Culture Magazine Oregon May 2016 by Culture Magazine

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iReadCULTURE.com MAY 2016

contents 05.16 Vol 7 IssUE 11

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

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inside

contents 05.2016

12 28

features

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.

Viva La Cannabis Discover the roots of the word “marijuana” and how it ties into Mexican culture and history.

online Exclusive!

departments news

d Cannabis as Birth

10 News Nuggets 11 By the Numbers 12 Local News 13 Healthy Living

Highlight 16 Cool Stuff 18 Entertainment Reviews Unknown 41 Profile in Courage

42 Recipes

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in every issue

46 News of the Weird

reviews

14 Company

38 Growing Culture 40 Destination

Control? d Cannabis Chapel in

Las Vegas Offers CannaWeddings

Vol 7 IssUE 11

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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, 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 Designer Tanya Delgadillo, Regional Manager Justin Olson Account Executives Jon Bookatz, Eric Bulls, Kim Cook, Cole Garrison, Gene Gorelik, Emily Musser, Beau Odom, 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 Oregon. No articles, illustrations, photographs, or other matter within may be reproduced without written permission. Culture速 Magazine is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. Phone / Fax 888.694.2046 www.iReadCulture.com

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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.

Deschutes County Commission to Review Cannabis Regulations Although The Oregon Control Commission began accepting applications for recreational cannabis businesses in January, Deschutes County is just getting around to regulating the industry locally. According to The Bulletin, a “marijuana advisory committee” has been reviewing a series of laws set on regulating cannabis in unincorporated areas in the county since Deschutes County Commission decided to “opt-out” on commercial cannabis in December 2015. The Commission’s decision blocked future licensing for medical and recreational cannabis businesses, according to the Washington Times. However, the Commission was set to review the regulations compiled by the advisory committee to determine whether or not it would continue to opt-out on cannabis. The Commission’s review was set to take place on May 2, shortly after this issue went to press.

New Zealand Health Board Official 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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Oregon Allows Recreational Users to Purchase Extracts and Edibles Governor Kate Brown signed a bill in late March that will allow anyone age 21 and older to purchase cannabis extracts and edibles from Oregon dispensaries. According to The Oregonian, this comes as part of the dialogue in Senate Bill 1511, which allows dispensaries to sell taxfree cannabis to medical cannabis patients. Following this news, The Oregon Health Authority said that it needs to regulate how extractions and edibles will be sold before they are seen on dispensary shelves. Before this change in legislation, dispensaries were only allowed to sell a limited amount of flower to individuals 21 and older, and extracts and edibles were forbidden, according to The Oregonian. Although the cannabis market is in the hands of the Oregon Health Authority, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission is expected to take over by the end of this year.

NEWS

The estimated number of jobs that have been created by the arrival of the legal cannabis market in Oregon: (Source: The Oregonian)

2,100

The amount of money, in millions of dollars, that medical and recreational cannabis businesses made in Oregon in 2015: (Source: 24/7 Wall St.)

264.8

The estimated amount of money, in millions of dollars, that Oregon is expected to sell from its legal cannabis market by the end of 2016: (Source: Statesman Journal)

The amount of money, in millions of dollars, that will be made this year in legal cannabis job wages (Source: The in Oregon: Oregonian)

481

The amount of money, in millions of dollars, that Oregon collected in taxes from recreational cannabis sales in January 2016: (Source: The Washington Times)

3.5

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)

93.6

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

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! iReadCULTURE.com MAY 2016

NEWS

LOCAL

Consideration at the Federal Level

Government begins rethinking scheduling of cannabis with DEA and FDA help

by Heather Johnson here is currently a petition to the FDA in progress that calls the federal government to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substance Act’s Schedule I list, which holds the plant in the same category as hard drugs such as methamphetamine or heroin. Although medical cannabis, and now even recreational cannabis, is legal in Oregon, it still is not recognized as legal by the federal government. The Feds also don’t recognize it as officially serving a medical purpose. The Controlled Substances Act has very strict criteria for how to classify the drugs on its Schedule I list, and there are many people who think that after many recent studies, cannabis simply doesn’t meet that criteria. To be placed on the list in the first place, a drug not only has to have a high potential for abuse, but it also has to have no medical uses, and be considered unsafe. The fiction of these statements in reference to cannabis is now widely known. A few very recent studies have proved the effectiveness of treating seizures in children with cannabis oil. The people are basically calling the government out and saying, let’s rethink the way we think about cannabis. To get cannabis removed from the Schedule I list, there has to be a petition placed with the Drug Enforcement Administration. There have been many attempts to get cannabis removed from this list in the past. Since 1972, petitions to the DEA have been denied. This time, however, the DEA has requested the Food and Drug Administration to perform a study to see if the classification of cannabis really should be different. Supporters of the reclassification of cannabis

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claim that once the plant is no longer controlled by the federal government, federal spending that was once used to enforce cannabis laws and process offenders through the criminal justice system can be reallocated to more important things like education. They also argue that the U.S. government could make tons of revenue on the taxation and regulation of the cannabis industry. We already know this to be true in Oregon, where the state government collected nearly $3.5 million of tax revenue after only its first month of recreational sales. The reclassification of cannabis, and its removal from the Controlled Substance Act’s Schedule I list, could mean big changes for Oregonians. It would first of all make a huge difference in the way we think about cannabis locally, and nationally. The stigmas that surround cannabis that are already starting to melt away will soon be gone completely. Secondly, medical growers and dispensary owners will start to face less opposition when trying to operate and run their businesses. Not constantly looking over their shoulder for the Feds. Our state government would finally be in agreement with the federal government, and Oregonians will no longer be breaking federal law when they smoke or sell cannabis. This would create big changes in the eyes of the Oregon State police and court system, and the way they deal with cannabis users. The DEA has remained pretty silent about their upcoming decision, and their study with the FDA. It has been projected that they will be making a decision by mid-year. Hopefully the U.S. Government can finally recognize what Oregon and many other states already have about the medical benefits of cannabis. c

Medical Cannabis Bike Tour 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 20 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 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! 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. medicalcannabisbiketour.com.

NEWS

healthy living

Rejection of Cannabis to Treat Opioid/Heroin Epidemic Reprehensible 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 on what she described as “the growing and intertwined problems of prescription pain relievers and heroin abuse in this country.” She reported there are “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 took action with a $1.1 billion program to stem the prescription opioid abuse and heroin use epidemic. The severity of the epidemic is borne out by 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 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 medicationassisted treatment for

It is tragic that cannabis, the one drug with the most promise and least negative side effects, is not even being considered, even though research demonstrates that it is perhaps the best and most successful approach to stemming the opioid/ heroin epidemic. 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 the severity of opiate withdrawal during acute detoxification.”

“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.” opioid-use disorders has been a top priority for this administration.” 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 cardiac arrest.

Most significantly the study’s author recognized the effectiveness of real cannabis, noting “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 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.” Many other studies have come to the same conclusion including a study jointly conducted by the RAND Corporation and the University of California, Irvine which went as far to suggest that cannabis is a good substitute for opioid pain medication. That has got to be the understatement of the year as there are over 19,000 deaths every year in the U.S. from opioid overdoses and exactly zero from cannabis. Opiates are a gateway drug to heroin and many have reported that cannabis is effective in providing the same benefits to people coming off heroin as it does for opiates. President Obama should be commended for his new program to mitigate the opioid/heroin epidemic, but the omission of cannabis as part of “expanding access to medication-assisted treatment for opioid-use disorders” undermines the program’s success at the altar of political correctness. Obama’s prodigious use of cannabis during high school and college and who knows for how long afterward, gave him firsthand knowledge of cannabis’ effectiveness. c

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REVIEWs

company highlight

Forever Dank Farms www.foreverdank.com (503) 616-8061

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REVIEWs

How would you describe your company? What is your specialty? We would describe our company as a continued work in progress. We also feel our company is professional yet fun, pioneering and driven with a secret obsession for dedication to quality. Most importantly we celebrate and honor family, it’s about the future. Our specialty is our approach to business. We do have a solid foundation

with structure and regulation, compliance and transparency but above all that we are a company and there is no “I” in company. It takes a village and we have an exceptional hand-picked team. Another specialty is that we believe that family is the priority in life. This means our team supports each other and everyone is cross trained to help in every aspect making sure our end products are always premium quality. Every product is handled with care.

others don’t? Forever Dank Farms offers genetics that no one else has.

What do you offer consumers/clients that

With the changing landscape of MMJ and

How and why did your company start up? Forever Dank was given its name from David Nicolson’s infinite dedication and drive for growing high-end marijuana. He’s been a cannabis farmer for over two decades and is an award winner. Most recognizable is his Multnomah Coma first place win in 2014 at Oregon Medical Marijuana Cup.

recreational cannabis, what do you see as the biggest challenges to your progress as a company? Any advantages? The constant changes of rules and regulations from two separate regulatory bodies. In theory, their ideas may seem appropriate to many but inadequately translate as they are applied into practice. This sets up many for failure. A lot of the more extreme changes have been in direct conflict to what we, as an industry, developed and implemented on our own in a manner of self-regulation. Our biggest challenge, like most in this industry, is keeping up with all of these changes. Advantages can be found from our longevity and pioneering participation in the industry, our personal set back in 2012 and the ability to adapt and overcome with fierce tenacity, something most would see as unprecedented because in that moment most would have quit 10 times over. Advantages, yes we have advantages and we are so thankful. What are the goals and vision moving forward, for your company? Where do you see your company in five years? We see ourselves prosperous and

successful, doesn’t everyone? With a rapidly changing landscape in the cannabis industry we couldn’t even begin to imagine five years from today. We see ourselves perfecting our legacy of quality craft cannabis. Specifically exploring our research and development of cannabis use for autism. This is a personal mission of ours because we are touched by autism. Our eight-yearold son is a medical marijuana patient who has had extraordinary benefit from high CBD tinctures. With gained eye contact, focus, vocalization to name only a few benefits, we hope to develop a formula that we know is strain specific and isolated for those on the spectrum that will directly benefit their development and quality of life. What do you hope to accomplish in the MMJ industry? We aim at setting industry standards in this competitive market by crafting superior quality cannabis flower and products. We seek to promote a healthy community by establishing reliable relationships. We strive to educate the public about awareness of the benefits that marijuana can provide and are specifically committed to supporting all things for autism. c

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REVIEWs

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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: $479.00 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: $14.99 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: $28 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

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

BOOK

Forty Years Stoned: A Journalist’s Romance

Overwatch

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)

Corvallis THC Fair

MOVIE

Dev. Blizzard Entertainment Pub. Blizzard Entertainment

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: Corvallis THC Fair. WHEN/WHERE: Sat, May 14-Sun, May 15. Benton County Fairgrounds, 110 SW 53rd St., Corvallis. INFO: To purchase tickets, visit www.thcfair.com.

As the cannabis industry continues to grow, many new products and advancements are coming to surface, which makes being “in the know” hard to do. With a variety of panels and demonstrations by professionals in the cannabis industry, as well as a great selection of exhibitors, offering their best products for cannabis cultivation and use, The Hemp & Cannabis

MUSIC

GAME

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Fair (THC) is the place to go to get the latest updates on cannabis trends and regulations. Discover the latest methods in cultivation, medicinal benefits of cannabis and try out a variety of new products. Catch up on the latest in cannabis at one of the best cannabis fairs that Oregon has to offer. Online tickets are discounted so act fast and get yours while you can!

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Hot

and

F l u ff y 20

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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 22

“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

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

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. >> iReadCULTURE.com MAY 2016

“. . . 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

MAY 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

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

“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.”

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

iReadCULTURE.com iReadCULTURE.com MAY MAY2016 2016

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Shafted:

Moms Who Use Cannabis Need Our Help For Mother’s Day, CULTURE examines the sorry state 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

MAY 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

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.

iReadCULTURE.com MAY 2016

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

MAY 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

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

“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 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.

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

iReadCULTURE.com MAY 2016

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

MAY 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

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

www.gofundme.com/ajkephart iReadCULTURE.com MAY 2016

“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. >>

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

“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

iReadCULTURE.com MAY 2016

Shifting Majorities and Minorities Perceptions and acceptance of the cannabis plant have strong ties to the Latino/Hispanic populations by Alex Distefano

MAY 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

Pot, dope, weed, bud, herb, ganja, flower or Mary Jane; there are probably a few hundred more euphemisms for cannabis in the English language. Yet, within modern society’s lexicon, the most commonly referred word for the plant is marijuana, a term which brings with it many negative, illicit and even criminal connotations. Some might even argue that the term has a racist history. "Marijuana" has been what law enforcement, the legal system, mass media, public schools and the general public has come to know the cannabis plant as, for decades now. CULTURE decided to do a bit of digging to find out why, and explore the roots of this term. During 19th century “marijuana” was a nonexistent term, as it was known as cannabis, a plant that was used as a main ingredient in many medicines, oils, ointments, elixirs and syrups for pain, cough, insomnia, indigestion and more. However, after the upheaval of the Mexican Revolution which started in 1910, an influx of Mexican migrants crossing into U.S. territories to flee the war, introduced the custom of smoking dried cannabis recreationally, referring to the plant as “mariguana,” which later morphed into “marijuana.” Many American citizens felt threatened by this unfamiliar, foreign method of ingesting cannabis which led to the marginalization of immigrants and the creation of America’s first cannabis laws. The first bill criminalizing cultivation of cannabis plants was passed in 1913 in California, some 20 years before the hysteria of “Reefer Madness.” Between 1910 and 1930, when the Great Depression was under way, Americans were looking for scapegoats, and many Caucasian Americans held deeply racist and prejudice sentiments against nonCaucasian immigrants.With the hype and propaganda of the Reefer Madness film, many began to view cannabis as a drug that caused crime and violence, and particularly effected the lower class fringes of society, and even incited sexual perversion, violence and mental illness. By 1930, a full on firestorm against cannabis and all things hemp was burning strong. The Federal government had just created the Federal Bureau of Narcotics, led by Harry Anslinger, who waged a full on assault against the plant, using fear, hysteria and racism as his tools to motivate the public against cannabis. He is now

“The roots of ‘marijuana’ being used to describe the cannabis plant can be taken back to the 1840s through to the early 1900s, and the Mexican Revolution.”

considered to be the father of the modern day “war on weed” and the larger, “War on Drugs.” Anslinger was quoted as testifying in Congress in the 1930s, “Marijuana is the most violence-causing drug in the history of mankind . . . Most marijuana smokers are Negroes, Hispanics, Filipinos and entertainers. Their satanic music, jazz and swing, result from marijuana usage.” To many, the idea of racism used as a conspiracy against a plant, known as cannabis (and hemp), is outlandish, but to others it fits into the pieces of the puzzle and makes sense as to why and how this nation switched from embracing the medicinal properties of cannabis to outright banning it for all uses, making cultivation and possession a federal crime. Fast forward to today. Here we are in 2016, and 23 states in the U.S. have sanctioned and decriminalized medicinal cannabis possession and use. Out of those 23, four (Colorado, Oregon, Alaska, Washington) and the District of Columbia, have made it legal for recreational purposes for adults. As the racial and ethnic culture lines and divisions that make up this melting pot of a nation grow larger in this country, the status quo of White Anglo-Saxon Protestants (WASPs) being the major population in the future are slim to none. The data already projects that more of today’s minorities, including African-American, Asian-American and Hispanic Americans will also show rises in their population causing a major shift in the demographics. As many can see, the 2016 Presidential candidates have all tried to pander to the Latino vote, as they see the influx of many new Latino/ Hispanic American voters eager to cast a ballot in November. But, how does the Latino/Hispanic community weigh-in on cannabis and the laws regarding prohibition and decriminalization of the plant? To date, many prominent artists, musicians, celebrities and even politicians have all come out in public support of cannabis and a reformation of the current drug laws and the failed war on drugs, and the prosecution and imprisonment of nonviolent offenders. The list of prominent members of the Hispanic/ Latino community who have come out in public support of cannabis legalization for medicinal and recreational use include celebrities like George Lopez, Carlos Santana, Cheech Marin and Tommy Chong, Cypress Hill, Juanes and even former Mexican President Vicente Fox, who came out as an unspoken critic of cannabis prohibition in the U.S. and Mexico. It is certain that this is a future trend that will increase in its size, as more and more prominent Latinos in sports, entertainment, media and even politics will come out in support of decriminalization and ending cannabis prohibition. c

Sources: Al Jazeera America | CNN | Latina Magazine | Governing Magazine

iReadCULTURE.com MAY 2016

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.

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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

culture

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

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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

culture RECIPES

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Garth Wilson

Age: 55

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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 42

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*

culture

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.

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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

culture

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 creamy canna-

¼ cup cold water

butter, melted and cooled

1 cup all-purpose flour 1 tablespoon sugar Approximate THC per Serving*

2 eggs, lightly beaten

10%: 7.6 milligrams 15%: 11.4 milligrams 20%: 15.2 milligrams

For the cheese filling: 1 cup ricotta cheese

¼ cup crushed

½ cup mascarpone

pineapple, drained

cheese

1 egg

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

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

3 tablespoons

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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

iReadCULTURE.com MAY 2016

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 dominantsubmissive lifestyle soared to higher-brow 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.

and paraphernalia 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).

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).

u The online-pornography colossus Pornhub’s charity fundraising promotion during February benefited the Moclips Cetological Society (“Save the Whales”) in honor of World Whale Day on Feb. 13. Its news release celebrated whales’ sexuality—that they, like humans, do not limit their horniness to procreation. The company said it would, from Feb. 8 to Feb. 29, donate a penny for every 2,000 videos played on its ubiquitous free websites. (That offer might appear modest, but a Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporter noted, over the first two days, the world’s porn consumers had played 532 million videos— earning the charity $2,660).

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 46

MAY 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

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!).

iReadCULTURE.com MAY 2016