Culture Magazine SoCal July 2016 by Culture Magazine

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contents 07.16 Vol 8 IssUE 1

BEATS AND BASS Berner is a veteran of the rap and cannabis communities who puts great emphasis on positive music, family and cannabis legalization.

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ON THE COVER:

photo by Duncan Rolfson

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inside

contents

07.2016

features 86

146

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Concentrate Novice Everything first-time users need to know about the art of cannabis concentrates.

Evolution In Extracts The evolution of solvent-less extracts has come a long way, but extracting cannabinoids from cannabis plants has been around for centuries.

The Future Of Cannabis The pros and cons of using concentrates versus flowers.

104

Industry Insider Chief Technology Officer at United Cannabis, Tony Verzura is helping medical cannabis patients everywhere.

108

The Best Protection Hemp could make lighter and stronger weapons, as well as lightweight armor and protective materials.

112

Rewarding Research A new study reveals fascinating links between exposure to cannabinoids and gender developing hormones.

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The Time is Now California will vote on recreational cannabis this November, with AUMA.

118

Steadfast South Dakota Women from New Approach South Dakota and South Dakota Coalition for Compassion are making strides for cannabis patients in their state.

122

Photographic Passion Photographer Linnea Stephan is able to spot perfect moments and compositions.

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Cannabis Country Texas Hippie Coalition seamlessly blends country music with hard rock, and has a strong love for cannabis.

128

Bigger And Better Johnny Richter, formerly of Kottonmouth Kings, tells all about his solo album, cannabis and his evolving career.

130

Back To Basics Hip-hop artist IrePlenish is taking the genre back to its roots.

departments news 20 News Nuggets 28 By the Numbers 34 Local News 36 Legal Corner 40 Healthy Living reviews 44 Company Highlight 46 Strain & Concentrate Reviews 58 Cool Stuff 60 Entertainment Reviews 64 Liner Notes in every issue 132 Shooting Galleries 140 Growing Culture 142 Destination Unknown 144 Profile in Courage 146 Recipes 150 SoCal Now! 153 News of the Weird

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online Exclusive! d Legal Cannabis Hurts ISIS d Insurance Companies

Struggle to Give Life Insurance Policies to Cannabis Patients

Vol 8 IssUE 1

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CULTURE M

Publisher Jeremy Zachary Editor-In-Chief Evan Senn associate Editor Ashley Bennett Editorial coordinator Jamie Solis Editorial Contributors Benjamin Adams, Sheryll Alexander, Marguerite Arnold, Jake Browne, Cole Garrison, Jasen T. Davis, Alex Distefano, David Downs, Natasha Guimond, Addison Herron-Wheeler, Anthony Herrold, Pamela Jayne, Heather Johnson, Joe Jatcko, David Jenison, Kevin Longrie, Emily Manke, Tyler Markwart, Meital Manzuri, Sandy Moriarty, Madison Ortiz, Denise Pollicella, R. Scott Rappold, Paul Rogers, Joy Shannon, Lanny Swerdlow, Simon Weedn, Zara Zhi Photographers Steve Baker, Kristopher Christensen, John Gilhooley, Joel Meaders, Duncan Rolfson Art Director Steven Myrdahl production manager Tommy LaFleur Graphic Designers Tanya Delgadillo, Meilani Darby los angeles Jon Bookatz sales manager Account Executives Rob Bayless, Eric Bulls, Kim Cook, Cole Garrison, Gene Gorelik, Teddy Helms, Emily Musser, Beau Odom, Justin Olson, Jim Saunders, Chris Thatcher general Manager Iris Norsworthy Office Assistant Angelina Thompson digital media Editor David Edmundson 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. 2175 Sampson Ave. | Suite 118 Corona | California | 92879 Phone/Fax 888.694.2046 www.iReadCulture.com

CULTURE® Magazine is printed using post-recycled paper.

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/freeculturemag

/iReadCulture

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NEWS

nuggets Proposed Initiative Could Allow First Medical Collectives on Santa Catalina Island

Two O.C. Medical Cannabis Collective Measures Approved for November Ballot Costa Mesa will have two measures on its November ballot that will allow voters to decide whether or not they want medical cannabis collectives to operate within the city. The city council unanimously approved the measures to appear on the ballot on June 11. Both initiatives were proposed by cannabis advocates and drafted by law firms, with one measure allowing eight collectives, and the other allowing four, according to the Orange County Register. Although the proposals come off as genuine efforts to legalize medical collectives in a city that has banned such establishments since 2005, some city officials believe that it is an attempt for those who drafted the ordinance to make a profit. Hearing these concerns, the council concluded that it would write an argument against the measures. Randall Longwith, a lawyer who represents advocates behind the measures, stated that patients need safe and reliable access in the city and hopes that the city will allow “dignified safe access.”

Medical Cannabis Education Center Established in Pennsylvania Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania has created what it is calling the first medical cannabis research education center. The Center for Medical Cannabis Education & Research will be part of the Institute of Emerging Health Professions and will educate physicians and patients on medical cannabis therapies, as reported by the news magazine Philadelphia. Leading the center will be Doctor Charles V. Pollack Jr., who believes that the current dialogue surrounding medical cannabis is highly based off of “hype and advocacy.” Pollack Jr. believes that there is not yet enough scientific research to truly educate anyone properly on the plant’s medicinal properties. This announcement came one month after Pennsylvania became the 24th state to legalize medical cannabis. Funding for the center will come from groups interested in the advancement of medical cannabis.

Mark Malan, a realtor who owns a business on Santa Catalina Island, plans on turning his real-estate office into the island’s first medical cannabis collective. “It’s going to create wheelbarrows of money,” Malan said, some of which he plans on contributing to local funds. So far, Malan has gathered enough signatures to put an initiative on the ballot that would eliminate the island’s current ban on cannabis collectives and allow two to operate on its land, according to the Los Angeles Times. The initiative is called The Avalon Medical Cannabis Facility Act of 2016 and, if passed, will enact a 12 percent transaction fee for medical cannabis transactions and create an annual licensing tax of $10,000 for each collective. The initiative would also require a 1,000 foot buffer zone between collectives and public schools.

Pakistan Spreads Awareness for Cannabis Legalization With the constant political unrest in Pakistan right now, local medical cannabis activists decided to host one of the country’s first ever cannabis meetups last month, at Bin Qasim Park in Karachi. “The idea is to build a community, a society who believes in peace as much as we (the artists) do. This community serves as a bridge between artists, musicians and cannabis/hemp enthusiasts and gives them all a common ground to connect,” stated Agha Nomaan, a cannabis activist and filmmaker who helped coordinate the event. The meetup allowed for peaceful cannabis activists to join together as part of a campaign intended to persuade other Pakistani citizens and government officials to consider cannabis legalization. With online hashtag #420khi for social media to promote the event, the meetup reached an estimated 30,000 people.

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The number of approved applicants that were chosen by the Huntington Park City Council to operate a collective within the city: (Source: Los Angeles Wave)

NEWS

The number of months that Los Angeles County supervisors voted for a ban on growing medical cannabis in unincorporated areas of the county: (Source: Los Angeles Times)

The estimated number of different licenses that will categorize applications for medical cannabis businesses in California by January 1, 2018: (Source: The Santa Clarita Valley Signal)

The number of applications submitted to operate a medical cannabis collective in Huntington Park: (Source: Los Angeles Wave)

The estimated number of signatures that advocates in Long Beach collected for consideration of an ordinance that would allow resident patients to grow cannabis and allow one dispensary for every 18,000 residents who live in the city: (Source: Press-Telegram)

35 ,000

The amount of money, in millions of dollars, that the state of Illinois has made in medical cannabis revenue since November 9, 2015:

(Source: The Washington Times)

The number of votes from the Ohio House, out of 97, that were in favor of legalizing medical cannabis in the state: (Source: Cincinnati Enquirer)

The percentage of patients in Israel who reported significant improvements of their ailments after using medical cannabis: (Source: The Jerusalem Post)

The number of signatures that supporters of Initiative 182 in Montana, which would create a medical cannabis program, have collected to get the initiative on the November ballot:

30,000

(Source: KTVQ.com)

Chalice California

WHAT: Chalice California. WHEN/WHERE: Fri, July 8-Sun, July 10. Fri, 3pm to 12 am . Sat-Sun, 12pm to 12 am . San Bernardino County Fairgrounds, 14800 7th St., Victorville. INFO: For more details, visit www.chalicecalifornia.com.

Chalice California is a cannabis competition that continues to grow each year, encouraging competitors to bring their A-game. At this year’s event, those competing will have a chance to put forth their best flower, edible, concentrate or topical. Although this year, Chalice California will have more competitive categories, so guests interested in attending as a judge will have to act quickly as there are very limited opportunities to do so. Official business aside, 28

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Chalice California will also feature musical performances, art installations, graffiti murals and The Glassblower Village, where guests can see live glassblowing sessions and purchase pieces from their favorite artists. Musical guests at this year’s Chalice California will include Wu-Tang Clan, Dizzy Wright and Futuristic. Lastly, don’t forget to bring your recommendation because there will be Prop 215 areas for guests to comfortably medicate.

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NEWS

LOCAL

Cannabis Banking Woes Defensive shooting at cannabis collective highlights banking issues

by Jamie Solis ith cannabis still considered a Schedule I substance under federal law, many cannabis businesses are forced to do all their business in cash. This is because banks or credit unions that accept money from cannabis businesses could be prosecuted for Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Know Your Customer (KYC). Cannabis collectives face a dangerous disadvantage due to this legislation, because they are forced to do business with large sums of cash on hand. These cash sums make cannabis collectives a target for robberies, which is what happened in Walnut Park, in early June. Around 10:40pm on June 7, the manager of a medical cannabis collective was forced to open fire at two armed suspects who were attempting to rob the establishment. According to www.weedhorn.com, the collective is named The HP Med Collective located on the 2400 block of Florence Avenue in Walnut Park. According to ABC7, the manager said the two suspects were wearing body armor and had their faces covered when they barged into the collective. With two assault rifles pointed directly at the manager, he felt he had no other option than to fire his handgun in self-defense. A nearby neighbor named Jasmine Chavez also spoke with Eyewitness

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News, stating that when she emerged from her house following the shooting, she saw the suspects on stretchers and being sent on their way in an ambulance. When Chavez spoke with the manager, he mentioned that he was really lucky to be alive and that he was happy his employees were safe as well. Eyewitness News also spoke with another nearby neighbor named Hector Martinez. Working at a cannabis collective in the past, Martinez is familiar with the necessary precautions collectives must take with so much cash on-hand, “A lot of money is kept inside, and that’s why they always hire guards and actually have to escort people with that amount of money so they won’t get robbed.” As reported by the Los Angeles Times, the two suspects were in critical condition following the altercation, and if they are released from the hospital, they will be taken into police custody. Activists continue to push for the rescheduling of cannabis for many reasons, one of which is to allow recreational and medical cannabis collectives to have bank accounts. Eliminating the amount of cash collectives are forced to have on-hand will deter violent criminals from seeing them as targets. Until then, there are a few options that collectives can take to protect their assets. Cannabis payment kiosks are just one solution to this cash problem. These

“Eliminating the amount of cash collectives are forced to have on-hand will deter violent criminals from seeing them as targets. Until then, there are a few options that collectives can take to protect their assets.”

cash management tools allow employees to deposit and store cash within a kiosk's safe, and the safe is inaccessible to employees. Armored security professionals are the only ones who are able to safely access and transport the cash. Other solutions involve heightened security measures, using payment by bitcoin and more. The best solution for these businesses will be the federal rescheduling of cannabis, but until then they will need to take necessary precautions to ensure their safety and security. c

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NEWS

legal corner

-Increase penalties and enforcement to close down all “illegal” collectives; -Create a regulatory framework for the city to implement in the event the AUMA is approved in November; -Extend Proposition D’s gross receipts tax to all collectives.

FUTURE FORECASTING

Amending Proposition D will not be enough for the green market in Los Angeles

by Meital Manzuri, Attorney at Law

he green lights aren’t so green for Los Angeles’ medical cannabis businesses. We have a multi-billion-dollar medical cannabis industry in California— arguably the largest in the entire world—our city takes up a majority piece of that pie. And yet, we are still being haunted by Proposition D—a patchwork and, quite frankly, broken set of laws that prevent our city from taking advantage of the imminent green rush that will be created by the MMRSA and perhaps the AUMA, if passed in November.

Prop D and MMRSA Clash, Leaving L.A. Behind As it stands now, Proposition D is incompatible with the MMRSA and, as a result, medical cannabis collectives in Los Angeles would be left out when state licenses are issued. This is because, under the MMRSA, state licenses will only be issued to collectives that already have a local license from their city. But, in Los Angeles no actual licenses are given to collectives by the city, actually, no licenses even exist. The only collectives in Los Angeles that can purport to be in compliance with Prop D are the seemingly 134 Pre-ICOs and even then, they only enjoy a limited immunity, not a license. L.A. Could Be Excluded from Needing a Local License Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer is trying to address this issue with a cleanup bill, AB-2385. Under a newly amended version of AB-2385, the state now asks the city to provide verification

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that the state license-seeking dispensary is one of the 134 Proposition D compliant collectives that were given limited legal immunity. This essentially puts the responsibility on the city to verify who is eligible for a state license. This bill, however, would be moot if the city simply amended Proposition D to license collectives. Back to the Drawing Board to Amend Prop D On May 3, after the state put the burden back on L.A., Los Angeles City Council President Herb Wesson, Jr. introduced a motion directing city staff to explore options for a March 2017 ballot measure asking voters to amend Proposition D. Specifically, Wesson’s motion asks city attorneys and other staffers to weigh ballot language that would effectively do the following: -Allow Prop D dispensaries to conform to the MMRSA;

p h o t o b y Mic h a el R o s ebr o c k

Wesson’s motion is a huge step forward, at least symbolically, towards smart cannabis regulation in Los Angeles. But it is still not enough. Wesson’s motion asks city staff to weigh in on the four issues above, but these four issues barely scratch the surface of all the critical issues that are currently impacting our cannabis economy today. The Motion as Stated Wesson acknowledges in his motion that “it is time for the city of Los Angeles to make adjustments to Proposition D allowing the city’s medical cannabis regulatory framework to better conform with [the MMRSA].” This suggests the possibility that the city will finally issue local licenses or permits to collectives, at least to Pre-ICO collectives. While this is great news for all the pre-ICO shops out there, it still leaves the non-Prop D businesses high and dry. If the city only opens up licensing to pre-ICO operators, then only a handful of collectives will control the entire market in Los Angeles, not to mention leave other medical cannabis businesses out in the cold. Moreover, because collectives are also banned in L.A. County unincorporated area, this would effectively leave no room for competition or entrepreneurial spirit in the Los Angeles cannabis industry. Licensing for Delivery and Cultivation? And what about delivery services which are currently banned under Proposition D? Delivery services support the most chronically ill and immobile patients who cannot make it to storefronts, yet these businesses are being systematically shut down by local police. In short, while the intent behind AB-2385 and Wesson’s recent motion is laudable, these proposed measures can only be as strong as the local laws upon which they rest. In its three years of existence, Proposition D has failed to prove itself as a functional regulatory framework. As such, Proposition D should not (or cannot) be used as the barometer for state licensure in Los Angeles. c

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NEWS

healthy living

Hemp Seeds and Nutrition

“Providing all 20 known amino acids, including the nine essential amino acids which our bodies cannot produce, hemp seeds are ideal to help your body construct the building blocks of life.”

by Lanny Swerdlow, RN LNC

Hemp, the non-psychoactive variety of cannabis sativa, is considered by many nutrition professionals to produce the most nutritious seed in the world. With its almost zero THC level, it most assuredly will help you get healthy and stay healthy. Hemp seeds are the safest, most digestible, balanced and complete source of protein, amino acids and essential fatty acids found in the plant kingdom. Hemp seeds are 1/3 protein, packing more of a punch than so-called energy bars. Providing all 20 known amino acids, including the nine essential amino acids which our bodies cannot produce, hemp seeds are ideal to help your body construct the building blocks of life. Significantly, hemp seed protein is 65 percent globular edestin, which plays a significant role in the body’s ability to resist disease and recover from illness. Globular edestin is essential for the development of disease-fighting antibodies and if you do not have enough of it, you will not produce enough antibodies to prevent the onset of disease and infections. Essential fatty acids, such as Omega 3 and Omega 6, are absolutely necessary for our bodies to produce the energy needed to keep us alive and functioning, but since our bodies cannot produce them, they must be taken in externally. It’s not just good enough that our bodies take in these essential fatty acids, they must be taken in the proper ratio. Hemp seeds not only contain bountiful quantities of Omega 6 and Omega 3 fatty acids, but just as importantly it is the only seed where the ideal 3:1 balance of Omega 6 over Omega 3 is found. Hemp seeds also have soluble and insoluble fiber, both of which contribute to good health by maintaining healthy bowel movements, preventing

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constipation, lowering bad cholesterol levels, controlling blood sugar and helping to maintain proper and proportional weight. That’s right—the fiber in hemp seeds can be part of a healthy diet that can help you lose weight and keep it off. The best part of hemp seeds is that they can be utilized in a variety of recipes from simple to gourmet. Like psychoactive cannabis comes in different forms—dried flower, tincture, wax— nutritious hemp seeds comes in different forms as well—whole seed, powder and oil. Hemp seeds are ideal for a bevy of culinary delights. Toast them, sprinkle on a salad, bake into a waffle, mix into a cup of yogurt or blend with almost anything you want for a healthy and tasty meal. Hemp powders are also adaptable and can be used in variety of recipes, but are exceedingly wonderful for healthy easyto-make beverages, sauces and dips.

Hemp seed oil is a bit problematic as it is not suitable for high temperature cooking because its burn point—the temperature at which the fats start to break down—is relatively low. You may not be able to fry with hemp seed oil but with its nutty flavor, hemp seed oil makes for healthy and tasty salad dressings and is ideal for hummus, dips, shakes and anything that is not cooked. Mixing the psycho-active properties of cannabis with the nutritional benefits of hemp seeds provides pleasure plus health. How about hemp seed pancakes smothered in canna-butter or cannabis-infused maple syrup? Got the cannabis munchies? Instead of potato chips, opt to satisfy those hunger pangs with a host of delicious and good-for-you, pre-packaged hemp seed snacks. No reason not to be healthy while you’re kicking back and enjoying life. c

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REVIEWs

company highlight

Spliffin How would you describe your company? What is your specialty? Spliffin is a leading producer of solvent-free concentrates and premium vaporizer hardware. Based out of Los Angeles, the company launched in the summer of 2014 and now serves close to 200 licensed dispensaries throughout California. Spliffin offers a variety of pre-filled vaporizer cartridges, batteries, apparel and accessories. Spliffin PURE, the company’s signature product, consists of premium, solvent-free extract and all natural plant terpenes. PURE is available in six varietals and delivers balanced euphoric effects at 700mg of THC per cartridge. What do you offer consumers/clients that others don’t? Spliffin was one of the first cannabis brands to offer first class products and transparent customer service. We’re proud of our work and back it with a satisfaction guarantee. We also pride ourselves on being open and responsive to user feedback. Our products are made to improve lives—whether that’s relieving stress, managing pain or igniting creative inspiration. For example, the color-coding of our cartridges was directly inspired by user feedback. If you want your company to grow, you must give your consumers a channel to provide feedback and insight. How and why did your company start up?

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Pasadena, CA (844) 775-4334 www.spliffin.com

Spliffin was founded to meet the need for clean, effective THC vape products that look, taste and feel good. When we entered this space back in 2014, there were very few producers that emphasized quality and purity. Everyone seemed to be focused on potency, with little regard for how products were made and what adverse effects they could have on your body. It’s a painstaking process, but with the right resources and expertise, you can give people that unbelievable effect, without compromising safety for effectiveness. With the changing landscape of MMJ and recreational cannabis, what do you see as the biggest challenges to your progress as a company? The biggest challenge is helping people outside of this industry realize that we, and a growing contingent of others, are seriously committed to finding a common ground for cannabis legalization and industry regulation. It takes time and a higher degree of professionalism than most in our industry are accustomed to, but with constructive dialogue and transparent intentions, we are steadily building momentum. What are the goals and vision moving forward, for your company? Where do you see your company in five years? We broke into this industry by raising standards and expectations, and that’s what

we’ll continue to do. From a product standpoint, that means developing exciting new products and improving existing ones. On a macro level, we hope to partner with every like-minded dispensary in California that prioritizes people over profit. In five years, we hope the landscape has evolved to a point where Spliffin’s euphoric effects can be enjoyed responsibly, without fear of recourse or persecution. What words of advice would you offer anyone seeking to enter the world of cannabis business? The allure of the “green rush” is seductively deceptive. There are incredible opportunities in this industry, but you have to have a legitimate game plan and align with the right partners. It’s not like the old days. Do your homework before

you align with someone, especially those that selfidentify as industry experts. You can’t expect to be an expert on every aspect of the business. What do you hope to accomplish in the MMJ industry? We just entered into a partnership with Polo Capital to help us with our next phase of funding and expansion. With their expertise and resources, we hope to continue growing so that the Spliffin name becomes synonymous with premium cannabis products. Any sneak peeks on new products or news you’d like to share? Keep an eye out for two very cool new product lines from Spliffin. Both are moving into production this summer and will begin hitting shelves before the fall. c

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REVIEWs

edible & concentrate Brass Knuckles Vape Pen (Gorilla Glue)

Available at: Collectives throughout California.

Everyone raves about this indica-dominant’s “knockout effect.” Being proud cannasseurs, we love to medicate with dense, trichome dusted buds, but the stickiness of the Gorilla Glue flowers tends to render a grinder useless. Enter the Brass Knuckles Vape Pen to rescue us all from glue covered fingers! The taste leaves a wonderful coat of lime on your tongue while a thick cloud of vapor permeates the room. The effects are potent, starting from the bottom of your lungs and going all the way up, until your eyes go numb. Beware, this strain isn’t for the casual user. This product, like the easily stowable weapon resembling the name of this company, will leave you dazed. The pen itself is sleek, gold and contrasts nicely against the translucent yellow liquid stored inside.

Neutron Genetics High Grade Banana OG Shatter Okay, amazing packaging and the almost translucent quality of this high grade shatter from Neutron Genetics aside—the thing that really sets this concentrate apart from other similar products is the taste. Bordering on overripe bananas mixed with apricot marmalade and cherry chapstick, this shatter had our mouths salivating from one inhale. The heady effects from this indica had us floating to the nearest In-N-Out for a well-earned cheeseburger after battling the urge to stay indoors and watch plants grow slowly, safely from our couch. And, as fate would have it we ended up having Gwen Stefani's hit song stuck in our heads for several hours afterwards so we'd surmise not only is this a great strain for insomniacs and sufferers of anorexia, but it also doesn't seem to effect memory. Stop by Union Collective in Los Angeles and tell them CULTURE said, "we ain't no holler back girls."

Available at: Union Collective in Los Angeles.

Ingrid Nug Run Shatter Available at: Kush Collective in Van Nuys.

It doesn't really matter what side you stand on in the debate of Nug vs. Trim run BHO (butane hash oil), this product will prove that you can't beat the terpenes and taste of fresh flowers. Usually known for its neon green buds and strong skunky odor, the Ingrid strain is transformed into a pull and snap sap that is much lighter in color and almost sweet on the nose. Once inhaled you won't be running anywhere anytime soon as you'll be too busy staring at the back of your eyelids. Patients suffering from cancer and other chronic pains will call this potent shatter a godsend, and you can find it at Kush Collective in Van Nuys.

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GET YOUR CLICKS

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REVIEWs

The Clear "Deep Sleep" Virgin Rosin We'll be honest, we went into this honey-like goo with full force and little knowledge of just how pure, not to mention powerfully potent, this product is. We realized our mistake as soon as we inhaled, and wound up becoming a victim of a YouTube binge watching session followed by a power snack session and a power nap. It was developed without the use of any chemical solvents in a process that utilizes both heat and pressure to produce a beautifully thick cloud of vapor and the sweet subtle taste of summer in your mouth. This "Deep Sleep" is worth its weight in gold for suffers of arthritis and anxiety as well as AIDS/HIV, and those who suffer from anorexia as well. Available in collectives throughout Southern California, check your local collective and bug them until they stock it.

Available at: Collectives throughout Southern California.

Blockhead Lemon Animal Cookie Shatter Along with the added benefit of always having amazing flowers and concentrates at our disposal, our job also allows us to help raise awareness of cannabis’ holistic healing benefits. Patients who are diagnosed with cancer and utilize chemotherapy and/or surgery can have problems with appetite loss, which can make eating an everyday challenge. Upon use by one of our cancer-suffering reviewers, before the thick cloud of vapor even had time to clear, we saw a bit of color come back and the faint outline of a smile creep across their face as we shared one of those magical moments usually seen in cheesy Coke commercials. The guys at Blockhead have a real winner with this product. The taste is derivative of its name, as your mouth and lungs fill with a sweet, slightly sour, aroma, reminiscent of those delicious cookies we used to quietly steal from the pantry before dinner. Stop by Club Meds in Costa Mesa and tell them CULTURE sent you.

Available at: Club Meds in Costa Mesa.

Eureka Vapor Clear 500mg Indica When someone offered us a ticket to see Steely Dan one random night, we weren’t sure we wanted to abandon our plans to smoke ourselves into a pleasant cannabis coma, but decided to head to the Hollywood Bowl with our Eureka Vapor Clear 500mg Indica vape cartridge stowed away in our pocket. Halfway through "Reelin' in the Years," we began to feel a nice effect creeping in as the crowd around us kicked their crocs up and settled into their chardonnays. The rose-colored band around the cartridge is a subtle hint at the perfume-like vape you get from this winner of Hempcon's 2015 Best CO2 Concentrate category. The company’s site boasts a very thorough breakdown of the compounds that make up their highly sought after products, and after you’ve experienced it for yourself, you can use their search engine to pick one up wherever Eureka products are sold. Available wherever: Eureka Products are carried.

Varavo Oil Cartridge Available wherever: Varavo products are carried.

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Sticking to a philosophy that the product is always more important than the packaging, don't let the simplicity fool you, at around 70 percent THC, the Varavo CO2 extracted oil vaporizer cartridge packs a wicked punch. Lab tested for potency multiple times during production, it would appear that these guys are sticklers for purity and perfection. Both the quality and respect for their patients really puts Varavo at a notch above the rest. The taste is earthy and somewhat sweet while the effect was perfectly euphoric and grounding. The discreet cartridge will fit most standard sized vape pens and is available in both indica as well as sativa. Check your local collective and add these to your arsenal.

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REVIEWs

Sage N Sour Premium CO2 Oil

Available wherever: POP Naturals products are carried.

SoCal patients have one of California’s best extract options this summer with POP Naturals’ Sage N Sour oil—an ultra-refined, medical-grade extract used for serious daytime conditions. This is pharma-grade medical cannabis extract, derived from organic, outdoor California Sage N Sour—a sativa hybrid of Diesel and SAGE (which includes Haze and Afghani). POP Naturals uses pressurized carbon dioxide to make their products. Our translucent, amber half-gram looked as gorgeous and clean as cannabis oil comes, and the dispenser makes vape pen reloads easy. Sage N Sour oil vaped up hyper-light yet very potent with a minor pine-earth aftertaste. Patients are using high-THC, sativa-based extracts for daytime indications, including stress disorders, pain disorders and G-I tract disorders like Crohn’s Disease.

FlavRx Black Label Blackberry The slogan "Experience Higher Value" is a tough motto to live up to, but this sleek, earthy flavored indica-dominant cartridge really holds up against that motto. Easy to store and packed with 500mg of pure bliss, the Blackberry strain is perfect for patients in need of the muscle relaxing effects indicas deliver. For anyone that wants a pure, CO2 extract that is delicious and potent, without alerting everyone in the vicinity, these little beauties will give you everything you could want. Head over to FlavRx.com to find the right strain and product for you.

Available wherever: FlavRx products are carried.

Super Lemon OG Live Resin

Available at: Various collectives throughout California.

Quite possibly the lightest-colored shatter we have ever encountered, this Super Lemon OG Live Resin lives up to the Emerald Cup brand in taste as well. Southern Humboldt Concentrates partnered with Emerald Cup products to bring the highest quality concentrates to the market. Dubbed “Live Resin,” the extract was a hard, near-clear-gold translucent wafer and the distilled essence of the hit strain Super Lemon OG. It would be hard to mistake the lemony OG desert taste for anything else. We’ve rarely encountered such flavorful shatter. Live Resin runs usually involve buds that are fresh frozen and extracted, rather than dried and cured, which costs terpenes and other oils. Fresh, pristine, indoor super lemon OG must have gone into this extract—there’s no other way to get such fine results. Sativa hybrid extracts are used mainly during the day to manage a variety of conditions, patients report.

W Vapes Skywalker I'm not sure if it's the lack of laws or the fact that there were only about three women in the entire galaxy, but the Star Wars universe seems stressful. Too bad all that technology went to light sabers and not this potent, amber colored cartridge because Vader probably would have been a lot more chill. This indicadominant hybrid smells strong and heavenly, and the casing it's housed in has a nice weight to it, making it feel sturdier than other vape pens on the market. The effect was cerebral and heady, but kept us calm and content all night, with some minor energy and a strong couch-lock effect. A classic hybrid, Skywalker comes highly recommended for patients suffering from anxiety and joint pain. The lasting effects of this translucent tank will ensure that you won't be jumping to light speed anytime soon.

JULY 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

Available wherever: W Vapes products are carried.

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JULY 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

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REVIEWs

Saturn OG Nug Run Shatter The wonderfully talented people at Apothecary 420 in Sherman Oaks have graced the world with one of the most eye pleasing shatters we've ever seen. The high from this flawlessly amber-colored Saturn OG Nug Run Shatter seemed to take effect as soon as we opened the packaging, filling the room with its earthy-citrus glow. Once ingested, a calming, euphoric sense of relief began to creep up through our legs and into the rest of our bodies, slowly ending in our brains and being released through maniacal giggling. This shatter is known for its pristine translucence as well as its pain relieving qualities, and all without the "couch-lock" feeling. This euphoric hybrid is a must have for anyone looking for relief from aching joints to severe insomnia, or anyone who just enjoys a well made product. Bravo to Apothecary 420.

Available at: Apothecary 420 in Sherman Oaks.

Afghani OG Hash

Available at: SOHC in Van Nuys.

The roots of this heavily perfected indica can be traced to somewhere near the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan where they're known for producing black hash as well as a few extremists who may or may not hold some mild dislike for America. So, after putting on "ol' glory" and firing up a few hot dogs we decided to crumble this brilliantly opaque, tar-like substance over some freshly ground flowers the way George Washington intended. The effects were somewhat loose and minimal but seemed to grow steadier as time passed and were concentrated mostly near the lower back and knees. After about an hour, we gave in to the relaxing qualities of Afghani OG Hash, took a nap and woke up feeling as right as a Republican. A round of applause for the folks over at SOHC in Van Nuys for bringing this black gold back to the land of the free.

Liquid Dreams CBD Capsules Great for seniors and other non-traditional cannabis patients, Liquid Dreams CBD Capsules offer some of the highest qualitysourced cannabidiol in Northern California. The product’s parent company makes the award-winning “Day Dreamers” line of precision-dosed edibles. Liquid Dreams CBD Capsules come from all-natural, fresh, regional outdoor medical cannabis subjected to CO2 extraction to yield the fine, liquid gold oil. Each organic coconut oil-based gel cap contains 25 milligrams of CBD and also 12.5 milligrams of THC—perfect for arthritis patients who can tolerate a little THC. Both molecules work best in synergy. More and more non-traditional patients with pain, inflammatory, or auto-immune diseases want to try cannabinoids, but not smoke raw flowers. Now, more than ever, they can.

Available at: Various collectives throughout California.

3 Kings Raw-Zen

Available wherever: Legion of Bloom products are carried.

JULY 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

Get three times the potency of flowers, all the aroma and none of the smoke or solvent using this 3 Kings Raw-Zen. Made by Legion of Bloom, this all-natural rosin-style concentrate is fit for dab queens. The strain 3 Kings combines the whole royal line of OG Kush, Sour Diesel and Headband—all descendants from the matriach, Chem Dawg. These are gassy, piney, peppery, lemony biting strains are great for hash. Freshly harvested sungrown 3 Kings flower was made into bubble hash then heatpressed and filtered to make this rosin—a greenish, shiny brittle wafer that'll make heads bow down. The extract is best when dabbed cold, where it vaped into super-tasty greenish-lemon-chem vapor way too strong for all but the most high-tolerance patients. Rosin is becoming a popular solventfree alternative to BHO for patients with severe indications.

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REVIEWs

For More Products Go To iReadCulture.com

3. Pot Pocket Recreational and Medical Cannabis Joint Holder

1. KandyPens Gravity Vaporizer It’s concentrate season, so it’s important to make sure you’re equipped with the best tool to take advantage of your high quality waxes. The KandyPens Gravity Vaporizer sticks out in the sea of run-of-the-mill vape pens, offering a unique coilless ceramic atomizer technology and quartz crystal atomizer that allows for some of the cleanest and purest wax experiences imaginable. Its temperature controlled battery has a leg up against competitors too with four preset temperature settings available at 300°, 350°, 309° and 430°. Although the specs are always important, the look and feel of a pen can also be a factor, and this particular style of sandblasted black finish on such a small pen results in a product that’s both sleek and discreet. Best of all, there’s a lifetime warranty on the battery to ensure that users can get the most out of their pens. PRICE: $129.95 MORE INFORMATION: www.vapornation.com

4. CBD Naturals Nano CBD Water

2. Amore Bath Bombs There is a new way to take a bath. Treat yourself to a luscious experience while medicating your muscles, skin and body as a whole, with loving cannabis. Amore Bath Bombs are breaking into the scene as the most sought after high-end bath bombs in bathers all across the country. Made with high quality THC and CBD extracts, and organic essential oils, Amore Bath Bombs tap into chromotherapy, aromatherapy and cannabinoid therapy to give you the best spa experience possible. Get yours and see for yourself. PRICE: $25 MORE INFORMATION: www.amorebathbombs.com 58

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The Pot Pocket is a sleek and organic joint holder. These stylish wooden pocket-sized cases can carry up to three rolled joints at a time and makes sure that they don’t break or bend in your pocket. It’s the size of a business card holder and is discreet in any pocket or purse. The case is also uniquely designed to extinguish a lit joint simply by placing it into one of the self-closing compartments! The Pot Pocket cuts back on waste, odor, time and mess. PRICE: $20 MORE INFORMATION: www.potpockets.us

Water is one of the most important substances on the planet—no life form can live without it. Luckily, there’s a new water product on the market that both hydrates users with essential vitamins and antioxidants, but also contains ample amounts of CBD. CBD Naturals’ Nano CBD Water mixes crisp and clean, purified water with a dose of CBD, which we all know is non-psychoactive and comes from the hemp plant. It also contains d-Ribose (a carbohydrate that gives energy to hearts and muscles) Methylcobalamin (the active form of Vitamin B12 which boosts metabolism) and Coenzyme Q10 (which acts as an antioxidant and helps both metabolism and energy creation). Nano CBD Water is unlike any other water out there, and it’s the perfect way to hydrate and get ready for your daily summer activities! PRICE: $3.99-$5.99 MORE INFORMATION: cbdnaturals.com

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HERE

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REVIEWs

entertainment

BOOK

The Stoner’s Coloring Book: Coloring for HighMinded Adults Jared Hoffman TarcherPerigee / Penguin Random House Coloring can be a very therapeutic and meditative activity for any adult that needs a mental break or release. Researchers have acknowledged the therapeutic qualities of art for years, and today, art therapy is used to help people express themselves when what they’re feeling is too difficult to put into words, such as when they’re faced with a cancer diagnosis. Art therapy is also helpful among people dealing with a variety of other conditions, such as depression, dementia, anxiety and PTSD. This coloring book adds the particular theme of cannabis to an already fun and helpful activity. It's a must have coloring book for any adult. (Alex Bradley)

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Release Date: JUly 15 Available on: Nintendo 3DS

MUSIC MOVIE

GAME

Monster Hunter Generations Dev. And Pub. Capcom The action-packed Monster Hunter (MH) games have seen great success for over a decade, and a new addition to the series, Monster Hunter Generations, is bringing some great updates to the table. Players will choose one of 14 weapons and set out into the world to hunt down a variety of monsters, from small raptors to massive dragons, to make better armor and equipment. Unlike previous MH titles, this game allows players to play as Felynes, and also adds new combat styles and special attacks—perfect for those who thrive on challenge and improving their skill. (Nicole Potter)

Anomalisa Paramount Pictures Dir. Charlie Kaufman, Duke Johnson

For those already familiar with Charlie Kaufman’s work both as a writer and director (Being John Malkovic), pushing the limits of modern fiction and storytelling, it shouldn’t be surprising just how different his most recent film, Anomalisa, is. This stop-motion animated film tells the story of a troubled and disconnected man, Michael Stone, who meets a young woman who seems to reinvigorate and restore his purpose. However, like many Kaufman films, nothing is truly as it seems, and audiences will be blown away by both the beauty and impressiveness of the animation, as well as the unique, novel qualities of the script and the performances. (Simon Weedn)

case/lang/veirs Neko Case, K.D. Lang, Laura Veirs ANTI-Records/Epitaph Taking influence from the careers of singers Dolly Parton, Emmylou Harris and Linda Ronstadt, who banded together for their Trio record in 1987, modern singers Neko Case, K.D. Lang and Laura Veirs have their first outing together with case/lang/veirs. While Parton, Harris and Ronstadt’s record was a coming together of three of the most wellknown country singers, case/lang/veirs brings together a much more musically diverse grouping. The songs and arrangements are ethereal, the harmonies wonderfully lush and each singer stretches and pushes their own limits to meet the others. (Simon Weedn)

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JULY 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

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REVIEWs

liner notes

by Kevin Longrie

he trial of the century has begun! Will LED ZEPPELIN’s “Stairway to Heaven” be found similar enough to a previous song to convict the British rockers of plagiarism? Will this mean that huge sums of money must change hands? Will teenage boys stop awkwardly plucking the intro to “Stairway” on acoustic guitars at parties? Will this mean that “Smoke on the Water” and “Wonderwall” get even larger shares of the things-that-make-GuitarCenter-employees-want-tokill-themselves market? Time will tell. The trial was a relatively brief one, the arguments taking less than a week to complete. As of this writing, the decision has been thrown to the eight-person jury for deliberation. It’s quite likely that by the time this story hits newsstands, the landscape of classic rock may have changed forever. It’s not directly evident what will come of the trial’s decision if the jury find in favor of SPIRIT, the band that claims that significant sections of “Stairway” were lifted from a song they wrote years previous. Kevin Hart is planning on making a hip-hop comedy called “Run the Jewels,” apparently unconnected to or without speaking first with the band that holds the same name. El-P, one member of the duo RUN THE JEWELS, displayed his anger on twitter of the lack of communication and lack of consultation. He joked, “Excuse me while I go starve a savage pack of

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lawyers for seven days.” This tweet, probably a Game of Thrones reference, was liked and retweeted hundreds of times and provoked Run the Jewels’ fans to ask why the production company financing the film would be so negligent and/or willfully ignorant. No word yet on how KILLER MIKE feels. He might still be depressed about Bernie losing the nomination. There has been a seeming massive uptick in shootings at concerts or musical events. After last year’s horrific attack at the Bataclan in Paris, there have been dozens of others. Recently, CHRISTINA GRIMMIE was shot and killed by a deranged fan after her concert in Florida, sending shockwaves through the community. Shortly afterwards, at the Pulse nightclub (also in Florida), one man carried out the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history. This is not just an American

phenomenon: Pakistani singer AMJAD SABRI, one of the county’s most famous singers, was shot dead in driving in Karachi. This instability and fear has led to a call for tighter regulations on concerts and events where large numbers of people gather. It has also caused musicians like DAVID BYRNE to call for gun control regulations in the United States. On his website, Byrne penned an open letter about how he believes that gun control—that is, the regulation of firearms rather than the banning of them—is possible and, he hopes, inevitable in this country. “I think reframing the gun issue as a public health issue—as well as an issue of our right, and our freedom, to live without a constant threat of violence—is the way to go in convincing our lawmakers, and more crucially our neighbors and our nation,

to act on this issue,” Byrne wrote. David Byrne is by no means the only celebrity calling for action on guns. Many take to social media or TV chat shows to spread the need for some change. John Oliver, Samantha Bee and Stephen Colbert, all alums of The Daily Show that have gone on to have their own show, waded into the political waters of the gun debate last week. Colbert even told the congress that his dog had accomplished more that week than Congress had. How? The dog licked its balls. Anger and frustration, sadness and grief: These are natural reactions to events like those in Orlando. But as Oliver showed in an expose on the NRA during a recent episode, constant vigilance and political action are necessary to enact change. Not just thoughts and prayers. c

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iReadCULTURE.com JULY 2016

by Addison Herron-Wheeler It’s no secret that cannabis, hip-hop and an entrepreneurial spirit have gone hand-in-hand for a long time. Hip-hop music about hustling cannabis is as old as the genre itself. Obviously, because of the negative stigma that has unfortunately surrounded herb since the inception of rap music, these songs have largely been criminal anthems. But the year is 2016, where cannabis is largely becoming legal and decriminalized across the U.S., and Berner, aka Gilbert “Berner” Milam Jr., hustles hard. He has his hands in the cannabis business in multiple ways and profits like crazy from the sweet green plant. And, it’s all legal—from his raps about cannabis on Wiz Khalifa’s label and at live shows, to his cannabis accessories store and water company, to his part in popularizing the Cookies family, it has all been one hundred percent above board. He even got his start selling cannabis to fund his career—not out on

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the streets, but in the legal club that he ran before striking it big in the rap game. Having success that is founded in hard work, perseverance and maintaining a good name in the worlds of rap and cannabis have made Berner driven, inspired and loyal. He’s a family man and a father, and is just as likely to pen a song about raising his daughter as he is to write one about smoking a blunt. Berner became successful as a rapper later in life, and he wasted no time putting out dozens of albums and mix-tapes, touring and getting as involved in business as possible. When we caught up with him, he was on the road, taking a moment between gigs to smoke some good herb, write some verses and talk to CULTURE. The pearls of wisdom he dropped about Girl Scout Cookies, his latest album and the realities of the rap world ring as true as the verses he pens on a daily basis. >>

p h o t o b y D u n c a n R o l f s o n | l i v e p h o t o s s h o t b y F a rid

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about the things that can bring you down, real life type stuff, not just the good stuff and how well I’m doing. When did you get signed to Wiz Khalifa’s label, Taylor Gang, and how did that happen? Have you had a good experience with them so far? I got signed by them about three years ago maybe, and it happened really naturally. Wiz was my friend, and we were just smoking and chilling together, and I felt like he had a platform that could help take me to the next level. I think it was a good thing for me for sure, and it’s been working out great.

How did you get your start as a rapper, and when did you experience your initial success? I started rapping in 2003 or 2005, just kind of playing around, but I didn’t really get my first taste of success until 2007 when I put out my first album. That’s when I’d say I first had real success as a rapper. What do you feel is one of your biggest accomplishments since entering the rap scene? Being able to work with all the artists I grew up with and wanted to work with, for sure, is one of my biggest accomplishments. I was able to work with people I genuinely like listening to and really vibe with, and that’s kind of the reason I got into music, was to work with people I like, and with people who put together beats that I really like, people I want to be associated with. How would you describe your sound? What kind of beats do you like to use, and what subjects do you usually rap about? I like melodic sounds, like a real melodic type of beat, something real hypnotizing. That’s what I’m mostly using these days. My sound is chill; it’s real wavy. I talk about shit I’ve been through in my life, my daughter and things that helped me get to where I am today. I speak from the heart. A lot of people say that most rappers talk about their success in the drug business, the glorifying of all that type of stuff, and of crime, and all the good things they have in their lives, but I talk 70

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You also released 20 Lights as a solo record, which features Wiz Khalifa. How active has the collaboration between the two of you been, and how did that come about? It’s a natural thing; we make music when we’re together. People like our chemistry; we vibe out, we make music. We have a good time together. Rap is a genre where the artists tend to put out a lot of records, and you already have an impressive amount under your belt considering you didn’t put out your first record until 2007. What recording are you the happiest with? Which would you choose if you had to pick one to define your career? I would probably say Urban Farmer or Drugstore Cowboy; they are both mix-tapes I worked on that we gave away for free, but they are the first things I put out after hooking up with Wiz. They all have their own vibes and their own sounds though, so it’s hard to choose. I like ‘em all. >>

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How do you feel about the success of your latest album, Hempire? What are you the happiest about with the record, and what were some of the biggest themes of the album? I’m just happy that we built something strong and it’s sticking—we did 11,000 the first week, and that’s bigger than what I’ve done before so I’m happy. I’m just really happy the people enjoy the music–not much has really changed, but the overall feedback is that people really like the album. If you can keep releasing music and people like it that’s really a plus—I didn’t really get anyone saying it’s the same old shit—everyone is really positive. A lot of big artists complimented my album. People are giving me mad props for this album.

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Have you been touring or playing shows lately? I am on tour right now, and I’ve been playing shows lately all across the world. We stay moving. There is a lot to look forward to in the future; I plan to be on the road a lot. What is your creative process like as far as writing and rapping? I write it down when I rap usually, but when I am in a different city around people I don’t really know, it motivates me to be dope and adapt to the city. The city I’m in and where I’m at definitely play a big part in what I write and how I create. You just opened a clothing and lifestyle store in the Bay Area, called Cookies. How did this come about?

The clothing store came from an online store we had for a few years. We sell men’s and women’s street wear and a whole line of creative smoke accessories, our own jars; and we carry a lot of other dope stuff as well. Mostly smoking accessories and clothing. Obviously the big rumor and story surrounding your career is that you helped invent the strain Girls Scout Cookies. How true is this rumor, and how involved were you in coming up with the name? My boy Jive created Girl Scout Cookies and I was there all along being an ambassador, trying to get the name out there. It’s a group effort. The Cookie fam definitely played a big role in that, but I was there from day one.

Is Girl Scout Cookies your favorite strain? Right now, my favorite strain is Gelato—it’s a Skunk and Cookie cross. How else have you been involved with the cannabis industry over the years? Every way possible. I ran a cannabis club when I was 18 years old; I’ve been an activist for it; I own a bunch of companies in that field; I have a partnership with RAW Papers; I’m in it every way I could picture it. I’ve got my hands in it all over the place (laughs). I also have my marijuana consulting business, which is going great. My Hemp2O water company is also doing really well, and the beverages are everywhere—711, CVS, Shell gas stations, etc. >>

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JULY 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

iReadCULTURE.com JULY 2016

How do you feel about changes to the cannabis industry since legalization began? It’s interesting—it’s very obvious that the feds and the government don’t know how to treat this yet, so they are just letting people open up with different rules in different states, but they are trying to figure out the best way to monetize it, and they don’t necessarily know how. People are watching to try and learn how this works. I think the whole venture capitalist shit is starting to get 76

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annoying; at first it was exciting, but a lot of venture capitalists are coming around and picking people’s brains, getting a lot of knowledge and a lot of information for free and not following through with shit. A lot of real estate gurus and big banking guys—you can’t start a business with money that’s not in the bank and you can’t really put cannabis money in the bank, so you get a lot of these bigwigs who try and come in and help and they can take shit away real quick if they take your money; it’s kind of scary. We just

keep getting closer to legalization, though, which is what I hope is the main goal. How do you work cannabis into your creative process? Do you smoke while writing and rapping or only when relaxing and recreating? I smoke when I write, when I relax, when I eat and when I don’t eat. Right now, my homie just got in the room, and we smoked some Skittles. It’ll make our flavor different, and when I get tired I'll smoke some Snowman. >>

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JULY 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

iReadCULTURE.com JULY 2016

In the past, cannabis and rappers have always been negatively associated with criminal connotations, but that is changing a lot more now. Do you think you are helping with that, running your store, rapping about Cookies and being so visible? The number one thing people tell me when they meet and see me is, you motivate me to do something great;

you’re a good father; you’ve got your business right. I realize that everybody needs money to get their thing going, but we try not to support getting money in a way that’s not legit. I do rap and I do rap about weed, but I show publically that there are all kinds of things that got me good, so I definitely try to send a positive message. What do you have going on right now, in terms of music, selling clothing or other endeavors? I can’t even wrap it up in one sentence. There’s so much going on; I’ve got my hands in 20 different herbrelated projects. I’m just trying to work. I’m letting the Mexican in me come out right now (laughs). I’m just gonna stay working. What do you hope the future holds for your music and career? I’m trying to retire, but I want to be able to leave a legacy. When I pass away, I want people to care; I want people to know about it; I want people to reminisce on my music and what I did in this world. It’s just trying to find a way to make it last forever–Tupac is gonna be forever, Biggie’s gonna be forever, so the goal is to get to where I can be remembered forever somehow, whether it be through cannabis, the music or whatever. c

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A How-To Guide What You Need Dab Rig

Varying in size, this piece resembles a glass water pipe, however the glass bowl is replaced by a nail and glass dome.

Nail and Dome

A nail or skillet made from titanium, glass, quartz or ceramic. This hot plate is usually surrounded by an open-ended glass dome to help hold in the vaporized extract.

Heat Source

You need to secure a way to heat your nail. Electric nails are great, because the nail is its own heat source. Electric nails also appear much safer than the other popular alternative, which is a blowtorch. However, many still choose to safely use a blowtorch with caution and proper ventilation. An experienced friend is also a plus.

Wand

A ceramic, metal or glass tool used to manipulate cannabis concentrate and drop it onto nail/ skillet.

A Vaporizer Pen

for First-Timers by Jamie Solis 86

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Vaporizer pens are a simple alternative to a dab rig, giving you a convenient and discreet way to vaporize your cannabis extracts while on the go. >>

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Choosing the Right Concentrate Options are always a good thing, and when it comes to cannabis concentrates, the options are seemingly endless. From budder and hash to shatter and wax, these different forms of cannabis concentrates are all great for dabbing, while the best cannabis extract for vaporizer pens varies from pen to pen. Choose whatever cannabis extract is going to meet your needs, and be sure the concentrate will be easy to manipulate using a wand. For this reason, something sticky and pliable like budder, shatter or wax is going to work better than an oil when it comes to dabbing. On the other hand, you may have a pen that works best with oil. When buying a concentrate, you definitely want to keep in mind that a little bit of product goes a long way. A gram of cannabis flower is much less potent than a gram of concentrated cannabis. Always start small and build slowly from there.

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Seasoning Your Nail If you have never used your nail before, you have a little preparation ahead of you before you can jump right in. You must “season” your nail, which means you need to burn any harmful fumes from the nail, such as machine oils or polishes. In this process, you want to carefully heat your nail while it is on the rig until the nail is near red hot. Do not overheat your nail. Next, you want to coat the usable part of the nail with some concentrate, and reheat the nail. Once the extract has burned away, use tongs to move the nail into a bowl of water. Let the nail cool, and repeat the process a few times.

How it Works Dab Rig Add an appropriate amount of water to your rig, just enough to filter the vapor. Take your metal or glass wand, and scoop up a small amount of cannabis concentrate onto the end. Put the nail onto the rig, and heat it either electronically or by safely using a blowtorch until it’s just shy of red hot. Then cover the nail with the glass dome. Carefully drop the concentrate onto the heated nail through the opening in the dome. When the cannabis compound hits the heated nail, it turns into a vapor. You will want to gently inhale the vapor through the water chamber of the rig and into your lungs. Prepare to feel instant effects.

Vaporizer Pen Depending upon the type of concentrate compatible with your vape pen, add a small amount of cannabis concentrate into the designated area on your pen. Most pens operate at a simple press of a button. If you’re looking for even more convenience, some collectives sell pre-filled vaporizer pens. c

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CONCENTRATED CREATION

by Madison Ortiz

The history and importance of

solvent-less cannabis extraction

“When finding the right solventless natural extract for yourself, it’s important to consider a few things: Its appearance, its smell, the strain it came from and its meltability.”

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In spirit of the season, we must pay our respects to a key phase in the evolution of cannabis concentrates: Solventless extraction. In order to explore the history of this unique process, CULTURE took great time to research the underground development of solvent-less extraction. When talking about gross development and evolution of any industry, it’s often hard to put ego aside as there’s a constant battle for an invisible crown of pride, however, realistically this drive propels innovation and discovery. No matter what your direct role in the cannabis industry may be, it’s important to remain grounded with a simple fact: Creating concentrates is not new, but technology has allowed us to discover new methods of how to make them. Solvent-less extraction is any extraction method that uses a non-polar or semi-polar solvent. These techniques range from sift, to CO2 and rosin. Though it may seem like bubble

hash was mistakenly left off the list, Kyle the captain at Michiganbased extraction company Loyalty Extracts weighs in on one of the biggest controversies in solvent extraction—“Water is a solvent; therefore, bubble hash is not a solvent-less extract.” While medicinal uses for cannabis date as far back as 2737 BCE, according to Understanding Marijuana: A New Look at Scientific Evidence by Mitch Earlywine, the solvent-less process of sifted hash has also been going on for thousands of years. The process originated in parts of East Asia, making its way throughout India, Nepal, the Himalayas, Afghanistan, Turkey and Morocco dating back as far as the year 100 BCE, where cannabis flowers were rubbed in-between hands to collect the resin glands, producing hand-rolled hashish known as charas. According to journalist Maria Tavernini, who recently wrote on cannabis farmers in National Geographic, charas is still made the same way today. >>

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Medicinally, even the Egyptians were extracting using ether-like substances. Surprisingly enough, despite the country’s current war on drugs, cannabis was even dissolved into some old medicines found in the United States. With its existence and consumption being nothing new, it’s safe to say that cannabis is never going to go away. But people, no matter what, are always going to look for a stronger product that they can smoke less of in order to feel the same effects. The pursuit of creation and consumption of that concentrated form of the plant comes down to one key factor, the removal of the patient’s need to combust plant material. Beyond obvious health benefits, this gives patients the ability to walk into public not reeking of said product because of vaporization. No matter the direct motivation, development has been unstoppable. Back in the late ‘60s to early 1970s, the first example Rosin-like extraction process sprung up. This process has since been modified thanks to some incredibly curious hands, like Phil Salazar from SoilGrown Solventless, who is rumored to be of the first to pick up a hair straightener and publicize a flower rosin technique. The thought process is relatively simple, as it’s basically the same process that has been used to extract essential oils from other plants like lavender or peppermint. Before long, the at-home Rosin-tech 94

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extraction movement spread, and all around the country, hair straighteners have become the newest tool for extraction. A piece of parchment paper is folded around the bud, while a significant amount of pressure is applied at a low heat setting. The result looks like a halo of oil around the outline of the squished nug. This oil is simply scraped off the parchment and eventually consumed by a patient. Kyle from Loyalty Extracts mentioned the importance of the discovery of this process, “The expansion of concentrates is really the expansion of the glass industry—it’s like a spark—it’s almost like the beginning of the universe kind of thing, but with the culture of weed,” he explained. While it seems convenient, using a hair straightener seems obsolete in comparison to using pneumatic dual heatpresses. Many of these machines, which were originally used for printing shirts, have been since adapted for extracting concentrates from cannabis. Although they can be pricey, these machines yield more consistent results in a machine that consists of two enclosed heated plates which can be pressed together and pulled apart using a handle. While professional pneumatic dual heat presses can also cost a pretty penny (ranging from $500-$5,000+), there are also at-home machines that are affordable for the average at-home extractor (ranging from $100-$400).

When finding the right solvent-less natural extract for yourself, it’s important to consider a few things: Its appearance, its smell, the strain it came from and its meltability. Some people prefer solventless extracts because they believe they’re cleaner and more pure in comparison to a product that’s been extracted using BHO, CO2 or alcohol. Others prefer an ice water extractions for their purity and safety. Also, water and ice causes the cannabinoids and essential oils to mechanically separate. This gives the extract a better taste that is high in cannabinoids. While using solvents to extract cannabis concentrates is still wildly popular among industry-leading concentrate companies, there are various organizations who focus primarily on solvent-less extraction processes. Some of these companies include BAMF Extractions, Cannaisseur Extracts, Clear Concentrates, Essential Extracts, ET Extracts and Tree Sap Xtrax. The pure unrefined flavor and smell of solvent-less extracts makes for a smooth smoke, vape or ingestion, unlike anything raw cannabis has to offer. As development of the solvent-less extraction process unfolds, understanding the roots and transformation of the concentrate industry will ensure that the purest of heart will have access to safe medicine. Solvent-less extractions will allow even more cannabis users in the future the ability to rely on themselves to make concentrates. c

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The Benefits, the Drawbacks and the Facts of Vaping “According to a recent study by Chief Medical Officer Perry Solomon of HelloMD, legal consumer sales data indicates that 66 percent of people enjoy vaping and 71 percent prefer smoking the herb.”

by Addison Herron-Wheeler As time goes on, it seems that more and more patients, recreational users and legislators are leaning towards concentrated cannabis vs. actual flower. The new trend in legalization is to allow only vaping—no smoking, and many patients prefer vaping because it gives the needed medical dose in a quick and easy way. Similarly, recreational users favor it because they want to be able to vape discretely and save their lungs from inhaling unnecessary plant matter. But is this really the future of cannabis, or is an all-synthetic cannabis landscape problematic? According to a recent study by Chief Medical Officer Perry Solomon of HelloMD, legal consumer sales data indicates that 66 percent of people enjoy vaping and 71 percent prefer smoking the herb. The study also indicated that it is our younger generations that prefer vaping

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to smoking flower more frequently than older generations. Similarly, anecdotal data supports that more patients and recreational users are turning to vaping as a way to medicate or recreate more and more. Joshua Hindi of Dabble Extracts stated that he has seen a definite trend, as many of his cannabis consumers are purchasing extracts rather than flower. “There are several reasons why patients prefer vaping,” he explained. It’s substantially more discrete, and if you compare flowers and concentrate pound for pound, you probably need a gram of concentrate for an eight of flower. There’s also more likelihood that if users are with someone who isn’t familiar with the industry, they won’t know what the concentrate is—it’s substantially more discrete, and overall just a lot more convenient and a lot easier to use.” >>

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“Concentrates are usually for the more experienced cannabis user or for people working with illnesses like cancer,” Jennifer Price of HelloMD told CULTURE, referring to the strength of the medicine for treating more serious conditions. Many patients seek concentrates like oils and tinctures for their severe ailments, which are much easier to take than a shatter or a wax. While flowers generally range between 10-15 percent THC, a concentrate roughly ranges 50-80 percent THC. However, with the everexpanding and evolving technological side of the cannabis industry, concentrates can be specified for ailments, giving patients only what they want and need. For example, patients can get tinctures that are only high CBD, or a shatter that is 30mg CBD and only 10mg THC. Note: The CBD concentrates are a good place for a newbie to begin. In addition to the medical benefits for patients, healthy recreational users can

degrees, according to The Dab Lab and Seibo Shen of VapeXhale. Though most consumers generally gravitate toward concentrates because of their discretion or their high potency, in recreational markets, the cannasseurs have drifted toward concentrates in search of “flavor hunting.” Cannasseurs who have been using cannabis recreationally or medicinally for a long time are often looking for new flavors and experiences when they smoke something. Ry Prichard from the The Denver Post and The Cannabist explains, “Because well-made concentrates provide concentrated flavor instead of being muddied up by the taste of burning plant material, a properly-done concentrate will provide the pure flavor of the terpenes in that strain, giving a tasting experience like none other,” he says. “If you’ve ever had a flower that smelled amazing but just didn’t taste that great, chances are that it would be much more appealing in concentrate form.”

“In a society that is becoming increasingly digital, fast-paced, and clean, it is no surprise that concentrates are fitting right in as the new and sleek way to use cannabis.”

also benefit from trying concentrates instead. The fact that vapers can avoid inhaling unnecessary plant matter such as pesticides, contaminants and residual solvents, and are only combusting THC or CBD, is a good way to help keep lungs clear and avoid the perils of traditional smoking. It is important however, to keep the issue of temperature at the forefront of your concentrate curiosity. Often times, cannasseurs turn up the heat on their vaporizers to produce an extra thick vapor or smoke, mostly for show. But, this can cause benzene production, which is a carcinogen. Benzene can be found in things like car exhaust and tobacco. Cannabis tends to produce low benzene levels, according to a 1986 study which found that benzene levels in cannabis consumers are lower than those of tobacco consumers, but higher than non-smokers. However, the chemical can still be released when consumers heat their product over 365

“While some people have a preference of an extract’s consistency, what’s important to many people is the solvent used and how compatible that extract is with their preferred consumption method,” Washington-based cannabis advocate and Leafly’s Engagement Specialist, Bailey Rahn explains. “Most concentrates are extracted using CO2, butane, hydrocarbons, propane, water, alcohol, and heat. Solventless extracts made using water (e.g., hash) or heat (e.g., rosin) are excellent choices for those wary of how consuming solvents might affect them.” Gearing more toward concentrates could eliminate health problems associated with smoking and some of the stigma of using cannabis, as vaping is better for patients as well as those who want to recreate in public discretely. However, just because this form of imbibing is gaining popularity and has a lot of benefits, does not mean it is time to out flower completely.

“I find people are moving towards concentrate more today because of all the interesting things happening with them,” added Kelsey Liedman, store manager for Colorado dispensary Verde Natural. “CO2 extractions, adding terpenes for flavors and so much more. It’s new and exciting for many of us out there. However, there’s nothing better than rolling up some sticky, stinky flower and sharing it with your closest friends. As long as you’re doing the research on the grow methodology, source material, strains and extraction methods, it’s simply a personal preference.” In a society that is becoming increasingly digital, fast-paced, and clean, it is no surprise that concentrates are fitting right in as the new and sleek way to use cannabis. However, the cannabis flower can still offer many insights for research and benefits to the smoking experience and is a classic way to imbibe that some people will always love a little bit more. c

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“If you want to help a massive amount of people and get it in the mainstream, if you want insurance to cover it, you have to develop products and you have to prepare yourself for that next wave and that’s kind of what we’ve been doing,”

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Tony Verzura of United Cannabis by R. Scott Rappold

Back before there were cannabis dispensaries, as far as most enthusiasts were concerned, there were basically two types: “Schwag” and “kind bud.” It was the latter that helped a young Tony Verzura get off oxycodone and finally recover from a debilitating car accident. His appetite and sleep

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returned. The opioid side effects were gone, and eventually, so was the pain. The experience launched a fascination with cannabis as medicine, which 20 years later, has flowered into one of the nation’s most innovative medical cannabis companies. As Chief Technology Officer for Denver-based United Cannabis, today, Verzura is pushing the boundaries of how cannabis can help patients, while at the same time preparing for a time when medical cannabis will come from a pharmacy, not a dispensary. Selling out? More like buying in. “If you want to help a massive amount of people and get it in the mainstream, if you want insurance to cover it, you have to develop products and you have to prepare yourself for that next wave and that’s kind of what we’ve been doing,” said Verzura, 38. “A lot of people misunderstand it and think it’s a sellout of some kind. A sellout would be if I sold out to a big pharmaceutical company, which is not the goal.” “The goal is to create the technology, to create products and get the products into the hands of patients that need it and God willing we can get insurance to cover it and pay for it.”>>

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cannabis in 2012, his partners wanted to expand into that market. So Verzura left and settled in California to start what became United Cannabis. “It was harder to do in Colorado because they really went into a heavily regulated market and people started growing for profit, rather than the patients, in my opinion,” he said.

Holistic Approach When a patient walks into Harborside Health Clinic in Oakland, they can get much more than an edible or a jar of medical cannabis. That collective was the first to integrate the A.C.T. Now Program,

“The industry was evolving and it was amazing. The more people we could help and the more change we could make, that’s why I got into all this.” Three Grow Lights It started with a shed and three grow lights. In 2009, thanks to a loosening of state regulations, Colorado’s medical cannabis industry was booming. Verzura was working as a contractor in postKatrina New Orleans, when he and some friends decided to head west. He’d never stopped using cannabis, micro-dosing during the day for pain and inflammation and smoking at night to relax. Here was a way to put his personal experimentations to work for others. He began compiling data and patient reviews for various medical conditions, from epilepsy to cancer. The cannabinoid sequencing protocols developed at RiverRock Colorado would become the foundation for his work at United Cannabis. “It was like, how do I take this from a flower into some kind of standardized dosing system?” he said. “The industry was evolving and it was amazing. The more people we could help and the more change we could make, that’s why I got into all this.” Eventually the dispensary had some 3,000 patients, investors and a 20,000-square-foot greenhouse. But after Colorado approved recreational

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developed by Verzura and United Cannabis, short for Advanced Cannabinoid Therapy. In this program, patients can get free consultations with a nurse and access to an online portal where they can tailor-make every detail of their treatment. The website is open to anyone anywhere, not just California. The line of products developed by United Cannabis, Prana Bio Nutrient Medicinals, come in capsule, sublingual and topical forms. There are also five types, several of which won’t get you high— THC:THCa; 3:1 CBD; 1:1 CBD; CBD:CBN; and CBD:CBDa. They’re made organically, with no solvents. Dispensary employees are trained in their use. It’s a holistic approach to medical cannabis, and Californians are taking note, with some 15,000 enrolled since its inception. Verzura hopes to have the products available in Oregon this summer and in Colorado in the near future, as well as at 10 more California collectives. For Verzura, it’s an ongoing experiment, as each patient’s experience—once they’ve signed necessary privacy waivers—goes into the ever-growing database of what is working for each condition and what’s not.

The company has filed for a patent for its combination of pharmaceutically active cannabinoids to treat disorders of the immune and nervous systems and cancer. The patent application includes a matrix of cannabis strains rich in CBD and THC, terpene profiles and dosed delivery methods for inactive and active cannabinoids. Verzura sees this work as moving the industry forward for the benefit of all. “I hope to make a difference in patients’ lives. I hope to make a difference in our communities and our industry. And I hope to help progress and mature our industry in leading by example in the products and programs we offer.”

Questions Ahead The year 2016 could be a watershed moment for recreational cannabis, with California and several other states poised to approve adult use. But that makes Verzura worry about the future of cannabis as medicine. He watched as Colorado’s regulatory system created a tax of 25 percent or more on recreational sales, and worries the concept of medical cannabis could someday be lumped in with recreational, forcing patients to pay high taxes. He also wonders what a rescheduling of cannabis would mean for patients. It’s currently on Schedule 1, meaning the federal government considers it to have no medical value. If that was changed, would patients be required to get it from a pharmacy like other controlled substances? Would large pharmaceutical companies take over medical cannabis? For his part, cannabis is and always will be medicine first. He has since been in two more car accidents and blew his knee out playing softball. He credits quick recoveries to cannabis products. He still maintains a daily regime of treatments, a walking testament to the healing power of this plant. “I use my capsules and my sublinguals and my topicals every day. I use my CBD topical on my heels, my ankles, my knees, anything that’s swollen. I use my THC roll-on for any kind of nerve pain in my back or neck or for migraines I would get. I use my non active capsules, the 3:1 during the day just to kind of control inflammation and to manage anything else that would come up, kind of preventative.” c

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Bulletproof with Hemp Many weapons, armor and protective materials could be replaced by lighter, stronger, sterner hemp alternatives 108

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by Jasen T. Davis

In the year 1941, Henry Ford presented to the public a Model T Ford created out of a hemp fiber composite, similar to plastic, that was light, rugged and cheap to construct. The proud inventor even tested the chassis of the vehicle by swatting it with a firemanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s axe, but did no damage. Considering that a full grown man with a twohanded tree killer couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t scratch the hemp panels that armored the car, it is logical to say that the composite could potentially be used to protect humans, too. >>

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Kevlar, patented by DuPont back in 1965, is comprised of small, synthetic fibers woven together to stop blades, bullets or blows. The material is even naturally fire resistant. However, because of its synthetic nature, manufacturing Kevlar is dangerous and pollutes the environment with by products such as sulfuric acid. It is also expensive to create, requiring hours of production. The stuff is also not UV resistant, and it even corrodes in sunlight, reducing its efficiency. Compared to the system of creating Kevlar or forging metal, growing hemp is an all-natural process requiring only soil, sun, water and time. Hemp is better for the environment because of this, but also because the material created out of hemp is still biodegradable, as opposed to

"Government agencies associated military operations already make great use of synthetic polymers that could be replaced by hemp alternatives." plastic. The final material is also lighter than Kevlar or steel, which is good news for soldiers who have to wear nearly 31 pounds of body armor to protect themselves. Many decades later, military scientists are looking for newer and lighter body armors for the modern soldier. While Kevlar has been the mainstay for nearly a generation, the search remains for something even stronger to protect wearers from harm. Hemp plastic might just be it. It is already understood in the automobile industry that parts created out of hemp are ten times stronger than steel, and many cars use them already. Why not apply the same technological theory to body armor? A company in Amsterdam called Hemp Works already offers a hefty bulletproof jacket called the Hemp Hoodlamb that is rated at a respectable level II-A, which the manufacturers claim has been tested with .22, 9mm and .357 magnum bullets. (However, the civilian option currently costs $7,000.) Another company working on a hemp option to Kevlar called Naturally Advanced Technologies has created their

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own material, Crailar, which shows good promise. Naturally Advanced Technologies is a company that takes hemp fibers and treats them with a patented enzymatic solution that further enhances their already protective qualities by making the final material softer and thinner than silk, but stronger and lighter. This material, called Crailar, can also be converted into plastic materials similar to the kind Henry Fordâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s famous Model T Ford was made of. Government agencies associated military operations already make great use of synthetic polymers that could be replaced by hemp alternatives. Glock semiautomatic pistols have been used by police for decades, and they are made of plastic compounds similar to Crailarâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s creations. The Army is currently working on a helmet made of polyethylene compounds that they hope will stop 7.62mm rounds (the kind used in an AK-47). This material, being fibrous because it is not made of metal, is also 50 percent better at stopping the fragmentation effects of improvised explosions. Hemp compounds could be used instead, to greater effect. If the military used hemp fibers in the same way that Hemp Works and Naturally Advanced Technologies has, many weapons, armor and materials could be replaced by lighter, stronger, sterner hemp plastic. This would not only be safer for the soldier, but also for the Earth. c

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Cannabis and Gender Development

New research about cannabinoids and hormones is underway

by Addison Herron-Wheeler

A recent study has shown that there is a correlation between cannabinoid intake and masculine hormone-based behavior. The study was conducted using a cannabinoid-mimicking drug rather than actual cannabis, and only involved rats, not humans. However, this mirrors a larger trend in cannabinoid studies happening in academia, and this specific study has interesting implications for understanding gender hormones and hormone-typical behavior in relation to cannabis use. This study is titled “Sex difference in cell proliferation in developing rat amygdala mediated by endocannabinoids has implications for social behavior.” The research was conducted by Desiree Krebs-Kraft from the University of Maryland, and she, along with her team, looked at the effects of a cannabinoid-mimicking drug on newly born male and female rats. Kraft published her findings in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of American (PNAS). The findings show that early exposure to

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“All of these studies yielded very interesting results regarding cannabinoids and their effects, but what is so interesting about the Krebs-Kraft study is that is specifically looks at how cannabis influences gender development.”

cannabinoids in young female rats caused more maletypical behavior than that of females who were not exposed (Krebs-Kraft et. al, 2010). Although this study is groundbreaking due to the fact that it is looking at male and female hormonebased behavior and cannabinoids, this study follows a trend of cannabinoid research using rats in order to learn more about the effects of cannabis on living creatures. A 2012 study titled “Short- and LongTerm Cognitive Effects of Chronic Cannabinoids Administration in Late-Adolescence Rats” and conducted by Hila Abush and Irit Akirav, looked at the effects of cannabis on cognition and memory using a similar procedure. Their study showed that some forms of short-term memory loss are effected by lack of cannabinoids, while others are probably dependent on cannabinoid residue (Abush & Akirav, 2012). Similarly, Dr. Masahiro Matsunaga and his team of researchers at the Department of Health and Psychosocial Medicine at the Aichi Medical University School of Medicine in Japan conducted a study called “Genetic Variations in the Human Cannabinoid Receptor Gene Are Associated with Happiness.” Their study revealed that the cannabinoid receptor gene is associated with both positive emotional stimuli and subjective happiness. While many of these studies use cannabinoid-mimicking substances due to the cannabis law, much is still being learned about cannabinoid effects on the brain from these studies on lab rats (Matsunaga, et. al, 2014). >>

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All of these studies yielded very interesting results regarding cannabinoids and their effects, but what is so interesting about the Krebs-Kraft study is that is specifically looks at how cannabis influences gender development. As the brain is developing, there are many chemicals in the body that can change neural pathways and alter brain and gender development. Endocannabinoids are already found naturally in the brain, and while research is still being done on the topic, they appear to influence gender-specific behaviors (Krebs-Kraft, 2010). During her study, KrebsKraft and her team looked at the non-neuron brain cells (dividing MeA glia) in the medial amygdala of fourday-old rats. She noticed that female rats had more nonneuron brain cells than male rats, but when a drug that mimicked endocannabinoids was introduced to the young rats, the female rats’ rate of non-neuron brain cells more closely mimicked that of the males. Krebs-Kraft also observed that behavior in female rats changed when given the endocannabinoids. They became more playful and frolicked more, which more closely mirrored the behavior of the male rats. The male rats, on the other hand, did not experience a surge in non-neuron brain cells (Krebs-Kraft, 2010). “Our results show that endocannabinoids are part of a natural signaling system that underlies the establishment of sex differences in the brain that are an important part of social behavior,” Margaret McCarthy, who co-authored the study, recently told Scientific American. “This would suggest that the

use of cannabis during pregnancy could alter those systems and have unintended consequences.” The implications of this study speak to the larger arena of cannabinoid and brain development research, and could uncover new things about the plant. “These are the kind of findings that will enable us to argue for future research, because this is the kind of data that we need that might uncover important attributes of the plant that might have clinical relevance, that might actually help,” explained Sue Sisley, MD, a practicing physician of Internal Medicine and Psychiatry in Scottsdale, Arizona. “Some of the research we do is so esoteric, that to many, it doesn’t even seem to have any relevance to daily human life, but you never know. In this case, this is the kind of thing that could open up whole new areas of research. This could open the door to a whole new study. Overall, because we still know so little about cannabinoids and cannabis, I’d say this points to how desperately research on these things is needed in this country.” Cannabinoid research has come a long way since regulations have begun to loosen, but as Sisley points out, there is still so much to learn. Many of these studies still only use substances that mimic the endocannabinoids in actual cannabis, since testing on the real thing is not allowed. If the next few years actually see follow-through with rescheduling cannabis, even more strides can be taken to understand the complex relationship between cannabinoids and brain development. c

“This could open the door to a whole new study. Overall, because we still know so little about cannabinoids and cannabis, I’d say this points to how desperately research on these things is needed in this country.”

Works Cited: Abish, Hila & Akirav, Irit. (2012). “Short- and Long-Term Cognitive Effects of Chronic Cannabinoids Administration in Late-Adolescence Rats.” Retrieved from: http:// dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0031731 Krebs-Kraft, D., Hill, M., Hillard, C., & McCarthy, M. (2010). “Sex difference in cell proliferation in developing rat amygdala mediated by endocannabinoids has implications for social behavior.” Retrieved from: http://www.pnas.org/content/107/47/20535.full?sid=267d685a-a8e3-45f7-a1b0-82a3361ffef3 Matsunaga, M., Isowa, T., Yamakawa, K., Fukuyama, S., Shinoda, J., Yamada, J., & Ohira, H. (2014). “Genetic Variations in the Human Cannabinoid Receptor Gene Are Associated with Happiness.” Retrieved from: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0093771

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California Will Vote on Recreational Cannabis this November! by Benjamin M. Adams

The leading recreational initiative, the Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA), officially qualified for the November 8 ballot in California. The Secretary of State’s Office certified the number of signatures on June 28. AUMA needed 402,000 signatures in order to qualify. The official count topped over 600,000 signatures. Should AUMA pass, one in six Americans will live in a state where cannabis is legal. “Today marks a fresh start for California as we prepare to replace the costly, harmful and ineffective system of prohibition with a safe, legal and responsible adult-use marijuana system that gets it right and completely pays for itself,” said Jason Kinney, a spokesman

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for California’s AUMA, told the Los Angeles Times. Both Lt. Governor Gavin Newsom and former Facebook President Sean Parker endorsed and fueled the initiative. A total of $3.7 million was raised, with the largest personal donation coming from Parker himself. Per the initiative, adults over the age of 21 would be allowed to possess an ounce of cannabis as well as six plants. This isn’t the first time a recreational bill has been introduced in California. Proposition 19 was the first in the state and was defeated in 2010. “This is six years later. We’ve already seen legalization pass and be successful in other states. So it’s a different world

in talking about his issue than it was,” Taylor West of the National Cannabis Industry Association said. Law enforcement agencies, health groups and others that would be disadvantaged by the prospect of legal cannabis, have come together to raise $125,000 for the opposition. Other opposition comes from within the cannabis industry itself—AUMA, they believe, will regulate cannabis with a heavy hand, much more so than rescheduling to Schedule II, and may increase the price of cannabis to unaffordable rates, statewide. California also joins Nevada and Maine, who will also be voting on recreational cannabis this fall. c

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“Education, awareness, advocating—we are not going to stop until there is a full medical bill.”

Care and Compassion Honoring the women who are fighting for access in South Dakota

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by Addison Herron-Wheeler

The struggle for legal medical cannabis has been ongoing across the country, and the patients and caregivers are often on the front lines of this struggle, drafting bills, pushing policy and making change, despite their conditions and the other demands of their daily lives. A great example of that is the work done by the women of New Approach South Dakota

and South Dakota Coalition for Compassion. Both of these organizations were born from the desire to make change, but they both serve very different purposes. Unlike many advocacy groups that roll all issues into one, this group clearly delegates care and patient issues to the Coalition for Compassion, and legal issues to New Approach. This way, families and patients aren’t getting caught in the crossfire of legal proceedings when they are already struggling to access health care and get the help they need. “The family coalition was founded three years ago,” explained Melissa Mentele, Director of New Approach South Dakota. “We do

cannabis education and what we started out to do was teach people with really bad illnesses how they can swap their medication either to use cannabis oil, to vaporize, or to use edibles. We just wanted to teach people that there is a better option out there. We do have a lot of adult patients, but we have a few kid patients, so we educate them on how THC and CBD work. We do a lot of referrals with the coalition—we work with several caregivers in Colorado and send families back and forth. If we have a family with a terminal illness we set them up in Colorado—a lot of it is kind of underground stuff because we live in such an underground state.” >>

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“We live with some of the worst laws in America,” she added, explaining why New Approach South Dakota and South Dakota Coalition for Compassion have to be so careful when it comes to the work they do. “You can get charged with possession very easily—we fought it for years in the legislature and they haven’t removed it or wiggled on it at all. They have no desire to make any cannabis reform in our state.” Despite this overwhelmingly negative climate, Mentele and her group are nowhere near giving up, and refuse to rest when it comes to making change and trying to get laws passed in their state. “We are taking our ballot initiative [for medical cannabis] to court right now because they rejected us,” Mentele explained. “The notary had an error where she just put the month and year on the initiative so we are trying to get it overturned and put it on the 2016 ballot. We will get that passed, then start working on other things. We are going to advocate again up here in January—even a decriminalization would help. It’s just frustrating because our newspaper has a real time Facebook page where they put out police scanners and there are marijuana calls every day; these people are going to jail, but DUI users don’t go to court until the 3rd or 4th time. The [local Native American] tribes are already set up to grow here, and our goal is to work with them and to provide medicine for people statewide, but also provide some kind of income for the tribes and bring them out of poverty. Education, awareness,

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“We do cannabis education and what we started out to do was teach people with really bad illnesses how they can swap their medication either to use cannabis oil, to vaporize, or to use edibles. We just wanted to teach people that there is a better option out there.” advocating—we are not going to stop until there is a full medical bill.” Doing all of this sounds like a full-time job, but the women of New Approach South Dakota and South Dakota Coalition for Compassion are all mothers, full-time employees or advocates elsewhere. Most also have serious medical conditions that they treat with cannabis. They all have lives to live, but find time to fit cannabis reform into their busy schedules. The coalitions originally came about because another group in the state that was male-run was sloppy and showed a lazy, “stoner” aesthetic whenever they went to lobby for change, according to Mentele. She and her colleagues saw a need for a more puttogether and professional group to jump in and take over. “So many women have balance,” she explained. “Men can really dedicate themselves to a cause and allow the rest of our life to fall apart—women aren’t like that; we can do that; we can balance our lives; we can go out in the

cannabis community, and then come home and be moms and have families. Women are always given the short end of the stick, and women are the ones who have the innovative ideas— something as simple as a product line, whether it is cannabis facials, massages or a food line that doesn’t appeal to children. We have such a different perspective on things, and I think cannabis women are really great jugglers. You look at women who are jugglers, like Jane West [of Women Grow]—they are doing a great job of it.” New Approach South Dakota and South Dakota Coalition for Compassion are active in their community every day, helping patients gain access and fighting the stigma against medical cannabis. The rapid changes in cannabis reform that this nation is seeing are not due only to politicians in D.C. or highlevel cannabis business executives, but also to the patients who so bravely advocate for cannabis until their voices are heard. c

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INNATE ABILITY Linnea Stephan is a photographer who loves her craft

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by Sarah Elise Abramson Linnea Stephan lives in a genuinely cinematic world. Like a true photographer, she’s able to keenly recognize those classic moments and scenes, and pluck them out of time and space. Her work is like a hybrid of street photography and fine art, allowing the best elements of each to come through. With a BFA in Photography from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design she has been photographing

for most of her life and loves nothing more than to sit down and nerd out with fellow photographers—discussing everything from the difference between photographing men and women to techniques dealing with composition. She is a force to be reckoned with. Passionately busy, Stephan works as a contributing photographer and author for the international publication Monster Children, a freelance photographer for Brixton, a contributing photographer and author for BB Dakota and a staff photographer for 213 Nightlife. Her subject matter mainly consist of her friends and family; the people that she’s closest to. She is unique in that she loves being behind the lens as well as in front of it. Stephan has modeled for many other photographers including Kent Andreasen, Roman Koval, Kenny Hurtado and David Stoddard. Beautiful, smart and endlessly kind, Stephan made time in between her busy schedule to sit down with CULTURE and answer a few of our questions.

Where do you call home? I am a transplant, and as proud as I am to be from the Midwest, I am home as long as I have nature and friendship on the daily. I work all over Los Angeles and live in San Pedro, California.

What is the importance of originality? I think that when an idea comes to you in some pure and direct form, you can run with it a lot further. You can push to a greater boundary, you are the creator and the mother of the idea, you and your favorite idea. It’s like a friendship or relationship with that particular project, location or thought.

What or who got you interested in photography? My dad bought me a Canon Rebel EOS 2000 for my 10th birthday and I would bring it on every family vacation. It was a way of being present with the group and also simultaneously on my own. That purpose is still very accurate to my identity. >>

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What does photography do for you? Photography allows me to care about people for a living.

How would you describe your style? Composition is my favorite element to consider while making and analyzing photographs and think that this is apparent in my images. I don’t consider myself a street photographer, more of a professional people watcher, but American street photography from the ’50s and ’60s has always been some of my favorite pictures to look at. The timing of each shape flying through the frame is nothing short of magic.

What are your thoughts on medical cannabis? My thoughts on medical marijuana are the same thoughts that I would apply to all seemingly controversial, yet ultimately personal, choices. It should evolve with the times and serve the people and their health, happiness and economy.

By definition, the word “esoteric” can be in reference to “inner traditions” which deal with a “universal spiritual dimension of reality.” How much of a role does esotericism play in your work? I think my images are pretty accessible, but I would hope that their most spiritual quality may be read by any muse, subject, or artist who has really obsessed over the ritual of portraiture. My late mentor was a very generous and wise Malaysian man who taught me that being photographed is very honorary. That exchange has since been endlessly interesting to me.

Do you have any pictures not taken? I know that there are some worth noting, but honestly most of them were these tiny little moments that just found to be terrifically cinematic. Sometimes I’ll try to take a “picture with my eyes” or live in that moment, but I do it all day long and run out of space for a few. The rest are pictures taken.

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Besides beautiful, thought-provoking images, what do you feel your images bring to the world? What is your aim with your photography? I think that there is always potential to witness the cinematic moments of daily life around us but photography is a tool to directly look into that, whether you are looking at a viewfinder or photograph. I do know that learning to be very observational has led me to experience things I would have missed otherwise, so you could say that my aim is to share some observational skills that have personally benefitted me.

“My thoughts on medical marijuana are the same thoughts that I would apply to all seemingly controversial, yet ultimately personal, choices. It should evolve with the times and serve the people and their health, happiness and economy.” What are some things you’re currently obsessed with? Some current obsessions include the color powder blue, photographing cars at dusk, anything designed by Land Boys, and my recently rediscovered hobby of local politics. I’m mostly into cars right now. Almost every big change in my personal life has involved a car in some way. It’s a complicated relationship but it feels nice to photograph something that, unlike people, I don’t feel compelled to understand everything about. They are beautiful and very man-made. c

linneastephan.com

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Red Dirt Metal Texas Hippie Coalition (THC) frontman Big Daddy Ritch talks about the tour life and the importance of cannabis and music by Alex Distefano

With a name like THC, Texas Hippie Coalition is a band of cannabis connoisseurs. Hailing from Texas, the band has self proclaimed their style of music ‘Red Dirt Metal,’ a blend of country music, hard rock and metal, that borrows from Pantera and Ozzy to Johnny Cash and Willie Nelson, to create a sound that fans all over the Midwest and South love and adore. Featuring guitarist Cord Pool, drummer Timmy Braun, bassist John Exall and frontman Big Daddy Ritch, the band’s music is an emblem of a outlaw lifestyle, as the music proudly unites and fuses the cultures of Texans, Oklahomans, country hicks, red necks, bikers, stoners, metalheads, rockers, greasers and everyone into good old fashioned country rock and roll. The band’s new album, Dark Side of Black, was released in April, and the band plans to tour extensively in the coming months, and smoke a lot of their favorite cannabis along the way. Singer and band leader Big Daddy Ritch recently took time to speak with CULTURE about the band’s musical heroes, the band’s THC moniker, his feelings on legalization of cannabis, his personal experiences with cannabis and the law and his favorite parts about being a touring musician. So, explain to us what red dirt metal is to you? Big Dad Ritch? Red dirt metal is the music we create, it is where we’re from; you see, all the dirt is red. It’s the general area where Texas and Oklahoma meet and the dirt is literally red out there all over, you can jump into 126

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a muddy river with a white t-shirt, and come up with a red stained shirt. Musically it’s the rots of country music, hard rock and heavy metal. It’s a badge we wear with honor; we hope we’re doing our territory justice representing a lot of great musicians from this region.

Was the initial “THC” designed into the band name on purpose? We are Texas Hippie Coalition, a band of outlaws. The initials came into place with THC and took on this personification. But it’s also for marketing purposes and a way to draw attention to a band that is different from the norm. Once people hear us and see us live, they know it’s a totally different sound and scene. We’re also not limited to one genre, we make our own genre, and we call it red dirt metal. It makes sense for us to be THC because we really love weed. What is the best part about being a touring musician in a rock band? We love traveling the country, having fun playing music and meeting fans. And getting to smoke good regional bud from around the nation, from New York or Arkansas, Colorado, California or Washington State, getting to sample the best bud all across the country is a fantastic part of touring. Being in a band named THC, we get a lot of great weed. Who are some of your musical inspirations and heroes? We love artists like Willie Nelson, Hank Williams and

“I don’t think I’ve ever wrote a song that didn’t mention or hint at cannabis in some way. It’s always been a part of the way I’ve created my music and has always been an influence on the final product that is released.”

of course, the great Johnny Cash; we carry the outlaw spirit in our music songs, attitude, and even look. We are for anyone into rock and roll with hints of country and heavy metal. We get to play with everyone from Gary Allen and other country artists, to bands like Lynyrd Skynyrd and Nazareth, Mötley Crüe, and other bands like Avenged Sevenfold, Hellyeah, Black Label Society and Five Finger Death Punch. We love it all. How do you feel about cannabis legalization? In my opinion, all around the nation, I would say at least 50 percent of everyone smokes weed. Where the penalties are a little harsher, Florida, Alabama, Louisiana and places like that, it’s more covered up, but in states where they have legality, there is more freedom and less stigma. In Washington State, Colorado and in many parts of California, it’s very open. I just wish that the rest of the United States would catch up with the legal states as fast as possible. Texas, like Tennessee is a big whisky state. But people do smoke a lot of pot, and they grow a lot of it too, even though it’s illegal and a big risk; in places like Houston, there is a big scene of cannabis users. We don’t need just legalization, we need decriminalization. Everyone in jail for just having a joint or a bag of weed needs to be released. It’s costing tax payers tons of money to build more prisons for non-violent pot smokers or growers. It breaks up families. For people to be imprisoned just for a plant, it’s harmful and hurtful to our society. We need to all embrace the positive aspect of weed it would really make the world a better, more peaceful place. c thcofficial.com

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Life After The Krown Johnny Richter opens up about going solo, growing cannabis and finding peace

by Pamela Jayne It has been three years since he left Kottonmouth Kings, and although Johnny Richter may have retired his “krown,” he has kept busy writing and recording in his signature stony style. In 2013, he released FreeKing Out, to address the rumors surrounding his departure from the Kings. Now, he is stepping into the spotlight solo with School’s Out (Still Laughing) on Suburban Noize Records and is ready to show his fans who the real Richter is. No gimmicks, no hype. Just him, his lyrics, beats and a mic. How is your new album different from your previous work? The new record is called School’s Out (Still Laughing) because it seems like a lot of my career was a bunch of high school childish stuff. That’s why I called it School’s Out, because it’s time to grow up and get on my own two feet. The subtitle, Still Laughing, is because I’m still the same dude who did the Laughing record. I still have that mentality I’ve always had. What are your thoughts on the legalization movement? Do you know anyone who 128

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has benefited from medical cannabis? Yeah. My brother is a Prop 215 patient. He’s the only person that his doctor has written a script for. I have friends who used it to get off of prescription drugs. It’s a way better alternative. I’ve never really tripped out on weed. I’ve never thought of it as anything that should be illegal. It’s just a natural part of life, just like it should be. Do you have a favorite strain? Up here in Riverside, it’s always been about the Kush strains. From Master Kush,

to Bubba, to OG, to the Fire. I don’t get caught up in the names. Everybody is so caught up on the names. It’s gotten kind of commercial like that. When it comes to smoking, I’m definitely more old school—bong hits and joints. Back in the day I used to do six foot, 10-foot bong hits off the top of VW vans and shit like that. Nowadays I just use a little 12-inch tube to do snappers. You’ve been on both the music scene and the cannabis scene for a long time. Do you have a favorite memory from the last 20 years? My 20s. Is that a memory? Haha! Life went so fast for 15 years. From 18 to my early to mid-30s, it went by like a blink of an eye. I mean, my whole life has been a favorite memory. I feel blessed to have so many cool memories, like going to Amsterdam for the first time in ’99.

You will always be known for Kottonmouth Kings, but there’s no need to dwell on the past, so what do you want your fans to know about Johnny Richter, the solo artist? Don’t judge a book by its cover. You gotta look inside. There’s more to it now. This record isn’t just about weed. There’s songs that you’ll enjoy if you’re not a burner. If you do burn, you’ll catch some little things. Kottonmouth got stereotyped as a weed band early on and has kept trying to rewrite a weed song for 20 years. I don’t want to do that. On the song “Kill It,” you say, “I like to grow, but I love to rap.” Do you find a similarity between the two? Growing is definitely an art form, just like rapping and song writing. I’ve helped friends out in different situations. I’ve seen every level of it. It’s still an amazing thing to see. Who are your favorite artists? I’m a fan of all music. I like songs that actually say something, it has to be more than just a beat. There can be a song that says nothing, but the beat is cool so everybody listens to it. Then there can be a song that says so much, but the beat’s not cool, so people don’t even care. Music is different for everyone, I guess. I’m into the lyrics. What are your plans for the summer? We’re doing a Southwest regional tour starting in August. The record comes out July 29, and on August 3 I’ll be hitting the road. Any last words for your fans? Get ready, because we’re just getting started. I was gone for a minute, but I’m back. I hope everyone enjoys the new record. There’s a lot more where that came from. c

www.facebook.com/therealrichter

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BACK TO BASICS

Become enlightened with IrePlenish and his traditional hip-hop sound

“. . . every time I go to the studio the first thing I do is smoke herb (laughs). Sometimes when I step outside the studio and smoke it gives me a new idea, I’ll just come up with a new idea of what I’m going to say and I’ll go back in and write it down. So yes, cannabis plays a big part in my creative process.”

by Victoria Banegas When hip-hop started as a new art form in the late-1970s it happened naturally. African Americans and Latinos in low-income communities, who were often unemployed, worked gigs as DJs at disco clubs alongside an MC whose job was to give introductions and hype up the crowd. In an attempt to add style to their introductions, some MCs would talk to the rhythm of the DJs music selection. This technique evolved into what we know today as rapping. It wasn’t until the early ‘80s that this new art form became a voice for these communities and the first socially conscious hip-hop album was introduced by Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five. Since then, a number of artists have used hip-hop as an outlet to share their struggles, awareness and growth culturally, socially and even spiritually. Initially of the SoCal “rootical” hip-hop group Manifest Sound, IrePlenish’s hiphop dates back to these ideals, as his intentions are to uplift the people with his words of wisdom and enlightenment. CULTURE got in touch with IrePlenish to learn more about his music, purpose and appreciation for cannabis.

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What’s the story behind your name? My name comes from the first commandment that God gave women and men, to multiply and replenish the earth. I put a twist on that and the idea to replenish in every way, physically, spiritually and especially musically. The whole hip-hop scene has gone astray, like the foundation and the roots of it, which was meant to uplift people. Hip-hop came out of struggle and some people forgot about that struggle and they’re kind of painting the picture of the oppressors. The people who have all the money and control, who like to rub it in people’s faces like “we have money, you don’t have money.” So I’d like to replenish the root of the culture which is supposed to uplift and rebel against society’s standards. Can you tell us a little more about Manifest Sound? Manifest Sound is a hip-hop group that has been crafting smooth, conscious music since 2003. The idea behind Manifest Sound is that we can manifest our highest potential through word, sound and power. How do you feel you have evolved as an artist since being a part of that group? Being a part of Manifest Sound has allowed me to be a part of every aspect of the music life from producing the beats, writing the songs, building the brand,

p h o t o b y Vict o ri a B a n e g a s

organizing events and working as a unit. It has also helped me become a wellrounded artist. What do you hope listeners will gain from your music? Good vibrations, a positive influence and amazing hip-hop. Who are some of your musical influences? I’d say Gang Starr, Guru, which is a big influence. On the West Coast, I’d say, of course, Snoop Dogg, NWA and all that. Does cannabis play a big part in your creative process? Yes, every time I’m writing or in a recording session . . . every time I go to the studio the first thing I do is smoke herb (laughs). Sometimes when I step outside the studio and smoke it gives me a new idea, I’ll just come up with a new idea of what I’m going to say and I’ll go back in and write it down. So yes, cannabis plays a big part in my creative process. Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know? I definitely want them to know about my debut solo album Progress 365, expected to release this month. c

www.ireplenish.org

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SHOOTING GALLERY

Blaze 'N' glory festival 2016

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SHOOTING GALLERY

Desert Hot Springs cannabis farm Groundbreaking ceremony

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SHOOTING GALLERY

California Roots Music and Art Festival 2016

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SHOOTING GALLERY

European Medical Cannabis Bike Tour

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Testing the Varieties: Part 6

TIP OF THE MONTH FROM ASK ED®

by Ed Rosenthal

Last month, the winter garden was still hanging, taking a long time between drying and curing. Now they are all properly dried and are hanging out in glass jars. The buds were tested using infrared light to determine percentages of cannabinoids. We tested for heated THC and heated CBD for a number of different strains. The THC levels were not high. The main reason is that the plants were receiving only a moderate amount of light during flowering. The total hours of light averaged only about 10.5 hours daily. The winter and early spring sunlight received was weak and mostly indirect. This was supplemented with six hours of HPS light, still too little to produce maximum bud development and to reach THC potential. THC levels differed greatly between strains, showing the relative THC/CBD potentials of the varieties. Except for specialty varieties, all had very little CBD. Varieties differ in effects because they have different ratios of terpenes (odor molecules that affect mood and have medical qualities). About eight weeks ago, I picked up five plants, transplanted them and then let them grow in the greenhouse. They were under lights for an extended period JULY 2016 iReadCULTURE.com

each day, long enough to prevent them from flowering. About four weeks ago, the supplemental lighting was turned off and the plants started to flower. A couple weeks later, the plants were showing the slightest sign of temptation to turn vegetative, some leaf growth and a slight stretching of bud. I had to take action immediately to prevent the plants from returning to a vegetative state. The solution was to increase their dark time to 12 hours or more each day. I decided to use a 5’ x 9’ “utility frame” built for a previous project and covered it using a high grade reinforced opaque polyethylene film. “Panda plastic” is colored white on one side and black on the other. The frame was wrapped white side out, reflecting sunlight to keep the interior cool. The black interior absorbs any stray light that enters. No light entered when the

The dark chamber is used to prolong the dark period, promoting flowering.

flaps were closed. Each of the five plants were in five gallon soft containers, sitting in 4’ x 8’ trays and placed on top of a moving caster, for easy mobility. Each evening towards the end of dusk, the plants are pushed into the dark chamber. Yesterday, that occurred at 9 pm . In the morning, bright and early at 11am , the flaps are opened and the plants are wheeled into sunlight. They receive about 11 hours of light and 13 hours of darkness daily. The long dark time promotes flower ripening. The first of the five plants, a Rom-Grapefruit, is almost ripe. In the last two weeks, it transformed from a softy to a hard ripe bud bulging with trichomes. The other four plants will ripen within the next week or two. The dark chamber is a convenient addition to my tool chest of growing supplies and I intend to use it again for my next crop. c

The flaps are up and the plants are about to emerge.

The tray is resting on a moving caster, making it easy to push around the yard during the day allowing the plants catch the best rays as well as avoid shade.

When you are growing plants in containers with wheels, it’s easy to move them around. Even large plants can be moved without too much effort. This can become an important factor as the position of the sun changes over the season. Parts of the garden that were in sun early in the day or earlier in the season often become shaded later on. Moveable plants can always be in a sunny position.

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.

The plants are basking in the sun.

Ripening bud of Rom-grapefruit will be picked next week.

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Geneva and Bern, Switzerland Flower in Summer

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by Sheryll Alexander

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Geneva and Bern are Switzerland’s top cannabis-friendly travel destinations, especially in the summer months when toking for the country’s estimated half million medical cannabis patients and recreational users go outdoors during this central European country’s short warm season. In the ’90s and up until a famous bust in 2005, a loophole in Swiss law allowed hemp farmers to grow high-THC flowers (along with fiber and seeds for industrial and artisan hemp-based products). But sadly, long gone are the days when tourists could just stroll through

Switzerland’s urban centers or tiny medieval towns to find a “hemp shop” or “smoke shop.” In 2013, cannabis possession (under 10 grams) was famously decriminalized. However, a recent announcement from Swiss officials this spring reveals the government is gearing up for a “pilot project” in four cities (Geneva, Bern, Zurich and Basel) to legally sell small amounts of medical cannabis to authorized patients. Geneva (or Genève) is the mostly French speaking, yet multinational urban center (The UN and The Red Cross

are headquartered here) as well as the country’s financial center. Situated at the very southern tip of Lake Geneva, where the mighty Rhone River empties, Geneva becomes almost like a beach zone in summer as city is surrounded by miles of lake-front parks. With sweeping views of The Alps and The Jura Mountains in the distance, locals and tourists alike relax, play and dip in these cold lake waters during summer’s hottest days. Bern may be the capital of Switzerland, but it feels more like a village caught in a medieval time warp. Cannabis culture is very much alive in Bern, and politicians are even considering selling cannabis flowers and THC-laced products at pharmacies. Tourism in Bern is at its peak in the summer months as this vibrant city is a designated UNESCO Cultural World Heritage Site. Not only does Bern boast one of the world’s first moving time clocks, but also one of the longest covered shopping promenades in Europe along with hundreds of other historic buildings, fountains, museums, parks and towers. c

HERE

Time to Go: Summer Weather: Light sweater weather with occasional showers. Budget: $$$$$

if you go: Switzerland famously decriminalized cannabis in 2012, which was implemented in October 2013, and allows for anyone 18+ to carry 10 grams or less of cannabis flowers. This important “federal” law unified Switzerland’s previous patchwork of regional policies. Caught with more than 10 grams (or selling any amount), stiff fines and potential prison time is enforced. Growing and selling cannabis is also illegal at the moment although Swiss farmers and cannabis advocates are battling against the pro-pharma system.

Fun-Filled Facts Bern is known in summer for perhaps the most fun and most unusual water recreation in Switzerland. Locals and tourists literally jump into the icy waters of the fastflowing Aare River, which runs right through the town, and float down in a state of summertime bliss. 1

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Perhaps the best jazz music festival on the planet happens every summer (July 1-16) in nearby Montreux. An hour’s drive of Geneva along a breathtakingly scenic route of 45-mile-long Lac Leman, The Montreux Jazz Festival and its stunning shoreline location attracts tens of thousands of jazz lovers and some of the world’s top jazz musicians such as Herbie Hancock, Al Jarreau, Simply Red, JeanMichel Jarre and Patti Smith. 2

GET YOUR CLICKS

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Linda Krystal Lopez

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Condition/Illness: Cervical Cancer, Epilepsy, Severe Anxiety

Why did you start using medical cannabis? I started using medical cannabis in early 2013, when I was diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer. Later that year, I was diagnosed with late onset epilepsy due to the stress on my body. The epilepsy caused several chronic issues such as insomnia, depression and neuropathy. I was wheelchair- and walkerbound for quite a while. The prescription pills were also causing more harm than good. I decided to go on a strict diet, and made sure to consume as much CBD based products as possible as well as smoke to relieve the pain, stress and regain my appetite. I went into full remission in September 2014; however, I use CBD daily still, to prevent any further cancer. Now, I am able to do all the things I was able to do before my illnesses set in. Did you try other methods or treatments before cannabis? For the cancer, chemo and radiation were offered

to me as well as a full hysterectomy. I immediately declined. I tried some of the basic medications given to epileptic patients, but they were causing neuropathy and pulling my appetite. I lost about 20 pounds in only a matter of months. If it weren’t for this holistic form of healing, I don’t know where I’d be health wise, but I am not sure it would have been pleasant for me. What’s the most important issue or problem facing medical cannabis patients? I think the biggest issue would be the accessibility and lack of knowledge. General physicians and specialists seem to not give proper information or for the most part not even advocate this safe and effective way of healing. I’ve personally experienced a doctor telling a family member of mine that medical marijuana and CBD is only for nausea. I think patients should always be given options and different forms of help. What do you say to folks who are skeptical about cannabis as medicine? I’d say to do some proper research. Talk to advocates, speak to survivors. Research the proven medical benefits. Be open minded. Don’t just dismiss something you know nothing about. Meet patients going holistic and hear the positive responses. If we all become open minded, we can make a change and save or improve some lives. Being a survivor and being able to help is a blessing and I will continue to advocate and share my story! 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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Summertime Sous Vide Menu: Medicated Shrimp and Mango Fresh Rolls Infused Olive Oil Lemon Curd

I created Sous Weed while I was at Nomiku, a company that makes the smallest sous vide device for precise temperature cooking. I found that the sous vide method lends itself perfectly to cannabis cooking. It’s easy to set up, safe, precise and discreet. The cannabis is sealed in a jar and placed underwater, so there’s absolutely no smell, and you no longer need to babysit a stovetop. Sous vide is French for “under vacuum,” and is a cooking process where you cook food in a temperature-controlled water bath in airtight containers (usually either plastic bags or glass). This process cooks the item evenly and helps to retain moisture. I make lightly medicated meals to enhance my day, manage my chronic lower back pain and reduce stress. Here are some of my favorite recipes for summer.

Makes 1 1/3 cups

Infused Olive Oil Lemon Curd Ingredients: 6 tablespoons cannabis-infused olive oil 3/4 cup granulated sugar Juice of 3 lemons (I used Pink Lemons) 2 tablespoon lemon zest 1/4 teaspoon sea salt 5 egg yolks

Directions:

Warm infused olive oil in a saucepan on medium heat until you see bubbles. Remove pan from heat and whisk in sugar, lemon juice, zest and salt until all is uniform. Whisk in egg yolks until smooth. Place egg mixture back on low heat, whisking constantly until it thickens and coats the back of a spoon. Immediately pour lemon curd into a clean jar and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

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Monica Lo is an activist and photographer working to change public perception of cannabis users. Monica is the creator of Sous Weed, co-founder of WeedHorn, the co-creator of Asian Americans for Cannabis Education, and a photo contributor at Stock Pot Images. Monica has many years of experience in food styling and photography. She has trained at The Institute of Culinary Education in NYC and with Andrew Scrivani from the New York Times. Monica just wrapped a photo shoot for a Sous Vide at Home cookbook with Ten Speed Press and Nomiku, slated for a November 2016 launch. Monica has also cooked and shot with Top Chef Mei Lin, Dara the Bow Girl from MasterChef Junior, Opening Ceremony, Chef Jacques La Merde, and has been featured on PopSugar.

recipes by Monica Lo from Sous Weed

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RECIPES

Sous Weed (Sous Vide) Cannabis-Infused Olive Oil

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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t Additional recipe can be found at iReadCulture.com

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Directions

number nine 2118 E 4th St., Long Beach (562) 434-2009 www.numberninenoodles.com Beyond the Olive 120 S Raymond Ave, Pasadena, (626) 844-3866 www.beyondtheolive.com

*Note: Mangoes have the same myrcene and terpenes found in cannabis. When you consume cannabis and eat a mango, the psychoactive ingredient THC will interact with the terpenes and enhance the effects.

Place sliced shrimp in a small bowl and toss well with sesame seeds, medicated olive oil and a pinch of salt. Next, soften the rice paper by filling a large bowl with warm water. Dip one rice paper very carefully and let it soften for 20-30 seconds. Lay rice paper flat on a clean cloth and start arranging mint leaves, 3-4 shrimp halves, 1 avocado slice, 2 mango slices, 2 cucumber strips and mixed greens. Fold the sides inwards towards the stuffing and then tightly roll the rice paper. The fresh roll should resemble a little burrito. Repeat with the rest of the ingredients. To prepare the sauce, blend all ingredients together. Serve your medicated fresh rolls immediately!

Makes 16 oz

Sous Weed (Sous Vide) Cannabis-Infused Olive Oil

culture

3 tablespoons peanut butter 1 teaspoon soy sauce 1 teaspoon medicated olive oil 1 garlic clove, mashed 1 tablespoon fish sauce 1 teaspoon sriracha

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Ingredients for Dipping Sauce:

5 round spring roll rice paper wrappers 1 teaspoon sesame seeds 2 tablespoon medicated olive oil 10 large cooked shrimp, peeled and sliced in half length-wise 1 Persian cucumber, julienned 1 avocado, sliced 1/2 large mango, sliced 1/4 cup mixed greens Handful mint leaves

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Ingredients for Fresh Rolls:

Sweet Lady Jane 1631 Montana Ave., Santa Monica (310) 254-9499 www.sweetladyjane.com

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Medicated Shrimp and Mango Fresh Rolls

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Local eateries with similar dishes:

Makes 5 rolls

Pour olive oil in two 12 ounce mason jars. It is important to use jars specific to canning, so please, no repurposed mayo jars. Inspect the jar for cracks. A freezer-safe zip bag may be used as well. Decarboxylate your cannabis to activate the THC. After decarboxylation, pour the cannabis into each jar of olive oil. Seal the jars finger tight. Set your sous vide water bath to 85˚C (185˚F). Once the sous vide water bath has reached its temp, gently place the jars in the water bath. Sous vide for 4 hours. Remove from water bath and strain. Discard the clippings and allow the infused olive oil to cool. Store in a cool dark place, and use at will.

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Directions:

PROFILE

16 oz extra virgin olive oil 1 oz cannabis clippings/trim or flowers (add more or less depending on desired potency)

COURAGE

Ingredients:

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SOCAL NOW! event listings

night will feature musical performances by Chris Cohen and Andrew Tholl. The Getty, Los Angeles getty.edu

featured event

Low End Theory Festival, July 23

Selena Gomez, July 8

Multi-platinum pop star Selena Gomez embarks on her international “Revival Tour,” stopping in 41 cities across the U.S. Catch Gomez as she performs songs from her hit album including her single, “Good for You.” Staples Center, Los Angeles staplescenter.com

The Low End Theory Festival is back again at The Shrine in Downtown Los Angeles. This year’s line-up will include artists like Ghost Face Killah and Hippie Sabotage. The Shrine, Los Angeles shrineauditorium.com

Night Nation Run, July 9

A 5K for lovers of EDM, this nighttime run will be luminous and colorful. Register today to join the world’s first running music festival! Fairplex, Pomona fairplex.com

Lotus Festival, July 9-10

Each year the Lotus Festival honors a different part of Los Angeles’ Asian community. This year, the fest will honor Korean Americans and will feature lots of food, music, dragon races and Echo Park’s Lotus flower beds in full bloom. Echo Park Lake, Los Angeles facebook.com/ lalotusfestival

Friday Flights at The Getty, July 15

On select Fridays during the summer, The Getty hosts an event that features artist talks, musical performances and engaging events. This

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Flight of the Conchords, July 26-27

Flight of the Conchords is a comedy band who became known from its HBO series of the same name. After a two year touring hiatus, the band is back with new material for its “Flight of the Conchords Sing Flight of the Conchords” tour. Greek Theatre, Los Angeles lagreektheatre.com

LUCKYRICE Feast, July 29

Asian eateries are becoming just as popular in L.A. as Mexican restaurants, making the variety of food choices in the city that much more exciting. LUCKYRICE Feast acknowledges the deliciousness of Asian cuisine and offers some food, cocktails and beer in a three-

Louis C.K., July 11

Fresh on the start of his international tour, Louis C.K. has been impressing fans across the U.S. with his refined look and joke delivery. Just when we thought Louis couldn’t get any better, he worked to get ticket prices as low as $50. The Forum, Inglewood arenainglewood.com/TheForum hour food celebration. Vibiana, Los Angeles vibiana.com

“Guillermo del Torro: At Home with Monsters,” Opens August 1

This retrospective of beloved filmmaker Guillermo del Torro will feature elements from the director’s many movies. These element’s reveal del Torro’s creative process and range from sculptures, paintings and ancient artifacts. Los Angeles County Museum

of Art, Los Angeles lacma.org

“Eyvind Earle: An Exhibit of a Disney® Legend,” Ends January 2017 Discover the artist who created memorable backdrops from some of your favorite Disney® Films. This exhibit will feature 65 different pieces, including three backdrops from Sleeping Beauty. Forest Lawn, Glendale forestlawn.com

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Trouble in Paradise Hawaiian cannabis activists sue to stop local collectives Medical cannabis has been legal in the state of Hawaii since 2000, when its legislature became the first in the U.S. to allow seriously ill patients to use the plant under Act 228. Last year, the state decided that it would expand access to patients and caregivers by passing House Bill 321, now Act 241, which will allow eight collectives to legally operate on the islands, with the possibility of running two collectives each. In turn, it will grant convenient access to caregivers and patients who are unable to grow plants due to disabilities. The act will also prevent counties from enacting zoning regulations that show bias towards collectives and will allow transportation of medical cannabis in any public place by a caregiver, patient collective or production center. The act took effect immediately on January 1, with the intent of collectives opening their doors by July 15. This expansion, however, is not sitting well with cannabis activist Mike Ruggles, who according to West Hawaii Today is facing charges for selling cannabis from an illegally run collective. In attempt to stop the collectives from opening under Act 241, Ruggles decided to file a lawsuit against state officials. The suit was filed 152

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by Ruggles on June 9 in U.S. District Court under the pretense that Act 241 violates federal law and should be overturned. Ruggles also argued that Hawaii’s new collective system seeks to phase out home growing amongst caregivers and patients. Under Act 178, which is essentially a 2013 revision of Act 228, caregivers and patients are allowed to grow seven plants regardless of maturity. Act 241, would eliminate the state’s caregiver program by 2018, which legislator sees as a way to completely illuminate the black market. “Next year, no more caregivers. Year after that, patients won’t be able to grow at all,” Ruggles stated. “They’re trying to make money off of the backs of sick and poor people.” Ruggles’ suit lists Governor David Ige, State Health Director Virginia Pressler, State Attorney General Douglas Chin and the four approved collectives as defendants in the case. A spokeswoman for Ige stated that neither the Department of Health nor the Attorney General have been served stating, “Once it is served, we will have to review it before taking appropriate action.” State legislature agrees that the act is “imperfect” and proposed House Bill 2707 on the last day of the legislative session, which occurred on May 5. This bill does make an attempt to salvage Hawaii’s caregiver program. According to Hawaii Tribune Herald, HB-2707 would establish a medical cannabis advisory committee, clarify certain tax provisions and clarify that patients will not be convicted for being in possession of cannabis paraphernalia, amongst other clarifications. Nothing is written in

“ . . . HB-2707 would establish a medical cannabis advisory committee, clarify certain tax provisions and clarify that patients will not be convicted for being in possession of cannabis paraphernalia, amongst other clarifications.” HB-2707 that would give caregivers the continued right to grow cannabis. While the intent of the act is being scrutinized by Ruggles, prior to this incident, Medical Cannabis Coalition of Hawaii Executive Director, Carl Bergquist stated, “In developing Act 241, lawmakers conducted a rigorous review of the 15-year-old program, seeking reports from the State auditor, studying recommendations from the Dispensary Task Force, and hearing direct input from the public. Eightyeight percent of Hawaii voters support safe, legal access to medication for Hawaii’s registered patients statewide, and now, thanks to this diligent effort, the Legislature has listened.” Currently, there are 3,000 caregivers in the state of Hawaii and 13,000 registered medical cannabis patients. Marijuana Business Daily says that the state’s caregivers serve as competition for the newly instated collectives because they have built personal relationships with patients, something that will take collectives some time to accomplish. c

Chuck Shepherd's

News of the

Weird LEAD STORY—Jail Is Hell u The eye-catching Vietnamese model and Playboy (Venezuela edition) Playmate Angie Vu complained to the New York Daily News in April that her five-plus months in jail in Brooklyn have been “torture” and “cruel” because of her lack of access to beauty care. Vu is fighting extradition to France for taking her 9-yearold daughter in violation of the father’s custody claim and is locked up until a federal judge rules. Among her complaints: “turning pale” in the “harsh light”; lack of “Guerlain’s moisturizer”; inability to look at herself for months (because

glass mirrors are prohibited); and “worrying” about being hit on by “lesbians” (thus causing “wrinkles”). At least, she told the reporter, she has found God in jail and passes time reading the Bible. QUESTIONABLE JUDGMENTS u Chef Mahbub Chowdhury pleaded guilty in April to food and hygiene violations in Swindon (England) Magistrates Court after inspectors found “brown fingerprints” in the kitchen at his Yeahya Flavour of Asia carry-out restaurant. Chowdhury was candid about his “cultural” habit of bypassing toilet paper and using his hand to clean himself. The plastic bottle with the fingerprints, Chowdbury said, contained water that he normally used instead of the toilet paper, and his lawyer argued that since the bottle was never actually lab-tested, the brown spots could have been “spices.”

u England’s Brighton and Hove City Council, striving to be progressive, issued a directive to parents of new school students (kids as young as age 4) calling on them to mark the gender identity they prefer—and notes that any child who identifies as other than male or female should leave the space blank and consult with officials individually. (Critics, according to The Sun, expressed that school should be for “developing” such identities without the necessity of declaring them so early in life). UNCLEAR ON THE CONCEPT u “Zero tolerance” claimed another victim, in Charlotte, North Carolina, in April, when Jaden Malone, 12, came to his bullied friend’s aid, was knocked down himself and repeatedly punched in the head by the bully, and pushed the boy off of him to avoid further

damage—but was himself suspended for three days by his charter school Invest Collegiate. A school official pointed out that the bully got five days, and besides, the policy against “all” physical violence is very clear. (After having Jaden treated for a concussion, his mother promptly withdrew him from the school). u Ms. Madi Barney, 20, courageously publicly reported her own rape accusation recently in Provo, Utah, and as a result has been disciplined as a student at Brigham Young University for allegedly violating the school’s “honor code.” (She is barred from withdrawing from courses or re-registering). Whether the sex was consensual must be investigated by Provo police, but BYU officials said they had heard enough to charge Barney with the nono of premarital sex. (Critics

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decried the advantage BYU thus gives rapists of BYU females—since the women face the additional fear of university reprisals irrespective of the criminal case). LATEST RELIGIOUS MESSAGES u Latest From Evangelicals: (1) Christian political activist David Barton told his “WallBuilders” radio audience recently that Disney’s anthropomorphic characters (e.g., Bambi) are simply gateways to kids’ learning Babylonian pagan worship. (2) Brooklyn, New York, “prophet” Yakim Manasseh Jordan told followers recently that he has arranged with God to bring people back from the dead if they—cheerfully— offer a “miracle favor cloud” of gifts as low as $1,000. (3) James David Manning, chief pastor of the Atlah Worldwide Missionary Church in Harlem, in a recent online sermon, stepped up his usual anti-gay rhetoric, warning “sodomites” that God would soon send flames “coming out of your butthole.” (A gay and transgender support group is fundraising to buy Atlah’s building and set up a shelter). DRUGS! IS THERE ANYTHING THEY CAN’T DO? u (1) Police in the Augusta, Georgia, suburb of Hephzibah arrested a methaddled Ray Roye for battery and family violence against his wife in March. Roye was yelling about custody of their child, but his wife informed police they don’t have a child. (2) Johnnie Hurt, 38, was arrested after reportedly eating mulch from a motel’s landscaping in London, Kentucky, in April while missing a courtordered drug test. When police arrived, Hurt was found in his wildly trashed a motel room. 154

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A NEWS OF THE WEIRD CLASSIC (MARCH 2012) u Each year, the town of Chumbivilcas, Peru, celebrates the new year with what to Americans might seem “Festivus”based (from the Seinfeld TV show), but is actually drawn from Incan tradition. For “Takanakuy,” during background singing and dancing, all townspeople with grudges from the previous 12 months (men, women, children) settle them with often-bloody fistfights so that they start the new year clean. Said one villager to a Reuters reporter in December (2011), “Everything is solved here, and afterward we are all friends.” GOOGLE SEES THE FUTURE u Google filed a U.S. Patent Office application on April 28 for a vision-improvement device in liquid form that, once inserted (i.e., injected directly into the eyeball!), solidifies into not only a lens replacement for the eye but an instrument that carries its own storage, radio and wireless power supply. The idea, according to inventor Andrew Jason Conrad, is to better focus light onto the retina. (The patent process does not assure that the device will ever come to fruition, but it might indicate that Google’s parent, Alphabet, is concerned that other inventors might be doing similar work). THE ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT! u Before new parents ruin their baby daughter’s chances of future success by giving her “weak” names (such as Polly), they should consult one of several services that recommend more powerful ones (such as Elizabeth). A New York City woman offers personalized naming research for fees starting at several hundred dollars, but a Swiss agency whose

primary work is helping to name product brands now offers parents suggestions on their offspring’s “brand” (for corporate-like fees beginning at around $29,000). (Parents in South Korea and India traditionally seek babynaming recommendations from priests, who review religious text, culture and astrology—in exchange for modest offerings). u Modern Problems: (1) Sophia Sanchez, 27, was charged with intentionally crashing her car into her boyfriend’s vehicle in April in Riverside, Illinois. According to police, the couple had been arguing the night before, and Sanchez said she felt she had to disable his car so that he would talk to her. (2) William Timothy Thomas, 25, was arrested for vandalizing a home in Largo, Florida, in April. He told police he needed to go “destroy” stuff because he “listened to too much music and masturbated

too much.” (Bonus: Three first names! Special police surveillance warranted!) LEADING ECONOMIC INDICATORS u (1) As China’s realestate construction boom fades, tempers have flared, and according to a local government officer in Hebei province, two companies’ officials angling for a contract wildly dueled each other in their bulldozers in an incident captured on video. The losing driver was seen running from his toppled machine. (2) Italy’s top appeals court ruled in April that a homeless man stealing cheese and sausage from a grocery story in Genoa, and who received a six-month jail term for it, was actually not guilty of criminal behavior at all. The court set him free using a traditional Italian legal principle that no one is required to do the impossible—which, the court surmised, would be to allow himself to starve.

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