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contents
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ILLUMINATED RESEARCH
Dr. Raphael Mechoulam talks about his experiences studying cannabis in Israel and what he thinks about being called the “father of THC.�
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Setting Safe Standards Colorado officials develop workplace safety practices for the cannabis industry.
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Changes Abroad The German parliament has voted to embrace and legalize medical cannabis, and we have all the info you need to know.
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International Success Israel is stepping up as a leading nation in the cannabis industry, as the country has officially decriminalized cannabis.
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Green Representation Local clothing company StashTagz creates subtle cannabis T-shirt designs.
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Industry Insider Brendan Kennedy of Privateer Holdings believes that cannabis business is another form of activism.
departments
Online Exclusive!
news 10 News Nuggets 12 By the Numbers 16 Local News 18 Legal Corner reviews 22 Company Highlight 24 Advocate Highlight 28 Strain Reviews 30 Cool Stuff 32 Entertainment Reviews in every issue 62 Growing Culture 64 Destination
Help You Kick Tobacco
Unknown 66 Profile in Courage 68 Recipes 74 Colorado Now! 76 News of the Weird
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d Study Shows Cannabis Can
d The DEA Quietly Removes
Cannabis Health Risks from Website
Vol 8 IssUE 9
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CULTURE M
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Publisher Jeremy Zachary Editor-In-Chief Evan Senn associate Editor Ashley Bennett managing editor Jamie Solis co-Managing Editor Addison Herron-Wheeler Editorial Contributors Matthew Abel, Benjamin Adams, Sheryll Alexander, Marguerite Arnold, Jake Browne, Cole Garrison, Jasen T. Davis, Alex Distefano, David Downs, Keira Fae, Natasha Guimond, Addison Herron-Wheeler, Pamela Jayne, M. Jay, Heather Johnson, Joe Jatcko Kevin Longrie, Emily Manke, Meital Manzuri, Sandy Moriarty, Madison Ortiz, Denise Pollicella, R. Scott Rappold, Paul Rogers, Ed Rosenthal, Lanny Swerdlow, Jefferson Van Billiard, Simon Weedn, Laurie Wolf, Zara Zhi Photographers Kristen Angelo, Steve Baker, Kristopher Christensen, John Gilhooley, Joel Meaders, Tonya Perme, Josué Rivas, Damian Weiler Art Director Steven Myrdahl production manager Tommy LaFleur Graphic Designer Tanya Delgadillo sales director Justin Olson Regional Manager Kim Cook Account Executives Jon Bookatz, Greg Borland, Alex Brizicky, Eric Bulls, Beau Odom, Gloria Santiago, Garry Stalling, Chris Walker, Vic Zaragoza general Manager Iris Norsworthy Office Assistant Angelina Thompson digital content manager David Edmundson Ctv Contributors Quinn Marie Intern Kiara Manns 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.
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NEWS
nuggetS Colorado NORML Holds Lobby Day at the Capitol
NORML will be holding its annual Lobby Day at the state’s capitol on Tuesday, March 7. In the past, only Denver NORML has participated, but this year Colorado NORML and Southern Colorado NORML will also be participating. The event will feature education on the new Drug Testing Reform Coalition formed by NORML. The Drug Testing Reform Coalition is a group focused on ending drug testing in the workplace. Attendees of the Lobby Day will gain information about homegrowing, learn how to support of cannabis bills that are currently being introduced and may enjoy a complimentary breakfast. “There is strength in numbers, and we hope to make our voices heard loudly on March 7,” explained Jordan Person, Executive Director of Denver NORML. “We will also be offering a lobby day training session the Sunday before our Lobby Day, on the fifth.” There’s no better opportunity to advocate for cannabis than this, through getting out into the world and making your voices heard. Visit www.denvernorml.org to sign up and get more information.
Recreational Cannabis is Officially Legal in Maine After a long, grueling battle between cannabis advocates and the opposition, Question 1 has gone into effect in the state of Maine. Passed by a narrow margin of voters in Maine back in November 2016, adults can now legally possess cannabis in the state. “The portion of the law that allows persons over 21 years to grow six mature plants and possess 2.5 ounces became effective on January 30, 2017,” the Maine State Legislature website reports. “A 17-member special legislative committee, co-chaired by Sen. Roger Katz and Rep. Teresa Pierce, has been formed to address the complex issues surrounding full implementation of the law.” Obtaining recreational cannabis in Maine has been quite a battle for advocates. In addition to Maine Gov. Paul LePage openly opposing Question 1 from its inception, opponents fought for a recount once the voting margin was reported to be 50.26 percent of people voting “yes” versus 49.74 percent voting against the bill. Ultimately, the recount effort was defeated. While Question 1 does allow for social cannabis clubs, the state will consult its special committee to develop rules and regulations for potential businesses before that becomes a reality.
Senate Approves Bill to Make Online Black Market Cannabis Sales Illegal in CO Illegal and black market cannabis businesses have not completely disappeared from Colorado in spite of legalization, and evidence of this fact can be seen through the existence of ads on Craigslist for illegal cannabis. However, Colorado is looking to clamp down on these ads with Senate Bill 15, which would outlaw any online or print cannabis ads that are not for licensed cannabis businesses. “We live in a very different era of communication in which the lawmakers in Colorado have shut down a very popular way to buy products on the black market,” stated Ashley Riley, CEO of Cannabiz Calendar. “We legalized this plant and are taking extra precautions to eliminate recreational cannabis sold outside licensed dispensaries and grow facilities, [which] is the responsible thing to do.” The bill passed unanimously in the Senate in early February. If approved by the House of Representatives and the governor, the state will introduce stricter regulations for cannabis advertising, as well as require more security for businesses that have licenses.
Swedish Agency Approves Medical Cannabis for Two Patients The Läkemedelsverket or Medical Product Agency (MPA) of Sweden has made a notable decision in approving its first two patients for medical cannabis. Both patients suffer from severe back injuries and are the first with such a condition to be allowed to medicate with cannabis in the country. Currently, cannabis is regarded as an illegal substance by the Swedish government, with medical cannabis only allowed on a rare, case-by-case basis. “Every single license application, whether it's about cannabis preparations or not, go through a special assessment process, i.e. every case is assessed individually and there is no general view of license applications for cannabis plant parts,” according to the MPA. This decision marks an important step forward in the progression of accepting cannabis as a legitimate means of medical treatment in Sweden. The cannabis given to the patients will be supplied by the same Dutch company that the Swedish government uses to perform research. (Kiara Manns) 10
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The amount of money, in thousands of dollars, that it will cost for an annual licensing fee to operate a cannabis club in Denver: (Source: San Angelo Standard-Times)
The amount of money, in millions of dollars, worth of cannabis sales tax and cannabisrelated fees that the city of Pueblo has spent on community projects: (Source: KOAA News 5)
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The percentage of increase on recreational cannabis sales taxes that Governor Hickenlooper has proposed to implement in Colorado starting July 1: (Source: The Denver Post)
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The amount of money, in billions of dollars, that was collected from recreational and medical cannabis sales in Colorado (Source: throughout 2016: The Gazette)
The number of patients in Colorado suffering from Multiple Sclerosis who completed a recent survey regarding whether or not they use cannabis to treat their condition: (Source: Salon)
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The approximate amount of money, in billions of dollars, that was spent on legal cannabis in North America in 2016: (Source: Entrepreneur)
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The number of medical cannabis studies that have been recently approved for federal funding by a new measure in Israel: (Source: Globes)
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The number of patients that have enrolled in the medical cannabis program in New Jersey: (Source: NJ.com)
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The amount of money, in thousands of dollars, that Minnesota’s Office of Medical Cannabis is requesting to fund the state’s patient registry and inspection of the state’s medical cannabis manufacturers: (Source: CBS Minnesota)
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Spannabis: Feria de Cáñamo WHAT: Spannabis: Feria de Cáñamo. WHEN/WHERE: Fri, March 10-Sun, March 12. Fira de Cornellá, Carrer Tirso de Molina 34 St., Cornellà de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. INFO: Visit spannabis.com for details. La Feria de Cáñamo, or The Hemp Fair in English, calls to all who look to indulge in cannabis culture beyond their everyday environment. Take your love of cannabis to a global scale by embarking on a destination vacation to Barcelona, Spain for Spannabis. This year’s Spannabis Hemp Fair will join ranks with The World Cannabis Conferences to bring the audience a four-part perspective on how the cannabis conversation finds its way into international, national, scientific and medicinal hemispheres. Audience members are encouraged to participate in the debate or interact with 12
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the speakers. Spannabis will provide guests over 200 booths and exhibits to explore. Businesses in attendance include those who focus on bringing development and technology to cannabis agriculture such as HydroGarden and Biobizz. Be sure to stop by The International Cannabis and Cannabinoids Institute’s display, which demonstrates how the Institute strives to establish an international standardization of data for cannabis research. Enjoy several kinds of cuisines that will be provided by various food vendors with the wide range of cannabis fans from across the world. (Kiara Manns)
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NEWS
LOCAL
Budtending Certification
Danger is Down
New data from study suggests positive cannabis safety for Colorado
by Addison Herron-Wheeler
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ince legalization in 2014, health officials in Colorado have been monitoring health and safety effects and digging through data regarding legal cannabis. Three years into the legal era, the Retail Marijuana Public Health Advisory Committee reported that poison control calls and emergency room visits related to cannabis are down. Researchers have claimed that this is proof society is learning from legal cannabis due to experience and seeing more truths than fabrications and scare tactics about cannabis in the media. These scientists hope to use the positive results to create more fact-based information about cannabis for educational purposes. In addition to the positive data regarding hospital visits, the results also revealed that cannabis use in high school students has not increased, as many feared it would if legalization was passed. More specifically, when compared to national data, it revealed that high school cannabis use in Colorado is
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still in line with the national average, implying that cannabis use by teens does not increase in a state that permits recreational cannabis consumption for adults. The study also showed that only about one to 14 households out of 16,000 with children that consumed cannabis may potentially be storing the cannabis in an unsafe way. This dispels one of the other frequent worries about cannabis—the idea that keeping cannabis in the home endangers children. Some are concerned that the data reveals six percent of women use cannabis during their pregnancies, two points more than the national average. However, since THC-free alternatives like CBD for pain and topicals are available in Colorado, it is possible that these women are using milder substances. The report also included some data that, while less socially or politically charged, could lend some important information to the marketing industry. The average of legal adults smoking cannabis in Colorado is higher than the national average, and most Coloradans choose to smoke their cannabis rather than vape or consume edibles. Males also ranked as the largest pool of cannabis consumers in the state. “In Colorado, the drop in emergency room visits is a product of both recreational legalization and the education campaigns created since,” explained Emalee Hyde, Founder and Chairman of the cannabis charity Viverde and CEO of marketing company Sinsemilla and the City. “Since implementation in 2014, Coloradans that are 21 and older have had open access to variety of options of cannabis products. Teaching the residential and tourist populations how to use these options has inspired many organizations such as IMPACT Network, Viverde, CannaCloset and others, including government created campaigns, to get creative with education.” As long as these periodic studies of cannabis data continue to combat the initial worries of cannabis reform opponents, legal states will be able to paint a much clearer picture of cannabis use trends and truths. c
Take your knowledge of cannabis to a professional level at the budtending certification class held at Clover Leaf University. To prepare for the rise in cannabis consumption and industry growth, licensed agents from the Colorado Department of Higher Education will instruct the four-hour class. The lesson plan will cover how to be a knowledgeable sales representative by focusing on the laws and safety that accompany the budtending position. Students will be taught the basics of current regulations, law compliance and will be given an understanding of safe consumption. Structured in a twopart module, the class will ensure students learn about cannabis products and their effects, followed by how to make accurate recommendations for clients. The budtending class will no doubt give the cannabis lovers of Denver a more in-depth look at the ins and outs of the industry, allowing participants to convert a passion into a career. (Kiara Manns) WHAT: Budtending Certification. WHEN/WHERE: Thurs, March 23. Clover Leaf University Campus, 855 Lawrence St., Denver. INFO: Visit cloverleafuniversity. com for details.
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NEWS
LEGAL CORNER
Be Prepared
What to do when the regulators come knocking
by Kelly A. Rosenberg, Vicente Sederberg LLC
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n Colorado, there are currently over 135 state rules governing retail cannabis businesses. These regulations are in addition to separate statutory requirements and are often complementary to a host of local regulations. While not all regulations are applicable to all businesses, there is a chance that even the most compliant business may be violating a handful of rules, sometimes without knowing. What happens, then, when a regulator wants to take disciplinary action against your license for an alleged rule violation? The most important thing to remember is that anyone whose license is in jeopardy is entitled to due process. Make sure you develop a plan of action, and follow through with every step. The administrative disciplinary process is unique, and if you seek legal counsel to help you navigate the disciplinary process, you are better off enlisting the services of a practitioner who understands the nuances of regulatory law. Considering that a regulator can often take everything from you, and that your license is a revocable privilege, you may be better off with
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an attorney who does not have an emotional attachment to the situation. Further, licensees are often sorely disappointed to learn that standard plea negotiations are inapplicable, the regulators’ attorneys do not have unilateral authority to settle a matter, and at an administrative hearing, the government only needs to establish “it
a good idea to sit back and wait. Many licensees have experienced slow deaths while “waiting and seeing” what happens next for months. Do not mistakenly believe that the regulators are looking out for your best interests, that your thoughtful settlement offer is being seriously considered for months, or that the agency wants to avoid taking your matter to hearing as much as you might. While plans can, and often should, change, you are usually best advised to take a disciplinary matter seriously and to keep the matter moving as much as possible. Make a plan and stick to it. If nothing else, if you are unable to settle a matter and end up going to a hearing, you do not want your evidence to go stale because of your delay. So, in addition, be proactive. Fight for your license. While you and your attorney should of course always be professional, you do not need to worry about offending an agency or its attorneys by asking questions and requiring the agency to prove its case. If an agency says you violated Rule X, read Rule X. If you do not believe you violated the rule, say so. Look at the statement of basis and purpose for Rule X and see what the intent of the rule is. Did your alleged violation align with the rule’s intent? If not, argue that. Look to the statutory provisions that formed the basis for Rule X and see if you can improve your case. Look to the procedural rules governing disciplinary matters, if such rules exist, and ensure the agency follows them. While waiting for the agency to change its mind on its own is very unlikely, it is also equally unlikely that an agency will just want to give up and settle on your terms. What is more likely
While plans can, and often should, change, you are usually best advised to take a disciplinary matter seriously and to keep the matter moving as much as possible. Make a plan and stick to it. is more likely than not” that a violation occurred. Many are also unpleasantly surprised (and confused) to learn that the officer presiding over the hearing is often an employee of the ultimate decision-maker, and the entity who subjects you to initial discipline is also the entity who hears your appeal. If you are served with any type of disciplinary document from a governmental agency, it is usually not
is that a licensee will want to fight, but will not know how. After months of zeroto-little movement, licensees frequently will cave and settle on unfavorable terms. With that in mind, you should remember to be proactive and attentive. Learn your rights and ensure that the agency adheres to them. Do not be a victim of the slow death by discipline. c
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REVIEWs
company highlight
Mary Jane’s Medicinals Interviewed: Dahlia Mertens, Owner Telluride, CO maryjanesmedicinals.com (970) 369-0420
How would you describe your company? We make all natural cannabisinfused topical products with a focus on whole plant medicine. Our most popular product is our award winning pain relief and healing salve, but our Heavenly Hash Bath and Lip Bong are very popular too. These products offer natural pain relief and healing without the psychoactive effects commonly associated with cannabis consumption. What do you offer consumers/clients that others don’t? Unlike other topical companies who use solvent extracted cannabis isolates in their products we use a whole plant infusion. We find this makes for a more therapeutic product because it utilizes 22
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the entourage effect—that the cannabis compounds are more effective when they can work together, than when they are isolated. How and why did your company start up? Mary Jane’s Medicinals (MJM) was conceived at the end of 2009. I was a massage therapist and started infusing a massage oil for use in my practice. Much to my surprise the oil did not just make for a more relaxing massage—it was doing so much more for my clients. Many reported back to me of chronic health and pain issues being relieved from use of the infused oil. This was very exciting to me. I did not know why the topical application of cannabis seemed to work so well at the time—but my clients experiences convinced me that there was a ton of potential here, so I developed the line and began driving around the state, knocking on dispensary doors and spreading the word about the efficacy of cannabis-infused topicals.
What words of advice would you offer anyone seeking to enter the world of cannabis business? The cannabis industry has a very unique set of challenges other industries do not have to deal with. For example, banking, federal laws, taxation and the very complex nature of state regulations. A solid understanding of these things is very important. In order to navigate all of that without letting it beat you down a genuine passion for the plant is necessary. The most successful and happy business owners I have encountered in this industry have that love for the plant and its potential for good. You have to really believe in what you are doing. A courageous spirit is probably mandatory as well. What are the goals and vision moving forward, for your company? As legalization spreads from state to state we would like to navigate expansion to
many of these states. When cannabis becomes federally legal we would like to become a national leader in cannabisinfused topical products. What do you hope to accomplish in the cannabis industry? Cannabis has suffered the blows of widespread propaganda for so many years. That is changing now but it is a process to re-educate people about the many health benefits of this plant. Topicals are a great ambassador for the medicinal qualities of the plant because they do not elicit psychoactive effects—they simply have medicinal properties, and a LOT of them! So people that are wary or do not want to experience being “high” can benefit from use of these products while maintaining a clear head. Practically anyone can use topicals and get benefit from them. We are opening people’s minds up to this incredibly medicinal plant. So long story short we are endeavoring to help this industry to become more mainstream and accepted by more people who have been effected by the negative propaganda of the past. c
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REVIEWs
advocate highlight
Pipemaking 101
Olivia Mannix Occupation: Founder & CEO, Cannabrand When and how did you become an advocate for cannabis? I have been an advocate for cannabis for a long time. Operating a business in the space for about four years now has opened doors for me to stand side-by-side with individuals who have been in the trenches for decades and led the battle for the overall legalization of cannabis. I aspire to be a part of social and legislative acceptance of cannabis on a medicinal and educational level.
elevation of the industry as a whole, because our mission has been to “rebrand” cannabis and change the way the industry and cannabis enthusiasts are perceived. It is incredible to see how far we have come as an agency and to look at the sheer number of brands that have come out of the shadows to play an integral role in cannabis industry. How did that manifest? As a marketer, I saw the need for professionalcaliber branding and marketing in the cannabis space and decided to dedicate my life to evolving the industry for the betterment of all. Who do you look up to or admire?
How has cannabis benefited your life? Cannabis has enhanced my life in every aspect. I have benefited from cannabis with aches and pains, anxiety, as well as a skin care regimen. I’ve had two knee surgeries and the first time, I got very sick from prescription painkillers. So for the second surgery I used cannabis, topicals and edibles, and the recovery was much less painful and faster. What’s your greatest achievement for the cannabis cause? My greatest achievement has been creating Cannabrand, a cannabis marketing agency. The basis of the agency has been to help cannabisrelated companies with their marketing needs, ranging from branding to public relations to social media. The agency has helped with the 24
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To name one person is very difficult! I look up to and admire many other advocates and activists in the cannabis industry who have tirelessly battled for the legalization of cannabis through sacrifice and education. If you could change one thing about the way cannabis is viewed and/or treated right now, what would it be? My mission has always been to “rebrand cannabis.” I tirelessly educate, motivate and inspire others to change the negative images of cannabis that many still hold as “fact,” by speaking with media and the public about cannabis use and all of the benefits of this versatile plant. c
Glasscraft Incorporated is set to host a series of classes dedicated to the art of creating pipes. The sessions begin at the basics of fire torch safety and end with the details of crafting a finished piece. Instructor Chris Schultz utilizes a hands-on teaching method with his students, guaranteeing each participant receives full comprehension of the intricate steps that are involved with blowing glass. While set to be an intensive course, this class will certainly give students enjoyment by watching and completing the steps of creating their own designs. No previous flameworking experience is required as the class structures itself on working with beginners. Three days of personal instruction is all one needs to start their journey of mastering the art of pipemaking. The materials and tools necessary will be provided by the instructor. (Kiara Manns) WHAT: Pipemaking 101. WHEN/WHERE: Fri. March 17-Sun, March 19. Glasscraft Studio, 411 Violet St., Golden. INFO: Visit glasscraftinc.com for details.
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REVIEWs
strain Available at: Terrapin Care Station in Denver, Boulder and Aurora.
White Slipper While it may not be Memorial Day yet, we certainly wouldn’t admonish you for picking up a little White Slipper and trying it on for size. Coming to us from Terrapin Care Station, this energetic sativa will have you thinking summer even as the last days of winter are passing. A cross of The White and Glass Slipper, the aptly named strain takes its positively frost covered appearance from the former, with a microscope inspection revealing milky white trichomes. You will love the amazing scent of ripe pineapple, sweet citrus and a hint of earthiness like a tropical drink served in a fresh coconut that omits from this luscious bud. This is the absolute worst strain for a staring contest, though, as you’ll feel it mostly in your head and shoulders, providing light pain relief and no anxiety, but a bit of dry mouth and eyes.
Available at: Green Pharm in Colorado Springs.
Kandy Kush We’re still working through the sizeable stash of discount Valentine’s Day candy here at the offices, but fortunately, cannabis is still a zero calorie treat, even with a name as scrumptious as Kandy Kush. A trip to Colorado Springs yielded a jar from the shelves of Green Pharm and we couldn’t be more pleased. Hard as rock candy, the traditional indica was a perfect example of what DNA Genetics’ Reserve Privada line can do when impressively grown, with a generous layer of trichs covering lime green calyxes. The initial smell is traditional lemon lime pine you’d expect from a Kush strain, but dialed up, with an almost cloying sweetness that reminded one reviewer of Sprite with real sugar. At an 80/20 indica split, this bud is seriously sedative, but you’ll notice great mood elevation. Testers with serious back pain and muscle spasms noted not only how well the Kandy Kush did at helping them manage their systems, but also how long lasting that relief was. It’s serious medicine, even if it did give someone the giggles. 28
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REVIEWs
For More Products Go To iReadCulture.com
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Res Caps Res Caps by Resölution prides itself on stopping the smell and stopping the mess. Cleaning has now been made simple with the small, rubber caps that halt cleaning solution from escaping from your favorite glass pieces. Res Caps can be stretched to seal virtually any water pipe, steamroller and other glass accessories. The first of its kind, Res Caps are great for the clean lifestyle cannabis consumer. Available in green, white or black, the caps are perfectly made for protecting glass during travel and ending the scent usually left behind. PRICE: $19 MORE INFORMATION: resolutioncolo.com
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Cannador Mahogany Roll Tray The Cannador brand prides itself on providing cannabis consumers with premium storage products and accessories. Cannador’s thin, lightweight roll tray carved from mahogany wood makes a convenient and useful addition to your collection. Great for both preparation and rolling, the slate comes with an indentation on the bottom corner making for a hassle-free cleanup. The tray exists as a practical and beneficial tool, while its rich auburn color fits nicely into practically any home décor. Handcrafted and with a mineral oil finish, this aesthetically pleasing accessory brings both style and functionality to the table. PRICE: $39 MORE INFORMATION: cannador.com
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Original Piece Pipe Both modern and tasteful, the Original Piece Pipe is perfect for anyone on-the-go who likes to travel in style. With an attachable ring, its clean design and unassuming appearance easily fits into any setting. Wear it as a necklace, connect it to your keys or bag, and the Original Piece Pipe easily converts into an accessory. Big things do come in small packages when it comes to this sleek device as it contains a hidden stash compartment, which holds up to three bowls. Available in brass or chrome, its sleek materials remain cool and odorless, leaving your personal belongings free from lingering scents. PRICE: $39.99 MORE INFORMATION: originalpiecepipe.com
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3. The Nuggy by NugTools Pop open your bottles, pack in your piece and even prop up your joint with the tool that has been created for every type of smoker. The Nuggy comes fully-loaded, multi-purposed and will quickly become everyone’s favorite gadget. Uniting 10 various functions into a smooth, handheld container, The Nuggy can rest comfortably in your pocket or palm. Scissors, a scraper, an LED flashlight, bottle opener, knife, tamper and a roach clip are only a few of the features found inside. Yet despite its internal equipment, its weight remains a light and undemanding 0.5 pounds. The Nuggy employs a spring-locked system and plastic casing to guarantee safe and simple use. PRICE: $33 MORE INFORMATION: nugtools.com
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entertainment
Available on: Nintendo Switch and Wii U Release Date: March 3
BOOK
This Bud’s for You Ed Rosenthal Quick American Publishing
MOVIE
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Moonlight
Conformicide
Dir. Barry Jenkins
Havok
A24
Century Media Records
Dev. and Pub. Nintendo This Bud’s for You is cannabis cultivator extraordinaire Ed Rosenthal’s latest take on cutting edge cannabis trends, science and industry growth. This beautiful book is for people who enjoy consuming and growing cannabis and want to be more immersed in this plant and in this evergrowing industry. It is also filled with tips and tricks from expert insiders like technical advice from breeders, ways to judge and compare strains and how to make the best cannabis selections. (Alex Bradley)
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MUSIC
GAME
Debuting as the most anticipated Nintendo Switch game during the new system’s launch, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the first fullfledged game of the series to release since 2011. The landscape of Hyrule is vast, and you play the ever-silent hero, Link. Players will explore the vast, open world that is packed with places to explore, weapons to collect and puzzles to solve. This ambitious project by Nintendo brings all of the nostalgic nuances of traditional Legend of Zelda games, but also offers a ton of other new features to entertain new and returning players. (Nicole Potter)
It’s rare that a film these days has the opportunity to show audiences a nearly wholly unique coming of age story and perspective. It is for this reason, as well as an array of others, which is what makes writer/director Barry Jenkin’s second feature-length film, Moonlight, both incredibly important and wonderfully beautiful. The film follows a young black man, Chiron, growing up in inner city Miami as he struggles with personal and sexual identity in an environment that is increasingly hostile and volatile. (Simon Weedn)
Denver’s own Havok has released a longawaited new album titled Conformicide, the fourth release from this intense thrash metal band. The eerie guitar riffs and aggressive bass lines smack you right in the face and energize every inch of your body while listening. The entire album is extraordinary with great separation in the mix, and the first track, “F.P.C.” gives just a taste of insight into this fascinating new direction of the band’s evolving sound. With political themes infusing its lyrics, Havok explores new musical genres and styles while sticking true to the hard-hitting, body-slamming style we’ve come to know and love from the group. (Alex Bradley)
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“We are trying to improve and know exactly what kind of marijuana should be given for a specific condition. One does not get the same marijuana for epilepsy and for cancer and pain.”
ReigninG Researcher The father of THC, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, talks about his groundbreaking research in studying cannabis in Israel
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by R. Scott Rappold
n the early 1960s, though cannabis had been used for centuries and demonized for decades by governments around the globe, the science world knew surprisingly little about the plant itself. Scientists had long since learned how to synthesize morphine from the opium poppy and cocaine from coca leaves, but what about cannabis? Few in the U.S. or the rest of the Western world cared to learn about cannabis— not that they could study it anyway, given harsh restrictions cannabis research in the U.S. So it should come as no surprise that some of the major breakthroughs 34
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in understanding cannabis came from across the ocean. In the tiny nation of Israel, one man, Dr. Raphael Mechoulam, is responsible for much of what we know about cannabis today. He was the one who isolated and identified cannabidiol (CBD) and tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive ingredient in cannabis. He later identified the receptors in the human body that interact with cannabis and the cannabinoids that bond with those receptors. While the world is just waking up to the medical potential of cannabis, from treating epilepsy to cancer to chronic pain, Dr. Mechoulam has known about it for decades. At 86, he has earned the distinction of being
the “father of marijuana research” and the “father of THC.” Dr. Mechoulam may be one of the world’s foremost experts on cannabis, but he is no advocate scientist in the vein of Timothy Leary or Terrence McKenna. He approached cannabis with the curiosity of an organic chemist studying something new, not as a true believer. In fact, except for in the laboratory, he’s never even touched cannabis. CULTURE recently caught up with Dr. Mechoulam in Israel, where he still holds several academic posts, including Professor at Hebrew University of Jerusalem in Israel, and advisor to the government on Israel’s medical cannabis program. >> photos by
Yit z W o o l f
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How did you get involved in cannabis research? I’m a chemist. I work with natural products, and I was looking for something important in natural products in plants, and I was surprised to find out that while morphine had been isolated from opium nearly 150 years previously and so was cocaine, from coca leaves, the chemistry of cannabis was not well-known, and I thought it was a good topic to do research on. Did you have any personal experience with cannabis, or was it non-existent in Israel at the time? No, no, no. Very few people were interested in marijuana at that time. As a natural scientist I asked for a grant from the (U.S.) National Institute of Health (NIH), and more or less what they told me was they were not interested, that marijuana was not an interesting topic for them. Few people used it in the States. It was mostly used in Mexico, so if I found something that was more relevant to the U.S. so they would look at it. It was in the early ’60s. Well it turned out all of a sudden it became relevant (with the rise in use in the later 1960s), and pharmacologists 38
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from the National Institute of Mental Health and the NIH flew over and at that time we had isolated the main component of cannabis, THC, in a pure form . . . and [one pharmacologist] took that material, and quite a bit of the early work of the NIH with cannabis was done with the THC we gave him. He may have smuggled it into the U.S., I don’t know. You had to get smuggled cannabis for your first experiments, correct? I didn’t get marijuana; I got hashish from the police. And how did that happen? Not that complicated at all. I went to the administrative head of my institute and asked him whether he had a contact with the police and he said, ‘Sure, no problem.’ He called the number two person at the police at that time. They had been in the army together or something of that sort. From the other side I could hear him saying, “Is he reliable?” And the head of the institute said, “Of course he’s reliable.” So he invited me over to the police, and I took five kilos of hashish. It broke the laws. It turned out I was not allowed to have it, and he was not
allowed to give it to me. It was the Ministry of Health that should have permitted it, but in a small country, I went to the Ministry of Health, and I apologized, and any time I needed more hashish I went to the Ministry of Health and had no problems. What were you really hoping to learn about this substance when you started to study it? I’m a chemist. A natural products chemist usually works on identification of compounds, active compounds, and thus opening the field for further research . . . I’ll try to explain. In order to do biochemistry or pharmacology or clinical work, the chemistry has to be well-known . . . The chemistry has to be well-established before anything can be done with the compound or the plant. In this case the chemistry was not well-known so we knew at that time, in the early ‘60s, very little about the pharmacology and the chemical effects and so on, in modern terms. Science has to be quantitative. If you work with a plant, you never know what you’re doing, what you’re getting. So the chemistry had to be established before anything scientific could be worked on. >>
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How long did it take you to establish the chemistry and start to look at the human effects of this plant? For several years we worked on the isolation of compounds, several different types of compounds. With biologists we evaluated the effects on monkeys and later, after quite some time, we worked on the metabolism. Later we worked on other topics. So we advanced, step-by-step. What do you feel were your major breakthroughs and discoveries about this plant? First, elucidation of the chemistry, particularly isolation and synthesis of the active compounds. It turned out there was only one active compound related to psychoactivity, THC. There is a second that had a lot of therapeutic effects called cannabidiol, and we elucidated its structure as well. So this was the first phase of the cannabis research we did. Later on, many years later, we looked at the compounds that our bodies make, and these compounds bind with the same receptor that the plant cannabinoids bind to . . . The receptors don’t exist because there is a plant out there. The receptors exist because we produce compounds which bind to these receptors, activate them and cause activities. We went ahead looking at the compounds that we make. Then in the ’90s we discovered that the two main compounds that bind to these receptors, anandamide and 2-AG, and there has been a huge, huge amount of work on these endogenous cannabinoids, cannabinoids that we make . . . These compounds seem to be very important in our biology. One of these compounds has to do with bones and osteoporosis, loss of bones, and another has to do with blood vessels
“There is a lot of interest, and I believe this is the third phase of cannabis research. But most people in the States are interested in the first stage, in the THC, in the CBD, in selling it for outrageous prices and trying to make a lot of money out of it.”
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during head trauma and so on. A third one has to do with addiction. And so on and so forth. There is a lot of interest, and I believe this is the third phase of cannabis research. But most people in the States are interested in the first stage, in the THC, in the CBD, in selling it for outrageous prices and trying to make a lot of money out of it.
Do you feel that by focusing on selling expensive flower, that the United States is missing out on some important things about this plant? The plant contains THC and a lot of other compounds that do not cause the high. There is a compound called CBD, which is just as important. It does not cause the high but it has a lot of therapeutic effects, and it is of extreme importance, and people are trying now to have plants that don’t have THC but CBD and are using that for therapeutic effects. >>
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When you started studying this, were your colleagues skeptical, or did you have a lot of support in the scientific community? We went along scientific lines. There was no objection at my university. As a matter of fact people thought it was as a good kind of research, interesting research. And even my colleagues, in the late 1970s or early 1980s, elected me Rector of the university. If they had any objections to my work they wouldn’t have voted for me. I was elected to the Israeli Academy of Sciences. If there was any objection I wouldn’t have been elected. Are you still studying cannabis? Now I am officially retired, but my university is a very liberal one, and I have all the faculties to go on working . . . We’re not studying cannabis, the plant. We haven’t studied the plant in many years. That was the first stage. Did you play a role in Israel allowing medical cannabis? I’m a Consultant for the Ministry of Health, and the Ministry of Health has approved medical marijuana under strict regulation. There are about 27,000 patients who get medical marijuana. We are trying to improve and know exactly what kind of marijuana should be given for a
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specific condition. One does not get the same marijuana for epilepsy and for cancer and pain. How do you feel about being called the “father of marijuana research?” Is that something you’re proud of? Well I’m delighted that I’m called that. We have apparently done something good in the field. Is this the type of research that could only have occurred in a small country like Israel? I have no idea. As an academic I decided to do it, and I did it. Here it was maybe easier to get the material, but I had no problems doing the science. Possibly in the U.S. it would have been more difficult because of administrative problems, but we had no problem getting the materials. Is there more to learn about the cannabis plant and how it affects humans? Because of administrative freezes [on research], there have been very, very few clinical studies. Although thousands of people use cannabis to fight cancer, there hasn’t been any clinical study, or a well-done, modern clinical study on cancer published. That’s a shame because if people use it, the data should be there. We should have modern clinical data. We
did some clinical work on epilepsy 35 years ago and unfortunately nobody took great interest in that. And only five or six years ago all of a sudden people found that yes, our research is very relevant to what’s going on and many children today are being treated today with CBD, which we showed to be very active against epilepsy. There are very few drugs that help children with epilepsy. This should have been repeated on a larger scale in the U.S. We did a little work on PTSD and post-trauma. It should have been done on a large scale . . . All these things should have been done in the U.S. There is a major clinical trial on epilepsy. It should have been done 30 years ago after we published our small clinical paper. So that’s what’s missing. And I’m sorry about the situation. My last question is do you use it yourself? No. I have never used it. First of all, I am still interested but as I did research and we had official supply of cannabis, obviously if we had used it for non-scientific reasons if people had come to know about it that would have stopped our work. Basically, neither I nor my students were interested. c medicine.ekmd.huji.ac.il
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Setting Safe Standards
Colorado officials develop workplace safety practices for the cannabis industry
by Benjamin M. Adams
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set of guiding principles for safety in the cannabis workplace has been developed by Colorado health officials. It’s the first time that Colorado officials have explored occupational health hazards in the cannabis workplace. Good safety and health practices are essential to any respectable industry moving forward in the professional world. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) recently issued a report that outlines the hazards associated with cannabis cultivation and production. The report is nearly 80 pages long and addresses health hazards such as allergens, molds, pesticides, gases and flammable materials. Injuries can cost a company a fortune in insurance fees and rates. Reporting even the slightest injuries to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), which was established by congress in 1970, creates a short-term headache, but prevents long-term disasters. Even cannabis businesses must adhere to regulations that have been in place for decades. Budtenders are at risk of spreading allergens because they work around jars of raw flower. Working around flammable liquids, combustible agents and machinery creates a new set of problems that can arise. Oil extraction explosions are one of the top reasons that the cannabis industry desperately needs workplace standards. Creating a safe workplace in the cannabis industry means going beyond slips and falls associated with normal work hazards. The CDPHE is offering a set of best workplace practices called “Guide to Worker Safety and Health in the Marijuana Industry.” The guide was developed by a committee of over 40 members called the Colorado Marijuana Occupational Health and Safety Work Group. Part I looks at establishing a safety and health program. Part II is a guide to worker safety and health. Section I of the guide explores biological, chemical and physical hazards. Section II of the guide explores a hazard communication plan, a hearing conservation plan, a personal protective equipment assessment, a respiratory protection plan and the lockout/
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It doesn’t create any new regulations for occupational health safety; it is just an awareness of what programs are out there, in terms of federal legislations, and it brings together some of the agricultural/ pesticide use.
tagout system that many of us are already familiar with. Roberta Smith is Occupational Health Program Manager at the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Smith explained that this guide was not created due to an increase of injuries in the cannabis industry; instead it was created to help anyone who may need more information on creating an effective program to ensure workplace health and safety. “This document that we put together doesn’t introduce anything new,” Smith explained to CULTURE. “It doesn’t create any new regulations for occupational health safety; it is just an awareness of what programs are out there, in terms of federal legislations, and it brings together some of the agricultural/pesticide use. We highlight those regulations because there are some worker protection standards that fall under that regulation.” Smith continued to explain that not everyone in the cannabis industry will need to refer to the rules, because many professionals in the cannabis industry are already working in accordance with the OSHA. However, the new report will serve as a comprehensive guide on how to create a safety and health program for anyone who may be new to the cannabis industry. The guide is not meant to bypass existing regulations from OSHA but it will create a program that is meant to benefit worker safety and health. The CDPHE’s main concern is providing a guide that creates the best possible workplace safety standards that are designed specifically for the industry. c
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Progressive Decree T German Parliament votes to legalize medical cannabis
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by Marguerite Arnold
he Bundestag, which is the lower house of the German parliament, voted unanimously to legalize medical cannabis on January 19. The development was not unexpected, as it followed one year of promises from the federal Health Ministry to legalize medical consumption, and over 15 years of intense lobbying by activists and diverse political parties to liberalize drug laws. The upper house of parliament will “read” the legislation this month, and the bill will then become law. Chronically ill patients including those
who suffer from cancer, chronic pain and nausea can obtain prescriptions from regular doctors and will be able to fill them in regular pharmacies (or apothekes). They will, however, not be able to continue to grow their own supply, which has been the stopgap measure approved by German courts for the last several years. Instead, patients will be reimbursed under health insurance. Until domestic (state-supervised) cultivation is initiated after the creation of a state cannabis agency (expected by 2018), the country will continue to import dried cannabis flower and extracts primarily from Canada. One German company—MedCann GmbH, which obtained licenses for the same last year— has been importing dried flower for about five months. They were bought out by their supplier Canopy Canada, one of the largest commercial grow operations in the country, right before Christmas 2016. Canopy and Tilray, owned by Privateer Investments, are currently the only companies who have been granted import licenses. >>
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It is not Colorado (yet) The German approach to medical cannabis is still relatively cautious with a focus on patient care rather than legitimizing full scale, recreational use. While patients will no longer have to endure a complicated registration process, not to mention grow their own supply, their anonymized information will be passed to the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (or BfArM) for further study. As a result, cannabis research, until this point largely conducted in Israel, will enter an entirely different phase—and on a federal level. This in and of itself is likely to change the entire discussion about medical use internationally. What this decision ultimately means in the short term is that Germany has joined the ranks of countries in which cannabis is no longer a demonized drug, and further it has been deemed to have medical purpose.
Recreational Reform is Also in the Works In addition to the federal decision to legalize the drug for medicinal use, the pressure is also on to change laws in Germany about recreational cannabis. Berlin, as the country’s only “city-state” is also on track to legitimize the country’s first controlled recreational experiment after fighting to obtain the right for years from BfArM. Cannabis will soon be available for sale in some capacity in the city, although don’t look for Dutch-style “coffee houses” just yet. Both developments, while momentous, are happening because the Germans have always maintained a very different attitude about cannabis, especially considering that attitudes about cannabis are in flux internationally. Germany’s recent development also means that the Berlin “experiment” is likely to spread to other German cities fairly quickly. Every “stadt” or city here has some form of illicit drug market.
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The city of Bremen is likely to continue to pressure the federal government to expand the modest gains made on this front last year. Residents are able to grow up to five cannabis plants in private. Dusseldorf and Frankfurt are reportedly also examining the possibility of setting up small drugsale zones where local residents can buy limited legal qualities of cannabis. The reason for this change in the weather is happening now because of the international movement to legalize cannabis and because of political pressure to respond to a public mood at a time when much stronger political winds herald profound changes for Europe. Most Germans feel that chronically ill patients should have access to medicinal supplies and that it is better to legally sell cannabis via a regulated, taxed industry than spend tax dollars to pay for police to repeatedly bust low level street dealers. As a result, facing much larger pressures, including the fate of the EU, German politicians obviously felt it was time to give the people safe access to cannabis. c
What this decision ultimately means in the short term is that Germany has joined the ranks of countries in which cannabis is no longer a demonized drug, and further it has been deemed to have medical purpose.
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Israel has always been a leader in the cannabis industry, so it’s not surprising that they were among the first countries to decriminalize marijuana.
The Israeli Green Rush What Israel’s decriminalization of cannabis means by Marguerite Arnold
O
n the heels of the January 19 unanimous decision by
even Canada by the end of the year, but it does mean is
the lower house of German Parliament to integrate
that recreational use will instead be fined or punished by
medical use into the national health system, Israel
administrative sanctions. In other words, Israel just fully
continues to push the legalization conversation
legalized medical use.
forward. Israel’s Ministry of Justice recommended that cannabis use be decriminalized. This does
expected to come as smoothly as the German vote of the upper
not mean that Israel will become Uruguay or
house of Parliament and will probably occur in the same time frame.
Not An Unexpected Move The Israeli cannabis space has been ready to break into the international scene for quite some time now. “Israel has always been a leader in the cannabis industry, so it’s not surprising that they were among the first countries to decriminalize marijuana,” according to Frank Lane, the President of CannabisFN, a leading cannabis business news website. “The timing of the decision is certainly interesting given Germany’s recent parliament decision to legalize medical marijuana, which combined represent an ongoing move towards more liberal cannabis policies throughout the West.” Dr. Pierre Debs, the CEO of MedCann
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The policy still requires the cabinet’s approval, but that is
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GmbH, the first German company licensed to import dried flower from Canada concurs that the timing “is more of an expected coincidence,” no matter how momentous. Domestically, there have been signs over the last year that the market here was broadening in a real way. Doctors and patients have been removed from onerous prescription routines and procedures. A national pharmacy chain is entertaining discussions with the government about wholesale, mainstream medical distribution. There have even begun to be signs that the Israeli government intends to export not only cannabis technology, but potentially cannabis itself. What this means in an immediate
and real sense, is that cannabis entrepreneurialism in both Germany and Israel directly, as well as, in a knock on effect, Australia and Canada, has just been given a huge and direct boost. According to Leslie Bokscor, Founder of Electrum Partners, a leading advisory firm in the cannabis space, “As we see, with Israel’s now contemplating exporting cannabis, this could not be more significant. The decriminalization is likely a significant step towards regulation and full legalization, if only at first of medical use, and likely being followed by adult use . . . other nations will be quick to follow suit.” >>
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That said, such overseas developments do not necessarily have a direct impact on driving further reform in the U.S. While America is not out of the game right now, particularly given the impact of California’s cannabis and technology markets, what it does mean is that the cannabis industry has gone far beyond U.S. borders. Further, in key places, the U.S. will lag behind because of the federal scheduling status of cannabis. According to Andy Williams, the CEO of Medicine Man, “The United States market could be eclipsed in innovation as other countries are changing laws. So long as the federal barrier is in place, research, jobs, economic development, and new opportunities will go overseas instead of here at home. In my view, this will build up tremendous pressure to change laws in our country.” That said, this perspective is not uniform in the global industry. Debs, for one, disagrees. “I do not see Israeli cannabis policy having any effect on the U.S. and the DEA,” he said. Bokscor concurs. “The likely affect that Israel will have on the U.S. from a regulatory perspective is minimal,” he said. “Where we may see the greatest effect is on the international basis at places like the United Nations, as contemplated changes to the Single Convention Treaty on Narcotic Drugs begin to take hold.”
Expected Trends The impact of four westernized countries now moving significantly to create and integrate medical protocols, legal regulations and support companies to facilitate the process is a bonus for entrepreneurs in this space, particularly in the science and technology space. This means grow-tech, insure-tech and other tech that begins to create the tools and communities necessary for a vibrant and regulated market to flourish not to mention to support scientific R&D—as Americans know well. Given the current legal environment in California alone, let alone at the federal level, what this also ultimately means is that national legislatures outside the U.S. supporting such industry create a far more solid investment opportunity right now. And this ultimately is what the market has really needed. Can this in turn strengthen the resolve of cannabis entrepreneurs in the United States to get federal issues resolved soon? It certainly can’t hurt, of course. But what this also means is that there is high likelihood of the U.S. discussion
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The timing of the decision is certainly interesting given Germany’s recent parliament decision to legalize medical marijuana, which combined represent an ongoing move towards more liberal cannabis policies throughout the West. being deliberately stalled now on the side of pharmatizing the drug officially before allowing full legalization in the U.S. The discussion of whether it will be covered under health care is also a hugely polarizing discussion particularly in the U.S. This is so much the case that it may push the entire debate back until there is more clarity about what is going to happen in D.C. with regards to not only decision-making, but day-to-day implementation of current policies at the Justice Department, let alone other impacted federal agencies. That includes both HHS as well as the VA.
Green Allies As it has for some time, cannabis politics continues to divide the world into an intriguing new map. That includes fascinating developments politically that
are beginning to look oddly syncopated— regardless of whether that is signalling driven by design or mere coincidence—in international scientific, business and political initiatives. Israel and Germany in particular, have been moving together in deliberative and similar fashion politically on this issue, and both tied to the developments in key cannabis states in the United States since at least 2014. This includes the release of a German government poll on cannabis use the month that Colorado started recreational sales in January 2014, and Israel’s decision to widen access to epileptic children in February that year (although that was also prompted domestically by The 15 Family threat to “immigrate” to Colorado). It seems to be continuing in strange ways. The day before Trump’s inauguration, German politicians unanimously voted to legalize medical use, and Israel has followed suit with a similar legal decision of its own, within a week. Such moves also come against the backdrop of the success of the November state votes on cannabis in the U.S., the Australian government announcement to grow its own domestic medical crops in December 2016 and the signalling of the Canadian government the same month to pass rec reform by the end of this year. If the allies this makes can keep their eyes on the legalization issue, it may provide a stability in global business if not politics far beyond cannabis. In a world where uncertainty and new orders if not borders are becoming the norm, perhaps this is in fact an “alternative truth” to believe in if not focus on. c
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Gracious GReen Garb Clever clothing company StashTagz produces subtle and fashionable cannabis T-shirt designs
We want you to support marijuana without shoving it down people’s throats. There are plenty of T-shirts available for people to purchase with weed leaves all over them. We design shirts that are incognito in a way.
by Addison Herron-Wheeler
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annabis clothing brands are currently carving out their own niche in the Denver scene. While not essential to the consumption process, pro-green clothing brands are a great way to show support of the cause in addition to benefitting the environment, since a lot of brands use fibers like hemp, which is more sustainable than many other fabrics. Local company StashTagz is making its mark on the local industry with a collection of unique, strain-specific tees. The only products StashTagz sells is shirts targeted to popular cannabis strains, like a pink shirt with a coughing berry for Strawberry Cough, and a blue shirt with a sleeping woman to represent Blue Dream. The styles are unique,
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simple and consistently highlight beloved strains. “StashTagz is inspired by a missing piece in the cannabis industry,” explained Jared Hujing, founder and company owner. “The idea started with wanting to bring an iconic image to every strain of marijuana. We aren’t using corny clipart or generic tiles.” The inspiration behind the brand is to support the industry without making potentially obnoxious prints that call out the wearer as a cannabis consumer at every turn. “The goal of every StashTagz design is not to scream marijuana,” he explained. “We want you to support marijuana without shoving it down people’s throats. There are plenty of T-shirts available for people to purchase with weed leaves all over them. We design shirts
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that are incognito in a way. If you are in the ‘know,’ then you know what the shirt is all about.” Hujing continued to share that people who aren’t in the “know,” might appreciate the design of the shirt without knowing it is cannabis-related. This gives individuals in states where cannabis isn’t socially acceptable a way to sport the cause without being extremely obvious. The current goal of StashTagz is to release a new strain-specific shirt every month of 2017. The company also plans to introduce a line of men and women’s tank tops in May. To support this, the company is developing a strain of the month package, which will feature special promotional items that complement the T-shirt strain that is being highlighted that month.
When it comes to legalization, Hujing is positive about the direction that the state is taking, but would like to see even more change allowing for access to medicinal and recreational cannabis. “I think that we are conditioned to think that the grass is always greener, but in some instances, we should be happy with how far we’ve come and not always be looking for something to change,” he stated. “One thing I do think needs to change is moving towards the entire state allowing for recreational sales. Cities like Colorado Springs, Gunnison and Lakewood need to come to terms with how much they are enabling the grey market. Not to mention cities like Greeley, Grand Junction and Castle Rock that don’t even allow for medical sales.” c www.stashtagz.com
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Industry Insider
Business is just another form of political activism and the right mainstream brand can help more and more Americans realize that this is a mainstream product. This is a normal product. It’s not a scary product that should be vilified.
Brendan Kennedy of Privateer Holdings by R. Scott Rappold
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t the International Cannabis Business Conference in Vancouver in October, beloved cannabis consumer and activist Tommy Chong stole the show. But Brendan Kennedy may have had the most attentive audience of the event. As Co-Founder and CEO of Privateer Holdings, he has done what many once thought impossible for an industry just emerging from seven decades on the black market: He’s brought in Wall Street money, some $122 million to date. Kennedy has channeled the windfall into one of the world’s largest cannabis
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conglomerates, with 300 employees spread among the website Leafly.com, medical cannabis brand Tilray and Marley Natural, a line of accessories and cannabis strains done in partnership with the family of late singer Bob Marley. With a nice suit, a strong business background and an MBA from Yale, he’s brought an air of respectability to an industry with an image problem. Sure, it’s partially about making money, but he sees it as a form of activism as well, with the same end goal as everyone else in the industry: Full legalization. “I think it’s important that professional, sophisticated companies
emerge in this industry to help transition it from a state of prohibition into a state of legalization,” said Kennedy, 44, in a recent phone interview. “Professionallyoperated companies, and there are plenty that are emerging in the industry, are really important to continue to erode and tip over the Berlin Wall of cannabis prohibition.” “Business is just another form of political activism and the right mainstream brand can help more and more Americans realize that this is a mainstream product. This is a normal product. It’s not a scary product that should be vilified.” >>
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S.
Skeptical at first
R.
Rising tide lifts all ships
Kennedy was acquainted with cannabis—as a student at UC Berkeley, how could you not be? But after a dozen or so tries he decided it wasn’t for him. He went on to launch several companies and in 2009 was working for a large California bank, evaluating investment opportunities. Kennedy had a healthy skepticism about the medical cannabis boom then exploding in California and a handful of other Western states, but decided to do some homework, a full year’s worth, traveling the country and the world. “I had certainly been indoctrinated into the 'war on drugs,' thinking, ‘This is your brain on drugs,’ so I went in skeptically,” he said. “At the end of the year, after talking to so many people and so many patients and so many people closely associated with this product my perspective changed 180 degrees.” He and two partners founded Privateer Holdings in 2010, initially envisioning it as a venture capital firm, making investments in cannabis businesses but not running them. But the rising tide of legalization convinced Kennedy otherwise, that cannabis would be legal someday and establishing solid brands could help make it happen. So in 2011 the company purchased the website Leafly.com, a clearinghouse of information on dispensaries and strains.
Kennedy flew 305,000 miles last year. That’s 12 times around the planet. He doesn’t just meet with potential investors, but with lawmakers, government officials, scientific researchers and university professors. The day before our interview, he met with a group of 240 Wall Street investors worth a potential $1 trillion in investment money. Then it was off to Miami for more meetings before returning home to Seattle, where Privateer is based. The first $7 million he raised came from folks who were more interested in the social justice goal of legalization than making a profit, he said. While some subsequent
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investors have been primarily involved to make money, many are still involved for the altruistic goal of legalization. And though Kennedy may be making money, he sees his success as helping all those in the cannabis industry, where a rising tide lifts all ships. “We’ve achieved a lot of milestones for this industry, whether it’s raising our first round of $7 million—and people congratulated us because it helped others raise capital,” he said. “When we closed the second round at $75 million, people within the industry were thrilled because it made it easier for them to raise capital. When we became the first (cannabis) company to raise over $100 million, people within the industry thanked us.” Leafly.com has become one of the internet’s main cannabis information resources, visited by 10 million people in December 2016 alone. Tilray is a global leader in medical cannabis, with 20,000 patients, and is conducting groundbreaking research in the treatment of epilepsy and other conditions. And Marley Natural has accessories in 100 stores around the country and has begun selling some of Bob Marley’s favorite strains in California and Oregon, with the added benefit of helping impoverished farmers and workers in Jamaica. Still, he frequently encounters concern in the industry about such corporate control. Will the mom-and-pop operations be squeezed out and will cannabis become dominated by a few huge players, like the tobacco industry? “On one hand people within the industry are thrilled and congratulate us on what we’re doing. On the other hand, there’s some trepidation among small business owners, small operators, that large corporate companies are going to come in and gobble up the industry,” he said. “I don’t see that as a long-term threat. I think this industry ends up looking more like the craft beer or wine industries, where you have local, regional, national and international players. I think it looks much more like that than something like Big Tobacco.” c
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culture growing
2017 WINTER GARDEN 2
T
he winter garden, consisting of one plant, a SharkShock, has been flowering for a month. When I purchased it from a dispensary in Oakland the first week in January, I transplanted it from a 2 1/2 gallon container to a five-gallon container. First I placed a bottom layer of commercial planting mix enriched with 20 percent by volume homemade kitchen and yard compost, and then placed the plant on top of that, filling the sides with mix so that the whole plant stem length remained above the soil line. The plant was grown vegetatively, rather than flowering, for two weeks by interrupting the dark period. This was accomplished with a five-minute burst of light from a 40-watt warm-white compact fluorescent every two hours during the dark period. It was fertilized weekly using a 7-9-5 one-part complete vegetative formula fertilizer diluted to 700 parts per million (ppm). Five days after the regulatory lights were turned off and the formula was changed to a one part bloom formula, 3-12-6, the first flowers appeared. Five days later flowers were appearing on all the branches.
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Plant as purchased from dispensary. It had a few main branches as a result of early pruning.
SharkShock after training and pruning, before the “switch.” Small and understory branches were removed and remaining branches were horizontalized.
The greenhouse receives light only from the top and front, so the 10+ hours of natural winter light is supplemented using a 600-watt HPS lamp for 12-hours daily, turning on shortly before dawn and off shortly after nightfall. Now that the days are getting longer and the intensity of the sun is increasing, the plant is getting an extra boost as it begins to ripen. Soon after transplanting I began “training” the plant. I wanted it to completely fill the 4’ x 4’ canopy, 16 square-feet and to encourage the large branches capable of producing large buds. On its own, SharkShock grows a large main stem with big bud and smaller side branches that produce smaller buds. Clipping the main bud early results in several main branches that will yield more than the large single bud. The plant had been clipped when it was young so it had branched out somewhat. I started by “horizontalizing” the branches: Bending them so they were parallel to the floor rather than growing up. I bent some down and held them in place using twistties attached to little holes drilled at the container top to hold them in place. Others were bent and held in place using crutches. Then understory and small branches were removed, leaving only large bud sites. Horizontalizing the plant, similar to scrogging, but without the screen, produces even more because the one plant covers a much large canopy and the branches fill with buds. The results are apparent 30 days later. All of the buds are at approximately the same height so they don’t block each others’ light. The entire canopy is filled with bud sites and the flowering formula is encouraging new bud formation. Growth is also helped by the increasing intensity of the sunlight and ambient light as spring draws closer. The buds will be ripe in 30-40 days. c
The garden set-up. Using a 600 watt HPS lamp and ambient light, C02 pads, a fivegallon container and planting mix.
SharkShock one month into flowering.
Close-up of flower, onemonth-old.
TIP OF THE MONTH Simple Salve Many of us use salves containing camphor, lidocaine, hot pepper, aspirin or other analgesics for pain relief. These salves can be made more efficacious by adding CBD and THC. Enriched salves will not get you high and will not show up on drug tests. There are several ways to add them to your favorite salve or lotion. Mix in finely powdered trim leaf. First grind it using a coffee bean grinder of blender. Before opening let the dust (glands) settle after grinding. Adding ethyl (drinking) alcohol, glycerin or vegetable oil to the powder before mixing helps the cannabinoids dissolve more easily. Mix cannabis tincture in to the salve. Make a poultice of cannabis chopped ground or powdered leaf using salve as a “binder.” Hold it in place with a bandage or wrap.
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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Time to Go: March Weather: Mid-50s with light rainfall Budget: $$$$$
if you go:
modern marvel on the mediterranean
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by Sheryll Alexander Spain is a paradox when it comes to the cannabis industry, but it seems nothing can stop Barcelona from becoming Europe’s new cannabis capital. It’s true. Barcelona has pretty much eclipsed Amsterdam when it comes to the continent’s best of the best in cannabis travel. Why? While Amsterdam is the historic ground central for cannabis in Europe, Barcelona has emerged as the new “it” spot for cannabis enthusiasts and those enriched by the cannabiz. You see, Amsterdam is sleepy (and cold) and is now seen in jet set circles as more like a pilgrimage or a cannabis lover’s rite of passage. Barcelona, on the other hand, is lit. And this comes just two years after Spain’s Supreme Court came down with a ruling that almost put Barcelona’s exploding cannabis culture in the deep black market freeze. Since Spain’s highest court basically pronounced
Fun-Filled Facts During Spannabis from March. 10-12, Barcelona’s State Network of Anti-Prohibitionist Women (REMA) organization is sponsoring a women’s “gathering” as a precursor to World Cannabis Conferences III. REMA’s goal is to stop the stigmatization of female cannabis patients and to found a platform for women professionals and activists in the cannabiz.
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humungous cannabis clubs outlawed, the trends towards small clubs have meant an expansion from about 100 in 2015 to, some say, more than 800 today. What this means for travelers is complicated. The clubs get around the “ban” by cultivating plants on private property for consumption by just 100 or so “members” who all supposedly help in the growing. Whatever happens, your chance of getting your hands on some premium bud in Barcelona is high. Plus, experiencing Barcelona in early spring is just a delight in and of itself. This intensely gorgeous and highly urban city-by-the-sea comes alive with fresh foods, scented flowers, spring fashions, endless cultural activities and Spain’s biggest cannabis expo, Spannabis (this 13th edition will be held from March 10-12 at Barcelona’s Fira de Cornellá exposition center). c
To get around the illegal-yet-legal status of cannabis in Spain, savvy travelers sign up for a cannabis tour or connect in advance with a local who is an avid cannabis club member. Before flying off, they invite their newfound Spanish friends for a round or three of tapas or a delicious dinner followed by dancing while in town. It won’t be long until the new friend or a friend of a friend kicks down some of their private club-grown stash. Some clubs allow their members to invite respectable guests. Those who can’t wait for all the polite posturing, however, can stand next to a known-to-be-cool cannabis collective entrance. Dress your best and chat it up with an entering member. Perhaps you will be lucky enough to get that welcoming nod without the annoying legal risks of enjoying communal cannabis medicating in other European cities.
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Although celebrated more in Valencia and Madrid, St. Joseph’s Day or Spain’s Father’s Day is feted as a local holiday traditionally on March 19 (but lands on March 20 in 2017). This holy day honors the husband of The Virgin Mary with ceremonies, festivals, fireworks, papiermaché nativity scenes and native dress along with gifts and displays of affection to fathers of all kinds. 2
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culture RECIPES
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Barbara “Barbie” Sommars
Age: 44
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Condition/Illness: Interstitial Cystitis, Hunner’s Ulcers and Chronic Pain
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When did you start using medical cannabis? I started using medical cannabis shortly after my diagnosis in 2008. First with edibles and trying to master micro-dosing myself, and then I explored smoking and other methods like topicals, tinctures and patches. Did you try other methods or treatments before cannabis? Yes, I tried vicoprofen (opioids), as prescribed by my doctor, but declined the one FDA prescription prescribed for my condition due to undesirable side effects. Early on, I delved into all kinds of potential natural remedies including various herbs, acupuncture and exercises. I even had surgery in 2009. What’s the most important issue or
problem facing medical cannabis patients? Safe, reliable access. It has always been my biggest problem and continues to be. I live in an area where cannabis is not embraced so I must travel over an hour to obtain it legally. I think the other important issue is access to pesticidefree flower. It’s not very prevalent in SoCal but I think that will change with consumer demand. What do you say to folks who are skeptical about cannabis as medicine? It’s an ancient, healing herb! Don’t be afraid of it. It’s better for you than most things your doctor will prescribe. I’m appalled at some of the toxic and down-right dangerous medications some people take to get a good night’s rest. I will always go the natural route if possible. 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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Spring Invigoration recipes by Laurie Wolf In terms of seasons, we’re finally approaching the light at the end of the tunnel. Spring is right on our doorstep; however the crisp chill of winter’s end may still linger throughout the month. While the country is preparing to wear shorts and t-shirts, don’t throw out your light sweaters and cozy socks just yet. As spring and winter battle it out, we’ll remain cozy in our homes whipping up delicious and hearty meals while dreaming of springtime flavors soon to come. Embrace the warmth and comfort of a cannabis-infused chicken pot pie while getting a taste for fresh roasted cauliflower and grill-inspired bacon-wrapped shrimp. Top it off with an addicting white chocolate bark, and you have a cannabis-infused meal worthy of staying inside—at least for a few more weeks.
Menu: Chicken Pot Pie Roasted Cauliflower with Cumin Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp White Chocolate Bark with Dried Cherries and Granola Snickerdoodle with Chocolate Drizzle
Chicken Pot Pie Covered with store bought piecrust or puff pastry, this is an easy way to enjoy an infused comfort food classic. Just breaking through the top crust is enough to give you goose bumps. If you have only had a frozen version of this dish, you are in for a treat. Ingredients: 3 tablespoons butter 4 teaspoons canna-butter t 1 stalk celery, sliced 1 carrot, peeled and sliced 1 teaspoon thyme 1/3 cup flour 2 cups chicken stock
Servings:
4
1/3 cup light cream or half and half 1 cup peas 3 cups chicken, cooked and cut in pieces Salt
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Puff pastry or piecrust 1 egg, beaten (optional) Directions: In a large sauté pan over low heat, melt the butters. Sauté the celery, carrot and thyme for 10 minutes. Add the flour to the mixture, and cook for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the stock, cream and peas, and mix well until vegetables are coated and the mixture starts to thicken. Stir in the chicken. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat oven to 340° F. Cut the puff pastry or piecrust to fit the tops of the 4 ramekins. Divide the mixture between the 4 ramekins, and top with the pastry. If desired brush the pastry with the beaten egg for a shiny, crisp crust. Make slits in the pastry with a sharp knife to let the steam escape. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the mixture is bubbling. MARCH 2017 iReadCULTURE.com
t Additional recipe can be found at iReadCulture.com
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Local eateries with similar dishes:
Roasted Cauliflower with Cumin
Prohibition 504 E Colfax Ave., Denver (303) 832-4840 prohibitiondenver.com
Real De Minas
This is a fantastic way to prepare the under-loved cauliflower. In the last year or two, cauliflower has begun to get the attention it deserves. Roasting this veggie is magical with cannabis and cuminperfection. Also, it looks so cool prepared this way! Ingredients:
6775 S Cornerstar Wy., Aurora (303) 766-2207 realdeminasrestaurant.com
Concertos in Chocolate 6395 Gunpark Dr., Boulder (303) 447-1001 concertosinchocolate.com
1 medium head cauliflower, sliced into 4 pieces 2 tablespoons olive oil 4 teaspoons canna-olive oil t 2 teaspoons cumin
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4
1 teaspoon cumin seeds Salt Pepper Directions: Heat oven to 340° F. Lay the slices of cauliflower on a baking sheet with sides. Brush with the oils, and sprinkle with the cumin, salt and pepper. Roast the cauliflower until golden and tender, about 25-30 minutes.
Bacon-Wrapped Shrimp Bacon and shrimp? Yes, please. Goat cheese too? Amazing. The addition of canna-olive oil takes this dish to a place that is beyond perfection. I always try to find nitrite-free bacon. It’s generally good quality, and who needs the extra chemicals? When bacon is cooking, all but the kosher must stop and give thanks. It tastes as good as it smells. Ingredients: 6 bacon slices, cut in halves 12 large raw shrimp, peeled and cleaned 4 teaspoons canna-olive oil t 3 tablespoons goat cheese, cold Squeeze of lemon Servings:
4
as an appetizer
Pinch of salt Directions: Heat oven to 340° F. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, cook the bacon about halfway. Remove bacon from pan, and allow it to cool. Place the shrimp on your work surface. Brush each shrimp with the canna-olive oil. Place a small piece of goat cheese on the shrimp in the center along with a squeeze of lemon and pinch of salt. Wrap the bacon around the shrimp, covering the cheese. Place on skewers all in the same direction. On a baking sheet with sides, place the bacon-wrapped shrimp, seam side down. Bake until the bacon is fully cooked and the shrimp are pink, 5-7 minutes.
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culture
Servings:
8
White Chocolate Bark with Dried Cherries and Granola
growing
Cannabis and white chocolate are perfect together. It seems like they just bring out the best in each other. Dried cherries and granola gild the proverbial lily. Ingredients: 2 cups white chocolate melts or chips 3 tablespoons canna-butter t 1 cup granola 1/3 cup dried cherries
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In a double boiler melt the chips with the canna-butter. Place a sheet of parchment on your work surface. Pour the white chocolate onto the parchment. Sprinkle the white chocolate with the granola and the cherries. Allow to set for at least one hour before breaking into pieces.
Snickerdoodle with Chocolate Drizzle
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With its sugar-cinnamon coating and chewy goodness, whoever thought a snickerdoodle could get better? Well, it has. With a bit of cannabis and a chocolate drizzle, this cookie may just become your new favorite. 2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
Pinch of salt
1/3 cup sugar
5 tablespoons butter, softened
1 1/2 tablespoons cinnamon
9 tablespoons cannabutter t, softened
1 cup chocolate chips 1 tablespoon plus one teaspoon butter
Directions: Heat oven to 340° F. In a medium bowl combine the flour, cream of tartar, baking soda and salt. In a mixing bowl beat the butter and sugar till fluffy. Add the vanilla and eggs and beat till incorporated. Stir in the dry ingredients until there is no flour showing. Chill the dough for 30 minutes. In a small bowl combine the 1/3 cup sugar with the cinnamon. Roll the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar and place on parchment covered baking sheets. Place the balls of dough 2 inches apart. Bake until set, 8-10 minutes. Allow to cool thoroughly. In a double boiler combine the chips with the butter. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle the cooled cookies with the chocolate sauce. Allow to set.
Chef’s Notes Cream of tartar is what sets a snickerdoodle apart from a sugar cookie. It is responsible for the slight tanginess of the cookie and its almost pillow-like texture. A sugar cookie is crunchy, a snickerdoodle is soft. 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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colorado NOW! event listings
Argentina Date Night, March 4 Introduce your taste buds to what’s south of the border at Boulder’s unique dinner event, highlighting Argentinian cuisine. This three-hour evening will include four authentic dishes to give guests a glimpse into South American culture. Foodlab, Boulder foodlabboulder.com
hosted by radio station, Channel 93.3. Starting bright and early at 7a.m., music lovers can expect to find the holiday classic of green beers and whiskey along with the musical talent by bands like the American Authors. Blake Street Tavern, Denver area93.iheart.com/features/ keggs-eggs-2773
Delicious Downtown Food Tour, March 11 Visitors can get the local experience of Colorado, while locals will enjoy a new taste of Colorado at the Delicious Downtown Food Tour. Foodies and history buffs can both find something to smile about during this event that not only provides an array of unique recipes, but also takes guests through the history of Colorado. Multiple Restaurant Locations, Downtown Colorado Springs rockymountainfoodtours. com
Game of Thrones Live Concert Experience, March 19 Music is coming to The Pepsi Center, taking the sounds of the cult series, Game of Thrones, to the stage in an orchestral performance. Accompanied by captivating visuals, composer Ramin Djawadi brings the seven kingdoms to life through this concert experience. The Pepsi Center, Denver www.pepsicenter.com
Keggs & Eggs, March 17 This St. Patrick’s Day celebration invites the 21-and-over crowd to a day of live music and brews,
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featured event
Puff, Pass & Paint, March 18 Let your creativity flow during the Saturday night classes at the Paint, Puff & Pass Art Studio. While art supplies for painting are included, guests may bring their own cannabis products to partake in a truly unique session, creating masterpieces in an openminded environment. Puff, Pass & Paint Studio, Denver puffpassandpaint.com
Denver Botanic Gardens Free Day, March 22 The Scientific and Cultural Facilities District has generously provided funding to offer free entrance days to the Denver Botanic Gardens throughout the year. The York
Après Ski Cocktail Classic, March 9-12
Take a quick getaway by escaping to The Little Nell’s slopeside tasting party that lasts the entire weekend. With tasting villages, seminars by mixologists, artisanal cocktails and after parties, the Ski Cocktail Classic is guaranteed to be a hit. The Little Nell, Aspen apresskicocktailclassic.com Street location has several botanical gardens across 24 acres, many inspired by international locations including China, Africa and the Tropics. York Street, Denver botanicgardens.org Big Sean, March 28 The Fillmore Auditorium
presents Detroit rapper, Big Sean, as he brings fans his 2017 tour just after releasing his album, I Decided, last month. Fans can expect nothing short of an energetic night and a packed house as hip-hop’s newest success takes the stage. Fillmore Auditorium, Denver fillmoreauditorium.org
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Chuck Shepherd's
News of the
Weird
LEAD STORY—Post-Truth Society u In January, the U.S. Court of Appeals finally pulled the plug on Orange County, California, social workers who had been arguing in court for 16 years that they were not guilty of lying under oath because, after all, they did not understand that lying under oath in court is wrong. The social workers had been sued for improperly removing children from homes and defended their actions by inventing “witnesses” to submit made-up testimony. Their lawyers had been arguing that the social workers’ “due process” rights were violated in the lawsuit because in no previous case on record did a judge ever have occasion to explicitly spell out that creating fictional witness statements is not permitted.
THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS u Former elementary school teacher Maria Caya, who was allowed to resign quietly in 2013 from her Janesville, Wisconsin, school after arriving drunk on a student field trip, actually made money on the incident. In November 2016, the city agreed to pay a $75,000 settlement—because the police had revealed her bloodalcohol level to the press in 2013 (allegedly, “private” medical information). The lawsuit against the police made no mention of Caya’s having been drunk or passed out, but only that she had “become ill.” THE REDNECK CHRONICLES u (1) John Bubar, 50, was arrested in Parsonsfield, 76
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Maine, in November after repeatedly lifting his son’s mobile home with his frontend loader and dropping it. The father and son had been quarreling over rent payments and debris in the yard, and the father only eased up after realizing that his grandson was still inside the home. (2) Update: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reversed itself in December and allowed Mary Thorn of Lakeland to keep her 6-footlong pet alligator (“Rambo”) at home with her despite a regulation requiring that a gator that size needs a more spacious roaming area. Thorn and Rambo have been together for over a decade. UNCLEAR ON THE CONCEPT u “I’m (as) tired of hearing the word ‘creep’ as any black person or gay person is of hearing certain words,” wrote Lucas Werner, 37, on his Facebook page in December after he was banned from a Starbucks in Spokane, Washington, for writing a polite dating request to a teenaged barista. Managers thought Werner was harassing the female, who is at least the age of consent, but Werner charged illegal “age discrimination” and made a “science” claim that “age gap love” makes healthier babies. QUESTIONABLE JUDGMENTS u David Martinez, 25, was shot in the stomach during a brawl in New York City in December. He had inadvertently initiated the chaos when, trying to park in Manhattan’s East Village just after Saturday midnight, he moved an orange traffic cone that had obviously been placed to reserve the parking space. He apparently failed to realize that the parking spot was in front of the clubhouse of Hells Angels, whose members happened to take notice.
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