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Vol 8 IssUE 2
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On The Offensive Retired NFL running back Ricky Williams has become an expert in holistic wellness and tells all about how he turned his life around using cannabis.
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ON THE COVER:
p h o t o b y J o h n G i l h o o le y
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contents
inside
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features 74
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Too Much Medicine? Doctors prescribing cannabis sue the state of Colorado after their licenses are suspended.
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Points for Cannabis Cannabis therapies are beneficial for athletes who want to treat their injuries naturally, despite sports association stances.
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Miraculous Journey After prescription medications failed to help young KC Linton’s epilepsy, his family decided to try cannabis and they haven't looked back since.
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Industry Insider Dale Sky Jones of Oaksterdam University has developed numerous influential cannabis programs.
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Aesthetic Appreciation Local rapper Saint George creates unique, queer and amazing hip-hop.
online Exclusive!
departments news
12 News Nuggets 18 By the Numbers 20 Local News 22 Legal Corner
reviews
24 Dispensary Highlight 26 Company Highlight 30 Advocate Highlight 34 Edible & Concentrate Reviews 40 Cool Stuff 42 Entertainment Reviews
in every issue
72 Growing Culture 74 Destination
Unknown 76 Profile in Courage 78 Recipes 82 Colorado Now! 84 News of the Weird
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d Archaeological Study
Suggests New Origin for Cannabis d UFC Fighter Per Eklund
Advocates for Cannabis
Vol 8 IssUE 2
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CULTURE M
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Publisher Jeremy Zachary Editor-In-Chief Evan Senn associate Editor Ashley Bennett managing Editor Addison Herron-Wheeler Editorial coordinator Jamie Solis Editorial Contributors Benjamin Adams, Sheryll Alexander, Marguerite Arnold, Jake Browne, Cole Garrison, Jasen T. Davis, Alex Distefano, David Downs, Natasha Guimond, Anthony Herrold, Pamela Jayne, Heather Johnson, Joe Jatcko, David Jenison, Kevin Longrie, Emily Manke, Tyler Markwart, Meital Manzuri, Sandy Moriarty, Madison Ortiz, Denise Pollicella, R. Scott Rappold, Paul Rogers, Joy Shannon, Lanny Swerdlow, Simon Weedn, Zara Zhi Photographers Steve Baker, Kristopher Christensen, John Gilhooley, Joel Meaders, Duncan Rolfson, Damian Weiler Art Director Steven Myrdahl production manager Tommy LaFleur Graphic Designers Tanya Delgadillo, Meilani Darby Regional Manager Kim Cook Account Executives Rob Bayless, Jon Bookatz, Eric Bulls, Cole Garrison, Gene Gorelik, Teddy Helms, Emily Musser, Beau Odom, Justin Olson, Chris Thatcher general Manager Iris Norsworthy Office Assistant Angelina Thompson digital media Editor David Edmundson Ctv Contributors Quinn Marie Distribution Manager Cruz Bobadilla
Culture® Magazine is published every month and distributes magazines at over 1,400 locations throughout Colorado. No articles, illustrations, photographs, or other matter within may be reproduced without written permission. Culture® Magazine is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. 10940 S. Parker Road, #237 Parker | CO | 80134-7440 Phone/Fax 888.694.2046 www.iReadCulture.com
CULTURE® Magazine is printed using post-recycled paper.
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NEWS
nuggets
Public Consumption of Cannabis May Be Permitted in Denver Two competing bills in Denver aim to further the regulation of recreational cannabis, with one bill that could permit the public consumption of cannabis. There are legitimate arguments on either side of the debate regarding whether or not to allow consumption of cannabis in communal areas of Denver, and now voters may get the chance to allow it once and for all at the upcoming election in November. Each bill still needs to get 4,800 signatures from verified Colorado voters to be considered for ballot entry. The first bill was drafted by Denver NORML. This bill would allow people over 21 to consume cannabis in private cannabis clubs throughout Denver, while the second bill would allow businesses like bars and restaurants the right to designate areas where adults over 21 can consume cannabis. The second bill would still enact further regulations for businesses to follow in order to allow public consumption of cannabis. Supporters of the second bill would like Denver NORML to step down from the first piece of legislation, because they believe the private clubs will continue to separate cannabis users from the public.
Illinois Governor Extends the State’s Medical Cannabis Program Governor Bruce Rauner recently signed Senate Bill 10 to extend the Medical Cannabis Pilot Program of Illinois by two years. The bill is now valid through the year 2020 and also extends the state’s program to include Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and terminal illnesses to qualifying conditions for medical cannabis. Originally, the bill only allowed for 39 conditions and diseases to qualify for cannabis. Now, the new law allows patients with terminal illnesses not explicitly outlined in the law access to medical cannabis. The law defines a terminal illness as a prognosis of six months or less to live. Last year, Rauner vetoed a bill that aimed to allow patients with PTSD and other conditions access to medical cannabis. According to Medical Jane, Rauner said he didn’t authorize the expansion of adding ailments to the program, because the program was still in its early stages. He didn’t want to expand the qualifying conditions, “before we have had the chance to evaluate it.”
Colorado Teen Use of Cannabis Drops Following Legalization The Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE) published in a recent survey that teens are using less cannabis since the legalization of recreational cannabis, in comparison to teen cannabis use data since 2009. The CDPHE study collected a wide range of health behaviors (including teen alcohol and cannabis use, mental health and community engagement) from 17,000 randomly selected students and 157 randomly selected Colorado middle and high schools. Another interesting finding from the recent survey is that teenagers perceive a lower risk of cannabis, as 54 percent believed cannabis had a moderate or great risk in 2015 compared to 58 percentage of teens in 2011. The drop in teen usage of cannabis is a positive reflection on the better control authorities have over cannabis in the monitored recreational market in comparison to when cannabis was illegal.
Canadian Cannabis Producer Begins Legally Exporting Cannabis Tilray, a Canadian cannabis producer, is exporting cannabis liquid capsules to patients in Croatia. The company has created two forms of liquid capsules, one which contains 5mg of THC and 5mg of CBD, and the second contains 2.5mg of THC and 2mg of CBD. According to The Huffington Post, President of Tilray, Brendan Kennedy said, “Health Canada informally told us that they issued us the first export permit.” He went on to explain that they received the permit following a long application process. Tilray is the first Canadian cannabis producer to get the okay from the government to ship medical cannabis internationally. This is a smart business move for Tilray, because Canada actually has a lower number of registered cannabis patients than what was projected. The ability to ship their product overseas means that Tilray can tap into the fast-growing international cannabis industry. Kennedy said, “Our intent is to build a global company that is investing significantly in global expansion.” Tilray plans to next begin exporting its products to Australia and Europe in the future.
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NEWS
The amount of money, in millions of dollars, worth of legal cannabis, that Colorado sold on April 20, 2016: (Source: The Washington Times)
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The number of years that a study on adolescent cannabis use in Colorado was conducted for: (Source: Fool.com)
The amount of money, in thousands of dollars, that Colorado State University in Pueblo is receiving to study the medical cannabis industry: (Source: The Denver Channel)
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The amount of money, in millions of dollars, that cannabis taxes have generated for Boulder County since legal recreational sales began in Colorado: (Source: Longmont Times-Call)
The number of schools in Colorado that will receive cash grants funded in part by cannabis excise taxes: (Source: The Gazette)
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The numbered state that Ohio ranks on a list of states that have legalized medical (Source: WBNS-10TV) cannabis:
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The amount of money, in millions of dollars, that a medical cannabis patient in Toronto is suing the city for, after city officials started raiding and closing down local cannabis (Source: Vice) dispensaries:
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ARISE Music Festival
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The number of applications that were submitted to be considered for one of eight dispensary openings in the state of Hawaii: (Source: KHON2)
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WHAT: ARISE Music Festival. WHEN/WHERE: Fri, Aug. 5-Sun, Aug. 7. Sunrise Ranch, 100 Sunrise Ranch Rd., Loveland. INFO: Visit arisefestival.com/2016 for details.
Get ready to relax, be inspired and connect over a peaceful weekend. Known as one of “Colorado’s Best Music Festivals,” ARISE Music Festival is comprised of seven stages of live music that ranges from Ziggy Marley to Papadosio. Other big musical names include Jurassic 5, Elephant Revival and Rising Appalachia. This eclectic fest will also have plenty of yoga for those who want to exercise their
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The amount of money, in billions of dollars, that the nationwide legalization of cannabis would generate in tax revenue for federal, state and local governments: (Source: Merry Jane)
inner yogi. Plus, creative attendees will enjoy surrounding themselves with the festival’s many art installations, galleries, live artists and films. ARISE will have various workshops that allow those of all ages to participate. Past workshops have included collecting wild herbs, innovative gardening and more. Be sure to make it a weekendlong experience, and camp in a piece of the mountain valley’s 100 picturesque acres.
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NEWS
LOCAL
Ganjasana in the Garden
On the Road
Cannabis lounges on wheels continue to change the way people experience Denver
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by Jamie Solis f you’ve ever dreamt of an Uber-type party bus where you can freely consume cannabis while traveling to fun nightlife destinations throughout the city of Denver, then your dream has come true in the form of cannabis tour buses. Cannabis tours in Denver are very popular, because not only do participants get to consume cannabis while on the bus or limo, but they also get to visit exciting destinations throughout the city that are related to cannabis, nightlife, food, drinks and fun. While there are essentially countless companies focused on cannabis tours in Colorado, there are a few that stand out for their unique qualities. For example, Colorado Cannabis Tours claims to be the number one cannabis tourism company, as they offer a variety of tours to be experienced on a party bus or limo. Some of the tours offered allow guests to visit a state-of-the-art cannabis growing facility or a live glassblowing demonstration. My 420 Tours stakes claim as the first company of its kind, and it continues to provide tours, accommodations and vacations to guests. This company has provided services to thousands of guests, and they even offer Virtual Cannabis Tours for anyone who can’t make it out to Denver. Another unique company is Loopr, which is a new phone app that will bring you to some of the city’s best establishments throughout the day and night. Just download the app on your phone, and hop
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on a route near you. Claiming to be similar to a premium lounge experience on wheels, Loopr takes passengers to destinations aiming at cannabis, nightlife, craft beer, food and more. What makes this the ultimate safe, cannabis-themed experience is that passengers aboard the bus can legally consume cannabis in whatever way they desire. What’s even better is that the large buses are equipped with high-quality smoking and vaping apparatuses from water pipes to dabbing gear, and they even have a four-person hookah style vaporizer. Loopr routes change regularly, but they typically consist of six to 12 destinations. One of the participating dispensaries is The Smokin Gun Apothecary, which is a latenight dispensary and museum focused on anti-prohibition. Another dispensary on the loop is Emerald Fields, a cannaboutique in Glendale. Staying with true cannabis consumer style, one of the restaurants you can stop at is Cheba Hut, a toasted sub shop that caters to those with serious munchies. The bus route also includes hotels, breweries, sports bars and other establishments where you can catch some live music or fun happenings. Other companies who focus on cannabis tours and tourism are Colorado Green Tours, Green Tripz and Colorado Highlife Tours, among many others. Cannabis tours are not limited to just Colorado, as many other states with recreational or medical cannabis have also been flooded by the trend. Cannabis tourism remains to be a fun activity in Denver and beyond. c
Get ready to consume cannabis responsibly while centering your chakras with Ganjasansa in the Garden. Your relaxing experience will include 90 minutes of a yoga ceremony and guided meditation, as well as information on how to consume cannabis in a responsible and sustainable way. The consumption of cannabis combined with yoga and meditation during the ceremony will allow participants to align their spirit, body and mind. Participants will also receive information on how to utilize all the benefits of cannabis, as well as how to cultivate and consume organic cannabis using regenerative systems. This experience will give attendees tools on how to adapt to plant-based medicine, derived from Ayurvedic practices. A portion of the profits for this centering and educational event go toward the Responsible Use Denver Campaign. WHAT: Ganjasana in the Garden. WHEN/WHERE: Sun, Aug. 21. Beta Nightclub, 1909 Blake St., Denver. INFO: Visit ganjasana.com for details.
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NEWS
legal corner
HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY Mistrust in law enforcement leads to tension and violence
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by Ann Toney
t is hard not to notice the current violence and mayhem swirling within our world and nation, not just in regards to the cannabis industry and legalization efforts, but the entire country, on a daily basis. When it comes to law enforcement and to civilians, particularly civilians of color, there has always been mistrust, which causes a chasm to grow between the two groups. But there is one thing I have noticed over the years that upsets clients more than anything. This may seem small, but small things can make a big difference. During my practice in cannabis defense and cannabis business law, I have found that people become upset when they believe they are being deceived by law enforcement, or if they perceive that law enforcement isn’t being transparent or honest. My clients don’t like being found guilty but they realize there is the penalty for their actions. Clients don’t like jail either or paying fines. What they really object to is when they believe an officer is not telling the truth about them or their case. When clients believe the officer is lying about what happened or what the officer observed, that is what upsets
clients the most. Most people accept consequences; they though recoil at dishonesty. Isn’t this the basis of a larger problem going on now in our country? Many people do not believe officers when they shoot people of color. Fault is not always transparent or clear when a person of color is killed by law enforcement, and every situation is different. We have some civilian-made videos exposing what many have suspected for years that people of color may be killed by law enforcement when excessive force or death was not warranted. Do I have an answer? No. Is it because the officer was scared? Is it because the officer sees a person of color differently from a white person? I don’t know. What I do know is that people of any color get upset and distrustful when they perceive law enforcement officers are lying about them and the facts in their case. The clients are angry, surprised, hurt, outraged and devastated when they report this to me. So I can see how people of color feel when they believe, or see, that they are targeted, cheated, lied about, murdered or simply unfairly treated. “Disgust” grows, just as does “trust” can
grow when tended to and fed. The question is: Which one do we want to cultivate? Although the legal cannabis industry in its infancy, Colorado is considered to have one of the best regulatory frameworks in the country. Still, this does not make our state perfect. The whole reason cannabis was originally prohibited in the U.S. was because of a lack of proper information and lies spread by “reefer madness.” In the early 20th century, countless people of all colors were fined, injured, imprisoned and likely even killed because they tried to use or grow cannabis. Even when just considering the journey that cannabis has taken since the early days of prohibition, there is a long history of mistrust in law enforcement officers due to a lack of understanding, or
lack of desire to understand at the time. While we can certainly say that things have improved since cannabis was originally banned, the system will always be imperfect when there is room for law enforcement to possibly lie for unknown or personal reasons. Don’t get me wrong. There are, of course, officers who tell the truth. That though, is what we expect and rely on; law enforcement being the “good guys” and wearing the white hats. Start small. Don’t lie. Is it the culture in a police department? I don’t know. Maybe you might lose a case if you tell the truth and in the long run, you will win many more with less effort once it is clear you tell the truth regardless of whether it will get you a “win” or not in your case. c
High Plains Comedy Festival WHAT: High Plains Comedy Festival. WHEN/WHERE: Thurs, Aug. 25-Sat, Aug. 27. Paramount Theatre and other venues in the South Broadway District, Denver. INFO: Visit www.highplainscomedyfestival.com for details.
There is nothing better than three full days dedicated to good energy and insane laughter, and this comedy festival provides exactly that. The High Plains Comedy Festival is sure to bring plenty of hilarity and so much more with a stacked lineup of local and national comedians throughout the city of Denver. Headliners include Cameron Esposito, Garfunkel & Oates and Kyle Kinane. There will be dozens of other performers from 22
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across the nation delivering you act after act of hilarious entertainment in the forms of stand-up shows, podcasts and game shows. The headlining show takes place at the Paramount Theatre, while other venues are MUTINY Information Cafe, The Hi-Dive and 3 Kings Tavern. Don’t miss out on this comedy extravaganza that has gained notoriety as “one of the most talent-packed and funfilled festivals in the country.”
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REVIEWs
dispensary highlight
Quality Choice Alternative Care Center 2398 E. Boulder St., Colorado Springs, 80909 www.QualityChoiceDispensary.com How and when did your dispensary start up?
do you specialize in, if anything?
Our dispensary started up the summer of 2009. We were the 63rd license issued in the entire state of Colorado. As a family owned and operated business we care greatly for our patients and ultimately, that was just it. We had and still have a huge passion to provide quality cannabis as an alternative medicine to those truly in need.
Our store offers our patients a select variety of phenotypes, specific to their individual needs. We also offer the largest selection of concentrates in Colorado Springs. When we opened our doors, cannabis was strictly medicinal. Now it’s both recreational and medicinal, but not in Colorado Springs. We would like to see that change.
What’s the story behind the name of your shop? The name Quality Choice is just like it sounds. To us and our patients, Quality Choice means setting the standard in this industry by providing connoisseur approved meds every time! What does your dispensary offer clients that they can’t find anywhere else? What
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What are the biggest challenges you face in this industry as a dispensary? Biggest joys? The biggest challenges in this industry is just the saturation of it all. While many opportunities are opening up, competition is still everywhere! The biggest joys are simply making people happy again, after
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Top Selling Strain: Durban Poison (sativa) and Buddha’s Sister (indica) Top Selling Concentrate: Craft Shatter (made from house strains) Top Selling Edible: CBD Living Water is #1, but as far as food, Canna Punches’ Highly Edible Organic Gummies.
years of being in pain. Also, turning skeptics into true believers of the healing benefits of cannabis is awesome too! What is the one thing you want patients to know about your dispensary? One thing we want patients to know about our dispensary is that we take quality to a whole new level!
If someone wanted to open a dispensary and get their feet wet in the industry, what advice or counsel would you give them? Advice to someone just joining the industry would be to stay patient and keep focused on what you’re trying to achieve. There are a lot of ups and downs in this work but it’s well worth it in the end. Also, patients are number one and quality counts! What is the most important thing you hope to accomplish while in the MJ/ MMJ community? We hope to provide people in need with an alternative to poisonous pharmaceuticals for years to come. We want as many patients as possible to benefit from a more natural way of healing. c
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REVIEWs
company highlight ethanol-based process for potency, and finally we test for homogeneity so that each breakable 10mg square of chocolate in our 100mg bars has an equal amount of THC and CBD. The state requires edible cannabis to test within 15 percent of its labeled potency. BlueKudu aims to be within five percent of our labeled amount. How and why did your company start up?
BlueKudu 4805 Kingston St., Denver, 80239 (720) 583-1216 www.bluekudu.com
How would you describe your company? What is your specialty? BlueKudu is a premium edibles cannabis maker based in Denver, Colorado proudly creating a high end suite of products since 2011. Our CBDand THC-infused chocolate bars come in 10 delicious flavors, and we will soon be adding brownies, gummy chews and lotions to our offerings. We specialize in creating products made from allnatural top-quality ingredients using a process that ensures consistently accurate dosing and reliably pesticide- and residue-free edibles delivered in beautiful, safe packaging. We take quality control seriously and are proud to be opening our own grow facility in order to guarantee the cannabis we use meets our standards, along 26
with our extraction and infusion processes and unbeatable customer service. We take great care in maintaining compliance with all regulations. BlueKudu has never been the subject of a product recall. What do you offer consumers/clients that others don’t? The dispensaries that carry our products and the consumers who purchase them can rely on a consistently pleasant experience. Our chocolate bars come in a variety of popular flavors and have no unpleasant aftertaste. We triple-test every batch we produce; first insisting the cannabis we use proves to be pesticide and microbial free, second we test the THC and CBD we extract from the plants using a natural
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BlueKudu was started within a year of the voters of Colorado approving legalized medical marijuana sales, with the goal of providing the best quality CBD-infused edible chocolate on the market. When recreational marijuana was approved, BlueKudu expanded its product line to include premium THCinfused chocolate bars, while maintaining the goal of creating the best tasting and most reliably dosed edible products in the state. 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? Like many companies, we are concerned about the impact a change in the DEA’s listing of marijuana from a Schedule 1 drug will have on our business and the vibrant industry that has developed over the past several years. We share the belief that large pharmaceutical and agricultural companies will quickly move in and dominate the industry, bringing a level of pricing and supply that will run many smaller operators out of business. The advantages we expect to have as laws continue to change across the country is the experience we will have gained during our time in
business and the refinements we’ve been able to make to our products and processes. These lessons should allow us to successfully move into other markets prepared and ready to replicate the winning business model we’ve established in Colorado. What are the goals and vision moving forward, for your company? BlueKudu plans to continue expanding its product line, always with the same high quality standards that current consumers have come to expect from our brand. In five years we plan to be partnering with like-minded businesses in California, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona and Florida to make and distribute BlueKudu premium edibles and products for consumers in those states. This fall we will add at least five new positions to our staff as we move into our new facility and begin our grow operation. Any sneak peeks on new products or news you’d like to share? Yes! We are working to introduce BlueKudu brownies and gummy bites before the end of the year, as well as a line of lotions. Topicals are gaining in popularity for people who have localized pain, such as muscle aches, they would like to treat with a rub on versus ingested product. We are always paying attention to market trends and consumer demands, gathering feedback from budtenders and discussing ways to keep innovating and creating exciting experiences. We love for consumers to walk into a dispensary and be delighted to find a new BlueKudu product to try and share! c
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REVIEWs
advocate highlight
Cassandra Maffey When and how did you become an advocate for cannabis? I began growing cannabis in Arcata, in Humboldt County, California in 2000. I was fortunate to learn from oldtime, experienced growers—and my younger friends and I experimented with a number of different growing modalities. Back then, it was highly dangerous to come forward as a cannabis cultivator and advocate. Some friends are still in jail from getting caught growing and selling weed, which is a tragedy. I finally put all my cards on the table in 2009 when I moved here to the mountains of Colorado, got a state-certified Key Badge and became Boulder Medical Marijuana Dispensary’s (BMMD) Master Grower. BMMD was a small business—but one of the first licenses in the state. Even at the time, most people were
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Occupation: Master Grower for Verde Natural
still scared to get occupational badges— even scared to get on “the list” and get their medical marijuana cards. But a number of us went all in and paved the way so that everyone can benefit from this amazing plant—as medicine for mind, body and spirit. How has cannabis benefited your life? Cannabis shows me my truest self: It teaches me to be mindful with how I respond to the world and shows me how I can be my best. It’s my meditation, my path to connect with my heart and with nature. Cannabis helps me to break through mental constructs and cultural illusions—to see others for who they truly are and to meet them with love and acceptance. This medicine reminds me that we are always surrounded by wild and complex beauty. Oh, and I’d have chronic pain from
scoliosis, if cannabis didn’t keep me so limber and relaxed! What’s your greatest achievement for the cannabis cause? Providing truly healthy, mindfully grown, legal cannabis to thousands of brave and amazing people through Verde Natural. And creating unique strains that I cherish—like Arch Angel and Master Yoda. Who do you look up to or admire? I especially admire the people who’ve stood up for their beliefs—all the activists who got loud, way before it was an acceptable thing to do. All the famous activists who sacrificed their freedom for the rights we have now—but also the folks who stood up in small ways, whose names we will never know. c
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REVIEWs
edible & concentrate Available at: Third Day Apothecary in Colorado Springs.
Sativa Hybrid Wax Much like the Colonel’s secret blend of herbs and spices, we’re not exactly sure what’s inside of Third Day Apothecary’s Sativa Hybrid Wax. It’s definitely not paprika. What we do know is it delivered as some of the terpiest concentrate we’ve had the pleasure of dabbing in a while. Picked up in Colorado Springs, the rich citrus flavors of blood orange and fresh lemon work well with the pine we noticed on the exhale, leaving it balanced. Burning clean, the taste left several samplers going back for more even when clearly feeling the effects off of their first hit. Intensely cerebral initially, it provides a creative effect that’ll have you working on your own chicken recipe, even if you aren’t particularly hungry. Focused mainly in the neck and shoulders, it’ll loosen you up quickly if you’ve spent all day working the fryer.
Active CBD Oil 99% Pure CBD Isolate
Available at: Healing Canna in Colorado Springs.
Hang out in enough parking lots before shows and you’re sure to be offered a healing crystal or two from some super heady dude. We prefer the healing CBD crystals we picked up from Healing Canna in Colorado Springs, one of the most innovative extracts we’ve seen this year. The sparkling white powder checks in at 99 percent CBD, giving you all of chill without any of the head effects. Easy to work with compared to other extracts, it’s also fairly light, so be careful not to breathe too heavily in anticipation. Reviewers loved that they could not only dab it, but also use it for cooking, as it only has a slight cherry flavor that’s unnoticeable when added to a batch of whatever edible you’re making. One in particular loved adding a pinch to their sativa dabs to temper the effects, as this will make you feel very focused and lucid while also helping to decrease anxiety. Also available online at discovercbd.com.
Available wherever: BlueKudu products are carried.
BlueKudu Tierra Del Sol With a famed 300 days of pure, unobstructed light here in Colorado, you could say the Tierra Del Sol—or “land of the sun”—bar is perfect for our bright state. Just avoid leaving it on the dash of your car, lest you plan on drinking it. Coming to us from BlueKudu, this is one bar with a culinary point of view, combining high-end ingredients like metallic gold sugar to create one of the more unique flavor profiles out there. Almost reminiscent of a mole sauce, rich dark chocolate is cut with the bright acidity of lime, and has chili and cinnamon incorporated, giving it a delightful kick in the back of your throat. This is just one of the 10 flavors BlueKudu makes using all-natural ingredients, including free trade chocolate. What you won’t taste is a ton of cannabis, although you’ll definitely feel it. A 10mg square was more than enough for most reviewers, who repeatedly touted a mellow cerebral effect combined with a penetrating, long lasting body relaxation. We found it ideal for sleep, although not implicitly lethargic it could be great to help anyone unwind anytime.
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REVIEWs
Available wherever: iPuff products are carried.
For More Reviews Go To iReadCulture.com
iPuff CBD Vaping is, without a doubt, better for your health than the dangerous combustion caused by smoking. CBD is easily the cannabinoid with the most health benefits—plus, with zero THC, this product is available and legal in all states. Why not combine them for the best of both worlds? Meet iPuff CBD, the vape liquid that’s chocked full of the good stuff your body loves. Available in O.G. Kush, Thin Mint and Tangie, we were impressed at how on point their organic terpenes were compared to flower and loved the aftertaste compared to other liquids on the market. With 250mg of CBD per bottle, it’s one of the best deals out there, especially considering the effects. Two puffs was all it took for most reviewers to note a mood boost, feeling a playful contentedness that washed over them like a warm bath. Ideal for anxiety or panic disorders, its calming effects won’t slow you down or give you any psychoactive effects to worry about.
Available wherever: Mary Jane’s Medicinals products are carried.
Mary Jane’s Medicinals Topical Tincture With harvest time right around the corner, there’s nothing our backs fear more than being slumped over for hours in the garden. Well, except helping your friend on the 4th floor move. No matter the cause, Mary Jane’s Medicinals Topical Tincture has your cure. The tincture eased pain and reduced healing time of injuries. A non-psychoactive blend of cannabis, arnica and peppermint oil, the fast acting infusion knocks out pain quickly and smells great doing it. Plus, we always love when there’s only four ingredients on a bottle, and we can pronounce each one without a master’s in science. For testers that suffer from migraines, the Topical Tincture was a revelation as it could be quickly applied to their temples, neck and forehead to stave off discomfort. On top of that, the bottle is discreet and there’s no cannabis smell, so they could carry it easily for whenever one struck. 36
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3. Kinkajou Bottle Cutter
REVIEWs
For More Products Go To iReadCulture.com
1. Diggit by KOIL
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Portable enough to store in your pocket or throw into a small purse, this all-in-one dab tool is the latest advancement to make dabbing all the more convenient. The Diggit resembles a Swiss army knife, however its G2 titanium dabbing tools ensure it is much more durable, heat resistant and lightweight. Its sleek design is relevant to those who can regularly utilize a dabbing wand, shovel and flathead, complete with a carb cap that fits all nails (up to 18mm). Whether you want to treat yourself to effortless vaping or want to give this revolutionary gift to your favorite dabber, everyone is sure to really Diggit. PRICE: $69.99 MORE INFORMATION: www.koilvape.com
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4. IntegraTM BOOSTTM
2. Bare Conductive Electric Paint Want the power of technological creation at your fingertips? Then there’s no better material to use but Electric Paint. Bare Conductive’s Electric Paint is a technological marvel that’s a dream come true for engineers, designers and all sorts of creators. The paint is made up of an electrically conductive material that turns any surface into a sensor and, with the addition of a Touch Board, can transform data into any desired output, such as movement, sound and light. Choose one of Bare Conductive’s many products kits that are available to both advanced users as well as beginners, and explore the many possibilities that this paint can offer. PRICE: $7.96-$530.63 MORE INFORMATION: bareconductive.com 40
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The world is more concerned about recycling and limiting our waste than ever before, and Bottle Cutting Inc. is helping the world recycle glass, one bottle at a time. Exactly as the name suggests, Bottle Cutting Inc. offers the necessary tools to cut your favorite beer and wine bottles into custom glassware. Kinkajou Bottle Cutter is simple—place the desired bottle locked into the cutter device, create a thin cut by twisting the bottle, apply separation ties around the cut, and alternate between pouring boiling water and cold water over the cut until the glass separates. Lastly, wet the provided diamond pads and sand the edge of the exposed glass, and you have a brand new glass cup, vase or whatever else you desire. PRICE: $13.99-$79.99 MORE INFORMATION: bottlecutting.com
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Storing cannabis can be a challenge when you’re trying to keep the humidity in cannabis containers at a specific percentage, but IntegraTM BOOST TM is here to help. Utilizing patent-pending technology, IntegraTM products are designed to either release or absorb moisture in the form a tiny packet that you place inside your cannabis container. This allows cannabis strains to stay crisp and fresh, which prevents mold from forming, and is said to also preserve the qualities and flavors of both strains as well as edibles. IntegraTM BOOST TM packets are available with either 55 percent or 62 percent relative humidity control, and both are currently available in either 8 gram and 67 gram packages. PRICE: $4-$5.70 per package MORE INFORMATION: www.integra-products.com
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REVIEWs
entertainment
BOOK
Big Book of Buds Greatest Hits: Marijuana Varieties from the World’s Best Breeders Ed Rosenthal Green Candy Press Famed cannabis cultivator, Ed Rosenthal has released his “greatest hits” of buds for the masses. The new Big Book of Buds Greatest Hits takes the best of four volumes, over 400 strains that keep getting planted, year after year. This volume will help you find the strains that work best for different moods, tastes and particular growing conditions. It also provides information about the sensory qualities, the aroma and the effects of each strain. It's a great addition for any cannasseur or grower’s library. (Alex Bradley)
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MOVIE
Rolling Papers Release Date: August 23 Available on: PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One
GAME
Madden NFL 17 Dev. EA Tiburon Pub. EA Sports Another year has passed, and another new and improved Madden game is coming to a console near you! Madden NFL 17 allows players to look forward to the upgraded Franchise Mode, called “Ground Game,” and a new Ball Carrier UI Prompt, alongside a massive list of players to choose from for your various games. This year’s title also brings on Brandon Gaudin and Charles Davis as announcers to spice up each game. (Nicole Potter)
Denver Documentary Collective, Listen Productions Dir. Mitch Dickman
Plenty of things can happen when a state legalizes recreational cannabis, however one most probably wouldn’t expect a major newspaper, The Denver Post, to embrace legalization and starting a cannabis section in their publication with such fervor. Rolling Papers follows the beginnings of The Denver Post’s new endeavor starting with the hiring its Cannabist editor, and recruiting a writing staff. The film both accurately shows the challenges of introducing new print journalism in a digital age as well as the variety of unforeseen regulatory hurdles and confusion in a new era of legalized cannabis. (Simon Weedn)
MUSIC
The Real Ned Flanders 2 A Meazy Self-Released, Streaming through Audiomack A Meazy took Denver by storm this summer with his latest release, The Real Ned Flanders 2. The sequel to The Real Ned Flanders, this record pays homage to his love for The Simpsons, as well as his belief that he’s the “nicest” MC in town, metaphorically speaking. A Meazy spans the spectrum from sexy, downtempo songs to high-power rapping about success and achievement, and does it all with the grace and confidence of someone proud of themselves, but not afraid to take their persona lightly. This record is the perfect summer rap for motivation and inspiration. (Addison HerronWheeler)
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by Paul Rogers
In 1999, Ricky Williams received a $9 million signing bonus for joining the NFL’s New Orleans Saints, yet just five years later was living, by choice, at a $7-a-day campground. Despite earning tens of millions over a 12-year pro football career, the Heisman Trophy winner took time out from being a star Miami Dolphins running back to study massage and acupuncture at a strip-mall college. Such biographical snapshots suggest a man
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who seldom fits NFL-player stereotypes, and since retiring from football in 2012— though he makes “celebrity appearances” and works as an ESPN analyst—is far from an archetypal ex-pro. A cannabis user for much of his professional career, which was blighted by multiple failed drug tests, over just the past year the formerly dreadlocked Williams has evolved from being widely perceived as a stoner NFL underachiever into an outspoken cannabis advocate
and high-profile poster-boy for America’s raging cannabis debate. Growing up in middle-class San Diego, Williams never harbored football ambitions beyond college. Stunning high school stats landed him an athletic scholarship with the University of Texas, where continued sensational form culminated in his being awarded the Heisman Trophy in 1998. Though selected as the fifth pick of the 1999 draft by the Saints, Williams has
said that the happiest time of his NFL career was his first year at the Dolphins, to whom he was traded in 2002. According to Williams, this coincided with his “really” starting to use cannabis, which resulted in his briefly retiring in 2004 and later, while suspended from the league, playing in Canada, before returning to Miami and then the Baltimore Ravens. The now Californiabased Williams has studied everything from Ayurveda to astrology and traveled widely in an apparent journey of introspection and self-improvement. Since first publicly discussing his cannabis use last year, he’s also become increasingly involved in both cannabis advocacy and “cannabusiness,” including becoming a partner in a “cannabis gym” scheduled to open in San Francisco in November. Within seconds, a conversation with Williams reveals an eloquent, extremely intelligent and goal-oriented man who has replaced the constant challenges of pro sports with a plethora of business ventures, lofty personal goals, and stimulating spiritual and philosophical pursuits.
p h o t o s b y J o h n G i l h o o le y
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“I would use cannabis to de-stress, mentally and emotionally for one, and physically dealing with injuries and allowing my body to get healed.” What does a typical week in the life of Ricky Williams look like? Every few days is different. The past few weeks I’ve been traveling a lot. I was at an investor conference in Oakland, and then I was in Miami for a celebrity charity weekend. Then I was in Boston for an autograph signing and then Pennsylvania for a Fourth of July party. Life as an NFL and college football star must have been full of adulation. Has life away from the game ever felt anti-climactic, or are you glad to be out of the spotlight? At the peak of my career, yeah, I was seeking-out adulation, but towards the tail-end . . . I never really enjoyed the adulation. So I don’t miss it, but I think the one thing that I thought I would’ve missed is just the constant activity and the constant challenge . . . But as soon as I jumped into [new ventures], they’re all so different and so new that they keep me stimulated, and they keep me inspired and, to me, that’s the most important thing. You work as a football analyst for ESPN’s Longhorn Network. Do you ever want to pull on a helmet and join the game? I enjoy the more relaxed role but, especially watching
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the University of Texas play football, I feel like I want to jump out there and coach more than I want to put a helmet on. So do you have professional coaching ambitions? I don’t. I coached at a college for a year, and I enjoyed it, I loved it, but it takes up so much of your time at that level that I think I’d get bored. You’re a very spiritual man. How did this help you through the rollercoaster of a pro football career? I think the idea behind spirituality is that you don’t get so attached to the everyday goings-on of your life, and you don’t get too attached to your personality. When times became the most difficult I would rise above the situation and look down and get a better sense of what the right move is . . . I think ultimately spiritual connection or spirituality gives you optimism and faith that you can deal with anything. You’re also a qualified yoga instructor. Why would you recommend yoga? The way our society is, I think it’s easy to become disconnected from your life and from your body—and also from your emotions . . . Yoga is a way to bring those things back together.
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You’ve studied Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of holistic medicine. What did this bring to your life and do you still adhere to its teachings? After I retired . . . I needed to find something to do. I needed to develop a skill, and so I started studying Ayurveda, and I just love the philosophy behind it. The tenants and the philosophy are . . . a part of my life, and I think they will be a part of my life until I die. You had glittering careers in both college and pro football, but were the college years the more enjoyable for you? For sure. When I was a kid, I dreamed of being a college football player—I didn’t have aspirations to play in the NFL. Unfortunatelyslash-fortunately I had so much success in college, it became the next logical step to go and play in professional football. But, by far, I enjoyed college much more.
Why was that? The tradition, the genuine love for the game; the fact that it was integrated into school, so it easily integrated into your life. When you go from high school to college, you choose which college to go to, and in the NFL they choose you. So I think the freedom to put myself in an environment that I knew I could thrive in definitely made the college football experience more enjoyable. You’re a partner in what’s billed as “the world’s first cannabis gym,” Power Plant Fitness, which opens in San Francisco in November. Just what is a “cannabis gym,” and why were you keen to be involved? It’s not only a gym—it’s really about wellness, and I think a large part of wellness . . . is exercise. I thought “people don’t have a place to go and practice wellness— cannabis users don’t have a place to practice wellness,” and so I wanted to create one.
“I think that I’m a great example . . . My life was almost ruined and I was able, using cannabis, to turn my life around, and now I stand here as an advocate and am really pushing for reform.” 50
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What will be your day-to-day involvement with Power Plant Fitness? I’ll definitely be a part of running Power Plant, but more specifically I’ll be teaching classes, and I’ll be offering services—I’m craniosacral therapist, massage therapist, and I’m an astrologer—and I can also see myself even doing some personal training. CBS Sports recently described you as “arguably the most famous pot-smoker in NFL history.” Does this association get annoying for you, or are you now proud to be an advocate for cannabis, particularly in the context of sports? It was annoying for a long time and I think just in the last year I’ve realized, as hard as I try, I’m not going to be able to escape it. So I try to embrace it more. And it’s been overwhelmingly surprising to me—it’s really added a lot to my life. Purely as an athlete, how was cannabis beneficial to you—in terms of, say recovering from injuries, mental focus, and relaxation off the field? Those are the three main benefits that I received as an athlete. I would use cannabis to de-stress, mentally and emotionally for one, and physically dealing with injuries and allowing my body to get healed. I used cannabis before I’d practice yoga at the end of a night—one, to let go of the mental stress, but also to help deepen my breathing practice; my yoga practice. And it really allowed me to put the events of the day behind and get a good night’s sleep and wake up prepared to go and address the next day. You’ve previously expressed that you were deeply fearful, during your NFL career, of your cannabis use being made public, yet these days you’re very public cannabis advocate. Does this shift in your attitude reflect that of American society, or has it been a purely personal journey? I think it’s both. I think society becoming more open to it has facilitated my internal openness to it. The first time that I spoke publicly about my cannabis use was less than a year ago . . . I was blown away by how cathartic, how healing it was for me personally, but even more so I realized how much of an impact me speaking honestly about my cannabis use made on other people, and it’s been extremely rewarding.
You’ve reportedly been diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. How has cannabis helped you to curb its symptoms and continue to work in often public roles? I’ve always been a rather reserved, introverted person . . . Using cannabis really helped me to be okay with being introspective—it allowed me to become more skillful at being introspective and to understand that I’m just an aware, sensitive person and not to take things so personally. You’ve been reported as saying that cannabis was a better treatment for you than a major prescription drug because it produced fewer side effects. Would you care to expand upon that? The main side-effect I experienced from using cannabis . . . was the fact that it was illegal and there was a big stigma around it.
“Now that we realize that cannabis isn’t so bad as we were once told and that there are people using it responsibly and using it in ways that allow them to be better football players . . . [the NFL] should reconsider their stance.”
[Paxil] made me more numb and made it difficult to focus . . . It made being a football player more difficult, and I just got tired of feeling out of it. What are your feelings toward attitudes to and rules regarding cannabis use in pro sports, particularly in the NFL? I think their head’s in the right place and what they’re trying to do is right—meaning finding people that have a problem. I was put into the [NFL] drug program and I feel like I was treated like a criminal and wasn’t helped at all. So I think . . . there is a correlation between cannabis use and behavior that’s embarrassing to the NFL [or] criminal behavior. Aside from finding THC metabolites in my urine, I was for the most part a model citizen for the NFL. Now that we realize that cannabis isn’t so bad as we were once told and that there are people using it responsibly and using it in ways that allow them to be better football players . . . [the NFL] should reconsider their stance. What are your thoughts on current cannabis legislation in the United States? It’s moving in the right direction . . . Politicians are having conversations about it [and] there are even politicians that are pro-legalization . . . [They’re] doing a good job of representing their constituents. My guess is in the next 10 years it will be federally legal for adult use, and I think it’s a wonderful thing. You were recently quoted as saying that “my career and life were almost ruined because of a drug test.” But do you now feel that your association with cannabis has also put you at the forefront of a booming business and of a history-making social movement? There was a point where I was on the verge of being, at least it felt for me, forever associated with being the stoner who walked away from millions of dollars and ruined his life. But I used cannabis to actually improve my life and to be able to come back and finish my career. I think that I’m a great example . . . My life was almost ruined and I was able, using cannabis, to turn my life around, and now I stand here as an advocate and am really pushing for reform. c
@rickthelaureate
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Cannabis Practice Four MMJ doctors sue Colorado after their licenses are suspended by Jamie Solis
Four doctors in Colorado are suing the state after facing disciplinary action for allegedly over-prescribing the number of cannabis plants that each of their patients could legally grow. According to The Denver Post, the four medical cannabis doctors were suspended by Colorado’s Medical Board. It was alleged that the doctors recommended at least 75 and in one case up to 501 cannabis plants per patient to more than 1,500 patients. This large number of plants per patient is compared to the standard plant recommendation of only six for medical cannabis patients. However, doctors do have the authority to prescribe more plants when they believe there is a medical need to do so. Although a larger amount of cannabis is required to make edibles and concentrates, the Medical Board feared recommending such large amounts of plants for one
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patient could encourage black market sales and huge grow operations, especially when patients are able to transfer their allotted plant count to a legitimate caretaker. This is the first time the Medical Board has taken disciplinary action on multiple medical cannabis doctors at one time. Their suspension was temporarily blocked by Judge Ross Buchanan of Denver, however the doctors are still prohibited from giving out any more recommendations for medical cannabis until the conclusion of their cases. The doctors were suspended without prior notice, and at the same time of their scrutiny and suspension, the Medical Board asked for each doctor’s medical records to confirm their allegations. Judge Buchanan posed this question, “If they’re the first physicians, and they literally find out the morning they’re told to stop practicing, that isn’t fair, is it?”
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According to The Denver Post, the four doctors claim that the Colorado Medical Board made an unwritten rule about the number of recommended plants that a doctor should recommend, and they arbitrarily chose 75. Courthouse News Service reported that the doctors say the rule is in violation of
order had never been noticed to the public or the plaintiffs.” The Medical Board’s attorney, Russell Klein, responded to these claims by sharing that the board had the authority “to determine whether certain actions by physicians meet the standard of care.” The names of the four doctors are Dr. Gentry Dunlop, Dr. Robert Maiocco, Dr. Deborah Parr and Dr. William Stone. The doctors may continue by proceeding forward with their lawsuit against Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, or they can request a hearing before the board. The physicians would like to see the unwritten 75-plant policy voided, and they would like to get their licenses back. c
“This is the first time the Medical Board has taken disciplinary action on multiple medical cannabis doctors at one time.” Colorado’s Open Meetings law, the state’s medical cannabis law, the Colorado Constitution, free speech clauses of the United States and Colorado, among others. Furthermore, the doctors’ legal team said, “The rule identified in the suspension
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The evolution of cannabis therapies and its legality in the world of sports by Addison Herron-Wheeler
For years, Americans have been claiming that Marx got it wrong; religion is not the opiate of the masses, sports is. According to a recent Gallop poll, about 59 percent of Americans are sports fans. The U.S. defines a great deal of our lives by what sport is in season, and hobbyists and enthusiasts are fanatic about favorite teams. So, it is no surprise that during the drug war days, many good athletes made public statements against cannabis use. After all, they served as role models for children and represent the face of America. However, the reality of life as a professional athlete is not the all-American fairytale people tell little boys and girls. Activities like professional wrestling and football take a serious toll on the body and can result in major and long-term injury. For this reason, many pro-athletes have gotten hooked on prescription painkillers, which can be
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dangerous and fatal. Not to mention, the sponsorship of many major sports by beer companies who know that their target demographic loves to crack a cold one and watch the game creates a hypocritical double-standard. For these reasons, athletes are starting to be more vocal about their cannabis use. However, the lingering negative stigma of cannabis has still been a hard one to shake in the world of professional sports. Recently, former NFL player Nate Jackson of the Broncos spoke out in favor of cannabis reform. Jackson claimed that about 50-60 percent of NFL players use cannabis, and he explained that it helped keep him off of opiates and other highly addictive drugs when dealing with recovery from injuries. He appeared on the cover of CULTURE in 2014, and talked openly about his support of cannabis as medicine.
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CULTURE also caught up with former San Diego Charger and San Francisco 49er Marques Harris to get his perspective as an ex-NFL-starturned-cannabis-activist. Harris feels so strongly about the benefits of cannabis for athletes that he has started his own non-profit. “I believe cannabis and CBD oil have a huge future in all sports,” he told us. “People like myself don’t just believe in cannabis because we think it’s cool; people like myself believe in cannabis because there have already been so many proven stories that have changed people’s lives.” It appears cannabis could provide a healthy alternative to the use of prescription drugs. However, the NFL still refuses to endorse cannabis or prescribe it as a medical treatment, despite how many players have come out and said that it helps them. Similarly, this kind of denial of a problem and of cannabis as a solution is going on with the MMA. Because fighters sustain so many injuries, it is often necessary to turn to an alternative medicine source like cannabis to treat chronic pain and avoid turning to addictive pills instead. According to MMA Mania, Joe Rogan explained that most MMA players are choosing to use cannabis as an alternative. “A tremendous amount of UFC fighters smoke pot,” he explained to MMA Mania. “I mean, a massive amount where it’s a huge issue with them involving drug tests, you know, where they have to stop smoking weed for the last four weeks or so in order to pass drug tests.” While these UFC-mandated drug tests are meant to catch those using steroids, they do not make any allowances for using cannabis, and those who are caught with the substance in their systems are still subject to suspension and being treated like drug addicts and criminals. Many other professional sports also prohibit the use of cannabis, although the standards are not as strict. In the world of American golf, the PGA’s Anti-Doping Policy considers cannabinoids to be a recreational drug. Although cannabis is not considered to be performance-enhancing, the Tour does hold players who test positive accountable but do not publicly disclose cannabis-related violations. However, the Tour only tests for a certain threshold of cannabis in a player’s system, which discourages use during competition, but not necessarily the use 60
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“People like myself don’t just believe in cannabis because we think it’s cool; people like myself believe in cannabis because there have already been so many proven stories that have changed people’s lives.” of cannabis many weeks prior. Major League Baseball (MLB) and The National Basketball Association (NBA) may have the most reasonable policies regarding the use of cannabis by their players. NBA lists cannabis as one of its “Drugs of Abuse,” however the penalties for cannabis compared to other listed drugs were more relaxed. While a player who tests positive for a “Drug of Abuse” could be dismissed and disqualified from the NBA, players who test positive for cannabis the first time are subjected to enter a Marijuana Program. Players won’t receive a five-game suspension until they test positive for cannabis a third time. The MLB’s Joint Drug Agreement (JDA) may list THC, hashish and cannabis as “Drugs of Abuse,” however the JDA also gives special treatment to cannabis. Under Section 7.D of the JDA, players will face a 15-25 game suspension for their first violation of drug abuse, however if a player is tests positive for cannabis, they
will instead be placed in the MLB’s drug treatment program. The same can’t be said for the minor leagues, which are still notorious for suspending players who test positive for cannabis. While the rest of the U.S. continues to move towards legalization and acceptance of cannabis, the world of professional sports lags a bit behind, just like the states that refuse to get with the times and at least consider a medical or decriminalization program. However, as professional athletes become more and more vocal about their cannabis use, this issue is going to get harder and harder to ignore. c
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Crossing Borders and Boundaries for Cannabis and Health KC Linton’s journey to health through cannabis by Addison Herron-Wheeler
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The Lintons were poised to raise the perfect, all-American family. Courtney and Kenneth Linton were high school sweethearts and newlyweds living in their home state of Iowa, where they lived near family and friends and had two smart and energetic boys. Their oldest son, KC, sometimes experienced what they called a “shivershake,” where his arm would jolt abruptly or his head would jerk back, but they considered it a minor quirk. When they realized that these shivers were not going away, however, and were in fact becoming far more frequent and severe, everything changed for the Linton family. “KC was failed by medication after medication,” Courtney Linton explained in an exclusive interview with CULTURE. “When we knew he had epilepsy we felt confident things would get better, but it just got worse. We painfully saw KC slip away into a zombielike state.
His eyes were vacant, his learning stopped. He lived in a world revolving around medicines, blood draws and EEGs. He withdrew and developed autistic traits.” From there, things only got more unmanageable. KC could not get a clear diagnosis— doctors claimed he had intractable epilepsy, or “encephalopathy of unknown etiology,” epilepsy with no known cause. The Linton’s were told that KC had a 50/50 chance of SUDEP, Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy, and they were in fear for his life all the time. They also tried all kinds of extreme treatments, including the ketogenic diet, a very low-carb diet designed to make the brain use fat instead of glucose as an energy source. No medications were working for him, and KC was having up to hundreds of seizures per day. Doctors recommended a surgery that would sever the connection between the left and right hemispheres of KC’s brain.
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The severity of their situation drove the family to consider cannabis as an option for treatment. They began watching videos of known success stories like Charlotte Figi and Zaki Johnson, and saw hope on the horizon. As a physician assistant, Courtney was well-versed in medical lingo and started reading up on studies to support the validity of these feel-good stories. The information she found clearly showed her that cannabis has a lot of medical capabilities that aren’t being explored by mainstream medicine. They began to plan a trip to Colorado, where they could try the medicine and see if it helped KC. However, just before they left, the Linton family was visited by a social worker concerned with the bruises found on KC at school. Confused, Courtney responded that the bruises were from the seizing and playing, but
“When we knew he had epilepsy we felt confident things would get better, but it just got worse. We painfully saw KC slip away into a zombielike state. His eyes were vacant, his learning stopped. He lived in a world revolving around medicines, blood draws and EEGs.” it was soon revealed that the social worker had been tipped off that the Linton’s wanted to try cannabis as a treatment. “He talked about how KC could be taken away if we even gave this a try,” Courtney revealed about their visit from social services. “I was in shock. My husband and I had devoted everything we had to our son. We then had to painfully go through an interrogation where our love for our child and our parenting skills were held in question; it felt like we were on trial. He left us in a state of extreme fear, and we developed a severe distrust of others. It was honestly one of the worst days of my life.” Spurred to action by this, the Linton family fled to Colorado to live temporarily and try the medicine. KC immediately began showing improvement with Charlotte’s Web
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oil. The seizures did not magically go away, but KC began having up to five days in a row seizure-free, and also stopped being depressive and withdrawn. He began to hike, run around, play, joke and make comments about the mountains, snow and nature surrounding him. The Linton family then returned to Iowa to be with their family. They have a medical card and are using the strain known as Haleigh’s Hope. Although Iowa limits the potency of the medicine to three percent, and forces families to get the product and bring it across state lines in order to medicate, KC continues to improve and have far fewer seizures than before he began treatment, and he much prefers swallowing a few drops of oil to taking the multitude of harsh medications he was using before. Because of their great success with cannabis, the
family tries to advocate for its use whenever possible. They are trying to help encourage senators to vote “yes” on the CARERs Act that would allow for better access to medical cannabis on a national level. “Marijuana and cannabis are common words in our household,” Courtney explains. “We try to educate whomever will listen. I am certain that with continued education, public support will only continue to grow. In turn, this will fuel government change and research. It’s not easy speak out in small town America where mindsets are slow to change, and you have some people looking at you like you’re a drug addict or pothead for speaking the ‘m’ word.” “We continue to battle epilepsy daily but life has become much more manageable,” she adds. “KC’s seizures are now occurring only during his sleep a few nights per week. Currently, KC has been living a relatively normal life. He has missed barely any school since starting cannabis oil whereas he was absent more than present previously. He is a good kid. He loves his family, pets and home. He has good days and bad, but the runs we have of good days are amazing.” c
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Industry Insider “It was second nature to develop programs for Oaksterdam University, and we immediately realized we needed to take it on the road as well. Not everyone can get to southern California.”
Dale Sky Jones of Oaksterdam University
by R. Scott Rappold
The doctor was lost somewhere in Compton. It was 2008, during one of the first classes at a fledgling Oaksterdam University, and the lost doctor was supposed to be speaking about the benefits and use of medical cannabis. Dale Sky Jones wasn’t a doctor, nor had she stayed at a Holiday Inn Express the night before. But she did manage a group of medical-cannabis doctors in
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Orange County, and she was asked to step up. “I went through the syllabus and realized it was pretty much what I said to patients all the time, except I got to say a little more, which was exciting for me, and off we went,” said Jones, 41, who was in the classroom as a volunteer facilitator, “a fly on the wall,” as she puts it. “I did not miss another science class in L.A. for the next three years, come hell or high water.”
From that chance beginning, Jones went on to become executive chancellor of a cannabis school with more than 25,000 alumni. She has also become one of the most prominent advocates of medical cannabis in California and around the country. At Oaksterdam University, she says, it’s about a lot more than learning how to grow your own cannabis.
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Cannabis activist Richard Lee had started Oaksterdam in 2007, the first cannabis school in the U.S., inspired by a growing school in Amsterdam he’d visited. But he took it further, adding legal rights and advocacy to the cultivation curriculum. Jones got involved as a volunteer after Lee opened a Los Angeles satellite campus, leading to the aforementioned lost doctor episode. “It was an obvious overlay because training was always my favorite thing to do in the corporations I worked for, developing people. It was second nature to develop programs for Oaksterdam University, and we immediately realized we needed to take it on the road as well. Not everyone can get to southern California,” she said. The curriculum continued to expand as well. A day of legalese preceded the first seed-planting lesson.
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Rock ‘N Roll Upbringing
Jones’ first cannabis experience was the smell wafting from her mother’s bedroom—not that she knew it at the time. Her mother, a popular radio host, ran in hippie circles, and when she married Don Brewer, drummer for the classic rock band Grand Funk Railroad, it became a rock-and-roll household. Young people often rebel against their parents, and in Jones’ case, that meant getting a job in the corporate world. She worked for a shoe company, ran her own restaurant, along with other gigs in the service industry. She smoked cannabis from the age of 20, but was very much in the closet. Her career took her to California, where voters in 1996 had approved a first-of-its-kind legalization of medical cannabis. She began to consider the possibilities of this burgeoning industry, and in 2007 left the corporate life to manage a group of medical-cannabis doctors. It became a journey of self-discovery, as one of the doctors in the group helped her understand how cannabis could benefit her. She had long suffered from random vomiting episodes a few times each year, sometimes requiring hospitalization. Cannabis, she learned, could combat the nausea. “After all of these years of getting hooked up to IVs for the vomiting, I realized I actually had a condition. [The doctor] was the one who helped me not only identify my condition but find what the triggers were and to avoid them, and that cannabis could actually keep me out of the hospital,” Jones said. She became a true believer.
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Into a Black Hole
Doctors prescribing cannabis in California in these early days, before the explosion of dispensaries and cannabis clubs, had strict legal shackles. Working in the office, meeting the patients, Jones realized just how limited they were. Patients, she said, “walked into a black hole once they walked out of the doctor’s office. The doctors themselves were disallowed from explaining to their patients where to find safe medicine, what medicine to take or how much. They could talk about different methods of ingestion, and that it might help them, but that was the limit.”
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“These are the folks, the Oaksterdam alumni, who are going out and changing the world, and they are who I am most proud of. They’re the ones who carry the flag.”
K.
Know Your Rights
“When our classes first started, they were geared toward being a qualified patient, what are our rights and responsibilities, how to have successful law enforcement encounters,” she said. “It depended both on where you live and what badge you come in contact with can greatly change your day, your life and your future.” After that session, students could begin what they came for, the planting. “This is one place you can come and get your hands dirty, literally muddy, as you are planting the seeds, a la kindergarten where you’re planting your little sprout. You plant a sprout too. It’s just a cannabis sprout. Having the opportunity to see a living garden and go through it step by step while you’re growing your own garden, our 14 weeks match your 14 weeks, and you get that step-by-step, one-on-one.” But among students, there was a powerful thirst for more knowledge. Lessons were added on cannabis extractions and how to judge bud quality. Then courses were added on how to get a job in the industry and start your own business. Oaksterdam became a place where people networked and met business partners, or in Jones’ case, her life partner. They took the classes on the road, up and down the East Coast, to the Midwest and Jamaica and elsewhere. Oaksterdam launched an online course. The 25,000-plus graduates hail from 30 different countries, Jones said. Many of the alumni became the next generation of cannabis advocates. That’s what Jones is most proud of, even as Oaksterdam became the nation’s premiere cultivation school. “We have trained the gladiators that have gone out into that good night and made it happen . . . The 25,000 people I talked about did not just go back to their closet and grow. They showed up, just like we asked them to, whether it was city council, to vote out a poor elected official and vote in a good one, to help write good policy, whether it’s the young man who is working on the Florida initiative, my graduate from 2010, or the people who helped get New York passed, who were graduates from 2009.” “These are the folks, the Oaksterdam alumni, who are going out and changing the world, and they are who I am most proud of. They’re the ones who carry the flag.” c
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“I mean cannabis is a constant theme in my music. I love blunts, I love backwoods—I smoke ‘em when I’m writing; I write about smoking them; I smoke when I record.”
No Boundaries Saint George creates unique rap music influenced by gender identity and cannabis by Addison Herron-Wheeler Hip-hop is a medium that can be used to express identity, free from the confines that other genres with more “rules” present. Saint George is an amazing example of rap today knowing no boundaries. He crossdresses, he brings up many interesting topics with his lyrical content, and he draws influence from across the board. Recently, CULTURE caught up with Saint Gorge, AKA Phil Matthews, to hear his thoughts on gender identity, rap, cannabis and being genderqueer. Saint George got his start with the local rap group Sap Boys, who started up when his friend bought a high-quality microphone. He dabbled in rap on an amateur level as a high schooler and realized he could get back into it once he started rapping with his friends. “I would describe my sound as being a sarcastic, bordering on misanthropic, queer interpretation of trap, with a heavy push on cult horror movies, bondage and drug use,” Saint George stated. “I don’t really know about the hip-hop scene in Denver—people tell me that it exists but I never see it. I don’t really try to make positive or conscious 70
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hip-hop, but I feel like for having a really raw scene that has sick all-night warehouse turnouts and dope underground rap shows, I feel like that is really lacking.” Saint George also shared that his influences run from the rapping styles of Das Racist and Eshon to doom metal, and he is familiar and comfortable with the “darker, more horrific side” of rap music. Saint George incorporates crossdressing into his image, juxtaposing harsh lyrics with a feminine and often garishly glamorous appearance. He sees this as an homage to the women he admires for being beautiful. Although Saint George is not transgender and identifies as male, he can appreciate the work and effort that goes into the feminine aesthetic. “Some of my major style icons and some of my best friends who influenced me are women,” he explained, “so they have perfect eyebrows, makeup, and I’ve always thought that was cool as fuck. To me that was just another way to be dope, so as far as the gender expression factors into my music, I think it’s just a way of sort of using what is the standard language within hiphop as a way to be sort of transgressive.”
When it comes to cannabis, Saint George is an advocate, but recognizes that the cannabis industry needs to be more inclusive of minorities and lowerincome individuals. “I mean cannabis is a constant theme in my music,” he stated. “I love blunts, I love backwoods—I smoke ‘em when I’m writing; I write about smoking them; I smoke when I record.” “I think that economically it’s a net positive, but I really don’t agree with how easy it is for outside investors to come in to a neighborhood like RiNo,” he continued. “First it’s dispensaries and art galleries, and then you have one really successful dispensary or art gallery or vegan market, and all of the sudden, the neighborhood has been revitalized, and who is benefitting from that? It doesn’t seem to be benefitting Colorado’s poor; it just seems to be benefitting the gentrification of Colorado. I wish that more of the money would be fed directly back to the communities.” c www.datpiff.com/profile/SaintGeorge
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culture growing RECIPES UNKNOWN
July garden plus hash making by Ed Rosenthal
The New Plants
It was the end of June and the 4’ x 8’ space in the greenhouse was empty. A friend of mine had some extra Purple Pineapple plants that he passed on to me. This variety has a unique quality; when it gets more than four hours of darkness it initiates flowering. I collected the plants near the end of June. They were in 6” containers. I added nylon wicks to the bottom of each container to make them self-watering by drawing water from the reservoir below. The 25 plants were about 15” high. They were growing outdoors during the day to get the sun’s free rays and then before sundown were placed in an indoor space illuminated by high-pressure-sodium (HPS) lamps. Thus they received light constantly. As soon as I placed them in the greenhouse on June 22, the longest day of the year, the plants started to flower because they were receiving only about 15 hours of light and
nine of darkness. No light deprivation was needed. In order to keep them from flowering I would have had to interrupt the dark cycle with light on an hourly basis. The additional light that I am giving the plants is a 1000-watt HPS lamp on a light mover that is placed about 15” over the canopy. It is supplementing the natural light when the greenhouse is in shade, from 8am to 12noon and then from 3pm-6pm, controlled by a timer. This will help the plants develop bigger, more potent buds. They should be ready to harvest in another six weeks.
Making Dry Ice Hash
One of my favorite concentrates is dry ice hash. It is made from the trichomes that hold the cannabinoids and can be made from leaf trim or bud nugs. The process takes little equipment, virtually no “set-up” time, is very safe, requires little time and effort, uses no chemicals such as butane or other solutes and results in a very pure product. You will need dry-ice, a bubble bag with a 160-200 mesh screen, a pair of thick canvas or cotton gloves
TIP OF THE MONTH FROM ASK ED® Are you growing plants outdoors? Do you have some that are favorites, even while they are growing? Now is the time to start preserving the genetics. If you take clones of each plant, then when you’ve decided the best (after harvest), you can keep those that deserve another chance to enjoy summer. If you are using males for breeding, make sure to clone them too for future use.
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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Summer Interlude
and a container that the bag fits over. Aside from the cannabis the only other ingredient used is dry ice. Dry ice is the solid form of CO2. It doesn’t go through a liquid stage just evaporates to a gas, leaving no residue. The ice is very cold (-1090F) and will hurt your skin, so always wear gloves when handling it. I used a small kit that included a plastic container and a screen bag with insulated sides that fits over it and zips up. It had handles attached that came in handy during the process. I placed several ice cubes in the screen bag, and then I added a few ounces of chopped, not ground, trim and nugs. I shook the bag a few seconds, screen up, to mix it. I let it sit for a few minutes so the grass got cold and rigid. Once I started shaking the bag and container the trichomes slammed up against the screen, broke free of the vegetation and fell through quite easily. They landed in a whitish golden pile as the CO2 gas vapors formed dissipating white clouds. As I shook the container three times each for 30 seconds, I kept each pile separate. As they started to turn green I noticed the first pile was the cleanest. After testing, this hash should only be used for edibles. c
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The plants in the greenhouse get supplemental light during the day.
A. Before pruning.
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B. The plants were pruned of extraneous vegetation to center their energy on growing buds.
Young buds. The plants were forced to flower about two weeks ago.
All the ingredients required to make dry ice hash.
The vapors form clouds as the hash is shaken. The plants will use the CO2 if the shake takes place in the garden.
Instant gratification. Pile of hash ready to use.
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growing
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if you go:
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Time to Go: August Weather: Low 70s to high 80s, with occasional rain Budget: $$$$$
Riding the Cannabis Waves in Hawaii by Sheryll Alexander
While Hawaii and cannabis have been synonymous with high potency cannabis strains and a pervasive stoner’s paradise culture, the reality of cannabis-friendly travel today to Hawaii is quite different. That’s because Hawaii became a medical cannabis state way back in 2000 when legislators made it legal for the now 14,000 registered cannabis patients to grow up to seven plants, but did not set up a system of California-like cannabis dispensaries. Until now. In fact, July 2016 will go down as a banner month and year for Hawaii as a long-awaited system of medical cannabis dispensaries are now a go (although most are still awaiting federal inspection and
may not open until summer’s end, fall or even winter). Hopefully by year’s end, Hawaii’s residents can shop at eight brand spanking new state-licensed cannabis dispensaries with lab tested products. Oahu won big with Aloha Green, Manoa Botanicals and Cure Oahu taking the top prize in what seemed to be a Hawaiian “medical marijuana lottery,” which is home to tourist-filled Honolulu and millions of stressed-out locals. The Big Island of Hawaii will soon have two dispensaries: Hawaiian Ethos and Lau Ola. Kona is cannabis central on the big island and is home to legendary medical cannabis strains such as Kona Kush, Kona Gold and Purple Kona.
Maui Wellness Group and Pono Life Sciences Maui will be this island’s first two cannabis dispensaries on what is known as Hawaii’s most romantic and cannabis-friendly island. Maui has also been dubbed a “stoner’s paradise” for its artisanally-grown flower buds. Tiny Kauai was gifted with just one cannabis dispensary, Green Aloha. Reminisce about Kauai and cannabis history with a trip to the North Shore’s Ha’ena National Park that once was part of the ’60s era, clothing optional Taylor Camp. Ready to go legal when traveling to Hawaii? There’s still a long way to go when it comes to Hawaii and legalization, but a more carefree aloha seems to be on its way for all travelers sooner rather than later. c
Fun-Filled Facts Maui is home to a cannabis-based religion. Tourists can visit medical cannabis activist and now Reverend Roger Christie’s THC Ministry for a “cannabis sacrament” based on Biblical sacred anointing oil recipes. 1
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Cannabis is known locally as pakalolo as described by none other than President Obama who mentioned it in his autobiography about his teenhood toking days in Hawaii. 2
While Hawaii has had both a famous and infamous hemp and high-THC cannabis cultivation culture, the Hawaiian Islands are a travel conundrum for medical cannabis patients. Given Hawaii’s remote island location thousands of miles from “the mainland” (aka The West Coast), virtually every tourist flies into just three main airport hubs: Honolulu, Hilo and Kona. This, of course, means flying with your fully legal medical cannabis medications can result in severe consequences including stiff federal fines and potential jail time. However, Hawaii is finally coming around with at least eight legal cannabis dispensaries set to officially open by the end of the year. But with California potentially going legal in 2016, Hawaiian residents, growers, tourists and even the state’s now pro-cannabis politicians are wondering why they are keeping themselves out of the lucrative legal cannabis and hemps markets. It is rather easy to obtain cannabis for travelers, although discretion is advised as driving under the influence can get you a DUI, and possessing less than one ounce can get you charged with a misdemeanor, a $1,000 fine and possible jail time.
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culture growing RECIPES UNKNOWN DESTINATION COURAGE IN PROFILE 76
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Chilton Brown
Age: 28 Condition/ Illness: Depression/ Anxiety Using Medical Cannabis Since: June 2014
Why did you start using cannabis? I started using cannabis daily in 2014 as a result of losing my insurance. When I quit my job to relocate to another state, I was on a daily regimen of Wellbutrin and Xanax to combat severe depression and social anxiety. Shortly after moving, I had a close friend suggest I try medical cannabis, instead of prescriptions. I have found a personal balance of how cannabis helps me cope with everyday life, feelings and emotions. This is something pharmaceuticals never did. Not only have I not fallen back into a hole of depression but I have rediscovered passion and love for life again. Did you try other methods or treatments before cannabis? I was taking antidepressants and mood stabilizers per my initial doctor’s recommendations. It was a roller coaster of emotions and balance before finding the right type of medications that worked for me without causing major side effects.
What’s the most important issue or problem facing medical cannabis patients? One of the biggest problems medical marijuana patients face is misinformation coupled with the harmful stigma and stereotype it holds. With current federal law stating cannabis is a Schedule I controlled substance there is an invisible label of “hard drugs” that has been attached to a harmless plant. By rescheduling cannabis we can start to save valuable time, money and public resources by addressing the flawed judicial system laws regarding non-violent cannabis offenses. What do you say to folks that are skeptical about cannabis as medicine? With all the misinformation that was taught to us and attached to cannabis from an early age, I understand the secondary view of skeptics. I simply ask for everyone to not judge so quickly and do your research, ask questions, get involved and put yourself in other’s shoes. I don’t claim to have all the answers, but we can start by raising awareness, asking the hard questions and then researching the answers. 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.
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culture growing
Culinary Adventures in August
A United States Army veteran, Chef Nugs found passion in food after his time in the army, and graduated from Le Cordon Bleu culinary school. With years of experience as a line cook for world renowned chefs such as Iron Chef Eric Greenspan, Kris Morningstar, Sacha Lyon and Rob Tester, he has crafted his own unique style of cooking and fabricating world class cannabis-infused cuisine. Chef Nugs now owns and operates a line of medicated condiments called Stoney Sauces and a line of medicated seasonings called Stoney Seasonings to help people find new
Menu: Cannabis-Infused Asian Burger
Cannabis-Infused Goat Cheese, Beet and Citrus Salad
This month, Chef Nugs created inspired and interesting summer recipes to enliven your senses and satisfy your palate with a fusion of international and regional recipes. These easy-to-create recipes utilize his line of medicated sauces, and are perfect dishes for any summer night.
4 servings | 150mg
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Cannabis-Infused Asian Burger Ingredients:
COURAGE
1 pound ground beef 1/4 cup chopped green onion 2 tablespoons Stoney Sauce Hoisin Sauce 1 tablespoon Stoney Sauce Cannaracha 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger Salt and ground black pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate. Mix ground beef, green onion, hoisin sauce, sriracha sauce, sesame oil, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, ginger, salt and black pepper together in a bowl until thoroughly combined. Divide meat mixture into quarters; form each portion into a patty. Grill on the preheated grill until meat is browned and light pink inside, about 8 minutes per side. Plate with bun and garnish burger with a green onion, carrot slaw and a fried egg.
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and tasty ways to medicate at home. They range in flavors from olive oil, truffle oil, soy sauce, terpiyaki glaze, bbq sauce, dabatio, cannaracha, dabassco, canna ketchup, wing sauce, to dabjin, carne rub, seasoning salt and garlic powder.
recipes by Chef Nugs
UNKNOWN
RECIPES
Cannabis-Infused Summer Gazpacho
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 growing
Border Burger Bar
RECIPES
819 Manitou Ave., Manitou Springs (719) 685-3287 www.borderburgerbar.com
Directions:
UNKNOWN
Preheat oven to 375° F. Wrap each beet in two layers of aluminum foil and place onto a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until the beets are tender, about 1 hour and 20 minutes. Allow the beets to cool slightly, and then remove the skins. Let the beets cool to room temperature, or refrigerate until cold. Once cooled, thinly slice the beets. Place arugula into a large mixing bowl. Add the sliced beets, sprinkle with the shallots, pine nuts and goat cheese. In a separate bowl, whisk together the olive oil, apple cider vinegar, orange juice, salt and pepper until emulsified, and pour over the salad mixture. Toss well and serve.
4 servings | 150mg
Cannabis-Infused Summer Gazpacho Ingredients: 1 red bell pepper 2 cloves garlic 1 cucumber 2 stalks celery 1 small red onion 2 plum tomatoes 1 lemon, juiced 1 large bunch parsley
Directions:
1 large bunch fresh basil 1 cup tomato juice ¼ cup balsamic vinegar ¼ cup Stoney Sauce Olive Oil ¼ tsp salt ¼ tsp pepper
Roughly chop all vegetables then place in a large bowl with the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, lemon juice, tomato juice, salt, pepper and herbs. Toss until thoroughly covered. Transfer to a food processor or blender and puree until just smooth (you can do this in batches). Ladle into bowls and top with fresh basil and an extra drizzle of extra virgin olive oil. Gazpacho will keep in a covered tupperware container for up to three days in the fridge. 80
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2 shallots, chopped 1/2 cup pine nuts 1 (4 ounce) package goat cheese, crumbled 1/4 cup Stoney Sauce Olive Oil 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar 3 tablespoons fresh squeezed orange juice 4 cups arugula Salt and pepper to taste
Restaurant 415
415 S Mason Ave., Fort Collins (970) 407-0415 www.thefourfifteen.com
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Ingredients:
Linger
2030 W 30th Ave., Denver (303) 993-3120 www.lingerdenver.com
IN
Cannabis-Infused Goat Cheese, Beet and Citrus Salad
Local eateries with similar dishes:
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4 servings | 150mg
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colorado NOW! event listings
The Grow-Off Happy Hour, Aug. 10 The Grow-Off is an upcoming cannabis grow competition that has a unique edge above everyday grow events, but the Grow-Off Happy Hour is an opportunity for attendees to meet and greet with participating growers. Registered contestants the chance to meet and network with their competition, as well as event sponsors and the Grow-Off team. Battery 621, Denver www.thegrowoff.com
Puff, Pass & Paint Class, Aug. 11 Art and cannabis go together like peanut butter and jelly! Grab your paint brush, and unleash your inner Picasso at a painting class that is cannabis-friendly. Puff, Pass & Paint Studio, Denver puffpassandpaint.com
“From the Garden: Works by Heidi Jung,” Opening Aug. 11 Heidi Chung’s exhibition features works created using ink and charcoal that show edible plants from her personal garden at home. Born in Denver, Chung also drew inspiration for her work from photos taken at Denver Botanic Gardens. Don’t miss opening night to learn more at the artist Q&A. Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver botanicgardens.org
Band of Horses, Aug. 13 Following the recent release of their fifth studio album, Why Are You Okay, Band of Horses is an American rock
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band known for its catchy tunes and energetic live performances. If you’re lucky, this band might even play your favorite blast from the past—“The Funeral.” Ogden Theatre, Denver ogdentheatre.com
featured event
Disturbed and Breaking Benjamin, Aug. 15 Two popular bands are joining forces to take this giant outdoor stage by storm. Don’t miss musical performances by Disturbed and Breaking Benjamin as part of their “Summer 2016 North American Tour.” Red Rocks Amphitheatre, Morrison redrocksonline.com
Boulder Craft Beer Festival 2016, Aug. 20 Tickle your taste buds with samplings of Boulder’s best beers. This festival also will entertain attendees with live music, and food will be available for purchase. West Central Park, Boulder boulderdowntown.com
Dueling Pianos, Aug. 26 Everyone deserves an exciting night out, so treat yourself to the exciting, energy-pumping experience of Dueling Pianos. These two pianists will involve the crowd into their musical journey, and they even take requests, so be sure to have a few of your
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Fort Collins Comic Con, Aug. 27-28 Whether you’re in to cosplay or not, Comic Con is a great place to spend the weekend. You can meet your favorite celebrities like famous authors, game makers, artists and illustrators. There will also be exhibitors, food trucks, panels and lots of goods for sale. Northside Aztlan Community Center, Fort Collins fococomiccon.com
favorite tunes to liven up the crowd. The Mezzanine, Colorado Springs themezzcos.com
Rocky Mountain Balloon Fest, Aug. 27-28 This family-friendly event has something for everyone. Watch enormous, colorful hot air balloons soar through the sky. There will also be various food vendors, exhibitors,
demonstrations, a kids’ area and goods for sale. Chatfield State Park, Littleton rockymountainballoonfest. com
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Chuck Shepherd's
News of the
Weird
LEAD STORY—CASHING IN u By 2009, when Zimbabwe’s central bank gave up on controlling inflation, its largest currency was the 100 trillion-dollar bill—barely enough for bus fare in Harare and not even worth the paper needed to print it. However, that 100 trilliondollar note (that’s “1” plus 14 zeros) has turned out to be a great investment for several astute traders in London and New Zealand, who bought thousands of them at pennies on the trillion and now report brisk sales to collectors on eBay at US$30 to $40 a note—a six-year return on investment, according to a May report in London’s The Guardian, of nearly 1,500 percent. CAN’T POSSIBLY BE TRUE u Long-divorced Henry Peisch, 56, has seven children, but only one is still living with his ex-wife (who had originally been awarded $581 monthly support for all seven.) (Three children are now independent, and three others successfully petitioned courts to live with Henry.) The resultant hardship (the $581 remains in effect) caused Henry to ask the Bergen County, New Jersey, Family Court several times for a “hardship” hearing, which the court denied (thus even defying the New Jersey Supreme Court.) On April 8, Family Court judge Gary Wilcox, noting Peisch’s appearance on a related matter, spontaneously “granted” him his “ability to pay” hearing (with thus no opportunity for witnesses or evidencegathering)—and summarily
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jailed him for missing some $581 payments (because, the judge concluded, he did not “believe” Peisch’s hardship claims.) GOVERNMENT IN ACTION u U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake of Arizona, in a May publication deriding the value of certain federally funded research, highlighted several recent National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation projects, such as the $13 million for exploring musical preferences of monkeys and chimpanzees; the $1.1 million judging whether cheerleaders are more attractive seen as a squad than individually; the $390,000 to determine how many shakes a wet dog needs to feel dry; and the $5 million to learn whether drunk birds slur when they sing. (Also strangely included was the actually valuable study by Michael Smith of Cornell University ranking where on the human body a bee sting was most painful. He found, from personal testing, that “on the penis” was only the third worst—research that brought Smith a prestigious Ig Nobel prize last year.) AUSTRALIA! u (1) Yahoo News Australia reported (with photos) a man in Tallebudgera Creek on the country’s Gold Coast swimming with his pet snake. The man, standing chestdeep in water, would toss the snake (apparently a carpet python) a few feet and, according to the videos, the snake would swim back to him each time. (In the man’s other hand, of course: beer.) (2) In April, police in Broome (in Australia’s far northwest) on traffic patrol stopped a 27-year-old man whose “several” children, including one infant, were unrestrained in his car while “cartons of beer” were “buckled into car seats,” according to an Australian Broadcasting Corp. report. He faces several charges, including driving on a suspended license.
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