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inside
contents 6.2018
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Nothin’ but Net
As a former NBA champion, Olympian and entrepreneur, Lamar Odom shoots for success with his newest enterprise in the cannabis industry. O n the C O V E R :
P ho t o b y J oh n G ilhoole y
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Polished Production Tiara Thomas, whose pop and R&B music has been remixed by artists like Rihanna, enjoys the chill lifestyle as a cannabis consumer.
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Artistic Expression The annual High Art 2018 contest revealed the talents of many artists, including grand prize winner Mike Oncley, whose passion for cannabis knows no bounds.
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Hemp is Life Organizations like the Pennsylvania-based Rodale Institute are running groundbreaking hemp research studies.
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Industry Insider Chairwoman of Women Grow, Dr. Chanda Macias, brings a plethora of knowledge and experience with the science of medical cannabis.
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Power in Pride Cannabis consumers unite with the LGBTQ community in celebration at this month’s international Pride rallies.
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departments 12 Letter from the Editor news 16 News Nuggets 17 By the Numbers 18 Local News 20 Legal Corner 22 Healthy Living reviews 24 Edible & Concentrate Reviews 25 Company Highlight 26 Cool Stuff 27 Entertainment Reviews in every issue 48 À La Carte 50 Growing Culture 52 SoCal Now! 54 News of the Weird 6
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Online Exclusive! d Thomas Jefferson University Opens Cannabis Patient Registry d Thailand Discusses Loosening Laws on Cannabis
Vol 9 IssUE 12
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Editor-In-Chief Jamie Solis associate Editor Ashley Bennett Editorial coordinator Benjamin Adams Editorial Contributors Matthew Abel, Hilary Bricken, Devon Alexander Brown, Jasen T. Davis, Alex Distefano, Caroline Hayes, Addison Herron-Wheeler, Pamela Jayne, Heather Johnson, Carl Kozlowski, Emily Manke, Madison Ortiz, Denise Pollicella, R. Scott Rappold, Paul Rogers, Ed Rosenthal, Kimberly R. Simms, Lanny Swerdlow, Simon Weedn, Laurie Wolf Photographers Steve Baker, Kristopher Christensen, John Gilhooley, Joel Meaders, Mike Rosati, Eric Stoner, Bruce Wolf Art Director Steven Myrdahl production manager Michelle Aguirre Graphic Designer John Venegas Associate Publisher & Bob Waters Advertising Director Account Executives Rebecca Bermudez, Alex Brizicky, Angie Callahan, Molly Clark, Kim Cook, Eric Bulls, Rocki Davidson, Matt Knuth, Casey Roel, Rick Schwartz, Annie Weber, Vic Zaragoza office manager Mikayla Aguilar Distribution Manager Cruz Bobadilla INTERNS Cole Graves, Cecilia Juarez Publisher David Comden
Culture® Magazine is published every month and distributes magazines at over 600 locations throughout the Bay area. No articles, illustrations, photographs, or other matter within may be reproduced without written permission. Culture® Magazine is a registered trademark. All rights reserved.
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LETTER
FROM
THE
EDITOR
Safety in Sportsmanship
Justin Timberlake “The only thing pot does for me is it gets me to stop thinking. Sometimes I have a brain that needs to be turned off. Some people are just better high.”
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BA Playoffs, World Series, Super Bowl Sunday and March Madness— chances are you’re familiar with most of these sports terms, and for good reason. Sports are a pivotal part of the American lifestyle. So, while cannabis consumption continues to gain popularity across the “Land of the Free,” it’s unfortunate that most professional sports leagues are still hesitant to accept the plant’s medicinal value. Cannabis serves as a substance for recreation, and it’s also a plant that provides us with wellness. Every day there are more and more individuals ditching dangerous substances like opioids and alcohol in favor of this greener and nonlethal alternative. However, many professional sports players are still prescribed dangerous and addictive opioids to deal with their sportsrelated injuries, while cannabis remains a banned substance in most American professional sports leagues. Brave heroes of pro sports, both active and retired, are coming forward to express the benefits they’ve received from cannabis. Veteran National Football League (NFL) running back Mike James was the first player to request a “therapeutic use exemption” for cannabis in March. His story aired in a Dr. Sanjay Gupta’s CNN series entitled “Weed 4: Pot vs. Pills.” James bravely shared how he depended on prescribed opioids to manage chronic pain following sportsrelated injuries, which led to numerous surgeries. He shared how he was able to discontinue his use of opioids in favor of medical cannabis, which ultimately provided him a safer alternative for pain relief. Unfortunately, the NFL leadership was not receptive to his powerful story, denying his request for an exemption in late April. Despite the setbacks, many retired professional athletes continue to lead the charge in demanding sports leagues embrace the medicinal benefits of cannabis. CULTURE’s cover story this month focuses on none other than Lamar Odom, who didn’t hesitate to discuss how his new line of cannabis products can help others 12
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on their road to recovery, much like cannabis did for him years ago. The connection between sports and cannabis is now stronger than ever. As cannabis continues to be an important topic on Capitol Hill and supported by pro athletes in all leagues, it will be interesting to see if sports leadership will finally embrace the medicinal benefits of cannabis, once and for all. Either way, we remain poised to continue fighting for our human right to consume this miraculous plant. c Cheers!
Jamie Solis Editor-in-Chief
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NEWS
nuggetS
Campaign Launched in Los Angeles County to Combat Teen Cannabis Consumption California health officials launched a public education campaign on May 10 aimed at curbing teen cannabis consumption in Los Angeles County. The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s “bigger choices” campaign covered the dangers of cannabis and how to handle peer pressure. “This campaign is an effort on behalf of public health to create peer-to-peer communications inspired and created by teens,” stated Director of the Los Angeles County Department of
Public Health, Barbara Ferrer. “It was important to us to involve young people to the greatest extent possible. We’re reaching teens exactly where they are: On social media. Our end goal is to provide teens with the facts and resources they need to make the best decision for themselves.” Part one of the campaign came in the form of a rap video, dissuading teens from consuming cannabis. Some believe the decision to create a rap video for teens was goodhearted, but ultimately ineffective.
Los Angeles County to Clear Cannabis Convictions On May 22, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously in favor of Assembly Bill 1793, to create a fast track to removing or reducing cannabis-related convictions for county residents. The motion directs the Office of Cannabis Management to develop countywide recommendations including resentencing or removing past convictions. “Thousands of eligible people around the state may be unaware of the opportunity to erase cannabis-related
Arizona Governor Signs Bill to Legalize Industrial Hemp Cultivation Gov. Doug Ducey of Arizona signed legislation on May 14, which allows farmers to cultivate industrial hemp. Senate Bill 1098 allows cultivators, harvesters, processors and transporters to obtain a state license from the Arizona Department of Agriculture, which will oversee the program. Farmers will be able to harvest hemp up to four times per year, thanks to Arizona’s sunny
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convictions and start anew,” Supervisor Hilda Solis stated. “The ‘War on Drugs’ primarily hinders communities of color, and our goal at the County is to give people second chances and remove barriers to employment and a productive and happy life. I am hopeful that today’s support for AB-1793 is one step towards better opportunities for people who are eligible for this opportunity.” The bill is intended to help erase the injustices of the past, which disproportinately affect people of color.
climate. That could translate to 1,500 pounds of hemp per acre, according to estimates. “This bill opens Arizona to the possibility of a new agricultural product,” Gov. Ducey stated. “I’m glad to sign a bill that could have a positive economic impact for the state.” Ducey vetoed previous attempts to allow hemp cultivation due to the planned program’s lack of a funding source. Under the new law, anyone caught violating licensing requirements will be subject to strict penalties.
The number of times that members of a nonprofit called Weed the Homeless have visited Los Angeles to give free cannabis to the homeless: (Source: LA Weekly)
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The amount of money, in billions of dollars, that reflects the current value of MedMen’s monetary valuation on the Canadian Securities Exchange: (Source: San Bernardino Sun)
1.65
The amount of money, in millions of dollars, that was collected in Los Angeles County in cannabis taxes between January and March: (Source: San Francisco Chronicle)
The amount of money, in millions of dollars, that the state of California has collected in cannabis tax revenue during the first quarter of 2018: (Source: NBC Bay Area)
7.3
60.9
The projected number of people who are expected to be employed in the United States cannabis industry by 2025: (Source: Desert Sun)
630,000
The percentage of American cannabis consumers who said they would vote to legalize cannabis in their home state: (Source: PSB Research)
90
The amount of money, in millions of dollars, that was collected in gross product sales of Kentuckybased hemp: (Source: Courier-Journal)
16.7
The number of patients on Florida’s medical cannabis state registry as of May 11: (Source: Florida Department of Health)
108,981
LA! Pride WHEN: Sat, June 9-Sun, June 10 WHERE: West Hollywood Park, 647 N San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood WEBSITE: lapride.org One of the nation’s largest queer communities is found in “WeHo,” Los Angeles’ official LGBTQ+ community. As you can imagine, LA Pride! is an enormous event, with a big turnout every year and impressive guest speakers. Tove Lo and Kehlani will be headlining, with plenty of other notable musical artists including Keri Hilson, Eve, Icona Pop, Tom & Collins and Oscar Velazquez. The parade
will take place on Sunday, but arrive early and expect when delays trying to find parking, which is difficult in that area on any day. Attendees can be sure to stock up on rainbow-colored merch, which will be offered by countless vendors. The theme of this year is #JUSTBE, which encourages everyone to be true to themselves, no matter how you identify. CultureMagazine.com
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NEWS
LOCAL
A Light at the End of the Tunnel
L o s A n g e l e s m ay f i n a l ly s p e e d u p c a n n a b i s business license approvals By Benjamin M. Adams
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os Angeles city officials are scrambling to process cannabis business license applications for what the Associated Press calls “the biggest marijuana market.” But even though staff is currently understaffed and overwhelmed, a new budget is expected to fortify the staff and put the licensing process onto the fast track. In America’s second-largest city, officials are tasked with processing tens of thousands of cannabis business license applications—and only four full-time workers are
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reportedly staffed. The Department of Cannabis Regulation (DCR) and the Cannabis Regulation Commission are responsible for processing cannabis business license applications. So far, only Temporary Approvals have been granted, and no permanent local business licenses have been issued. As of early June, 147 Temporary Approvals have been issued, according to DCR’s interactive map. City officials blame the slow licensing process on a severe lack of staffing. The DCR has only four full-time employees, but will soon have 28 people on staff, under a $3.7 million budget allotment
recently released by Mayor Eric Garcetti. It was approved by the Los Angeles City Council on May 21. It gives $3,712,168 toward cannabis regulation, with $2,437,036 going to salaries, $1,259,132 going to expenses and $16,000 going to equipment. “This year, the Department of Cannabis Regulation will be expanded to 28 positions, enabling the department to receive and process applications, as well as engage in outreach and education with the community to ensure the successful regulation of the cannabis industry in Los Angeles,” Garcetti’s budget states.
Phase 1
DCR will process applications for “NonRetailer Commercial Cannabis Activity Prior to January 1, 2016 Processing” per Section 104.08 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code. Phase 2’s original target end date was April 1,2018, but is currently still in Phase 2.
Phase 3
DCR will process priority license applications for Proposition M-compliant businesses per Section 104.07 of the Los Angeles Municipal Code. Phase 1 effectively ended on March 5.
Phase 2
The DCR’s website lists three phases of its plan to license cannabis businesses:
DCR will accept and process applications for Commercial Cannabis Activity for the general public, i.e. everyone else that has no priority.
The DCR is spearheaded by Executive Director Cat Packer, who is busy ironing out licensing issues. “Cat Packer stated last week during Rules Committee meeting that Phase 2 for non-retail will start July 1,” Southern California Coalition Executive Director Adam Spiker told CULTURE on May 31. “Starting that process is critical to a fully functional regulated, licensed and enforced industry. [I’m] hoping Phase 3 will start shortly thereafter where we can incorporate all license categories and the Social Equity program. As the DCR continues to staff up and process licenses and actions like what took place yesterday with Los Angeles Police Department and the City Attorney starting enforcement of illegal dispensaries, I think you can start to see light at the end of the tunnel where we end up with a fully functioning, stable industry in Los Angeles sooner rather than later.” Southern California Coalition is the “world’s largest, most inclusive” cannabis industry trade organization. A stable
Santa Monica Cannabis Conference
“. . . I think you c a n s ta r t t o s e e l i g h t at t h e e n d of the tunnel where we end u p w i t h a f u l ly functioning, s ta b l e i n d u s t r y in Los Angeles s o o n e r r at h e r t h a n l at e r . ” industry is “what all parties involved want and it’s what the voters of Los Angeles mandated last March at over 80 percent at the ballot box,” Spiker quipped. The slow progress confirms why 28 employees are needed now in the DCR’s office. Businesses without the proper local licenses could be shut down at any moment. On May 30, Los Angeles City Atty. Mike Feuer and Los Angeles police officials announced they have filed 36 criminal cases on 142 people and 32 retail storefront shops as part of a citywide crackdown on unlicensed dispensaries. Soon, the process is expected to speed up, thereby processing licenses at a reasonable rate and allowing Los Angeles to continue being one of the largest cannabis markets in the world. c
Santa Monica is home to many excellent cannabis events. At this particular event, attendees will listen to a number worthwhile speakers who can inspire current and up-and-coming entrepreneurs. This includes former NBA player and this month’s CULTURE cover, Lamar Odom, former NBA player Al Harrington, Michael Miller (a former cannabis strategist and investor) and Fiona Ma (a California state official). Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about many unique topics, including the latest technology, investing and mainstreaming cannabis. Later in the evening, there will be a Fireside Chat with Al Harrington, as well as a cannabis tech social on the patio bar, where drinks and refreshments will be provided. Musical performances are also planned for the evening, making it the perfect casual setting to network with other industry professionals and make some new contacts. (Cecilia Juarez) WHEN: Fri, June 8 WHERE: Expert Dojo, 395 Santa Monica Place, Santa Monica WEBSITE: expertdojo. com/events/santamonica-cannabisconference
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NEWS
LEGAL CORNER
Owning Up
T h e i m p o r ta n c e o f o w n e r s h i p and financial interest holders in CAlifornia By Hilary Bricken
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assage of California’s Medicinal and Adult-Use Cannabis Regulation and Safety Act (MAUCRSA) has opened the doors to institutional investing in California cannabis companies. California’s lack of a residency requirement for investors and its relatively limited investor disclosure and background requirements have made it popular for institutional investors looking to invest in cannabis. In that sense, California is building out its program to mirror wide-open states like Oregon, and not protective states like Washington. There are two main types of California cannabis applicants— owners and financial interest holders. To be legally considered an “owner” under California’s cannabis regulations, one does not actually need equity in the applicant’s cannabis business. “Owner” means any of the following: 20
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A person with an aggregate ownership interest of 20 percent or more in the person applying for a license or a licensee, unless the interest is solely a security, lien, encumbrance
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The chief executive officer of a nonprofit or other entity
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A member of the board of directors of a nonprofit
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Any individual who will be participating in the direction, control, or management of the person applying for a license
An individual who directs, controls or manages the business includes any of the following: A partner of a commercial cannabis business that is organized as a partnership; a member of a limited liability company of a commercial cannabis business that is organized as a limited liability company; and an officer or director of a commercial cannabis business that is organized as a corporation. These are all fairly standard definitions, as far as cannabis regulation goes. Even if someone is not an “owner,” that person or company may still be deemed a financial interest holder (FIH). “Financial interest” is broadly defined to mean “an investment into a commercial cannabis business, a loan provided to a commercial cannabis business, or any other ‘equity interest’ in a commercial cannabis business.” California cannabis regulators consider the term “equity interest” to include less than a 20 percent ownership in the cannabis applicant
“ T o b e l e g a l ly considered an ‘owner’ u n d e r C a l i f o r n i a’ s c a n n a b i s r e g u l at i o n s , o n e d o e s n o t a c t u a l ly need equity in the applicant’s cannabis business.”
and pretty much any profit-sharing arrangement or entitlement to profits from cannabis licensee, including IP licensing royalties and percentage rent arrangements. The following are not considered FIHs to: Banks and financial institutions; diversified mutual funds, blind trusts or similar instruments; holders of security interests, liens, or encumbrances on property that will be used by the commercial cannabis business; and individuals holding less than five percent of the total shares in a publicly traded company. California requires FIHs be disclosed to and vetted by the state upon application for annual cannabis licenses. The license applicant must provide a complete list of all financing it receives. Specifically, the license application mandates that applicants include the name, birthdate, and governmentissued identification type and number (i.e., driver’s license) for any individual with a financial interest in a commercial cannabis business. FIHs are not required to submit to criminal background checks but they will still undergo some vetting by state regulators. Even with these new rules, most institutional investment in the cannabis space is still concentrated in “ancillary services”, i.e. services that support cannabis businesses but do not touch the plant. Examples include turnkey real estate, equipment and materials leasing and sales, intellectual property licensing, consulting services and tech platforms. Many institutional investors still want to stay one or two steps removed from touch-the-plant cannabis businesses and do not like the idea of being listed in a state database as being an owner or FIH. However, given California’s widereaching definition of owner and FIH, even these companies and their investors can be deemed by the state to have a direct cannabis business interest. To avoid being considered owners or FIHs in California, ancillary service providers will need to avoid directly providing financing, using profit-sharing or similar performancebased payment schemes with cannabis businesses. They will also need to avoid managing, directing or controlling the licensed entity. c
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NEWS
HEALTHY LIVING
Revisiting Research N e g at i v e s t u d i e s o n t e e na g e canna b i s c o n s u m p t i o n a r e c o u nt e r e d w i t h p o s i t i v e f i n d i n g s By Lanny Swerdlow, RN LNC
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ne of the biggest arguments from skeptics’ points of view on cannabis legalization is its effect on children, both young and teen-aged. This opinion is born from research papers that warn that teens who smoke cannabis will have lower IQs, experience stunted brain development, lose cognitive abilities, develop psychosis and undergo depression and other mental illnesses. However, for many of these negative studies, there is at least one alternative study that has debunked the reported risks. An all-time favorite study used by anti-cannabis supporters comes from a 2012 Duke University analysis of 1,000 New Zealand residents between the ages of 13 and 38. It concluded that teenagers who smoked cannabis at least four times a week sustained an average IQ loss of eight points. However, in 2014, a much larger study involving 2,612 children, and conducted by the University College of London found
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“no relationship between cannabis use and lower IQ at age 15.” The authors further commented that “alcohol use was found to be strongly associated with IQ decline.” Even scarier was the report published by researchers in 2014 at the Center for Brain Health at The University of Texas in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences describing abnormalities in brain function and structure of long-term cannabis consumers. Reporting that chronic cannabis consumers have smaller brain volume in the orbitofrontal region, the authors went on to claim “the structural connectivity or ‘wiring’ of the brain starts degrading with prolonged marijuana use.” But yet again, a different study, published in the Journal of Neuroscience by researchers at the University of Colorado and the University of Louisville in 2015, cited serious inconsistencies in the 2014 University of Texas report, concluding the negative studies were flawed because they “did not adequately exclude
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the effects of confounding variables” pointing out that “alcohol use, or other factors, may explain some of the contradictory findings.” Appealing to authorities to back up their scare stories, cannabis legalization opponents still quote Office of National Drug Control Policy Director John Walter’s following statement at a press conference from over 10 years ago. “New research being conducted here and abroad illustrates that marijuana use, particularly during the teen years, can lead to depression, thoughts of suicide and schizophrenia.” Paul Casadonte, MD, director of substance abuse treatment programs at New York’s Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center disagrees with Walters’ statement in a 2012 study published in Psychological Medicine, which concluded that “the current data do[es] not indicate that low to moderate lifetime cannabis use is a major contributor to psychosis or poor social and role functioning in clinical high-risk youth with attenuated positive symptoms of psychosis.” The most ominous study of all is a 2016 report
“A s s o c i at i o n s between cannabis use and cognitive functioning in cross-sectional studies of adolescents and y o u n g a d u lt s a r e s m a l l a n d m ay b e of questionable c l i n i c a l i m p o r ta n c e for most individuals.”
funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) whose lead author, Nora Volkow, MD, is the Director of NIDA. The report begins with the following questionable assertion. “It is well established that cannabis use causes acute impairment in the ability of the brain to hold information (i.e., cognitive capacity).” The report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) goes on to claim that “the amotivational effects of chronic cannabis use were linked to impairments in learning and sustained attention” and that “cannabis use causes acute impairment of learning and memory, attention and working memory.” Once again, an exhaustive report published in the March 2018 JAMA by researchers with no NIDA affiliation reviewed data from 69 separate studies involving 8,727 subjects and found the JAMA report to be inaccurate or exaggerated. The authors concluded, “Associations between cannabis use and cognitive functioning in cross-sectional studies of adolescents and young adults are small and may be of questionable clinical importance for most individuals.” Regardless of a subject’s age of initiation, the report found no significant long-term deficits in memory, attention, or other aspects of cognitive functioning due to cannabis use. Most of the studies alleging detrimental results from cannabis consumption by adolescents fail to account for the concomitant use of alcohol, which has been found in multiple studies to cause the problems in adolescents that opponents ascribe to cannabis. c
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REVIEWs
edible & concentrate
Lemon Penny As a premier distributor of some of the best concentrates in California, it comes as no surprise that Gold Drop Co. has created a single-use cartridge with Lemon Tree and dubbed it Lemon Penny. This cartridge and pen is a breakthrough in extract consumption products and provides consumers with a charging-free portable way to consume some of the most in-demand concentrate around. The sleek and discreet pen is both stylish and functional, and the convenience it offers is unrivaled. With a button-free design and no need to change out cartridges, this pen is ready to use wherever, whenever. Anyone who has sampled Lemon Tree concentrate in the past knows that the citrus taste it offers is perfectly balanced and that holds true with the Lemon Penny as well. Grab a handful, because after you taste it, you won’t be able to have just one.
Available wherever: Gold Drop Co. products are carried.
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Available wherever: Caliva products are carried including on Eaze.
G Pen GIO Classic Jack G Pen has long been on the forefront of designing great ways to consume extracts on-the-go, and this new Caliva GIO cartridge, available state-wide and on the Eaze platform, is simply cuttingedge. With a specially constructed 180mh battery and proprietary cartridge design, G Pen has devised a way to guarantee the easiest and most effective way to consume high quality concentrate. The GIO cartridges are scientifically engineered to produce the highest possible amount of vapor density for liquid concentrates on the market and yield some of the largest clouds a pen can offer. The Classic Jack strain that reviewers sampled is one the finest sativa extracts out there and is a great choice for a little boost of energy. Since Caliva has been consistently creating top-notch concentrates, the GIO is one of the best ways to consume them— it’s a match made in heaven.
Peach 100mg CBD Gummy The future has officially arrived! Gone are the days where your bag of infused gummies melt together into a giant clump on a hot summer day by the pool. Kushy CBD has fixed any potential overheating and melting problems by offering these Peach 100mg CBD Gummy candies as individual packages, which is perfect for providing consumers with the miraculous benefits of CBD without any unwanted psychoactive effects to bog you down. Smelling of fruity, summertime bliss, this gummy by Kushy CBD tasted of fresh peach and sweet strawberry with a very slight herbal aftertaste. Already divided into four servings at 25mg per serving, consumers can feel comfortable microdosing this treat by breaking the one-quarter piece into even smaller 6.25mg servings. After all, sometimes smaller servings can be even more effective. With only 14 calories per serving, this sweet treat isn’t one that will tip the scales. The pure nonGMO CBD isolate offered within this gummy is free from gluten, dairy, fat, peanuts and GMO; Kushy CBD will make sure you’re California dreamin’ no matter what your dietary needs may be. Get ready to embrace the summertime chill with these delicious, discreet goodies. 24
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Available wherever: Kushy CBD products are carried.
REVIEWs
company highlight increase our profit margin, we know in our hearts that it destroys the soul of the plant and creates a poor experience for the consumer. Thickness matters, which is why we use only two ingredients—cannabis oil, terpenes and never questionable fillers such as glycerin or polyethylene glycol. Also, by conducting our proprietary Fresh Mapped™ full spectrum analysis of living, breathing cannabis plants, our products are bursting with terpenes and recreate the same sensations you experience in a blooming cannabis garden. Combined with state-of-the-art ceramic core cartridges, our product line is the most innovative in the market today.
HoneyVape™ (510) 246-0755 www.HoneyVape.buzz How would you describe your company? What is your specialty? Established in 2012, HoneyVape™ is a California state-licensed, adult-use and medicinal cannabis oil company, and the first and only producer in California to provide authentic, full spectrum, distilled oil in cartridges. We provide our THC and CBD lab-tested extracts in vape cartridges, applicators, caps, batteries and apparel to legal
dispensaries and delivery services throughout "The Golden State." We live by the motto, “Only the best.” What do you offer consumers/clients that others don’t? We are the only company in California to offer the best-tasting, authentic, full spectrum cannabis oil. Many companies claim to be full spectrum cannabis [and] yet [they] use fillers, solvents and winterization to strip away the host of phytochemicals, lipids and flavors that contribute to marijuana’s “entourage effect.” While this could
How and why did your company start up? HoneyVape™ was originally inspired by our colleagues in the scientific and public health community. In 2007 our team founded the first vertically integrated medical cannabis collective in Los Angeles. We were known as the “farmers market of cannabis” that brought together farmers, breeders and patients in an atmosphere of love, medicine and rock ‘n’ roll. Through our collective we were introduced to doctors and scientists who were studying the public health effects of the young adult “dabbing” trend. This often entailed group parties where young adults would consume extremely high doses of contaminated cannabis oil to the point of passing out. When they
asked us “Isn’t there a safer alternative?” we realized there wasn’t and that is how HoneyVape™ was founded. With the changing landscape of medical and recreational cannabis, what do you see as the biggest challenges to your progress as a company? Any advantages? As the original and only full spectrum, distilled oil, vaping company in California, our biggest advantage is our knowledge and reputation. Our manufacturing team of Ph.D chemists and scientists were the first to bring marijuana distillate to the California marketplace. So, when our team educates our retail customers and wholesale partners about the science of cannabis oil and terpenes, we are not just reciting what we saw on Instagram. We are the direct link to the scientists who were doing it in California and The Netherlands for years! Our biggest challenge is winning the fight against widespread cannabis discrimination from state and federal governments. What words of advice would you offer anyone seeking to enter the world of cannabis business? If you take care of the plant, it will take care of you. What do you hope to accomplish in the cannabis industry? To be known as a company that produces clean, authentic, performancebased products that one can trust. Only the best! c
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REVIEWs
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1. All Things Hemp 3 Pack Beard Oil, Balm & Stash Wax by Beard of God™ Men, do you have trouble finding that perfect product for your beloved beards? Beards of God™ is here “to help men groom and maintain their mainly beards” with high quality ingredients. The All Things Hemp 3 Pack Beard Oil, Balm & Stash Wax comes with hemp-infused organic Beard Oil, hemp-infused Beard Balm and wax for your mustache. All-natural ingredients like organic and certified Kosher hemp seed oil, as well as other nutritional oils and vitamin E, will prevent your beard from becoming brittle and dry. This is the perfect gift for any hygiene aficionado in your life, but especially for dads who rock an awesome beard. Price: $34 More Information: www.beardofgod.com 2. Orbit Bluetooth Key Tracker Let’s admit it. We all misplace our phones and keys from time to time. How many times have you searched the couch and every surface of your house for your car keys or your phone? Now just imagine all that extra time you could all be saving if you had an Orbit Bluetooth Key Tracker. Stop endlessly searching for your keys or cell phones, and find your misplaced items quickly with the touch of a button—this device makes losing precious valuables a thing of the past. The Orbit Bluetooth Key Tracker is small, affordable and comes in a variety of colors. Price: $24.99 More Information: findorbit.com/orbit_us 26
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3. Hemp Backpack Made from 100 percent certified organic hemp, this backpack is made from the same hemp as the world-famous Hemp Wick Bee Line. This design is not only functional but fashionable as well, making it one of the best hemp backpacks on the market. This organic hemp backpack is filled with plenty of compartments as well as stash pockets for your valuables. With two adjustable padded shoulder straps, along with a single side water bottle pocket, get ready to take this backpack on all your outdoor adventures. The backpack is available in three different colors—Desert Tan, Oregon Green and Midnight Black. Price: $109 More Information: hempwickbeeline.com
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4. Stone Drink Dispenser Many of us enjoy our favorite drink on the rocks, but now you can enjoy it from the rock—in the literal sense. The Stone Drink Dispenser allows whiskey enthusiasts to enjoy their own little keg dispenser that not only looks cool, but makes pouring another round of drinks even easier. Designed by Jeff Henderson, this item is the ideal gift to accompany a bottle of booze for your thirstiest of friends (or fathers). This particular handmade unit is designed in New Hampshire and made from natural New England coastal stones. It can also be paired with a matching stone lever, to boot. Price: $45-$153 More Information: www.uncommongoods.com
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entertainment
BOOK
Cannabis Pharmacy: The Practical Guide to Medical Marijuana Michael Backes Pub. Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers This revised and updated edition of Cannabis Pharmacy: The Practical Guide to Medical Marijuana serves as a vital tool to those who would like to better understand the relationship between cannabis and the endocannabinoid system within our bodies. From clarifying the various functions of our endocannabinoid systems to better understanding cannabis consumption in general, this guide is especially helpful to those new to medical cannabis. Readers will be given practical tools to best prepare cannabis and administer it, which includes understanding the intricacies of dosage and titration. (Jacob Cannon)
Release Date: JUNE 15 Available on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC
GAME
LEGO The Incredibles Dev. Traveller’s Tales Pub. Warner Bros. Film-related LEGO® games have had an incredible run since the first game was released in 2001. So it’s no surprise that Disney is finally bringing its superhero movie franchise, The Incredibles, to join in on the fun. This game is full of everything you would expect, including countless LEGO® bricks, nonstop action, plenty of puzzles—plus, it’s available in both single player and twoplayer co-op modes. LEGO The Incredibles comes with content from the first film, as well as the new film that will be released later this month, so there’s plenty of gameplay to go around. (Nicole Potter)
MOVIE
Black Panther Dir. Ryan Coogler Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures In this age of superhero movie saturation, it can be hard to figure out which films will stand up as all around good science fiction movies, and which are essentially just bloated tributes to excessive budgets, explosions and computer special effects. Black Panther easily makes that leap into the realm of fantastic science-fiction and adds itself to an extremely short list of superhero films that transcend the genre. Written and directed by Ryan Coogler, (Creed, Fruitvale Station) the film brings to life the classic Stan Lee/Jack Kirby created Marvel hero, Black Panther, and his fictional African home of Wakanda and makes it one of the most fully fleshed-out, immersive universes created yet. (Simon Weedn)
MUSIC
7 Beach House Sub Pop Records Three years since its last release, Beach House has returned with one of the most consistent, focused and beautiful records of its career with 7. Rife with all of the lush, shimmery texture expected from a Beach House record, 7 still sees the band pushing its sound in new directions and working with firmer, tougher sounds and arrangements. These qualities give 7 a definition and a flow that is equal parts interesting and gorgeous. Instead of being content wandering through an exquisite fog or drifting through a sparkling expanse, 7 feels like Beach House taking us by the hand and leading us somewhere incredible. (Simon Weedn)
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“One of my favorite strains is the OG Kush; it helps with my anxiety.”
Photo by John Gilhooley
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How Lamar Odom turned adversity and tragedy into success in the cannabis world By David Edmundson
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amar Odom has held several monikers—basketball phenom, National Basketball Association (NBA) champion, Olympian and most recently survivor, but he is adding a new title to his resume—cannabis entrepreneur. CULTURE sat down with the retired champ to discuss basketball, his miraculous recovery and his thoughts on the cannabis landscape. Odom’s life has been a dichotomy of good and bad since he was a kid. As a youth, he was a basketball standout, but his childhood was marred by the death of his mother at the age of 12, and his father’s ongoing addiction to drugs.
In spite of these early tragedies, Odom became a talented basketball player in high school. He was recognized twice as a Parade All-American when he was a junior and senior and was named Parade Player of the Year in his senior year. After a brief stint in college, Odom was selected fourth overall in the 1999 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. The following year, he joined the NBA All-Rookie Team. However, in 2001 Odom was suspended for violating the NBA Drug Policy. He was suspended a second time the following season for the same infraction. Following his suspension, he admitted to consuming cannabis. In 2004, Odom traded Clipper red for Laker gold. During his time with the Los Angeles Lakers, Odom won back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010. He was also bestowed the coveted NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award for his efforts in 2011. During his time on the Lakers, Odom began to repair his relationship with his father, who had become drug-free. Shortly after playing with the Lakers, Odom experienced tragedy yet again with the death of his cousin, with whom Odom was close. Exacerbating the situation, Odom was the passenger in a vehicle that struck and killed a teenage cyclist. The motor accident occurred one day after laying his cousin to rest. After these tragedies, Odom played for the Dallas Mavericks for one season before returning to the Clippers for the final season of his NBA career. During his career in Los Angeles, Odom also appeared on a number of reality shows and grew a large fandom off the court. Of course, with newfound notoriety comes the perils of living life in the spotlight. He was addicted to drugs and suffered from terrible anxiety. Odom was found unresponsive and slipped into a coma in 2015. After several days, the former NBA star woke up. However, his recovery would be arduous. It was during this time that Odom began to focus on natural healing and cannabis. His quest for health led him to partner with Camp Green to form Rich Soil Organics and to make high-grade, organic cannabis products. CultureMagazine.com CultureMagazine.com JUNE JUNE2018 2018
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As a basketball standout from a young age, did sports function as an escape mechanism for your traumatic youth? It definitely did, 100 percent. Sports was like a parent to me. It kept me straight and on the right path. It made all my dreams come true. What did sports teach you early on? It taught me everything about teamwork, what it takes to be a good teammate. I’ve always considered myself a great teammate. I always took pride in that. You played in the NBA for 13 years and won two championships. You also represented your country in the 2004 Olympics. Was one more special than the other? I think they went handin-hand. I grew up always paying attention to the Olympics, and that was a special moment. The opening ceremonies are something I’ll never forget. Just like I’ll never forget winning those two championships with the Lakers, but they run neckand-neck. I wouldn’t put one in front of the other. How did you feel playing at the Olympics with different teammates? At the end of the day it was the worlds’ teams competing, so we were representing America, so it meant a lot to me to be on that team. You describe yourself as a “walking miracle.” How has cannabis helped you in your personal life? It helped me regain my motor skills. After I woke up from my coma, I couldn’t walk or talk, and I think
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marijuana helped me with my motor skills. Of course, it helps with pain, and I was addicted to drugs as well. It has helped my recovery out a lot as well. Several NBA players have come out recently supporting cannabis. Did you hear a lot about cannabis consumption when you played in the league? Not really. I mean I think guys smoked, but of course when we weren’t in season. But now that it’s becoming a big business, a lot of players are trying to take advantage of the business aspects and of course helping people. I want to help people if I can. Do you think you ever played with or against someone under the influence of cannabis? Did you ever play under the influence? I did consume cannabis during my career. It was the wrong decision, because I was suspended for smoking marijuana. I think that rules will be changed in the NBA soon. I think they’ve come to terms that it’s not unhealthy, like some other drugs. You played during David Stern’s reign as commissioner of the NBA, where he enacted very strict anti-cannabis rules. Recently though, he has come out in support of removing cannabis from the restricted list. Did you notice a change in cannabis’ perception from when you entered the lead, compared to when you left? Well I think in America as a whole, I think marijuana is definitely more socially acceptable. Just overall, in general.
Photos by JuanMarquis “Jay” Johnson | Location: SCSA South Coast Safe Access in Santa Ana
“I found that I could help my anxiety through the use of certain strains of marijuana, as opposed to Xanax or other things that had opiates in it.”
Elite athletes are under a lot of scrutiny. Do you foresee a future where cannabis is something that’s not tested for and is no longer banned? I hope so. I hope it gets to the point to where it’s not even a slap on the wrist, and no big deal. Plus, they need it for the pain and for the recovery. I don’t think they’re using it just to get stoned, because they need to be active during the day for professional reasons. I’d recommend them a good strain of Rich Soil’s sativa; that’ll keep ’em up. You have recently gotten into the cannabis business arena. Can you tell me about your partnership with Camp Green, Rich Soil Organics? I had a mutual friend who approached me about Camp Green. They were growing organically, which is very clean. But it wasn’t something I just jumped into. We got to know each other, the whole team. We’re a minority-owned company, and we got to know each other to see if we clicked, businesswise. And from that point on, it has been working pretty good. I read a lot of studies on the power of natural healing. I found that I could help my anxiety through the use of certain strains of marijuana, as opposed to Xanax or other things that had opiates in it.
Do you find that cannabis has allowed you to overcome your anxiety and make better decisions in life? One-hundred percent. As the world saw, I was in rehab. It took a lot of time for me to heal. During my recovery, I did a lot of research into the healing properties of cannabis. I suffer from really bad anxiety, and that anxiety led me to make terrible life-changing decisions off the court. My decision-making was terrible, because I was so anxious. One of my favorite strains is the OG Kush; it helps with my anxiety. Was it important for you that the company you partnered with is an organic grower? Yes, I want to help people, not hurt them with poor quality products [that are] full of chemicals. Photo by John Gilhooley
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Is it equally important being a minority-owned company? Yes, it’s time for change in every which way in America. Because change is always good if it’s not hurting anyone. Black business baby! Black excellence, that’s what we support. What kind of feedback have you received from your customers? Everybody seems to like it. We went down to San Diego, and we got good reviews. Everybody seems to love it. You grew up in New York, which has a pretty strict medical cannabis program. How does the presence of a medical program impact those who live in states with stricter, or in some cases, no cannabis program? I mean, of course it’s going to affect consumers. If it’s legal in one area, but not another, that’s where you run into trouble. From our community, it’s horrible for it to be illegal in some of the black communities, because we’re going to find a way to sell it and make money off of it. Hopefully other states will legalize it and regulate it.
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There are two approaches to fighting for cannabis legalization, medical and recreational. Is one of the two more important to you? You got to fight it both ways. Fuck it! I want it all, we want it all. We want to smoke and enjoy it and heal ourselves at the same time. Your ability to bounce back from adversity is an inspiration to many. What words of advice would you give to people who are suffering from drug addiction problems? Put your higher power first, and you can overcome anything if you do that. With the tremendous highs and scary lows you have experienced in your life, what is the message people can take away from your life thus far? That I’m a fighter, that I’m a survivor, and I’m Godfearing. Anything that comes my way, I’ll overcome. What would you tell 20-year-old Lamar if you talked to him today? Just chill out and think. Think everything through. c
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Photo by John Gilhooley
Favorite Cannabis Strain Rich Soil OG Kush Favorite Movie The Hurricane Favorite Song “Angel” by Anita Baker Coca Cola or Pepsi? Pepsi Favorite Candy Airhead Bites Boxers or Briefs? Boxer briefs Star Wars or Star Trek? Star Wars Pineapple on pizza? Wrong Who’s going to win the NBA championships? Cleveland Cavaliers over the Houston Rockets
www.lamarodom.com richsoilorganics.com
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Real and Rhythmic T i a r a T h o m a s ta k e s a break from performing w i t h t h e b e s t t o tal k a b o u t h e r i n s p i r at i o n s By Simon Weedn
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or several years now, Indianaborn pop/R&B singer and songwriter Tiara Thomas has been making her way to the top of music industry and has released an array of smooth, upbeat music along the way. Discovered by management company The Board Administration (now called Every Blue Moon) when she was only 20 years old, Thomas enjoyed her first taste of mainstream success four years later when she was featured on Wale’s hit single “Bad” that was later remixed with Rihanna. In the years since, Thomas has released a steady stream of singles and EPs, and appeared on tracks by Rico Love, Fabolous, Fat Joe and others. Recently, Thomas released a new EP, FWMM (Fuckin’ With My Mind), which shows off an incredible amount of growth as an artist and songwriter, as well as her powerful voice and some wonderfully lush, polished production. The EP is already garnering Thomas a multitude of positive reviews and bringing Thomas and her music into the spotlight once more. CULTURE recently had the opportunity to catch up with Tiara Thomas and hear all about her new EP, her 420 show with Snoop Dogg and Migos, as well as her love of honesty in music.
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Photos by Ken Irish
You just released a new EP, FWMM. Can you tell me how this record came together? This is a collection of songs that I put together over the last year or so. Basically, I find myself using the term fuckin’ with my mind a lot, like, “Why is he doing that? Why did this happen? That shit is fuckin’ with my mind.” I’m that type of person where I be in my head a lot, so that’s a good time to get into the studio, sit down with my guitar or listen to some beats. A lot of the time that’s how I get thoughts off my mind; I just put my headphones on, listen to beats that my friends send me and write to them. I have a lot of thoughts and stuff that be fuckin’ with my mind. Have you always used music to help you solve a problem or resolve an issue? For sure! I was the type of kid that got in trouble a lot. I wasn’t cussing out the teacher or fighting or anything. I just had a lot of energy, and I didn’t really know what to do with it. I would be getting sent to my room, because I was getting in trouble a lot, and I would just go in there and be fuckin’ it up on my guitar. If I got real mad at my mom and dad for something, I’d just go in my room and play guitar for hours. I think ultimately, that’s how I got good at it. Music has always been an outlet for me. I know a lot of people say that, but sometimes, even as a grown person, I’ll be stressed out, and I’ll think, “Let me just sit down and play my guitar.” And it’s always rewarding. You’ve never been shy about your love for cannabis and recently got to play a 420 show with Snoop Dogg and Migos. Cannabis is something near and dear to us at CULTURE, what do you think of all the legalization going on? I think it’s dope! I don’t know why it’s even a thing. I think you should be able to buy weed before you’re able to buy alcohol. There are so
many bad things that can happen from drinking alcohol: You can get liver disease, you can become an alcoholic, you can get alcohol poisoning. But, when you be smoking, you’re just chillin’. Is cannabis something that’s benefited you? Definitely! It’s helped me develop this hippie lifestyle, where I be real chilled out about stuff. Being in the music industry is stressful, and I have anxiety, so having a smoke helps me chill out a lot. It seems like authenticity and honesty are two things you champion. Why are those themes so important to you? That’s what I want from myself, and that’s what I’m attracted to in other artists. I feel like there are so many people that are not themselves, and they feel like they have to do some certain shit or rap some certain shit to get poppin’. But I’ve seen plenty of people be themselves and get real poppin’. When you’re yourself, you’re also encouraging other people to be themselves too. I also know what
“Being in the music industry is stressful, and I have a n x i e t y, s o having a smoke helps me chill o u t a l o t. ” artists like Lauryn Hill did for me when I was coming up. I remember listening to her and thinking, “I want to do that.” I admired her because there was something so raw and authentic about her. I just want to spark that type of feeling in other people, so that they can feel like, “Oh, I can be myself!” or, “Oh, I can really relate to her! She’s real!” I don’t want to be some made up artist with some made up story. c
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intriguing Ingenuity
Onjha by Mike Oncley
High Art 2 0 1 8 w i nn e r M i k e On c l e y is a humble v i s i o na r y 40
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By Addison Herron-Wheeler
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annabis is a useful tool for those who want to get creative and let loose through uninhibited artistic expression. The High Art 2018 contest is a celebration of cannabis and art. And while it’s the artistic process that counts, it’s also a contest, meaning that only one proud artist gets to claim the title of grand prize winner. This year,
that proud artist was Mike Oncley, who didn’t expect to win, but was thrilled when he did. Oncley’s winning piece Onjha, some have interpreted, is a subtle hat-tip to the political division that dominates American culture today, with the image of someone looking through a red and blue lens. CULTURE talked to Oncley about the victory and how his love of cannabis has played a role in his ongoing pursuit of art.
How did you find out about the High Art 2018 contest, and what prompted you to enter? I actually ran into Natural Cannabis Company’s ad on Instagram promoting the contest. I don’t enter a lot of contests but really appreciated the rules for entering this one—no tagging 10 friends, no community voting—it was really a call for talent over the popularity contests you see most often on social media. Did you think you would win? How big of a surprise was it to you? I absolutely thought I would not
win. I saw that Juxtapoz Magazine was a part of the contest and knew people would be putting their best work forward. This was my first time hearing of this fifth annual contest, and I felt like a newcomer. So, after submitting, I just tried to forget about it. Come 420, I was flipping through social media when I got the notice from Natural Cannabis Company that I had won first place and was wildly surprised! It was an amazing feeling. Why do you think the contest is important? This contest was a great way to gather like-minded artists, all who
“ C a n n a b i s h a s a l w ay s b e e n a w ay f o r m e to help defragment my brain a little b i t, b r i n g i n g m e f o c u s w h e n t h o u g h t s c a n s ta r t t o g e t o v e r w h e l m i n g . ” use cannabis in some shape or form in their life and art. I think creating art surrounding cannabis only helps to normalize it and express the creative community’s acceptance of this plant. How do you choose to work cannabis into your art as a theme? I am actually fortunate enough to have a wonderful cannabis photographer as my fiancé, so it was through her beautiful imagery that I was able to create my piece. Her photo was my direct reference as I pasted magazine clippings and painted the portrait image. How did you first discover cannabis, and why is it important to your art and your personal life? Oh wow, I’d have to say it was first discovered on a lifeguard tower in Belmont Shore, California through an apple pipe in 2006. Cannabis has always been a way for me to help defragment Photo by Mike Fulton
my brain a little bit, bringing me focus when thoughts can start to get overwhelming. It’s a therapeutic experience to have a quick smoke and sit down with some magazine clippings and Mod Podge. How do you feel about legalization so far in the U.S.? So far, legalization is on the right track, with a long way to go. Individual legalized states provide great examples to show congress that people can consume responsibly and that cannabis is more of a solution than a problem, especially with the current opioid crisis hitting America. Although, until cannabis is legalized federally and the people who have been incarcerated for this plant are released, there is more work to be done. How would you describe your style? I would describe my current style as a beautiful mess. I can’t simply translate an image directly to a painting without losing interest halfway through. I tend to make a problem for myself to solve, like a big smear across the canvas or pasting magazine clippings that only partially fit where I need them, and then have to think, “How can I get my final image recognizable again?” What can we expect from your art in the future? It’s hard to say! I always like experimenting with different methods, so the future is still a mystery. I’d say look out for bigger and better portraits from me. Is there anything else you would like to add? I think a big thank you to Natural Cannabis Company and Juxtapoz are in order for organizing such a great contest that included a huge donation to an international nonprofit. If you’d like to see more of my work, you can head to my website, HeyOncley.com or find me on social media at the same name. c
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Sowing Sustainability T h e R o d al e In s t i t u t e h i g h l i g h t s i t s l e a d i n g h e m p r e s e a r c h p r o j e ct i n h o n o r o f H e m p History Week By Benjamin M. Adams
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emp’s rich history is embedded in the story of the United States. What was once a staple crop in early American society, hemp’s legacy eventually fell— but it is slowly returning to its former glory. With uniquely sustainable qualities, the plant is an ideal agricultural product that could also help combat the fingerprint that mankind leaves behind on planet Earth. This month we celebrate Hemp History Week (which runs from June 4-10), and to honor another year of progress in the hemp industry, CULTURE spoke with the Pennsylvaniabased Rodale Institute, which is conducting groundbreaking agricultural hemp research. 42
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Although hemp was once a major industry in Pennsylvania for over 260 years, 80 years of prohibition made hemp farms an impossibility until recently. “According to Penn State Extension, the fiber of both hemp and flax was used to produce everything from clothing, to rope, to paper in colonial times,” Tara Caton, senior lab technician with Rodale Institute told CULTURE. “Historical records from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania reveal that over 100 hemp mills operated in the state to separate the fibers from the bark and the core. Industrial hemp became a victim of the 1937 banning of marijuana, a different
variety of Cannabis sativa, because of morphological similarity of the two species.” The 2014 Federal Farm Bill, however, opened the doors to hemp cultivation once again, for research purposes. Hemp and cannabis have very different purposes, but many remain uneducated about making the distinction. “According to U.S. law, hemp is the stalks, stems and sterilized seeds of cannabis; marijuana is the leaves, flowers and viable seeds of cannabis,” Caton explained. Legally, hemp is defined as having less than 0.3 percent THC, and the plant is typically grown for its fiber content.
Now operating in what used to be one of the United States’ most popular hemp cultivation areas, Rodale Institute is making great strides in research. It’s one of 16 projects to receive a state-issued permit to cultivate hemp and unlike those other projects, Rodale Institute is one of the few organizations that is conducting independent agricultural research on hemp, directly on hemp farms. The institute is conducting a four-year research project, with an emphasis on sustainable farming. “We’re thrilled to have a new tool in our kit to find solutions for American farmers,” said Caton. “We’re honored to be included among the first research institutions granted access to experimenting with hemp. One of the most pressing issues for organic farmers is how to best fight weeds. Hemp, used as a cover crop, has the potential to not only suppress weeds but to provide a higher profit for the farmer in comparison to other cover crops (e.g. sorghum Sudan grass).” A cover crop is a crop grown for the purpose of soil enrichment, suppressing weed growth and helping to control unwanted pests and diseases. Hemp is more sustainable than many other types of plants, and members of Rodale Institute are very knowledgeable on the subject. “Hemp has a short growth phase and can be incorporated into a crop rotation, increasing the overall number of crops getting onto a field in a given year,” Caton explained.
“We’re honored to be included among the first research institutions granted access to e x p e r i m e n t i n g w i t h h e m p. ”
Caton also noted that hemp has a short growth phase, making it possible to cycle through multiple crop rotations in a single year. “This allows us to keep the field planted at all times, reducing erosion and runoff, and to increase soil carbon as the plant sequesters it from the atmosphere and returns to the ground,” she said. “Hemp is also less labor intensive than other fiber crops (e.g. cotton); one machine can harvest an entire field of hemp whereas hundreds of workers are needed to hand-pick cotton. Hemp can be harvested and its byproducts sold, but it’s also a great cover crop in
no-till systems because it leaves a lot of biomass behind, useful in building soil over time.” For its unique positions as a leading hemp research facility, Rodale Institute is being featured in a documentary called Deep Roots, in honor of Hemp History Week’s 2018 theme of the same name. With sustainability as the focus, the Institute is regarded as a prime example of success. The new short film documents the cultivation of hemp within a regenerative organic no-till agriculture model. “No till farming has many benefits,” Ross Duffield, farm operations manager told CULTURE.
“Limited disruption of the soil allows for the living organisms and fungi to grow and live undisturbed and in turn helps increase soil organic matter and soil quality. No till also helps keep soil in place and reduces erosion that is a big problem in tillage systems after extreme rain or drought.” The regenerative notill model is still a work in progress, Duffield admitted, since weed management is key to success when dealing with plants like hemp. “By rotating livestock through a grain or even a vegetable rotation and limiting the amount of tillage during a year, the regenerative organic approach can improve the health of the soil, the livestock, that and the farmers themselves,” Duffield said. “This approach not only sustains the organic land but improves it over time and will leave it in a better condition for future farmers to manage.” Rodale Institute is helping to create hemp awareness through its research and its complex cultivation strategies. In honor of Hemp History Week, it’s important remember how hemp cultivation changed the past, as well as how it can contribute to a more sustainable our future. c
Oliver Stone “[Cannabis legalization] can be done. It can be done legally, safely, healthy, and it can be taxed and the government can pay for education and stuff like that. Also, you can save a fortune by not putting kids in jail.”
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Industry Insider
Health Care Hero D r . C ha n da M acias o f th e Nati o n al H o listic H e ali n g C e n t e r p r o m o t e s r acial e q u it y a n d s o u n d sci e n c e
By R. Scott Rappold
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he U.S. government has said for decades that cannabis has “no accepted medical use,” lumping it with drugs like heroin and LSD in terms of its medical potential and legality. But Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the nation’s most powerful cannabis foe, would only have to travel 10 blocks from his office in the nation’s capital to see otherwise. That’s where Dr. Chanda Macias provides medicine for 2,400 patients at her medical cannabis dispensary, 44
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violating federal law like every other cannabis seller in America. Her National Holistic Healing Center is one of five dispensaries in Washington, D.C., a small market that is symbolically large by virtue of its location. Dr. Macias expects sales to rise from $5 million to $8 million this year. As a result, she has emerged as one of the industry’s most prominent faces, a clean-cut scientist and mother of four with an impressive educational background, who doesn’t consume cannabis herself. Along with running the dispensary and studying the
plant as a scientist, she was also recently selected to serve as chairwoman of Women Grow, a nationwide organization with dozens of chapters and hundreds of business members. “Being operational for almost three years, I see what a tremendous difference in health care benefits it provides my patients,” said Dr. Macias, 43. “It’s unbelievable. I’ve seen recovery from certain ailments. I’ve seen improved quality of life for a lot of different patients. It’s miraculous what I’ve seen this plant can do for patients in the D.C. market.”
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H e a lt h C a r e D i s p a r i t y
It was on a trip to Ethiopia that Dr. Macias began to draw parallels between the health crisis in that impoverished nation and the situation facing millions of Americans at home. A cell biologist with a PhD from Howard University, she received a grant to bring students there to study diseases like malaria, which were often fatal because of a lack of medicine and available doctors. She had studied cannabis’ medical benefits and its potential to fight a number of diseases, from glaucoma to cancer, and decided to do something to help Americans gain access to it. “What I needed was to bring awareness to this health disparity that everyone experiences due to the deficiency of cannabinoids in our systems, understanding that those cannabinoids are putting us back in balance and giving us an improved quality of life, because that balance is something we need in order to not see these different progressive disease states,” she said. “It’s having access to the right medicine, and the medicine I feel can have the biggest impact on a patient is medical marijuana.” Around this time, 2013, Washington, D.C. was in the process of approving its first dispensaries. Dr. Macias applied, and two years later, was approved as the fifth and final one. She quit her job at a large pharmaceutical company to sell cannabis.
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Scientific Approach
“I can’t change who I am, which is a scientist. So I still have to indulge in that,” said Dr. Macias, who takes that approach to dispensing cannabis. When a new strain is ready, she and other scientists on her team examine the cannabinoid properties to determine what specific ailments it may be best used to treat, a concept known as “strain alignment.” Laboratory research is a major focus of the dispensary, along, of course, with its eight warehouse grow operations in the city. And it’s not just Washington, D.C. residents who can reap the benefits. The city allows medical cannabis patients from 16 other states to gain access to dispensaries, a big deal in a city that receives plenty of visitors, from tourists to government employees, who don’t need to go in search of the black market. Expanding access and knowledge about cannabis was why, in February of this year, Dr. Macias accepted the job of chairwoman of Women Grow. It’s an opportunity to not only
help women prosper in the industry, but to raise awareness of women’s issues, such as using cannabis to treat endometriosis, a painful swelling of uterus tissue, and allowing children who use cannabis to treat epilepsy to medicate at school instead of having to be taken home.
“ . . . Overall if I ever question my decision of g o i n g i n t o t h i s i n d u s t r y, I l o o k at m y 2 , 4 0 0 p at i e n t s , a n d I s ay, ‘ I d i d t h e r i g h t thing. No question.’” A.
A Polarizing Issue
Dr. Macias’ eight-year-old son isn’t allowed to say “marijuana” or “cannabis.” He can only call the plant “medicine.” It’s to protect him from getting in trouble if someone asks what his mother does. It’s also to avoid a misunderstanding that could result in social services being called. Such are the risks of running a dispensary in a region that is years behind the West in terms of the legality of cannabis. It’s the same attitude she has come up against during her entire academic career. “When I went to school, it was still the ‘War on Drugs’ and the thought of marijuana was [that] there was nothing medical about it. It was just a pipeline to prison,” she said. When she studied cannabis, it was by reviewing the laboratory research of others, because of the legal hurdles in America to studying a Schedule I drug. Some of her scientific colleagues have applauded Dr. Macias for getting involved in medical cannabis, while others warned her that it would be detrimental to her career. “I get both responses, but overall if I ever question my decision of going into this industry, I look at my 2,400 patients, and I say, ‘I did the right thing. No question,’” she said. “I’m very happy to be in this space,” she concluded. “I’m happy to create awareness and meet some pretty dynamic people who really are changing the face of health care.” c CultureMagazine.com
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and cannabiS T h e canna b i s an d L GB T Q c o m m u n i t i e s s h a r e s i m i la r a g e n d a s — t h e p u r s u i t of civil liberties By Addison Herron-Wheeler
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t’s that time of year again—rainbow flags are flying and love is in the air while inclusive, raging parties are happening across the world. It’s Pride season once again, and even if you aren’t a member of the LGBTQ community, it’s still the perfect time to show solidarity with those who are. There are plenty of ways to celebrate Pride and cannabis together, especially in states that allow cannabis. In a lot of bigger cities with a saturation of cannabis and dispensaries, cannabis professionals sponsor Pride,
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showing up with floats and booths to help spread the word about the acceptance that goes hand-in-hand with cannabis culture. Local businesses host Pride specials and give discounts to those celebrating.
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“ T o d ay P r i d e i s a b i g g e r c e l e b r at i o n than ever, much l i k e o u r r e c e n t ly p a s s e d h o l i d ay, 420, which gets bigger and better every year.”
But at the heart of it, sponsorships from liquor and cannabis companies aren’t what Pride is all about. Just like people who love cannabis, the LGBTQ community loves to party, but the community has also undeniably faced a lot of oppression over the years. And more so than sharing a love of entrepreneurship or catching a good buzz, cannabis activists and queer people share a passion for making positive social change. Despite the challenges being imposed by current leaders, who have recently introduced both anticannabis and anti-LGBTQ policies, queer issues are still at the forefront of many people’s minds, and for every setback, progress inches towards acceptance. Today Pride is a bigger
celebration than ever, much like our recently passed holiday, 420, which gets bigger and better every year. These days, Pride celebrations aren’t just excuses to party and get wild; they are celebrations of all the social and political activism that is being done, both in the cannabis community and in the LGBTQ world. For decades, cannabis consumers were arrested and tried as felons for supplying cannabis to others, or simply for medicating. LGBTQ folks were arrested just for expressing love for people of the same gender or crossdressing. Despite the setbacks still faced today, the communities have come so far. So, this year as Pride rolls around, don’t just think of it as a chance to wear bright colors and party with your friends. Make time to reflect on the how far cannabis and queer issues have come in 2018, and celebrate the achievements made, while recognizing that the fight for representation and acceptance is still far from over. c
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Vegan Visionary C anna b i s i s t h e s e c r e t i n g r e d i e nt o f i n s p i r at i o n f o r p r i vat e v e g an c h e f an d h i p - h o p a r t i s t, T h e S e s s i o n By Jamie Solis
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he Session, born Kory Chester, is on a mission to single-handedly change stereotypes when it comes to his creations. As a private chef and hip-hop artist, don’t be fooled by first impressions and pre-conceived ideas. This classically trained private chef-turned-YouTube-and-Instagramsensation indeed spits lyrics and stands at six-foot-five. Yet while he is often compared to Wiz Khalifa, he has so much more heart and depth than your typical celebrity lookalike. Working as a private chef on a daily basis for high-end clientele, The Session provides his clients with daily doses of health and nutrition. However, his altruism to give back to those who are less fortunate is what truly serves as the true driving force of his ambition. With an impressive following on social media, this private chef and artist sat down with CULTURE to talk about food, music, his community and how cannabis is the secret ingredient to inspiration in his life.
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The latest song he recorded is a true testament to this goal. The song by David Sharkey feat. The Session entitled, “NvR Without You” is a love song, the first of which The Session had a part in producing. Although he raps on the track, his flow is melodic and beautiful, which is vastly different than what one might typically expect to hear from a hip-hop artist.
The Unifying Herb labor of love Ambitious, resourceful and a lover of food—The Session started his path to becoming a chef during high school back in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he attended trade school classes for cooking alongside his general studies. Over a year ago, he relocated to Northern California, where he now prepares vegan meals daily as a private chef. Although he has only lived a vegan lifestyle for a little over a year, The Session is a huge advocate for the health benefits that he continues to receive. “Being a vegan is beneficial in every way,” he said. “Your skin is better. You feel better. I just feel better.” Although most of his clients aren’t interested in cannabis-infused vegan meals at this point, The Session still whips up cannabis meals for friends and clients who have become friends. He would love to branch into more cannabis-related cuisine and events in the future, but that isn’t the only future he foresees. “One of my goals is to do more weed-related events, but my main goal is to become the highest paid private chef in California,” he said. Upon visiting The Session’s YouTube channel, his altruism and commitment to giving back to the community are clear to see. Various videos show him whipping up delicious vegan meals at the kitchen in his home, then delivering vegan meals to people who are homeless and less fortunate in his local community on days like 420 and Thanksgiving. Of all that he does, his truest intention in life is to serve others. “All I really want out of this world is to make changes and help, because I feel
like everybody is not going to do that. And you only get one life,” The Session said. “So, my legacy that I would like to leave behind is just . . . God forbid if I were to pass away in a week, they could at least say, ‘Damn, he was taking money out of his pocket to help everybody.’ I’m consistent every day. I help people every day. I spread love every day.” He is committed to this mission. As he continues to find success, he will largely use his platforms for the greater good of those around him. “As I keep growing and as I get to the top, I know I will be able to help the world,” he concluded.
Although he’s spread in many directions, the one unifying aspect of The Session’s exciting lifestyle is cannabis. Playing an important role in his creative processes of both music and cooking, cannabis is an essential part of his daily life to which he is very grateful. “It’s a part of my life. I have weed tattooed on me. I don’t know if that’s an awesome thing or not, but to me it’s pretty cool. Weed inspires everything I do. Literally every time I cook for my clients, I’m always high. It gives me a creative edge,” The Session said. “For example, before I go to the store, I smoke a little bit. It gets me a little hungry and opens my mind to think, ‘What would they want to eat today?’”
“ W e e d i n s p i r e s e v e r y t h i n g I d o . L i t e r a l ly e v e r y t i m e I c o o k f o r m y c l i e n t s , I ’ m a l w ay s h i g h . I t g i v e s m e a c r e at i v e e d g e . ” P a v i n g a N e w P at h Food and altruism aren’t the only passions that The Session is dedicated to. In respect to the hip-hop music he creates, The Session’s overall direction is another example of his uniqueness. What you hear coming through the speakers from The Session clearly breaks the mold of what people might expect or stereotype from his rap music and his appearance in general. “My music direction, I don’t want to be labeled as anything. I don’t want to be a cliché rapper. My goal in life is to defy stereotypes all the way around. I make tons of rap songs for sure, but as my production grows and as I find my sound, I’m looking to make a song of every genre,” he said.
Being from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, but now calling California home, The Session has seen firsthand the negative impact of cannabis prohibition. “As a black man in this country, I know so many people back home, where I’m from, who were affected by smoking a joint, and you can get arrested for the most miniscule thing. No one should be punished for consuming cannabis.” When it comes to what The Session hopes to bring to his viewers, his fans and the world around him, it’s to have perseverance and never give up on your dreams. “If you can envision it, if you can taste it, if you can feel it, it will happen. You just have to stick with it. You can’t ever give up, because I feel like this is just the start for me.” c
Photos by Ryan Wall
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Outdoo r CO2
GROWING CULTURE
THE EXPERIMENTS CONTINUE By Ed Rosenthal
Sex Expression
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few issues ago, I wrote about an experiment performed in the 1930s by Sister Mary Etienne Tibeau. She conducted various fertilizer experiments with hemp—depriving seedlings of all fertilizers or giving them a complete fertilizer (except that it lacked Nitrogen). I have been replicating that experiment. I germinated the seeds between two layers of hand towel cloth, and then planted them in rockwool cubes. They were supplied with tap water that had 70 parts per million (ppm) dissolved solids but no Nitrogen. They were kept under constant fluorescent light for 10 days and then the lighting was changed to 12 hours with each light and uninterrupted darkness to induce flowering. The plants are growing very slowly without nutrients. They look comparable to the seedlings that Tibeau recorded in her studies. As you can see in the second photo below, they are beginning to form primordial flowers. At this point, their sex cannot be determined. By next month, we will see if the lack of Nitrogen has an effect on sexual expression, as Tibeau reported.
Plants in the experiment are stunted because they are receiving no nutrients. The first flowers are beginning to develop. 50
Close-up of beginning of the first flowers developing under flowering regimen of 12 hours light, 12 hours uninterrupted darkness. The flower’s sex was undetermined, at this stage but will become apparent in the coming days.
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I first saw the use of CO2 outdoors when I was on a trip to Australia. A single cannabis plant was growing in the yard next to the house [that I was at]. A gas water heater was sitting outside, to one side of the plant. Every time the hot water was turned on, the propane was fired. It heated the water as well as produced CO2 and water vapor. The side of the plant receiving the gas was much more robust than the other side. This was an extremely well done, albeit an inadvertent experiment. It was performed on a single plant so the genetics was the same, as well as all environmental conditions except for the enhanced CO2 on only one portion of the plant. This showed that even outdoors, CO2 enhanced air results in higher yields. I recently visited a legal cannabis farm in California too, where the cultivators
Open tunnel greenhouse with regulator and CO2 releasing tubing.
were performing CO2 experiments on open tunnel gardens in order to learn the most efficacious way to supply it. They have a large tank of liquid CO2, which is held under pressure. The gas is delivered to the top of the canopy through tubing with micro-pore holes to release the gas. CO2 is heavier than air and it is cold so it drifts down to the plant tops. Light intensity, wind and temperature are all taken into account as they are developing logarithms for gas release. Results will be tallied after harvest. Meanwhile, you can try this method on your own. Regulate the gas tank using a timer and CO2 ppm meter. Set the timer to release the gas between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., when the sun is most intense. Set the ppm meter to about 800 ppm. This turns the gas flow on and off which keeps the CO2 levels stable. Don’t run it on windy days though, you’ll just be wasting gas. c
Close-up of tubing running over the plant canopy.
The experimental regulator and environmental measuring device is connected to a large liquid CO2 tank.
Copyright by Ed Rosenthal. All rights are reserved. First North American Magazine rights only are assigned to culture Magazine. No other reproduction of this material is permitted without the specific written permission of the author/copyright holder.
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SOCAL NOW! event listings
Cannabis in California: A Fireside Chat, June 13 Educate yourself about the transition of the cannabis industry from an unregulated to a regulated industry, and the obstacles in the way. Chief of the Bureau of Cannabis Control Lori Ajax and Executive Director Cat Packer will be hosting the classic fireside chat in downtown Los Angeles. Get the inside exclusive from two of the most important people in the industry. 800 Wilshire Building, Downtown Los Angeles eighthundredwilshire.com
Orange County Big Summer BeerFest, June 16 Live music, inflatable obstacle courses and over 100 craft beers are a few of the main attractions of the second annual Orange County Big Summer BeerFest. Some of the hottest names in the brewing industry will be returning to the OC Great Park in Irvine to celebrate this event. OC Great Park, Irvine bigsummerbeerfest.com 52
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Puff, Pass & Paint, June 16 Puff, Pass & Paint is about being a part of a relaxed atmosphere, getting comfortable and being open-minded, allowing yourself to freely create your own masterpiece. Painters and cannabis consumers alike can now enjoy each other’s presence. Consume cannabis while painting and engaging with other like-minded individuals. Comic Book Hideout, Fullerton puffpassandpaint.com/ find-a-class Arroyo Seco Weekend, June 23-24 Don’t miss out on the summer fun in the sun at the Arroyo Seco Weekend! There will be over 30 live musical performances, which will include Capital Cities, Third Eye Blind, Violent Femmes and Kings of Leon. There will also be plenty of specialty wines and craft beer selections to pair with your cuisine created by award-winning restaurants. Brookside at the Rose Bowl, Pasadena www.arroyosecoweekend. com Summer Solstice Celebration, June 22-24 Celebrate the longest day of year at the largest arts event in Santa Barbara County. Drawing crowds of over 100,000, this event features numerous
featured event
Smokin’ Grooves, June 16 Come rock the boat on The Queen Mary, where a blend of R&B and hip-hop artists will perform at the Smokin’ Grooves music festival, including Erykah Badu, Miguel, The Rats and Busta Rhymes. All day long, there will be people movin’ and groovin’ to the music as well enjoying food from Los Angeles’s best food trucks and breweries. The Queen Mary, Long Beach smokingroovesfest.com parades, dancing and live music that will fill the weekend with entertainment for all. Featured art from the winner of the annual Summer Solstice Celebration 2018 Poster & T-shirt Contest will have their work available for purchase on shirts and other merchandise. Alameda Park, Santa Barbara Solsticeparade.com Long Beach Bayou Festival, June 23-24 Experience the best parts of New Orleans and
Louisiana bayou culture in Long Beach, where you’ll be able to participate in a crawfish eating contest, enjoy live music and witness a traditional Mardi Gras parade. Live performances from JoJo Reed, Crawdaddio, Jeffery Broussard and The Creole Boys and others will keep the rhythm going all day, allowing you to bring the whole family and dive into the Cajun cuisine and culture of “The Big Easy.” Queen Mary Events Park, Long Beach Longbeachbayou.com
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News of the
Weird
By the Editors at Andrews McMeel
LEAD STORY—BOLD In the tiny Denver suburb of Castle Rock, Colorado, the motto might be “If the house is rockin’, DO come knockin’!” Residents on Avery Way are in a tizzy about the Thunderstorm Play Palace, a 7,500-squarefoot home where, neighbors told KDVR-TV, the owner invites swinging couples and singles to gather for wild sex parties. Invitees must make a “donation” ($70 for couples and single men, $20 for single women), and the parties include drinks, snacks and potluck dishes. “One had four crockpots,” said a neighbor, “showing up like they’re going to a Bunko party or something.” On the invitation, guests were asked to bring their own condoms and show respect for the “new furniture.” The host is a married father of three who feels harassed by the neighborhood, but he counters that he’s taken steps to be discreet, including installing soundproofing and making sure “there are no open areas.” But neighbors claim they hear “disturbing sounds” coming from the house. “You can hear people doing what they’re doing,” one resident told reporters. Castle Rock Police say the man is not breaking the law because he’s only taking donations, and the activities are contained to his home. DO NOT CLIMB! Black Panther isn’t feeling the love in South Korea 54
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lately. The Walt Disney Co. sent two statues of the superhero to Busan to celebrate Marvel Studios’ filming along Korea’s southern coast. But on March 17, according to The Korea Herald, a 32-year-old drunk man was arrested after he vandalized the statue in the Gwangbok-ro shopping district, and on April 21, the statue near Gwangalli Beach was toppled and part of its head broken off. An official from the Korea Film Council thought someone had probably tried to climb the statue, despite numerous off-limits signs. OOPS! Police officers in the German town of Neustadt were called April 25 to an apartment building after reports of screaming led neighbors to suspect domestic violence, the Daily Mail reported. Instead, they found a couple receiving instruction in the Japanese art of Shibari erotic bondage from the apartment’s tenant. (“Shibari” translates as “the beauty of tight binding.”) In a statement titled “Fifty Shades of Neustadt,” police reported the couple were “well and in a good mood,” even asking the officers if they’d like to join in, but they had to decline. In the seaside village of Lytham St Annes, England, Douglas Cholmondley Travis, an 88-year-old member of the local Neighborhood Watch, was on patrol Oct. 10, 2017, when he and an 87-year-old watch colleague noticed a van turning into Lytham Park Cemetery. Regarding the vehicle as suspicious, they began taking pictures of it until Antony James, driver of
the van, there only to visit family graves, grew angry and stopped, according to Metro News. James got out of his van to confront Travis, causing a panic, according to defense attorney Robert Castle, that resulted in James being knocked down by the Neighborhood Watch vehicle and Travis charged for reckless driving and assault. “This is all terribly sad,” Castle told Blackpool Magistrates Court in late April, as his client is “one of the eyes and ears of the police.” Travis was fined 40 pounds plus court costs.
in Cleveland, where the scheduled departure time was 2:30 a.m., passengers told WEWS-TV, but the bus didn’t leave until 6 a.m. After crossing into Pennsylvania, the bus turned around, and the driver explained he was returning to Cleveland because of mechanical difficulties. However, the driver missed Cleveland and drove all the way to Toledo before realizing the mistake and heading back to Cleveland. “We were on this bus for seven hours just going in a circle,” said passenger Morgan Staley.
LOOK-ALIKES Dolores Leis, 64, of Nanton in Galicia, Spain, is a modest wife and potato farmer. But thanks to the internet, she has found fame as “Trump’s Galician sister.” The Associated Press reports that a journalist researching farming posted a photo of Leis at her farm on Instagram, and the striking resemblance between her and the U.S. president caught the attention of the web. “I say that it must be because of the color of the hair,” Leis told La Voz de Galicia on April 24. She added that she’s not overwhelmed by the sudden attention because, unlike her doppelganger, she doesn’t use a mobile phone and isn’t much interested in online chatter. “I look at everything that my daughters show me, but it never stung my curiosity to have (a phone),” she said.
BATHING NEWS Evelyn Washington, 29, broke then crawled through a window in a Monroe, Louisiana, home on April 17, then settled into a warm bath with a bag of Cheetos and a large plate of food within reach on the toilet lid. The Fort Worth StarTelegram reported that when the homeowner returned from work around 5 p.m., she called police, who removed Washington to the Ouachita Correctional Center, where she told them “an unknown male told her to break into the victims’ residence.”
MISGUIDED Greyhound Bus passengers were frustrated on April 19 after their trip to New York was delayed by mechanical trouble and navigational challenges. The ride started
On April 4, a homeowner in the Longton area of Stoke-on-Trent, England, returned home to discover a man bathing in his tub and enjoying a cup of Oxo (broth), according to the BBC. When police arrived, the 36-year-old naked man tried to flee but was caught and arrested. The homeowner complained: “He ate me crisps, had five rounds of corned beef and sauce, ate a jar of pickles, had two ice creams and a can of Coke.”
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