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contents Vol 8 IssUE 10
04.17
Hunter and his beloved 1971 Chevrolet Impala at his home on Owl Farm in Aspen.
h t y M , n Ma d n e g e L and
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On the COVER:
Fascinating and unique, Hunter S. Thompson astonished the world with his brilliantly written works and advocacy as he sought to represent the many different iterations of the “American Dream� through his work.
p h o t o b y Ne a le H a y n e s
contents
inside
4.2017
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High Holy Day Happenings From a how-to guide about titration to a Cannasseur Bucket List that will spark creative new endeavors in your future, this 420 is going to be the best holiday yet.
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Mighty Medicine Young William Ross and his family have received approval from their Mormon Bishop to embrace medical cannabis as a treatment for William’s epilepsy.
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departments news
8 News Nuggets 9 By the Numbers 10 Local News
Online Exclusive! reviews
11 Dispensary
Highlight 12 Advocate Highlight 12 Strain Reviews 14 Cool Stuff 16 Entertainment Reviews
in every issue
38 Destination Unknown 40 Recipes 43 Growing Culture
44 Profile in Courage 46 News of the Weird
Vol 8 IssUE 10
d Colombia Soon to Begin
Legally Producing Cannabis d Recreational Cannabis Up for
Debate in Illinois
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CULTURE M
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Publisher Jeremy Zachary Editor-In-Chief Jamie Solis associate Editor Ashley Bennett creative consultant Evan Senn Editorial coordinator Benjamin Adams Editorial Contributors Matthew Abel, 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, 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 Art Director Steven Myrdahl production manager Tommy LaFleur Graphic Designer Tanya Delgadillo sales director Justin Olson Account Executives Jon Bookatz, Greg Borland, Alex Brizicky, Eric Bulls, Kim Cook, Cole Garrison, Beau Odom, Gloria Santiago, Garry Stalling, Chris Walker, Vic Zaragoza general Manager Iris Norsworthy Office Assistant Angelina Thompson digital media Editor David Edmundson Intern Kiara Manns Distribution Manager Cruz Bobadilla
Culture® Magazine is published every month and distributes magazines at over 500 locations throughout Oregon. No articles, illustrations, photographs, or other matter within may be reproduced without written permission. Culture® Magazine is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. Phone / Fax 888.694.2046 www.iReadCulture.com
CULTURE® Magazine is printed using post-recycled paper.
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NEWS
nuggetS Permanent Rules Proposed for the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program
Permanent legal housekeeping changes are coming to the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program in order to protect public health and safety. The Oregon Health Authority (OHA) announced a proposal to amend the existing program’s rules to include “marijuana labeling, and marijuana laboratory sampling and testing; and permanently adopt, amend and repeal rules in chapter 333, division 8 pertaining to medical marijuana growers, processors, dispensaries and patient cards.” The OHA, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) and the Oregon Department of Agriculture would be tasked with protecting public safety by establishing the new rules. Under the new rules, sampling procedures for testing medical cannabis would be amended. For instance, the OHA or OLCC would be able to access cannabis samples in order to test for heavy metals and pesticides. Under the proposed rules, THC and CBD could be expressed on cannabis labeling as an average or range instead of specific defined values. The changes are needed in order to implement Senate Bill 1511, which directs the OLCC to register producers, wholesalers, retailers, processors and more. Residents are invited to review and comment on the proposed rules on April 27 in Eugene and on April 28 in Portland. (See public.health.oregon.gov for location details.)
Ohio Increases Limit on Medical Cannabis Dispensaries Ohio’s State Pharmacy Board proposed a revision of the state’s current medical cannabis rules, which would increase the limit of dispensaries from the current 40-dispensary cap. The new rule would raise the number of allowed provisional licenses on medical cannabis dispensaries to 60 until September 8, 2018. Additionally, the board could use its discretion to permit additional provisional licenses after September 9, 2018 if the state’s population, patient population and geographic location support it, according to the proposal text. Dispensaries would also be allowed to stay open for an additional two hours within the window of 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. Home delivery however will not be permitted. Although the board has received public comment about the rule proposal, regulations regarding patients, physicians and cannabis product processors are still being considered.
Eugene City Council Temporarily Halts Discussion for Cannabis Zoning Buffer The Eugene City Council shelved a rule proposal that would have required 1,000 feet of separation in between recreational cannabis stores. Instead, the council tasked city analysts with collecting more data on the subject, and they are to report back at the end of the year. At the meeting, councilmembers said that they haven’t heard any complaints about shops on every corner, however, some small business owners have requested a buffer. In response to the discussion, Councilman Mike Clark said there’s no need to move forward just yet. “I will wait to hear the compelling interest in us creating a buffer before feeling the need to do so,” Clark commented. Currently, about half of Eugene’s recreational cannabis shops are already within 1,000 feet of other cannabis shops. These proposed standards on recreational stores resemble requirements imposed on medical cannabis dispensaries.
South African Agency Publishes Medical Cannabis Guidelines Draft The Medicines Control Council (MCC) published a draft of guidelines that cover medical cannabis cultivation and production in South Africa. “This guideline represents the Medicines Control Council’s current thinking on the measures required to be in place to ensure that quality products are cultivated and harvested and made available to patients when prescribed by an authorized prescriber/physician,” according to the MCC’s recently proposed guidelines. The guidelines provide extensive details about safety and security requirements, such as distinguishing hemp from medical cannabis and mandating that prospective medical cannabis cultivators obtain a license from the Department of Health. There is no cap on the number of licenses that the MCC can issue. However, the International Narcotics Control Board will control the total quantity of medical cannabis that is grown in South Africa. Currently, the MCC has only registered one product that contains synthetic CBD.
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The approximate amount of money, in thousands of dollars, that was collected in fees from a single cannabis dispensary in St. Helens: (Source: St. Helens Chronicle)
The approximate number of applications for cannabis worker permits that have been received by the Oregon Liquor Control Commission: (Source: Oregon Public Broadcasting)
30
The number of land use applications for possible cannabis production and wholesale facilities that were reviewed by the Linn County Planning and Building Department: (Source: Albany Democrat-Herald)
3
The amount of money, in millions of dollars, that the Oregon Department of Revenue received in cannabis tax payments during the month of January: (Source: East Oregonian)
5.3
12,640
The projected amount of money, in millions of dollars, that is made in combined annual salaries for jobs that involve handling cannabis in Oregon: (Source: Entrepreneur)
315
The projected amount of money, in dollars, that represents the average wage per hour in current Oregon jobs that involve handling cannabis:
12.13
(Source: Forbes)
The number of Canadians who were registered to purchase medical cannabis from licensed caregivers as of December 2016: (Source:
The percentage of Americans who support federally legalizing cannabis for medical purposes if prescribed by a physician: (Source: Inc.)
129,876
93
CTV News Kitchener) The number of farmers who were granted preliminary medical cannabis cultivation licenses in Israel in midMarch: (Source: The Jerusalem Post)
37
The number of medical cannabis patients who were registered in New Jersey during 2016: (Source: NJ.gov)
4,735
Cannabis Health Summit WHAT: Cannabis Health Summit 2017. WHEN/WHERE: Sat, May 6-Sun, May 7. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. Virtual access granted upon online registration. INFO: Visit www.learngreenflower.com for details. Expand your current knowledge of cannabis with a virtual learning experience at the online Cannabis Health Summit. Hosted by Green Flower, the live-stream event offers its audience some of the best access and information in the cannabis industry with the option of participating from their own home or from any location in the world. Regarded by some as the “TED Talks of Cannabis,” the event has previously brought in more than 20 leading professionals of the cannabis industry to educate enthusiasts like never before. The Cannabis Health Summit looks to spread awareness about the various
ways the typically misunderstood cannabis plant offers advancements in the fields of medicine and science. Industry professionals such as Steve DeAngelo, Eugene Monroe and Gay Hendricks will share exactly how cannabis can be used as a method for treating a wide variety of health conditions. Presentations will include topics on cannabis dosing strategy, treating cancer with cannabis and an analysis on cannabinoids. Reap the benefits and learning opportunities from this free event without the traditional hassles of travel and hotel booking! (Kiara Manns) iReadCULTURE.com
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NEWS
LOCAL
Northwest 420 Fest
Alternate Routes
Oregon cannabis businesses have more hope and more options for dealing with finances
by Heather Johnson
B
anking is a continual problem in the cannabis industry, as the options for safe cannabis banking are stuck behind a federal wall of illegality. Technically, banks that deal with legalized recreational cannabis businesses could be in violation of federal law. Until the substance becomes legal nationwide, federal and nationwide banks are obligated to uphold the laws that apply to the nation as a whole, instead of state laws. However, states like Oregon have recently become a little more cannabis business friendly, with local community credit unions opening their doors to cannabis entrepreneurs and store owners. Without the possibility of opening up a business bank account, dispensary owners and grow operators have had to deal with all transactions on a cash basis. This doesn’t just mean consumers have to pay in cash; it means all the money involved in running the business has to be in cash as well. Cannabis businesses cannot make large deposits and withdrawals from a bank account, instead there are large sums of money in office safes and employees are paid in cash. This has been a huge problem in states with legalized cannabis, and it has left business owners and those in the industry in very dangerous and compromising situations. Credit unions in Oregon like Maps Credit Union, based out of Salem, work with cannabis businesses. They allow owners to open business accounts and handle their cash flow like any other business owner. This is a ray of hope for many people in Oregon who are looking to get involved the cannabis industry but are afraid of working with so much cash. Timberland is another bank serving Oregon and Washington cannabis businesses, with the closest branch to Portland way down in Albany. Until federal banks allow dispensaries and growers to bank at their facilities, Portlanders are left having to drive long
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distances to make cash deposits and do everyday business banking. Washington State lawmakers have gone to great lengths in the past few years to try and create avenues in banking for cannabis businesses. Scott Jarvis, Washington State’s head banking regulator, has been a major advocate for those in the cannabis industry. He has stepped up to ensure that banks allow accounts to be opened for all types of business. Although it is more expensive and inconvenient for everyone involved, having cannabis businesses operate through local banks could actually be beneficial for the state. More of that sweet cannabis revenue would be circulated through the local economy instead of going to the big banks. Small banks in Oregon are seeing much more cash, with an increase of cannabis consumers and workers paying in cash since legalization. This is a big change, for bankers especially, who over the past 10 years have been converting mostly to debit transactions and direct deposits. Many of the local state-chartered credit unions working with cannabis businesses aren’t very out in the open about their services, but those in the industry have gotten word. Being able to do business with a regular bank is already keeping many owners and workers safe from robbery and assault. As an alternative to banks, apps have been coming out as a possible solution for the time being. Colorado-based company called CanPay has launched an app in Colorado, Oregon and Washington for those who own cannabis businesses and want to avoid working with so much cash. The app allows consumers to pay dispensaries directly through their mobile devices. Instead of money changing hands, it can de deposited directly into the account of the store owner. Over a dozen retailers are already working with the app, along with a few banks. It’s a slow start and a frustrating process for dispensary owners, grow operators and all workers in the cannabis industry. But we can rest assured that there are advocates in Oregon, Washington and other states across the country working to help those in the cannabis industry run their businesses more efficiently and safely. c
What better way to celebrate 420 than enjoying the great outdoors while camping, listening to live music and participating in a variety of other cannabisrelated exhibits and activities? Taking place just beyond the borders of The Dalles, Northwest 420 Fest invites all cannabis lovers to embark on a three-day vacation to explore and enjoy everything this festival has to offer. Throughout the event, over 20 bands will provide the sounds and melodies that will go hand-in-hand with the buzz and vibes of the weekend. Participating musicians include Glass of Hearts, Greenneck Daredevils, Sundiver, Feed the Dogg and many more. The concerts will also incorporate a homage to the songs of reggae king, Bob Marley. Among the vendors, professional glass blowers will be in attendance to showcase their talents and skills. (Kiara Manns) WHAT: Northwest 420 Fest. WHEN/WHERE: Thurs, April 20-Sat, April 22. 61955 US197, Dufur. INFO: Visit sites. google.com/site/ north420fest for details.
dispensary highlight
Exodus Wellness Center Interviewed: Rick Dudley, Owner
What does your dispensary offer patients that they can’t find anywhere else?
16211 SE Powell Blvd., Portland (971) 242-8079
We offer great services and affordable prices.
exoduswellnesscenter.com How and when did your dispensary start up? It started in 2013. We had to raise money to open the shop by selling marijuana out of the closet at The World Famous Cannabis Cafe. We decided to open a dispensary because my wife had cancer, and we wanted a way to help her and others at affordable prices. What’s the story behind the name of your dispensary? The Bob Marley song and the Bible inspired the name Exodus Wellness Center.
How has the cannabis industry changed since you have been in the business? Where would you like to see it go? It has gotten very complicated. At first it was the “Wild West” with no testing and smoking in shops; now it is almost overregulated. Some changes like testing were welcome, but some were not, like not allowing medical growers to put their product in recreational shops. We would like all licensed growers, both in the Oregon Medical Marijuana Program and
recreational, to supply all shops. What are the biggest challenges you face in this industry as a dispensary? Biggest joys? Keeping up with all of the ongoing changes in order to comply with all the regulations is the biggest challenge. It will be a great day when all the kinks are worked out. We enjoy being able to employ people and meet and laugh with people from all walks of life. But our biggest joy is serving our neighbors and loyal customers. What is the one thing you want customers to know about your dispensary? We are super laid back and friendly, and when we get a
REVIEWs
Top-Selling Strain: LA Cheese Top-Selling Concentrate: Durban Poison from HUSH Top-Selling Edible: Squibs from Lunchbox Alchemy price break from our vendors, we pass it along to our guests. If someone wanted to open a dispensary and get their feet wet in the industry, what advice or counsel would you give them? Do your homework, find a great location, have a good amount of operating capital, and have a lot of patience. What is the most important thing you hope to accomplish while in the cannabis community? We hope to help as many people as possible, as well as help streamline the industry, so that it becomes so mainstream that it is just like going to the store for milk. c
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strains
REVIEWs
Available at: Exodus Wellness Center in Portland.
advocate highlight Lindsey Rinehart Occupation: Sales Representative for Queen Bee Distribution; Lobbyist for Portland NORML When and how did you become an advocate for cannabis? My first act of cannabis activism was on January 1, 2011, in downtown Boise, Idaho, where I attended the Willie Nelson Pot Party, while seeking medical cannabis treatment for Multiple Sclerosis. I was there to learn about a medical cannabis petition called the Idaho Medical Choice Act, and I became heavily involved as a volunteer from that moment. Due to a tragic death in the then Chief Petitioner's family, I stepped in as Chief Petitioner and became the Director of Compassionate Idaho, a position that I held for three years before moving to Oregon, for safe access to cannabis to treat Multiple Sclerosis.
more assertive and to stand up for what I believe in. What’s your greatest achievement for the cannabis cause? I had been hired by Sirius Extracts to lobby for extractor interests for the 2016 legislative session. How did that manifest? I really felt like l made a very large impact last legislative session when I sought and passed an amendment to the “Early Sales Bill,” that permitted extracts in the dabbable form for consumers. I’m also very happy about the accomplishment of running multiple medical cannabis petitions in Idaho, helping throw Idaho H.O.P.E. (Hemp Offers People Everything) Fest, registering thousands of people to vote during that time, and helping change perceptions in that state. It’s not an easy thing to do.
How has cannabis benefited your life?
Who do you look up to or admire?
I use cannabis to treat Multiple Sclerosis by orally ingesting full extract cannabis oil or edibles daily. I no longer take 22 pills per day to manage the illness, have lost over 100 pounds due to being out of pain and mobile, and I have basically gotten a second chance at life. Advocating for cannabis also taught me how to be
Lee Berger and Leia Flynn of Oregon Cannabusiness Compliance. Lee has worked on Oregon cannabis laws for at least 30 years, with Leia helping for at least the last five. He was a criminal defense lawyer first and has mostly switched to cannabis and business law since. He’s had an impact on our cannabis laws for decades. c
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Oregon Yetti Oregon Yetti is a hybrid strain with creative and productive effects. It is grown in Oregon by Terra Canna Farms and can be found at Exodus Wellness Center in Portland. With almost 20 percent THC, this strain brings mostly a head high, and it has a tasty chocolate and honey flavor. The smoke is smooth, leaving a sweet coffee aftertaste. The light green buds are covered in a thick coating of white crystals, but aren't too sticky and are easy to pull apart or grind. Oregon Yetti is a wonderful strain for smoking while working from home or during any creative pursuit from writing to drawing.
Available at: GroHi Station in Portland.
GG In the competitive gaming community, “GG” stands for “good game.” This digital phrase equates to the shaking of hands after a baseball game, noting that both teams did well and offered good sportsmanship. The hybrid known as GG is the perfect reward for playing a good game (whether digital or in real life), after having survived a long day at work or having even accomplished boring chores at home that needed attention. This nug was covered in white trichomes, and when ground up, it released a pungent scent of diesel and soil. Treat yourself with this robust and potent hybrid that is guaranteed to bring on a solid couchlocking effect that provides near-instant relaxation.
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REVIEWs
8. For More Products Go To iReadCulture.com
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DabVac The original DabVac made cannasseurs rejoice as dabbing was made exponentially easier with this little invention, but now, the DabVac creators have taken this gadget to the next level. This 3D printed version has evolved the DabVac to meet consumers’ interest and demand—this new version boasts an interchangeable borosilicate dish, silicone lid, multi adapter and a super thick quartz wand. The 3D printed model can withstand high heat and is even available in a variety of colors, so you can personalize your dabbing rig even more. PRICE: $42 MORE INFORMATION: www.dabvac.com
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Firefly 2 In the realm of vaporizers, the Firefly 2 is a leading herbal king. With a great app that pairs with your Firefly, you can select different temperature presets for your perfect cannabis consumption, and customize your touch sensor activation. The Firefly 2 only heats your material as you inhale, so you enjoy the flavors, aromas and experience of all the active ingredients the very moment they are released. With a glass vapor path and a particulate filter in the mouthpiece, your inhales are smooth, consistent and individualized. PRICE: $329.95 MORE INFORMATION: www.thefirefly.com
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Puffco Pro 2 With a sleek and sharp design, the second-generation vaporizer, Puffco Pro 2, takes another leap forward in the industry. Its simple appearance and heavy duty power set a new standard for the market. The engineers at Puffco have ensured optimized battery life and durable construction, all while making this their smallest vaporizer yet. Made with resilient stainless steel, this device will become every adventurous spirit’s new best friend. It contains a ceramic chamber, keeping flavors pure and intact, as well as a heating system with three temperature settings. The package comes complete with a USB charger, carrying case and loading tool. PRICE: $89.99 MORE INFORMATION: puffco.com
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HempCrete DIY Kit If you were ever curious about hemp’s concrete alternative and what to do with it, now you can make your own truly oneof-a-kind crafty creations using HempCrete! You’ll be able to create beautiful forms from an eco-friendly material that’s been exclusively used in construction until now. This non-toxic material is made from hemp hurds, lime, water and a few other components, so you can make planters, sculptures, containers and more with simple instructions and at an affordable price. PRICE: $30 MORE INFORMATION: www.etsy.com/ listing/231382241/hempcretediy-kit-eco-friendly-art-decor
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REVIEWs
entertainment
BOOK
The Great Green Gold Rush Kathleen Tracy and Michael Caldwell Creative Classic Publications Inc.
Available on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and various computer platforms Release Date: April 11
GAME
Yooka-Laylee Dev. Playtonic Games
MOVIE
20th Century Women
The Navigator
Dir. Mike Mills
ATO Records
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This successful Kickstarter-funded platformer is the spiritual successor to the charming 1998 hit, Banjo-Kazooie, and a throwback to the traditional style of 3D games from that era. Created by Playtonic Games, which includes former employees of the game company known as Rare (Perfect Dark, Conker’s Bad Fur Day), Yooka-Laylee brings the nostalgic appeal back from the past. The game features Yooka, a chameleon, and Laylee, a bat, who set out to prevent the game’s villains from obtaining “Pagies,” which the antagonists intend to collect in order to “convert them into pure profit.” (Nicole Potter)
Hurray For The Riff Raff
A24
Pub. Team17 The Great Green Gold Rush provides an in-depth journey into the stories of 15 entrepreneurs who have used their expertise and influence to push the cannabis and hemp industry forward. These featured professionals have embarked on pivotal professional and personal journeys, and this book demonstrates how their work has positively influenced the public’s perception of cannabis. While the economic potential in cannabis is an important topic of this book, readers are informed about cannabis’ emotional, medical and social benefits as well. (Jacob Cannon)
MUSIC
In a time when women and their rights to equality seem very vulnerable, it’s nice to see and up-andcoming director making a concerted effort to tell wonderful, human stories about women and how they affect our lives. With an all-star cast featuring Annette Bening, Elle Fanning, Greta Gerwig, Billy Crudup and young newcomer Lucas Jade Zumannn, 20th Century Women marvelously tells the story of freedom and challenges in late1970s Santa Barbara, California and all of the learning experiences it can bring. (Simon Weedn)
In its first studio recordings in three years, and sixth album overall, Hurray For The Riff Raff delivers its most stylistically diverse record to date, The Navigator. With noticeably more polished production and more fleshed out arrangements, Hurray For The Riff Raff lifts itself beyond the country/Americana sound that it has laid its foundation on, and moves into more straight forward American rock and roll/indie rock territories. Those with affection for artists like Neko Case who manage to somehow blend country and indie rock may applaud this evolution a great deal. (Simon Weedn)
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photo by Michael Ochs
The life and legacy of Hunter S. Thompson, his
o z n o g journalism and the “American Dream” by R. Scott Rappold "We were somewhere around Barstow around the edge of the desert when the drugs began to take hold.” So begins one of the most remarkable works of journalism of the 20th century, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. This “savage journey to the heart of the American dream” follows the course of fictional journalist Raoul Duke and his attorney as they plow through Vegas in a drug-addled frenzy. It’s 1971 and as a former participant in the orgy of cannabis, LSD and free love of the 1960s, he is looking for what it all meant. He finds only madness and hypocrisy. Its success catapulted author Hunter S. Thompson, then a relatively unknown journalist, to stardom. His writing style became known as “gonzo journalism.” He would write many other books and articles, cutting and often hilarious takes on everything from the Kentucky Derby to the presidential campaign, with himself, the booze-swilling, pill-popping, cannabis-smoking, cocaine-snorting character at the heart of it, looking for truth, for what it’s all really about. Some was fiction, but some was not, and when he took his own life at his home in Aspen,
Colorado, in 2005, the 67-year-old was in constant pain and suffering the ill effects of a lifetime of alcoholism. Thompson would play many roles— candidate for Aspen sheriff, political activist, beloved local curmudgeon. He would be played in major films by two popular actors, Bill Murray in Where the Buffalo Roam and Johnny Depp in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and The Rum Diary. Even comic strip “Doonesbury” had a character based on Thompson. But in the 12 years since his death, it’s his writing that has stood the course of time, and it is this legacy that those who loved him are trying to preserve. His son, Juan Thompson, of Denver, last year wrote the memoir Stories I Tell Myself: Growing Up with Hunter S. Thompson. His widow, Anita Thompson, has written several books and is in the process of turning the home she shared with him in Aspen into a private museum. She is also in the early stages of launching a cannabis line based on Hunter’s favorite staple strains. Both spoke with CULTURE recently about the man, the myth of Thompson and the legacy he left behind. >>
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Hunter and Anita Thompson in a fun and spontaneous embrace; smoke in hand. photo by Johnny Depp
Hunter and Anita Thompson at home, after Anita woke him up early for a special Gonzo birthday cake.
What did you fall in love with about Hunter? Anita Thompson: Hunter liked to say he was a teenage girl trapped in the body of an elderly dope fiend. His sense of curiosity, sense of humor and his energy level were so much higher than anybody I’d ever met, particularly at his age. And it was fascinating to me. He had a temper that didn’t discriminate against any race or gender that would come out once in a while but it was short-lived, like a teenage girl, with a curiosity and level of energy almost identical. And he was not cynical—he had faith in humanity that
How much did his public image match the person you knew? Juan: Being known as a wild man, a crazy man—that was not the most important thing to him. Did he have fun with that? Sure. Did he like messing with people, pushing their buttons to see how they’d react? Absolutely. He liked to see how close he could get to the limits of his own self-control and come back in one piece . . . I think the Raoul Duke character was another persona he was kind of playing with, and that’s the one that stuck in the public imagination. I don’t think he was planning to spend his life from 30
]as s i b a n n a c used [
a “He , tool, to el evat e his se nses nal to elevat e his observatio skil l s—not to dul l t hem .” often diminishes as people see as much as he did. I miss that to this day. What made you decide to write the memoir? Juan Thompson: I wanted people to know there was a lot more to Hunter than that persona. I wanted them to know he was a very complex person. He was first and foremost a writer. He wasn’t a political activist. He was not a party animal. He was a writer, and he took that very seriously. He was very much an idealist in his politics, which is what made his political writing so powerful. 20
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to 67 as that persona, but that’s what he became, and that’s what people responded to. And I think that’s what people wanted. When he went on speaking tours, they didn’t want some quiet sober guy talking about the details of the federal election process. They wanted some entertainment, and he gave it to him. There wasn’t a whole lot of correspondence between that persona and who he really was, though he used it to his advantage when it served him—to be a celebrity, to get a suite or fly first class, then he’d use it. Anita: Taking a road, paving a new path and doing the least expected thing at any
given moment—that was Hunter. He was full of surprises and was constantly looking for what was underlying in any given situation or conversation he was having . . . He was always searching for the deeper truth, for more. His personality was like that. In terms of his lifestyle, he definitely had a rich lifestyle, a lot of great food, a lot of substances. So much of his work is about the “American Dream.” Why do you think he was so focused on that theme? Juan: I think it was extremely important to him to know the truth. He was brilliant and extremely observant and perceptive. He was really concerned about the gap between the “American Dream,” the idea of it, and what it meant about our country. The “American Dream” isn’t like a personal goal; it’s an essential part of what this country used to be about. That gap between the ideal and the reality of what it actually meant, how it actually manifested itself, was something that he thought was really important. It was this vast hypocrisy that he thought needed to be called out, that this dream is bullshit. Anita: It was a constant thought of his and he studied it for his entire career; just what is this “American Dream?” He often wrote about it being dead. There’s truth to that in his mind, but he never gave up bringing it back, ever. And he had confidence in the younger generation, as much as he complained about them . . . He thought they were smarter and more competent; that they could stand up and get involved and take back some of the “American Dream” that was destroyed by the corruption and corporatization of America. >>
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photo by Chris Felver
What do you think his lasting contributions are to the worlds of journalism and literature? Juan: There’s nothing like his voice. No one else can write like that. You’ve seen many people try, and it just never goes well. It was so powerful and direct and raw and funny and cutting, just powerful . . . Somewhere in his letters he talks about that; basically fiction gets closer to the truth than nonfiction, because you can exaggerate and use images and all that to really make a point much more clearly. If you just said, “Nixon is dishonest,” well, okay, yes he is. But call him a “werewolf with bleeding string-warts running across the White House lawn,” or say “Richard Nixon is so crooked he has to screw his pants on in the morning,” that’s powerful. Anita: Empowerment, for sure. The selfconfidence that comes when you read his work, I think it’s an antidote to fear. We’re surrounded by fear inside and out, and there are some writers like Hunter and Mark Twain and Ernest Hemingway 22
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“His phil osophy was ‘t he government has no busine ss my telling me what I ca n do in t own home, as l ong as I’m no hu rt ing othe r pe opl e . . .’” that awake our innate self confidence. Whenever you need it just open one of his books. Most journalists can’t take sides. He could say what he felt. Anita: He didn’t think it was really possible to not take sides if you’re writing a story. I do a presentation at schools on the difference between Associated Press and Gonzo. It’s the inverted pyramid. The natural “who, what, where, when, why
and hows” always come at the end and it starts with “the story.” It’s more fun to read and it’s more fun to write. And it was important for him to have fun, because he found writing to be difficult, all his life. It wasn’t fun for him. It was work . . . When he saw the corruption of Nixon or any politician and later of the Bush era, it was heartbreak. The best cure or treatment—to stay confident and active in politics, to get these people out of office—is humor. >>
The labyrinth where Hunter's Gonzo memorial stood 12 years ago now holds a meditation labyrinth built by Anita. It is also the spot where Hunter's ashes are scattered.
Anita Thompson's peacock Jesse inside the Aspen home on the Owl Farm.
What was Hunter’s relationship to cannabis? What would he think of it being legal in so many places? Juan: He was an early supporter of NORML back in the ‘70s. I think he’d say, “Thank God. Finally.” In many ways, he had a Libertarian streak. His philosophy was “the government has no business telling me what I can do in my own home, as long as I’m not hurting other
people” . . . When he’d get stoned, he’d get relaxed, happier, and he’d start telling these rambling stories. He was a great storyteller, and the stories tended to not actually start and end, but they were entertaining, to follow them on that wandering path. Anita: He used it as a tool, to elevate his senses, to elevate his observational skills—not to dull them. There were some strains of hash
that would make it difficult for him to write but made him more balanced, in his body chemistry and brain chemistry. And there were some strains that improved his ability to write. Hunter went out on his own terms. Was that a shock to the family or was there an inkling? Juan: When it happened, I was completely taken by surprise; but, the fact it
happened was not a surprise. What would have been a surprise is if he had gone to the hospital and lingered on a ventilator for a month. That would have been a surprise because that was not his style. If he was done, if his writing days were done, if he was deeply unhappy and his body was starting to disintegrate after all that time and all that booze, by God, he was not going to go into a nursing home. >>
Hunter and Anita Thompson enjoying each other’s company.
The view from Hunter’s Aspen home on a winter’s day.
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“When he’d get ston ed, he’d get re l ax ed, happier, and he’d star t tel l ing these ra mb l ing stories. He was a great storyt eller, and the stories tended to not actu al l y st art and end, but they were ente rt aining, to follow t he m on that wande rin g path.” Anita: I forgave him, of course, but not right away. He was in so much pain; I have to accept his decision, but it’s something I still deal with personally . . . I was heartbroken like the rest of the people who loved him, and in a way I’ll never be able to shake that, but I’m so grateful he left his work. Imagine in a twisted universe if he somehow took his work with him and all the pages were left blank in his absence. That would really be a tragedy. It was a tragedy losing him, and there was a lot of chaos and darkness at the time, but his work is what brings people together and makes me realize he is still here in many ways. I can always look around me, here, feel his spirit where his ashes are scattered on the land that he loved, here at the owl farm, and open up one of his books . . . My last question is how do you think he’d feel 26
about President Trump? Juan: He’d be enraged. He’d be depressed. I was talking to a reporter yesterday about the parallels between Nixon and Trump, and he’d certainly pick up on those. He’d be enraged and appalled. He thought Nixon was bad. Well, Nixon’s got nothing on this guy. Anita: I don’t think he would be surprised at all, and I wish like everyone else to hear what he had to say and what we should do. His most common thread in all of his work is “we” is the most important word in politics. As long as we stand together, Trump has nothing. Even though it’s extreme and seems insurmountable, with all the damage he could do, as long as we keep fighting, we have checks and balances for this reason. Hunter would be the first to remind us of the checks and balances in the experiment of democracy. c
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The journey of
Fear a nd Loathing from book to film
Most people who haven’t read any of Hunter S. Thompson’s books may know him best for Johnny Depp’s character in the 1998 film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. British screenwriter Tony Grisoni worked with director Terry Gilliam and Thompson on the film, which debuted to mixed critical reviews and small audiences but has since become a cult classic. Grisoni had the opportunity to ask the author what he thought of it at the premiere. “He said, ‘long, isn’t it?’ Which could have meant that he thought it was too long or too short. I don’t know what he meant. But he seemed quite happy,” recalled Grisoni. He spoke with CULTURE about making a film out of such a chaotic book, a film that many in Hollywood considered unmakeable. How did you approach writing a movie from the book? At the time Terry looked at some material from people who had been trying to make movies based on Hunter’s writing, and he said, “Nobody could do Hunter like Hunter.” So our starting point was not to try to write anything. We were just going to use what Hunter had written and collage it. Was it a daunting task given how chaotic that was? I don’t remember feeling that way at all. I remember thinking it was just full of stuff, full of wonderful, funny things. Another thing about Hunter’s writing, he was a very sensitive man. He was a very politically articulate man. Fear and Loathing didn’t come out of nowhere. The whole idea of gonzo journalism was “here is the only response to the world that I feel is adequate” . . . the paranoid response was the correct response to a crazy world.
Did you get a chance to meet Hunter during the writing or filming? Yes. I remember saying, “Hunter, thank you for letting us fit it to your book.” And he said, “The way I look at it, if you make a good (movie) of it—hey, I wrote the novel. If you fuck it up—hey, I wrote the novel.” That’s music to the ears of a screenwriter from a novelist. Why do you think the book remains so cherished among people, with new generations discovering it? It has a political heart. It tells you to distrust all authority. How does the film stand up in Hunter’s legacy? Do more people know him for Johnny Depp or for the book? If you look at Johnny Depp being Hunter, that’s a very close thing. That was Hunter up there on-screen. I think that’s the brilliance that Johnny brought to that part. That is Hunter. I don’t think of an actor. I look at that think, “That is Hunter S. Thompson.” c
www.thegonzofoundation.org
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titration guide //
1 of 2
By David Edmundson
CULTURE
420
Know Your Limits
“You can always take more to increase the sensation, but you can’t un-smoke that entire joint.”
A titration guide for the first-time cannabis consumer
E
ven the most seasoned of cannabis aficionados had to start somewhere. With cannabis becoming even more popular in the wake of the mass legalizations across the country, more and more people are trying cannabis for the first time. But how much should you take? Titration is the fundamental understanding of proper cannabis dosing. The biggest mistake a first-time cannabis consumer can commit is to overmedicate. This can lead to an unpleasant experience that might dissuade the consumer from future cannabis use or for medical consumers, not treating the ailment appropriately. So how do you know how much is enough? The best advice is to start out small and grow to your
desired effect, or consult a medical professional for exact recommended doses. You can always take more to increase the sensation, but you can’t un-smoke that entire joint. The only ways to feel less effects are to either wait it out or try to counteract the psychoactive effects of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) with some cannabidiol (CBD) or rescue tonic. When starting out, there are a lot of factors to consider, and it would be a good idea to consult an expert; either a reputable dispensary, doctor or a friend who is a seasoned cannabis consumer. Other factors to consider are what strain you are consuming, your body make-up and how you will consume cannabis. It’s the last part that we will be focusing on, because how you consume cannabis will greatly change how you monitor your cannabis intake.
Inhalation
S
moking cannabis has been the timetested, golden standard for consuming cannabis for centuries. Whether you roll it into a joint or put it into a water pipe, smoking cannabis is far and away the most popular method of consumption. To start, light your joint, the cannabis in your bubbler or inhale on your vape pen; inhale as much as is comfortable. At first, you will only be able to inhale a small amount, but don’t try to overdo it your fist time. If you really want to hammer down your dosage, try to be consistent in your pulls. Aim for between five and
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10 seconds per hit. Vape pens make the process even easier, by removing fire from the equation. It’s less about the risk of flame, as it is trying to find a lighter when you need it. Vape pens work by heating cannabis oil that you then inhale. There is a bit of a learning curve
the first time you use a pen, some have a button and others are activated simply by inhaling. Often times they come in two pieces; the battery and the oil cartridge. As far as dosing is concerned, you can follow the instructions used when consuming flower cannabis, with the caveat that most vape pens use concentrated oil that will
affect you differently than flower. In essence, you hit it the same, but the amount of hits may differ. After your inhale, wait 10-15 minutes to see how it affects you, and repeat the process until you reach the desired effect. Keep track of how your mind and body react to each inhale. Remember that everyone is different, and you don’t need to “keep up” with anyone.
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Edibles
E
dibles are classified as any form of cannabis intended to be consumed through eating or drinking. There are many people who do not like smoking or cannot smoke due to lung or throat issues, who find that consuming edibles allows them to get the desired effects without inhaling anything. The downside to edibles is that they are a lot slower acting than
smoking cannabis. The good news is that most edibles you purchase from a dispensary will
have the dose, usually in milligrams, on the package. For the purpose of this article, let’s say you have a 10mg brownie. Start by eating a quarter of the brownie (which should contain 2.5mg of THC), wait 45 minutes to an hour, and if you want to continue, try eating another quarter. Repeat the process until you find your sweet spot. The first time it will take
a little time to discover how much THC you want to consume, but on future consumptions you can be a little more aggressive since you will have a better understanding of how much THC you want in your body. For reference, many doctors suggest a 5mg dose for first-timers, but Colorado has previously limited single doses of THC to increments of 10mg.
“. . . how you consume cannabis will greatly change how you monitor your cannabis intake.”
Sublingual S
ublingual means to be absorbed under the tissue of the tongue. For this, patients will typically use cannabis tinctures and essential oils. The benefit of a sublingual is that it is a very swift and effective method of delivery. This
is often the preferred method for parents to administer cannabis to children who suffer from epilepsy and take CBD to treat their seizures. It is also the hardest method to get the proper dose with. It only takes a couple
drops to reach the desired effect, so you should proceed extremely slowly or in conjunction with a health care provider. It can also be very expensive since you are dealing with highly concentrated products.
Topicals C
annabis creams, lotions and oils are very popular for managing aching joints, pains and muscles. Most topicals are for pain, and many are CBDbased; those are not psychoactive. Topical THC and CBD are absorbed into the targeted area of where you apply the product. Which means,
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whether its just CBD or THC and CBD, your topical medicine will
only effect the area it is applied to, and it will not be absorbed into other parts of the body or even the mind. This is great for athletes or individuals using it for their arthritis, who simply need to alleviate one or more areas of aggravation or irritation in the body. Regardless of your preferred method
of consumption, it is important to pay attention to your body. Like with anything you put in your body, you will develop a tolerance over time so you may find yourself increasing the amount you consume eventually. However, by repeating the steps outlined above, you should be on your way to continued enjoyment of cannabis.
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bucket list
1 of 2
CULTURE
420
follow the green dream
A list of cannabis-related things to do, see and accomplish for every aficionado Between visiting iconic locations to participating in epic sessions, cannabis consumers will love crossing every item off CULTURE’s Cannasseur Bucket List at some point in their lives. 32
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Sincere hopes and ambitious dreams belong to even the most seasoned cannabis consumer. Make a pact to become more adventurous, and start checking these places to go and things to do off your cannasseur bucket list! You will surely make some great memories while living the dream.
Join the 420 “Mile High Club.”
Tour a large-scale cannabis cultivation facility.
Smoke a joint with Cheech and Chong.
Build a house out of hemp.
Visit Amsterdam’s first cannabis coffee shop, The Bulldog No. 90.
Consume some cannabis before a whale watching tour.
Go to the Louvre after eating an edible and gaze at the Mona Lisa.
Smoke cannabis with your boss.
Attend a cannabis rally on April 20.
Successfully argue why cannabis is not a “gateway drug” to a skeptic.
Germinate and plant all those seeds you’ve been saving for years.
Try out ganjayoga.
Read The Emperor Wears No Clothes: Hemp and the Marijuana Conspiracy by Jack Herer.
Shotgun a hit with your true love.
Exercise at a cannabis gym like Power Plant Fitness in San Francisco.
Write to a senator and demand medical or recreational cannabis rights in your state.
Smoke cannabis as a passenger in a hot air balloon.
Visit Nimbin, Australia to enjoy the legal cannabis scene.
Come out to your family about your personal cannabis consumption.
Smoke the Northern Lights strain under The Northern Lights.
Attend a cannabisthemed wedding.
Smoke the Durban Poison strain in Durban, South Africa.
Smoke cannabis in beautiful Negril, Jamaica.
Hotbox a tent while camping.
Smoke cannabis with a priest or a rabbi.
Consume some cannabis at a live concert.
Learn to bake the best cannabis brownies.
Smoke or eat cannabis in every legal state in the country.
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Active Engagement
Advocate, dedicate and embrace the values of your local cannabis community’s 420 festivities
Ganja White Night, April 6
This unique Belgium-based electronic band is a group that wears cannabis on its sleeve proudly. Celebrating its tour across the country, Ganja White Night will hit Portland shortly before 420—giving consumers the perfect excuse to celebrate the holiday early. Doug Fir Restaurant and Lounge, Portland dougfirlounge.com
Q2 Oregon Quarterly Cannabis Caucus, April 18
Each quarterly caucus is dedicated to “educate, connect and inspire” attendees on the latest happenings in the ever-evolving cannabis industry. Cannabis professionals everywhere join the National Cannabis Industry Association in keeping up-to-date with the recent local and statewide regulations. Ecotrust, Portland thecannabisindustry.org
Puff, Pass & POTery PDX, April 20
Bring your favorite sativa, and kick off 420 while making your very own cannabis accessories. Attendees will be provided with all of the necessary painting tools, as well as the choice to craft their own spoon, chillum or ashtray combination. Prism House, Portland prismhousepdx.com
THC Fair Bend, April 22-23
This two-day event is an all-encompassing gathering of cannabis and hemp products and information. Explore a variety of accessories, tools and harvesting equipment, and learn everything there is to know about cannabis cultivation, medical benefits and Proposition 91. Riverhouse on the Deschutes, Bend riverhouse.com
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the Right TO Choose Cannabis affords young William Ross an improved quality of life by Addison Herron-Wheeler
I
t is a story that is becoming increasingly common— parents who espouse traditional family values are turning to cannabis, not as recreational relief of familial stress, but as a way to treat serious medical conditions that their children face. The Ross family is Mormon, so when their young son William, who is now six years old, began to show serious signs of chronic seizures, treatment with cannabis was initially the furthest option from their minds. The first indication of William’s disorder happened when he began experiencing drop seizures, which caused him to fall to the ground suddenly in the middle of eating, walking or doing other normal daily activities. After taking William to the doctor, parents Doug and Sorya Ross learned that he had epilepsy, and from there his symptoms became worse. He started having seizures more and more frequently, and the intensity of his condition drastically affected his lifestyle and moods. “He stopped talking, walking and eating, and for a while there he would even refuse water, but the doctors warned us that he could go
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into liver failure, so we were force feeding him Gatorade,” Sorya told CULTURE. “My dad had previously told me about a special he saw on CNN about how marijuana helped with seizures, so that was always in the back of my head.” Sorya was able to completely dismiss the idea of medicating with cannabis at first, but as time wore on and things got worse, she began to reconsider. The doctors warned the Ross family that since the three pharmaceuticals they had tried for William were unsuccessful, surgery to correct one side of his brain might be the only way to get relief for him. However, the family was also warned that this surgery might not work, and that it could potentially paralyze their son. After one particularly hard night with William, Sorya reached her breaking point and went outside to pray. She was overcome with the feeling that everything was going to be OK. However, 20 minutes later, William had his first bad grand mal seizure, and he was rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. Feeling out of options, the Ross family finally decided to try cannabis. It was April 2014 when the family, who resides in California, first ventured into an Oakland dispensary to get CBD for their son. However,
they were so nervous about giving him cannabis that they did not administer the first dose until May. When they finally did give him the oil, Doug and Sorya immediately saw positive results. “We noticed within the first hour he was calm and asked for a glass of water, and he wanted to eat,” Sorya explained. “He hugged me for the first time in months, so we knew [cannabis treatment] was a positive thing. We were open to it at that point, but it wasn’t helping with the seizures and because it was a higher THC ratio, we were scared of him getting high.” The Ross family now knew they were on the right track, but still hadn’t quite discovered the perfect formula for helping with their son’s seizures. For guidance, they turned to Jason David, the man who created Jayden’s Juice for his own son named Jayden, this CBD product was specifically made to help patients like William. They began to give Jayden’s Juice to William and immediately noticed a reduction in seizures. William is still taking Jayden’s Juice today. “He is down to one seizure a month in his sleep; he doesn’t have them awake. He’s a normal little boy, with no aggression. This has been an answer to our prayers,” said Sorya. “We truly believe this is God’s plan.” The Mormon Church forbids a variety of substances, so the couple was anxious about disclosing their son’s new treatment to their Bishop and Doug’s family, who is also Mormon. To their pleasant surprise, their Bishop accepted the treatment after a brief interview where he asked questions about CBD and cannabis oil. William’s grandparents, who had witnessed the horror of his constant seizures, were also supportive of the treatment. Throughout this difficult journey, the Ross family had faith in their religion to guide them and give them hope when things got tough. Although discovering cannabis treatment may sound uncommon for a Mormon family, William and his parents are proof that having an open mind about medical cannabis and going to any lengths possible to help a child can yield miraculous results. c
. . . this has been an answer to our prayers. We truly believe this is God’s plan.
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culture growing RECIPES UNKNOWN DESTINATION COURAGE IN PROFILE 38
Time to Go: April Weather: High 50s with mild rain Budget: $$$$$
Lively Living
if you go:
iN Leipzig
Ready for Berlin and Leipzig in spring? by Sheryll Alexander With Germany’s new medical cannabis law in effect, what can travelers—especially those attending April’s International Cannabis Business Conference (ICBC) in Berlin—expect and what about considering a day or side trip to nearby lively Leipzig? Germany’s Georg Wurth is basically the top cannabis influencer in Germany, who says visitors to ICBC’s conference in Berlin from April 10-12 will learn all about cannabis business and medical breakthroughs from a decidedly global perspective. While Berlin is exciting and endlessly fascinating, most visitors to Germany never explore former East German towns. One of these cities is less than two hours by train just south of Berlin— Leipzig. This former East German city is certainly smaller than Berlin (around a half million residents), but it is steeped in history and is having a bit of an art, music and building Renaissance. But don’t expect darling German cottages. Leipzig is a former industrial town whose
once crumbling factories such as those in the western Plagwitz quarter have been transformed into eclectic living and art exhibition spaces. Beyond its factory-inspired art galleries and street art, Leipzig is known across Germany as the epicenter of the circa 1980s “peaceful” revolution against the Soviets. Today—although repatriation between east and west has been tedious—Leipzig is not only opening up to global visitors, but locals are enjoying a “hyperzig” or creative surge in art, architecture, gardening and food in the hip “new” eastern district. In fact, Leipzig is the best city in Germany to be vegetarian, vegan or part of the slow food movement. Nightlife in Leipzig is renowned for its techno music, especially at legendary club The Distillery. In the gritty eastern district, clubs and other hybrid chillmeets-DJ spaces pop-up and die rather quickly. Liepzig’s pub scene also rocks live bands and warm German beers into the wee hours. c
Fun-Filled Facts Don’t miss a tour of Leipzig’s Saint Nicholas Church. The epicenter of East Germany’s Peaceful Revolution in the 1980s, this Baroque church’s interior is an impressive and soaring neoclassical wonder. 1
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Leipzig’s Riverside Forest runs right through the city, so Leipzigers tend to use bike transport. Visitors can rent a Nextbike for the one-hour ride to the Cospudener See (or Lake Cospuden) where there’s miles of sandy “beaches” and a popular public sauna. 2
The best thing to do when it comes to cannabis in Germany is to make friends with some cannabis-loving locals, so you can be assured of having cannabis on your travels. Still, cannabis is easy to get just about anywhere, as it is a not-so-legal way for jobless refugees and immigrants to make cash. Plus, German authorities are quite lax about toking in public as long as you are smart and avoid lighting up near cops, kids, schools, government buildings and designer shops. However, with Germany’s new medical cannabis law in effect as of March 3, there’s potentially one other way. “There’s no experience yet with tourists searching for a prescription,” says Germany’s trusted cannabis expert Georg Wurth, “but if you can convince [a doctor], you could get a prescription and go to the pharmacy.” Interestingly, the German government is importing its premium cannabis from approved grow operations in the Netherlands and Canada and is distributed by pharmacists just like any other drug within the German national health system.
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culture
This 420, we want to party hard—and we deserve it. It’s been a rough year so far, but one of the best things about our society is the amazing diversity and melting pot of people and cultures all around us. International canna-cuisine is rising in popularity, as is the high-end culinary delights and dinners all over the country. The “stoner” treats of the past are dying out, and we couldn’t be happier about the culinary possibilities in front of us. This year, we want to celebrate 420 with great party foods that are inspired by the amazing culinary traditions of the Mediterranean, India, France and China. Celebrate the “high holy day” this year with these delightful dishes and wow your guests! Just don’t forget to celebrate responsibly.
DESTINATION
UNKNOWN
RECIPES
growing
International 420 Party Cuisine
Pork Potstickers
COURAGE
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, plus 1/8 teaspoon for seasoning
1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari
1/3 pound ground pork (not too lean)
1/2 egg, lightly beaten
PROFILE
Ingredients:
IN
Makes 40 potstickers
40
1/4 small head Napa cabbage, finely chopped (about 2 cups)
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 teaspoons) 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 small carrot, coarsely shredded (about 2 tablespoons)
30 gyoza/pot sticker/wonton wrappers, from 1 (14-ounce) package
2 scallions, thinly sliced (about 1/4 cup)
1/4 cup cannabis-infused vegetable oil t
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Menu: Pork Potstickers Samoa Brownie Towers Bacon Popcorn CBD Swiss Cheese Fondue
Instructions: In large bowl, toss together cabbage and 3/4 teaspoon salt and set aside. After about 30 minutes, transfer to clean dish towel or cheesecloth, gather ends together, and twist to squeeze out as much water as possible. Wipe the bowl clean, then return cabbage to it. Add ground pork, ginger, carrots, scallions and garlic, and stir to combine. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil and egg, then stir into cabbage-pork mixture. Stir in pepper and remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt. On dry surface, lay out 1 gyoza wrapper, keeping remaining wrappers covered with dampened cloth or paper towel. Spoon 1 1/2 teaspoons filling into center, then moisten halfway around edge with wet finger. Fold moisture-free half of wrapper over moistened half to form an open half-moon shape. To seal, using your thumb and forefinger of one hand, form tiny pleats along the dry edge of wrapper, pressing pleats against moistened border to enclose filling. Moistened border will stay smooth and will automatically curve in semicircle. Stand dumpling, seam-side up, on baking sheet and gently press to flatten bottom. Cover loosely with dampened cloth or paper towel. Form remaining dumplings in same manner. In a non-stick (10-inch, lidded) skillet over moderately high heat, heat cannabis-infused oil just until hot (but not smoking), then remove from heat and arrange pot stickers in tight circular pattern standing up in oil (they can touch one another). Cook, uncovered, until bottoms are pale golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1/2 cup water, tilting skillet to distribute, then cover tightly with lid and cook until liquid has evaporated and bottoms of dumplings are crisp and golden, 7 to 10 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons more water if skillet looks dry before bottoms are browned. Remove lid and cook, shaking skillet to loosen pot stickers, until steam dissipates, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove potstickers gently from skillet and place on serving plate with your choice of dipping sauces (our favorite is a mixture of sambal, vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil). Potstickers should be served warm. t Additional recipe can be found at iReadCulture.com
culture growing 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon unsalted cannabutter t
1/2 bag soft caramels, unwrapped
1/2 cup cocoa powder
1 cup sweetened flaked coconut
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
4 eggs
2 tablespoons cannabutter t
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
12 scoops vanilla ice cream (optional)
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
To make the chocolate drizzle: Combine the chocolate chips and cannabutter in a microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in 20-second intervals, stirring in between, until fully melted. With assembled brownie towers ready, top each tower with one small scoop of ice cream, and lightly drizzle the chocolate sauce and leftover caramel coconut sauce on top of brownie towers. Serve immediately and devour!
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DESTINATION
UNKNOWN
RECIPES 10 tablespoons unsalted butter
COURAGE
Makes 8 servings Ingredients:
IN
Samoa Brownie Towers
To make the caramel-coconut topping: Pour the caramels into a saucepan and heat on medium-low heat, stirring until melted. Fold in the coconut. Pour on top of the cooled cut brownies, spreading in a thin and even layer. Set aside rest of caramel sauce, and let brownies cool. Once cooled, you may begin assembling your tower structures. Towers should be three brownies on top of one another.
PROFILE
Instructions: To make the brownies: Preheat the oven to 350°. Grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch square baking pan with butter or cooking spray. Melt the 10 tablespoons of unsalted butter and 1 tablespoon of unsalted cannabutter over low heat in a medium saucepan. As soon as it’s melted, remove from heat, and let cool for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the cocoa powder and sugar until combined. Gradually mix in the eggs and vanilla extract, until the batter is glossy. Combine the flour and salt, then slowly add them to the brownie batter, stirring just enough to combine. Pour the brownie batter into the 9-inch by 9-inch pan. Bake for 26-28 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownies comes out with just a few crumbs (no gooey batter). Let cool and cut brownies before starting the caramel topping.
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culture growing
Onion Pakoras Makes 20-24 Ingredients: 2 cups besan (also known as chickpea flour or gram flour) 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes 1 tablespoon turmeric
1 cup cilantro leaves, chopped 1 yellow onion, sliced into 1/8-inch half moons 1 cup luke-warm water
3/4 teaspoon salt
Sunflower oil (or safflower, canola, peanut oil) for deep frying
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cannabutter t
3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
Instructions: Fill an 8-inch cast-iron skillet half-way up with oil. Heat the oil to 360-375°F. In a large bowl, mix together the besan, red chili flakes, turmeric, garlic powder, salt, baking powder, sliced chili pepper, 1/2 cup of the cilantro and all of the sliced onions. Slowly add in the water, while mixing with a wooden spoon or your hands. Vigorously mix for a couple of seconds. The batter should be thick, and there should be air bubbles present. Once the frying oil is heated, carefully place in heaping tablespoonfuls of batter into the hot oil. Try not to overcrowd the oil because it will result in greasy pakoras. Fry until the pakoras are a pecan-brown (flip and fry both sides if needed—all sides should be pecan-brown). Repeat with the remainder of the batter. Drain on a cooling rack placed over a cookie sheet. When dry, toss the pakoras in 1 tablespoon of the cannabutter and the other 1/2 cup of cilantro. After completely covered, place on serving tray and enjoy!
Vegetable Crudité
with Infused Hummus 1 red bell pepper, sliced
1/4 cup tahini
1 yellow bell pepper, sliced
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 large carrots, sliced
2 cloves fresh garlic
1 large cucumber, sliced
1/8 cup cannabis-infused olive oil t
IN
3 large stalks of celery, sliced
PROFILE 42
Makes 1 cup
Ingredients:
COURAGE
DESTINATION
UNKNOWN
RECIPES
1 green chili pepper, sliced
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1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 cup snap peas
2-4 tablespoons water
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions: In a blender or food processor, combine lemon juice and tahini. Blend for 30 seconds. Add chickpeas, garlic, oil, cumin and 2 tablespoons of water. Blend until smooth, about 1 minute. Add more water as necessary until you reach desired creaminess. Pour hummus mixture into a dipping bowl and enjoy!
culture growing
2017 WINTER GARDEN 3
I
n early January, I purchased an adolescent Shark Shock from a local Oakland dispensary. The plant had several main stems and quite a few small stems. Over a period of several weeks I trained the plant so that the stems were stretched horizontally. Some were tied down to the container, others were tied to a stake, and some were bent over by softening the stem tissue, shaping them and then holding them in place using crutches. The plant was growing in a greenhouse that received little direct sunlight in January, so I supplemented the natural light with a 600 watt HPS lamp on timer set to provide 12 hours of light. It turned on at 6 a.m., an hour before dawn, and shut off at 6 p.m., about an hour after dusk. I kept the plant growing vegetatively by interrupting the dark cycle every two hours using a warm white fluorescent on a repeating timer. This kept the plant from reaching a critical dark period that would trigger flowering. After two weeks, I turned off the cycling light and in about five days the plants started to flower. A week later I trimmed
TIP OF THE MONTH Start seeds or clones now to get a jump on the season. If you start now, by the time you are ready to transplant outdoors in May the plants will already be three to five feet tall. They will grow considerably bigger than if you had planted them outdoors as seedlings or small clones. Plants can suffer light regimen shock and start flowering when placed outdoors. When they are grown under constant light and then placed outdoors, where they have a nine to 10 hour dark cycle (depending on latitude), they grow under 18 hours of light daily rather than continuous light.
PROFILE
IN
COURAGE
DESTINATION
UNKNOWN
RECIPES
by Ed Rosenthal
the plant of understory vegetation—small branches and leaves that were shaded and would be lackluster producers. This vegetation costs the plant energy because it doesn’t get light. Once the flowers appeared, I fed it a set of six fertilizers and supplements for blooming. I fed the plant a total of three times because the plant showed signs of over-fertilization the first time, and I waited several weeks to feed it again. The plant flowers were tight and small but I harvested a few days early because I wanted to free up the space. I hung the whole plant in an empty grow tent inside a room that stays at 50 to 60 percent humidity and a temperature below 70 degrees. I am planning to let the plant dry and then cure for about a month before manicuring. Now I am planning some spring gardens. Here’s my plan for a two-plant garden that stays low. I have two plants that I have been growing in an improvised tent under four T-5 fluorescents that are on all the time. They stand about 40 inches tall plus the container. Beginning the first week of March, it has been sunny and warm so I give them sun time during the day. Now I’m going to turn the plants’ lives sideways. First, the old top will be capped using a plastic plate. Then openings six to eight inches wide will be sawed out of two opposite sides of the containers. Each container will be placed on top of a larger container so the roots can grow from one to the other. The vertical stem is now sideways and the branches will start to grow vertically becoming “stems.” Each of these will become a vertical stem growing branches. The plants will stay low but should be very productive. c
The plant was purchased at a local dispensary.
The plant was trained to spread out and was pruned of understory foliage.
Day 50, shortly before harvest.
A bud. The plant was leafy, so much of it is hidden.
Close-up of the bud.
Copyright by Ed Rosenthal. All rights are reserved. First North American Magazine rights only are assigned to culture Magazine. No other reproduction of this material is permitted without the specific written permission of the author/copyright holder.
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culture RECIPES
growing
Emma Chasen
hormones. It’s incredible how much my quality of life has improved.
Age: 24
PROFILE
IN
COURAGE
DESTINATION
UNKNOWN
Condition/Illness: Chronic lower back pain
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When did you start using medical cannabis? During my freshman year of college at 18 years old. Did you try other methods or treatments before cannabis? I did. My lower back pain becomes unbearable when I have my period. My gynecologist wrote me a prescription for high dose painkillers but they really didn’t help enough to justify taking them. They only slightly dulled the pain. I tried to go on birth control. Due to a gene mutation I was at risk for blood clotting and immediately had to get off the pill. It got to the point where for eight days out of every 20 days I would be in agonizing pain, unable to function. When I tried cannabis, it really revolutionized my life. Now, I blend cannabis with medicinal herb smoking blends from Prismatic Paradigm to maximize my pain relief and balance my
What is the most important issue or problem facing medical cannabis patients? Access. There are dying people in this country with serious disorders that could benefit from this plant. Many people are risking their freedom and their lives to buy pesticideridden cannabis on the black market. They are, then, extracting the plant material (a risky process) and concentrating the pesticides to dangerously high levels. Sick people and sick children are consuming this black market medicine because they have no choice! It is unacceptable. Legalization allows sick people to have access to clean, safe medicine. That is so important. What do you say to folks who are skeptical about cannabis as medicine? Go online and watch the videos of people with serious life threatening disorders use cannabis. Within minutes, you will see people with debilitating illnesses find relief for the first time in their lives. Their stories are powerful and they are very real. When you are presented with clear evidence, it is hard to deny that this plant has powerful medicinal properties. 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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Chuck Shepherd's
News of the
Weird
LEAD STORY—EWWWW! u On Jan. 31, doctors at Stanley Medical College and Hospital in Chennai, India, removed a live, fullgrown cockroach from the nasal cavity of a 42-year-old woman whose nose had been “itchy” earlier in the day. Two hospitals were unable to help her, but at Stanley, Dr. M N Shankar, chief of ear-nose-throat, used an endoscope, forceps, and, for 45 minutes, a suction device—because, he said, the roach “didn’t seem to want to come out.” Another doctor on the team noted that they’ve removed beads and similar items from the nasal cavity (demonstrating the splayed-out trespasser in full wingspan), “but not a cockroach, especially not one this large.”
CAN’T POSSIBLY BE TRUE u Zachary Bennett and Karen Nourse have found Manhattan quite affordable, reported the New York Post in January—by simply not paying, for six years now, the $4,750 monthly rent on their loft-style apartment in the Chelsea neighborhood, citing New York state’s “loft law,” which they say technically forbids the landlord from collecting. Since the other eight units of their building are “commercial,” the landlord believes it doesn’t need a “residential certificate of occupancy,” but Bennett and Nourse believe the law only exempts buildings with at least two residences, and for some reason, the landlord has obstinately declined to initiate eviction or, until recently, to sue (for back rent, fees and electricity). 46
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UPDATE FROM “BIG PORN” u The colossus PornHub dot com, in its annual January rundown, reported its several sites had 23 billion “visits” in 2016 (about one-fourth from females), during which time its videos were viewed 91 billion times. In all, earthlings spent 4.6 billion hours watching PornHub’s inventory (that is 5.2 centuries’ time doing whatever people do when viewing porn). USA took home the gold for the most “page views” per capita, just nipping Iceland. Online visitors from the Philippines, for the third straight year, remained (per capita) on the sites the longest per visit. The top search term on PornHub from U.S. computers was “step mom.” UNCLEAR ON THE CONCEPT u Late last year, Oxford University professor Joshua Silver accused Britain’s Home Secretary of a “hate” crime merely because the Secretary had made a speech urging that unemployed Britons be given preference for jobs over people recruited from overseas. Silver denounced this “discrimination” against “foreigners” and made a formal complaint to West Midlands police, which, after evaluation, absolved Secretary Amber Rudd but acknowledged that, under the law, the police were required to record the Secretary’s unemployment speech as a “non-crime hate incident.” u The British Medical Association issued a formal caution to its staff in January not to use the term “expectant mothers” when referring to pregnancy— because it might offend transgender people. Instead, the Association’s memo (reported by the Daily Telegraph) suggested using “pregnant people.” The BMA acknowledged that a “large majority” of such people are, in fact, “mothers,” but wrote that there may be “intersex” and “trans men” who also could get pregnant.
“LESS COWBELL!” u Applicants for passports in Switzerland are evaluated in part by neighbors of the applicant, and animal-rights campaigner Nancy Holten, 42, was rejected in January because townspeople view her as obnoxious, with, said a Swiss People’s Party spokesperson, a “big mouth.” Among Holten’s “sins” was her constant criticism of the country’s hallowed fascination with cowbells—that make, according to Holten, “hundred decibel,” “pneumatic drill”type sounds (though a hit song, “(Don’t Fear) The Reaper,” by the group Blue Oyster Cult, skillfully employed the cowbell—before it was satirized in an epic Saturday Night Live sketch starring Christopher Walken). UNDIGNIFIED DEATHS u What Goes Around, Comes Around: (1) In January, Jesse Denton, 24, driving a stolen truck, tried to flee police on Interstate 95 near Brunswick, Georgia, but accidentally crashed head-on into another vehicle. Seconds later, Denton was then fatally hit by another motorist as he ran across the highway to escape the crash scene. (2) A 37-year-old Saanich, British Columbia, man did not die but nearly bled out before being heroically rescued following his parking-rage blunder. Angered that another driver had parked too close to his own car, he grabbed a knife and stabbed a tire on the other vehicle with such force that he wound up slashing the main artery in his leg. THE PASSING PARADE u (1) Thomas Pinson, 21, was arrested in St. Petersburg, Florida, in January and charged with domestic battery for roughing up his mother (even though, presumably lovingly, he had her full name tattooed on his chest). (2) Police arrested a 22-year-old knife-wielding man in a restroom on a train in Dusseldorf, Germany, in
January. The man, naked, appeared “quite annoyed” at being hassled, did not have a ticket to ride, and said he was using the knife to shave his genital area because he was not welcome at home. A NEWS OF THE WEIRD CLASSIC (MAY 2013) u The Washington Post reported in April (2013) that the federal government spends $890,000 a year on totally useless bank accounts. The amount is the total of fees for maintaining more than 13,000 short-term accounts the government owns but which have no money in them and never will again. However, merely closing the accounts is difficult, according to the watchdog group Citizens Against Government Waste, because they each previously housed separate government grants, and Congress has required that, before the accounts are “closed,” the grants must be formally audited—something bureaucrats are rarely motivated to do, especially since, as Citizens noted, there is no additional penalty for not auditing. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN MOP u San Francisco’s best-paid janitor earned more than a quarter-million dollars cleaning stations for Bay Area Rapid Transit in 2015, according to a recent investigation by Oakland’s KTVU. Liang Zhao Zhang cleared almost $58,000 in base pay and $162,000 in overtime, and other benefits ran his total income to $271,243. He worked at San Francisco’s Powell Street station, a hangout for the homeless, who notoriously sullied the station 24/7 (urine, feces, and needles, especially), necessitating overtime hours that apparently only Zhang was interested in working. In one stretch during July 2015, he pulled 17-hour days for two and a half straight weeks.
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