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IN T IM ACY E XPER T ISE
Television series host, author and executive producer Karley Sciortino shares her expert opinions on sex, slut-shaming and the effects of using cannabis in the bedroom. ON THE COVER:
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10 News Nuggets 11 By the Numbers 12 Local News 14 Legal Corner 15 Healthy Living reviews 16 Cool Stuff 17 Entertainment Reviews in every issue 34 À La Carte 38 Growing Culture 39 News of the Weird
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Romantic Endeavors Here’s just a few ways that couples can use cannabis to enhance their Valentine’s Day celebrations.
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Industry Insider Mathew Gerson, co-CEO of cannabis sex lubricant company Foria, shares how the business focuses on women’s pleasure.
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Precious Moments A comprehensive list of the best couples from cannabis-related films that revolve around romance.
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Looking Ahead The future of hemp is bright, and the recently approved 2018 Farm Bill is only the beginning.
Online Exclusive! d Utilize Cannabis for your Winter Skin Care Regimen d Pennsylvania College Receives Hemp Research Permit
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ashley Kern EDITORIAL COORDINATOR Benjamin Adams ASSISTANT EDITOR Ayesha Rahman EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS Matthew Abel, Hilary Bricken, Devon Alexander Brown, David Edmundson. Caroline Hayes, Carl Kozlowski, Alison Malsbury, Emily Manke, Kiara Manns, Madison Ortiz, Denise Pollicella, R. Scott Rappold, Ed Rosenthal, Kimberly R. Simms, Lanny Swerdlow, Simon Weedn, Laurie Wolf PHOTOGRAPHERS Steve Baker, Kristopher Christensen, John Gilhooley, Joel Meaders, Mike Rosati, Eric Stoner, Bruce Wolf ART DIRECTOR Steven Myrdahl PRODUCTION MANAGER Michelle Aguirre GRAPHIC DESIGNER John Venegas ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Alex Brizicky, Angie Callahan, Eric Bulls, Kim Cook, Casey Roel, Vic Zaragoza OFFICE MANAGER Mikayla Aguilar
CULTURE® Magazine is published every month and distributes magazines at over 600 locations throughout the Southern California. 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
Sixteen Applicants Apply for Cultivation Licenses in Oceanside As of Jan. 21, 16 Oceanside residents have applied for one of the five cultivation licenses that are currently available. Applicants must complete four phases of the application process, starting with a preliminary determination of eligibility. Phase 1, the determination of eligibility, costs $3,471, the city website states. Phase 2, the ranking of applicants, costs $2,448. Phase 3 contains a detailed ranking system and Phase 4 is a review and potential approval by the City Manager. The city processes the
California Office of Administrative Law Approves Cannabis Regulations On Jan. 16, three California state agencies, the Bureau of Cannabis Control, California Department of Public Health and California Department of Food and Agriculture, announced that the state’s Office of Administrative Law approved a bundle of final cannabis regulations, covering the entire supply chain, from cultivation to 10
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applications about every three months. Beyond that, applicants also need to obtain a conditional use permit, costing them an $8,000 deposit. There are several other fees and start-up costs to consider, easily topping $11,000. Business people with serious intentions and a little money in the bank can finally move forward with cultivation licenses. Additionally, more have applied for manufacturing, distribution and testing licenses as well.
retail. Leaders spent time gathering input before implementing the rules. “These approved regulations are the culmination of more than two years of hard work by California’s cannabis licensing authorities,” Bureau Chief Lori Ajax stated in a press release. “Public feedback was invaluable in helping us develop clear regulations for cannabis businesses and ensuring public safety.” Cannabisrelated business owners throughout California have been waiting patiently for years for the rules to be finalized. Before then, emergency regulations were implemented in 2017 and readopted in June 2018, but no rules were finalized. The new permanent rules take effect immediately.
Thailand Legalizes Medical Cannabis On Dec. 25, members of Thailand’s parliament voted unanimously to approve medical cannabis for medical use and research. Patients suffering from chemotherapy, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy or chronic pain can obtain permission to consume medical cannabis. “This is a New Year’s gift from the National Legislative Assembly to the government and the Thai people,” said Somchai Sawangkarn, chairman of the drafting committee. It’s a big deal for Thailand, which typically imposes an extremely harsh stance on drug offenders, sometimes invoking the death penalty. Even though medical cannabis is legal, however, it’s not uncommon for police to frisk you and force you to urinate in a cup right on the street without trial to determine if there are any drugs present. Visitors are still urged to consume medical cannabis in private, even if they have permission. The country also legalized the plant kratom for medicinal use.
The total number of cannabis dispensaries approved to operate within San Diego city limits at the end of 2018: (Source: KPBS)
The estimated amount of money, in millions of dollars, that the city of San Diego collected in cannabis tax revenue during 2018: (Source: KPBS)
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The number of cannabis cultivation license applications that were sent to Oceanside officials as of mid-January: (Source: Los Angeles Times)
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The estimated amount of money, in billions of dollars, that residents in the state of California are expected to spend in recreational cannabis purchases during 2019: (Source: The San Diego Union-Tribune)
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The projected amount of money, in billions of dollars, that consumers will spend on recreational cannabis worldwide in 2019: (Source: Investor’s Business Daily)
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The number of U.S. senators, out of 100, who voted in favor of the Farm Bill that legalized industrial hemp in the United States: (Source: The Washington Post)
The estimated number of years that have passed since the state of Arkansas last allowed cannabis to be legally planted: (Source: 40/29 News)
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The percentage of cannabis-related arrests between Jan. 1 and Nov. 23 of 2018 in New York City that involved minorities: (Source: NY Daily News)
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KISS WHEN: Thurs, Feb. 7 WHERE: Viejas Arena, 5500 Canyon Crest Dr., San Diego WEBSITE: kissonline.com/tour KISS your troubles goodbye with the band that started it all. KISS’ Gene Simmons joined teams with Canadabased cannabis producer Invictus MD Strategies Corp as the chief evangelist officer. While Simmons famously has been straight-edge his entire life, never once getting drunk, smoking cannabis or doing any other drugs—selling cannabis is an entirely different matter. Since 1973, KISS has elevated what we now know as the quintessential live
rock show, complete with pyrotechnics, levitating drum kits, rockets, and of course the band’s signature makeup and outlandish outfits. The band was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame and sold over 100 million albums. Ace Frehley and other former members are long gone, but the band remains the same after a few reunions and reformations. Sadly 2019 will be the band’s final tour called “One Last Kiss: End of the Road World Tour.” CultureMagazine.com
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NEWS
LOCAL
“Going from [hundreds] of delivery options to 15—that’s all for 1.5 million people?” questions Gracelyn Goldberg-Jefferson, a local San Diego resident. If 10 percent of the population is looking for legal product, that’s an estimated 9,000 customers per location. Demand may not be met by legal stores, ultimately contributing to growth in the illicit market.
Providing safe and affordable access
INDUSTRY DEMAND
How Proposition 64 affects San Diego cannabis delivery groups By Marc Emmelmann
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alifornia recently endorsed a rule allowing cannabis deliveries statewide, even in communities that have previously banned cannabis sales. However, consequences from Proposition 64 still create barriers for cannabis delivery and medical cannabis patients in San Diego. The regulatory process was issued Jan. 9, and gave existing San Diego cannabis delivery companies the opportunity to convert into a for-profit retail storefront company, but only after acquiring both a local cannabis business license and state permit from the California Bureau of Cannabis Control.
Meeting Demand Delivery advocacy group San Diego Cannabis Delivery Alliance (SDCDA), insists that the lack of local licenses and guidance from Sacramento have made things challenging. “[The] city council has been slow to recognize the hundreds of independent delivery services operating in the city and has yet to issue business licenses to them,” SDCDA Board President Sam Humeid told CULTURE. “This has left delivery service operators with limited options, such as partnering with one of 15 licensed store-front dispensaries, relocating to a city that is permitting cannabis delivery, going out of business, or going outlaw.” Denver, Colorado, with an approximate population of 600,000 people, has over 350 licensed retail outlets. In comparison, San Diego is home to 1.4 million people (not to mention 35 million tourists annually), and currently has 15 operating retail outlets. With only 15 legal cannabis providers in San Diego, issues like supply and demand need to be addressed. SDCDA believes 10 delivery services per council district would be sensible and marginalize the illicit market. 12
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Whether San Diego will pay homage to nonprofits and enable a solution is yet to be determined. “I hope compassionate care and the spirit of Proposition 215 will find its way back onto legislative rolls. Cannabis industry professionals are eager to donate to nonprofit cannabis organizations, after all, we owe it to them who risked it all,” Humeid shared. Post-Proposition 64 is also a change for doctors who previously referred patients to nonprofit medical cannabis collectives and cooperatives. Now they send patients to just one of the 15 licensed recreational cannabis retailers in San Diego. Some offer delivery, some do not. Patients are not always able to drive or get timely, educated help. The cost of products can be prohibitive to those who previously relied on nonprofit charity model prices as well. “The only shop we have here in town charges way too much and they don’t have everything you need,” David Sellers, a longtime San Diego medical cannabis patient shared.
Impacts to industry diversit y Many residents believe smaller minority and female-owned facilities that built the industry can’t raise the capital needed to now enter the legal market. “My hope is that in 2020, people vote to keep cannabis an accessible industry for all of us to equally participate,” said Daniel Keehn, a San Diego businessman who believes the will of the people has been skirted from zoning laws and costly, complex permit procedures. The elimination of safe access inadvertently created by Proposition 64 may fuel the citizen base to demand fair market competition. To get involved in cannabis delivery reform, join the SDCDA, contact the Mayor, your local city councilmember, and San Diego’s Public Safety and Livable Neighborhoods Committee to ensure cannabis delivery is put on the city agenda for discussion and review. Each call and letter is tallied and provides data that lawmakers and influencers need to address the concerns of San Diegans. c
Cannabis Business Course Want to learn about cannabis business, but you don’t necessarily have the time to enroll into a class, and sit down in a classroom on a weekly basis? Ain’t nobody got time for that! Presented by 420 College, this event runs from 10 a.m. to 4:20 p.m. and crams a large amount of information into one intense day of seminars. Seminars will cover the process of obtaining any type of cannabis business license in California. Learn the difference between cannabis stores, dispensaries, collectives and co-ops, and what you’d need to start your own business. The licensing process is more complicated than you think. This class is the perfect solution for those who need to learn more, but are on a pressing time schedule. WHEN: Sat, Feb. 23 WHERE: Marina Village Conference Center, 1936 Quivira Wy., San Diego WEBSITE: 420college.org/ events/category/ seminar-calendar/
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NEWS
LEGAL CORNER
applications will be ranked in order to issue the limited licenses. The city will issue three retail licenses per district, no more that 2 of which can be storefront retailers, and 10 cultivations licenses. Phase 1 of the application for retail and cultivators began on Jan. 14 and remained open for five days until Jan. 18. Additionally, the city will issue an uncapped number of manufacturing, distribution and testing licenses. The inital application period for manufacturers, distributors, testing laboratories was between Jan. 14 through Jan. 25. Those licenses that are selected from Phase 1 will move onto Phase 2.
Warm Welcome
C h u l a V i s ta a n d V i s ta b e g i n s a c c e p t i n g c a n n a b i s a p p l i c at i o n s
By Kimberly Simms
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an Diego County is preparing to see a new wave of cannabis businesses open up in the next several months. The cities of Chula Vista and Vista are about to embark on the process of accepting applications for operators in their respective areas. The cities’ steps forward were prompted by voter ballot measures in the November elections.
Chul a Vis ta In November, voters in Chula Vista approved Measure Q, allowing the city to implement the proposed ordinance, which was adopted in 2018, to go into effect. Chula Vista has taken advantage of opportunities to learn from other local jurisdictions throughout the state and has diligently worked to draft its Ordinance and Regulations in a thoughtful and detailed manner. Likewise, the city has gone to extensive lengths in providing information to potential applicants about the regulations and the licensing process. On Dec. 13, 2018 eight city officials held a forum, open to the public, to show a sample application 14
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and directly answer all questions. According to The Star News, 150 participants pre-registered to attend. The high attendance of the forum was not a surprise given the serious interest of those wanting to take advantage of one of the few cities in San Diego County that are issuing licenses. While some of the applicants have deep roots in the community, there are also several applicants seeking to simply make their mark in Southern California. There is a lot of outside interest in Chula Vista because the city’s ordinance requires an owner to either have a year as an owner of a licensed cannabis business, 36 months of ownership in an alcohol business or own a business in Chula Vista with 10 or more employees. Similarly, the city has other restrictive requirements which include employing a manager with cannabis experience, $250,000 in liquid assets, and providing an extensive business plan and operating plan to speak to the applicant’s compatibility with the city’s goals. The Chula Vista application is a merit-based system, under which applicants will be awarded varying points and
Vis ta The voters in the City of Vista also approved ballot Measure Z on election day. Measure Z allowed the city to implement a regulatory system to issue licenses to up to 11 medical retail cannabis dispensaries and tax those businesses. The city of Vista’s cannabis regulations are much more restrictive than Chula Vista in that Vista only allows for medical dispensaries. Similarly, the city has limited zones in which a dispensary can be located. Nevertheless, we applaud any progress and hopefully a successful launch will be a great example for future expansion. The city of Vista accepted applications between Jan. 22-29. It is important to know that the city of Vista accepted applications on a first in time priority, so applicants were encouraged to submit as soon as the application window opened. The city accepted applications for seven days and marked each application with a time stamp. Later, the city will the post a priority list of all the time stamped applications and process applications according to the time they were received and the first applicants to meet all the requirements will be awarded the licenses. The city requires applicants to submit a $100,000 deposit to go towards processing applications and security and compliance measures throughout the application process. Additionally, the city requires that the applicant has been in business for a minimum of six months prior to being issued a business license, and submit a detailed security plan and a site plan. The implementation “The cities’ of Chula Vista and Vista’s cannabis regulated systems steps forward is warmly welcomed. were prompted Having additional cities come on board legitimizes by voter ballot the regulated system, and measures in cities throughout San Diego County are looking forward the November to working with more elections.” licensed operators in 2019. c
NEWS
HEALTHY LIVING
Lovely Chemicals T H C a n d t h e a m p l i f i c at i o n o f s e x u a l d e s i r e By Lanny Swerdlow, RN LNC
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exuality, like beauty, is in the eye of the beholder. Objectively though, sexuality can be viewed as the state of being sexual, incorporating the prosaic categories of wanting sex, expressing sexual receptivity and sexual activity itself. The state of being sexual begins with the natural human desire for sex driven by hormones and cultural stimulations. From desire comes excitation, as the very thought of having sex results in the body preparing for sex with associated physiological and psychological changes. If all precedes normally, the state of excitation progresses into actual sexual activity producing multiple and escalating sensations resulting in orgasm. Sexual relief comes from the orgasm with the body relaxing as it returns to its normal state augmented by feelings of contentment and fulfillment. All too often, humans have difficulty achieving one or more of the above states of sexuality. Problems with low sex drive and/or sex becoming mundane causes sensations from sexual activity to be muted. This makes orgasm difficult and sexual relief elusive, resulting in feelings of inadequacy and disappointment. The desire for sex, the excitation for sex and sexual activity all trigger the release of anandamide, a cannabinoid produced by the body that binds to the CB1 and CB2 receptors found abundantly in the brain and just about everywhere else in the body. Intrinsically involved in feelings of pleasure, anandamide has been euphemistically given the nickname the “bliss molecule.” Binding to the CB1 and CB2 receptors, anandamide also reduces anxiety and depression, mitigates pain, restores appetite, promotes fertility and even kill cancer cells. This is one of the reasons why people crave chocolate. Chocolate contains theobromine which studies have shown to cause the brain to produce more anandamide. Cannabis is known to produce the same effects as anandamide from pain relief to pleasure, but unlike chocolate, cannabis does not cause the body to produce anandamide. Cannabis has its own anandamide-like cannabinoid—the legendary psychoactive cannabinoid tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Like anandamide, THC attaches to and activates the CB1 and CB2 receptors so it should come as no surprise then that cannabis has the same effect on the body as anandamide. Even though cannabis can arouse sexual desire it shouldn’t be considered an aphrodisiac, as it doesn’t treat sexual dysfunction per se—it should be considered more as a sexual stimulant. According to Dr. Mitch Earleywine, author of Understanding Marijuana: A New Look at the Scientific Evidence, the “CB1 receptor seems to be involved in improved
“The desire for sex, the excitation for sex and sexual activity all trigger the release of anandamide, a cannabinoid produced by the body that binds to the CB1 and CB2 receptors found abundantly in the brain and just about everywhere else in the body.” tactile sensations and general euphoria” If cannabis “improves tactile sensations and general euphoria” it would not be a stretch to conclude that it improves sexuality in all its many forms and permutations. Some studies have reported a dose-dependent relationship in that small to moderate amounts of cannabis produce desired sexual stimulation but high doses may inhibit sexual function. A 2013 study published in the journal Frontiers of Endocrinology found that low doses of THC significantly increase testosterone levels in mice while high doses of THC caused testosterone levels to drop below the testosterone levels found in mice that were not given THC. Of course, people are not mice and many other factors
affect sexual performance in humans. How you feel about the person you are with plays a very significant role as well as the setting in which sex occurs. Dr. Lester Grinspoon, the world’s most widely published author regarding the medical application of cannabis, noted “are you afraid you’re going to have a knock on the door and the cops will come in? Those things influence the high. So part of the set in having a sexual experience is how the people feel about each other.” Enhancing feelings of camaraderie and bonding has always been a hallmark of communal cannabis consumption, so enhanced feelings of affection and lust between stoned lovers is to be expected and enjoyed. This is not to say that the use of cannabis can rectify all the problems related to sexuality any more than cannabis can provide symptomatic relief to all the problems related to pain and insomnia, but for many it can provide a physiological and psychological boost resulting in an improved and pleasant sexuality. c
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REVIEWS
1. Eva II With so much focus nowadays on penetrative sex, it can be easy to neglect the clitoral area of the female body. That’s where Eva II comes in. Eva II has flexible “wings” that clip on and fit perfectly with the female anatomy, and it gives the outside areas vibrating stimulation without blocking penetration. Don’t accept an unsatisfactory sexual experience when there are options like this on the market! Its hip modern design is fairly discreet, and it comes with a charging base and travel case for late night encounters with your loved one. Price: $135 More Information: dameproducts. com/products/eva-ii 2. FLIP ZERO EV Are you and your male appendage ready for some good vibrations? EV stands for electronic vibration, and this male-oriented device definitely delivers. Every detail has been thought out—from the realistic 6.73-inch insertion length to the various speed settings with pulse and alternating modes. Most importantly, this device’s unique flip-open design sets it apart from most other maleoriented stimulation machines. It recharges with a USB cord and can run on full power for 40 minutes of pleasure. With a one-year warranty, you know this is a durable device that will last you through years of abuse. Price: $200 More Information: usstore.tengaglobal.com/products/flip-zero-evelectronic-vibration
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3. Awaken by Foria The stakes are very high when putting cannabinoidbased products inside your body, but Foria is a name you can trust. Awaken lubricant in particular contains eight natural aphrodisiacs including full-spectrum CBD and kava kava extract. Kava kava is a natural Hawaiian root remedy with euphoric and numbing effects, plus purported medical benefits. All Foria products are independently tested for purity and safety. Increase sexual arousal with slippery, natural organic ingredients. The lubricant has a chocolate and mint aroma and a smooth consistency that goes perfectly with its active ingredients. Price: $48 More Information: www.foriawellness.com 4. WARM™ Sex toys are great, but there is usually one consistent problem: They can feel ice cold to the touch! Cold, polished metal toys are the worst and can make you scream, and not in a good way. WARM™ solves the problem by functioning as a heating pad for dildos, vibrators and various sex toys. It takes most toys just 15-20 minutes to heat up to a pleasant, natural temperature. It resembles a heating pad that folds around your toys into an envelope. It can also be used as a storage bag that can slide underneath the bed. Price: $149 More Information: experiencewarm.com
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BOOK
A Woman’s Guide to Cannabis Nikki Furrer Pub. Workman Publishing Co, Inc. A Woman’s Guide to Cannabis deciphers cannabis as a whole for its readers— both female and male, or novices and experts alike. The informational handbook touches on all the aspects of cannabis, including a reliable dosage guide, educating facts about the plant’s benefits in terms of health, wellbeing and beauty, or how to use the plant to boost moods, lose weight, fight insomnia and enhance pleasure. It also lists recipes and self-soothing beauty products for the readers’ convenience. If anybody is looking for ways to navigate the world of cannabis with ease, this book is the perfect go-to guide. (Ayesha Rahman)
RELEASE DATE: FEB. 15 AVAILABLE ON: PC AND XBOX ONE
GAME
Crackdown 3 Dev. Sumo Digital Pub. Microsoft Studios With an almost 10year gap since the release of Crackdown 2, Crackdown 3 is finally set to bring players back to New Providence for some serious action. The premise is the same— collect a wide variety of weapons, gain new character skills and defeat countless enemies from an organization called TerraNova. Players can explore an openworld city landscape in solo or co-op mode, or try out the new “Wrecking Zone” multiplayer mode where the entire city can be destroyed as you rise to the top. It’s time to “step up your boom”! (Nicole Potter)
MOVIE MUSIC
Halloween Dir. David Gordon Green Universal Pictures Though it is not the first of its kind, John Carpenter’s 1978 movie Halloween inspired a legion of horror directors and writers and propelled the slasher films into the mainstream throughout the ’80s. Forty years later Carpenter returns with original star, Jamie Lee Curtis, to resurrect the story line from the first two movies and bring back the chilling horror and suspense that captivated audiences in the beginning. The film does well bringing things into the modern era by incorporating new characters and things like podcasting that gives it the realistic, this-could-happen-toyou atmosphere that propelled the original. (Simon Weedn)
Almost Free FIDLAR Mom + Pop Music Three years since its last release, Los Angeles, California’s FIDLAR (an acronym for Fuck It Dawg Life’s A Risk) have returned with a 13 fresh tracks on its new album, Almost Free. Drawing heavily on influences from ’90s alternative rock and pop punk, FIDLAR continues to push its music into new territory while maintaining the spirited angst that’s been its trademark. Collaborating with producer Ricky Reed (Twenty One Pilots, Kesha), the quartet’s sound is definitely at its polished and accessible. However, there are enough rough edges and raw grit to keep old fans satisfied while drawing in new listeners. (Simon Weedn)
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K a r l e y S c i o r t i n o c o n f e s s e s d e ta i l s a b o u t h e r s e x u a l e x p l o i t s a n d h o w t h e y h av e influenced her perspective on sex and the e v o l u t i o n o f h e r p r o f e s s i o n a l e n d e av o r s By Benjamin M. Adams
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“[Cannabis] heightens t h e s e n s at i o n w h e n someone is touching your skin. It sort of clears your mind and makes you more focused—and more w e t i n t h e o r y.”
c claimed television series host, writer and executive producer Karley Sciortino wears many hats—but her pursuits almost always revolve around relationships, sex and sexuality. Over a decade ago, Sciortino founded the website and blog Slutever.com while still in her early 20s. Her adventures ranged from living in a colorful London squat to pushing the boundaries of what is acceptable in the realm of sexuality. Several years later, VICE took notice and produced a webseries of the same name, with Sciortino as its “resident sexpert.” Last year, Sciortino and co-creator Adri Murguia launched Slutever as a VICELAND television series—with Sciortino now operating as executive producer. The show’s second season premieres Feb. 10 on the VICELAND TV network, and the show can be found on Amazon Prime. Slutever challenges the taboos of sex in modern culture and the gender roles that are constantly evolving. Although Sciortino continues to become a household name through her show, she remains true to her writing roots. In addition to being a columnist for Breathless, a sex and dating column at Vogue, Sciortino compiled her sexual escapades into a memoir called Slutever: Dispatches from an Autonomous Woman in a Post Shame World, which was published last February. Sciortino’s high level of visibility on Instagram is part of what cements her authority on all things sex-related. She’s also dabbled in film as a cowriter for Now Apocalypse. Just in time for our annual Sex Issue, CULTURE caught up with Sciortino to discuss overcoming sexual inhibitions, reclaiming stereotypical words and how cannabis can be incorporated in the bedroom.
You founded Slutever, which eventually was expanded into a VICELAND documentary series. In your own words, how does Slutever compare today to how it began as a humble blog? It’s sort of had a slow evolution. In the beginning, it was really
just a personal blog that was full of stream-ofconsciousness-esque rants about my sex life. At the time I was living in a squat and commune in London, and there were about 15 of us living in an abandoned hostel and pretty much all we did was have drugs and go
to raves and have sex with strangers. I was vaguely attempting to be a writer at the time, writing freelance for magazines but not making any money. I knew I wanted to be a writer, and I hadn’t gone to college, so I said, “I guess I should teach myself to write by
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practicing.” I feel like my life was interesting enough at the time that maybe somebody would care. For the first few years it was basically about living in the squat and the people I was living with. A few years later, I moved to New York. I was 24. That’s when it really became more sex-focused. I started assisting this dominatrix for work. I just really started getting interested in the psychology around sexuality, and I started interviewing the clients and talking about their fetishes and sexual desires. That really spawned an interest in that field and it sort of grew from there. Then I started doing the VICE show in its earliest incarnation in 2012. That was the time when I said this is a sex thing. I think it got more mature over time, with more personal essays about my romantic life and the way I thought about sex and my opinion about sexuality. Eventually it grew into more of a magazine and now other people contribute.
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What would you say to people who have lingering anxieties and are still afraid to talk about sex? I would say that talking about sex is the primary key to having a good sex life, because if you can’t talk about it, you’re not going to get what you want, because you’re not going to be able to explain it to someone. They’re not mind-readers. You’re also not going to be able to please your sex partners, because you’re not a mindreader either. I think being able to express your needs and boundaries is the only way that you can have a fulfilling sex life where you feel autonomous and healthy. Talking about sexuality is an amazing way to get close to people. If you’re able to talk about intimacy, it’s a way of bonding with people. It’s also transgressive, which is fun! As you know, in some cultures, when females are sexually active, some are sex-shamed with the word “slut.” What do you want to change about that? I think that slut-shaming is still a massive problem in many cultures and in the United States. Girls are called whores as teenagers before they’ve even had sex, if they’re wearing a low-cut top. The word “slut” has sort of gone rogue. It’s used now to describe revealing clothes to someone who is having casual sex. So it’s a derogatory word, but having said that, I do think that we’re on the right path as a culture. Increasingly we see women, whether it’s famous women like Rihanna or Taylor Swift, these girls are having many 22
sexual partners, and they aren’t shamed for that. I think that we are able to see now that there are alternatives to monogamy. Even dating apps have sort of normalized the idea that women are looking for things more than relationships. So I think that the sexual double standard is beginning to fade. A lot of what I wrote in my book Slutever is about reclaiming the word “slut.” It is about redefining what that means. My ambition is to redefine the word “slut” as someone who seeks out visceral experiences through sex, to build confidence, to connect themselves with people and to satisfy the sense of adventure. I think that reclaiming words like the word “slut” is important because historically, many different cultures and communities have reclaimed words in a very successful way—words like racial words, “queer,” “butch” and “fag.” All these words have been reclaimed. That takes away the power of those words to harm you. It’s funny and powerful. Irreverence is a tool for rebellion. Plus, the word “slut” just kind of just rolls off of the tongue well. Do you foresee gender roles continuing to evolve in the post-#MeToo era? I think that #MeToo, at its core, is about women reclaiming control of their bodies. Women are saying “I don’t like to be touched that way,” or “this is my body” and how that is expressed in the world. I think there is a lot of power in that. I think that there is definitely a wave of female unity with this movement. I think that all of these things
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have a forward momentum. We live in a world where gender is now being challenged, in many forms. I don’t know any women anymore who are like, “I have to be submissive to my husband and clean shit.” I don’t know any of those people. Growing up in a strict religious household, did that propel you to push the bar of sex taboo even further? Definitely. I think that if you grow up in a religious family it can go one of two ways: You can adopt that repressive ideology, or it can just sort of propel you to want to break all the rules. Just be rebellious
for rebelliousness’ sake. When you’re Catholic, everything is a “no,” so you just want to break those boundaries. If my parents were like, “You can have sex if you want,” I think I would have a slower and more casual approach to sex, but when you don’t have any sex, it makes you want to have sex with everyone—just to piss them off. Sex for me was also a form of provocation. I think it ratified that early 20s, teenage rebellion thing. A lot of people have that obviously, and express it through drugs or partying, or dropping out of school, or having a boyfriend with a face tattoo. For me, it was just about being slutty.
“ F o r m e , s e x wa s different when we were high, because i t wa s s o r t o f slower and my body wa s t i n g l i n g . I t f e lt m o r e r i t u a l i s t i c .”
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the class and go home, have a drink and make this sex tape. It was an experience unlike any other. Do you consume cannabis, and if so, would you consider it an aphrodisiac? I would. It’s funny, because I’m not a weed smoker, and I never have been regularly. The only times that I’ve ever smoked weed was for sex. I was dating this guy a few years ago, and he was really into vaping weed ritualistically before sex. It heightens the sensation when someone is touching your skin. It sort of clears your mind and makes you more focused—and more wet in theory. So we had that ritual before sex. For me, sex was different when we were high, because it was sort of slower and my body was tingling. It felt more ritualistic. In our first season of Slutever, we did this episode about sex and weed. A lot of it was about weed lube. There’s a lot of companies now that make that, but we followed around this company in San Francisco that these two girls founded called Quim Rock, and they home-bake their own weed lube. So we made all this weed lube together, and I tried it during sex. The idea is that it increases blood flow to your vagina and causes you to get more wet and engorged. It does really work—however, it kind of makes your vagina smell like a dispensary it was so strong. So unless your partner is really into the smell of weed, it’s not a good vibe. It doesn’t make you high, but if you eat it, it does get you high. It literally turns your pussy into an edible.
Tell us about the notorious Johnny Knoxville a.k.a. Bad Grandpa tape. We’d been doing Slutever in a web series form for about a year-and-ahalf at that point. He wanted to come up with Bad Grandpa and had this relationship with VICE. It was his idea and he said, “Can we do something with Slutever?” I was like, “Wait, what?” He was in his Bad Grandpa 24
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suit, and the premise was that we were spending a day in LA. We went to this tantric sex club, but didn’t tell the other people that it was Johnny Knoxville. We were “randomly” paired together, and it just was like this creepy pervy 90-year-old. Everyone was completely freaking out. It was pretty funny. We made this fake sex tape where we leave
How long did it take you to put together the material for your recent memoir, Slutever: Dispatches from an Autonomous Woman in a Post Shame World ? That was sort of a lifetime of experiences. The book is sort of half memoir, half personal sexual theory and ponderings. The first chapter is what I call a slut manifesto. It’s my ideas about the history of sluttiness and reclaiming that word.
Then, the book goes from my childhood in a Catholic family to being slut-shamed by my family and in high school. It sort of follows my life through finding my own slutty identity, being in an open relationship and working as an escort. I definitely did research. I really like Camille Paglia who is sort of this controversial feminist from the ’80s who is one of the first pro-sex feminists, as they’re called. Her ideas were sort of really formative for me. It was all of the stuff that I’ve been thinking about for a long time. Given your Vogue sex and dating column, Breathless, do you operate more naturally as a video host or as a writer? I think I primarily identify as a writer, because I’ve been doing it since I was a teenager. But I really love doing the VICE show because it gets me out of my room. Writing is such a solitary, nail-biting experience when you spend so much time alone. So it’s fun to be out in the world and interview people collaboratively. I think seeing people on camera and being able to see people tell their own stories that there is more opportunity for people to be humanized under that medium. What would you say to single adults who are going to spend Valentine’s Day alone this year? Valentine’s Day is stupid. People always say that it’s a commercial holiday, but I really think that it’s true. It’s sort of like the romantic version of New Year’s Eve. It’s kind of an anti-climax when you feel pressured to have dinner and sex that feels better somehow. If you actually feel bad in that situation, then just go hang out with single friends. It would be more fun. What news do you have for the next upcoming few months? Tell us about Now Apocalypse. Now Apocalypse really incorporates stoner themes. I co-wrote the first season of the show with the director Greg Araki who is sort of this cult film director who came out in the ’90s who made a lot of sexually progressive movies that I love. His movies even in the ’90s, had things like a bisexual lead character—which you never saw. There
are threesomes, sexual empowerment and funny and strange slutty girls. I feel so lucky to work with him. He asked me to help him write the pilot about a year ago for the show. It’s about these four 20-somethings in LA, trying to make it in Hollywood and basically having a lot of sex and exploring their sexuality. The main character Ulysses is a super stoner. There’s this alien conspiracy side story. It appears that we’re on the brink of an apocalypse, spawned by an alien invasion, but you can’t tell if it’s actually happening or whether it’s all just Ulysses’ hallucinations. He basically never stops smoking weed. c @karleyslutever | www.viceland.com/slutever
“My ambition is to redefine the word “slut” as someone who seeks out visceral experiences through sex, to build confidence, to c o n n e c t t h e m s e lv e s with people and to s at i s f y t h e s e n s e o f a d v e n t u r e .” CultureMagazine.com
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Embrace Variety C a n n a b i s c a n h e l p d at e n i g h t s b e c o m e m e m o r a b l e a n d i n t i m at e
By John McClain
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or cannabis-loving couples, there are many ways to share a token of love on Valentine’s Day. Having a partner who also partakes in cannabis means that 26
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you can have a unique, euphoric way to celebrate romance while reaching whole new highs. While couples should always be aware of their local city and state laws prior to making plans, the addition of cannabis into a date night routine
“Having a partner who a l s o p a r ta k e s i n c a n n a b i s means you can have a u n i q u e , e u p h o r i c w ay t o c e l e b r at e r o m a n c e w h i l e reaching whole new highs.” can spice things up like never before. Whether you go out for a night on the town or stay cozy indoors, these cannabis-friendly Valentine’s Day date ideas are sure to make your day more intimate and special.
A D at e I n d o o r s For busy couples, time spent together can be limited, but having a dedicated date night at home can be just as intimate with the addition of cannabis. Why head to an overly crowded restaurant when you can stay home instead? There are countless recipes that can be reimagined with cannabis in mind. Work with your loved one to craft the perfect dinner and dessert combination by altering recipes to include infused butter, vegetable oil or simple syrup. Chocolate— once called a food of the
A Night on the Town Taking a creative class together is a fun and social experience that allows partners to share their artistic skills. States with legal recreational cannabis are beginning to host herbinspired private or group cooking classes that are both romantic and teach some useful skills too. Budding artisans can also find group art classes where cannabis consumption is encouraged to help tap into participants’ creative side.
gods—is a basic requirement for Valentine’s Day presents. Think beyond the heartshaped box and bring home some extra-special brownies, decadent infused chocolates from a local dispensary. Of course at the end of the day, romancing your partner will ultimately lead to steamy bedroom activities and you can’t get more intimate than sex. Many reports state that cannabis can enhance sexual pleasure, so it’s only wise that you utilize products such as cannabidiol (CBD) or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) -infused lubricants. These products help reduce pain for women experienced during intercourse, leading to a much more relaxed state of being as well as the possibility for more intense orgasms.
Couples can also expand their physical and mental horizons by trying a cannabis-friendly yoga class. Imbibing cannabis before a yoga session can bring heightened awareness and calm to your standard yoga practice. Sharing this experience with your partner can allow couples to connect with each other in a whole new way, both during and after the class. Don’t forget the triedand-true couple’s massage with masseuses who use CBD massage oils. The relaxing mix of physical touch and CBD’s ability to reduce pain, inflammation and stress means that both parties are improving their physical and mental wellbeing. c
Find the Perfect Cannabis-Loving S o u l m at e Singles shouldn’t be left out on Valentine’s Day. Swipe right with one of these unique cannabis dating apps to find the perfect date. (Note: Apps may not be available in areas where cannabis is not yet legal).
High There! boasts millions of downloads and has been covered by several mainstream news outlets. It connects people through their preferred way of partaking cannabis and their reactions to it. 420 Singles has been around since 2011. It focuses on meeting your preferred gender in the area, but also boasts a swipe right feature for quick review. You can fill in personal details including background and religion for a thorough opportunity to match. My 420 Mate offers website and app options for viewing and includes extra features such as a “hot” list and hosted meet up events. The site is currently free to use and will ask users about cannabis consumption preferences.
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Industry Insider
Satisfying Success
F o r i a F o u n d e r M at h e w G e r s o n c r e at e s p r o d u c t s t h at h e l p c o u p l e s e x p e r i e n c e h e a lt h y sex lives By R. Scott Rappold
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annabis and sex—it used to be so simple. People smoked a joint and then got on with it. But what happens when the cannabis is so strong that instead of focusing on the lover, the partner is drooling while staring at a spot on the wall or contemplating as to how the sponge in that cartoon can talk? “They’re not used to the potencies that are out there and they’re kind of getting steamrolled,” says Founder and co-CEO Mathew Gerson. “In the bedroom, getting too high for a lot of people is not the best thing to do for an enhanced intimate experience. It doesn’t necessarily bring you closer to your sensations or closer to your partner. You kind of overshoot the mark a little bit.” Six years ago, Gerson founded lubrication company Foria to bring cannabis into the bedroom in a way that focused on pleasure, specifically on women’s pleasure. His line of lubricants, oils and even suppositories— yes, you read that right—have become immensely popular around the world, some designed to enhance pleasure, others to dull the pain that many women experience with intercourse.
“In the bedroom, getting too high for a lot of people i s n o t t h e b e s t t h i n g t o d o f o r a n e n h a n c e d i n t i m at e e x p e r i e n c e . I t d o e s n ’ t n e c e s s a r i ly b r i n g y o u c l o s e r t o y o u r s e n s at i o n s o r c l o s e r t o y o u r p a r t n e r . Y o u k i n d o f o v e r s h o o t t h e m a r k a l i t t l e b i t. ” 28
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Condoms to cannabis
Few people outside of lifelong growers took a direct path into the legal cannabis industry, but Gerson’s was even more circuitous than most. After years of studying to be a Buddhist monk, he was living in a cave in the mountains outside of Telluride, Colorado, ruminating about the human condition and the suffering around the globe. “I was looking at the social issues around human sexuality and some of the downside results of the lack of protection, sexual education and access to contraception in parts of the world where people couldn’t afford condoms,” recalls Gerson, 44. So he left the woods and started a condom company, Sir Richard’s, free of glycerin, parabens, spermicide and petrochemicals, vegan-certified and PETA-approved. For every one sold, Sir Richard’s donates a condom to a Third World country. “Our tagline was, ‘Doing good never felt better,’” says Gerson. After he sold the company seven years ago, he became interested in medical cannabis, which was booming in Venice, California, where he lived, and throughout the state. He started learning about cannabinoids, terpenes and the myriad other aspects of the plant just emerging from decades in the underground. “My relationship with cannabis over all those years did not include that kind of sophistication. That was really fascinating to learn about all these other benefits and how they can modulate your experience. I was really interested in getting into that and learning more.”
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Oils, lubricants and more
“When I heard about [cannabis] oil, my mind being somewhat primed to think of oil as a lubricant, that was sort of the a-ha moment for me personally that led to the creation of the first batch of what became Foria
Pleasure and opened up that portal for a focus on female wellness in general,” says Gerson. The idea was, can cannabis be used to make women feel more sexual pleasure? As it turned out, it was not a new idea at all. His research suggested that women may have been using cannabis in such a way for centuries (he believes the classic image of a witch on a broomstick stems from women inserting cannabis oil vaginally.) The lubricant was designed to be applied vaginally at least 15 minutes before sex—what he calls the “marination period”—enhancing sexual pleasure, decreasing dryness and leading to more fulfilling orgasms. Though it contains tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), it doesn’t enter the brain, leaving the mind clear. Women immediately took note. “Being the first company to bring together the chocolate and peanut butter of sex and drugs, we got a lot of attention from women around the world,” he says. “It turns out the benefits of using cannabis as a topical for women in the bedroom were much broader and more profound than we could have imagined.” The follow-up product targeted not pleasure, but pain. To help women who experience pain with intercourse or from female conditions like menstrual cramps or endometriosis, the vaginal suppository Foria Relief used THC and cannabidiol (CBD) to dull the pain, again without psychoactive effects. The results were so encouraging that a Harvard professor has launched a study of 400 women to look at how the cannabis product eases menstrual cycle discomfort. Next up was a rectal suppository to enhance sex in that region or ease pain. This time, Gerson admits, “it was not a product that flew off the shelves,” Americans not being very inclined to embrace rectal delivery methods. “I used to say, ‘We’re trying to change the world one asshole at a time,’” Gerson laughs. “It is a challenging delivery system of cannabinoids, but it’s one that makes a lot of sense and once you do it once it’s not such a big deal.”
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First psychoactive product
In 2019, Foria plans to release its first psychoactive product, a vape pen that will deliver a microdose of THC, so that when it’s time for love, the consumer isn’t face down in a bowl of Cheetos. For now, the THC products are available only in California and Colorado, though expansion to other legal states is also in the works for 2019. CBD-only products Foria Basics, a daily tonic for general wellness, and Foria Awaken, a lubricant, are available for order on their website and can be shipped anywhere. Whether it’s going in their lungs, their vaginas or up their rectums, people have put a lot of trust in Foria products, something that makes Gerson proud. “A lot of people have built a lot of trust in their relationship with us, because we would first say, ‘Hey, you can trust to put these products on a very sensitive part of your body,’” he says. “We have a really high benchmark as to how we approach these products.” c CultureMagazine.com
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The Season for Romance
finally come together near the climax—in a church confessional.
S w o o n o v e r t h e s e u n d e n i a b ly c u t e c a n n a b i s c i n e m a c o u p l e s By David Edmundson
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t was famed psychology professor and fictional character Dr. Sean Maguire who said in Good Will Hunting, “It doesn’t matter if the guy is perfect or the girl is perfect, as long as they are perfect for each other.” The pursuit of love is a popular narrative in filmmaking, and it’s not hard to see why. It humanizes the
characters you are watching and allows you to be in their shoes. We may not know what it is like to smuggle thousands of pounds of cannabis across the U.S./Mexico border in a stolen recreational vehicle, but we can all relate with the struggle to love and be loved. Here are some of CULTURE’s favorite couples in cannabis cinema.
meets the eye. Think of the film as a Nicholas Sparks novel directed by Cheech Marin.
Mark and Stacy (Fast Times at Ridgemont High, 1982) They are unquestionably the cutest couple on this list. These two high school mall employees are a couple that everyone can root for. For all of the dumb teenage mistakes they make, you still find yourself hoping that the impossible will happen. Spoiler alert for a 36-year-old film: They end up with each other in the end. 30
Thurgood Jenkins and Mary Jane Potman (Half Baked, 1998) The names are so good, we had to list them in full. Half Baked has a lot of story in it. It’s about a group of friends trying to raise money for their friend. It’s about the group trying to navigate the minefield that is drug dealing. But it is also a story of one man trying to prove to himself and the women he loves that there is more to him than
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Jam and Beth (Detroit Rock City, 1999) Set in the late ’70s against the backdrop of the iconic rock band KISS, Detroit Rock City is an underrated gem. At the heart of the film is wannabe drummer Jam’s quest to find his way into Beth’s heart. Through all the whacky shenanigans and detours, the two
Jay and Justice (Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, 2001) Five movies into director Kevin Smith’s “View Askewniverse,” his recurring sidekick Jay finally found love. And in true Smith fashion, it was with an international jewel thief who found that the only thing she loved more than the thrill of a heist, was the tender embrace of her loud-mouthed Jay.
Harold and Maria (Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle, 2004) Roldie and Maria’s love did something miraculous, it survived a trilogy of films littered with sexual humor and cannabis-laden exploits. Maria forced the titular Harold out of his shell and showed him that there is something more than consuming cannabis and hanging out with your
friend—you could consume cannabis and hang out with your girlfriend.
Alex and Samantha (Grandma’s Boy, 2006) Another underrated gem. Grandma’s Boy is an easyto-follow film with a stellar cast. Chief amongst them is the couple at its core, Alex and Samantha. He’s an underachiever, happy with his station in life, and she is an organized and analytical executive, but together they find the best in themselves and learn to strive for more than their roles have given them.
David and Rose (We’re the Millers, 2013) A stripper and a cannabis dealer go to Mexico under the guise of a married couple to smuggle a huge shipment of cannabis into the United States. The pair definitely started out as adversaries, just in it for the paycheck, but as their feelings grew, so does the film’s hilarity. I mean, what could go wrong smuggling an RV full of cannabis across the U.S./ Mexico border and into the hands of an orca-owning megalomaniac of a drug czar.
Ted and Tami-Lynn (Ted, 2012) Relationships are hard during the best of times, and they can be even harder when one of you is a foulmouthed teddy bear with no genitals. However, through all of their fights, their passion is undeniable. TamiLynn even stood by Ted’s side when he fought the legal battle of the century to declare himself a person in a court of law.
HONORABLE MENTION: Craig Jones (Friday series, 1995+) In the James Bond of cannabis films, Craig, played by Ice Cube, had a love story in each of the three Friday films. There was Debbie in Friday, Karla in Next Friday and finally Donna in Friday After Next. While sadly, it looks like none of them passed the test of time, the romantic pursuits in each Friday film was an enjoyable side quest in cannabis cinema. c
“The pursuit of love is a p o p u l a r n a r r at i v e i n filmmaking, and it’s not h a r d t o s e e w h y. ”
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Making History T h e H e m p Fa r m i n g A c t o f 2 0 1 8 a i m s t o p u t American hemp products on the map By Devon Alexander Brown
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nce dubbed America’s No. 1 obstructionist by The Washington Post, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is an unlikely ally in the corner of cannabis. However, he may have unwittingly opened the floodgates for its growth and progress by legalizing the commercial production of hemp. Hemp, the often overlooked cousin of cannabis, lacks the concentrations of 32
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tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) that give cannabis its psychoactive effects, but contains greater concentrations of cannabidiol (CBD). And due to the growing demand for alternatives to pharmaceutical pain medications, CBD could be poised for a boom with a functioning domestic hemp market—though hemp is much more than CBD. Hemp can be used for a variety of commercial products such as textiles, bioplastics and foods like hemp seeds and protein powder and it was industrially
produced well into the 1950s until shifting market conditions and the introduction of federal regulations ushered in its cessation. Decades later hemp was officially made illegal in the United States under the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, the same federal statute that classifies cannabis as a Schedule I substance. But the Hemp Farming Act of 2018, a law introduced by McConnell under the 2018 Farm Bill, removed hemp from the list of controlled substances and deemed it an agricultural commodity—a move that grants hemp farmers access to the national banking system, water rights and federal agricultural grants while helping to restore lost profits.
Thanks to the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp will also be eligible for regulation by the USDA, meaning that it will be open to interstate commerce and qualified American-grown hemp can be labeled as certified organic. More importantly, crucial financing and research opportunities will be accessible for continued innovation as CBD is generally well tolerated and many conditions rely on CBD products. The legalization of hemp is also likely to improve patient access to these medications while potentially lowering their prices. Several studies show that CBD is an effective treatment for childhood epilepsy syndromes such as Dravet syndrome and LennoxGastaut syndrome, which tend to be unresponsive to antiseizure medications. Illnesses such as anxiety, nausea and chronic pain also respond well to the compound. However, the CBD industry has long been open to abuse because of a lack of government oversight which has allowed disreputable companies to profit off of undereducated consumers. Increased regulation will help stop this practice. While increased regulation is surely to be celebrated, that same regulation could mean increased access will be slow to start. Hemp-derived CBD also qualifies as a food, drug, or cosmetic under FDA rules and the FDA will retain authority to regulate CBD products as it sees fit. Shortly after the 2018 Farm Bill was passed FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb released a statement addressing plans to meet with stakeholders regarding potential safety concerns and the general production and marketing of hemp. “We’re aware of the growing public interest in cannabis and cannabisderived products, including cannabidiol,” Gottlieb said in a December press announcement. “Increasing public interest in these products makes it even more important with the passage of this law for the FDA to clarify its regulatory authority over these products . . . we’ll use this meeting to gather additional input relevant to the lawful pathways by which products containing cannabis or cannabis-derived compounds can be marketed, and how we can make these legal pathways more predictable and efficient . . . we’ll also solicit input
relevant to our regulatory strategy related to existing products, while we continue to evaluate and take action against products that are being unlawfully marketed and create risks for consumers.” While CBD products aren’t likely to appear at the Walgreens' pharmacy in the next few months, there is already a healthy market for CBD and hemp-derived products. New
“Increasing public interest in these p r o d u c t s m a k e s i t e v e n m o r e i m p o r ta n t with the passage of this law for the FDA t o c l a r i f y i t s r e g u l at o r y a u t h o r i t y o v e r these products.” Frontier Data reports show that U.S CBD sales reached $367 million in 2017, an increase nearing 40 percent. And the total retail value of U.S hemp products was estimated at $820 million that same year, according to the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center. With hemp’s proven fiscal value, it’s possible that CBD could eventually be legalized for all food and drink products once FDA standards are instituted. Regardless, there aren’t signs of this trend slowing down. c
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Love is in the Air
Embrace your inner sweetness with thoughtful cannabis-infused desserts By Laurie Wolf Valentine’s Day is an opportunity for many things: It’s a
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day to be honest with your crush, to express love to your significant other and it’s a day to increase sexual activity.
HEARTS
Most importantly, it’s a day to share your sweetness— and you can’t get sweeter than a plate of delicious
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desserts. With love in mind, here are three cannabisinfused recipes that are bound to impress your loved one, and maybe help you get lucky in the bedroom too!
Nutella Heart Pies Ingredients: 2 store bought piecrusts, rolled into 10-inch circles 1/2 cup cannabisinfused chocolate hazelnut spread 2 tablespoons cannabutter or oil Egg wash 34
Instructions: 1. Heat oven to 340˚ F. Spray a baking tray or cover with parchment and set aside. 2. Using a 2-inch heart cookie cutter to cut as many hearts as you can from each crust, rerolling the scraps. 3. Place a teaspoon of the infused spread and place in the center of one of the hearts. Place a
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heart on top, and go around the entire edge of each heart with the tines of a fork. Brush with the egg wash, making sure it covers the area you pressed with the fork. 4. Using a spatula, transfer pies to the baking sheet. 5. Bake until the hearts are golden brown, begin checking after 8 minutes. Cool thoroughly.
PHOTOS BY BRUCE WOLF
R e d V e lv e t C a n n a- C a k e
Instructions: 1. Heat oven to 340Ëš F. Spray two 9-inch cake pans with baking spray and set aside.
Ingredients: CAKE: 2 1/2 cups flour 1/4 cup cornstarch 3 tablespoons cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon salt 2 ounces unsalted butter, softened (1/2 stick) 2 ounces cannabutter, softened 2 1/4 cups sugar 1 cup canola oil 3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract 1 teaspoons white vinegar 3 tablespoons red food coloring 1 cup buttermilk FROSTING: 16 ounces cream cheese, softened 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 4 cups white sugar 3 tablespoons milk 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5. Pour the batter into the prepared pans and bake for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
2. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cocoa powder and salt.
6. Cool in the pan before removing. Unmold.
3. In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter until smooth. Add the sugar and beat with the butter until creamy. Add the oil and mix for two minutes.
7. In a large bowl, cream the cream cheese and the butter until smooth. Add the sugar, milk and vanilla. Beat until mixed well and fluffy, add a pinch of salt and beat for one minute.
4. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat for two minutes. Scrape the bowl. Beat in the vinegar and food coloring. Turn the mixer to low and add the dry ingredients, alternating with the buttermilk and ending with the dry ingredients.
8. Place one cake on a cake platter. Cover the top with frosting. Place the other cake on top and cover with frosting. Frost the sides of the cake as smooth as possible. Take any left over cake crumbs and sprinkle on the sides and the top if desired.
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ice cream sandwichES Ingredients: 3-inch round cookie cutter Baking spray or parchment
1 large egg 2 3/4 cups flour 1 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cannabutter, softened
1 quart ice cream, any flavor, slightly softened
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup sprinkles
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup melted chocolate
Instructions 1. Heat oven to 340˚ F. Spray or cover baking sheets. Set aside. 2. In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butters and sugar until fluffy. Add the vanilla and egg and beat until well combined. 3. Add the dry ingredients with the mixer on low. Don’t over beat. 4. Scoop the dough onto the prepared pans in two tablespoon balls. Leave two inches between the balls. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until light golden brown. Cool thoroughly. 5. Pour sprinkles on a flat plate. Place half the cooled cookies on a sheet pan that will fit in your freezer. Place a 1/4 scoop of ice cream on each cookie. Quickly place the remaining cookies on top, press gently together. Dip in the sprinkles and place in the freezer until very cold and solid. 6. Place the melted chocolate on your work surface. One at a time remove a cookie sandwich from the freezer, dip in the chocolate and immediately return to the freezer. Repeat until all the cookies are done.
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SERVINGS
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recently visited one of the most respected cloneries in Northern California—Dark Heart Nursery. Through stores and dispensaries, it supplies both hobbyists and commercial enterprises with thousands of clones each week. Dark Heart has a bank of plant varieties that it holds in tissue culture, which is a form of maintaining plants as cells in an undifferentiated form. Think of these as stem cells that can be regenerated to whole plants. This serves several purposes: It takes little room. A library can be stored in a single refrigerator rather than in hundreds or thousands of square footage, and they require little care while in storage. The process also creates sterile material— no bacteria, fungi, pests or disease are present. The technicians at Dark Heart regenerate plants from the tissue culture material to use as mother plants. These plants are usually grown to a height of three to six feet and are cut as they grow to force branching to get the plant to produce more clone material. They are grown in a sterile potting mix that
contains peat moss and perlite, in 10-gallon containers. Cuttings from these plants are the end product of the clone center. Groups of the cuttings are cut and placed in a beaker filled with a root growth enhancer containing a plant hormone such as Indole 3 Butyric Acid (more commonly known as IBA). Each clone is trimmed down to just a few top leaves with pruned fingers. They are placed in two-foot rockwool cubes, 50 to each 10-foot x 20-foot tray, which have a grate bottom to promote drainage and air flow. A clear plastic dome is placed over the tray for the first few days. Within a few days, the cuttings have adjusted and the covers are removed. They are ready for sale when new growth has started in the canopy and roots appear at the bottom of the cubes. The nursery also sells adolescent plants that are two feet tall with a bit of branching. Both greenhouse and outdoor growers buy these plants to get a head start on the season outdoors, resulting in considerably larger plants or to get faster turnover in greenhouses. Growing a crop from clone to ripening can take 90-120 days. However, without having to vegetate much, the time is cut down to 60-70 days. Dark Heart has served the cannabis community of Northern California (and the rest of the world) for more than 15 years. It has succeeded because it consistently delivers high-quality, healthy and uninfected clones of popular varieties. Its products have helped growers of every size to produce bountiful, potent harvests. c
In the foreground the sativa hybrid plants have been cut. Plants in the back, about six-feet tall are waiting for their “haircut.”
On the left clones are maturing. On the right, new cuttings (in domes) are starting their two-week journey. Soon after that they will be adopted by expectant growers.
GROWING CULTURE
A VISIT TO DARK HEART By Ed Rosenthal
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Cuttings are clipped, manicured, pruned, and placed in two-foot rockwool cubes.
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A sativa clone mother is about to be sheared for cuttings. These plants have life expectancy of about six months before they are replaced.
TIP OF THE MONTH Start planting now! Plant clones or germinate seeds so you can set the plants out as soon as the climate in your area permits. Remember the plants have to be kept in a vegetative state. You can do that by flashing lights on the plants several times each night for a few seconds using a bright led flashlight (preferably red) to interrupt the darkness. If you place them out early in the season (before March 15) you can keep them growing vegetatively using the light. Without the light, with the short days of spring, they will start to flower when set outside.
Rooted clones ready to find new homes.
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.
NEWS of the
WEIRD
BY THE EDITORS AT ANDREWS MCMEEL
LEAD STORY—REGIFTED? Rakhi Desai of Houston didn’t think much at first of the gift she brought home from a white elephant party in mid-December—a brown stuffed bear with a stitched-on heart. As she looked it over later, Desai noticed the words “Neptune Society” stitched on its foot “and then I started to feel, and it’s almost like little pebbles or rocks” inside, she told KTRK-TV. That’s when it hit her: The bear was filled with someone’s cremated remains. The friend who brought the bear to the gift exchange got it at an estate sale, so Desai called the Neptune Society, hoping to reunite the bear with the family it belongs to, but the organization doesn’t track the bears. However, there is a name on the bear’s tag, and Desai is hoping to find the owner through that. “(T) his bear is very special to somebody and belongs in somebody’s family,” she said. WEIRD SCIENCE On Jan. 1, Camron Jean-Pierre, an 11-yearold Brooklyn, New York, boy, lost his life after apparently suffering an allergic reaction to the smell of the fish his family was cooking for dinner, reported the New York Daily News. His parents used an unspecified medical device to try to help him, but he lost consciousness and
emergency services were called. Camron was taken to Brookdale Hospital, but he couldn’t be revived. Scientists have noted that people with food allergies can react strongly to odors from food, and inhaling these odors can cause extreme asthmatic reactions. PEOPLE DIFFERENT FROM US Asparagus is healthy and delicious. But for 63-yearold Jemima Packington of Bath, England, the columnar vegetable is much more: Packington is an asparamancer, a person who can foretell the future by tossing the spears into the air and seeing how they land. “When I cast the asparagus, it creates patterns and it is the patterns I interpret,” Packington said. “I am usually about 75 to 90 percent accurate.” In fact, out of 13 predictions she made for 2018, 10 of them came true. What’s in store for 2019? Packington tells Metro News that England’s women’s soccer team will win the World Cup; “A Star Is Born” will win an Oscar; and fears over Brexit will be largely unfounded. Oh, and asparagus will see an all-time high in sales. OVERREACTIONS Alarmed neighbors in Perth, Australia, called police after hearing a child screaming and a man repeatedly shouting, “Why don’t you die?!” on Jan. 1, according to the Evening Standard. Multiple units of officers arrived at the property, only to learn that the unnamed man, an extreme arachnophobe, had been trying to kill a spider. His wife confirmed
to police that her child had been screaming, and her husband apologized to police for the confusion. The spider didn’t survive. WEAPON OF CHOICE Rogelio Tapia, 26, was arrested in Des Moines, Iowa, on Dec. 31 after a dispute at a QuikTrip around 3 a.m. The store clerk and witnesses told police Tapia chased the clerk around the store and assaulted him with a banana after the clerk tried to intervene in a domestic situation. According to KCCI, Tapia caused about $1,000 in damage; he was charged with assault and thirddegree criminal mischief. BRIGHT IDEA If super-sharp shears snipping near your ears isn’t enough of a rush, you might want to visit Madrid, Spain, and the salon of Alberto Olmedo, who uses ninja swords and blowtorches to cut hair. Claiming his approach is inspired by Renaissance tradition, Olmedo told Euronews that swords allow a hairdresser to cut hair from both sides of the head at once, resulting in a more even finish. He started perfecting the skill when he became “disillusioned with scissors.” Olmedo also offers a cut with claws worn on the ends of his fingers, and plans are in the works to bring lasers into his work. ARMED AND CLUMSY Despite a flood of warnings from law enforcement about the dangers of shooting
celebratory gunfire into the air on New Year’s Eve, an unnamed Kansas City, Kansas, man just couldn’t resist. As he prepared to head outside at midnight with his .22-caliber handgun, he “sat the gun down in the couch (and) accidentally shot himself in the stomach,” tweeted Police Chief Terry Ziegler. The Kansas City Star reported Ziegler’s department conducted a “tweet-along” during the evening, with multiple reports of shots fired—so many that at 11:50 p.m., officers headed to a parking garage to take cover from the bullets that were expected to rain down at midnight. At 12:01 a.m., the department tweeted, “Gunfire EVERYWHERE.” Thankfully, no injuries were reported in the city as a result of the merrymaking. GREAT ART! You’ve seen photo books and calendars depicting swaddled infants surrounded with flowers. In Irmo, South Carolina, on Dec. 29, photographer Stephanie Smith recreated the look using her high school friend Nicole Ham, according to FOX13 News. Ham, who is “336 months old,” was swaddled in a pink blanket and wore a giant gold bow on her head as she lay within a circle of garland and flowers. A sign next to her read: “Loves—champagne. Hates—dating in 2018. Go Tigers!” “We couldn’t keep a straight face,” said Smith, adding that she and Ham are already brainstorming ideas for future funny photo shoots.
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