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inside
contents 3.2018
Ask the CannaSexual Submit your sex and cannabis questions to Ashley Manta. She may answer your question in CULTURE’s 420 issue. CultureMagazine.com/ askcannasexual
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Versed Veteran
Slug, the recognizable voice of hip-hop duo Atmosphere, opens up to CULTURE about how becoming a father has played a part in his career over the decades, as well as his personal and political opinions on cannabis. O n the C O V E R :
A a r on A u b r e y P h oto g r ap h y
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Tale as Old as Time Cannabis’ healing benefits helped a young girl named Bella tackle her severe eczema, leading to a new topical beauty product brand.
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New School Noise Reggae rock band Tomorrows Bad Seeds looks forward to new music, huge shows and dank strains in 2018.
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departments 08 Letter from the Editor news 10 News Nuggets 11 By the Numbers 16 Local News 18 Legal Corner reviews 20 Strain & Edible Reviews 21 Cool Stuff 22 Entertainment Reviews in every issue 40 à La Carte 42 Growing Culture 45 Profile in Courage 46 News of the Weird
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Online Exclusive! Crime Rate Drops in Uruguay Following Legalization
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d Application
Submitted for
First Cannabis Spa in Denver
Vol 9 IssUE 9
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Editor-In-Chief Jamie Solis associate Editor Ashley Bennett Editorial coordinator Benjamin Adams Editorial Contributors Matthew Abel, Hilary Bricken, Devon Alexander Brown, Jasen T. Davis, Alex Distefano, Caroline Hayes, Addison Herron-Wheeler, Pamela Jayne, Heather Johnson, Carl Kozlowski, Emily Manke, Madison Ortiz, Denise Pollicella, R. Scott Rappold, Paul Rogers, Ed Rosenthal, Kimberly R. Simms, Lanny Swerdlow, Simon Weedn, Laurie Wolf Photographers Kristen Angelo, Steve Baker, Kristopher Christensen, John Gilhooley, Joel Meaders, Tonya Perme, Josué Rivas, Mike Rosati, Eric Stoner Art Director Steven Myrdahl production manager Michelle Aguirre Graphic Designers Payden Cobern, John Venegas sales director Joe Larson Account Executives Alex Brizicky, Angie Callahan, Molly Clark, Eric Bulls, Kim Cook, Lee Moran, Casey Roel, Garry Stalling, Shayne Williams, Annie Weber, Vic Zaragoza general Manager Iris Norsworthy office manager Mikayla Aguilar digital media Hannah Lemley coordinator Distribution Manager Cruz Bobadilla Publisher David Comden
Culture® Magazine is published every month and distributes magazines at over 500 locations throughout San Diego. No articles, illustrations, photographs, or other matter within may be reproduced without written permission. Culture® Magazine is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. 2175 Sampson Ave. | Ste. 118 Corona | California | 92879 Phone/Fax 888.694.2046 www.CultureMagazine.com CULTURE® Magazine is printed using post-recycled paper.
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LETTER
FROM
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EDITOR
Re R e f l e c t a n d Re a c t
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efore we kick off with the biggest celebration of cannabis culture and 420 parties, let’s use the month of March to refocus on the progress of our community. Now more than ever, it’s important to take matters into your own hands to ensure the cannabis community continues to move in the right direction. Many products and services often transition from underground and into mainstream, and the transition into legalization for the cannabis industry has not been one that has gone unpunished. In the past decade, we’ve increasingly seen generations of cultivators pushed from the legal industry. We’ve witnessed momand-pop shops and brands running into roadblocks in light of increasing competition, and the threat of federal interference is constantly spreading fear. Rest assured, the reason that cannabis has come so far is because of people who speak out in its defense. Join the countless activists, small businesses and organizations who influence public policy for cannabis reform in their communities. Show up regularly at city council meetings, write letters, gather signatures and educate those around you. Your voice is powerful, and it could make the difference between a family farmer being awarded or not awarded the licenses necessary to operate, or it could help a child with a seizure disorder gain access to medical cannabis oil. One of the best ways to be heard exists within your wallet. Use your money to support those you would like to see succeed within this competitive industry. Shop small. Don’t hesitate to spend a little more cash on small batch cannabis from a local farm rather than opting for the most economical option.
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Join the industry’s response to the rescinded Cole Memo by showing more support for legislation like the Rohrabacher-Blumenauer Amendment. As it is set to expire once again later this month, be sure to reach out to your local representatives. Share your positive experience with medical cannabis, show your support for recreational rights, and overall let it be known that you stand on the right side of cannabis reform. Finally, donate to organizations that are doing essential work, and support the candidates who are aligned with your ethics. We can’t wait to let our hair down and party with everyone next month, but until then, let’s remember that this community is strong when it stands together. There are still so many people in this country and across the world who could benefit from cannabis reform. Let’s not forget to take action to make safe access a reality for all, while not squashing those who have built our industry. c Cheers!
Jamie Solis Editor-in-Chief
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NEWS
nuggetS
Girl Scout Sells Cookies in Front of Dispensary An unknown Girl Scout sold 312 boxes of Girl Scout Cookies within a few hours in front of the Urbn Leaf dispensary in Bay Park, San Diego in early February. “Get some Girl Scout Cookies with your GSC today until 4 p.m.!” Urbn Leaf posted on Instagram. “Have a friend that wants to #tagalong? Bring them with—shopping is more fun with friends anyways.” Girl Scouts San Diego revealed that cannabis dispensaries like Urbn Leaf are not found on the “approved booth
Del Mar Councilmember Calls for Loosening Cannabis Policy Dave Druker, who is a councilmember and deputy mayor of Del Mar, said on Jan. 16 that it’s time for Del Mar to consider allowing cannabis sales. The city currently bans the sale, cultivation and manufacturing of medical and recreational cannabis. “If I were to change these regulations right now, I would allow us to have at least one commercial outlet for recreational marijuana and one outlet for medical marijuana in the
site list.” Girl Scouts are allowed to sell cookies on the street door-to-door, but only in residential areas. While the organization isn’t conducting a formal investigation, it indicated a desire to talk to the girl’s parents to determine if she broke the rules. There have been previous incidents of Girl Scouts selling cookies in front of dispensaries that have gone viral online as well.
Singapore to Develop Synthetic Cannabis Strains The punishment for cannabis consumption, importation and solicitation in the Republic of Singapore can result in strokes from the cane, the country’s cruel and legal system of corporal punishment, but things are slowly changing. Medical cannabis research is beginning to take root despite Singapore’s notoriously draconian approach to drugs. A 25 million Singapore Dollars ($19 million USD) research initiative called the Synthetic Biology Research and Development Program has
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city,” said Councilperson Dave Druker. “I think the concept of regulating marijuana is passé at this point. It’s time for us to get with the 21st century. The concept that marijuana is somehow this terrible drug—if it was so terrible half the baby boomers would be dead right now or addicts.” Sixtyfive percent of Del Mar voters shared the same opinion as Drucker, when they voted “yes” on Proposition 64 in November 2016.
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been launched. Researchers will develop national synthetic strains of cannabinoids derived from cannabis. The cannabis material will most likely be imported from another country in order to carry out the research. “This will be done by translating selective genetic information provided by overseas partners into potent therapeutic compounds not found in nature through synthetic biology,” reads a press release from the National Research Foundation Singapore. For now, the country prefers to research into creating synthetic derivatives of cannabis instead of natural medical cannabis options.
The estimated amount of money, in millions of dollars, that the city of Chula Vista projects it will collect annually from newly licensed cannabis businesses: (Source: Voice of San Diego)
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The number of people in San Diego County who have had their records of cannabis-related felony or misdemeanor convictions expunged as of Jan. 31: (Source: NBC San Diego)
680
The estimated number of people in San Diego County who have been charged with cannabisrelated misdemeanor and felony offenses that could be eligible for expungement: (Source: NBC San Diego)
4,700
The amount of Girl Scout Cookie boxes that a single Girl Scout sold outside of Urbn Leaf cannabis dispensary in Bay Park: (Source: The San Diego UnionTribune)
312
The number of votes from members of the Virginia Senate, out of 40, who voted in favor of passing a medical cannabis bill: (Source: News Leader)
The increased percentage of cannabis-related job postings in the United States in 2017, according to a study from ZipRecruiter: (source: Business Insider)
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The estimated amount of money, in billions of dollars, that the United States hemp industry is projected to make by 2020: (Source: Hemp Business Journal)
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California Cannabis Business Expo WHEN: Mon, March 5-Thurs, March 8 WHERE: Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina, 1380 Harbor Island Dr., San Diego WEBSITE: www.CalCanBizExpo.com For its third year, the California Cannabis Business Expo returns to San Diego. It’s a great B2B event, with 20,000 square feet of space for networking opportunities. There will be educational sessions with information provided for owners, operators and investors. Keynoting the event will be Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, who recently
introduced the Respect State Marijuana Laws Act and has been instrumental in creating laws to protect state medical cannabis rights. Networking events are a great way to pump yourself up with ideas and applicable solutions. The event is sponsored by the Marijuana Investor Summit and produced by MJIC Media LLC. CultureMagazine.com
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NEWS
LOCAL
G. Love & Special Sauce
Freedom at Last Proposition 64 offers a second chance for thousands of San Diegans By Pamela Jayne
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hen Proposition 64 was voted into law in November 2016, the ballot measure not only legalized recreational cannabis in California—it also allowed people to petition the courts to have cannabis convictions dismissed entirely, or reduced from felonies to misdemeanors, and misdemeanors to infractions. So far, 680 convictions have been adjusted in San Diego County. About 4,000 other cases have been identified and are now in the process of being reviewed. However, that is not the full extent of it—cases prior to the early 2000s will probably require those convicted to come forward and seek petitions to have their records cleared. Per the district attorney’s office, a petition in San Diego can be filed, reviewed and adjudicated in as little as one week. A person seeking relief for employment or housing can have it done in as little as one day. For those unaffected, it would be easy to write these numbers off as mere statistics and move on to the next story. However, these numbers represent real people, one of whom CULTURE spoke to about her experience. Andrea (whose last name is withheld for privacy), a 27-year-old college graduate and resident of San Diego, is the picture of an upstanding citizen. She did not have a criminal record, and had never been in any kind of trouble, when she was arrested in October of 2014 and charged with felony possession of cannabis for sale. Andrea was convicted of a felony in May of
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2016. “I fought my case all the way through what would be the first day of trial when the DA’s office offered an ultimatum; accept their deal or risk serving six years in federal prison should I not win in trial,” Andrea shared. “I accepted their offer, and I served my entire 120-day sentence with CPAC (ankle monitoring), however my probation has been reduced from felony probation to unsupervised misdemeanor probation, thanks to Prop. 64.” Andrea, who consumes cannabis medically to treat migraines, credits her attorney, Michael Cindrich, and the San Diego chapter of the cannabis advocacy group, Americans for Safe Access, for her new lease on life. “Cannabis has changed my life, and I will continue to be an advocate for the community,” she said “Prop. 64 has reopened the doors, and I will forever be grateful for my second chance!” While Andrea’s story has a positive ending, there are an untold number of victims of the campaign against cannabis who are not so lucky. To help them, a state law was introduced last month that would shift the burden to the court system. Assembly Bill 1793, introduced by Oakland Democrat Rob Bonta, would require eligible cannabis-related convictions to be automatically expunged or reduced. When asked how she felt about finally having this ordeal behind her, Andrea told CULTURE, “I can still remember the night in “Cannabis November when I sat has changed anxiously refreshing my browser on my my life, and I computer waiting for the will continue results of the poll on Prop. to be an 64. I knew what it would mean for my future if it a d v o c at e was passed. With one click, for the I saw that green check c o m m u n i t y. mark appear over the state of California, I saw the dark P r o p. 6 4 h a s cloud that lingered over reopened the me disappear. Although doors, and I I was serving my CPAC sentence on that night and will forever was unable to rejoice with b e g r at e f u l the cannabis community, for my second I was having my own celebration.” c chance!”
The band’s harmonicaplaying vocalist Garrett Dutton is better known as G. Love. His band, G. Love & Special Sauce, gained popularity due to its laid back approach to bluesy R&B. Some have described its music as alternative hiphop. Ron Artis II & The Truth will open up the evening with its set. We’ve had our own encounter with G. Love & Special Sauce in the past. Dutton was featured on the cover of CULTURE Magazine back in November 2013. The next year, G. Love & Special Sauce performed at the Hemp Heals Music Festival in its hometown of Philadelphia to support sustainable hemp and medical cannabis. Now, you have a chance to see Dutton and his band play in sunny California. WHEN: Sat, March 10 WHERE: Belly Up Tavern, 143 S. Cedros Ave., Solana Beach WEBSITE: bellyup. com
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NEWS
LEGAL CORNER
Monetary Protection
California considers a public cannabis bank in light of federal prohibition By Hilary Bricken
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alifornia is predicted to take in $7 billion by 2020 because of adult-use legalization. Its licensed operators have nowhere reliable to put all of that cash, and you can be sure that the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration doesn’t want those operators trucking hundreds of thousands of tax dollars to Sacramento. Additionally, the cash epidemic was complicated by the fact that Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ rescission of the 2014 Department of Justice (DOJ) Financial Crimes Enforcement Network memo, which allowed financial institutions to offer banking to cannabis businesses in states with “robust regulation,” in concert with the 2014 FinCEN guidelines. Thankfully, those guidelines still exist, but the Department of Treasury is currently looking at them in the wake of Sessions rescinding the Cole Memo at the start of this year. In early February, Treasurer John Chiang announced that his office (along with the California State Attorney General’s office) would undertake a two-part feasibility study around forming a state-backed bank to serve California cannabis businesses. In his office’s November 2017 report, Chiang admitted that creating and supporting a state cannabis bank would be a “formidable” task and that the “definitive solution” is for the federal government to either legalize cannabis or for Congress to create some kind of legal safe harbor for financial institutions that bank the industry. Nonetheless, Chiang’s report proposed two options for a state cannabis bank:
· “A public institution that would either (1) finance public infrastructure and expand banking for underserved groups, including the cannabis industry; or (2) take deposits, make loans, and provide other services primarily to cannabis producers, distributors, retailers, and related businesses.” Or,
· “A privately owned bankers’ bank, supported by the state, which would not take retail or small business deposits, but instead provide financial services, compliance services, and technical assistance to financial institutions serving the cannabis industry.” 18
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“Federal deposit insurers want nothing to do with a bank that is focused on cannabis businesses, regardless of whether it is state-owned.”
Chiang’s report goes into great detail about the pros and cons of choosing either a public financial institution or the banker’s bank model. The report runs the gamut of concerns over federal asset forfeiture risks, industry volatility, special problems with closed loop banking and the Federal Reserve, public costs, profitability, capitalization, federal and state regulatory issues, the inability to secure federal depository insurance and various and complicated ownership structures over either model. Overall, both models sound nearly impossible to create, capitalize, and sustain due to exiting federal regulations that are insurmountable in every way, because cannabis is still a Schedule I controlled substance. A state-owned, operated and financially-backed bank would have a gargantuan task just to get started—just ask Massachusetts and Colorado. Federal deposit insurers want nothing to do with a bank that is focused on cannabis businesses, regardless of whether it is state-owned. The Federal Reserve also seems unlikely to grant a master account to any newly chartered financial institution whose reason for operation is to serve cannabis businesses. Without that master account, the bank wouldn’t have access to the federal money transfer system, a key aspect of banking. California would be wise to examine state-legal cannabis banking in the Northwest. Washington and Oregon boast a small but stable number of banks and credit unions that provide services to state-licensed cannabis businesses. Private banking in those jurisdictions grew slowly as those states developed their regulations, and the vast majority of rules are promulgated by state government. California has only just started, and banks that would serve cannabis businesses there would only now be in a position to start working with California cannabis operators. Additionally, with the level of control that California regulators allow local authorities, cannabis businesses in different, local jurisdictions often face significantly different hurdles from one another. It is more challenging for institutions in California to keep up with the myriad of state and local rules that have been promulgated, most of which are still untested and with new ambiguities being found daily. Now that the 2014 DOJ Financial Crimes Enforcement Memo is gone, it’s anyone’s guess as to what the Treasury will do going forward and whether increased regulation under the Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act will matter to banks and credit unions in California. If banks are going to participate, regulations need to be significant enough that banks believe that they are as “robust” as the Treasury guidance requires, but simple enough that a bank can feel confident about its ability to judge whether or not one of its account holders is complying with state law. Ultimately, a public bank of any kind is a red herring for the cannabis industry. Instead, existing financial institutions need to be sufficiently supported by the states so that they feel comfortable taking on the risk of servicing cannabis accounts. c
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REVIEWs
strain & edible Available wherever: SD Tree Co. products are carried.
Jager by SD Tree Co. Sourced from southern Oregon, cultivated by the SD Tree Co. located in east San Diego County and available via Deeply Rooted, the Jager displays attractive deep, dark, emerald green hues, with a few deep purple accents on the leaves and long, thick, bright orange hairs. This beautiful nug is absolutely drenched in shining trichomes. The aroma is naturally sweet and has an earthy quality, with a hint of a licorice. The flavor, much like the aroma, tastes sweet and a bit spicy. It is much, much better than its alcoholic namesake! The hit is nice and expansive, yet still mellow and not at all harsh on the lungs. Just a couple of hits of this indicadominant strain provides near-instant physical relaxation, pain relief and stress reduction without being overly sedative. Available at: Deeply Rooted in San Diego.
Grandma Jan’s Fresh Baked White Chocolate Chip and Cranberry Cookies Grandma Jan’s Fresh Baked White Chocolate Chip and Cranberry Cookies are a yummy, nostalgic treat with an extra special kick. These cookies are 100 percent organic and each contains 50mg of THC. We know this recipe is legit, because it goes back three generations. They do have a heavily medicated flavor, but it is nicely balanced out by the creamy white chocolate chips that satisfy any sweet tooth, and the addition of cranberries adds a fresh tartness to an otherwise sweet dessert. The dosing is ideal for moderate to severe pain relief (depending on individual tolerance, of course), and also works wonders as a sleep aid. To make the experience extra indulgent, warm for a few seconds in the microwave and enjoy with a glass of cold milk. 20
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REVIEWs
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3. High Tea Herbal Wraps
1. Vogue 3 Piece Spray Can Norman “Vogue” Chuck is an American graffiti artist, calligraphist and illustrator. You know Vogue is the original, because as you see on the bottom of this grinder, graffiti artists typically tag “one” after their name to indicate they are the original artist. When it comes to cannabis, if you’re looking for the original, look no further than Santa Cruz Shredder. Every seasoned cannabis consumer knows that daily smokers need a good grinder that will last. The Vogue One grinder from Santa Cruz Shredder is shaped like an aerosol spray can and features graffiti-inspired décor. Its improved aluminum design is built to last. The grinder’s teeth are razor sharp, which makes it strong enough for grinding up Moonrocks. Price: $74.50+ More Information: santacruzshredder.com 2. Utillian 721 This product is utilization at its finest. The Utillian 721 embraces minimalism with its simplistic, yet useful design. Vaporizer products that are complicated usually don’t end up being used on a regular basis, but Utillian 721’s process is self-explanatory. It’s small enough to fit in your pocket and with eight temperature settings, its temperature can be adjusted in five-degree increments. Its 60-minute battery life is double the battery life of other competing convection units. The cap seals your herbs inside, the mouthpiece swivels out, and its one-button design makes vaping cannabis a cinch. Price: $189.99 More Information: utillian.com
Almost any substance would be safer to smoke than tobacco— including tea leafs. More people nowadays are smoking green tea or tea instead of tobacco because there’s no nicotine and tea has antioxidant properties. High Tea Herbal Wraps are also made out of tea leaves. And here’s the kicker: High Tea Herbal Wraps are selfrolling. Yes, you read that correctly! The wraps form a tight curl very slowly once you take them out of the package. Flavors available include Mad Melon, Mango Dream, Juicy Grape and Royal Sweet. Price: $2.49 More Information: highteawraps.com
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4. iKeyp Bolt
Got curious kids? Or roommates with sticky fingers? The iKeyp Bolt can help keep your cannabis goods safe and locked away from unwanted visitors. It is the safe of the future, with WiFi connectivity, 24/7 monitoring and remote capabilities. A smartphone app is also available for iOS and Android phones, enabling you to monitor when it is opened, the number of keypad attempts and battery life. You’ll get reminders if you forget to take things out, such as medication. The kit comes with screws and supplies to mount it on the wall for easy access. Price: $149 More Information: ikeyp.com
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REVIEWs
entertainment MOVIE Release Date: march 20
BOOK
The Cannabis Grow Bible Greg Green Pub. Green Candy Press Become well-versed in the knowledge of cannabis cultivation trade secrets—in Biblical proportions. Complete with over 1,000 photos, The Cannabis Grow Bible is one of the most comprehensive cannabis cultivation guides around. The third edition has been updated to accommodate new innovative technology, which will help you navigate your way through the tedious, and often difficult task of learning to grow high quality cannabis. Everything is covered in depth, from clones to hydroponics to greenhouses, complete with photos and sidebars to help simplify cultivation techniques. With this in tow, you’ll learn how to make hash and various types of extracts as well. (Richard Saunders) 22
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Available on: Xbox One and PC
GAME
Sea of Thieves Dev. Rare Pub. Microsoft Studios Fantasy and science fiction are prevalent throughout video games, but there’s a small niche for people who want to emulate the lifestyle of a genuine pirate. Luckily, Sea of Thieves does just that. Join your friends in this cooperative multiplayer experience where you learn how to man a ship (i.e. hoist sales, navigate the seas, fire cannons) and travel the sea in search of quests, loot and intense seabattles. The playful design of this game doesn’t take itself too seriously, because you are, after all, sailing the seas in search for booty. (Nicole Potter)
Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri Dir. Martin McDonagh Fox Searchlight Pictures For those who prefer their heartbreaking drama with a little laughter mixed in, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is the movie you’ve been searching for. When the investigation into the rape and murder of Mildred Hayes’ teenage daughter begins to slow, Hayes takes extreme measures to inspire motivation in Director Martin McDonagh’s latest film. Helmed by a veteran cast including Academy Award winner Frances McDormand, Academy Award nominees Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell and John Hawkes, and Golden Globe winner Peter Dinklage, Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri is an absolute grand slam of a motion picture. (Simon Weedn)
MUSIC
Onion Shannon & the Clams Easy Eye Sound Shannon & the Clams is hurtling toward a decade together as a band, however the music that it creates sounds just as exciting and fresh as ever. Though the quartet draws much of its inspiration from the girl group, garage pop stylings of the past, it continues to develop a sound distinctly its own. The band’s fifth LP, Onion, finds the group digging deep and putting out some of its most intimate, introspective work yet. Whether grappling with the 2016 Ghost Ship fire tragedy or its own personal dramas, the new album showcases the Clams at its most vulnerable and powerful simultaneously. (Simon Weedn)
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Atmosphere produces c o n s c i o u s h i p - h o p t h at has benefited society for decades By Benjamin M. Adams
Members of the inordinately successful independent hip-hop duo Atmosphere, who have been releasing hits for decades, didn’t ever plan on becoming role models. Since releasing their first major album in 1997, rapper Slug (Sean Daley) and DJ/Producer Ant (Anthony Davis) have released eight studio albums plus a capacious library of EPs, collaborations, remixes and various evolving side projects. Atmosphere has topped the U.S. Independent Albums chart multiple times, and the group has achieved numerous top 10 albums on The Billboard 200. Atmosphere’s near-constant presence in the hip-hop world is virtually unheard of— especially for an independent group on the popular independent hip-hop record label in which Slug and Ant co-founded, Rhymesayers Entertainment. Slug was born to a white mother and a black and Native American father—but he ultimately found his true identity in nonviolent, conscious hip-hop culture. CULTURE caught up with the lyricist, songwriter and voice of Atmosphere, to reflect on hip-hop, fatherhood, police brutality and of course, cannabis.
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Photos by Aaron Aubrey | Live Photos by Kristopher Christensen
“I support all uses of marijuana, not just medical. T h at i n c l u d e s t h e r e c r e at i o n a l u s e o f m a r i j u a n a . I ’ d r at h e r see safe spaces for people to selfm e d i c at e a s o p p o s e d t o w h at w e ’ v e d o n e i n t h e p a s t, w h i c h i s very unsafe.”
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Tell us about #DadRap. It exists because there’s a sense of moral obligation to the listeners. You see a lot of younger people just getting hot off of their own shit. Eventually, you start to feel a little bit of pressure to being accountable for this shit. I think this is something that a lot of artists go through, because when you start making art at a young age, you’re pushing, poking and taking these risks and saying, “Fuck everybody, fuck the world,” you know, this rebelliousness. As you
get older, you still have those sentiments, but you are a little bit more aware of the effect that you can have with how you deliver those sentiments. I like the term #DadRap, because someone once accused me of wearing “dad shorts” six, seven or eight years ago. I don’t remember. I had to kind of be like, “You know what, that’s just me,” you know what I’m saying. I’ve kind of become that dude. It was around the same time that I had my second child. All of
Atmosphere: Then and Now Over the years, Atmosphere has released eight studio albums and at least 10 EPs. Several side projects also exist such as Felt and Deep Puddle Dynamics. Slug has appeared on innumerable hip-hop albums as well including artists such as KRS-One, Logic, Berner, Aesop Rock, The Grouch, Brother Ali and Evidence. CULTURE put together some of the most significant milestones in Atmosphere’s history.
1995 – Slug cofounded Rhymesayers Entertainment with Ant, Musab Saad (Sab the Artist) and Brent Sayers (Siddiq).
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1989 – Shy young Slug initially sees himself as a background DJ for other artists. He eventually starts rapping and partners up with Derek Turner (Spawn) and producer Ant to form Urban Atmosphere, which they shorten to Atmosphere.
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these things kind of came together. I’m still mad at the world, but it’s like being mad at the world with a sense of what I’m trying to do about it. At what age did you discover you had a penchant for rhyming? Well, I just embraced the whole shit—because the culture gave me the identity. The neighborhood I grew up in was predominantly children who were involving themselves in hip-hop
1970 (Sept. 6) Producer Anthony Davis (Ant) is born. He would eventually follow in his father’s footsteps and learn to DJ.
through breakdancing, graffiti, rapping, DJing and all those things—but we didn’t necessarily go “Oh, I’m going to do this,” or “I’m going to do that, ” or “I’m going to make a career out of it.” It was just something we did, like playing baseball. But I wasn’t attempting to become a professional baseball player. That’s what kids do. But at some point, if a kid is good at baseball, and someone notices, things are bound to happen. And that’s kind of what happened with us. I would say that when I was in my late teens, that I was like “Oh, I want to be a DJ. I want to be a DJ on the radio. I want to be a DJ in the club.” But even then, I wanted to be a DJ, not a rapper. I thought the DJ was the cool guy. It wasn’t until the late ’80s that it was revealed to us that the rapper is actually cooler than the DJ. That was the image, at least, that was being pushed on to us. Then it was like, “Anybody can be rappers just like anybody can be in a rock band.”
1972 (Sept. 7) - Sean Daley is born. Sean eventually adopts his father Craig Daley’s nickname “Sluggo” and later shortens it to Slug. 1980s – At Washburn High School, young Daley befriends several other fellow rappers and forms a hip-hop collective that focuses mostly on breakdancing and freestyling.
2005 (Oct. 22) You Can’t Imagine How Much Fun We’re Having peaks at #1 on the Billboard Independent Albums chart.
I understand you cofounded Rhymesayers Entertainment. And you’ve been around for decades. What’s your secret to longevity? I think Rhymesayers is a web of creative and business-minded people and adventurous people that are continuing to look for what they can do to keep the life going. The constant touring of Atmosphere was a weird situation. Check this out: When I was a kid, nobody’s dad liked hip-hop. If your hip-hop didn’t scare dads, you weren’t making good hip-hop. Nowadays, it’s a different thing. I still think rap should make older white people uncomfortable—I think that should be a rule. But, there’s something interesting here about how you have 50-year-olds that listen to hip-hop. That never could have happened when I was a kid. Now there’s room for the Neil Young of hip-hop. Do you believe Americans have grown numb to the constant pervasive violence in the news? I can’t really say on behalf of Americans, but for myself, I have to unplug from social media. I have to stop looking at my news feed. I have to stop hearing the news every so often—more often
than when I was younger. When I was younger, it would be because I didn’t have time to keep up with what’s going on in the world. Now that I’m older, I’m intentionally making a decision to keep up sometimes because I’m exhausted. It exhausts me. I don’t know if “numb” is the right word, but I would use the word “exhausted.” I’m exhausted by the violence. I’m exhausted by the stories of police brutality and police misconduct. I’m exhausted by people hurting each other. So maybe the next step is numb. It’s going to exhaust my fucking ability to have empathy— hopefully not, because that’s what connects us all as human beings. I think we really, really, really need to reconsider what all this interconnectivity is doing to us. I don’t know that it’s good. And I’m not trying to be the guy with the tin foil hat. I’m just saying, when someone like me is nervous about empathy levels, that’s not good. Empathy is my superpower. I loved social media for awhile, because it was fun to meet people, make friends and sell records. But now I try to see how far in the day I can go without checking my Twitter.
1997 (Aug. 5) - Atmosphere released its debut independent album Overcast! by Rhymesayers Entertainment. It generated the single “Scapegoat” which helped define the sound of Atmosphere. Spawn quits the group after the first album.
2001 (Feb. 1) - Three of Atmosphere’s EPs, Ford One, Ford Two and Lucy, are released as an LP called Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EPs. 2002 (June 11) - Atmosphere releases God Loves Ugly, and the single “Modern Man’s Hustle” becomes one of the duo’s most successful singles, peaking at #18 on Billboard’s US Hot Rap Songs chart.
2005 (May 6) - By popular demand, Atmosphere’s 1999 album Headshots Se7en is finally reissued on CD, and fans cite it as the album that solidified the group’s sound. 2004 – Atmosphere hires a live band with a guitar section in order to perform certain songs. 2003 (Sept. 23) - The album Seven’s Travels is the group’s third full-length, but the duo decides to release it on Epitaph Records, a punk rock label typically known for bands like Rancid and NOFX.
2002 (Dec. 10) - Slug’s side project Felt, a duo he formed with Murs, releases its debut album Felt: A Tribute to Christina Ricci. Felt would go on to release two more albums in between Atmosphere projects.
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“They’re filling prisons up with people who a r e b a s i c a l ly j u s t t r y i n g t o s e l f - m e d i c a t e o r h e l p s o m e o n e e l s e s e l f - m e d i c at e . P e o p l e are trying to deal with how depressing t h i s f u c k i n g s o c i e t y i s. F o r i n s ta n c e , i f y o u p u t m y d a d a w ay f o r d o i n g d r u g s , a l l you’re doing is putting me in a position to do more drugs—because now I have to cope w i t h t h e f a c t t h a t y o u t h r e w m y f a m i ly i n p r i s o n o v e r d r u g s. I t c r e at e s a cyc l e . ” You’re a master at writing breakup songs, such as “I Should’ve Known” or “Fuck You Lucy.” Is songwriting a form of emotional therapy for yourself? I would say it’s had its moments of being cathartic. There’s times when I’ve used it to handle and deal with situations. I’ve always written material to get through shit. Not just breakup songs, but the loss of a loved one. I’ve been fired from jobs, and I’d write about it. You gotta understand that a lot of rappers’ writing never makes it to the record. But if you were to look through the pages and pages of shit that I’ve written, you could kind of see all of the negative shit that’s ever happened in my life. Shit that’s happened to me or shit that I’ve perpetuated myself. It’s a way to vent. It’s a way to get through it. You write your way through your problems. I’ve also used the good things in my life to inspire the writing. It’s always interesting to me when someone says “Yeah, I like Atmosphere when they used to write songs about this, this and this, but now that they’re writing songs about this, I’m not into it.” If you’re not going through 30
the same kind of shit that I am, why would you? Do you believe artists who are in the public eye have a responsibility to speak out on political issues? I would never say it’s a responsibility. People have to do what’s comfortable with them. If you don’t feel comfortable speaking out, because it’s just not who you are, then don’t! Because you could be doing a disservice to the particular movement that you’re trying to help. So no, I don’t think it’s a responsibility. The only thing that any of us are responsible to do is just to do our fucking best. Whatever that means, however you want to interpret that, that’s up to you. Just do your best. Do your best to do your best. I’ve always put political shit in my music. But back in the day, I was insecure about it, so I would be more cryptic. I would tuck it in cryptically. I didn’t want to come off preachy. My heroes were Chuck D and Rakim and KRS-One. Chuck D and KRS-One would cross the line into preachy. I appreciated that, but I didn’t feel confident enough to try to do what they were
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doing because they were my heroes. As of lately, I’ve been a little bit more direct but I think that comes with age. You’re just like, “This is who the fuck I am, and there’s nothing you can say that going to make me feel awkward about it.” Before I would pause as ask myself, “Am I right for the job?” You frequently rap about police brutality. What are your opinions on injustices like the Philando Castile shooting? Here’s the thing: These cops are scared. If we don’t figure out how to address that in an honest and human way, A, the system is going to continue to happen and B, they’re going to continue to disappoint us with their fucking excuses. They should just say, “Look, I was scared, and I acted incorrectly. I did the wrong fucking thing out of fear.” And give them the punishment they deserve. Why was that particular
cop scared? He was scared because Philando Castile was black, period. That needs to be fucking addressed. Everybody needs to be aware and confront the fact that this is what’s happening and this is why it’s happening. For 400-plus years, the black man has been made out to be a fucking scary guy. We have all been conditioned, especially the police. I couldn’t tell you whether or not that particular cop hates black people, but I could tell you that cop is scared of black people. What is this irrational fear they have that makes them overreact? Why are we hiring police that feel that way? We have a very strict way that we do jury selection. Why can’t we approve or disapprove who gets hired to be the police? Why don’t police have to carry an expensive insurance policy like how doctors do?
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What do you think needs to happen in America to handle this overpopulated prison system? If I knew, I would not be rapping, and I’d have a job in the public sector. It’s due time to legitimately decriminalize a lot of drug offenses. They’re filling prisons up with people who are basically just trying to selfmedicate or help someone else selfmedicate. People are trying to deal with how depressing this fucking society is. For instance, if you put my dad away for doing drugs, all you’re doing is putting me in a position to do more drugs—because now I have to cope with the fact that you threw my family in prison over drugs. It creates a cycle. So now I’m next. How do you feel about medical and recreational cannabis? I’m pro-marijuana, but I’m not prodrugs. That means I don’t want to personally do drugs, but I certainly
don’t want to govern other people who want to do drugs. I support all uses of marijuana, not just medical. That includes the recreational use of marijuana. I’d rather see safe spaces for people to self-medicate
2008 (May 10) - When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold peaks at number one on the Billboard Tastemakers chart with help from Tom Waits. The album proves to attract a larger, more mainstream fanbase. Its single “You” charts on the Billboard US Alternative Songs chart.
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+ rhymesayers.com
2011 (April 12) - The Family Sign is released, marking Atmosphere’s sixth studio album.
2016 (Dec. 9) - Frida Kahlo vs. Ezra Pound EP is released.
2017 (Aug. 7) Atmosphere kicked off the “Welcome to California” tour beginning at The Fillmore in San Francisco.
as opposed to what we’ve done in the past which is very unsafe. Unfortunately, I don’t spend enough time thinking about solutions. c
2016 (Sept. 3) - Fishing Blues peaks at number one on Billboard Independent Albums chart.
2018 (March 5) Atmosphere’s “Welcome to Canada” tour kicks off with Evidence and will hit at least 10 Canadian cities. After that, Atmosphere will continue with U.S. tour dates.
2013 (April 20) Demosexual 7” is released on vinyl, secretly recorded by Atmosphere.
2014 (May 24) - The album Southsiders peaks at number one on the Billboard Tastemakers chart.
2018 (May 25) - Atmosphere will join 311, Steel Pulse, Iration, Alpha Blondy, Stephen Marley, Slightly Stoopid, Brother Ali, Mike Love and more for the California Roots Music & Arts Festival in Monterey, California.
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“ I s ta r t e d t r y i n g C B D t i n c t u r e s t o s e e h o w t h at w o u l d h e l p, a n d I w a s a b l e t o s e e s h e w a s h e a l i n g m o r e q u i c k ly, a n d t h at ’ s r e a l ly w h e r e w e s ta r t e d . ”
Better for Bella L A mother’s love leads to a feminine cannabis topical line
By Addison Herron-Wheeler
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ike many good business ideas, the concepts behind Altitude were born from necessity. The popular Weekend Boxes produced by Altitude Products fill the needs of the modern cannabis consumer, with everything necessary to have a wellrounded cannabis experience, complete with instructions that detail what strains do and how to imbibe. And its recent premium cannabis topical line, Bella, was born from an even deeper, maternal desire—the need for Founder Krista Whitley to find a healing treatment for daughter’s eczema. “I have daughters, Bella and Mia; they are nine and 10,” Whitley explained to CULTURE. “Bella has had eczema her entire life. It was a real challenge, and we spent all of her toddler years and most of her childhood in dermatologists’ Photos by Shannon Dorn with Dope Foto
offices. We tried light therapy. She was on every steroid; she has been on every type of holistic treatment, anything we could come up with, but it wasn’t working, and she would still get made fun of at school for having ‘snake skin.’” Whitley struggled with watching her daughter feel so much shame about her skin. Living in Las Vegas, Nevada, 100-degree days are common, and even in the summer when the heat was unbearable, Bella wanted to wear long sleeves to cover up, because she was uncomfortable showing off her skin. At this time, Whitley was reading about how cannabis can be a pain reliever, and she was using cannabidiol (CBD) as her own method of holistic healing. Whitley decided to try this healing technique on her daughter’s skin.
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“I started trying CBD tinctures to see how that would help, and I was able to see she was healing more quickly, and that’s really where we started,” Whitley explained. “Then I thought, ‘Gosh, it’s so dry here; we have to have some type of moisturizing cream,’ so I started playing with ingredients. It really started in my kitchen, researching holistic options and trying a variety of things. I knew preservatives or things with additives would set off her skin, so I started researching things that worked side-by-side with skin care, playing with different formulations.” After mixing and experimenting in her kitchen for a while, Whitley came up with a lotion that soothed her daughter’s skin and healed her eczema, all using holistic CBD distillate and natural ingredients that worked in tandem with the CBD. She just released the CBD version of the cream nationwide called Crema Elegante, as well as an adult-only THC cream in Nevada. So far, both have been received very well. “It’s exciting to see something that started in my kitchen come to fruition,” she explained. “It doesn’t irritate her skin, doesn’t cause flare-ups. It’s exciting to her, and to me it was always important as an entrepreneur to show her that women can do anything, so it’s exciting that she gets to see a line of products inspired by her.” Her special line of Bella products include disposable vaporizers and spa products like the CBD and essential oil-infused bath bomb, Bomba da Bango and the CBD and Himalayan bath salt, Sale de Bagno. Whitley also produces Weekend Boxes, which are complete kits for a weekend of cannabis consumption. The goal behind these is to educate those who are new to cannabis about the products available and how they should be used. “We walk everyone through a terpene guide so they understand why terpenes are so important, walk them through microdosing and through whatever product is included in that iteration of the box,” Whitley explained. “And the guidance is specific to the type of box. So if it’s our starter box that has an eighth of 36
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“Bella has had eczema her entire life. It was a real challenge, and we spent all of her toddler years and most of her childhood in d e r m at o l o g i s t s ’ offices.”
flower, it includes the cultivator and different phenotypes. If it’s a pre-roll, it will explain the strains used. If it’s infused products it will walk them through the effect they can anticipate. We also include concentrates, and then we walk them through how they can medicate and what concentrates are. Of course, we also include microdosed edibles. So we are really trying to educate them on all the options for cannabis use.” Whitley didn’t try cannabis herself until her 30s, after being involved in a bad car accident. She finally let go of some of the stereotypes about cannabis she had learned while growing up, when a friend suggested she try it as a supplement to replace some of the many prescription drugs she was taking. Whitley found success in using cannabis for pain management, and she realized the importance of celebrating cannabis as an alternative treatment option. Ever since then, she has been committed to being an advocate and educator, even as she makes for-profit products. Bella creams, her latest offering, are an extension of her overall ethos that cannabis products should help people in need. c
+ shopcelebratebella.com
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Green Seeds G r o w G r a n d ly Reggae band Tomorrows Bad Seeds believes in the healing powers of cannabis Story and photos by Kristopher Christensen
“There are a lot more healing properties than we k n o w, t h e c a n n a b i n o i d s a n d endocannabinoid receptors. They just haven’t studied it enough.” 38
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R
eggae rock band Tomorrows Bad Seeds embodies the spirit of Southern California, specifically the carefree vibe of the coastal beach city areas, where cannabis is as commonplace as the near-perfect sunsets. CULTURE first met Hermosa Beach locals Tomorrows Bad Seeds at Vans Warped Tour 2012. Fast forward to 2018, and the band has a new album out soon along with a nice slot at the sold-out One Love Festival in sister city Long Beach. With a beautiful view of The Queen Mary, CULTURE talked with band leaders Moises and Matthew “Mets” McEwan about cannabis, new music, what keeps them going and what the future holds for them. They also divulged which strains they’re currently in love with.
You have a new album coming out and a tour that follows, correct? Moises: A new album is being released in April, if not early May, called Illuminate. It’s an idea Matthew “Mets” McEwan thought up, and we just released a song called “Frequency.” It’s recorded in the frequency of love, which is 528Hz in the key of C. We also are going to be releasing a couple of new singles in the next few months. We’re going to be on tour from May to June for over 30 dates with Thicker Than Thieves, Sun-Dried Vibes and Roots of a Rebellion.
“Herb never h u r t n o b o d y. ”
You recently left your record label, didn’t you? Moises: Yes, we had a little falling out, and now we’re signed to Island/Empire. Everything’s cool now—we revamped and approached this album a little differently. We’re super stoked to be working with a new producer Chaz “Rocks” Tony. How does it feel being played on Sirius Radio’s “The Joint?” Moises: I’m glad, just finding out “The Joint” plays our songs. It’s cool finding all the places that you can hear our music. Mets: It’s honestly a blessing. I actually turned on “The Joint” one day to hear our songs next to the greats. Steel Pulse, Black Uhuru, Aswad, the greats, you know? All the pioneers that inspired us growing up, and they put our songs with them. It’s just really a blessing. Who influenced you as a guitar player when you were growing up? Mets: I grew up with a lot of rock and roll influence mixed with hiphop and punk. Guitar-wise I’d have to definitely say it was Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray and older blues stuff like Albert King. I play upside down with a right-handed Fender Stratocaster strung left-handed. I grew up playing Fender, but as I grew, I really liked playing with an SG or a Double Cutaway Les Paul. That’s my favorite guitar. I got into the different tones.
Being from Hermosa Beach, how is it playing at The Queen Mary next door? Moises: It’s our backyard, same thing as Hermosa Beach. I’ve actually lived in Long Beach, too. We’ve played around The Queen Mary in so many venues at so many festivals, it’s not even funny. Mets: We played on that island right there, we played near my house, we’ve played on The Queen Mary. We even played once in the “Spruce Goose” dome with the Dirty Heads way back in the day, almost 15 years ago. Now let’s talk cannabis. What are Tomorrows Bad Seeds views on it in 2018? Moises: I heard that D.A.R.E. just took it off the gateway “drugs” list, and I think that alone is amazing. There are a lot more healing properties than we know, the cannabinoids and endocannabinoid receptors. They just haven’t studied it
enough. If anything, I feel as though alcohol needs to be under the same microscope cannabis is, you know? Herb never hurt nobody. Starting with you Met, what’s your favorite strains? Mets: I’m an OG man, I like heavy indica. I don’t mind a good hybrid every once in a while, but I love my OGs. Moises: I love sativa, but lately I’ve been liking the more indica feeling. Skywalker OG, King Louis and Jet Fuel. My ultimate-ultimate favorite strain would have to be Jack Herer; and J1 to get my artistic side going. I like to use that herb during the day and an Indica herb at night. We are stoked that California finally legalized it, and we can’t wait for the globe to legalize it, to release to everyone the true healing powers of that plant. c
+ www.facebook.com/tomorrowsbadseeds CultureMagazine.com
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culture
Cannabis-Infused Irish Soda Bread By Laurie Wolf | Photo by Bruce Wolf
I
la
Instructions:
à
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growing
rish Soda Bread is delicious, and with the addition of cannabutter, we are keeping things very green this St. Patrick’s Day with this recipe. Wait until the bread cools a bit before slicing; it can be delightfully crumbly. The cannabutter doesn’t receive any green tint once it has been baked—but trust me, it’s in there. If you are longing for a green bread to help you celebrate this Irish holiday, add a drop or two of green food coloring to the liquids before mixing with the flour.
1. Heat oven to 340 degrees F. Prepare a cast iron pan or baking sheet by spreading with oil or parchment. 2. In a large mixing bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt and raisins.
Irish Soda Bread
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Ingredients: Canola oil 2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoons cannabutter*, chill and cut in small cubes
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cold and cut in small cubes
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 cup buttermilk
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla
3/4 cup golden raisins
Green food coloring (optional)
4. In a small bowl combine the buttermilk, egg, vanilla and optional food coloring. Stir well. 5. Add the liquids to the dry mix and combine until it just comes together. Shape into a ball. 6. Place in the pan and make an “x” on the top with a serrated knife. 7. Bake for about 40 minutes, until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Honey Cannabutter 4 ounces cannabutter*, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2-4 tablespoons honey
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
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3. Add the butter and work the butter into the dough, until it resembles coarse crumbs.
8. While bread is baking, mix all Honey Cannabutter ingredients together thoroughly. Enjoy in moderation and #dontfeartheedible!
*any portion of the cannabutter can be replaced by non-infused butter.
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Hawaiian Garden II growing
culture
there is 10 hours, 51 minutes of light. This is a long enough dark period to induce most plants to flower. To prevent this, my hosts used fluorescent lights, turned on throughout the light to keep the plants from complete darkness. The relatively dim light was sufficient enough to prevent the plants from flowering. When they had grown fairly large, the lights were turned off. With long hours of darkness, they immediately started to flower. I was in the garden around Dec. 4, 2017 when the plants were at the start of the flowering cycle; the lights had been turned off the previous week. I thought it would take two months for the plants to ripen and that I would return in time for the harvest. I should have known that was not to be. I had forgotten that the plants were getting a far shorter light period. Longer nights speed up ripening, so the plants sacrifice bud size for shorter ripening time.
The island sits at 21.14 ° N., close enough to the equator so that there is only a small variation of light length through the year, On June 21, the longest day of the year there is 13 hours, 25 minutes. On December 21, the shortest day
In the first part of this article, “Lessons from a Hawaiian Garden,” I visited two medical gardens on the small Hawaiian island of Molokai.
2017 annual light levels in hawaii
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By Ed Rosenthal
DARK
BRIGHT
DARK
9 kWh
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8 kWh
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Apr 10 7.0 kWf
7 kWh 6 kWh
Jan 31 5.0 kWf
Jun 9 7.6 kWf Sep 3 7.0 kWf
Nov 6 5.0 kWf
5 kWh
Dec 20 4.4 kWf
4 kWh 3 kWh 2 kWh 1 kWh 0 kWh
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Photos by Zach Socher
Source for Charts: 2017 U.S. Geological Society
hawaii CLOUD COVER CATEGORIES CLEARER
100% 90%
0%
Jan 18 79%
10%
OVERCAST
80%
MOSTLY CLOUDY
Apr 18 69%
70% 60%
CLOUDIER
20%
Dec 7 69%
30%
PARTLY CLOUDY
Oct 31 59%
40%
MOSTLY CLEAR
50%
50%
40%
60%
30%
70% CLEAR
20%
80%
10%
90%
0%
100% Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
G13 is a heavy, almost couchpotato indica has a high content of pinene, which makes it sedative and relaxing. The Molokai version is lightly sprinkled with sativa genetics. This gives it a bit more
My friend Zach was kind enough to take the photos you see in this column. They were taken on Dec. 6, 2017, shortly before and during harvesting. They were mostly Molokai G13.
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
energy and is more conducive to daytime, as well as evening use. Although people think of it as an indica, it has a mostly sativa morphology. It’s a vigorous grower with a lot of spreading lateral
HOURS OF DAYLIGHT AND TWILIGHT NIGHT
24hr
NIGHT
0hr
20 hr
4 hr
16 hr
8 hr
12 hr
13hr, 25min Jun 21
12hr, 6min Mar 20
8 hr 4 hr
12 hr
12hr, 7min Sep 22
10hr, 51min 16 hr Dec 21
20 hr
DAY
0 hr
24 hr Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
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taller and extending branching. At maturity, these plants were 8-9 feet tall and were 8-10 feet wide. (Ed’s suggested to put the following paragraph “in a design box,” or as a sidebar-type thing) G13 has a “mysterious” history of origination. One rumor is that it was bred at a government research facility at the University of Mississippi
branches and it can easily grow 8-10 feet tall. Those characteristics indicate its substantial sativa heritage, but its effects come from its indica side. Another sativa characteristic is continued vegetative growth in during the first half of flowering. The plants fill out with continued stem growth, adding several feet
and was sneaked out. However, with my knowledge of the University’s lab I don’t think that is a credible story. Another tale is that it was developed in Washington State in a federally subsidized laboratory. This rumor is persistent, but vague. The problem with that theory is, there were no labs licensed to grow in the northwest at the time the variety broke out. c
2017 hawaii temperatures
100OF 90OF 80OF
Jul 3 83OF
Apr 8 79 OF
Jan 23 77OF
Aug 24 85OF
Oct 18 83OF
Dec 17 79 OF HIGH
70OF LOW
60 F O
50OF 40OF 30OF 20OF 10OF 0OF Jan
Feb
Mature plants in the field. Molokai skies have about 25 percent cloud cover. Even so, the plants receive intense light and plenty of UV spectrum.
Mar
Apr
Grower in the garden. Each medical patient [in Hawaii] is allowed 10 plants. That’s usually enough to supply medical needs.
May
Jun
Jul
A mature bud. Winter crop buds are on the small side because they mature quickly and don’t have time for more growth.
Aug
Sep
The farmer was happy with his healthy, vigorous plants.
Oct
Nov
Dec
Inspecting a plant’s buds.
Copyright by Ed Rosenthal. All rights are reserved. First North American Magazine rights only are assigned to culture Magazine. No other reproduction of this material is permitted without the specific written permission of the author/copyright holder.
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growing
culture
Don de Leaumont
the cannabis serves as the perfect companion for the meds that I take on a daily basis. Age: 35 Location: Atlanta, Georgia
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Condition/Illness: Low Spectrum Bipolar/Anxiety Consuming medical cannabis since: 2016 Why did you start using cannabis? I have always been a cannabis smoker but never really put two and two together that it was actually helping me with my mental illness. About two years ago or so, I started getting cannabis from someone who works with medicinal patients, so I was able to actually get the specific strains that I need for my condition. Cannabis offers me a specific feeling of calmness and creativity. Did you try other methods or treatments before cannabis? I am currently on meds for my mental illness, but
What’s the most important issue or problem facing medical cannabis patients? For me, it’s the social and legal stigma. Not all people who smoke or use cannabis do so just to do it. While there are recreational users of cannabis, ask just about any user, and they’ll tell you that it helps them in physically and/or mentally in one form or another. I think if other states would look at the success of states like Colorado and California, they would see that the good far outweighs the bad. What do you say to those who are skeptical about cannabis as medicine? I say don’t knock it until you’ve tried it, but do so responsibly. Ask around, and find folks who are using for medicinal reasons, and ask questions. Do your research. Most of all, keep your mind opened. You may just find yourself very surprised at the results. c
Are you an medical cannabis 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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News of the
Weird
By the Editors at Andrews McMeel
LEAD STORY—WEIRD CHEMISTRY In Lawrence County, Tennessee, law enforcement officials are confronting the fallout from a new drug known as “Wasp” (crystallized wasp repellant mixed with methamphetamine). To wit: On Dec. 18, as the Johnson family baked Christmas cookies in their Lawrenceburg kitchen, Danny Hollis, 35, walked into their home and asked for help. NewsChannel 5 in Nashville reported Hollis poured himself a glass of water from the sink before grabbing a knife and cutting across his throat. Teenage son Canaan Johnson said Hollis then ran up to the second floor, heaved an oak dresser down the stairs, and jumped out a window onto a gazebo below, seriously injuring his neck. The Johnsons, meanwhile, had retreated to their car, where they called 911. Hollis chased the car down the street, but got hung up on a barbed wire fence, then stripped naked to free himself and climbed a nearby tree, where officers found him, according to police reports. Hollis fought them off by allegedly throwing his own feces at them, as they tased him out of the tree. Hollis was booked into the county jail on numerous charges. OOOH, WISE GUY, EH? Khaled A. Shabani, 46, a hairstylist in Madison, Wisconsin, was arrested on a 46
tentative charge of mayhem and disorderly conduct while armed after an altercation with a customer on Dec. 22. Shabani scolded the 22-year-old customer for fidgeting, then taught him a lesson by using the “shortest possible attachment” to “run down the middle of the customer’s head,” reported the Wisconsin State Journal, and “leaving him looking a bit like Larry from ‘The Three Stooges,’” police spokesman Joel DeSpain said. Shabani also clipped the customer’s ear with scissors. “While it is not a crime to give someone a bad haircut,” DeSpain noted, “you will get arrested for intentionally snipping their ear with a scissors.” Shabani said the snip was an accident, and his charge was later reduced to a ticket for disorderly conduct. BRIGHT IDEAS Polk County (Florida) Sheriff’s officers responded to an unusual 911 call on New Year’s Eve: Michael Lester, 39, of Winter Haven, started off by telling the dispatcher, “Umm, I’m drunk. I don’t know where I’m at. I’m just drunk driving.” The dispatcher urged Lester to pull over and park, but he explained that he was driving on the wrong side of the road near a Publix and wondered where the police were. WTVT reported that officers finally caught up with Lester, who helpfully explained he’d had several beers, hadn’t slept much and had taken methamphetamine earlier in the day; he was jailed on a DUI charge. Officers later posted on their Facebook page that “in this particular incident, nobody was hurt, so we couldn’t help but LOTO (that means we Laughed Our Tasers Off).”
MARCH 2018 CultureMagazine.com
Disgruntled driver Matthew Middleton, 49, of Peterlee, England, spotted a speed camera near Hartlepool Rugby Club in October and decided to take a stand. He got out of his car and stood in front of the camera, blocking it, until police arrested him. Middleton further antagonized the officer by calling him a “pig” and giving his name as Elvis Presley. “They acted like what I did was the crime of the century,” Middleton told Metro News. “I know I shouldn’t have done it. People have just been laughing about it . . . well, apart from my wife.” Middleton was fined about $54 plus court costs for his antics. AWESOME! Bertha Vickers of Morgantown, Mississippi, turned 100 on Jan. 9. To celebrate, she bagged a deer. “I was sort of shaking until I got ready to shoot,” Vickers told the Clarion Ledger. “I didn’t think it was all going to go right.” Vickers still lives in her home and mows her own lawn, tends a garden and hunts for squirrels. “I don’t know why everybody is making such a big deal about it,” she said. “It was just a doe. I would love to kill a buck.” LEAST COMPETENT CRIMINAL When Dustin Johnson, 22, of Minot, North Dakota, tried to steal $4,000 worth of merchandise from a local Hobby Lobby, he failed to take into account that shopping carts don’t have snow tires. The Grand Forks Herald reported that over a seven-hour period on Jan. 3, Johnson filled a cart
then fled the store—where the cart became stuck in snow in the parking lot and flipped over. Johnson fell down, then got up to run, leaving behind his wallet with photo ID matching the shoplifter’s description. Minot police caught up with Johnson at his home. EXTREME CLIMATE NEWS It may be cold where you are, but it’s hot in Broadford, a small town about an hour from Melbourne, Australia, where on Jan. 5, the highway began melting. Temperatures of 100 degrees Fahrenheit and higher reactivated an ingredient in the road surface, turning it into a sticky mess on the Hume Freeway, 9News reported. Motorists were warned by Victoria police to avoid the right lane and expect delays over a 10km stretch. Officials also put in place a fire ban and urged people to stay indoors until the heat abated. SMOKE ‘EM IF YOU GOT ‘EM Christians in a Portuguese village carry on a curious tradition during Epiphany: They encourage their young children to smoke cigarettes. Vale de Salgueiro locals told Fox News that nobody is sure what the smoking symbolizes, but the centuries-old tradition persists. And Portuguese authorities don’t intervene, despite the fact that the legal age to purchase tobacco in Portugal is 18. Writer Jose Ribeirinha researched the tradition and said that since Roman times, villagers in the region have done things that were out of the norm during winter solstice celebrations.
CultureMagazine.com
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