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contents Vol 8 IssUE 7
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01.17
p h o t o b y H a r m o n y G er b er
MUSICAL CLARITY The songwriter, lead guitarist and frontman of Everclear talks about the band’s unique and nostalgic ’90s music, cannabis and goals for 2017.
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contents
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Industry Insider Apop Media’s CEO, Matt Young, creates a new platform for cannabis advertisements at dispensaries.
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Modern Marvel How one Kiwi man has utilized medical cannabis to help ease his suffering and is fighting for the rights of others who are trying to do the same.
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Work of Art The music of Ex Reyes spans the realms of psychedelia, soul and indie rock.
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Big Business Don’t miss out on the leading cannabis B2B event of the year at the BIG Industry Show in Los Angeles.
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Vibrant Expressions Artist Easton Miller is intuitive and thoughtful, and his unique creations are too.
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Ditch the Diet Abandon those useless unhealthy foods and embrace these cannabis strains that will help inhibit weight loss.
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The Year of the Rooster Explore the ancient celebrations of the Chinese New Year, learn how to participate in the festivities and how to throw cannabis into the mix.
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Embracing Diversity In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day, here’s a list of the prominent and diverse minority leaders of the cannabis industry.
departments
Online Exclusive!
news
d Bernie Sanders wants better
Living
20 News Nuggets 26 By the Numbers 30 Local News 34 Legal Corner 38 Healthy
reviews
42 Strain, Edible & Concentrate Reviews 52 Cool Stuff 54 Entertainment
Reviews 58 Company Highlight 62 Liner Notes
in every issue
97 Growing Culture
98 Destination Unknown 100 Profile in Courage 102 Recipes 106 News of the Weird
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cannabis banking policies d Pop up cannabis shops to open in Montreal
Vol 8 IssUE 7
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CULTURE M
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Publisher Jeremy Zachary Editor-In-Chief Evan Senn associate Editor Ashley Bennett Editorial coordinator Jamie Solis Editorial Contributors Matthew Abel, Benjamin Adams, Sheryll Alexander, Marguerite Arnold, Jake Browne, Cole Garrison, Jasen T. Davis, Alex Distefano, David Downs, Keira Fae, Natasha Guimond, Addison Herron-Wheeler, Pamela Jayne, M. Jay, Heather Johnson, Joe Jatcko Kevin Longrie, Emily Manke, Meital Manzuri, Sandy Moriarty, Madison Ortiz, Denise Pollicella, R. Scott Rappold, Paul Rogers, Ed Rosenthal, Lanny Swerdlow, Jefferson Van Billiard, Simon Weedn, Laurie Wolf, Zara Zhi Photographers Kristen Angelo, Steve Baker, Kristopher Christensen, John Gilhooley, Joel Meaders, Tonya Perme, Josué Rivas Art Director Steven Myrdahl production manager Tommy LaFleur Graphic Designer Tanya Delgadillo sales director Justin Olson los angeles Jon Bookatz sales manager Account Executives Eric Bulls, Kim Cook, Cole Garrison, Teddy Helms, Beau Odom, Chris Thatcher, Vic Zaragoza general Manager Iris Norsworthy Office Assistant Angelina Thompson digital content manager David Edmundson digital marketing Alazzia Gaoay manager Ctv Contributors Quinn Marie Distribution Manager Cruz Bobadilla
Culture® Magazine is published every month and distributes magazines at over 1,500 locations throughout 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
Fullerton PD Employs “Drug Recognition Experts” Instead of Scientific Breathalyzers for Cannabis DUIs
In response to the passing of Proposition 64, Fullerton law enforcement has shared how it plans to best identify when a driver is under the influence of cannabis. The department has reportedly trained 300 officers as “drug recognition experts,” who are apparently taught how to recognize many indications of drug impairment. Fullerton police officers have made no mention of implementing saliva tests or breathalyzer devices that, although still in the trial stages, have proven successful in providing actual evidence of cannabis impairment in places such as Colorado, Michigan and Northern California. Trained officers are instructed to conduct a 12-step sobriety test to determine if the individual is impaired, and then are allowed to make a call to arrest if they believe the person is unfit to drive. “It makes us more aware and gives us another tool to determine whether someone is impaired,” said Fullerton Police Sergeant Scott Flynn. While understanding the signs of drug impairment is helpful, it cannot be considered a permanent or accurate means for DUI assessment after recreational cannabis comes into play in California. It is vital that cities and states consider the use of technology that can obtain objective evidence on a person’s inebriation and ability to drive.
PTSD is Added to Minnesota’s List of Cannabis Qualifying Conditions Patients with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) in Minnesota will be able to medicate using medical cannabis starting August 2017. The Minnesota Department of Health expanded its list of medical conditions to include PTSD after careful consideration, according to Health Commissioner Ed Ehlinger in a press release. “This decision was made after careful deliberation of available evidence, consultation with experts in the field and public input,” Ehlinger said. “While the process of reviewing these potential additions was difficult due to the relative lack of published scientific evidence, PTSD presented the strongest case for potential benefits. PTSD also has few effective treatment alternatives available for some patients with the condition.” There are around 3,500 registered medical cannabis patients in Minnesota. While patients are only permitted to use cannabis oil or pills, Ehlinger shared that topical forms of cannabis will be allowed as soon as next year.
Proposition M Receives Support from UCBA Trade Association Proposition M for the City of Los Angeles received unanimous support from the largest trade association that represents Proposition D compliant medical cannabis collectives, the United Cannabis Business Alliance Trade Association (UCBA). The UCBA previously supported Prop. N, however the association now voted unanimously in support of Prop. M. In a press release, Jerred Kiloh, the President of the UCBA, said, “in the spirit of collaboration, the UCBA Board of Directors determined that the best approach to ensure uniform cannabis regulations for patients, communities and cannabis businesses is by working with the Los Angeles City Council rather than continuing to seek voter approval for our own initiative. Proposition N was the catalyst that lead to Proposition M and created a much broader inclusion of the overarching initiative.” He continued to explain how there were over 103,000 signatures collected in two months from voters in Los Angeles. These signatures influenced the drafting of Prop. M by Los Angeles City Council. It is the goal of the UCBA to be able to get its 135 legally authorized medical cannabis collectives in Los Angeles to work in accordance with Prop. 64 and MCRSA.
Cayman Islands Voted Unanimously to Allow Cannabis Oil The Cayman Islands, which are located northeast of Jamaica, voted unanimously to allow medical cannabis oil for patients with qualifying conditions. Premier Honor Alden McLaughlin made a speech in the Legislative Assembly. McLaughlin said, “Madam Speaker, I also wish to advise the House and the country that after carefully considering the merits and demerits of legalising the use of medical cannabinoid oil to treat those in our community with a debilitating disease, whether cancer, glaucoma, or perhaps even severe epilepsy, Government is persuaded that it is better to favour hope and compassion over fear.” He continued to explain that the Cabinet directed the Legal Department to draft a bill that would allow patients cannabinoid oil, which would be prescribed to them by doctors. McLaughlin also explained this was an urgent manner due to the need of patients, especially considering one Caymanian whose access to oil could make a difference between life and death. The new bill will only permit cannabis oil, and it will not permit the use of the whole cannabis plant for medical purposes. 20
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The estimated amount of money, in billions of dollars, that is expected to be collected in medical cannabis sales in California by 2020: (Source: New Frontier Data)
The percentage of votes that were in favor of approving the Costa Mesa cannabis measure, Measure X, in the recent November election: (Source: Orange County Official Results for Election)
53.6
3.3
The estimated number of members in the United Food and Commercial Workers Union who work in medical cannabis collectives in Los Angeles and the San (Source: Reveal News) Francisco Bay Area:
1,200
The number of votes, out of four, by the Ojai City Council that were in favor of licensing the delivery and pickup of medical cannabis: (Source: Ventura County Star)
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The number of preliminary medical cannabis licenses that were approved by the Maryland Medical Cannabis board: (Source: The Baltimore Sun)
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The updated amount of medical cannabis, in grams, that veterans in Vancouver, Canada will be reimbursed for by the federal government, per day: (Source: Kelowna Daily Courier)
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The total number of cannabis companies that were being traded on the Australian Stock Exchange, as of (Source: Yahoo! News) mid-November, 2016:
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WHAT: Orange County Women Grow Signature Networking Event. WHEN/WHERE: Thurs, Jan. 5. Orange County. INFO: Visit www.womengrow.com for more information.
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The number of applications for licenses that were received by the Jamaican Cannabis Licensing Authority at the end of October 2016 for growing or processing medical cannabis: (Source: Jamaica Observer)
Orange County Women Grow Signature Networking Event It’s not every day that you find a networking event that is geared specifically toward connecting and furthering women in the cannabis industry. However that does not mean that they do not exist. Women Grow is an important organization in the cannabis sector that provides women (and men) with the opportunity to further their career toward professional success through education and connecting the community. The Orange County
The number of votes, out of four, by the Lynwood City Council, in favor of approving the first reading of a new cannabis ordinance: (Source: Los Angeles Times)
Women Grow Signature Networking Event happening this month will provide attendees with great networking opportunities. Grab a big stack of your business cards, and be prepared to take extensive notes from an expert speaker at this networking event. The evening will start and end with portions dedicated to open networking, so you’re sure to meet some interesting and knowledgeable people in the industry. The event will also feature a sponsor presentation.
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NEWS
LOCAL
KEEPING IT GREEN Lynwood City Council approves medical cannabis cultivation
by Jamie Solis
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he city of Lynwood, in Los Angeles County has approached the moment of truth when it recently decided to approve a measure that would allow medical cannabis to be grown within the city. The Lynwood City Council approved the first reading of the ordinance on Tuesday, December 6 with a 3-1 vote. The Lynwood City Council met again on Tuesday, December 20 and agreed to pass the ordinance. Now that Lynwood fully approves of this measure, an amendment to the current zoning code will allow commercial cannabis growers to begin producing and cultivating cannabis in specified industrial areas. This law would also allow five different cannabis grow or manufacturing businesses to be officially licensed and permitted to operate in Lynwood. There are a few regulations established for those potential businesses, and the city requires that they be located at least 600 feet from all schools and daycares, as well as at least 50 feet from a residential area. While cultivation is allowed, it doesn’t mean that residents will be able to purchase the cannabis within city limits. CULTURE connected with Aaron Herzberg of CalCann Holdings, LLC to learn more about Lynwood in addition to his current role in California’s cannabis industry. “Lynwood has not allowed any dispensaries whatsoever,” Herzberg shared. “It only allows manufacturing and cultivation in an indoor setting essentially. That doesn’t create an outlet for recreational marijuana. Lynwood’s law was to only allow for medical marijuana cultivation and medical marijuana manufacturing.”
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Business Summit
While the city is set up to generate $5 million in annual tax revenue from these businesses, it doesn’t mean approval of medical cannabis will automatically lead to the city also embracing the recreational cannabis industry. “I think there is something in the back of the ordinance that mentioned the city can come back in the future and decide to expand it to recreational, but I think they’re being conservative saying, ‘Right now we’re going with medical,'” Herzberg said.
“I think there is something in the back of the ordinance that mentioned the city can come back in the future and decide to expand it to recreational, but I think they’re being conservative saying, ‘Right now we’re going with medical.’” Herzberg and his company CalCann Holdings, LLC is active in local politics, which could be linked to their companies need to obtain local licenses in their line of work. “We’re really sort of marijuana real estate developers. We obtain licenses for marijuana facilities; we’re talking about local licenses from the cities. We obtain real estate, and it’s often times really difficult to obtain real estate for many, many reasons. It’s sort of the needle in the haystack. And we bring together the funding to acquire the real estate. That together with an operator to operate the location, we put together marijuana businesses in that way.” CalCann Holdings, LLC just recently opened up Bud and Bloom in Orange County, and they plan on continuing to advocate for California’s cannabis industries. c
It’s time to see how big business will boom now that California has recreational cannabis on the books. This Business Summit hosted by High Times is sure to give you insight into the future possibilities that our state holds. Existing business owners in the industry can learn how to evolve with the changing cannabis sector. People who cultivate, distill or cook with cannabis will network with helpful individuals who will help to narrow in their talents and move toward a direction of progress and success. There will be seminars and speakers that will help address all the needs of health care providers, policy makers and those in cannabisrelated businesses. Speakers include the Los Angeles Criminal Defense Attorney, Allison Margolin and Heather Hoffman, Co-Founder, Head of Product Development and CMO of Pura Vida Health, among others. Seminars are diverse and will include everything from “The Business of Growing Cannabis” to “Social Media Management.”
WHAT: High Times Business Summit. WHEN/WHERE: Thurs, Jan. 19-Fri, Jan. 20. Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles. INFO: Visit www. hightimesbusiness.com for more information.
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NEWS
LEGAL CORNER
UCBA initiative sought full legalization of cannabis businesses in L.A. But, Proposition N was aimed at preserving the current monopoly held by the 135 Prop D-compliant collectives. On December 9, 2016, the two factions joined forces. In a bid to form a united front, the UCBA voted unanimously to scrap its measure and publicly throw its support behind Proposition M. Now the city and the entire cannabis industry will be working together. The idea behind this is to eliminate the risk of potentially splitting the pro-pot vote with dueling initiatives that essentially seek the same thing. Now, the passage of Proposition M is all but certain.
TOLERAnce , taxes and teamwork
The future of L.A.'s cannabis industry by Michelle Mabugat of Manzuri Law
For years, the city’s cannabis industry has been tangled up in the regulatory mess known as Proposition D—a flawed measure that effectively capped the number of “somewhat legit” collectives in Los Angeles at 135. Now with the passage of Proposition 64 and the Medical Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MCRSA), the broken-ness of Los Angeles’ cannabis laws is intolerable. This is due to new state rules regarding local power and licensing. If the city can’t undo Proposition D, then it can’t cash in on medical or recreational cannabis. Simple. Luckily, the L.A. cannabis industry is finally starting to see a light at the end of a smoky tunnel. Last month, the city approved a city council initiative to amend Proposition D for the March 2017
ballot. Now the billion dollar question— How much cannabis activity is the city willing to tolerate in return for the much-needed tax revenue?
United we stand, divided we fall
Up until recently, two groups of L.A. cannabis business interests were backing competing proposals on the March ballot—Proposition M and Proposition N. One group, the Southern California Coalition, was an early backer of the city council’s ballot measure, Proposition M. This group wants to see as many as 495 shops fully legalized in L.A. along with licensing for all facets of the industry— cultivation, manufacturing and delivery. The other group, the United Cannabis “City officials say that the broad language of Business Alliance (UCBA), Proposition M is by design. Essentially, the city supported Proposition wants to start from scratch and work with the N, a self-written initiative that had also qualified industry to come up with smarter regulations that for the March ballot. are mutually palatable.” Like Proposition M, the
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Proposition M So what exactly does Proposition M address? Honestly, not much—just taxation and enforcement. Proposition M gives very few details about how exactly the industry will be governed. The measure simply states that the power to regulate the industry will be returned to the city, without placing industry rules to consider. In fact, the only rule specifically set forth in Proposition M is the one-thing voters must approve—new tax rates for cannabis businesses. City officials say that the broad language of Proposition M is by design. Essentially, the city wants to start from scratch and work with the industry to come up with smarter regulations that are mutually palatable. For now, Proposition M only hints at a regulatory scheme that would potentially license not only collectives in the city, but also cultivators, manufacturers, transporters, testing labs and researchers for both medical and recreational cannabis. The measure further indicates that it would give licensing priority to existing collectives in compliance with Proposition D, which is viewed as a concession to the UCBA. If the initiative passes, local licenses will likely be available as early as September 30, 2017. Placing all this power in the hands of the city without any formal assurances makes some in the industry nervous, while others are more optimistic. At the end of the day though, the decision to vote for Proposition M revolves around one single question: Can we trust our industry to properly educate our local politicians to ensure smart regulation in 2018? We certainly hope so. c
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NEWS
HEALTHY LIVING
LEAN ON CANNABIS
How cannabis can help smokers kick the habit by Lanny Swedlow, RN LNC
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moking is awful— bad breath, yellow teeth, respiratory problems, deteriorating heart muscle, cancer and, according to the Center for Disease Control, responsible “for more than 480,000 deaths per year in the United States.” No wonder people want to quit. Millions have, but millions more continually try to quit and fail. Most smokers understand these dangers and the unpleasantness associated with tobacco use, but quitting is extremely difficult. Nicotine, tobacco’s physiologically addictive ingredient, is more addictive than heroin so it is no surprise that the body reacts so adversely when deprived of this powerful addictive substance. In addition to nicotine, there are comforting factors provided by tobacco that must be replaced to successfully quit tobacco use. In adults, these factors include reducing stress and anxiety, providing pleasure and the physical movements involved in smoking. In addition to these factors, teens use tobacco as way to feel mature, be seen as cool and for just being rebellious. This is where using cannabis medically can be of even greater help than all the pills, patches and gum substitutes combined. Cannabis helps overcome not just the physiological
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addictions of nicotine, but is also an effective alternative to tobacco’s comforting pleasures. Research conducted in 2013 in the Clinical Psychopharmacology Unit of University College London and published in the Journal of Addictive Behaviors documented the role of the endocannabinoid system in nicotine addiction. In a randomized double blind placebo controlled study, researchers found that tobacco smokers who consumed CBD, one of the major endocannabinoids found in cannabis, reduced tobacco consumption by 40 percent. Significantly follow up studies showed a continued reduction in tobacco consumption. Besides moderating the physiological addictive qualities of nicotine, cannabis can also mitigate the withdrawal symptoms smokers experience when they cease smoking tobacco. These withdrawal symptoms include anxiety, irritability, headache and hunger. Relieving anxiety, irritability and headaches are ailments that have been treated for thousands of years by cannabis so it is not exactly breaking news that cannabis can successfully treat those withdrawal symptoms. Hunger is another matter. One of the problems associated with tobacco cessation is weight gain if for no other
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reason than food tastes and smells so much better when tobacco smoking is halted. This relationship between weight gain and cannabis use is more myth than reality. A 2013 study published in the American Journal of Medicine found that people using cannabis have 1-1/2” smaller waist sizes on average than non-cannabis users. Smaller waists mean lower weight along with being less likely to develop Type II diabetes and having higher levels of HDL cholesterol, the good cholesterol that lowers the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Three Simple, Pleasant and Stimulating Steps to Quitting Tobacco Throw away all
1. cigarettes, cigars and other tobacco containing products. Maintain an abundant supply of quality cannabis available either rolled as joints or ready for loading into a pipe or vaporizer. Edibles are less likely to be effective because of the long time delay before the cannabinoids kick-in.
2.
Every time the desire
3. to smoke tobacco is felt, inhale cannabis.
As the CBD counteracts the effects of nicotine, the psychoactive cannabinoid THC counteracts the anxiety, irritability and other problems associated with nicotine withdrawal. Since the psychoactive qualities of THC may not be desirable in certain situations, such as at work, finding strains that are high in CBD and low in THC may be needed for those circumstances, although the effectiveness in mitigating withdrawal symptoms may be reduced. Because nicotine and the comforting attributes of tobacco are so overwhelming, a prodigious amount of cannabis will be required to overcome their addictive powers. As the nicotine is weaned from the body and the cessation of withdrawal symptoms proceeds, the amount of cannabis needed to be consumed will significantly decrease. Using cannabis as a substitute for tobacco will not work for everyone, but many will find its legendary medicinal and health benefits able to overcome the multiple withdrawal symptoms associated with tobacco cessation. Adults will find its ability to mitigate anxiety, irritability, stress and nervousness key to ending tobacco use while teens will succeed in quitting as they experience an even greater rebellious thrill utilizing a forbidden pleasure that is far less dangerous than tobacco. c
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REVIEWs
strain, edible & concentrate Available at: King Kush in Los Angeles.
Ace Killer OG The flowers sent to us from King Kush in Los Angeles should have come with a warning label informing us of the powerful relaxing capabilities that this indica contains. Large, dense, resin-coated buds along with a slightly diesel-like smell greeted us as soon as the Ace Killer OG arrived. We'd recommend medicating in the evening or after finishing anything you needed to focus on that day, as the potent effects can last several hours. Chronic pains associated to arthritis and cancer are no match for this Ace, just make sure there's a couch nearby.
Pure Vape Oil
Available wherever: Pure products are sold.
Dutch treat is known for its densely sticky buds and piney, sweet smell as well as its penchant for easing anxiety and stress. In CO2 form, you lose the flowers but gain so much more in flavor. Ripe fruits and rich tropical coconut coats your mouth as the effects immediately take hold. Easy to stow in a pocket or bag and able to fit any standard size battery pack, Pure Vape Oil doesn't just taste good, each cartridge comes filled with lab-tested strains helping patients easily identify which Pure Vape strain best suits their needs. Our sample of Pure Vape Dutch Treat Oil measured at 75.5 percent THC with less than 0.1 percent CBD, making it a powerful and sweet punch in a small package.
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HERE
Brass Knuckles Abracadabra The Prohibition movement in the early ‘20s left Americans sober, angry and oftentimes resorting to drinking dangerous liquids mislabeled as their rare and precious booze. You can say the cannabis industry is sort of coming out of a prohibition-like era in its own right and Brass Knuckles are the guys taking the coveted top spot in the vape market. The outer casing is made with superior quality metal and comes in a universal 510 thread count for easily switching battery packs. The lab-tested, contaminant-free liquid gives patients a lung-full of thick, citruscoated smoke with an unrivaled potency. Sleek and easily storable in a purse or pocket, it's obvious that Brass Knuckles is setting the industry standard.
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Available wherever: Brass Knuckles products are carried.
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REVIEWs
Sauce Vape Medicated Melon Okay, so first you get your mod, or "ladle" (vaporizer) which is available in a sleek black or metallic pink. Then you get your "sauce" which comes in three distinct flavors (melon, strawberry cheesecake, special sugar cookies). Next, proceed to stand next to a group of people "vaping" in a public area using normal tobacco products or sugar oil, and marvel at the fact that nobody can tell the difference. The ability to medicate on-the-go without drawing unnecessary attention is something that patients are seeking out more and more. Sauce Vape is on the forefront of this technology, manufacturing products that are built to last and giving users an excellent tasting experience as well. The melon sauce tasted like sweet fresh-tasting juicy honeydew, with no cannabis taste at all. Beware that trick though, as the sauce is incredibly potent, so go easy until you know how this product will affect you. Check out SauceVape.com for discounts on mods and to search for collectives that carry Sauce products.
Available wherever: Sauce products are carried.
Mind Blown Crumble The resemblance of this awesome crumble to actual honeycomb is uncanny; both share similar color patterns and both are as smooth and as sweet as you'd expect. The power-packed punch patients receive after medicating with The Valley’s newest addition to their lineup of starstudded strains is sure to leave patients in a bit of a blissful stupor. This Mind Blown Crumble is sweet and mellow at first, with a heavier head effect that rolls in a bit later, and amazing pain relief all over your body slowly after that. This crumble is ideal for treating insomnia and anxiety, The Valley in Sherman Oaks is ready to stock your medicine cabinet.
Available at: The Valley in Sherman Oaks.
AC/DC CBD Vape Cartridge Gold in, Gold out. That is W Vapes motto for creating the finest cannabis oil extracts available in cartridges. Single sourced oil means that everything inside the cartridge came from the same batch of High Quality cannabis flowers, there are no added flavorings or terpenes present either, only the natural flavor of the high-potency strains. Additionally, this golden oil is extracted only from finest flowers (no trim or excess plant matter here) with CO2 and ultra-distilled for the most clean and pure taste. Harvested from pesticide-free farms, W Vapes definitely pulls through on offering a truly perfect, no-additive, high end cartridge. Perfect for those looking to combat anxiety and aching pain without any additional psychoactive effects, it contains an astonishing 68 percent CBD and only six percent THC. Available throughout California, W Vapes doesn’t miss the mark with this outstanding CBD cartridge.
Available wherever: W Vapes products are carried.
White Walker OG by Cannabiotix
Available at: New Age Care Center in Los Angeles.
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An indica strain so out of this world, George R.R. Martin named an entire race after it in Game of Thrones. Famed for its uplifting and "giddy" effects, we were anxious to see the results in "budder" form. From the moment we inhaled this decadently soft wax, effects began to alter our mind and body. Powerful enough to stop migraines and other chronic pain in their tracks without any of the unnecessary hunger pangs that other indicas demonstrate—and it's available at New Age Care Center in Los Angeles.
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REVIEWs
Sunderstorm Lucidity Oral Spray For those looking for a smoke-free way to ingest their medicinal cannabis, Sunderstorm has developed a line of oral sprays that are great for discreet and on-the-go cannabis consumption. Unlike traditional tinctures, these sprays utilize nano-molecular delivery for rapid effect and precise dosing. Lucidity is the product that was tested and it evoked feelings of clarity, happiness and calmness. Created with 75mg of THC, 25mg of CBD, and 300mg of 5-HTP this oral spray administers not only the effects of medicinal cannabis but 5-HTP as well. 5-HTP is a naturally occurring amino acid that is a precursor for Serotonin (the neurotransmitter that makes you feel happy). Users find this combination of compounds to promote a clear-headed, elevated daytime mood that also combats anxiety and depression.
Available wherever: Sunderstorm products are carried.
Available at: Apothecary 420 in Sherman Oaks.
Blue Diesel by Phloem Oil Creative sparks will fly when patients in Sherman Oaks fill up their tanks on blue diesel. This amber tinted shatter had the office buzzing through our mid-week slump and into the glorious weekend until we unfortunately ran out. Now all we can do is reminisce about its pungent odors and muscle-relaxing effects while letting our faithful readers in on the secret. Apothecary 420 has a knowledgeable and friendly staff ready to give patients the attention and quality products they deserve so grab yourself a gram of this solid gold shatter.
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HERE Available at: High Life in Los Angeles.
High Life OG Most people would associate “high life” with a certain urineflavored beer that is available at most truck stops and liquor stores. We feel however, that it is time we all pass the title to this forest green, ginger-haired flower baring the same name. Bright and slightly citric with the ability to send patients straight to bed with no hunger pangs, it is ideal for use in the evening or anyone looking for that “knockout effect.” Stop by High Life in Los Angeles to experience the life yourself.
Bhang CBD Crystalline Isolate
Available wherever: Bhang products are carried.
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A quick search of the internet will yield a surprising amount of online retailers claiming to have 100 percent pure CBD crystalline isolate. The problem with these "snake oil salesmen" is that the product is usually derived from industrial grade hemp which means patients will not experience any of the calming effects associated with medical CBD-rich isolate. The good news is that for patients in California, Bhang has unveiled a brand new product free of any contaminants and guaranteed to bring patients a safe and healthier way to medicate. This Bhang CBD Crystalline Isolate is perfect for any patient looking for pain-relief, and it’s the perfect form too—it can be added to almost any method of cannabis consumption (although does not dissolve in liquid). Tasteless, odorless clean and pure CBD crystalline isolate is the next level in natural cannabis-based medicine.
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REVIEWs
For More Products Go To iReadCulture.com
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Cannabis Sativa Vintage Print Whether you are a lover of vintage prints or really just love collecting cool cannabis décor, then this colorful print is one you may like to hang on your wall. Not everyone’s office is as cool as CULTURE, where you can have your bulletin board decorated with pictures of cannabis, so you might want to leave this one at home. This Cannabis Sativa Vintage Print is a beautiful addition to your office space, or you can hang it smack dab in the living room if you’re hoping to spark some interesting conversations with relatives. PRICE: $6.99-$20 MORE INFORMATION: www.etsy.com/shop/dalumna
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Fresh Baked Apron This adorable apron will let everyone know that when you’re in the kitchen, you mean business—canna-business that is. This Fresh Baked Apron is every cannabis consumer’s favorite color, and its adjustable neck strap makes it a perfect fit for everyone who wears it. The two pockets in the front can be convenient for storing backup ingredients or maybe a vape pen if you are too impatient to wait for your cannabis-infused dishes to be done. Show off your culinary skill, and rock this apron with pride. PRICE: $34 MORE INFORMATION: www.etsy.com/shop/ smokiestokecouture
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Strain Tracker by Green Flower Media This Strain Tracker will help newbies and seasoned pros of cannabis consumption track what cannabis strains truly work best for their needs. Discover various cannabis strains, and track which products and methods of delivery work best for you. It doesn’t matter if you’re looking to use cannabis recreationally to stimulate your creativity, or if you’re using cannabis for various medicinal purposes, the Strain Tracker will guide you toward better understanding your relationship with cannabis. PRICE: $24.95 MORE INFORMATION: www.learngreenflower.com
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Mato Naturals Lavender Lilac Eye Pillow The Mato Naturals Lavendar Lilac Eye Pillow brings aromatic bliss that has been known to help ease migraines, headaches and anxiety. If you’re trying to rest or practice yoga, it is the perfect solution to help you achieve calm energy and relaxation. Made with pure Himalayan flax seed, Tibetan and Himalayn herbs, lilac oil and lavender essential oil, this pillow has everything you need to drift into a more zenlike state. Namaste. PRICE: $19.99 MORE INFORMATION: www.matonaturals.com
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REVIEWs
entertainment
BOOK
Cannabis and Spirituality: An Explorer’s Guide to an Ancient Plant Spirit Ally Stephen Gray, Editor
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Release Date: January 24, 2017 Available on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC
GAME
Park Street Press
Resident Evil 7: biohazard
Editor Stephen Gray and 17 other prominent professional voices of the modern cannabis movement explore the spiritual benefits of cannabis in this compelling and sensitive read. Throughout this 274 page book, the authors touch on topics such as exploring cannabis spirituality in practice, religious and ritual use of cannabis from pre-biblical times to the present, the body-mind connection, the use of ganja yoga, humanity’s co-evolution with cannabis, and the spirit of cannabis. Authors also present practical information to better understand the plant, as well as the many different international cultures that have utilized cannabis in a spiritual way for centuries. This is a great book for any spiritual cannabis user to have on their shelves. (Alex Bradley)
Dev. Capcom
January 2017 iReadCULTURE.com
Pub. Capcom Ring in the new year with a new Resident Evil title that’s pushing the boundaries of survival horror games. Although Resident Evil 7: biohazard is the 11th game in the series, it’s the first offer players a first-person perspective, and the PlayStation 4 version of the game in its entirety is compatible with a VR headset. Other Resident Evil games may be remembered as a gun show, but this one plays heavily on strategy, puzzle solving and managing resources carefully alongside the destruction of horrific monsters. (Nicole Potter)
MUSIC MOVIE
Awaken, My Love!
Don’t Think Twice
Childish Gambino
Dir. Mike Birbiglia
Glassnote Entertainment Group
The Film Arcade What happens when a member of a group begins to become a famous entertainer, while everyone else continues to dwell in anonymity? That exact scenario is explored both realistically and thoroughly in Don’t Think Twice. Set in the New York City improv comedy world, the film deals with the real creative and existential struggles within an improv troupe when one of their members gets a big break while the rest fight just to keep themselves afloat. Starring Director Mike Birbiglia himself alongside Keegan Michael Key (Key and Peele), Gillian Jacobs (Community), and an ensemble of other talents, Don’t Think Twice is a must see. (Simon Weedn)
Five years ago, after a series of mix tapes, former 30 Rock writer and Community breakout star Donald Glover released his debut hip-hop LP under the name Childish Gambino. Though at the time there was confusion as to whether his music career would be as funny as his acting, it quickly became apparent Gambino was a more serious side of Glover. In his third album, Awaken, My Love!, Gambino continues to evolve and successfully produces one of the most brilliant hip-hop albums of the year. Polished, pristine and righteously funky, Glover demonstrates handily that when it comes to music, and he’s no joke. (Simon Weedn)
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REVIEWs
company highlight subsided completely. They knew their mission was to bring cannabis to the people. After working for years in every aspect of the cannabis industry, their small homegrown pen company (RELM) was sought out by investors that recognized the massive potential of their high quality oil. The rest is W history.
W Vapes wvapes.com (877) 929-5859 How would you describe your company? What is your specialty? We are purists, plain and simple. We believe that the mission of the extraction process is to preserve and amplify the authentic soul of each cannabis strain. The vaping experience should be the inhalation of the concentrated soul of a plant, with no additives, synthetics, flavorings, or adulterants in the mix. That is why we do small-batch, single-origin, strain-specific extractions of certified and lab-tested, pesticide-free, potencyproven cannabis flowers. What do you offer consumers/clients that others don’t? Our motto is “Gold In/Gold Out.” Everything in our oil comes from the flowers that were extracted and nothing else: No mixing of strains, no store-bought terpenes, no flavorings, no additives (PG, VG, MCT), enhancers, synthetics or adulterants. Pure cannabis oil, from a single-source. We work to
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protect our environment and ensure sustainability through our recycling program, often making cool art out of our returned empties. With state of the art laboratory equipment, multiple PhDs on staff, and a ceaseless commitment to innovation, we constantly strive for further improvement in our methods, materials and processes to continue creating the highest quality, cleanest, best-tasting pure cannabis oil possible. With extensive education, government relations, activism and fundraising, our commitment to the cannabis industry reaches far beyond the doors of W Vapes. How and why did your company start up? A family history of multiple types of cancer, as well as other ailments, led our cofounders to the research and development of our extracts. A defining moment that confirmed their faith in this amazing medicine was after providing cannabis oil to a family member with tourette’s syndrome who experienced more than 100 ticks per day. After a single dose of cannabis oil his ticks
January 2017 iReadCULTURE.com
With the changing landscape of cannabis, what do you see as the biggest challenges to your progress as a company? Staying on top of the ever-changing and everdeveloping regulatory landscape is a big challenge. It can be difficult for a company to make future plans when the future is still somewhat unknown. Being engaged in the political process, locally and at the state level, is of the utmost importance during this time of transition, when laws are being made and implemented. What are the goals and vision moving forward, for your company? Our goal and mission is to make the highest quality extracts accessible to all. Everyone deserves excellent, pure medicine. We have already distinguished ourselves by bringing more healthy delivery systems
(such as glass and stainless steel cartridges, rather than plastic) to the masses, which is quickly becoming the industry standard. We hope to continue to innovate and influence the cannabis space in positive ways by always demanding the best for ourselves, patients and all people. What words of advice would you offer anyone seeking to enter the world of cannabis business? #1: Meditate. This is a wild, wild ride. We are going through an immense period of transformation that will surely be exhilarating and downright painful. Remember to breathe. #2: Do You. This is an industry of authenticity. People with long histories in the cannabis industry have had to operate in a climate of trust and cooperation, and those roots run through the ethos of the business of cannabis. This is an industry of both personal and material generosity, and also one of authenticity. If you are a fraud or fake in the world of cannabis, it seems to come to the fore quickly. #3: Be Humble. Remember that the cannabis industry isn’t actually a “new” industry. This historic moment has been a long time coming, and this exciting “green rush” was built on the blood, sweat, tears, and prison time of incalculable pioneers. Listen to the elders. Respect what got us here. Don’t be greedy. c
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REVIEWs
by Kevin Longrie
M
liner notes
arvel and hip-hop are doing big things together. JAY Z, KANYE WEST and VIC MENSA all had their work in some way inspire the variant cover artwork of recent Marvel issues. The new issue of Mighty Captain Marvel #1, for example, draws from The Life of Pablo; Jay Z and Vic Mensa had their work covered, in more ways than one, for Elektra and Bullseye covers. This column originally covered the Run the Jewels “Howard the Duck” variant cover from 2015 and there have been several since then. Marvel also announced that METHOD MAN, the Wu-Tang rapper known as “Cheese” on The Wire and “Cheddar” in Keanu, wrote “Ghost Rider X-Mas Special Infinite.” No word yet on whether or not Ghost Rider is someone to f—k with. But every superhero needs a super villain. The same is true in hip-hop, which is currently vilifying Presidentelect Donald Trump—with one major exception. Kanye West, who recently received a psychiatric evaluation, visited Donald Trump at Trump Tower to discuss “multicultural issues,” as West later tweeted, including “bullying, supporting teachers, modernizing curriculums and violence in Chicago.” He went on in another tweet to add that he feels “it is important to have a direct line of communication with our future President if we truly want change.” He also tweeted “#2024,” supposedly in reference to his earlier declaration to run for president in 2020. Lastly, he tweeted a picture of a signed copy of the Time Magazine featuring Donald Trump
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as the Person of the Year. Trump, posing with Kanye for a line of photographers, told them “We’ve been friends for a long time.” JOHN LEGEND, Kanye’s friend and frequent collaborator, called it a “publicity stunt.” He felt it was possible to talk about real issues with Trump, but overall voiced that he was “pretty disappointed with Kanye that he says he would have voted for Trump.” “I think Trump has been corrosive,” Legend said on a French TV show, “his message has been corrosive to the country and I think the things he’s promised to do have been very concerning for a lot of people. And for Kanye to support that message is very disappointing."
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“Whatever was in his mind,” Legend concluded, “I disagree with him.” The meeting also already drew fire from late night hosts like Trevor Noah, Stephen Colbert and James Cordon. Noah spent most of his segment poking fun at the media coverage of the event, showing how anchors and producers would cut into more serious coverage for this frivolous, but attention-grabbing story. Colbert warned that we’d soon have a collaborative album titled The Deportation of Pablo. In better news, SEU JORGE, the Brazillian singer turned actor who gained small but intense fame for his turn in Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic, where he played a sailor who sang
Portuguese covers of DAVID BOWIE. Following Bowie’s death earlier this year, Jorge said that he would tour with the songs in honor of Bowie— and he has done just that. He’s decided to extend that tour to include new cities and countries, including the UK. Lastly, Uber is currently being sued for some of its employees abusing the “God View” mode, which can track the routes and progress, as well as personal information, of guests using the service. It has been used for the technician’s exes, friends and of course, celebrities, one of these identified as BEYONCÉ. Although Uber has claimed that it’s fired “fewer than 10” people for this offense, I’m sure Beyoncé will be getting her lawyers in formation. c
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C L EAR
A
C O N S C I O 64
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The talent behind
Everclear
N D U S
talks ’90s nostalgia, cannabis and the band’s bright future
I
by Heather Johnson
f you were growing up in the 1990s, you were a fan of Everclear. Its songs were all over the radio, and they just had that classic alternative, post-grunge ’90s vibe. The band formed in 1991, led by songwriter, guitarist and vocalist Art Alexakis. Its first three albums with Capital Records were Sparkle and Fade, So Much for the Afterglow and Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning to Smile—all went platinum. Although band members have changed over the years, Alexakis has stayed the driving force and creativity behind the band. Every year since 2012, it has led the popular Summerland Tour, a 1990s nostalgia tour featuring many other favorite alternative era bands, such as Lit, Sugar Ray and Sponge. The band has just recently finished a special New Years Eve show in Portland at Alberta Rose, and is prepping for a show this month at Apache Gold Casino Pavilion in San Carlos, Arizona. Alexakis has always been forthcoming about his tumultuous past; he has lost loved ones to drugs and suicide and nearly lost himself in both, at one point. Through his music he has
been able to confront his demons and get past the darkest moments of his life. This journey is evident through hits such as “Heroin Girl,” from the band’s commercial breakthrough Sparkle and Fade and “I Will Buy You a New Life,” as well as “Father of Mine” from So Much for the Afterglow. Hailing from the Pacific Northwest, Alexakis appreciates the supportive and fruitful cannabis culture that has grown there, and now living in California, he is excited for California’s legal future. Although he does not use cannabis himself and maintains a strong straight-edge lifestyle for himself and his band, he is understanding and supportive about the healing and helpful benefits of cannabis for many. In 2015, Everclear released its ninth studio album entitled Black is the New Black. The band has been touring across the country, with Alexakis making some recent solo stops in Australia. When he’s not living the rockstar life, Alexakis opens up about his important role of being a father to his two daughters. Recently, we got to sit down with the lead singer, guitarist and genius behind the band, Art Alexakis. >>
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Having just gotten back from playing all over the world, spending a good portion of the fall in Australia, do you still enjoy playing the PNW, your home for nearly 20 years? I love it. I moved to L.A. about five years ago because my eldest daughter went to college and I just needed a break from the rain. We try to go up there at least once a year; it’s kind of like home still. If I could afford to I’d have a place up there. Has your life changed a lot since you moved out of the Portland area? I’m working more, I’m happier in the sunshine. I’m working with a lot of different talented people and keeping busy, so it’s a lot of fun. We live closer to my daughter’s grandmother down here, so it’s much easier for us to visit. It was a good move. A lot has happened to Portland since you moved down south. What do you think about the passing of Measure 91 in Oregon, legalizing cannabis? I would have thought it actually would have happened there in Oregon first, instead of in Colorado. There are a lot of referendums here in California. They had the whole medical marijuana thing here, and now it’s going to be fully legal. With the support of the state legislature and the governor, I think legal marijuana is going to go really well. Can you tell us a little bit about what you are working on now? In 2015, you came
p h o t o b y H a r m o n y G er b er
out with a new album, and I know you are touring a lot. Yeah we are constantly on tour. I do a tour every year to kind of kick off the summer. It’s called “Summerland.” It’s a ’90s alternative tour with a bunch of bands from the ’90s. Last year it was Sugar Ray, Everclear and Sponge, among others. That kicked off in July and went until the end of August. Do you usually just play throwback songs or do the fans get to hear some new music as well? We try to do at least one new song and then some fan favorites. I think that’s what the tour is really about, that familiar sound. That’s what people want to hear. There is a certain amount of nostalgia to it. Radio stations in the ’90s used to do these shows where they would have like 20 bands and each band would
The Afterglow: Highlights from Everclear’s Illustrious History in Music 1992. Everclear was established 1993. Independently released debut first album, World of Noise
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play their hit with maybe 20 minutes on stage. Then they’d put the hook out and pull you off the stage and the next band would go right on. Sometimes it was on a circular stage, and once that stage started spinning man, you were done. So many of your fans grew up listening to you and all those bands. Sounds like a great tour! You would love it, you would know all the songs and you will hear a song and be like, “That was them?” These days, people kind of lose sight of entertainment and how enjoyable it can be to just see a good rock and roll band. A band that’s really good at doing what it does. People are starting to get back to seeing live rock and roll bands. But then you have these people that call themselves a band that are basically just pushing bass bars on a computer, and singing through auto tune. I’d rather see band screw up a
1994. Signed on to Capitol Records 1995. First album for the label, Sparkle and Fade
song, but play it. Just go out without a net and play. That’s what makes it exciting. That’s rock and roll. How do you think your music has changed since the ’90s? I’m probably not the right person to ask about that. From my perspective, I don’t think it’s changed a lot. I’ve changed as a person after 25 years; I’m a lot more grey than I used to be. I don’t hide it, and I’ve never had facial work or anything like that. Without sounding stupid, I just try to keep it really real, and go out, take what’s in my heart and put it out there. I do that in the studio and I do that on stage. The next record I make is going to be a solo record with just me and acoustic guitars. It’s all about the songs. I’ve got four or five songs that are almost done and four or five songs that are pretty much half way there. It will be some time next year, but I’m not in a rush to put it down. >>
1997. Third album, So Much for the Afterglow was released
1998.
Tour to Australia
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“There are a lot of referendums here in California. They had the whole medical marijuana thing here, and now it’s going to be fully legal. With the support of the state legislature and the governor, I think legal marijuana is going to go really well.”
1998. Nominated at the Grammy’s for Best Rock Instrumental for “El Distorto de Melodica” 1998. Won Billboard’s Modern Rock Band of the Year Award 2000. Fourth album, Songs from an American Movie Vol. One: Learning How to Smile was released 70
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How is life with your family? I have two daughters, one that’s 24, and I’ve got one that’s eight-and-a-half. This past summer, she had gymnastics camp, then art camp and then sleep away camp for two weeks. This kid’s got more activities than the CEO of a corporation. It feeds her brain. She’s eight-and-ahalf and she’s full of joy. She has everything that I wish I had had as an eight-year-old boy. She’s got a mom and dad who love her and love each other. We work really hard to have a really great family. That’s nine-tenths of that battle right there, everything relates to that.
oldest daughter was a baby back then. She was three when I put out Sparkle and Fade, she was five when I put out So Much for the Afterglow. Then I went through a divorce with her mom and put out a record that had a lot of good songs like “Wonderful,” which was through her perspective. Because watching her go through that difficult time was very hard. Especially knowing that I had something to do with it. Like I said before, I just try to keep it real. I try to be present, be humble, be honest, and try to put that into my art. Even when I make up stories, some of them don’t seem like they are real, but they feel very real.
Do your daughters come up a lot while writing your songs? Sometimes, I don’t necessarily write autobiographically. I’d say one or two songs a record are autobiographical. They are always there, being a parent is such a huge part of me. It’s become such a priority in my life and everything is kind of shaped from that. Even back in the old Everclear days, my
What are your and Everclear’s plans for the future? I don’t know about moving back to Portland, but someday I’d like to have a place there. I’m working on my solo project and I’m writing a book about my childhood growing up in the projects. Just being creative, being open to what the world, the universe, has to say. >>
2000. Fifth album, Songs from an American Movie Vol. Two: Good Time for a Bad Attitude was released just four months after Vol. One 2003. Sixth album, Slow Motion Daydream was released
2004. End of Capitol Records and released an album called, Ten Years Gone: The Best of Everclear 1994-2004 2004. First recording with new lineup was a cover of Woody Guthrie’s “This Land Is Your Land” 2006. Signed to Eleven Seven Music with new line-up
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LIVE IN CONCERT January 21, 2017:
Everclear w/ Gin Blossoms
at Apache Gold Casino Pavilion in San Carlos, AZ
p h o t o b y H a r m o n y G er b er
Are there any contemporary bands out there now that you really like right now? I’m not seeing a lot of contemporary stuff that has a lot of depth to it. I hear some cool pop stuff and some cool rock stuff. We played with a band in Portland the other day called The Wild Feathers, and I thought they were great.
I’ve been meaning to go buy their record. They had a sort of stones-ish, old band, Eagles kind of harmonies and I dug that. They were playing live and hitting those harmonies. They were really tight and it was just a lot of excitement. I loved it. These days I’ve been listening to a lot of talk radio, political mostly, and I also listen to a
2006. Seventh album, Welcome to the Drama Club was released 2008. The Vegas Years, a collection of cover songs was released April 15, 2008 by Capitol Records
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lot of NFL radio because I’m a big NFL fan. Big Seahawks fan. Lived in the PNW for too long. I listen to NPR, CNN, I tend to stay pretty left of the dial. This year has been kind of a clown show. This was the 10th election that I’ve voted on. 1980 was the first one, isn’t that a trip? Some things change constantly, some things never change. There’s
2012. Everclear
released their first album in six years, entitled Invisible Stars.
2012. Summerland Tour was established. A ‘90s nostalgia tour
2013.
always great people, and then there’s always flawed people who can do great things. This year, with Donald Trump, I’ve never seen anything like that. But I think it’s going to end up okay. I’m optimistically hopeful. Not looking into buying a house in Canada or anything like that. c www.everclearmusic.com
Return of Summerland Tour
2015. Released latest album, Black is the New Black
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Industry Insider “Being a dispensary operator, every Monday we would have training, and by Wednesday the training would be misconstrued . . . It was very hard to keep the staff informed of all these new products all the time.”
Matt Young of APOP MEDIA
by R. Scott Rappold
S
i nce you’re reading this, the odds are good that you have experienced the waiting room of a cannabis dispensary. Is there a television? Are they showing an old Cheech and Chong movie or information about cannabis that can help inform your purchase? If it’s the latter, the odds are that the programming (and the television) is from Apop Media. The Los Angelesbased media company, co-founded
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by CEO Matt Young in 2015, has become one of the largest providers, with televisions and programming in 120 California collectives and doctors’ offices. They’ll soon expand to Washington, Colorado and Canada. For Young, it’s about not only improving the waiting room experience, but also showing the products available at the collective and helping patients decide what’s right for them. And forget the old-
p h o t o s b y J o h n G ilh o o le y
fashioned chalkboard with the strains of the day. Apop (short for “At Point of Purchase”) Media also provides televisions to serve as informational platforms and digital menus. “You’re taking a TV that was playing non-cannabis-related content, Scarface or I Love Lucy or whatever, and transforming that waiting room into an educating and engaging experience,” said Young, 45. “We’re improving the look and feel of the store.” >>
C.
Collective Experience
T.
Ambience and Information
Like many an epiphany that has come out of coastal California, Young’s occurred to him while he was surfing. It was 2008 and Young, a longtime entrepreneur, was looking for his next big thing. He had recently been forced to shut down his company that made an energy drink mix called “Blow,” white powder sold in a vial that was the equivalent of three Red Bulls. It seems the feds took issue with marketing a product that was similar to cocaine. While waiting for a wave on his surfboard, he floated past his neighbor, who happened to run a medical cannabis collective. The neighbor was having trouble finding good product and Young, who knew a thing or two about cultivating, offered to get involved. Flash forward several years later—Young had enough of the red tape and constant risk of being arrested or shut down, so he sold his interest in the collective. But in his experience running it, the idea for Apop Media was born.
Like many collectives, Young’s was in a small, out-of-the-way location, with a sales room that couldn’t accommodate more than four patients at once. That meant a waiting time for patients that averaged between eight and 25 minutes. He was also frustrated by the inability of budtenders to keep up with new products and strains. With these two problems in mind, he and co-founder Rebecca Brinegar launched Apop Media in 2015. “The initial thing was, ‘How do we help the patients and how do we help the store owners get the correct information to the patients?’” said Young. “Being a dispensary operator, every Monday we would have training, and by Wednesday the training would be misconstrued . . . It was very hard to keep the staff informed of all these new products all the time.” It works like this: Apop provides flat screen TVs to collectives at no charge. In the waiting room, the TV plays a constantly-changing array of ads, educational segments and entertainment clips on a 15-minute loop. The programming is tailored to the collective’s demographics and what products they sell. Dispensary or collective operators can program the text of a crawler at the bottom of the screen, like what you see on cable news networks, with such information as hours, sales and specials and other details. Apop also provides free horizontal televisions to be used as digital menus, to help patients compare prices and learn about what’s available. There might be one for flower, one for edibles and one for extracts. The programming is advertising-driven, and dispensaries can actually earn up to $1,000 a month by selling enough products from advertising partners. But Young sees Apop Media’s TV services as more than that, as helping make the dispensary or collective a more appealing experience. “We have this whole market of people coming in. Dispensaries are intimidating places. As a personal option they don’t know all these brands. They don’t know what the
“I want to help broaden the industry to where everyone has a place, to where a 70-year-old with arthritis can get the best topical for their needs.”
medicine is, what it does. A lot of them don’t know what vaporizing is or how edibles work,” he said. “I want to help broaden the industry to where everyone has a place, to where a 70-year-old with arthritis can get the best topical for their needs.” c apopmedia.com
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“I encourage all to take a stand against this human right issue denying our right of choice to live pain free.”
The Miracle of Medical Cannabis
New Zealander Adam Poulter says cannabis saved his life, so he is fighting for better access in his country by Benjamin M. Adams
30-year-old Adam Poulter’s darkest moment was surviving a serious medical procedure to remove a tumor “the size of a tennis ball” from the base of his skull. Poulter knows that traditional medicine can only go so far, and the New Zealander might not be here today if he didn’t have the help from medical cannabis. Poulter first knew something was wrong when he started having unexplainable seizures. Doctors found a high-grade oligodendroglioma glioma cancerous tumor lodged in
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his brain. After his diagnosis, Poulter began taking CBDrich cannabis extract illegally in New Zealand. He’d just returned from Western Australia, where medical cannabis is beginning to bloom. At least four doctors and one surgeon saw improvement and urged Poulter to continue using medical cannabis. He says that the seizures ceased until he was forced to stop taking cannabis in preparation for the operating table. The surgery left him completely disabled on his left side. A metal plate with five screws now covers the back of his head. Poulter says he was
January 2017 iReadCULTURE.com
rendered a “klutz” and that one of the reasons he takes cannabis is from the pain of physically falling down around the house. Compared to the alternatives which consist of radiation and chemotherapy, Poulter has seen magic from medical cannabis in areas where contemporary medicine fell short. Anticonvulsants didn’t help reduce the seizures. Poulter’s case is just one example in a sea of thousands that proves how medical cannabis can treat serious medical conditions without destroying the immune system, losing appetite and
the other serious side effects from traditional treatment. “Many others in New Zealand are living in pain without this alternative treatment being available,” Poulter told CULTURE, suggesting there’s more work to be done. “I am actively interacting with others to make a physical effort to be seen openly treating myself using cannabis since I have declined chemotherapy and radiation therapy against the advice of multiple oncologists who even tried using bully tactics to encourage me too.” >>
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Poulter says above all reasons; cannabis helps him to think positively. “My antiseizure meds caused me to have thoughts of aggression, suicidal thoughts and selfharm,” Poulter explains. Waking up with partial paralysis was a tough pill to swallow. Both medical and recreational cannabis are currently illegal in New Zealand.
“Things have changed for me and the country has changed. I have been going hard to get better, making great advances in health and nationwide awareness. I have been shaking the boat a bit, getting in people’s faces and being the self-acclaimed country Kiwi that I am.” A very small number of patients have been given authorization through New Zealand’s Ministry of Health. A legal loophole in the Misuse of Drug Act 1975 strangely allows anyone who is legally prescribed cannabis overseas to bring one month’s supply of the medicine into New Zealand—but that doesn’t help citizens like Poulter. Poulter believes that all New Zealanders have the right to live pain-free. “I encourage all to take a stand against this human right issue denying our right of choice to live pain free.” Despite being a figurehead for serious medical cannabis reform, Poulter can see the benefits from recreational cannabis as well. “I also believe the right to use recreationally is another issue of prohibition in New Zealand which needs to be addressed in the form of relegalising not decriminalization. I do not believe a non-toxic plant needs this form of restriction with penalty, neither regulation.”
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“Quality control for medical use is needed,” Poulter stipulates. Poulter worries about the helicopters frequently circle overhead due to the media coverage he’s attracted. His page “COULD Cannabis CURE?” features posts of his highlights and setbacks. Regular videos log his ingestion methods and give his followers updates. Making “too much noise” has had its unintended consequences. “I have evidence of the New Zealand government and involvement in active undercover operations targeting growers to take over a market and control it.” Supporting cannabis regulations has also drawn contention from other in New Zealand’s cannabis industry. “I am also the target of blackmarket groups who do not like my approach of calling out all the fake, lying rip off agents,” he says. He considers the issue a serious one. “I encourage people to squash the stigma of cannabis by acts of civil disobedience,” Poulter concludes. “To make a stand, to get off Facebook and stand for something; to take on the war on drugs head on in New Zealand; to grow your own. Things have changed for me and the country has changed. I have been going hard to get better, making great advances in health and nationwide awareness. I have been shaking the boat a bit, getting in people’s faces and being the self-acclaimed country Kiwi that I am.” The efficacy of medical cannabis for the treatment of variety of seizures has been reinforced by numerous studies. The punishment for the cultivation of cannabis in New Zealand is a seven-year stay in prison. Poulter will treat himself with medical cannabis whether it’s legal or not. The era of hiding, he believes, is over. “Use cannabis openly,” Poulter bids to all cannabis users. c
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Splendidly Opulent Soundscapes Mike Freedom Hart aka Ex Reyes is a creative treasure in the music industry, and his new solo project is an amazing work of art
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by Simon Weedn
For the past five years, in between tours and session work with the likes of The Cranberries, Sia, Dam Funk, Albert Hammond Jr., Santigold and many others, Mikey Freedom Hart has been working tirelessly on his own project, Ex Reyes. Recently, much of this work has come to fruition in the form of the project’s debut release entitled, Do Something EP, which blends together elements of psychedelia, soul and indie rock into one of the most splendidly opulent, densely textural soundscapes imaginable. Guitar lines and Hart’s voice
almost seem to hang like the humid air during a New York summer, and the songs literally drip from the speakers they’re so rich. With a careful attention to production that can harken as much to the Beach Boys’ Pet Sounds as Animal Collective’s Strawberry Jam, the Do Something EP excels at blending classic and modern ideas and influences and marks a spectacular first outing for Ex Reyes. Recently, CULTURE was able to catch up with Mikey to hear all about the making of the Do Something EP, his inspirations, and his openmindedness on cannabis as a creative stimulant. >>
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You just released your debut, the Do Something EP, which was recorded over the course of five years. Were there any goals you had for it and do you feel like it has a unified vision having been worked on over such a long period of time? Yes! The oldest thing on the album was written about five years ago and came out of a session where we had a track without a song. So, I kind of learned how to produce, and found this vision over that period of time. So in the fall of 2015, a relationship was ending and I didn’t really have a place to live, so I took off from touring and took that time to bring together a lot of the loose ends and finish them up into what I felt was a cohesive vibe. So that’s what I wanted to challenge myself with. So, now I’m recording, producing, and writing just a ton more music now that I’ve found that confidence.
Is there anything in particular that inspires your songwriting or puts you in a creative mood? I think the thing about creativity for me is that I just try and be open to receive a creative idea. I think and read about creativity a lot, because I often wonder about what the vital component of human creativity is and why individual and group expression is such an important part of human nature. I believe those big vectors of creativity in our population form everything, and I believe the culture informs the industrial institutions just as much as vice-versa. So, if you have a specific idea you need to write it down, record a voice memo, or just capture it in that moment because it won’t last. Once you start doing that though, you begin building a catalog and putting fuel in the tank for when you really have time to sit down and put something together.
Cannabis has been a hot topic in the recent elections and in popular culture. Are you excited about the new legality of cannabis in so many states? I always like the Bill Hicks bit about drugs inspiring great literature and art throughout the course of history. It’s true. And not even illegal drugs. You can get stimulation from coffee, or the euphoria you get from loving another person, so I think that there’s an artistic reason for opening that up which isn’t necessarily 82
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medical, when it comes to marijuana. My main thing is that it seems like the way resources are allocated towards things like prosecuting marijuana is that they can become tools for oppression. I just think it’s a huge waste . . . I’ve just never understood the allocating or resources to prosecuting such a benign thing. It’s like prohibition.
Is cannabis something that’s helped inspire you creatively? Sure, I’m a really open minded person. I grew up in the South and in the church.
When I was kind of growing away from the church I think I shared the same feelings of many who grow away from the church and was willing to be open to nearly any type of experience. I find that cataloging those experiences is super inspiring. So from time to time, it’s another vehicle for—or form of—creating a different mindset; having a drink, having a cup of coffee, having a little reefer, whatever it is. c
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“You can get stimulation from coffee, or the euphoria you get from loving another person, so I think that there’s an artistic reason for opening that up which isn’t necessarily medical, when it comes to marijuana.”
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We’ll See You at The Leading Cannabis B2B Event—
BIG Industry Show
WHAT: BIG Industry Show.
WHEN/WHERE: Thurs, Jan. 19-Fri, Jan. 20. Los Angeles Convention Center, 1201 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles. INFO: Visit www. bigindustryshow.com for more information.
At CULTURE we pride ourselves in sponsoring the hottest events in the cannabis industry, and we can’t wait to see you all at the BIG Industry Show happening in Los Angeles this month. Join us as we spend time networking with the best of the best in the cannabis industry. While networking opportunities will be endless, that is just one of the many exciting features of the BIG Industry Show. This business-to-business trade show is put on by the Buyers Industry Guide. All avenues of the cannabis sector will be exhibiting at this huge event. There will be distributers, manufacturers and wholesalers in attendance that are ready to sell their innovative and top-quality products to store owners, distributors and wholesale buyers. Products featured at this event will be great for all sorts of retailers including alternative gift markets, adult stores, smoke shops, vapor shops, tattoo shops and more. The Vaporize Expo is also happening at
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the BIG Industry Show. This element gives business professionals a way to find the latest products, suppliers and professional connections in the vape industry. Make sure that your business is set up for success by connecting with some of the best buyers and distributors out there. Additionally, attendees will benefit from sales clinics like Vape 101 and Marketing 101. Another exciting part of the BIG Industry Show that we know you are looking forward to is Horticulture 360˚. This show is intended to give priceless resources to cannabis growers and cultivators from across the country. Find out what growing trends can help your yield, while meeting with industry leading wholesalers, individual growers, product developers and other professionals. Some of the featured vendors will be Advanced Nutrients, Way to Grow, West Coast Growers, Black Dog LED, Stokes Confections and many more. Horticulture 360˚ will also feature seminars and clinics on important topics like seeds, growing, trim, hemp, CBD, extraction, intellectual property, legal matters and profits.
The Galleria is a business-to-business event exclusively at BIG Industry Show that will showcase creative and functional glass art. Glass artists will get a chance to show off their best work while seeing the techniques and creations made by other top artists. Some of the various artists featured will include Blitzkriega, Jop, Vibe and Zii. Attendees who choose to preregister to buy their tickets will get $420 in vouchers that can be spent at BIG Industry Show. Vouchers will be good toward a large number of different companies, which include Formula 420, CannaFresh, Nexus Glass, Newport Butane, Blaq Vapor, Dank Fung Extracts, Magna Bowl, Integra by Dessicare, Cloud Pen and many more. Like the website says best, “The industry is booming, sales and soaring and the market is on the rise. Is your business properly aligned?” Make sure your business is set up for outstanding success by attending BIG Industry Show. c
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Thoroughly Modern
Miller Easton Miller allows the titles of his paintings to dictate the outcome through vibrant colors and unique textures
by Sarah Elise Abramson
When looking at Easton Miller’s paintings, one gets the sense that there is seriousness within the lighthearted layers of paint, vibrant colors and an array of textures. Miller is bright and talented and definitely making a name for himself in the art world. With a solo show at The Pariah Gallery in Dallas, Texas titled, “You Make Plans, God Laughs” and his previous solo show titled, “I’m Already Dead in Dog Years” at CES Gallery in Los Angeles, Miller’s use of words and the importance they cast upon his paintings starts to become a little more clear. He refers to his paintings as, “Portraits of Circumstance” because he lets the titles of his paintings dictate their outcome. He acquires the words and phrases used for his titles throughout his day to day life, jotting down in his notebook anything that sounds good or that grabs his attention. Increasingly modern yet borrowing various characteristics from notable painters and sculptors, Miller’s work stands out from the bunch as uniquely tactile with a great sense of movement. Miller generously sat down with CULTURE to answer a few questions and talk about his art. >>
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“Medical or otherwise— I think [cannabis] makes just as much, if not more, sense (in terms of it’s legality) than alcohol.” Why are you so awesome? Haha, because I paid around $50 to become awesome over a decade ago! Turns out, if you pay the court fees etc. and then publish your original name AND your new name in a public forum for two weeks to prove you’re not evading taxes etc. then you’re all set under the law. At least, this was the case in Indiana where I grew up. So, I went from Easton Andrew Kittinger Miller to Easton Awesome Kittinger Miller . . . becoming LEGALLY awesome. It was a no brainer. What’s the most normal thing you do? Hmmm, the last time I dressed in drag I wore a “natural” colored wig . . . Does that count? If you had a life motto what would it be? “Just Do It,” but that one might already be taken. Talk a bit about the work here? All of the work I make is created using the same ideological/quotidian method. Though, there have definitely been different aesthetic approaches to the visual lexicon of symbols that I’ve been developing over my lifetime depending on where my head and heart are at any given point in my life. The basic root of how I decide what works to create come from carrying a small notebook with me everywhere that I go, and writing down anything I hear. It can be something interesting, hilarious, upsetting, thought provoking etc. I then use various materials to create a visual representation of these phrases/quotes. The works become this visual representation of non-sequitur narratives that mirror society’s curated existence through social media.
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What are your thoughts on medical cannabis? Medical or otherwise—I think [cannabis] makes just as much, if not more, sense (in terms of it’s legality) than alcohol.
all means do so. I’m of the mentality that ascribing the struggle of creating something meaningful to the effects of marijuana is a fairly narrow-sighted way of approaching things. That is just something you do or don’t do, but it’s not what should be defining your practice as an artist.
Do you find it provides some advantages in terms of your creative process?
What can we expect to see from you in the coming year?
I’ve never been a big fan of the idea that weed is responsible for creativity, but I can’t speak to that for anyone other than myself. If someone wants to smoke because it relaxes them, decreases their anxiety, etc.—which allows for there creative juices to flow in a less encumbered way—by
The first major thing I have coming up in 2017 will be my second solo exhibition with Carl E. Smith Gallery opening in the upcoming spring. I’ve been working on this show for over a year, and I am very excited to finally be putting this work in front of people in a tangible way. c
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Strains that inhibit weight loss and can help you keep calm and keep trimming down in 2017 by M. Jay
The turkey and fixings have been put away and the early morning gym escapades and diets of all kinds have commenced. Are you having a hard time get up early and eating your vegetables? Are you craving sweets in
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front of the TV in your PJs? Well, the solution may be in cannabis strains with THCV. THCV, or tetrahydrocannabivarin, is generally found in sativas, and is known for giving boosts of energy, it also helps to control the appetite. Smoking strains known to have THCV help make you feel less hungry. The consensus is that you would smoke a
high THCV sativa strain in the morning and before meals and exercise. Then you would smoke a high THCV indica leaning strain in the evenings to enable relaxation. The biggest question is which strains have this natural weight loss booster? After a bit of research, we have come up with some common strains to consider adding into your repetoire. >>
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Super Silver Haze Super Silver Haze makes many people super happy. This sweet and earthy tasting sativa hybrid uplifts and satisfies the hunger within, without the need for a bag of chips and a cupcake. A mix of Northern Lights, Skunk #1 and Haze, SS Haze can keep you going all day while enabling your creativity. Hint: Be careful when using this strain for edibles as the onset of an intensified effect from this strain may cause vertigo.
Durban Poison
This pure sativa is from a land race in South Africa. The town of Durban to be exact. Sativas are known to be uplifting and creative, but this strain takes that to the max. A great strain for when you need to move your body or flex your mind. And, of all the strains on this list, this is probably the best strain for keeping the munchies at bay, since it tests incredibly high for THCV. This strain can be found in Southern California and throughout Oregon and Colorado.
Pineapple Purps
This citrusy bud is known to create euphoric feelings that keep anxiety attacks at bay. The ratio of THC to THCV ratio in this strain 3:1, which fights the feeling of the munchies. Pineapple Purps also helps those who can’t sleep. Instead of late night munchies, this strain will help you forget about food and to catch those Zs.
G13
Although G13 is an indica-dominant strain, it still has some of the effects of a strong sativa. And it has the THCV that destroy hunger. This bud has an elevating feeling and gives the user energy to get off the couch and makes you ready to socialize, as long as you don’t smoke too much. Paired with a high CBD strain, this combo can and probably will, put you to
sleep. This pine and earthy tasting strain is widely available, so if you ask around you can probably find it.
Jack the Ripper
Found in Washington, this strain comes from Jack’s Cleaner and Space Queen. It packs a punch of THC, sometimes testing at over 20 percent. Be careful, this strain can cause a bit of paranoia, but it is a solid sativa and holds that appetiteblocking gem of THCV. And although you may not want to eat, Jack the Ripper will rip the saliva out of your mouth, so make sure to stay hydrated while consuming this one.
Willie Nelson
This appetite-suppressing strain also invokes happiness and laughter and may even cause one to break out the old guitar and get down on some country music. With lineage from Nepalese and South Asian sativas, many reviewers say that this is such an uplifting effect that it can completely combat depression. Many of the pharmaceuticals that claim to help with bouts of extreme sadness also increase the appetite, causing an average of 10 pounds of weight gain. This sativa helps regulate weight and depression, without other harsh side effects caused by manufactured pharmaceuticals. You can generally find this strain in Washington and Colorado, but you can find it as far south as Arizona and as far east as Michigan.
Green Crack
This super racy strain has a hungerbusting effect to it as well. With a wide range of availability throughout the U.S., this super sweet and citrusy strain comes from Skunk #1. You can expect to feel awake and full of energy off this potent bud, but overdoing it can cause paranoia and anxiety. It’s a great strain to use when you need to focus, but can also cause moisture loss and redness in the eyes.
These are just a few of the strain options when it comes to the appetite controlling THCV. Look for strains with lineage from African landraces. If you have a dispensary or collective at your fingertips, ask for the testing results. For avid smokers, simply paying attention to how each strain affects you can help to tell you what to smoke.
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Cannabis consumers are generally healthier than non-cannabis users because we tend to make better choices in the food we choose to consume. Even though strains that contain THCV can help to suppress your appetite, it is still best to maintain a healthy diet and to exercise regularly. c
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Chinese New Year and Cannabis Infuse Your Year of the Rooster with Hemp and Cannabis! This Chinese New Year, we welcome the year of the Rooster. Though we’re in the new year of 2017, old and contemporary traditions still carry on through the Chinese culture. Chinese people celebrate their New Year’s in different ways such as having a festival, decorating buildings with red and gold banners, eating lucky foods to name a few. China’s long time friend, cannabis, has for many years been an essential part of the country's history, from using hemp bowstrings for weapons to diffusing cannabis leaves into tea to other medicinal ailments. Question is, how can cannabis be incorporated with contemporary Chinese New Year traditions?
Cleaning the House
Paying Respects to Ancestors
Seven days prior to New Year’s Day, which this year lands on January 28, Chinese families will begin their celebrations by participating in several preparations. One Chinese New Year (CNY) custom is called, “Sweeping the Dust”. According to China Highlights, cleansing the house from top to bottom represents welcoming in the New Year and bidding farewell to the previous year, just as the saying goes, “Out with the old and in with the new.” A great sativa strain would definitely help get your house spick and span. Since sativa carries cerebral properties, this would help with focusing, organization and energy.
One major tradition that is essential to celebrating CNY for the Chinese is paying respects to their ancestors. Offerings of food and incense are performed at the temple to please the spirits of the deceased and to receive good luck for the incoming year. To cannabisize this tradition, we suggest offering cannabis infused foods and cannabis incense to satisfy your ancestors.
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Eating Lucky Foods A common Chinese superstition would be to eat foods that will bring in good luck on New Year’s Eve. An ancient tradition among the Chinese is eating
long noodles. They say if you eat your noodles without cutting them, it means you will live a long life. With all those noodles to eat, you would need a huge appetite. We suggest starting with a good indica strain to get your munchies going. Or, consider dousing your noodles in some cannabis-infused chili oil!
Lantern Festival The final hooray during this 16 day celebration is the Lantern Festival. Thousands of lit up paper lanterns are released into the sky and/or thousands of floating lanterns are released into the sea, river, or lake. This magical event is shared among friends and family. We suggest consuming a good hybrid strain to get the best out of your magical experience. Chinese people believe that what you do on the first day of the year determines how the rest of your year will be. So make sure you follow those traditions are kept alive and if you choose to add cannabis to your festivities, consume responsibly and know the perfect dosage to take while participating in these festivities. Happy Chinese New Year! c
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Diversity
Drives Prominent pioneers in the cannabis industry
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he burgeoning cannabis industry is largely dominated by people who are Caucasian, but that doesn’t mean there are not diversified individuals also leading the cannabis industry in great and innovative ways. In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day this month, and his dream for equality and justice for people of all races, sexes and creeds, we have highlighted some
leaders in the cannabis industry who are helping to bring balance, equality and great businesses to this industry.
Alice A. Huffman: Huffman is the President of the California chapter of the NAACP and has publicly endorsed cannabis legalization initiatives while also fighting to allow people with cannabis-related minor crimes the opportunity to participate in the booming industry. Dr. Sanjay Gupta: Gupta is a multiple Emmy-award winning chief medical correspondent for CNN, a practicing neurosurgeon, professor, writer and producer. In 2013, Gupta produced and reported on the healing medicinal qualities of cannabis and why it should not be illegal in a three-part series, WEED. Ziv Turner: Turner is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer for One 96
World Cannabis Ltd. A successful businessman and experienced engineer, he is helping One World Cannabis conduct medical research to develop new and unique delivery systems for cannabis and cannabinoid intake for medical patients. Krystal Kitahara: Kitahara is the Owner and Chief Executive Officer of Yummi Karma, a femalemarketed edibles company that specializes in tinctures, popcorn, sauces, salad dressings and infused chips. She is passionate about playing a role in the political debate surrounding legalization of cannabis and supports organizations that empower women and give back to the communities. Seibo Shen: Shen is the Founder and Chief
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Executive Officer of VapeXhale and created the company’s flagship product The Cloud vaporizer. With a lot of previous work in Silicon Valley, his tech experience helped his product win five best product awards in its first year on the market. Wanda James: James is one of the first AfricanAmerican cannabis collective owners in Colorado, and is also a successful entrepreneur through her Southern restaurant, Jezebel. She is Co-Owner and Co-Founder of Simply Pure with her husband Scott Durrah, a respected cannabis chef. She has a prominent past in politics, and has worked for President Barack Obama, Jared Polis and stays politically active through her own consulting firm, Cannabis Global Initiative. Abdullah Saeed: Saeed is a journalist, producer and musician, currently working for VICE, writing music and cannabis-related columns and hosting Weediquette, a show that dives into all areas of the cannabis industry and culture through compelling stories and experiences. Jesce Horton: Horton is Co-Founder and Board Chairman of the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA), as well as the Co-Owner of the Oregon-based Saints Cannabis Dispensary. He strives to ensure that the cannabis industry endeavors to offer sustainable practices, with a focus on diversity as well as environmental efficiency. Brandy Petricka: Petricka is the Marketing Director Dark Heart Industries in the Northern California Bay Area, who helps spread the word
about the company’s highquality clones that boast larger plant and leaf sizes, as well as improved root systems. Steve DeAngelo: DeAngelo is a national cannabis icon who has written numerous books about various cannabis topics, is Founder and Owner of the famous Northern California collective, Harborside Health Center, is CoFounder of the Arcview Group, and a recognizable activist in the cannabis industry. Kayvan Khalatbari: Khalatbari is an advocate, entrepreneur, comedian and consultant. He is CoOwner and co-founder of Denver Relief Consulting, Co-Owner and Co-Founder of Sexy Pizza, Co-Founder and Partner in Sexpot Comedy and is recognized as a great advocate and leader in the Colorado cannabis industry. CannaNative: This trio of Native Americans (Anthony Rivera Jr., Andy Nakai and Cedric Black Eagle) formed CannaNative to help other Native American tribes develop hemp and cannabis-based economies. They strive to give all tribes the chance to help nurture their cannabis economies, both for current and future generations. Yamin BolanoS: Bolanos is the Owner of PureLife Alternative Wellness Center in Los Angeles. Alongside her successful business, she has helped guide politicians toward proper legislation in her area; she also fights against the cannabis stigma that is still present in her local Latino community through partnering up with Safe Access to educate the community the benefits of medical cannabis. c
culture growing RECIPES UNKNOWN
by Ed Rosenthal
Last month I demonstrated how I “painted” stigmas, the receptive portions of female plants with pollen obtained from female plants. They were induced to produce the pollen using a commercial product made this the purpose. I am sad to report that no seeds were produced by any of the plants using pollen from three different treated plants. Every portion of the experiment failed to produce seeds, only one method produced pollen and it seemed to be infertile. There are a lot of methods for making clones. A commonly used method is sticking cuttings in rockwool or soil. One of the most popular methods is aeroponic, continuously misting the stems with a fine spray. Many commercially available cloning machines use this method and there are several videos available on YouTube showing how to make them. I take plant cuttings
all the time and am often able to root them in a glass of water. Others require rockwool or a planting mix. One company used to produce a water-based cloning tray but it got mixed reviews. Still, I have been fascinated by the possibility of rooting in water. In this first experiment clones were placed in about two inches of water, and were held in place using neoprene corks. The tray was placed on a half-inch thick Styrofoam board to prevent heat transference to the concrete floor. Originally the tray held a small circulating pump that also mixed in a bit of air using the venturi effect. A fluorescent light was hung 19” inches over the plants. The cuttings were placed in water adjusted to a pH of 6, but after a week there was no indication of callus growth on the stem. Next I decided to add some more oxygen. People sometimes add hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) to the water because it’s unstable and gradually adds oxygen to the water. I decided to use a machine new to the market that uses hydrolysis
TIP OF THE MONTH Traditionally and continuing today, Moroccans store their dried, harvested stalks with buds in waterproofed unheated sheds until winter’s cold set in. Only then, when the trichomes were brittle and not tacky was the material processed. You may be able to follow their practice. Let nature freeze the material you want to process: trim and crushed mininugs. Then while it’s still freezing hand screen the material using a trim screen or a rotating kief maker running small amounts of material for just a minute or so, as long as the falling dust remains blond. This is top quality. Quality lowers as it turns greenish.
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to oxygenate water. This occurs when electric current passes through water. It breaks it up into its elemental form: The gasses hydrogen and oxygen. When I saw this demonstrated, I was impressed that it turned a large tank of water foggy with oxygen in just a few minutes. I added this to the water tray and set it using a repeating timer for 1 minute on/1 minute off. At the same time I added a heat mat underneath the tray to maintain a minimum water temperature of 68 °. The plant cuttings started rooting within days. Unfortunately, I was away when the roots first appeared. More experiments and details of this method to come next month. Now, I am asking you to decide whether I should continue this experiment, “Making Feminized Seeds,” or move on. If you decide that I should continue, I will bring in an expert seed propagator to help us. Please visit our contest page (ireadculture.com/ contests) and indicate Yes or No. In exchange for your participation I’ll send you some tips for your garden! Please take a minute to vote on whether to continue the quest for “Making Feminized Seeds.” c
Cuttings sitting in tray.
Cuttings underside tray showing roots on all the clones.
A small circulation pump and the hydrolysis unit kept the water oxygenated and moving.
Close-up of roots on sem.
Planted clone
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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St. Croix Celebrates 12 Days of Carnival by Sheryll Alexander
January is perhaps the best time of year when it comes to St. Croix cannabis travel, as this gem of a Caribbean island in the U.S. Virgin Islands annually celebrates Crucian Christmas Carnival during the first week of the month. Held from Christmas Day through January 7, St. Croix’s 2017 carnival festivities rev up as the sun goes down. Each evening has a different theme (for example: Reggae, calypso, Latin, children, adults) and always includes costumes, music, dancing, food, drink and good times. St. Croix is The U.S. Virgin Islands’ most remote island and the biggest, at around 85 square miles. This isolation—as well as the incredibly chill vibe from being home to some of the world’s best white sand beaches and its rich Afro-Caribbean-Euro culture—is another reason why cannabis enthusiasts flock to scenic St. Croix. And while St. Croix and the U.S. Virgin Islands may seem very far away, the good news is American citizens do not need a passport, the main language is English and the currency is U.S. green backs. Another reason to choose St. Croix is the island has recently undergone a farm-to-table
if you go: culinary Renaissance. St. Croix’s culinary scene was always a decidedly delicious mix of West African, native Caribbean, European (Danish, French, Spanish), South American and North American flavors, but a new breed of organic farmers and young chefs has made the island into an international fine dining dream come true. Seeking romance? St. Croix caters to couples who really want to get away from it all. The island’s accommodations include charming boutique properties positioned atop bucolic beaches. Many of these B&Bs, villas, condos and luxury hotels specialize in couples “therapy”: Zen-like cottage suites, chic outdoor lounging spaces, couple-centric spas and candlelit dinners on the sand. Of course, ocean sports abound in St. Croix. Scuba diving and snorkeling are some of the world’s best while the global sailing community constantly gathers at the island’s “twin city” port towns of Dane-inspired Christiansted and Victorian-era Frederiksted. Multicultural cannabis aficionados who love the mellow Caribbean island lifestyle will fall ferociously in love with St. Croix and most especially during carnival’s nightly party scene. c
Fun-Filled Facts 2017 marks the 100th anniversary of “Transfer Day” when the Danishheld “West Indies” officially became the U.S. Virgin Islands. Centennial celebrations abound all year long as the islands embrace both their Danish and American heritages. 1
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Time to Go: January Weather: High 80s with some rainfall Budget: $$$$$
The U.S. Virgin Islands is the only Caribbean destination that celebrates carnival thrice a year. Each island hosts a two-week carnival festival (St. Croix during the holidays, St. Thomas in late April and St. John at the end of July). 2
The U.S. Virgin Islands benefits from a strong Rastafari culture as Jamaica is 800 or so miles away. However, this U.S. territory has yet to legalize medical cannabis. In 2014, the territory’s Senate overrode then Gov. John P. DeJongh’s veto of a cannabis decriminalization provision, which has since eliminated jail time for minor possession (you can get fined $100-$200 for carrying up to one ounce). As with any chill island culture where cannabis is still illegal on the record, make certain to acquire from downto-earth locals who frequent beaches, bars and clubs. While most islanders won’t bat an eye when they get a whiff of that tell-tale cannabis aroma, resist lighting up around schools, hotels, shops and government buildings as well as crowded parks and beaches.
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culture growing
Jenifer F.
Age: 22
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Condition/Illness: Anxiety & IBS
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When did you start using medical cannabis? June 2016. It would have been months sooner, but my name was misspelled in the system and I had to go through the application process all over again. Did you try other methods or treatments before cannabis? During high school, I had been tried on a slew of medications. All of them caused me to just become increasingly agitated instead of relieved, most of time, to the point of hysteria. If I was not freaking out, I was nodding out like a zombie. I would get nauseous and then sleep for hours. The doctors told me the antidepressants, anti-anxiety, acid reflux and sleep medications would help me feel more normal, and that my use of cannabis (at the time recreational) was only harming me and causing my symptoms. I argued with my parents and doctors for years. It was not until I turned 18 that I was able to start getting the real help I needed. I now visit a dispensary here in MA, have a wonderful counselor and a kick ass nutritionist to keep me on track, motivated and healthy in life.
What’s the most important issue or problem facing medical cannabis patients? I cannot speak for all medical cannabis patients, but for me, here in MA, there are only six dispensaries. I drive a little over an hour to the dispensary and it is expensive. Insurance does not pay for this, but insurance gladly covered all the pharmaceuticals the doctors prescribed me. The laws and regulations are SO strict and difficult, from what I understand. If you are a medical patient in MA and have ever tried to call the patient service number to check the status of your application of call for information, you know what I am about to say . . . It takes forever to get a hold of someone, like hours, and their answer is usually to go on to the website and that’s just a whole mess in itself. Even though we have had medical cannabis since 2012, the system is still so new and small and there is a lot of work to be done. What do you say to folks who are skeptical about cannabis as medicine? There is nothing to be afraid of. With the right explanation, education and a comfortable, safe environment cannabis can be a wonderful tool for healing. It is quite simple, times are changing; and the way you view this plant and the people who consume it should too. Cannabis users are not just hooligans getting all “guppy eyed” at the skate park anymore; they are business people and parents and successful creatives from all walks of life. c
Are you an MMJ patient with a compelling story to tell? If so, we want to hear from you. Email your name, contact information and details about your experiences with medical cannabis to courage@ireadculture.com.
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culture growing RECIPES
Sweet Beginnings to Start Your New Year Off Right Menu: Canna-Banana Bread
Alsace Lorraine Fine Pastries
4334 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach (562) 427-5992 www.alsacelorrainepastries.com
IN
COURAGE
DESTINATION
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Parmesan Macaroni and Cheese
PROFILE
Blackmarket Bakery
2937 Bristol St., Costa Mesa (714) 662-3095 www.blackmarketbakery.com
Walnut Cinnamon Rolls
Grub
911 Seward St., Los Angeles (323) 461-3663 www.grub-la.com
recipes by Keira Fae Every once in a while, I take my mornings off and wake and bake; and, when I say “wake and bake,” I literally mean I wake up at 7am, preheat the oven and start baking (of course while smoking my morning joint). Here are three recipes I enjoy on these special occasions that are delicious, filling and easy! All infused with Ambrosia’s Extra Virgin Coconut Oil or Extra Virgin Olive Oil, making it easier to micro-dose and or substitute ingredients without skimping on taste or texture, giving each dish a perfect subtle taste. Let’s start cooking!
Canna-Banana Bread
Servings: 6-8 slices
Ingredients 3 tablespoons Ambrosia’s Infused Coconut Oil
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup of sugar
4 very ripe bananas
2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
A pinch of salt
Directions Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly butter a 4x8-inch loaf pan, set aside. In a mixing bowl, mash ripe bananas until smooth. Stir in melted butter. Mix the baking soda and salt into the banana mixture. Mix in the sugar, beaten eggs and vanilla extract. Slowly add the all-purpose flour while stirring (1 minute). Add Extra Virgin Coconut Oil, mix well. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake for 50 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely before taking out of the loaf pan. Serve with butter and honey! Dosage: Each slice approximately 6-7.5mg THC
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Local eateries with similar dishes:
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Keira Fae discovered the healing powers of the cannabis plant in 2014, after suffering from a debilitating illness. Rather than taking a handful of different pharmaceuticals, she decided to smoke all natural medical cannabis instead. The instant improvement to her health, the return of her appetite, increased energy and complete pain relief inspired her to figure out how to cook with cannabis to help herself and those she cared about. After just a couple of years, Fae founded her own infused edibles company in collaboration with Weedmaps, and began to film and disseminate stepby-step instructional video guides on how to cook with cannabis. She now also offers an infused oil line called Ambrosia’s Oils, with a 1:1 THC:THCa. Fae believes it’s imperative that patients know what they are putting into their bodies and also understanding what cannabis can do for their overall health. For more information check out KeiraFae.com.
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culture
Walnut Cinnamon Rolls
growing
Ingredients for Rolls:
RECIPES UNKNOWN DESTINATION COURAGE IN PROFILE
2 tablespoons Ambrosia’s Infused Coconut Oil (30mg)
1/2 cup hot milk
3 1/2-4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 ounce package dry yeast
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup warm water
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup sugar
Ingredients for Cinnamon Filling: 1/4 cup melted butter, plus more for pan
3/4 cup sugar, plus more for pan
2 tablespoons Ambrosia’s Infused Coconut Oil (30mg)
2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
Ingredients for Glaze: 4 tablespoons butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups powdered sugar
3-6 tablespoons warm milk
Directions:
Parmesan Macaroni and Cheese Servings: 2
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons Ambrosia’s Extra Virgin Olive Oil (30 mg) 1/2 pounds pasta, any shape (I prefer Macaroni) 2 tablespoons allpurpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/4 cup whole milk 2 1/2 cups shredded cheeses, Cheddar, Pepper Jack and Colby
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Dissolve the yeast in a small bowl with warm water and set aside. In a large bowl mix, infused coconut oil, melted butter, milk, sugar, salt and egg. Add all-purpose flour, mix till smooth and add yeast mixture. Mix well until dough is firm enough to handle. Knead dough on a lightly floured surface, place the dough in a greased bowl, cover for 1-1 1/2 hours or until dough has doubled in size. While dough rises, mix melted butter, infused coconut oil, sugar and ground cinnamon to create the cinnamon filling. Roll dough out on a floured surface a rectangle. Spread melted butter corner to corner. Repeat with cinnamon filling mixture, corner to corner. Roll dough ad cut into 12 pieces. Place cinnamon rolls close together and let rise for 45 minutes or until rolls have doubled in size. Bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown. While your rolls are baking, mix butter, vanilla, and powdered sugar in a small bowl. Add warm milk 1 teaspoon at a time, until desired constancy. Spread over cooled roll and add walnuts or your favorite topping. Enjoy! Dosage: Each serving 5mg THC
Directions: Bring 4 cups water to a boil over high heat, add pasta and salt. Cook until pasta is soft (about 5-6 minutes) and strain, set aside. Prepare the cheese sauce using the same pot; add 1 cup milk over medium low heat. Once warm, add remainder of milk and flour, whisk until smooth. Turn the heat to low, add infused oil and cheese by the handful. Mix until smooth and creamy. Remove from heat. Combine the pasta and cheese sauce in a separate bowl. Add extra parmesan and basil. Enjoy! Dosage: Each serving 15mg
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Servings: 12
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Legal Disclaimer Publishers of this publication are not making any representations with respect to the safety or legality of the use of medical marijuana. The recipes listed here are for general entertainment purposes only, and are intended for use only where medical marijuana is not a violation of state law. Edibles can vary in potency while a consumers’ weight, metabolism and eating habits may affect effectiveness and safety. Ingredient management is important when cooking with cannabis for proper dosage. Please consume responsibly and check with your doctor before consumption to make sure that it is safe to do so.
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Chuck Shepherd's
News of the
Weird
LEAD STORY— FUTURE OF TRAVEL u Australian aviator David Mayman has promised investors that his personal jet packs will hit the market by mid-2017, though early adopters will pay about $250,000 for one, to fly a person at up to 60 mph for 10 minutes. The JB-10 (developed by Mayman and designer Nelson Tyler) has made about 400 test runs in Monaco and over downtown London and New York City, but the partners realize that ultimate success will require that the fuel tanks be downsized so that the craft can be powered electrically—and thus seek crowdfunding both for that model and a larger one to accommodate the Pentagon’s (Special Operations Command) tactical needs. THE CONTINUING CRISIS u Wild Life: The state agency Colorado Parks and Wildlife filed 21 criminal charges in October against the Squirrel Creek Wildlife Rescue center in Littleton, alleging that some of the orphaned and rehabbing animals Kendall Seifert houses are not being kept according to the state’s strict standards— and that Seifert’s 15-year-old center is also home to his popular swingers’ club (Scarlet Ranch) featuring weekend sex parties. One of the criminal charges suggests that rescue animals could be stressed by gazing at activity in the ranch’s bar area. Seifert said he will challenge the charges out of fear that many of the raccoons, foxes, song birds, coyotes, skunks, rabbits and squirrels he would have to relinquish would not find suitable facilities elsewhere.
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u Episode Almost Ended in a Tie: In November, in a remote area of Oregon’s Maury Mountains, a 69-year-old man killed an elk and dragged the carcass behind his off-road vehicle up a hill. According to the Crook County Sheriff’s office, the vehicle suddenly flipped over backward, and the man landed on, and was impaled by, the elk’s antlers. Fellow hunters summoned a helicopter, and the man has apparently survived. THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT u (1) In a retail market long dominated by priests, “nonsectarian” funeral eulogizers now offer to give individually tailored remembrances of the deceased for a fee, according to an October report by a New York Post reporter who interviewed two local “celebrants,” who cited the declining appeal of “prayers.” (2) The British retailer ASOS announced in August that 3-foot-long clip-on dinosaur tails had sold out in one of its two models (although New York magazine, which reported it in the U.S., was, for obvious reasons, baffled about why). THE WAY THE WORLD WORKS u Brittany Maynard, then 29, became “the face of the Right to Die movement” in 2014, according to a New York Post column, when she chose a legal physician-assisted suicide rather than awaiting the growth of her terminal brain tumor. In October, terminally ill California mother Stephanie Packer hoped to be “the face of the Right to Live movement” after revealing that her insurance company denied coverage for a drug that could extend her life—but at the same time disclosed that her suicide drugs are covered, and even disclosed her co-pay ($1.20). MEDICAL MARVELS u Margaret Boemer’s baby LynLee was “born” twice. In an October Texas Children’s
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Hospital interview, doctors described how the need to rid Boemer’s fetus of a rapidly growing tumor required them, at Boemer’s 23rd week of pregnancy, to remove the fetus completely from the uterus until it was “hanging out in the air” so that they could cut away the tumor and then reposition the fetus into the uterus. LynLee was “born” again by C-section 13 weeks later. SUSPICIONS CONFIRMED u San Francisco State University researchers revealed in April that no fungi or fecal bacteria were found on the seats of the city’s bus line or rapid transit trains (unlike their findings in 2011 before officials adopted easier-to-clean seats), but that a “rare” and “unusual” strain, called Pigmentiphaga was found—previously associated only with South Korean wastewater and the South China Sea. The city’s Department of Health said, of course, not to worry. PERSPECTIVE u A high-level policy document released by the Chinese government in September detailed plans to use technology to monitor citizen behavior to such a degree that each person would receive a “social credit” score (similar to a FICO score in the U.S. but covering a range of conduct beyond financial) that would be the basis for allotting perks such as government support in starting businesses and whether parents’ children are eligible for the best schools. “(K)eeping trust is glorious,” according to the document, and “good” behavior promotes a “harmonious socialist society.” ARKANSAS CHIC u Kristi Goss, 43, an assistant to a Garland County (Arkansas) judge, was arrested in October and charged with stealing nearly $200,000 in public funds, which she used to buy such things as a tuxedo for her dog, sequined throw 108
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pillows, a “diamond bracelet” (retailing for $128) and, of course, Arkansas Razorback football tickets. THE ARISTOCRATS! u (1) Motorist Kurt Jenkins, 56, was arrested in November in Boynton Beach, Florida, after a pedestrian said Jenkins, naked, motioned him to his car to take a look. The pedestrian said there were children in the area—and also that Jenkins appeared to have wires running from his genitals to an unidentified “electrical device.” (2) Among a stash of pornography found recently on the computer of Michael Ward, 70, were photos of humans having some sort of sex with “horses, dogs, (an) octopus and (an) eel,” according to a report of England’s Chelmsford Crown Court proceedings. A pre-sentencing order forbade Ward to have contact with children under 16 (but was silent about possible contact with fish or mollusks). THE PASSING PARADE u (1) At press time, “Bugs Bunny” and “Pink Panther” were on trial in St. Catharines, Ontario, on aggravatedassault charges from a Halloween 2015 bar fight in which “Dracula’s” ear was severely slashed with a broken bottle. “There was a lot of blood,” said a witness (but coming from Dracula, not being sucked out by Dracula). (Update: The judge cleared Bugs, but was still deliberating on Panther.) (2) The tardigrade is an ugly micro-organism that is perhaps the sturdiest animal on Earth, able to endure otherwise-impossible living conditions and (thanks to gene- sequencing) known to be composed of DNA not seen elsewhere. A Japanese company recently began selling an oversized, cuddlable tardigrade toy “plushie” authenticated by science’s leading tardigrade authority, professor Kazuharu Arakawa of Keio University.
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