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contents
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Strong and Resilient
Eben Britton, former offensive lineman, speaks out in support of cannabis consumption in the NFL, as his personal experiences have led him to activism and launching a CBD company. O n the C O V E R :
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Connecting to the Cure Sophie’s mother used her family's experience with medical cannabis to create CannaKids, which helps parents navigate the intimidating process of securing cannabis for sick children.
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HIV and Cannabis The medical cannabis movement was ignited by those affected by HIV, and now the government is funding research to further its relationship with the community.
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Shattering Stereotypes As founder of The 420 Games, Jim McAlpine leads by example as a health-focused cannabis connoisseur.
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Poetic Power Venturing solo with his latest album, MC Khris P’s bass heavy inspiration will hypnotize you as his new songs pulsate through your veins.
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departments 10 Letter from the Editor news 12 News Nuggets 13 By the Numbers 14 Local News 16 Legal Corner 18 Healthy Living reviews 20 Strain, Edible & Concentrate Reviews 24 Advocate Highlight 26 Cool Stuff 30 Entertainment Reviews in every issue 46 Growing Culture 48 Profile in Courage 50 Recipes 52 News of the Weird 6
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Online Exclusive! d Majority of West Virginian Doctors Support Cannabis d New Study Suggests CBD as Schizophrenia Treatment
Vol 9 IssUE 7
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Editor-In-Chief Jamie Solis associate Editor Ashley Bennett Editorial coordinator Benjamin Adams Editorial Contributors Matthew Abel, Devon Alexander Brown, Jasen T. Davis, Alex Distefano, Keira Fae, Caroline Hayes, Addison Herron-Wheeler, Pamela Jayne, M. Jay, Heather Johnson, Emily Manke, Meital Manzuri, Madison Ortiz, R. Scott Rappold, Paul Rogers, Ed Rosenthal, Kimberly R. Simms, Alexa Steinberg, Lanny Swerdlow, Simon Weedn, Amy Witt, Laurie Wolf Photographers Kristen Angelo, Steve Baker, Kristopher Christensen, John Gilhooley, Joel Meaders, Tonya Perme, Josué Rivas, Mike Rosati, Eric Stoner Art Director Steven Myrdahl production manager Michelle Aguirre Graphic Designer Payden Cobern sales director Joe Larson Account Executives Alex Brizicky, Molly Clark, Eric Bulls, Kim Cook, Lee Moran, Casey Roel, Garry Stalling, Shayne Williams, Annie Weber, Vic Zaragoza general Manager Iris Norsworthy office manager Mikayla Aguilar digital media Hannah Lemley coordinator Interns Sophia Rybicki Distribution Manager Cruz Bobadilla Publisher David Comden
Culture® Magazine is published every month and distributes magazines at over 600 locations throughout Washington. No articles, illustrations, photographs, or other matter within may be reproduced without written permission. Culture® Magazine is a registered trademark. All rights reserved. 815 1st Ave | #220 Seattle | Washington | 98104 Phone 888.694.2046 | Fax 888.694.2046 www.CultureMagazine.com
CULTURE® Magazine is printed using post-recycled paper.
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LETTER
FROM
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EDITOR
C h ee r s t o He a l t h a n d Wellness
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ow will you do better this year? Are you planning to quit smoking cigarettes or drinking alcohol? Will you exercise more and eat less? January gives us hope of a new beginning; it marks our chance to wipe the slate clean and move forward. For anyone who wants to improve their overall health and wellness this year, there is good news for you—cannabis can help. With all the miraculous benefits that cannabis provides, we’ve decided to dedicate this issue of CULTURE to cannabis, health and wellness. Our exclusive interview with former NFL offensive lineman, Eben Britton, helps us examine how our nation’s history of prescribing opioids for pain is outdated and harmful. Cannabis is defined under two categories— medical or recreational. While we appreciate these two approaches, cannabis can be put in one, allencompassing category as the plant contributes in countless ways to a healthier, more wellnessminded lifestyle. There is no denying the medicinal properties of cannabis. It’s an effective anti-seizure medication for people suffering from epilepsy and seizure disorders. Chances are you know a fair amount of people who have used cannabis adjunct to chemotherapy. Cannabis continues to grow in popularity as an alternative medicine—your friends and family members have probably already inquired about CBD for treating pain, skin disorders or inflammation—for themselves and even for their pets. And these examples only touch the surface regarding the many examples of how cannabis is one of nature’s most effective medicines. However, a wellness-minded lifestyle goes beyond medicine and treating physical ailments. Cannabis promotes, supports and contributes to many dimensions of a healthier lifestyle. Even non-psychoactive cannabinoids seem to make 10
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mundane tasks all the more bearable, from tedious chores to exercise. With cannabis, jokes become funnier, connecting with nature is effortless, and consumers experience a way to examine parts of their lives and the world around them in a much different way than before. Through research, we’re finally witnessing proof of what many of us have known for much of our lives—cannabis is beneficial mentally, spiritually, socially and emotionally. When people are looking for a way to escape, a way to shift their mindset toward something more positive, cannabis is quick to do the trick. When alcohol, opioids and cigarettes pose such dire threats to our well-being, cannabis is a plant that nourishes our bodies and interacts with our endocannabinoid system, which maintains balance in most of our body’s functions and systems. This issue of CULTURE will give you more insight into living a better life with cannabis. We’ll share with you the origins of modern medical cannabis dispensaries as well as how new research will continue to break down boundaries toward healing for patients with HIV. Additionally, you’ll find out how to incorporate one of nature’s most nutritious super foods, hemp, into recipes that will coincide with your New Year’s resolutions, plus so much more. Here’s to a year brimming with wellness and growth. c
Cheers!
Jamie Solis Editor-in-Chief
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NEWS
nuggetS
Northwest Cannabis Icon JoAnna McKee Passes Away In early December 2017, it was announced that JoAnna McKee, the legendary “queen of Northwest cannabis” had passed away. McKee co-founded one of the first medical cannabis dispensaries in Washington State, the Green Cross Patient Co-Op in 1993, to help those suffering from HIV/AIDS. In 1995, she was victim to the
first medical cannabis raid in the United States. McKee, along with other medical cannabis patients, drafted and filed a medical cannabis initiative in 1997. She was also involved in an integral part of a different bill, Initiative 692’s passage in 1998, one of the first statewide medical cannabis bills to pass into law. “She was a fearless leader when it came to cannabis and patients’ rights,” Officiator of the memorial service Dale Rogers told CULTURE. “She opened up all the doors with politicians, law enforcement and doctors for us to have this conversation.” McKee’s memorial service was held on Dec. 7 at All Pilgrims Christians Church in Capitol Hill.
Future Looking Grim for Washington State Hemp Due to lack of funding, the Industrial Hemp Research Pilot program in Washington State may come to an end in 2018. “The reality is that somebody has to fund the program. When we originally passed the legislation, it was funded for one year at $150,000. If you look at that bill, which was SB-6206, [it] basically paid for the personnel to run the Industrial Hemp Research Pilot and some additional expenses,” Founder of the Washington chapter of the Hemp Industries Association, Joy Beckerman, told
Country of Georgia Decriminalizes Cannabis On Nov. 30, 2017, the Constitutional Court of Georgia announced its decision to decriminalize cannabis in the country. The move comes after citizen of the former Soviet Republic, Givi Shanidze, challenged Article 273 of the Criminal Court of Georgia, which prohibits cannabis possession without a medical prescription. Givi Shanidze vs. Georgian Parliament was backed by the political group Girchi. “According to the claimant, marijuana consumption may be 12
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CULTURE. After these funds were allocated, there was a goal set that the program would become self-funded. “Most states do want programs to be selffunded by virtue of fees,” Beckerman continued. “So, the fees weren’t generated in order for them to fund [2018]’s program . . . ” Beckerman filed two sister bills, House Bill 1979 and Senate Bill 5732, which aim to keep the program funded. There is still a chance for either bill to pass.
used [medically and recreationally],” court documents read, translated from Georgian. “[It is] the right of a[ny] person to choose the appropriate form of relaxation, and the means to be protected by [that] right.” The Constitutional Court ultimately found Article 273 to be contrary to Article 16 of the Constitution. The court found that any person who lives in the country of Georgia has the right to the appropriate form of recreation, which includes cannabis, and that cannabis consumption does not create a public threat.
The number of medical patient records that were analyzed by researchers at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute to learn about local patients’ cannabis consumption preferences: (Source: Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine)
22,095
The percentage of voters in Yakima County who voted in favor of Proposition 1 to maintain a ban on recreational cannabisrelated businesses in unincorporated areas: (Source: Northwest Public Radio)
60 The number of complaints that have been submitted to the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency since 2014 by residents complaining about cannabis scents: (Source: The Spokesman-Review)
The approximate amount of money, in millions of dollars, that Washington State collected in recreational cannabis sales in October 2017: (Source: Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board)
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489
The number of qualifying conditions for medical cannabis in Minnesota, which now includes people with autism and those who suffer from sleep apnea: (Source: San Francisco Chronicle)
The percentage of New Yorkers who support legalizing recreational cannabis: (Source: Emerson College Poll)
68
The estimated number of people who consumed some form of CBD during 2017 in the United Kingdom: (Source: Civilized)
250,000
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Nordic Lights Film Festival WHEN: Thurs, Jan. 11-Sun, Jan. 14 WHERE: SIFF Film Center and SIFF Cinema Uptown, Seattle WEBSITE: nordicmuseum.org/nlff The Nordic Heritage Museum is a great local resource for learning about the “values, traditions, art, and spirit of the Nordic peoples,” as said on the museum’s website. It currently features no exhibits because a new building is being constructed in downtown Ballard, which plans to open in May 2018. But for now, there’s a great opportunity to witness some new films from Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Sápmi
(featured countries change slightly every year) in honor of this annual tradition. For the ninth annual event, the Nordic Lights Film Festival offers attendees a look at a variety of unique Nordic films. Featured films include Borg vs. McEnroe, The Day Will Come, Siblings Are Forever, Underdog and so many others. There will be an opening reception, as well as opportunities to meet a few film directors. (Nicole Potter) CultureMagazine.com
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NEWS
LOCAL
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Slow Grow
W a s h i n g t o n S tat e m ay f i n a l ly l e g a l i z e at- h o m e c u lt i v at i o n o f r e c r e at i o n a l c a n n a b i s
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By Emily Manke
ecreational cannabis legalization in Washington State is a connoisseur’s dream. Prices have leveled out and become affordable and consistent. The quality and variety of cannabis products remains high and much better than the black market. There’s one luxury of legal cannabis that non-patient Washington State residents have not yet been able to partake in, however. That unobtained luxury is growing your own cannabis for recreational purposes. Legislators in Washington are in the process of deciding whether or not to allow at-home cultivation in our state. After months of anticipation, the Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) released a 15-page report regarding the feasibility of legal “marijuana home grows” in Washington State. The report is based on input from a number of sources, including other states, law enforcement and the general public’s feedback. The LCB’s report came up with three viable options for at-home cannabis cultivation. The three options are as follows:
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The state would create and enforce a uniform system for “tightly regulated recreational home grows.” JANUARY 2018 CultureMagazine.com
The state would have some basic, tight regulatory guidelines for cannabis home grows, but cities and counties would have the ultimate say on whether or not to allow it, and some of the conditions. The state would continue the prohibition of homegrown cannabis.
Both options one and two would require that all plants grown must be registered with Washington State’s inventory system. These options, all of which would require intense regulation, dashed the hopes of cannabis enthusiasts who were hoping to grow a few low-key, off-the-grid plants without having to inform the government. Unfortunately for those individuals, cultivating cannabis at home in Washington State will likely face intense regulations, if at-home cultivation is allowed at all. CULTURE reached out to Brian Smith, communications director at the LCB, about how the agency came to its conclusions for the report. “The main thing is that, per the law, the recommendations must be consistent with the Cole Memo. Several options were considered but to remain aligned with the Cole Memo requires a level of oversight and limited plants,” Smith wrote in an email to CULTURE. “We talked with other states, cities and counties, law enforcement, the prevention community and held a public hearing. In the end, we proposed the three options framed by the considerations we included with each.” The recommendations were made this way because the LCB believes it will be the best approach in deterring cannabis from entering into the black market. “Each state has a different system. The common theme was that if Washington was to allow recreational home grows, to start conservative. We heard that having home grows creates the potential for diversion to the illicit market,” Smith concluded. While the report may have been published, actual legislation pushing legal home-grows forward may be a ways off. In this political climate, it makes sense that lawmakers might be apprehensive about pushing through new laws that loosen existing restrictions on cannabis. Still, Colorado, Oregon, California and residents of many other states that have legalized recreational cannabis get to enjoy the right to grow their own cannabis. For many Washingtonians, this slow, tedious process is a bitter pill to swallow. c
Belgian Fest Belgium is wellknown for two things—chocolate and beer. Luckily, one of those delicious items will be the feature of Seattle’s premier beer event at the 9th Annual Belgian Fest. The event boasts that it will have well over 100 different Belgian-style beers, which are all crafted by local Washington breweries. This includes but is certainly not limited to Tripels, Dubbels, Saisons, Wits, Abbeys and Lambics. There will be two, four-hour tasting sessions, one from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. and the other from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Upon entrance to both, attendees will receive a specialty tasting glass and 10 tasting tokens (a “taste” is measured as four ounces here). While you’re electrifying your taste buds with your new favorite brew, don’t forget to fill up with a number of local food vendors and trucks. (Nicole Potter) WHEN: Sat, Jan. 27 WHERE: Fisher Pavilion at Seattle Center, 305 Harrison St., Seattle WEBSITE: washingtonbeer.com/festivals/belgianfest.php
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NEWS
LEGAL CORNER
Expanding Your Brand
The ins and outs of trademark brand licensing By Alison Malsbury
W
ith California’s regulated cannabis industry having just arrived, many Washington brand owners are either looking to enter the California market themselves, or they are exploring means for spreading their brands into one of the largest cannabis markets in the country. Regardless of whether you are seeking to become a crossstate licensor or licensee, there are a number of legal issues you should familiarize yourself with before entering into a brand licensing deal. Cannabis licensing deals are complicated and fraught with issues that aren’t as common in more conventional industries. While many companies expect the biggest hurdle in completing a licensing deal to be state cannabis law compliance (and this certainly is an issue), more often than not, fundamental intellectual property (IP) issues are the problem. With any licensing deal, the first step should be determining who owns what in terms of IP. This is especially true when it comes to the cannabis industry, where information, strain names and industry terminology have been shared freely since long before state-level legalization. IP ownership in the cannabis industry is a tricky issue, in large part because the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will not issue federal trademark registrations for cannabis-related marks; this is due to the requirement that in order to register a federal trademark you must make, or have a bona fide intent to make, lawful use of the mark in commerce on the goods and/or
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“A s ma l l a mo unt o f hig hl evel IP d ue d il ig ence ca n s ave a lot of mo ney a nd po t ent ia l ly k eep yo ur co mpa ny o ut o f l it iga t io n d o wn t he r oa d. ”
services that you specify. Cannabis companies often encounter licensing deals where basic due diligence quickly reveals that the licensor simply does not own what it claims to own. A small amount of highlevel IP due diligence can save a lot of money and potentially keep your company out of litigation down the road. If your company is looking to get a license for another company’s IP, here are the most basic questions you should be able to answer about that other company and its IP (or these are the questions you should be able to answer if you are the licensor looking to license your own IP to another company): Does the licensor own any federal trademark registrations? If so, what goods and/or services do those trademark registrations cover? Was the description of goods and/ or services filed with the USPTO accurate and true? Were there possible misrepresentations? Are the trademark registrations based on actual use, or upon an “intent-to-use?” Is that intent bona fide? What representations and warranties is the licensor making
(or, more importantly, not making) regarding the marks? If the licensor doesn’t own any federal trademark registrations, is it licensing someone else’s marks? Does the licensor have a master licensing agreement that grants them authority to sub-license? Do the terms of the proposed sub-licensing agreement mirror the terms of that master licensing agreement? What quality control standards will you be held to by the trademark owner? Has the trademark owner warranted to keep all USPTO filings up-to-date? Does the licensor own any state trademark registrations? If so, has the licensor made lawful use of its mark in commerce in the state of registration? Does the licensor have any common law trademark rights? While this list is extensive, it only scratches the surface of the issues you and your IP counsel must consider before you enter into any IP licensing deal as either a licensor or a licensee. Cannabis companies are often too quick to skip straight to negotiating commercial terms for a deal, without ever assessing whether the rights they are licensing actually exist. Just like with any other type of property— like a house or a car—a licensor of IP must actually own the rights to that property to be able to confer all or some portion of those rights to another party. Due diligence in these deals is key and will quickly reveal whether an IP licensing agreement will be feasible or not. c
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NEWS
HEALTHY LIVING
Cannabis Can Solve America’s Addiction Crisis By Lanny Swerdlow, RN LNC
A
ddiction is one of the biggest health problems in the United States. A study conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University reported that “40 million Americans age 12 and over meet the clinical criteria for addiction involving nicotine, alcohol or other drugs.” Addiction affects more people than those with heart disease, cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease combined. Although not meeting the criteria for addiction, there are an estimated additional 80 million people in this country categorized as “risky substance users,” who consume tobacco, alcohol, opioids and other drugs that threaten public health and safety. According to The State is Out of Date: We Can Do Better by Gregory Sams, the annual toll from the use of these addictive substances by Americans is staggering with 450,000 deaths from tobacco, 85,000 from alcohol and 20,000 from opioids. These addictive substances have plagued the country’s citizens for years, but finally a solution can be found in cannabis.
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“What is so disheartening about this data is that an effec tive treatment with a far be tter probability of success for treating all of these addictions is literally right under our collective noses.”
Here’s the Situation With an estimated $200 billion in sales annually, America’s gargantuan consumption of alcohol is normalized, aided and abetted by the prolific advertising campaigns undertaken by the alcohol industry continually associating alcohol with celebration, socialization and sex. The end result is over 17 million Americans suffering from alcohol abuse and dependence. Although there is a genetic component to addictions, stress from problems associated with family, jobs, mental illness or trauma is especially susceptible to alcohol addiction as drinking alcohol results in the release of naturally occurring “feel-good” opioids known as endorphins. Alcohol makes you “feel better” even though the problems still exist, while also creating new and more serious problems such as cardiovascular disease, cirrhosis of the liver, pancreatitis, cancer and death. In 2013, over 200 million prescriptions for opioids (mostly used to treat pain) were dispensed to over 100 million Americans, resulting in billions of opioids being consumed. This shocking increase in prescription opioids is abetted by the aggressive promotion of prescription opioids by the pharmaceutical industry, resulting in two million Americans with a substance
abuse disorder involving prescription pain relievers. Most addictions to opioids begin with a legitimate need for a medical prescription to treat pain. Opioids interact with the brain’s opioid receptors relieving pain but also producing pleasurable effects. These pleasurable side effects lead many people to continue taking opioids even though the pain has subsided. Like alcohol, it is an escape mechanism and has serious, but different negative side effects including constipation, sedation, vomiting and respiratory depression. The only serious side effect that opioids share with alcohol is death. Unlike alcohol and opioid addictions, addiction to tobacco almost always begins in adolescence. The seductive ads run by the tobacco industry
featuring masculine men and glamorous women enjoying tobacco products assures a continuing stream of new smokers as they become addicted to the nicotine found in tobacco—a natural substance more addictive than heroin. Nicotine produces mildly pleasant feelings, which distracts the user from unpleasant feelings by flooding the brain’s reward circuits with a mood-affecting chemical called dopamine. This, coupled with the physiologically addictive properties of nicotine, make tobacco users want more. From minor problems like bad breath and yellow teeth to respiratory complications, deteriorating heart muscle and lung cancer, the dangers from tobacco are different and take longer to
develop than the problems caused by alcohol and opioids, but for many users they all share the same eventual outcome—death.
The Science of Cannabis What is so disheartening about this data is that an effective treatment with a far better probability of success for treating all of these addictions is literally right under our collective noses. A peer-reviewed, evidentiary based study, Cannabis Is A Potential Exit Drug To Problematic Substance Use published in the November 2009 journal Addiction Research and Theory by seven addiction treatment specialists who reported that cannabis can indeed be used as an “exit drug” to help treat addiction. “While some studies have found that a small percentage of the general population that uses cannabis may develop a dependence on this substance, a growing body of research on cannabisrelated substitution suggests that for many patients cannabis is not only an effective medicine, but also a potential exit drug to problematic substance use,” the study reads. Famed Harvard Medical School researcher Dr. Lester Grinspoon wrote
that “treating addiction to substances such as heroin, methadone, alcohol, tobacco and other drugs with a non-addictive, nontoxic alternative is an effective therapy for some recovering addicts.” The “nontoxic alternative” that Grinspoon was referring to is, of course, cannabis. Cannabis doesn’t solve the underlying problem causing the addiction, but provides symptomatic relief from the physical and mental manifestations of whatever is causing the addiction. This symptomatic relief allows the individual to lead a normal and productive life while pursuing treatment options for the problems that lead to the addiction in the first place. In many cases cannabis “calms the demons” to such an extent that even though the underlying problem is never resolved, the individual can live with it. Unlike pain medications and almost every prescription and over-the-counter medicine available, cannabis has practically zero severe negative side effects. It might cause inactive people to become even more laid back, but that is a small price to pay for its pain relieving, depression mitigating, sleep inducing, addiction resolving properties. There are no medicines that work for everyone and the same holds true for cannabis. Cannabis will not solve everyone’s addiction, but for a very significant number, perhaps even a majority as more than one research study has concluded, cannabis will resolve the problems caused by addiction restoring normalcy, productivity and life. c
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REVIEWs
strain, edible & concentrate
The White by Mammoth Labs It makes perfect sense that Mammoth Labs would choose Grow Bros’ The White to make top-shelf hydrocarbon wax. The White is known for its incredible trichome count, making the flower look like it’s coated in powdered sugar. Perhaps the mighty lineage explains the truly decadent nature of this extract. At 66 percent total THC and almost 11 percent terpenes, this wax is fit for the most particular cannasseur. The CULTURE team used a water vaporizer to sample this fine product. The first thing anyone will notice when enjoying this extract is the incredible terpene profile. Notes of pine, citrus and spice jump out at you in a unique way for a concentrate. While it is an incredibly powerful product, the effect from this wax is steady, and it gifted a small jolt of energy to help counteract the relaxing factor that is also incredibly apparent. If you’re looking for a product that can provide powerful pain or anxiety relief, without rendering yourself useless, The White hydrocarbon wax from Mammoth Labs comes highly recommended by reviewers.
Available wherever: Mammoth products are carried.
Indica Avocado Oil Tincture by Fairwinds
Available wherever: Fairwinds products are carried.
Remember those commercials from the 1980s involving a woman who takes a bath and escapes to a whole luxury fantasy scenario when she washes her hair with the right shampoo? This Indica Avocado Oil Tincture by Fairwinds will offer the same kind of everyday luxurious escape. This pretty little blue bottle contains 100mg of THC, with each dropper containing a 10mg dose. The Avocado Oil’s texture is smooth and wonderful, making for a great tincture. If you’re looking for an edible that is healthy, not high in calories and tastes amazing, this is it. Terpene-fortified, this tincture has a well-balanced terpene profile and is amplified by a mango flavor that is absolutely delicious. The outstanding flavor may also have to do with the superb quality of the product. The concentrate used in this tincture is made from flower only and is solventless. Additionally, the tincture is gluten-free, vegan, kosher, non-GMO, pesticide-free and cold pressed.
Alien OG by Black Cat Farms Cats, aliens and cannabis—now that is a winning combination. This Alien OG by Black Cat Farms is exceptional. The fragrance is overwhelming and will definitely make your car, house and purse exude a cannabis aroma. Be sure to store this dank flower in one of your smell-proof containers if you’re taking it out in public. Aside from the loud, earthy citrus scent, this bud is a beautiful specimen as well. Completely covered in crystals, the dense flower was expertly cured, leaving it just dry enough to grind easily and completely for vaping. This classic kush strain delivered an effect you’d expect, which was quickly discovered after the CULTURE team sampled it using a water pipe. While this isn’t exactly an energetic effect, it’s not a downer either. It is perfect for any number of uses, whether you’re looking for an uplifting effect before a night out, or preparing for a night in. Overall, it delivered everything we’d expect from an indica prototype. 20
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Available at: Northwest Cannabis Connection in Puyallup.
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REVIEWs
Available wherever: GaGa products are carried.
Agent Orange by GaGa Edibles GaGa products all benefit from the brand’s attractive packaging. The all white front definitely adds a bit if class and elegance. Once you pop open the white package to this Agent Orange, which is grown by Mahoney Greens, the orange-citrus fragrance wafts out, begging you to grab that flower and make use of it immediately. Once our team sampled the earthy, orange scented flower using a water pipe, we noticed the signature Agent Orange scent also extended to the flavor as well. Agent Orange is a true hybrid cross between the rare and delightful strain Orange Velvet and Jack the Ripper. This flower tested at 21.5 percent total THC. As far as hybrids go, this one tends to lean towards sativa in terms of effects. Blissful, joyous and energetic would all be words to describe this majestic flower. Like many sativas, this Agent Orange is the perfect workout or outdoor excursion companion, a great creative lubricant for artists and great for social occasions, as the buzzy energy is sure to perk up a party.
Perfect in Purple by Gold Label Cannabis
Available at: Green Collar Cannabis in Tacoma.
It may be a little early to start planning for Valentine’s Day, but this gorgeous violet flower would be the perfect gift for any cannasseur. Living up to its name, this Perfect in Purple is a strikingly beautiful flower. It’s almost entirely a dark, royal shade of purple, with hues of dark green that are only visible on the base of leaves. The fragrance is deep, earthy with hints of sweetness, and the flavor is the same. The CULTURE team used a vaporizer and a water pipe to sample this succulent flower. The team noted a delicate flavor, with hints of sweet berry and earth. Perfect in Purple is an indica hybrid, and this flower tested at just over 25 percent THC. The effect was somewhat of a creeper, though the munchies set in early. It was definitely a mellow, welcomed effect that was perfect for kicking back and riding out the rest of our rainy winter. Perfect in Purple was strong enough for pain relief, but mild enough to avoid couch-lock.
Gorilla Glue #4 by HempKings There are only so many strains that can reliably provide enough powerful treatment to help manage chronic pain sufferers. Gorilla Glue #4, also known as GG#4, is one of those miraculous strains. This GG#4 was no different, in fact it was an exquisite example of the strain. After popping open that signature HempKing’s silver and gold bag, the earthy forest-like scent escaped and inhabited the room. The buds were large and wellformed, with densely packed crystals on the light green sugar leaves. After grinding the well-cured flower and using a water pipe to sample it, the team noticed that signature GG#4 forest flavor. The effect was intensely relaxing, blissful and refreshing. It also worked as a strong appetite enhancer, even more so than your typical cannabis. In fact, this would be the perfect strain to enjoy before a much-anticipated meal. However, you might want to order in, because while this flower isn’t debilitating, it isn’t exactly conducive to a night on the town either. 22
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Available wherever: HempKings products are carried.
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REVIEWs
advocate highlight
Jonathan Colon
Occupation: Budtender at Green Token Tacoma Cannabis When and how did you become an advocate for cannabis? When my mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer in 2010-2011, I had decided to become her designated provider and caregiver. I wanted to help my mom get better, and I didn’t want her to go through this alone. When she was having rough days, I would go to the dispensary for her and that’s how I was introduced to cannabis products from Green Token’s 24
owner, Waren Birahard and a volunteer Josh. Both were very instrumental in my quest to learn more about medical marijuana that I became a volunteer myself. I have gained so much knowledge through them and doing research on my own, that this has become my passion in life. I enjoy educating patients through my knowledge and experiences. How has cannabis benefited your life? Cannabis benefited me by
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helping my mom be in my life and [helping me] help others. It also gave me a new appreciation in life. I love what I do, and I love helping others; it’s my purpose in life. What’s your greatest achievement for the cannabis cause? My greatest achievement was becoming a medical marijuana consultant and being a part of an industry that is growing and thriving with knowledge to pass on to everyone. Who do you look up to or admire? First person who comes to mind is my mom. Also, Bill Maher for his great
political views on cannabis, Bob Marley for his views on healing properties for cannabis, and Bruce Lee for so many different views on being disciplined, being planted and rooted into his beliefs. Last, I admire my uncle for his strength. If you could change one thing about the way cannabis is viewed and/ or treated right now, what would it be? To have cannabis legalized throughout all 50 states and worldwide and to have the knowledge passed on from the pioneers who started it, and I would also get rid of the stigma that comes with cannabis. c
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REVIEWs
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3. WRIXO Connected Medical
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ID Wristband This wristband just might save your life one day. It looks like a common medical ID wristband, but contains critical information embedded inside. There’s a wireless NFC chip built in as well as a QR code that can be scanned and immediately identify a patient’s identity as well as medical needs in the event of an emergency. Important information can be stored such as allergies or emergency medication. No batteries are necessary. Our reviewers at CULTURE quickly forgot that we were wearing it, because it was lightweight and comfortable. Price: $19 More Information: www.wrixo.com
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REVIEWs
entertainment
BOOK
Breaking the Grass Ceiling: Women, Weed & Business
Release Date: january 26 Available on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC
Ashley Picillo and Lauren Devine Pub. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform With stirring imagery, 21 pioneering business women in the cannabis industry share their stories about the ups and downs of staying afloat in a highly competitive market. This collection highlights the ongoing struggle for equality and diversity within the cannabis industry. It offer unique angles for overcoming hurdles that women in particular face in the cannabis industry— covering many fields including cultivation, human resources, consulting, technology, law, policy, advocacy and activism. Breaking the Glass Ceiling encourages other women to strive for success. (Richard Saunders) 30
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GAME
Monster Hunter World Dev. and Pub. Capcom The premise of Monster Hunter World is simple— kill monsters, use their hides to make better weapons and armor, and kill more monsters. The methods of crafting and fighting in this series is a timeless classic, but the arrival of Monster Hunter World is finally bringing true high definition to the game for the first time. This includes even larger maps with smooth transitions between zones, and established co-op and worldwide play for all players. Get ready for a total of 14 useable weapon types, a new “slinger” tool and plenty of quests and challenges to overcome. (Nicole Potter)
MOVIE
MUSIC
Dunkirk
Reworks
Dir. Christopher Nolan Warner Bros. Pictures After a trilogy of critically acclaimed Batman movies and two of the most fantastical films ever envisioned, Inception and Interstellar, Director Christopher Nolan stepped out of the realm of fantasy and into the annals of history with his latest film, Dunkirk. The film does an exceptional job taking viewers to a small beach in Northern France where Allied forces from Belgium, Britain and France in the midst of intense combat were rescued by over 600 British ships made up of mostly small boats captained by civilians. Dunkirk captures the intensity and desperation of the situation, and proves that Nolan is capable of creating successful nonfiction. (Simon Weedn)
Walt Wagner Sub Pop When longtime Canlis restaurant pianist Walt Wagner played his final show after over two decades of regular sets at the famed Seattle fine dining establishment, Sub Pop was there to capture the performance in all of its glory. The resulting recordings, entitled Reworks, capture Wagner’s imaginative re-arrangements of modern rock and roll for elegant, evening piano in all of their dazzling beauty and brilliance. Covering the gamut from The Buzzcocks and Prince to Seattle indie rock staples Fleet Foxes and Band of Horses, Wagner’s final performance has a little something for everyone and may serve as the defining document of a true regional treasure. (Simon Weedn)
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A for Treatment Former NFL offensive tackle Eben Britton has found healing and entrepreneurship in cannabis By R. Scott Rappold
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J oh n G i l hoo l e y
“I came to the plant as a curious teenager, like most of us do, smoked weed a few times in high school, a little bit in college. but I was very much affected by the stigma, that if you’re going to be an athlete, you can’t be someone who smokes weed.”
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magine, if you will, what it’s like to be an offensive lineman in the National Football League (NFL). You line up in a state of catlike readiness, and the moment the quarterback snaps the ball, a wall of 300-pound behemoths comes plowing toward you. Your job—your only job—is to keep these monsters from getting past you for the crucial few seconds it takes the quarterback to throw or hand the ball off. Then do it 40 or 50 more times a game. Now imagine doing it stoned. It’s not exactly the mellow experience most cannabis consumers enjoy. For former NFL offensive tackle Eben Britton, however, using cannabis was a way to combat the pain of the sport without the fistfuls of pharmaceuticals football doctors hand out like Halloween candy. He even consumed it before games a few times. “I just had a much better experience. I felt much more in my body. The pills have a way of disconnecting you, making it really difficult to feel your feet on the ground,” recalled Britton, who played four years for the Jacksonville Jaguars and two for the Chicago Bears before retiring in 2014. “The connection of your nervous system and the brain-body connection as an offensive lineman is the most important thing. You have to be able to feel your feet on the ground when you’re blocking a defensive lineman, a 300-pound tank.” “I felt that I was much more lucid, able to feel myself and to execute play after play in the best possible way.” Most people think of professional football players like the Peyton Mannings and Brett Favres, superstars who might play for 15 years, bouncing back from injury to injury and winning Super Bowls. But the reality is the average NFL career is less than three years, as bodies break down and each new college draft class moves in. Since retiring, 30-year-old Britton has become one of the foremost advocates for changes in a sport that tolerates opioid addiction, but has a strict ban on cannabis use. He spoke with CULTURE about the pain of football, the realities of playing in the trenches and how cannabis got him through it.
As a young athlete, what was it about playing in the NFL that inspired you to work so hard? I think it was about the gladiatorship, the physicality of the game, the glory of the game. It was very much this idea of living out a hero’s journey. Football players are modern gladiators. Unless you’re going into the military, you can’t get much more violent in sports than football, and for whatever reason I was just drawn to that . . . The game called to me, something about it, putting on the pads and helmet, the amour, so to speak, and being involved in this team game. Had you smoked cannabis before becoming an athlete? I came to the plant as a curious teenager, like most of us do, smoked weed a few times in high school, a little bit in college. But I was very much affected by the stigma, that if you’re going to be an athlete, you can’t be someone who smokes weed. 34
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Was there a time when the harsh reality of the sport hit you? When I got into the NFL, I started experiencing injuries, and I started to see the injuries really started to shed light on the business of the game. I started to see that this wasn’t a team sport in a family atmosphere. This wasn’t the family I’d grown up loving, and I realized that the most important thing is obviously winning and from there having guys on the field who aren’t worried about getting hurt . . . One of the most real moments of my NFL career was right before my rookie year, with our offensive line coach we were doing a little rookie line meeting, and our offensive line coach said, “Guys, I don’t know how to put this to you any other way, but every single day we’re bringing guys off the street, and we’re working them out to take your jobs.” And I thought, “Damn, that’s how it is.” That’s the mindset they want you in, to understand that at any moment someone is coming in to take your job.
Can you walk us through some of your injuries as a player? I had a torn labrum, which is a dislocated shoulder. I had that repaired with a slap repair, which is a pretty typical shoulder surgery where they repair the labrum, and they have to pull back some muscles and tendons to tighten them up to hold the shoulder back in place. I herniated disc L side S1, had sciatica running down my leg, which was excruciating, causing numbness in my right foot . . . Eleven weeks after that surgery it turned out there was an infection in the disc. I was basically paralyzed from the waist down for about three months with an infection in that disc post-surgery. I had to have intravenous antibiotics for eight weeks. [I had] torn muscles and ligaments all over my body, rolled ankles, broken fingers, toes, a bad neck and a handful of concussions throughout my career. I realized every time I took these pills, they created this discomfort in my body and my emotions; rage and anger came billowing to the surface. It was very hard to control those things. I felt really insane and manic mentally. It made it difficult to sleep and heal, waking up at 3 a.m. with withdrawal symptoms, cold sweats, chills, pains your stomach, your body needing more pills to quiet this withdrawal. How did you discover cannabis as an alternative to the pills they were giving you? When I started really experiencing these injuries and taking the pills, it was very clear to me that these things had a negative effect on me. Comparing that to the experience when I consumed some cannabis, it was night and day. It was the difference between feeling worse and feeling better . . . I could smoke a joint and feel relief throughout my body. I’d feel soothed mentally, calmed, even peaceful. I was able to lie down and rest and heal, and I feel very
grateful that I had that intuitive response throughout my career. Cannabis is not allowed for players. How did you get around that? As much as [the NFL] likes to punish guys seemingly unnecessarily for getting busted for cannabis, it’s only tested for once a year. It’s on their “street drugs” list. You have a general idea you’re going to be tested sometime between May and August, and if you’re someone who is a cannabis consumer you stop your consumption 30 days before reporting back to the team. Why do you think the NFL is so anti-cannabis? I think they’re very traditionallyminded. There’s a lot of money from alcohol. God knows there’s probably a lot of money from “Big Pharma” going into the league. It’s easy for them to stand behind the argument, “As long as this is a Schedule I drug federally we don’t have to do anything.”
“I think this plant could have a tremendous impact on the league, having guys take it before and after practices, before and after games. I think it can mitigate a ton of that damage that is happening to players’ brains. It would lessen the amount of opiates the guys use.”
How much would cannabis help players deal with pain if it was allowed? Football players are four times as likely than the average American to abuse opiates. Guys are leaving the league in really terrible shape, and they don’t have the understanding about what’s happening to their bodies to be able to make decisions regarding their health, about how to better take care of themselves. Many guys who have spent their entire lives affected by the stigma that this is an illegal street drug don’t have any understanding that, first of all, this thing is a powerful neuro-protectant . . . I think this plant could have a tremendous impact on the league, having guys take it before and after practices, before and after games. I think it can mitigate a ton of that damage that is happening to players’ brains. It would lessen the amount of opiates the guys use. CultureMagazine.com
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Was it your decision to retire after Chicago? They didn’t re-sign me after the second year, but I had really hit a wall. It had become really clear to me that I was done. There was one point I was sitting in the meeting room watching film, and I said to myself, “What am I doing here at this point?” I had done everything I had to do in the game of football, and it was pretty clear to me I was ready to move on to something else. Tell us about Athletes for CARE. I got in touch with [former NFL player] Kyle Turley, and he had put together this Gridiron Cannabis Coalition, and they were speaking at cannabis conferences on panels. So I connected with him, and the next thing I knew I was speaking all over the country about my experiences with cannabis and dealing with injuries in my NFL career. I became very good friends with Nate Jackson, another former player who is also a cannabis advocate, and we wanted to keep building this message, making this our platform to spread this awareness. And what we came up with was Athletes for CARE, a nonprofit organization that’s really dedicated to helping athletes in their transition to real life from their sports careers. You also have a podcast with Jackson called “Mindful Warrior.” What was the inspiration for that? Nate and I, all these things we’ve been working on together, and the podcast is really the tool for us to allow other athletes to share their stories, to share how they’ve overcome adversity, what it took for them to make it to that highest level that they got to. What the transition out of that was like in reestablishing their own identity as people in the world. 36
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You helped found a CBD company, Be Trū Organics™. Can you tell me about that? I wanted to continue this positive messaging on the healing benefits of hemp and CBD. CBD is a nonpsychoactive cannabinoid that is also really medicinal, and we wanted to combine this powerful hemp extract with other super-ingredients, like arnica, rosemary and lavender in our topical pain cream, and our oral spray has ginseng and Goji berry extract, so it’s very uplifting. It’s great for your mood an managing inflammation . . . It’s just another way I wanted to continue building on this message that cannabis has amazing healing properties. Do you still feel impacts and pain issues from your time playing in the NFL? My back is really a daily reminder of my football career. I can’t turn my neck, my head, in a full range of motion. If I don’t exercise and stretch on a daily basis, I’ll be [disabled]. The stiffness and immobility there takes daily attention. I still can’t feel my right toes on the ground. My feet, it takes 30 minutes to an hour in the morning to where I can take a step. I have creaking and aching in my knees, phantom muscle pains, but I keep a pretty upbeat attitude. I was able to leave all the pills behind me. For the most part my brain and body are intact, and I can be a functioning husband to my wife and father to my daughter. I can live a very high quality of life, thanks in part to my cannabis use during my football career. Any regrets about playing football? No, I don’t have any regrets. I wouldn’t be who I am if I hadn’t done it. I learned a lot through my NFL career about
human beings, about business, and obviously it took a toll on my physical and mental health that I’ll be battling for the rest of my life, but that was part of my journey. It’s led me to this greater calling of bringing awareness to natural healing remedies. c www.athletesforcare.org
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Saving Sophie and Beyond O n e l i t t l e g i r l’ s journey with c a n n a b i s i s s av i n g countless lives By Addison Herron-Wheeler
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t’s not uncommon for mothers to become huge advocates and/or community educators after watching a sick child become healthy through the healing benefits in cannabis. In the case of Tracy Ryan, founder and CEO of CannaKids, witnessing her daughter's health improve was enough to inspire the creation of a successful medical cannabis company. Ryan’s daughter, Sophie, was diagnosed with a rare brain tumor at eight months old. While she was willing to do whatever was needed to find her daughter an effective treatment, Ryan initially dismissed the thought of medical cannabis’ ability to help Sophie heal. However, when Ricki Lake herself, one of Ryan’s heroes, offered to give Sophie her first dose of cannabis oil on camera, she finally came around to the idea that there may be merit in trying cannabis as a treatment. It also helped that Ryan was provided with scientific evidence to support the effectiveness of cannabis, as well as a nine-month supply of oil and advice on dosing. Finally, seeing the light at the end of tunnel, Sophie became a regular consumer of medical cannabis oil. “We have seen incredible things happen with the cannabis along with the chemotherapy,” Ryan explained to CULTURE. “These tumors are unique because there is a 90 percent survival rate, but 80 percent recurrence rate, and because they are slow growing, the chemo can’t gobble up the dividing cells, so shrinkage doesn’t occur.
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Photo by Yvette Davis StockPot Images
Photo by Tokewell Magazine
data, knowledge and information gained about the patient. Then, the nurse will either recommend a product from the CannaKids line or explain how to get medical products in the caller’s home state. The site also provides information about how to obtain a medical card and which dispensaries in California carry CannaKids products. CannaKids is now a successful business, providing products and consultation to those who need it, and helping many kids and parents gain access to treatments and knowledge that they wouldn’t be able to get any other way. But Ryan and her team aren’t content with stopping there and just selling product. They are also helping advance clinical trials on medical cannabis, so that more can be learned about how to treat specific ailments.
Sophie was initially supposed to go blind because the tumor was wrapped around her optic nerves—best case scenario would be minimal vision in the right eye. But in that first few months her tumor shrank between 83 and 90 percent and preserved her vision.” Since then, Sophie has been incredibly healthy and productive for a child who is battling such a serious brain tumor, even though she continues to receive chemotherapy treatment. Seeing such dramatic improvement in her own child, Ryan realized that she had to spread the word and help other parents get medical access for their children. “When we started using oil, we got connected to all these people in social media who didn’t understand dosing or have strain knowledge, and we didn’t have medical professionals to guide us,” Ryan stated. “I saw that there was this real need for people, because back then it wasn’t as easy to find someone who was able to guide you through cannabis dosing.” After witnessing instances involving other parents who followed bad advice online, she decided to do something to help other parents who were seeking real answers. “I knew that there needed to be more education, more support, more guidance, with people talking to medical professionals,” Ryan said. From there, to organizations known as Saving Sophie and CannaKids were born. Saving Sophie is an informational platform where parents and interested parties can learn more about how cannabis can help save young lives. Additionally, CannaKids is an interactive website that can be used to book a phone call with a nurse who can provide advice about dosing based on
level, so that medical legalization can clear its final hurdles. “Education is always the first answer,” she said. “Educating parents and caregivers on the fact that in 3,000 years, not one person has ever died from this medicine and that there have been over 1,700 scientific publications that are out there, many of which include safety studies. You’d be surprised at how many doctors around the country don’t know that cannabis is a medicine, so educating the doctors and nurses on the science behind cannabis is really important.” Ryan hopes that the combination of doing press outreach for her company, and being open about her daughter’s success with medical cannabis, will have an impact on others and help spread the word about what the plant can do. “It’s all about telling our story, not just for ourselves but other families we’ve worked with,” she said. “We are showing that we are just normal people, entrepreneurs by nature; we had a kid that was unfortunately diagnosed with a serious condition, and we are now communicating what worked with her to the masses by way of media. We also want people to understand our kid is nine, has been on the oil since she was five; she is happy, healthy. This isn’t a toxin; it’s helping protect her from toxins.” Those interested in supporting CannaKids can make a donation through SavingSophie.org to help fund clinical trials and future cannabis research. Parents who want more information about cannabis treatments can set up a consultation at CannaKids.org. c
“ W e h a ve s ee n i n c r e d ib l e t h i n g s h a ppe n wi t h t h e c a n n a bi s a l o n g wi t h t h e c h e m o t h e r a p y. ” “We are already working on an autism trial and we are planning a huge study on autism,” Ryan explained. “We are also planning an end-of-life pain study for kids on opioids who have cancer, a trial for kids using cannabis as an adjunct to chemo for cancer pain, and then those will lead to bigger cancer trials. There is also a hospital in the Midwest where we will be doing optic trials, and that will also be fueled by the research we are doing in Israel with a company called CURE Pharmaceutical.” All of this is leading the industry even closer to understanding and acceptance for those who need cannabis as medicine. But in addition to these major medical trials, Ryan would like to see education on the ground
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tate medical cannabis programs could not exist without the long list of AIDS activists who helped pioneer the first medical cannabis dispensaries in America. During the deadly AIDS crisis, patients consumed cannabis to battle wasting syndrome and the effects of the virus, but no one understood the mechanisms behind cannabis’ healing powers at the time. Today, research on cannabis and HIV is reaching an entirely new level, with federally-funded studies underway. The University of Florida recently received a $3.2 million grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to study the relationship between cannabis and HIV. I was diagnosed with HIV in 2011, and I’m forced to take a three-drug pill daily. Medical cannabis makes my daily regimen of medication bearable. The liver-damaging drug Atripla®, for instance, was the first mandatory pill I was prescribed and caused visual hallucinations about every three days. Currently, less toxic pills are available, but cannabis can be extremely effective as an adjunct therapy. Multiple studies on both tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) have suggested cannabis’ many benefits on HIV patients, including slowing the progression of the virus. 40
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Dr. Robert L. Cook M.D., M.P.H., Lead Investigator of new cannabis and HIV study
The Background Robert C. Randall was the first person in America to win the right to legally consume medical cannabis in 1976. He would later die from AIDS in 2001. Randall originally suffered from glaucoma and claimed that only cannabis kept him from going blind. A judge ruled in 1976 that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) must provide Randall with cannabis. Thanks to Randall’s efforts, the federal government created the Compassionate Investigational New Drug program and allowed Randall and a handful other patients to have access to cannabis provided by the government. Without effective medicine, and sometimes with medicine that ironically accelerated the progression of AIDS (like AZT), patients resorted to holistic medicines. Soon “buyers clubs” sprouted in major cities offering herbal medicines. And the patients clearly didn’t have enough time to wait for FDA approvals—by then, they’d be dead. It didn’t take long until they were experimenting and offering medical cannabis.
“[C urrent ly ] the t reat ment guidelines don’t h ave any g uidance o n what kind of marijuana mig ht be t he most beneficial or what kind mig ht be t he most harm ful.”
“I wa s di agno sed wi t h HI V in 2011, a nd I’m f orced t o ta k e a t hree-drug pil l da ily. Medic a l ca nn a bis m a k e s m y da ily regimen of medicat ion be a r a bl e.” Dennis Peron, co-author of Proposition 215, America’s first statewide medical cannabis law, opened the Cannabis Buyers Club in San Francisco, years before any medical cannabis dispensary laws had been written. He was inspired to open up a cannabis club after police raided his home in 1990, taking away four ounces of cannabis and charging Peron with intent to distribute. The cannabis actually belonged to Peron’s boyfriend, Jonathan West, who was dying of AIDS. West died later that year. Peron took control of an underground dispensary at 194 Church Street in San Francisco after its founder Thomas O’Malley died of AIDS in 1992. By that time—over 23,000 AIDS deaths were confirmed and 30 people were dying—per week. A whole network of underground HIV buyers clubs were secretly helping AIDS patients. Proposition 215 co-author “Brownie Mary” Jane Rathbun made it her own personal mission to distribute brownies to AIDS and cancer victims. Peron specifically cited West’s death as the driving force behind his efforts to author Proposition 215, shortly after the groundbreaking bill passed in 1996.
The New Research Last August, the University of Florida received a $3.2 million grant from the NIDA. With around 400 HIV-positive and 100 HIV-negative participants, it will be the largest clinical study on medical cannabis and HIV ever conducted. On October 24, it was announced that the study was being launched and would span over five years. CULTURE spoke to the study’s lead investigator Dr. Robert L. Cook M.D., M.P.H. “One of the goals is to really provide better guidelines for treatment for people with HIV, including HIV itself and other comorbidities, Cook explained. “[Currently] the treatment guidelines don’t have any guidance on what kind of marijuana might be the most beneficial or what kind might be the most harmful.” Cook and his team hope to distinguish and compare the relative benefits of products with THC alone, CBD and THC combined, products that are consumed orally and products that are smoked or vaped.
Cook said the study will be focused on self-reported experiences. “Our study—we won’t really be able to control [medications and sources]. All we can do is ask people what they’ve experienced. So we hope to learn from people that have been using marijuana or about to start using marijuana and to teach us what they’ve learned in their own experiences, such as managing pain and what type of marijuana is most helpful.” Dr. Cook and his team are currently in the final stage of drafting the questionnaire. Cook said particularly CBD could show promise as an anti-inflammatory. “People living with HIV are living near-normal life spans, but they are still seeing cardiovascular diseases four or five years earlier [than HIV-negative people], and we are seeing neurocognitive deficits potentially earlier. A lot of people think this could be related to chronic inflammation—the stress it puts on the body in those who are constantly battling the virus. If marijuana, especially CBD, has some anti-inflammatory properties, that could help prevent the rapid aging that we see in people living with HIV, in theory.”
The Future of HIV and Cannabis Florida’s Amendment 2 was approved in January, 2017, allowing access to medical cannabis. But the University of Florida researchers still have limited conventional clinical studies, thanks to cannabis’ federal status. People living with HIV, and with access to medicine, are living nearnormal life spans, however aging with HIV is another story. “Today, people are surviving,” Cook explained. “For example in Florida this year we’ve just hit it—50 percent of people living with HIV in Florida are over 50 years old. With HIV, a lot of these patients—one, have symptoms related to pain or maybe some nausea—but those are symptoms that are normal in people that are aging. Marijuana could have benefits on chronic inflammation.” People living with HIV now face new challenges including battling inflammation, chronic pain and digestive problems that increase with aging. Cannabis can help in so many ways. c CultureMagazine.com
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Jim McAlpine (left) poses with Frank Shamrock (right)
By Devon Alexander Brown
M
ost mornings at 5 a.m., entrepreneur Jim McAlpine is in a pool honing his swimming technique. A tested triathlete, he often swims up to a mile in preparation for competitions. When he’s not training in a pool, McAlpine trains in open waters like Lake Tahoe or the stretch between Alcatraz and San Francisco. Because he has ADHD, he’s careful to always bring a pair of waterproof headphones to prevent boredom in the water. He also never skips on cannabis
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before a training session. “I use cannabis before I jump in the water for swims, as a way to help my brain stay focused on what I’m doing,” McAlpine told CULTURE. “To engage in that eye of the tiger mode, if you will, and get really into that flow state.” Historically, the idea of consuming cannabis to become active and focused is counterintuitive, but McAlpine recognized its benefits decades ago while lifting weights in high school. Although he’s been active his entire life, he admits he was somewhat of a stereotypical "stoner" until college.
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“ W h e n I s ta r t e d T h e 4 2 0 G a m e s w h a t I w a n t e d t o d o w a s h a ve i t be t h e p o l a r o pp o s i t e o f w h a t t h e t y pic a l c a n n a bi s eve n t i s . W h a t t h o s e eve n t s d o i s k i n d of propagate the stoner image. What I wanted to do is kill the stoner image.”
McAlpine is still a daily consumer, but he doesn’t allow habitual use to define him. Rather, he’s using athleticism to redefine the cannabis consumer. “I think so many people consider themselves a stoner or they think they’re a stoner, and they’re not,” McAlpine said. “I believe the vast majority of cannabis users are not stoners. I think that’s a very small sect of the cannabis users that really just want to sit on the couch.” So for the past three years, McAlpine has dedicated his business endeavors to building up the cannabis community and reshaping its narrative. In the summer of 2014, McAlpine founded The 420 Games, a series of multi-city athletic events developed to de-stigmatize responsible cannabis consumers. Hosting The 420 Games grants him and other cannabis consumers the opportunity to demonstrate that the cannabis community is much more than lazy smokers and couch lock. “When I started The 420 Games, what I wanted to do was have it be the polar opposite of what the typical cannabis event is,” McAlpine said. “What those events do is kind of propagate the stoner image. What I wanted to do is kill the stoner image. The answer to me was to put an athletic event together that shows all of us marijuana users don’t just do that.” The 420 Games’ mission is to change the way the public views cannabis consumption, so it is a family-friendly athletic event and consumption of cannabis is prohibited. The main event of The 420 Games is a 4.2-mile race—one mile longer than the 3.1-mile span of a typical 5K. In addition to the race there are over 100 active lifestyle companies with booths and samples, interacting with and educating participants. Two points that McAlpine stressed were that you don’t have to be an athlete to benefit from cannabis, and not all athletes do perform better on cannabis. However, incorporating cannabis into walks, hikes, bike rides and
other physical activities can help make the experiences more immersive and inspire further activity. McAlpine doesn’t have a standard strain he swears by, but on average, sativa-dominant strains are associated with bursts of energy and uplifted thoughts. “I don’t really necessarily look at a strain,” McAlpine said. “I look at the THC content and the makeup of the plant because it’s usually analyzed. I think when you get really medicinal then strains make a difference, but when it’s just being smoked, THC is what I choose. I look for a high THC content.” No matter your tolerance, it’s best to start on the conservative side when incorporating cannabis into a workout or sport. And since cannabis interacts with everyone’s systems differently, it may take some experimenting with multiple strains to determine what works well with your body and biochemistry. Too much THC can induce anxiety and uneasiness resulting in an unpleasant experience. Too little may lead to disappointment. For peak physical performance, proper dosage is more important than strain, which varies grower to grower. Understanding exactly how much to consume is crucial to discovering true functionality on cannabis. In addition to The 420 Games, Jim McAlpine is also the founder of New West Summit, a cannabis industry conference focusing on developments in technology, investment and media. As a part of his all-embracing mission to change the perception of cannabis, he hopes to launch an app that inspires cannabis consumers to be athletic. The app would track physical activity like a Fitbit or Apple Watch, but with the prospect of earning points toward free and discounted cannabis products. “The more active you are, the better pricing and free products you’re going to get,” McAlpine said. “I think that’s just going to propagate more health in the long run.” c CultureMagazine.com
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Solo Struttin’
Khris P’s Fireman is smoking hot By Emily Manke
W
ashington State seems capable of only churning out so many fire MCs at a time. A group called ILLFIGHTYOU broke that mold by featuring three equally talented rappers, each with their own interesting spin and style to bring to the table. Member Khris P stood out as the group’s only producer and rapper. Production is a good skill for a rapper to have, especially if said rapper wants to go solo. And Khris P has taken the solo route, though not exclusively. ILLFIGHTYOU is still together, but Khris P has also ventured out on his own with his latest album, Fireman, which is a solid rap effort with addictive trap and bassy beats that will make you want to bump it in your car, your house and on the dancefloor—wherever you may be. CULTURE caught up with Khris P to find out how his latest project came to be, as well as how cannabis inspires him.
“ Yo u k n o w like Wiz [ K h a l i fa ] sa y, eve ry t h i n g’s be t t e r w h e n yo u high. It just m a k e s sh i t be t t e r . ”
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We know you started out in ILLFIGHTYOU, but tell us about your personal path as a musician. When I moved out here from St. Louis in 2006, I started putting out beats under a different name, Octopus Jones. The beats started getting really popular, started to get popping, not to toot my own horn. As that was going on, it started landing on blogs, etc. all that. And I was starting to get to know people out here in Tacoma, just moving from St. Louis. I had met a guy named Swanks [now goes by Leon Swanks], and he was rapping. He had a group of friends I got along with pretty good with, and we started kicking it and making music together. During that time, we started Sandlot, the group/collective together. When that happened, we started putting music out. We did our first show at Hell’s Kitchen in Tacoma. We had some people come out. We had this little CD we had made with all of our songs we had made, we were passing those out. At that time, I had just started to rap, Frank [from IILLFIGHTYOU] had just started to rap, and we both had songs on there, we all had songs on there, and they started getting popular. So everybody was getting popular, and I was just making a name for myself through my production, and then through the crew, and then I wanna say in 2011, we went to this show, and it was a show Glenn [from ILLFIGHTYOU] was at, and he was performing with a guy named Tom Crown, and he was killing it and all this other shit. Again we go to a show at Bleach, and Glenn was performing at it again, but this time he’s just like laying on the floor and
getting in people’s faces, just making a scene. So show’s over we were drinking a beer, and Glenn walks over to the whole crew, he had already known a couple of guys, but he didn’t know me and Frank yet. He walks over and is like “Hey, what’s up my name’s Glenn I’ve been checking yall’s music out, and you guys are nuts!” and we were like “Well that’s what’s up, because we think you’re nuts.” You know? So we decided to make a tape together and became ILLFIGHTYOU. And so we started putting music out together, the rest is history. It kind of took off from there. What were some of your musical influences for this album? Motörhead, I wanted to make heavy shit. So, I just listened to anything that was heavy. Lot of bass heavy music, trap type shit. Shawty Redd, Three 6 Mafia, Kanye West. Honestly I think that’s it. How has cannabis affected your music, your creative process, or even your relationship with your audience at all? It’s made me listen to it a little closer. Other than that it hasn’t really changed anything. If you’re already doing music that’s something you’re already in tune with, if you actually like it anyway. Smoking just makes it better. You know like Wiz [Khalifa] say, everything’s better when you high. It just makes shit better. Everybody smokes weed; everybody enjoys it. I’m smoking with my OG right now. What’s your favorite thing to listen to when you’re smoking cannabis? Heatwave, “Star of the Story.” c illfightyou.com
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culture growing RECI P E S COUR A GE IN P RO F ILE 46
Building Wick Systems By Ed Rosenthal
The wick container system is an easy way to garden because it is self-watering. It also removes the uncertainty of when to water, requires far less care than hand watering, and it is simple, fast to assemble and inexpensive to set up. The wick system is based on capillary action. One example of this is a tissue drawing up water from a puddle. The system we are about to set up works on the same principal. Instead of tissue we use braided nylon rope.
Equipment Starting from the bottom we need a tray that is at least three-inches deep and wide enough to support the plant container. The wider the JANUARY 2018 CultureMagazine.com
container the deeper the tray should be. For instance, with a six-foot container I use a 10-inch deep tray, but with small containers the trays is only three to five inches deep. Next we need some blocks to hold the container a few inches above the tray. Some possibilities are 2x4 or 4x4 boards, Styrofoam blocks or an inverted plastic tray. The container is next. Select the same size container that you would normally use. I have used this system with four-inch containers and eightfoot wide soft containers. Next is the wick. Nylon braided rope draws up water very well and these wicks last for a long time. I have used some more than 10 years. Select the wick size. The larger the container the thicker the wick should be. A small container needs only a 1/4-inch wick, while a large container, which is deeper than the small can use wicks up to 3/4inch. Wider containers should have more wicks so water is drawn across the entire bottom of the container by the wicks. Next, the planting mix goes into the container. Almost all mixes work, so you can use your favorite. Once the water is drawn up the wick to the bottom of the soil level, the soil starts wicking it up. You probably have already seen this happen when you watered a plant and excess water dripped into the tray below. A while later, the water disappeared as it was pulled up into the planting mix. The wick system works in the same way.
Installation ·
Place the wood or plastic supports in the tray.
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Measure and cut the wick. It should start at the bottom of the tray, go through the drain hole in the container and stretch across the container bottom to the drainage hole on the other side and down to the bottom of the tray. The rope tends to fray at the ends. To prevent this, before you cut, use two twist-ties, one for each end of the rope, to hold it in place.
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If the container is wide, use two wicks, one in each set of two opposite holes. You may have to drill holes in wider containers, such as kiddie pools or wide trays. Figure that each wick drop covers about two square feet.
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Fill the container with planting mix.
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Plant the plant or seeds.
A complete system: Tray, blocks, container, wick, planting mix.
This system was automated using a reservoir and flush valve.
Maintenance ·
To start, add water to the container until it starts to drip into the tray.
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Fill the tray with water.
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Refill the tray as it loses water. You can also water the container from the top once in a while.
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The planting mix absorbs water from the wick automatically as the plant uses it.
Holes were drilled in the tray for the wicks. Pallets were used to support tray above the water.
Options This system can be automated. By placing a reservoir above the container level and placing a flush valve in the tray, the water level can be maintained for a longer time. A number of trays can be connected to a reservoir so the whole garden is irrigated just by filling the reservoir. The advantage to this system is that each tray receives water only as it needs it. c
The wick system can support large plants.
This small valve regulates water level in the reservoir.
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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culture
Donald R. Winn
Age: 32
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Condition/Illness: Traumatic Brain Injury
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Using medical cannabis since: 2011
Why did you start using cannabis? On Jan. 14, I slipped into a coma because of a very rare bacterial infection called streptococcus, which had caused me to stop breathing. So from there I was in a coma for about two-and-ahalf weeks, so that had screwed up my sleeping because my neurons are always misfiring. So, I’ve tried numerous sleeping pills and none seem to work for me until I was introduced medical marijuana. From there I had replaced over 25 pills daily to only four each day. Did you try other methods or treatments before cannabis? Yes, like I had said in the previous question, I had tried numerous sleeping pills and anti-anxiety pills, depression pills, pills
for muscle spasms—the list can keep going on and on. But let’s just say that medical marijuana had saved my life by letting me live without being heavily sedated off all the meds that the doctor had kept feeding me. What’s the most important issue or problem facing medical cannabis patients? I’d probably have to say the biggest problem we face about medical marijuana is that no one knows all the health benefits it has to it. And also how much it can help out with so much more. What do you say to folks who are skeptical about cannabis as medicine? Don’t judge a plant from the past. Judge it for all it can do for us. c
Are you an medical cannabis patient with a compelling story to tell? If so, we want to hear from you. Email your name, contact information and details about your experiences with medical cannabis to courage@ireadculture.com.
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Menu: Breakfast Açaí Bowl Hearty Granola Bars New Year’s Sweet Greens Juice
culture RECI P E S
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Get Fresh with Hemp
Almost 20 years into the millennium, it’s time to get serious about the resolutions we continue to make about improving our health, year after year. CULTURE is simplifying this daunting task by letting you in on one of nutrition’s best kept secrets—and that’s hemp! In honor of the new year, here are three ways to infuse your fresh and colorful recipes with a healthy dose of hemp. When it’s not being used for textiles, renewable energy and body care products, hemp is a super food that offers a significant amount of protein as well as all known amino acids, which our bodies cannot produce. Whether you need an extra boost of energy for your workout, or just to get you through a busy workday, here are three fresh and healthy recipes that utilize nature’s perfect plant.
Local eateries with similar dishes: Jars Juice 1099 Stewart St., Ste 101, Seattle (206) 249-5988 www.jarsjuice.com Zoe Juice Bar 1851 State Ave. NE, Ste 101, Olympia (360) 259-4074 www.zoejuicebar.com
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Fit Bar Superfood Café 332 Burnett Ave. S, Renton (206) 371-4078 www.fitbarcafe.com
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Breakfast Aç aí Bowl
Fruit is nature’s candy. Elevate it with nature’s gift of hemp, plus a couple other goodies, and your day will be off to a solid start.
Ingredients:
Toppings:
Instructions:
2 cups frozen strawberries (or your favorite berry) 2 frozen sliced bananas
Fresh fruit, sliced (bananas and strawberries)
4 tablespoons açaí powder
Granola
1 cup unsweetened almond milk (or other milk of choice)
Unsweetened coconut flakes
2 tablespoons nut or seed butter
Drizzle of honey
1 tablespoon honey, to taste
Hemp seeds
1. Add the frozen fruits, açaí powder, almond milk, nut or seed butter, and honey to a blender. Blend until creamy and smooth, adding extra almond milk as needed to get the blender running. Aim for a frozen yogurt consistency (it should be thicker than a smoothie). 2. Spoon the açaí mixture into bowls and top with hemp seeds, sliced fruit, a drizzle of honey and additional toppings.
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Instructions:
1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (approximately 3 large)
2 cups rolled oats (not instant) 3/4 cup dried cherries, cranberries or blueberries
1/2 cup sunflower seeds 1/2 cup pepita seeds 1/2 cup sliced almonds 1/4 cup hemp hearts 1 teaspoon cinnamon 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
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1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
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Ingredients:
3. Stir in the vanilla extract. 4. Place the oats into a food processor (or blender set on the lowest speed) and pulse until the oats are coarsely chopped (but still have lots of texture). Stir the chopped oats into the banana mixture until fully incorporated. 5. Stir the dried fruit, walnuts, sunflower and pepita seeds, almonds, hemp hearts, cinnamon
IN
This recipe is quite flexible, so feel free to play around with the mix-ins. Chewy, soft-baked and hearty, these no-sugar-added granola bars are sure to fill you up and will keep your energy stable all day long.
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly grease a large rectangular baking dish (approximately 9 inch x 13 inch) and line with a piece of parchment paper (with overhang) so the bars are easier to remove. 2. In a large bowl, mash the banana until smooth. Make sure you have 1 1/2 cups (if you have extra mashed banana, you can freeze it for a smoothie).
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Hearty Granola Bars
and salt into the bananaoat mixture until thoroughly combined. The dough will be very heavy and a bit wet. 6. Spoon the mixture into the prepared dish. With lightly wet hands, smooth out until even and uniform. Press down on the dough until compacted. Bake for 22 to 26 minutes, until firm and lightly golden along the edges. 7. Place the dish on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, then carefully slide a knife to loosen the ends and gently lift out. Place the slab on a cooling rack until completely cool. 8. Once cool, slice into bars. We recommend using a pizza slicer, as it easily cuts through the dried fruit and nuts. Leftovers can be wrapped up and stored in the fridge for a week, or stored in the freezer for 4 to 6 weeks.
New Year’s Sweet Greens Juice Ingredients: 7 celery stalks 1 apple, cut to fit juicer
growing
1/2 cucumber, cut to fit juicer 40 parsley sprigs (leaves and stems) 1/4 cup (1 small handful) spinach leaves 5 large romaine leaves 1/4 to 1/2 lemon, cut to fit juicer 1/4 to 1/2 lime, cut to fit juicer 1 tablespoon hemp oil
Instructions: 1. In a fruit and vegetable juicer, juice all ingredients. Discard solids. 2. Strain juice through a fine mesh sieve before
serving in a glass. Add a few ice cubes to the glass if you prefer a colder beverage. Serve immediately, or store in an airtight container and refrigerate for one day.
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Green juice is not only healthy, it can be tasty, too. If you prefer a sweeter juice, use half the amount of celery and add another apple (so 3-1/2 celery stalks and 2 apples). If you are not a huge fan of citrus, don’t run the lemon and lime through the juicing machine. Instead, stir a splash of fresh lemon and lime juice into the finished juice.
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News of the
Weird
By the Editors at Andrews McMeel
LEAD STORY—FAMILY VALUES Members of the Spann family of Comanche County, Oklahoma, keep running afoul of that state’s incest law, with the latest dust-up over the marriage of 26-yearold Misty Spann and her 43-year-old mother, Patricia, in March 2016. The two had been separated after Patricia lost custody of her young kids, but when they resumed contact a few years ago, Patricia told investigators, “they hit it off.” KFOR
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reported that Patricia also married one of her sons in 2008, but two years later that marriage was annulled. Another son reported to KSWO-TV that Patricia tried to start an inappropriate relationship with him, but he shut her down. In early November, Misty received a 10-year deferred sentence and will serve two years’ probation. Her mother/ex-wife (their union was annulled in October) will be sentenced in January. NERD ALERTS Since Twitter announced that it would allow 280-character messages rather than its original 140, a whole new world has opened up for the game-addicted among us. Gizmodo reports that tweeters are using the expanded tweetspace to
JANUARY 2018 CultureMagazine.com
play board games such as chess, Connect Four, Shogi and Go. Games are even being customized; one tweet enthuses about “Marine biology twitterchess. With a new marine biology fact every time a piece is moved, and a scientifically accurate death scene when a piece is taken.” Uh, ok. A sharp-eyed Google Earth user from Leeds, England, searching for Longcross Studios in Surrey, came across a Star Wars fan’s dream: The Millennium Falcon, nestled inside a ring of stacked shipping containers and covered with a tarp. Andi Durrant tweeted about his find on Nov. 8. The spaceship was used in filming Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi at Longcross; that movie
released on Dec. 15. SWEET! Becky Reilly of Omaha, Nebraska, was forced to call in a roofing company after discovering thousands of honeybees had invaded her home’s attic, producing so much honey that it was dripping down the side of the house. “We heard a loud and rhythmic buzzing, and it was somewhat terrifying because we knew what it meant,” Reilly told KETV. Jason Starkey of Takoda Green Roofing said he removed about 40 pounds of honey on Oct. 26 before moving the bees and tackling the damage, which he called “horrible.” Local beekeeper John Gebuhr moved the bees to his garage, but he is pessimistic about their survival through the winter.
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