, climbing walls, and one even with a “Ferris wheel” for dialing up the resident’s daily choice among his several cars. However, embassies are located on the street and have challenged the construction chaos as offending their sovereignty under international law. Recent restrictions limit

the basements to one story down, but billionaire entrepreneur Jon Hunt’s five stories are grandfathered in (though his “Ferris wheel” appears to have been shelved). NEW WORLD ORDER u Mystery fiction has always been a popular genre, but now, readers who prefer that their crimes be solved by cats have several series of brilliant felines to choose from. As The Wall Street Journal reported in February, the major controversy swirling at “cat fiction” conventions is whether the clever kitties should advance the plot by speaking. “We all talk to our pets,” noted one best- selling author, “and most of us imagine the other side of the dialogue.” (Among the sets boasting more than a million copies are the “Joe Greys,” the “Klepto Cats,” the “Cat Shout for Joy” suite, and the recently concluded, 29-volume run of “Cat Who” books, e.g., “The Cat Who Could Read Backwards.”) u A Perfect Storm of Vacuousness: In February, British marketing company Havas Helia tapped the “millennial” generation’s obsessions with craft beer and data-driven knowledge, announcing the development of 0101—a brew created, it said, by social media messages. The company, “finding” that the generation appeared “optimistic,” analyzed “thousands” of the generation’s messages against 24 human emotions, which it translated to 38 particular emotional states, which were fed into the IBM Watson computer, which selected 10 existing beers, whose recipes were then cribbed to create 0101 (a “cream ale” with honey and two specific kinds of hops, tasting of “optimism, love, imagination, and gentle overtones of excitement”).

iReadCULTURE.com MAY 2016