Culture Magazine Oregon November 2015

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CULTURE // November 2015

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NOVEMBER 2015

Contents 12

42

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AND FREE 24 FEARLESS A MAN OF MANY TALENTS

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Jesse Ventura spills about his fruitful career as an actor, wrestler, governor and his strong passion for cannabis legalization.

Features

ON THE COVER: Photo by Lauren B. Falk

30 . INDUSTRY INSIDER Master Bong is an entertaining professional when it comes to creating DIY cannabis devices out of everyday items.

6 . Letter from the Editor

NEWS

8 . News Nuggets 11 . By the Numbers 12 . Oregon makes $11 Million in Recreational Sales

32 . Harvesting How-To Learn the basic steps for your perfect personal harvest.

34 . INCREASING AWARENESS The next step for cannabis is establishing a base for “organic” herb.

Departments

40 . Growing Culture 42 . Destination Unknown 43 . Profiles in Courage 44 . Recipes 46 . News of the Weird

reviews

14 . Dispensary highlight 16 . Company highlight 18 . STRAIN & concentrate ReviewS 20 . Cool Stuff

36 . IT’S HARVEST TIME Cannabis use in Pagan rituals has a fascinating history that goes back centuries.

38 . Holiday Gift Guide The best gift ideas for your favorite cannasseur!

Portland Wants to Establish a 'Green Light District' for Cannabis

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Canada's Newly Elected Prime Minister is ProRecreational Cannabis

22 . Entertainment Reviews

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CULTURE // November 2015

WEB Exclusive!

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Vol 7 IssUE 5

/freeculturemag

/ireadculture

/ireadculture

letter from the editor

Publisher Jeremy Zachary Editor-In-Chief Evan Senn associate Editor Ashley Bennett Editorial coordinator Victoria Banegas Editorial Contributors Sheryll Alexander, Marguerite Arnold, Jake Browne, Jasen T. Davis, Alex Distefano, David Downs, Natasha Guimond, Addison Herron-Wheeler, Anthony Herrold, Pamela Jayne, Heather Johnson, Joe Jatcko, David Jenison, Kevin Longrie, Emily Manke, Tyler Markwart, Meital Manzuri, Sandy Moriarty, Madison Ortiz, Denise Pollicella, Paul Rogers, Joy Shannon, Lanny Swerdlow, Simon Weedn, Zara Zhi

Give Thanks “We must find time to stop and thank the people who make a difference in our lives.”

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-John F. Kennedy

ovember is a tumultuous month for nature, for politics, for your emotions, your busy schedule, and even your finances. The weather is changing, throwing your health and body clock into upheaval; you’re preparing for Thanksgiving and Black Friday, juggling family members, cooking, party planning and trying to save some money, all while trying to remain humble and gracious. With Veteran’s Day and Election Day this month, you’re worried about your future, your past and what’s best for your family, your community and the country.

In this season of change, we watch the leaves change color, and we watch the politicians fight for our votes as we start to envision hope in our national future. We can see glimmering hints shining through the issues, arguments and strides toward a better tomorrow, taken one step at a time. Bernie Sanders and Hillary Clinton both spoke up in favor of medical cannabis access at the Democratic Debate, and Sanders even came out in support for further cannabis legalization and criminal justice reform.

Furthermore, many states are revisiting their older medical cannabis regulations, and some states—like Ohio and Maine—may be the next on the legal recreational cannabis train.

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Hemp and CBD are becoming legal and more accessible in the South, and many different states are enjoying the fruits of their very first legal hemp harvest.

Even in the chaos of all the events taking place this month, we are given opportunities to be thankful in these busy events and bask in our freedoms, our ever-evolving community and the hope of nationwide legal access to cannabis in the near future. Election Day is a reminder of how hard we all fought for equal rights and the democracy of this great nation, and the inevitability of cannabis legalization; Veteran’s Day is a reminder of our rights in this country, and all our loved ones who sacrificed their lives so that we may continue to have those freedoms; Thanksgiving Day, of course, is a reminder to celebrate community, and give your time, energy and love to people without expecting anything in return, and to be thankful for the lives we lead. Even Black Friday can serve as a reminder to be thankful for the invention of capitalism and competition in this country (and amazing sales).

As surprising as it may seem sometimes, November is all about giving thanks, observing the change all around us, and looking ahead into the future. Try to remember to stop every once in a while during your hectic schedule and be thankful. c Sincerely,

Evan A. Senn

Editor-In-Chief

Photographers Steve Baker, Kristopher Christensen, John Gilhooley, Joel Meaders, Duncan Rolfson Art Director Steven Myrdahl Graphic Designers Tanya Delgadillo, Tommy LaFleur Account Executives Greg Andes,Callie Belo, Jon Bookatz, Eric Bulls, Kim Cook, Ryan Dunn, Cole Garrison, Gene Gorelik, Yolanda Imoberstag, Emily Musser, Beau Odom, Justin Olson, Jim Saunders, Paulina Porter-Tapia, Chris Thatcher, April Tygart Office Manager Iris Norsworthy Office Assistant Angelina Thompson digital media Editor Kimberly Johnson Ctv Video Editor Deonica Panlilio Ctv Contributors Anna Logan,Chris Salazar Distribution Manager Cruz Bobadilla Culture® Magazine is published every month and distributes 20,000 papers at over 400 locations throughout Oregon. No articles, illustrations, photographs, or other matter within may be reproduced without written permission. Culture® Magazine is a registered trademark. All rights reserved.

Phone 888.694.2046 Fax 888.694.2046 www.iREADCULTURE.com

CULTURE® Magazine is printed using post-recycled paper.

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C STATE _______________________

NEWS NUGGETS

Oregon Seeks Individuals for Cannabis Research Task Force

The Oregon Health Authority’s Public Health Division is looking for individuals, appointed by the governor, to fulfill 10 positions on a task force created with the intent of researching the medical and public health properties of cannabis. This comes with the passing of Senate Bill 844, which requires the state of Oregon to appoint a task force that will meet about eight times for roughly three hours each session in order to report findings on cannabis to the Legislature

by February 1, 2016, according to The Oregonian. A few of the listed positions include a substance abuse treatment specialist, a cancer expert and one person with agricultural research expertise. Research on cannabis has been hard in the past due to its classification as a Schedule I controlled substance, but the research conducted by the Cannabis Research Task Force will help state officials determine a grow site for the state as well as figure out ways to fund further research of medical cannabis.

First Union contract for Cannabis Workers in Oregon

The labor union known as the United Food and Commercial Workers 555 (UFCW) is negotiating terms to represent cannabis workers in Oregon by giving them decent living wages and benefits such as health coverage and paid holidays. The first Oregonbased dispensary whose employees sign an agreement with UFCW is Stoney Brothers, which now offers wages of $15 an hour for cashiers, $20 an hour for trimmers and $35 an hour for master cannabis cultivators, according to The Oregonian. UFCW’s example has lead more than 50 cannabis businesses in Oregon to express interest in working with the UFCW, according to Statesman Journal.

While the Federal government does not have laws intact for cannabis workers, UCFW Local 555 President, Dan Clay, believes the company’s services are essential, “Federal law doesn’t protect those workers like it would regular workers in a retail store or a plant

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because the feds don’t recognize cannabis as legal. They’re not enforcing things like minimum wage or any hours laws, or even in many cases, workers’ compensation laws.”

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NATION South Dakota Tribe to Open World’s First Cannabis Resort A small Native American tribe in Flandreau, South Dakota, known as the Santee Sioux, has already begun making plans to open the world’s first cannabis resort on its land. Due to high competition and the residual effects of the recession affecting the Santee Sioux’s casino business, the tribe was searching for new ways to increase customer traffic, according to the New York Post. As a result, the leaders of the tribe have decided to grow their own cannabis and sell it in a smoking lounge that will feature bar and food service, arcade games and eventually expand to offering slot machines and an outside music venue as well. The tribe estimates that this venture will bring in $2 million a month, which will add to income generated from casino revenue. The resort is expected to begin business in January of 2016, with the first sale expected to take place on New Year’s Eve.

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World Cannabis Cultivation Legalized in Victoria, Australia

Victoria has become the first Australian state to legalize the cultivation of medical cannabis for patients suffering from conditions such as cancer, HIV/Aids, epilepsy and chronic pain. This came after the Victoria Law Commission’s Report on Medicinal Cannabis was approved by Parliament. The report includes 42 recommendations on how to safely cultivate, manufacture and transport cannabis within Victoria, as well as patient eligibility and the need for ongoing research, according to Premier of Victoria. While the government only fully accepted 40 of the recommendations, the other two were accepted in principal, which will allow medical cannabis to be conveniently accessible for patients in need. Eligible patients will be granted access to cannabis products such as oils, tinctures and vaporizable liquids but will not be able to legally ingest cannabis in smokable form. Medical cannabis is expected to be fully legal in Victoria by 2017 with children suffering from severe epilepsy given priority access. c VISIT US AT

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C 60

+

by the numb3rs

600

The estimated number of people who listened to California Supreme Court Judge Jim Gray’s keynote speech at the Oregon Medical Marijuana Business Conference: 600 (Source: Portland Tribune)

450 The amount of money it cost to obtain cannabis for certified veterans who attended the Grow For Vets event in Portland: 0 (Source: KATU.com)

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The number of people, in millions, who use cannabis around the world, according to the United Nations: 158.8 (Source: The Telegraph)

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The estimated amount of money, in dollars, that taxpayers in Oregon pay for every cannabis plant that the DEA destroys: 60 (Source: The Washington Post)

The projected amount of money, in millions of dollars, which Measure 91 has promised to bring to the OR cannabis market by 2020: 450 (Source: Market Watch)

The amount of money, in millions of dollars, that the city of Portland is expected to make from cannabis revenue and associated license fees in 2016: 1.01 (Source: The Oregonian)

1.01

The amount of money, in millions of dollars, that is being used to help the cannabis legalization campaign in Ohio: 20 (Source: Tribune-Review)

158.8

The estimated amount of money, in millions of dollars, that Arizona would make annually through taxes if recreational cannabis was legalized: 60 (Source: The Huffington Post)

Portland NORML Membership Meeting The most important part of working to ban cannabis prohibition forever is the aid and support of advocates everywhere. From attending the largest of rallies and protests to the smallest of meetings, every participant has helped propel cannabis to where it is today.

Attending a NORML meeting is one such form of support. Meetings vary in content, for example, a meeting in August featured a unique speaker, Joy Beckerman Maher, who discussed the process of building hempcrete and all of its benefits. Other meetings have discussed local politics, events, news and much more.

IF YOU GO

What: Portland NORML Membership Meeting.

When/Where: Sat, Nov. 28. 12pm-2pm. SPIN Banquet Hall, 1125 SE Madison, Portland.

Info: Visit www. portlandnorml.org for details about membership.

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Oregon’s Recreational Rake-In First Week of Recreational Sales Tops $11 Million

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by Heather Johnson

When Oregonians first legalized cannabis in November of 2014, everyone wondered what the Oregon recreational market would look like. Last week, when the doors to cannabis stores were finally opened to recreational users for the first time, we all got our answer: The Oregon recreational market is booming! According to the Retailers of Cannabis Association, there were over $11 million dollars in sales the first seven days. Some dispensaries opened up just after midnight on October 1, 2015, just for the recreational inauguration. Most shops would only get dozens of medical patients each day, and now their numbers are soaring into the hundreds as they serve both medical and recreational users. The budtenders at many dispensaries have also noticed a huge swing in the different customer demographics. There are people who have never smoked before who just want to come and check things out, and then there are older customers who haven’t smoked for 10 or 20 years who want to rekindle the flame now that things are legal. Many of the shops even have a special window or counter for recreational clientele, so medical patients don’t have to wait in long lines to get what they need.

Since many dispensaries are now catering to both recreational and medical markets, many medical cardholders have been inconvenienced. Since July, Oregonians have been permitted to smoke at home and carry small amounts of cannabis. But now, anybody 21 and over can walk into any number of shops and purchase herb over the counter. The prices of bud have shot through the roof, and getting an inexpensive ounce of cannabis has become extremely difficult. After the first week of recreational sales, many

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stores and dispensaries were down to crumbs of flower, and didn’t realize how ill prepared they were to supply for the overwhelming demand.

Luckily, growers have yet to be regulated, so they can continue to feed the market and keep customers happy.

Soon, people will be able to buy more than a quarter ounce, and hopefully by next year, they will also be able to purchase concentrates and medibles. Despite all the cash surrounding Portland these past weeks, (shops can still only sell with cash transactions and many have ATMs inside), crime has not increased.

The recreational cannabis sales in Oregon from October 1-7 more than doubled those of Colorado after they started selling recreationally, and more than quadrupled the sales of Washington’s first week. The first day in Oregon alone brought in around $3.5 million.

Most of the big numbers of the early sales in Oregon can be attributed to the already existing medical cannabis infrastructure in the Beaver State. Over 250 Oregon dispensaries have announced their plans to sell to recreational clientele. On Colorado’s first day of sales, 24 stores were in existence.

Washington had four. Because of the medical cannabis market, and the already booming black market in Oregon, there was already a big supply of green flowing around the state. Many large companies have invested in big indoor warehouse grow operations, pumping up production.

Since Oregon growers aren’t facing any restrictions yet, they can feed into that flow as much as possible—for now.

All those green sales were estimated by the state to bring in 25 percent of

the new tax revenue for Oregon this year, but it looks like that percentage might actually be much higher. There was an estimated $9 million dollars in tax revenue that recreational sales were expected to bring in for the first year, and now it’s projected to be almost three to four times that much. In January, cannabis taxes will take effect and change the game. All that new tax revenue is already intended to fund schools and mental health programs, the state police and a big portion will go to the cities and counties allowing recreational sales.

Even though the herb is legal now, and you can even buy it at a legitimate store, there are still some things to be careful about. It is still illegal to use in public, drive under the influence and carry over state lines. Many companies still do not permit their employees to smoke cannabis, so it is important to know the policies for where you work.

There is a lot of existing confusion about what you can and can’t buy, but just remember: Anyone 21 years and older can grow four plants, carry one ounce and have eight ounces at home. c VISIT US AT

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Dispensary HIGHLIGHT

Alberta Green House Interviewed: Ramin Ojani

1313 NE Alberta St. Portland, 97211

www.albertagreenhouse.com How and when did your dispensary start up?

I’ve owned this building for over 11 years now, it was built in 1904. At one point in 2013, the city inspector came in and found 29 violations of code.

We then let the existing renters go, and they took off. This was right around the time the OMMP began to issue licenses. Secure in that knowledge, along with my passion for marijuana, we decided to put everything me and my partner had into renovating the house. Plumbing, etc.–it was all gutted and replaced.

Then, when the OMMP license applications were open, we had ours in within a few minutes, along with our $4,000 and we have been a medical dispensary ever since. It was the best move we could’ve made. I believe in this plant. It’s really the best thing we’ve ever done.

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What’s the story behind the name of your dispensary?

We are on Alberta Street, the Green House thing comes from the color scheme behind the dispensary, as well as the plant.

Alberta Green House was also something that if, we decided to open a bank account for example, they wouldn’t immediately identify us as a dispensary and potentially deny us services.

What does your dispensary offer patients that they can’t find anywhere else?

I would say we have a very compassionate approach to patients and a very knowledgeable staff. We have also cultivated strong relationships with vendors and growers who bring us their finest flowers before anyone else. I’m very proud of the flowers we have on the shelf

here, and they help us build great relationships with our patients as well as our rec customers.

How has the cannabis industry changed since you have been in the business?

Where would you like to see it go?

It’s been a rollercoaster. We have been through a lot of changes since day one, and now with recreational . . . it’s been rule changes ever 30 to 60 days. It’s a lot better right now, letting us offer the recreational customers safe, tested flower. It’s changed a lot. But whatever the requirements, we will remain compliant. We can’t afford to take any shortcuts in this industry.

If someone wanted to open a dispensary and get their feet wet in the industry, what advice or counsel would you give them?

You have to treat this a little different than any other kind of business you might open. This is not just about maximizing your profits right

away. It’s just as much about helping your patients get what they need. Take care of them properly, and they will come back. That also means knowing where your products are coming from. It’s important to know what you’re buying for your patients. If you offer them sub-par product, they’re going to know, and they won’t come back. There are a lot of options in this city, we have more dispensaries than Starbucks in the area. It’s definitely a joyous job though.

I love doing this.

What is the most important thing you hope to accomplish while in the MJ/ MMJ community?

To do away with this “reefer madness” cliché we’ve lived with for so long, and show people what this plant can really do and learn more about it. I hope that with shops like ours, people will see that we are really benefitting people on the medical side, not just about getting people high. I really just want people to know they will be taken care of here. c VISIT US AT

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Company HIGHLIGHT

The Insurance Coach, LLC interviewed: Jennifer allain (owner)

11501 SW Pacific Highway, Suite 201, Portland, 97223

www.insurancecoachllc.com (503) 307-4811 How would you describe your company? What is your specialty?

I am an independent health insurance agent.

I call my business The Insurance Coach, LLC because my clients know they need health insurance—they just need my expertise in navigating the system in order to connect with the benefits they’re looking for. I don’t sell anything; I just help folks understand what they’re paying for. Plus, using me doesn’t cost anything extra. That’s true for both Health Insurance and Medicare.

What do you offer clients that others don’t?

I’m not your typical Health Insurance Agent— literally or physically. I don’t own a briefcase, I don’t want to sit at your kitchen table until 7pm, and honestly, I’m terrible at math.

What I do is educate and explain. I’m more of a translator than anything else, really.

My business is solely geared around finding the right health insurance policy for the client—not the other way around. I’m not employed by any other company, I am my own company. That means I have a working knowledge about all the plans out there.

It’s my job to assist the client in finding the right plan, not selling XYZ Company’s plan to the client.

How and why did your company start up?

When we first moved here in 2010, I was looking for work as a Private Investigator, because that’s what I did while I went to college in South Florida. I was marketing myself to insurance companies, and that’s when I met some folks in the industry. Once I learned enough to develop my own vision, I stepped out and created The Insurance Coach, LLC.

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With the changing landscape of MMJ and recreational cannabis, what do you see as the biggest challenges to your progress as a company? Any advantages?

I’m hoping it’ll encourage communication between patients and their Primary Care Physicians. I have several clients whose PCPs know about their cannabis use, and it seems that more and more Doctors are open to treatments that may not be strictly allopathic. I think this is a great time and a great platform to talk about health insurance and to educate people about what they might qualify for.

The advantages of legalized marijuana are too many to mention. Times are changing—we now live in a world where you can walk four blocks and legally purchase marijuana, and your Playboy Magazine is free of nude pictures. It’s very new, and I’m excited to be a part of it all.

new legislation to consider. I suppose it won’t always be like that, and when that happens I’ll be looking for the next generation of Insurance Coach, maybe another Veteran like me who came home “overqualified” for some jobs and “underqualified” for others.

What are the goals and vision moving forward, for your company? Where do you see your company in five years?

The reason I love this industry is that there’s always something new going on, some new study to read or some

What do you hope to accomplish in the MMJ industry?

I want to be the community’s health insurance agent. I want to be at the events with a table signing folks up for health insurance. I want to get phone calls and have folks come to my office with papers full of questions. Insurance isn’t just about healing the sick; it’s about prevention and education, too. They say it takes a village—I want to be the village’s health insurance agent.

What words of advice would you offer anyone seeking to enter the world of cannabis business? More specifically . . . what is unique to this type of work/this industry, in your opinion?

Do you know what I would do if I weren’t an insurance agent? I’d just sit back and watch all the canna industry in Oregon and Colorado for about 18 months. I’d keep tabs on successes and failures. Then I’d wait for other states to legalize and I’d go there to share the business lessons learned so far. That sounds fun.

Any news you’d like to share?

Yes! Open Enrollment begins November 1 and ends on January 29. In order for a new plan to begin on January 1, 2016, enrollment must be done by December 15.

Call me to set up an appointment at (503) 307-4811. c VISIT US AT

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STRAIN + concentrate Charlotte’s Web

Available AT: Chalice Farms in Dundee.

This amazing strain was created to help treat a little girl who had uncontrollable seizures. Ever since then, people around the world have found solace in this strain for its medicinal benefits. It isn’t known for making people feel loopy or your typical euphoric effect, but it will make you very relaxed.

People have sought out Charlotte’s Web for treating a myriad of symptoms, from seizures to pain and stress, to inflammation. Because of its medical potency, this strain is perfect for serious patients who need relief on a day-to-day basis and don’t want to interrupt their routine too much. After smoking, you may also feel hyper focused, which is another major benefit to the strain, along with its sweet sage flavor.

Charlotte’s Web can be found at Chalice Farms’ new shop in the town of Dundee.

Blackberry Premium Dewaxed Concentrate Available AT: Green Gratitude in Southeast Portland.

This amazing concentrate is made by CannaRefinery and can be purchased at Green Gratitude on Holgate Boulevard in Southeast Portland. With 84.6 percent total THC content, anyone up for a dab is also up for a party. With .35 percent CBD, this concentrate is a hit for patients and party-goers alike, and can also treat some medical symptoms. When dabbed, it brings a great head and body effect with striking mental clarity. You will experience the classic euphoria of a strong concentrate but you will feel productive and motivated instead of drowsy. The concentrate itself is a hard-hitter, and is very sweet with a hone-like taste. Great for treating depression, ADD and social anxiety.

GET YOUR CLICK HERE

Available AT: The Local Herb Collective in Portland.

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Dawg Walker

This unusually chipper indica has a musty pine scent and can be found at the Local Herb Collective in Portland. It brings a strong head effect at first, with a very tingly tongue, and then slowly creeps down your body as it begins to rush through your veins. The bud is very dark-green with fine golden-yellow hairs, and tastes strongly of earthy pine, with a hint of black pepper. When ground up, the herb is fine and soft, and if you look closely you can see dewdrop crystals throughout. The strain was tested by MRX Labs and has 29.8 percent THC and .15 percent CBD.

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Available AT: Kaleafa Cannabis in Portland.

Chem Cookies

Found at Kaleafa Cannabis in Portland, this strain is a great pain reliever. MRX Labs tested it and found it to have 1.01 percent CBD, along with 25.22 percent THC. The flavor when smoked is very metallic, with strong hints of citrus. After a long inhale, you will experience an overwhelming rush, and any pain in your body will simply melt away. There is also a sort of a pulsing in your head you may experience at first, but this just adds to the euphoric experience. This is a good mild strain that would be perfect for rolling joints. You won’t feel very silly or giggly, which also makes this a great strain for everyday use. Good for treating chronic pain and muscle issues.

Available AT: Stumptown Cannabis in Portland.

Omega

If you are looking for giant buds, look no further than Stumptown Cannabis in Portland. Their Omega strain has buds so big, we can’t even imagine what the plant must look like!

With a skunky flavor and a dried fruit aftertaste, this strain will eventually make you very sleepy. At first, you will have an energizing body experience, which eventually turns into an intense mental relaxation. The grind of the nug is extremely fine, making a little go a long way. This would be a great strain for treating insomnia or nervous anxiety. This is a very relaxing smoke for those who like to medicate before bed or settle in for a long movie marathon. It’s also a great strain for getting the munchies, so make sure to have a lot of snacks on hand.

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cool stuff Small FlowerHouse PlantHouse™

The FlowerHouse PlantHouse™ creates a convenient and effective way to nurture and protect your tender plants against damaging environments. For the green thumb in your life, this little PlantHouse™ will improve and aid in the growth and life of any plants! UV-resistant, waterproof Gro-Tec™ material features rip stop protection as well. Compact and lightweight, the PlantHouse™ allows for optimum ventilation, while also protecting your plants from pests.

Brinno GardenWatch TimeLapse Camera

PRICE: $159.99 MORE INFORMATION: www.brinno.com

PRICE: $28-$350 MORE INFORMATION: www.flowerhouses.com

Now, you can geek out with your own garden! A time lapse camera that will allow you to literally watch your garden grow.

The Brinno GardenWatchCam is a weather-resistant, time lapse camera that will help you easily capture cool video of activities that regular snapshot photography takes forever to do. Imagine capturing a flower blooming, a house being constructed or your little sproutlings growing up right before your very eyes.

PRICE: $349.99 MORE INFORMATION: www.mytrimmer.com

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mega CVault

PRICE: $93.95 MORE INFORMATION: www.theCvault.com

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The ultimate storage solution container for your herb, the mega CVault is made from food grade stainless steel and is airtight and impenetrable by light when secured. This bad boy is durable, super lightweight and commercial quality. This really is the only container you need for curing and storing your green. Each mega CVault comes with Boveda too.

Never mold again!

The Magic™ Trimmer

Enough with the high-price, barely effective trimmers of the world. The Magic™ Trimmer is the only trimmer that the professionals trust, and the only one you’ll ever need. The detailed patent-pending design safely removes the trimmings from your plants in a fast and effective way, and its hand held power trimming is precise to your movement, so you can truly control the trim. Seriously, The Magic™ Trimmer stands out against all other trimming machines—it’s affordable, it’s small and handy, cuts all kinds of plants safely and gets the job done fast and right, the first time.

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entertainment Release Date: November 10 Available on: PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One

Fallout 4 Dev. Bethesda Game Studios Pub. Bethesda Softworks

The Cannabis Manifesto: A New Paradigm for Wellness Steve DeAngelo North Atlantic Books

It’s been many years since the last release of a Fallout game, but the arrival of Fallout 4 has prove to be the most massive title in the franchise yet. Players will venture forth into a post-apocalyptic earth 200 years after war has subsided, complete with radioactive damage that has ravaged the world. Explore the open world setting of Boston to complete quests, collect and make all sorts of weapons, and travel the grief-stricken landscape with your lovable canine companion, Dogmeat!

American Tragic Wax Idols Collect Records

The world of independent music is filled with a variety of striking, outspoken, intellectual figures, but few are as outstanding, strong and deep as Hether Fortune, the mind behind West Coast post-punk group, Wax Idols. Taking only a two-year break between albums, Wax Idols return with possibly it’s most beautiful, focused and well-produced album to date, American Tragic. American Tragic is a brilliant step forward for a band which continues to push the post-punk genre well past its traditional boundaries. (Simon Weedn)

Jurassic World Universal Pictures Dir. Colin Trevorrow

Helmed by newcomer director/ writer, Colin Trevorrow (Safety Not Guaranteed), and led by rising superstar actor, Chris Pratt (Parks and Recreation, Guardians of The Galaxy), Jurassic World rewards longtime Jurassic Park devotees in a major way. Not only does the film take viewers into some strange future, where the world has become so jaded and unimpressed with dinosaur cloning that scientists begin to genetically modify dinosaurs into super-saurs, Jurassic World delivers everything you could hope for in a mega blockbuster, and is by far one of the best monster romps in years. (Simon Weedn)

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The Cannabis Manifesto: A New Paradigm for Wellness is Steve Angelo’s masterpiece and call to action. The Cannabis Manifesto has reached number one for the categories of Government Social Policy, Politics & Social Sciences and Medicine & Herbal Remedies on Amazon. Steve DeAngelo has co-founded some of the largest companies in cannabisHarborside Health, Steep Hill Lab and The ArcView Group.

DeAngelo produces a radical treatise, arguing that there is no such thing as recreational cannabis use. He encourages using cannabis for wellness and the responsibility of cannabis smokers. (Benjamin Adams)

+ Cannafest Prague Going on its sixth year now, the International Trade Fair of Cannabis and Medicinal Herb, or Cannafest, will be especially exciting this year as CULTURE will be one of many exhibitors expected to participate in this year’s celebration. Alongside CULTURE, hundreds of international exhibitors will be featured at this year’s event, offering up an array of cannabis products and resources. Visitors are encouraged to attend various conferences, film showings and live performances, with the option of taking a break and getting a relaxing hemp message or hanging out in the fest’s “Chillout Zone.”

For those who can’t get enough of Cannafest, two after parties are taking place during the run of the festival, giving visitors the chance to mingle with cannabis enthusiasts alike. Bigger and better than ever, don’t miss out on this year’s Cannafest, aiding in the growth of the cannabis industry, culture and awareness. (Victoria Banegas)

IF YOU GO

What: Cannafest Prague hemp and cannabis fair.

When/Where: Fri, Nov. 6-Sun, Nov. 8. Prague Exhibition Grounds, Výstaviště 67, 170 90 Praha 7, Czech Republic.

Info: Visit www.cannafest. com for details.

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November 2015 // CULTURE

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by R. Scott Rappold Before there was Trump, “the Donald,” tough-talking celebrity-turnedpolitician, shaking the political establishment to its core, there was Jesse “The Body” Ventura.

A Vietnam veteran, actor and former professional wrestler, Ventura was elected Governor of Minnesota in 1998, the most successful candidate of Ross Perot’s Reform Party before or since. The man who fought an alien alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger in Predator and preferred the bad guys in his heated color commentary on WrestleMania proved just as feisty as governor, battling both major parties for four years before stepping aside.

But he was only getting started. Not one to fade into the sunset, he has attacked the partisanship of American politics and exposed government lies and cover-ups in half a dozen bestselling books and several internet shows. He is a staunch advocate of cannabis reform and though he’s been out of office for 12 years, he remains a force in American politics, waiting on the outside for a time when America might again be fed up with the two-party system.

And 2016 just might be that time.

CULTURE recently caught up with the 64-year-old Ventura by phone from his half-year home in Minnesota. He talked at length about his storied political career, his love of cannabis and how he could be the game-changer in next year’s election. >>

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Photos by Lauren B. Falk

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“How can the government t e l l yo u w h at o r w h at n ot to use, as far a s w h at yo u want to ingest i n y o u r b o d y, a s l o n g a s yo u don’t harm a n yo n e e l s e ? ”

Could you tell us a little bit about your new book?

It’s a rehash of an old one, American Conspiracies, but we’ve added about four more chapters. That’s one good thing in general about the government.

If you wait four or five years, you can do four or five more chapters on them because they’re good for about one a year. It seems to be that way.

You spend a good part of your time in Mexico?

I spend probably half the year or more there.

I bet you’re a not big fan of (Mexican-bashing presidential candidate) Donald Trump.

I’ve actually known Donald for 25 years now, and I do respect Donald.

I don’t agree with him on everything, especially on the immigration policy, but that’s just one issue. I love what he’s doing, the fact that he’s fracturing the Republican Party, and I love what Bernie Sanders is doing to the Democrats. As you know, I’m fiercely independent and I’ve written a book called Democrips and Rebloodicans, where I’ve equated them to being the same as the L.A. street gangs. In fact, I apologized to L.A. street gangs for using their names that way.

On certain issues, Democrats are maybe a little bit closer to you.

They’re coming around on cannabis legalization and some other issues.

Do you identify with them at all?

I’m fiscally conservative and I’m socially liberal. That puts me on the conservative side of lesser government because I feel we have far too much government overseeing us. I’m closer to being Libertarian . . . I’m absolutely a believer in ending the war on drugs, which is also a Libertarian viewpoint.

The war has been a miserable failure and always will be. In what’s supposed to be a free country, it comes down to this: How can the government tell you what or what not to use, as far as what you want to ingest in your body, as long as you don’t harm anyone else?

Did you ever partake in cannabis as a young man?

Of course. I grew up in the ‘60s. Anyone that would tell you they didn’t and they grew up in the ‘60s is either lying or they didn’t grow up in the ‘60s . . . I remember one time a friend of mine who sold me an ounce had to apologize six times

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because it cost $12 instead of $10. The standard thing in those days was $10 a lid, and a lid was an ounce of pot. Can you imagine? Ten bucks. The first time I tried it I said, “This is way better than drinking. They’re not even comparable.”

And I drank way before I touched pot.

Were you a hippie?

No. Not a bit. I enlisted right after high school in the United States Navy and became a frogman and a Vietnam veteran . . . The culture went beyond the hippies. The whole generation wound up (smoking pot.)

After you left the military, did you ever partake, like when you were in the wrestling world?

Absolutely. I wrestled in Hawaii before they made it illegal and everyone in the nation wanted to get Hawaiian. That was the primo of the primo in the ‘70s. Because it’s grown over there and I don’t know what the volcanic soil does to it but it makes it very good. I’m also old enough today to know that when they spread this stuff about the dangers, that the pot today isn’t like the pot of the ‘60s because it’s more powerful, that’s actually a positive. If it’s more powerful it doesn’t require you to smoke nearly as much, does it? And that makes it healthier, doesn’t it?

Were you always political, or was it after the acting slowed down that you decided to get into politics?

I think I was always aware politically, because my father made me so. My father had six bronze battle stars in World War II and my mother was also a World War II veteran, so I come from a family of all veterans. My dad was opposed to the Vietnam War before the hippies were . . . I had a father who, at the dinner table, would get worked up.

I remember times my mom would send him to the basement because he’d get so worked up over Vietnam or whatever the issue might be, so being from my dad, I can see where it comes from.

Was your father a big part of your decision to run for mayor and then governor?

No, I had no intention to ever seek office.

The run for mayor happened because the city council wanted to access a storm sewer curb and gutter tax and we didn’t need it . . . Then I realized the city of Brooklyn Park had a massive good old boy network, headed >> VISIT US AT

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November 2015 // CULTURE

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by the 25-year incumbent mayor. As I got more involved locally, one day I was there and I looked at him and I had the podium and I said, “You’re going to make me run, aren’t you?”

And his buddy on the council burst out laughing and said, “You couldn’t win.” And I left the city hall that night with the usual attitude that nobody tells me I can’t do something. So I was running for mayor. I ended up beating the 25-year incumbent 66 percent to 33 percent.

How do you feel about what you accomplished as mayor and how did that lead you to run for governor?

We rousted out the good old boy network. It took us three elections to do so. Then I moved on. Because I don’t believe public service should ever be a career, like most of these guys get re-elected for 30 years. I think that’s ridiculous . . . Then I moved to my ranch out in Maple Grove and I was doing just fine. I was doing morning talk radio four years later and Minnesota had billions of dollars of surplus; too much money.

The economy was great at the end of the Clinton years and the state had, I don’t know, three billion dollars more than they budgeted for. And instead of returning it to the taxpayers, they spent it. I got outraged on talk radio, I said, “Wait a minute.

They set the budget. They have no right, because the economy is powerful and they’re taxing us too much, then, to just collect this money and spend it above and beyond their budget?” I kind of backed myself in a corner. I kind of threw it out there and said, “Maybe I should run for governor?” And boy that took off like wildfire.

Are you going to run for president in 2016?

I don’t know. I’ll wait until the pikers are gone. Who’d be stupid enough to jump in now? The Libertarians have their convention next June and that’s where they’ll pick their candidate and if you get in next June you’ll have ballot access for pretty much the whole country and then you only have

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to run until November. It’s all about timing. So when these other two gangs get down to one, whoever their guy is, then you jump in and you beat them and you steal the election.

So you’re considering a run as a Libertarian?

Yeah. It’d be the only way I could get ballot access. You’ve got to get ballot access and the libertarians have it. All you have to do is go to their convention in June and if they pick you as the nominee, then you’re off and running. Then the key is to force them to let you in the debates.

I was polling only 10 percent (when he joined the Minnesota gubernatorial race) which would not get me into the debates today. And yet in Minnesota, 10 percent at Labor Day and I won the election in November. It took me only two months. Two months and three debates and I destroyed them. Let me do that in the presidency and we’ll see a repeat of it . . . If I ran, I would run on one issue. I would make

the Libertarians agree I’m not part of their party but I’ve got their endorsement to run, and I’m not a member of their party. I could use this to win. I would challenge the American people to elect the first president since George Washington, the father of our country, who does not belong to a political party, and I believe you could win on that alone right now.

You’ve been known for so many different things–a wrestler, actor, governor and writer. How do you hope you’re remembered?

I don’t care. They were all important to me at the specific times I lived them. I’m 64 now, and if I live to 80 or 85, if I’m lucky, I don’t want to say “woulda coulda shoulda.” I never planned anything out. I just live life and when you come to a Y in the road you make a decision and you go that way and you see what happens. I had no vision ever. I didn’t have a vision that much of even being a pro-wrestler—it just kind of fell into place.

Now that you’re 64, you still feel like you ain’t got time to bleed (the title of one of your books and a famous quote from the film Predator)?

Now that I’m 64, I don’t even worry about it. I got an offer to do a film and I turned it down.

I don’t feel like acting anymore . . . I’m pretty happy doing my internet show right now. It gives me the freedom to talk about what I want to talk about.

I can say anything. Nothing’s censored. You can call bullshit “bullshit” without worrying about being fined.

Do you think we’ll ever see national cannabis legalization or do you think we’ll see it go state by state?

The federal government should get out of it completely and they should leave up to each state like they do alcohol.

Alcohol is governed by each state, whether they have dry counties, what the drinking age is, and how they handle it.

There’s no reason to have the federal government involved in any way, shape or form.

It’s going well in states like Colorado, Oregon and Washington . . .

I’ve been through Colorado quite often because there is a sense of freedom there that I really enjoy feeling. I tip my hat to Colorado and the people of it and for having the courage to do what they did . . .

It’s long overdue. It’s too many jobs. And that plant itself has too many uses to be eradicated. I love to say this to all the religious people out there: If you believe in God, then you believe that God created every plant on this planet.

Well I don’t think He created marijuana for us to eradicate it. I think He created it for us to use it.

Religious people should look at it from that perspective when they take a stance on marijuana.

Do you still partake yourself every now and then?

Only if I’m in Colorado.

(Laughs.) There’s a good political answer for you. Only if I’m in Colorado, that way I can’t get in any trouble, right? c VISIT US AT

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“If you get stuck doing the same thing over and over again, you’re not challenging yourself.”

Decently blazed on his couch on a sunny afternoon, Master Bong dives into his pizza.

Some people eat the crust, others give it to the dog, Master Bong produces a drilling tool and after a few minutes of tinkering, loads up one side of the pizza crust with a bud of Animal Crackers and smokes it. “You can eat it, you smoke out of it. Domino’s puts cheese in the middle of it, I hollowed it out and smoked it,” he says after exhaling a cloud of smoke at the camera.

Meet the “MacGyver of Marijuana,” a 30-year-old wild child, who has turned a love of making pipes out of unlikely items into an internet sensation. With millions of views on his YouTube channel and 91,000 “likes” on his Facebook page, he’s had the marketing know-how to channel this

by R. Scott Rappold popularity into a business that pays the bills and allows him to have a slew of employees.

“For me, it’s like sometimes you’re going to come into a situation where you’re out in the world and you don’t have (a smoking device) on you,” says Master Bong in a phone interview. “Or you just broke your bong. You lost your pipe. You broke your vaporizer. You need to have the skill set. If you don’t, how do you smoke?” He goes on to say, “It’s also just about being creative. If you get stuck doing the same thing over and over again, you’re not challenging yourself. You’re not switching things up.

Life can get kind of boring.” >>

Master Bong

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Necessity is the Mother of Invention

Master Bong, whose first name is Jake and whose last name he declines to give, came to pipe and bong-making as a teenager, too young to buy one in a head shop. “I wasn’t quite of age yet. We were always figuring out creative fun ways to make devices to smoke out of. I was the person in my crew who was kind of heading that up,” he says.

A few years later, he was in college studying to be a social worker but his heart wasn’t in it. He’d had some success with an internet and social media marketing side business and decided to turn that talent toward his passion: Cannabis. In 2008, he shot a short video of himself carving a pipe out of an apple and posted it to YouTube, sporting an afro and sunglasses. Other instructional videos followed, from a gravity bong to a bell pepper bubbler. After all, this was stuff he and his buddies were doing for fun anyway.

People at a party might all be toking up, but when everyone gets together to puff out of a hollowed-out watermelon, they might become friends.

“You can see how it just brings people together, especially people who wouldn’t normally kick it together, just like cannabis does,” he says. In 2010, he decided it was time to devote himself entirely to his Master Bong alter ego and dropped out of college.

An Internet celebrity

As his videos grew in popularity along with the rising tide of cannabis legalization, he noticed a change. Rather than having to buy his own gear, companies paid him to feature their products in his videos.

People might not know or recognize Master Bong, but the dude with the afro was becoming a cannabis celebrity. “Sometimes now, I wish I didn’t have my brand set up like this because when I go to an event and it’s 100 degrees out, I’m not comfortable,” he says. “But it’s a brand. It’s very recognizable.”

With a regular output of a dozen videos a month, Master Bong has expanded his repertoire to celebrating everything about the cannabis lifestyle, from growing tips to recipes to general silliness. In fact, his most-viewed video, with 1.6 million views, is on how to roll a Swisher Sweets blunt.

But being the “MacGyver of Marijuana” is still his bread and butter, even if individual projects have been less than successful.

For example, there was the golf club pipe. The thing was so slim you had to suck incredibly hard to get a hit. Although his products aren’t always great for smoking with, he always makes them work, even if it takes a couple rips from a sponsored-product bong to get there.“We’ll figure out a way and sit there until it works,” he says.

Never stop dreaming

Master Bong never stops thinking of new ways to smoke. He talks about his desire to turn a swimming pool into a massive bong, or to publish a book—complete with carving tools—on 101 ways to make household smoking instruments. Passionate about his pipes and bongs, Master Bong keeps the non-perishable smoking devices he makes, in hopes of creating somewhat of a Master Bong Museum when he finally buys a house.

The day Master Bong can afford a house can’t be far off, if it’s not already here. It all started with him and a “horrible flip camera.” Today he has an assistant to check his emails and someone to operate the camera. He once had to pay his own way to attend industry events.

Now he wouldn’t dream of buying his own plane ticket or paying to attend an industry event. While he certainly enjoys making a living out of Master Bong, instead of social work, he also loves being able to inform and entertain people.“No matter what you do . . . Maybe you’re an artist, maybe you’re a musician, maybe you want to play sports, whatever it is, follow your heart and passion and it’s going to work out; and getting paid to do that is the American dream.” c

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The Harvest How-To A step-by-step guide to harvesting your cannabis

by Addison Herron-Wheeler

Harvest season is here, and that means it’s time for all the growers who have lovingly cultivated their cannabis plants for months to finally get to reap the benefits of all their hard work. But proceed with caution— cannabis is quite literally a delicate flower, and if treated too roughly or clipped or cured incorrectly, all that love and care could go to waste at the last minute. Here is how to get the best results from harvesting and curing your plants and avoid any nasty mistakes.

1. Cut With Love and Care

Actually harvesting cannabis is by far the simplest part of the harvest process—one simple snip of the stalk is all it takes, and then the hard work begins with the curing and trimming process. Just make sure that you cut in the right place—make the incision below the first intersection of branches, and be sure to cut all the way through the first time.

2. Set Aside Your Initial Trim for Hash

Once you’ve cut off your plant, now it’s time to get rid of the trim so the plant can cure. But don’t just throw all the stuff you cut off away without looking at it carefully first. Any leaves and seemingly useless parts that look crystalized and are covered in trichomes can be sent off to be made into bubble hash, and making hash with the trim will make your yield go a lot further.

3. Dry According to Local Conditions

Once you have done the initial trimming of your plant, it is time to hang it up to dry. If you live at a high elevation during a dry time of year with no snow, the best bet is to leave on some of the bigger leaves until the plant is more dried out. If you live at sea level and 100 miles or less from the ocean, or if there is snow on the ground, then the best bet is to cut off as many leaves as possible so that the plant does not stay too moist and become moldy.

4. Observe and Adjust Accordingly

The drying process can take as long as 30 days, and the plants should be checked regularly during that time to make sure they are curing properly. More leaves might need to be trimmed off if they are too moist, and plants can be hung alongside moister, less cured plants if they are too dry so that they can absorb some of the water.

5. Check out the Final Product

Once all that hard work is done and your plant is properly dried and cured, it’s time for the fun part—testing the product. This is when you’ll learn if the cannabis you grew is truly up to snuff and worthy of being smoked. Enjoy, and happy harvesting! c

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Source: John Hunt, owner of Green and US Healthy Dispensary VISIT AT Wellness iReadCulture.com

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What’s organic? In the cannabis market, that’s a difficult query

by Jamie Solis

H

ow can you know for sure that the natural cannabis plant you are about to consume is organic? To put it simply—you can’t.

From the exhaustive efforts of cannabis producers across the nation who uphold pristine cannabis-growing operations that follow what appear to be organic practices to the frauds that have been pushing contaminated cannabis and claiming it is organic, the term “organic” is a complicated subject in the cannabis community.

The United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) organic seal of approval has been around since October 2002. This certification informs consumers which food and agricultural products

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have been produced with methods that preserve the environment and are free from pesticides, antibiotics, genetically modified organisms and other synthetic materials.

Regardless of how it is grown, cannabis is unable to qualify under the USDA’s organic label. This is because cannabis is still a Schedule I Controlled Substance under federal law, and that makes the production of the plant federally illegal.

Although state governments like Washington, Colorado and Oregon allow for the recreational consumption of cannabis, state governments still hold no power in certifying cannabis as organic.

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“Although state governments like Washington, Colorado and Oregon allow for the recreational consumption of cannabis, state governments still hold no power in certifying cannabis as organic.”

Brian E. Smith is the Communications Director at Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board. Smith explained why his state agency, among others, is at a stand still until federal regulations change. “ . . . Certifying something as ‘organic’ is a federal process. Because marijuana is a federally controlled substance, it won’t allow the ‘organic certification.’

Washington State can’t certify anything as organic if the federal government doesn’t allow it first. So, we don’t have the ability to change our regulations.”

Washington isn’t the only state that is facing this struggle; Colorado State has also been facing hardships due to this lack of regulation, as there have been reports of many dispensaries falsely advertising organic and chemical-free products.

Boulder Weekly reported in May 2015 that 10 local dispensaries had been investigated for pesticiderelated violations, and many of these companies had been advertising their contaminated products as organic. This is a perfect example of “buyer beware” and the problem with the limited regulation on the word organic.

After receiving many complaints, Roger Hudson from the Colorado Attorney

General’s office commented to Harvest Public Media on the state’s current stance on regulating the production of organic cannabis claims, “Is there a legal definition at this point in time? No there is not. But there is a general idea of what ‘organically grown’ is.”

Without a legal definition outlining what we already understand as organic cannabis, Hudson shared that Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman is working with fraud investigators to look into the state’s various dispensaries that have complaints against them for falsely advertising organic products.

It is unclear if there will be negative repercussions for these businesses.

The federal government’s lack of regulating sustainable, natural and safe cannabis has opened the door for private companies to step in. Some of the most popular third party companies who are working to provide agricultural certifications to ensure safe, clean and environmentally conscious agricultural and cannabis grows are California’s Clean Green Certified and Oregon’s Organic Cannabis Growers Association.

California’s Clean Green Certified offers The Clean Green Certification Program, which covers everything to help ensure farmers will lower their

carbon footprint while creating the safest product available. They do this by consulting on the best methods for growing the crop to testing the crop for pesticides and other contaminants.

Organic Cannabis Growers Association has a partnership with Certified-Kind, giving their clients top tier certification program choices.

Their Certified Kind Program is known as “The Gold Standard in cannabis certification,” although it is also popular amongst vegetable growers who value sustainability and organic growing methods. The Naturally Grown Cannabis Program focuses on using the most natural and organic products to produce the best quality cannabis possible, and although they aren’t affiliated with the USDA, some of their standards are stricter than the USDA. Farmers who uphold organic integrity use natural processes and materials in every aspect of the production of their product, from soil to pest management and everything in between, deserve the certification that their product is in fact organic.

However until there is proper regulation rolling out from the federal government in the near future, it is uncertain when this right will be given. c

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The Ritualistic Harvest Pagan Rituals Involving Cannabis

By Addison Herron-Wheeler

Hindu Hemp Lore It’s that time of year when magic is in the air–Halloween is just behind us, the harvest is upon us and we feel the most in touch with our pagan roots. Many of the pagan, ancient and classic religious traditions that still exist today, or cultural rituals involved in harvesting, use cannabis in their practices. Here’s a look at how religions and cultures across time and the planet have used cannabis as a sacrament, a healing herb and a part of their daily lives and rituals.

European Paganism

Cannabis, love and sex go hand in hand, and this has been the case since the days of the ancient Germanic pagans. According to “The History of Hemp in Norway,” an article published in The Journal of Industrial Hemp

by Jan Bojer Vindheim, cannabis and fertility have long been associated in ancient Norse mythology.

The herb was associated with Freya, the goddess of love, and was consumed and harvested at the ironically titled “High Festival,” where fertility was celebrated.

The Norse people believed that Freya’s feminine, erotic energy was contained in the flowers of the plant, which would give sexual power to those who consumed them.

The article also points out that two ancient Norwegian women were discovered with hemp seeds in their pouch and a hemp cord on their persons, alluding to more practical uses for the cannabis family as well. >>

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Many Hindus still embrace hemp as a part of their religion–on the festival day of Holi, bhang or cannabis flowers are ritually consumed. According to Mia Touw’s The Religious and Medical Uses of Cannabis in China, India, and Tibet, Hindu mythology states that Shiva created cannabis from his body in order to purify the elixir of life that helped to kick start the world. Another version of the myth states that when the elixir of life touched the ground, the cannabis plant sprang up. Therefore, as long as you are imbibing cannabis in a ritualistic manner, as a sacrament, some Hindus believe it can cause insights about the future and cleanse past sins.

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Central Asian Mysticism

There is much historical evidence that the people of Central Asia have been turning to cannabis for thousands of years, both in ritual and relaxation.

The ancient Greek Historian Herodotus recorded in his book Histories that the Scythians, a group of ancient Iranian Nomads, would make steam baths out of cannabis. They would erect crude saunas out of animal skin stretched around poles, put some hemp seed on hot coals, and then stand inside the booths soaking up the steam and the euphoric effects.

Additionally, according to Martin Booth’s Cannabis: A History, Tarim mummies from ancient Northern China have been discovered with bags full of cannabis buried in their tombs.

It is believed that these men were shamans, and wanted to bring their sacred herb with them into the next world so they could continue practicing their craft. The shaman mummies have also been found with bowls and various other hemprelated items in their tombs, suggesting that this ancient people ate and imbibed cannabis as well as used hemp for fiber.

Cannabis Rites in Africa

Sikhism and Sacred Smoke

Those who practice the Sikh religion today more than likely abstain from cannabis–the modern Sikh teachings outline that intoxication is a distraction from true understanding of God and something that only gets in the way of faith.

However, cannabis is a hugely entrenched part of their history, and there are sects of the religion that still stand by its healing powers today.

According to the spiritual blog Amrit World’s interpretation of Sikh lore, the Sikhs who fought in the Second Battle of Anandpur in 1701 were being persecuted and constantly pursued by Mughal forces. Because of this, the warriors were always on the run and did not have good access to food, sometimes having to resort to eating things like tree bark. When this happened, they turned to the plentiful weed, bhang or cannabis, to deal with the pains caused by eating such a poor diet. They also used it to help with pain when they became injured in combat and had to remain on the run. As a result, some Sikhs today still ritually use cannabis, and an exception for imbibing is often made on certain holidays. c

When it comes to the history of Africa and cannabis, the roots go a lot deeper than the relatively recent advent of the Rastafari religion. Alfred Dunhill, the British historian who spent time studying the history of cannabis in Africa and wrote The Pipe Book, claimed that Africans have used gourd pipes to smoke cannabis since ancient times. The Baluka tribe also formed a hemp-smoking cult at one point in time, called the Riamba, in order to smoke cannabis together in community and honor the herb.

According to Pogge and Wissman, two explorers who chronicled the Bashilenge tribe in 1881, there were both clubs of hemp smokers and religious cults. The tribe allegedly referred to themselves as “sons of hemp” and used “hemp” as a greeting when addressing each other. Members of the religious cannabis cults would show their devotion by smoking as frequently as possible, and believed that the magic of hemp would outweigh the negative energy they built up when they had to do things like go to war. They also passed around a guard to smoke out of as a kind of peace pipe whenever making important agreements or deals.

The continent also has a history of using the plant for healing purposes since ancient times across various countries.

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by Ed Rosenthal

growing culture

E

EXPERIMENTING WITH LIGHTING —The Harvest

arlier in the season, I set up a garden in a greenhouse that received light only from the front and the top, far less than the total amount of light the plants could use. An induction fluorescent was mounted on a sidewall that delivered light only to the middle of the garden. The plants close to either the front or rear door received no light from the fixture.

The plants under the light were harvested September 3rd. The controls were harvested 12 days later but by that time the weather had changed. Oakland, a coastal city, experiences high humidity because the ocean heavily influences it. With the temperature dropping at night to 55° and the plants spending a large part of the time in the 55° to 70° range, it was almost inevitable that the plants would be attacked by powdery mildew (pm). We tried controlling it using a 10 percent milk solution and herbal fungicides, but the attack was overwhelming.

The second part of the harvest was not worth our collection efforts because of the looser buds resulting from late September’s lower light levels and widespread attacks of powdery mildew. So, the use of supplemental light resulted in higher yields of the light enriched plants, and also decreased ripening time, saving the crop from the onslaughts of fall weather.

The uncut plants were hung in an unheated room for about three weeks. The temperature in the space stayed in the cool range of about 60°70°. The buds dried but retained some pliability; perfect for smoking- not over-dried to stale and crisp. Then a friend manicured the four plants. The two Jack hybrids weighed 68 grams and 87 grams respectively. Two unknown hybrids weighed 80 grams and 53 grams, respectively, a total of 288 grams, about 10 ounces. All the buds were moderate size but tight and fully loaded with trichomes.

The buds were placed in clean glass jars and will be stored in a refrigerator at about 45°, which will keep them fresh.

The point of the beginning garden experiment was to see if flowering could be induced using far red light of 730 nm after dusk. This experiment was unsuccessful, but inadvertently I noticed I was conducting another experiment, enhancing light intensity using electrical lights. The result: Plants that received supplemental lighting during the normal light period produced bigger buds and the time to ripening was reduced by two weeks.

The upshot: Expect plants grown in shade or under cloud cover to yield less in more time.

However, you can improve yield and shorten ripening time with nominal supplemental light. c

TIP OF THE MONTH FROM ASK ED®

T

he possibly frantic days of harvest are over. The plants have dried and been manicured. Now you might have some time to deal with the leaf and trim that you have saved. There are so many ways that it can be used: Tincture-Make a tincture by soaking the grass in high-proof alcohol such as Everclear or

over-proof rum for a week.

Shake occasionally. You can use it as a drink or concentrate it into drops.

Salve-easily made by mixing ground leaf or buds in glycerin, aloe and alcohol or into a commercial salve. Use it externally for pain relief.

Kief-Rub leaves or buds over a silk or metal screen.

Kief screens are available in many shops.

Marijuana Butter or Oil Make this by slowly simmering the leaf/trim in butter or oil for a few hours. Strain the leaf and use.

Water hash-Shake leaf/ ground bud in a jar with water and ice for 5 minutes. Let settle. Pour out the water and leaf. The THC containing glands remain at the bottom of the container. Dry and use.

1

Plants hanging in a cool room to dry and cure. The process takes about three weeks.

2 Close-up of buds hanging.

3 Branches trimmed from stem, ready to manicure.

4 Three of the varieties have been manicured. The fourth is about to be transformed.

5 All the buds were tight.

6 The Jack hybrid produced some tight long buds with great color and mixed aroma.

7 The cups runneth over. More jars are needed to store the buds.

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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CULTURE // November 2015

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Arizona

destination unknown

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by Sheryll Alexander

Arizona Comes Alive A as Fall Cools Down IF YOU GO:

Fun-Filled Facts 1 Arizona has the most ghost towns of

any state (about 275!). Ghost towns are typically free to visit and are mostly concentrated in the central northwest and southeast regions of the state.

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Starting November 27, visitors can enjoy “Silent Night” or Las Noches de las Luminarias at Scottdale’s pretty Desert Botanical Garden. With the Sonoran Desert as a backdrop, the gardens are set aglow with no less than 8,000 hand-lit luminaria bags for viewing a pop-up outdoor art gallery into the warm serene night.

Surprisingly, Arizona is also a haven for electric vehicles (EVs). The state’s official tourism bureau, Travel Arizona, even provides EV road trip guides with places and tips for charging from L.A. and San Diego as well as points within Arizona.

CULTURE // November 2015

Arizona is fast becoming a mecca for medical cannabis patients with legalization on the lips of every cannabusiness out there. The sheer number of dispensaries (around 80) is quite astounding given the ultra conservative politics of this dry state. Although Arizona went medical in 2010, it took a couple of years for the new procannabis law to form into a California-like system of medical cannabis doctor recs along with viable and reliable dispensaries to pop up.

Now, thankfully, Arizona’s medical cannabis program has taken shape and has blossomed into a rather safe haven for those seeking healing (and legal) relief in the form of just about every cannabis product imaginable from flower buds to edibles to CBD oils. Arizona’s current medical cannabis law also includes a cool grow provision: Residents living more than 25 miles away from a legal dispensary can tend (in a locked, enclosed space) up to 12 plants.

Time to Go: Fall, Winter or Spring Weather: Warm in Fall and Winter with occasional rain in Spring Budget: $$$$$

rizona is truly an inspirational locale to medicate with its almost ethereal skies, mountains, valleys, canyons and waterways and is most especially enjoyed when the heat has subsided in late fall.

A medical cannabis state since 2010, Arizona is coming into its own with now hundreds of cannabis dispensaries focused on the more populated cities of Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe and Tucson.

One of the best things about a getaway to Arizona is ease of transport. The Phoenix airport (one of the busiest in the nation) is located smack dab in the middle of the state and has some of the most affordable flights anywhere. Snow birds hit their rental car right after getting off the plane because all of Arizona can be yours with your own wheels.

In November, Arizona’s top towns burst with foodie autumn harvest energy from farmer’s markets to farm festivals to farm stands to food truck frenzies. The state also celebrates the cool fall season with hiking in the early mornings to hitting lots of outdoor music and arts events such as the Mesa Music Festival (November 12-15). While there, visit the famed Mesa Art Center for no less than five art exhibits of actor, comedian and cannabis activist Cheech Marin’s vast Chicano art collection (free through December 10).

Although Arizona is not yet a recreational state, this scenic state is fast on its way to legalization and is certainly a pleasurable place to visit while medicating during the Southwest’s temperate fall season. c

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Seth Green profile in courage

Age: 25 Condition/ Illness: Cerebral Palsy, Seizures, Scoliosis, Stroke, Anxiety, Depression, Multiple Sclerosis.

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.

When did you start using medical cannabis?

I started using cannabis when I got into high school.

Did you try other methods or treatments before cannabis?

Yes, seizure medication and anxiety and depression medications. The seizure medications were actually making me have more seizures and the depression medication made me feel like a completely different person. So, I just gathered up all meds and threw them away. I’d rather suffer than take man-made pills that poison my body.

What’s the most important issue or problem facing medical cannabis patients?

Getting the elected officials that are funded by pill companies out of office. The elected officials control the access of cannabis for so many people, and the pharmaceutical

companies have so many politicians in their back pocket, at this point in time.

What do you say to folks who are skeptical about cannabis as medicine?

That they need to open up their minds more and think of the big picture. There are millions of people suffering needlessly, or overdosing on pills. There have never been any deaths from cannabis; it is all-natural and help treat hundreds of illnesses.

Cannabis has been proven to be safer than man-made medications. We need to let the people who choose cannabis over pharmaceuticals to have a real say in what goes on; they are the ones that are taking a safe medication and want real and safe access to healing, for all. That will not only help in the medical field, but it could potentially bring millions of dollars to states that need it for roads, schools and more. c

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recipes

Menu:

Pumpkin Soup with Sage Pesto Turkey meatballs with Cranberry Glaze Spicy Citrus Brussels

Turkey meatballs with Cranberry Glaze 1 pound of lean ground turkey 1 tablespoon cannabis-infused olive oil t ½ cup finely chopped onion (1 medium onion) ¼ cup unseasoned dry bread crumbs 1 egg, lightly beaten

1 teaspoon salt ¼ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce ½ teaspoon black pepper ½ teaspoon poultry seasoning 1 can (16 oz) jellied cranberry sauce ½ cup water

PREPARE TO FEAST KICK THANKSGIVING UP A NOTCH

As we move into the holiday season once again, we’re reminded that it’s that time of year to take a step back and be thankful for everything that life brings to the table—especially when it comes to food! This Thanksgiving, immortalize that warm, fuzzy feeling of happiness that we associate with the holiday with hearty soups, creamy mashed potatoes, tasty stuffing and turkey galore—all of which are classic culinary staples. Take those typical flavors and spice up a few of our modern recipes that come with a healthy dose of cannabis, and enjoy the relaxing, euphoric food coma that you deserve.

In medium bowl, mix all ingredients except cranberry sauce and water.

Shape mixture into about 45 (one-inch) balls. Heat infused oil in 10inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add meatballs; brown meatballs on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes (or until thermometer inserted in center of meatballs reads 165°F). Slowly stir in cranberry sauce and chicken water. Reduce heat to medium-low; cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until cranberry sauce is smooth.

Spicy Citrus Brussels 2 pounds brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved lengthwise 1½ tablespoons cannabis-infused olive oil t

1 tablespoon red pepper flakes Coarse salt 2 teaspoons lemon zest 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450°, with racks in middle and lower third.

Divide brussels between two baking sheets and toss each with oil and red pepper flakes. Lightly sprinkle coarse salt over brussels. Roast until browned in some spots and tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 minutes, stirring and rotating sheets halfway through. Transfer to a serving dish and top with lemon zest and lemon juice.

Legal Disclaimer Publishers of this publication are not making any representations with respect to the safety or legality of the use of medical marijuana.

The recipes listed here are for general entertainment purposes only, and are intended for use only where medical marijuana is not a violation of state law. Edibles can vary in potency while a consumers’ weight, metabolism and eating habits may affect effectiveness and safety. Ingredient management is important when cooking with cannabis for proper dosage. Please consume responsibly and check with your doctor before consumption to make sure that it is safe to do so.

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CULTURE // November 2015

t Additional recipe can be found at iReadCulture.com

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serves

Pumpkin Soup with Sage Pesto

4

Soup

1 large sugar or pie pumpkin, cut in half and seeds removed and reserved (plus 4 small ones if you are making the pumpkin bowls) 1 tablespoon cannabisinfused olive oil* salt and pepper 6 tablespoons canna butter* 2 small shallots, chopped 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

4 cups chicken broth 1 cup coconut milk + 1 cup water (or 2 cups water) 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more or less to your liking) 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg 1 tablespoon pure maple syrup pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Sage Pesto 1 head garlic (or you may sub 1 clove raw garlic) 1 cup fresh parsley 1/2 cup fresh sage 1/4 cup shelled pistachios 1/4 cup cannabis-infused olive oil*

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese (if you do not like blue cheese, substitute with feta or parmesan) 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Preheat the oven to 400°. Cut your pumpkin in half or into fourths and de-seed. Place the pumpkin on a baking sheet, rub the pumpkin with 1 tablespoon infused olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Chop off the top portion of the garlic head to reveal cloves. Peel any excess paper/ skin off from the bulb of garlic. Pour about a teaspoon of infused olive oil on top the garlic cloves and cover with foil.

Roast both the pumpkin and garlic together on the same baking sheet for 45 minutes, or until the pumpkin is fork tender and the garlic is golden brown and soft. Remove from the oven and allow everything to cool five minutes.

Squeeze garlic out of the paper skin into a small bowl, mash well with a fork and set aside. Grab the pumpkin and add it to a food processor (or mash extremely well) and puree with 1 cup of the chicken broth. Puree until completely smooth. Heat a large pot over medium heat and add the canna butter and shallots. SautĂŠ the shallots until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the thyme and cook another 30 seconds. Add the pumpkin puree, remaining chicken, coconut milk, water, cayenne, nutmeg, maple syrup and crushed red pepper. Bring the soup to a low simmer and simmer 15-20 minutes. While the soup cooks, make the pesto. Put the roasted garlic, parsley, sage and pistachios in a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped and then stream in the infused oil. Add the cheese and pulse a few more time until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Ladle the soup into bowls (or your roasted pumpkins) and top each bowl with a dollop of pesto and if desired, drizzle with coconut milk. Enjoy!

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Chuck Shepherd's

News of the

Weird

LEAD STORY—A PAPER DRONE u The Federal Aviation

Administration recently granted (likely for the first time ever) an application to fly a paper airplane. Prominent drone advocate Peter Sachs had applied to conduct commercial aerial photography with his “aircraft” (a Tailor Toys model with a tiny propeller and maximum range of 180 feet), and the agency, concerned with air traffic safety, accommodated by treating the request (unironically?) under the rules for manned flights (that, among other restrictions, Sachs must not exceed 100 mph and must engage a licensed airplane pilot to fly

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CULTURE // November 2015

it). “With this grant,” said the “victorious” Sachs, “the FAA has abandoned all logic and sensibility.”

QUESTIONABLE JUDGMENTS u Because temperatures

were in the high 90s the last weekend in August, tourists visiting the historical Auschwitz concentration camp in Poland were greeted by the outdoor sprinkler system dousing them near the gates. It was intended as relief, said operators, to keep guests from fainting, but, as one Israeli visitor said, “It was a punch to the gut”—too reminiscent of Auschwitz’s gas chamber. (Jewish prisoners had been marched calmly to their

deaths under the pretense that they were only being taken for showers).

NEW WORLD ORDER u Digital World: (1) The North

Carolina Department of Public Instruction announced in July that it would be experimenting with online phys ed courses for high schoolers. Students would watch videos on certain activities, then engage in them, and later self-report their (as the agency calls it) “mastery.”

(2) British police warned in August of a brand-new sex crime based on the iPhone app AirDrop. The app sends text or photos instantly to nearby AirDrop users (who choose to receive from “contacts” or from “everyone”). Thus, perverts can “flash” strangers by posting nude pictures of themselves to reach AirDrop users set carelessly (or purposely!) to “everyone.”

GOVERNMENT INACTION u The streets of Jackson,

Mississippi, apparently have

potholes that rival the worst in the country, but without adequate budget to fix them, according to Mayor Tony Yarber. His remedy, offered earnestly to constituents in August: prayer. “I believe we can pray potholes away.”

(Yarber, elected in 2014, was pastor of the Relevant Empowerment Church).

NAMES IN THE NEWS u Charged with choking

and punching his fiancee: Mr. Daniel Gentleman, 28 (Prescott, Arizona, May).

Charged with killing her husband and burying his body in a manure pile on their farm: Ms. Charlene Mess, 48 (Attica, New York, April). Charged with sexual assault: Mr. Huckleberry Finn (Keene, New Hampshire, July).

And prominent in the news (confusingly so) when the Food and Drug Administration approved the so-called “female Viagra” drug Addyi in August: FDA spokesperson Dr. Janet Woodcock.

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