BEGINNING OF HOT.”
LENNY KRAVITZ HEADLINES OUR SENSUAL SUMMER OF PLEASURE
FEELS GOOD SOUNDS GOOD TASTES GOOD
SPAS IN GREECE, RUNNING AT HOME, AUTHENTICITY THE BEACHES, GEORGE CLINTON, FESTIVALS WORLD’S GREATEST SANDWICHES, COCKTAILS, EXPERIMENTATION
WE WANT THE FUNK, GOTTA HAVE THAT FUNK“
George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic Welcome
You to the Booty-Shaking, Ground-Quaking, No CannabisFaking Red-Hot Summer Music Issue of KIND
BY BEN KAPLAN
George Clinton is just outside Ohio and riding in his tour bus and the 82-year-old is full of joy. “I’m sitting here smoking a fat one,” Clinton tells KIND, and it’s hard to sum up his contributions to music, but let’s try: he was a staff writer at Motown in the early 60s and when he started Parliament-Funkadelic, a psychedelic funk band with Bootsy Collins that recorded Atomic Dog Tear the Roof off the Sucker, Bob Gun and FlashLight, he’d influence everybody from Jimi Hendrix to Dr. Dre to Kiss. A sense of humour has always been part of his huge arsenal of funk but now, as he approaches
another birthday and greets enthusiastic audiences all over the world, he sees each gig as a gift. His grandkids rap at his shows while his children play heavy metal guitar and Clinton takes the whole thing in, joint blazing, able to look back fondly on the trail he paved.
“Craziness was a prerequisite of this funk thing and sometimes I look back on it, like: ‘You were a crazy motherfucker, why did you do that?’ I don’t look back though with any kind of hate—even
Satisfy Your Soul in Jamaica on the Bob Marley Tour
money squandered, police, crack, bad times—you have to get through that to get to this other thing,” says Clinton, ever the philosopher who wrote a must-read memoir for music fans, Brothas Be, Yo Like George: Ain’t That Funkin’ Kinda Hard on You? “The truth is most of the time I knew what I was doing. I studied Screamin’ Jay Hawkins and the Coasters, I watched a lot of entertainment and I mixed it in with the psychedelics, but it never would’ve worked or meant anything if it didn’t have that groove.”
The groove Clinton learned first came as part of a barbershop quartet—his dad owned a barbershop in New Jersey—and he came up singing doowop and listening to Franki Valli. He called his group the Parliaments, for the cigarette manufacturer, and says that he learned about grooves at Motown, then home for the Jackson 5, the Temptations, Four Tops and the Supremes.
He’s touring all through the summer with his wife, kids and grandkids and when asked the secret to his longevity, his simple response is soul. “I was there right from the beginning of rock ‘n’ roll and I was able to stay down and stay up with whatever because I knew, whatever gets on everybody’s nerves, that’s the new shit,” he says, with a laugh and namechecks artists from the Beatles to Little Richard as contemporaries who influenced his sound, but who he also influenced right back.
“Music is about rebellion and sex and as you get older there’s drugs, and then it becomes artsy-fartsy, but you learn to appreciate all of it, that John Coltrane, Smokey Robertson and the Miracles is really no different than Frank Sinatra, the Chilli Peppers, Public Enemy and all those guys—you realize it’s culture and the culture keeps changing but I like that stuff, which is why I’ve always been futuristic, I hear the new shit and jump right in.”
George Clinton received his star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in January and Anthony Kiedis was there to hand his mentor the award. Clinton produced the first Chilli Peppers album and performed Give it Away with the group at the TK Grammy Awards. “I love George Clinton with all my heart,” Kiedis said at the ceremony. “George became an instant friend, instigator, father figure and conductor of alien enterprises. It makes me happy that my great grandkids might hear about George one day and see this star and think that their grandfather, being me, was associated with him in some way.”
Kiedis isn’t the only one obviously indebted to George Clinton. The entire G Funk sound by Dr. Dre heavily sampled George Clinton’s Parliament-Funkadelic and as Willie Nelson can oscillate from country music to reggae to Pearl Jam or duets with Snoop, Clinton says the building blocks in music are the same: it’s about feeling free.
“Funk is the lifestyle, the attitude, do the best you can do and then funk it—that means freedom from all your constraints and just hang loose, life is the same way,” says Clinton, who actually put much of his band together in Canada, coming up to Yonge Street to avoid the draft in the late 60s and finding a home in the burgeoning soul scene. “Funk is my attitude with not just the music but it’s about what I wear, there’s no logic or no reason, it’s just letting go of all the seriousness, leave it alone: be happy and just jam.”
Clinton’s jams have been the fabric of popular culture for much of the last decade, apart from collaborations coming out this year with Wiz Khalifa and Lenny Kravitz, but also with his music in Grand Theft Auto and with his performance last year on The Masked Singer That he greets each opportunity with a smile—why he was willing to take a chance on the Chilli Peppers in the first place and encourage Dre to sample his records while his contemporaries struck a different chord.
“Appreciation, man. That’s everything. When you have that attitude, as opposed to things that displease you, there’s so much more to love—the love of music, the love of your family, the love of this good weed, you appreciate that after all these years,” says Clinton, whose current live shows, accented by his family, mixes metal with r&b, rap and the ever-present funk, the life current that runs through his veins. “I hope to be the first one funking at 100—it’s the fountain of youth the funk; good times. You learn to really let go of the bad times and appreciate the funk we got while we’re here.”
THE COLLECTIVE WIT AND WISDOM OF GEORGE CLINTON
George Clinton is known for his snappy one liners and mindbending diction, introducing new styles not only in music and fashion but also in the lexicon.
If it wasn’t for flashbacks, I wouldn’t remember anything at all.”
Free your mind and your ass will follow.”
When I want to find out what the new music is, I find out what parents hate.” Think! It ain’t illegal yet.” “ “ “ “ “
Style is whatever you want to do —if you can do it with confidence.”
“
OUR GOAL IS TO INSPIRE YOUNG GIRLS TO START BANDS!” “
The Beaches, Canada’s buzziest indie rock band, reflects on their monumental year and charts a summertime path for continued fun, greatness and rock ‘n’ roll
The Beaches are Jordan Miller, Kylie Miller, Leandra Earl, and Eliza Enman-McDaniel, and they rock. Started in Toronto in 2013, the group has steadily grown their audiences until their most recent record Blame My Ex took them to astounding new heights, concluded with the Group of the Year award at the 2024 Junos and a tour that’s taken them around the world. Nicole Wolff, rock ‘n’ roller, travel expert and Chief Experiential Officer at KIND, a Beaches’ fan, recently chatted with the band’s Kylie Miller, before catching the group at BottleRock Music Festival in Napa Valley. On July 18, they play KEE to Bala and on August 22, they headline Toronto’s Budweiser Stage.
is that we’ve been writing, playing and working together for over the past 10 years.
I think that we all really know ourselves and each other, and so when this moment happened, we were ready for it!
KIND: Back in 2018 I was introduced to you as you rocked the stage opening for The Glorious Sons, and now you’re hitting us with Blame Brett (which you’ve shared was about your [Jordan’s] break-up with Brett from The Glorious Sons). It’s been a huge hit for the band, what was different about this song versus some of your other singles?
Nicole Wolff: 2023 was a massive year for The Beaches and you have kicked off 2024 with a bang by snagging the Group of the Year award at the Junos. How does it feel to dominate the scene and snag such an award?
Kylie Miller: It was such an incredible honour to receive Group of the Year at the Junos! Our lives have changed so much this year and it felt so good to be recognized alongside our friends and family for an incredible weekend that we’ll never forget!
KIND: Your success hasn’t come out of nowhere. What’s the secret behind The Beaches’ rise, especially with your latest album, Blame My Ex, Blame Brett?
KM: I think the secret behind the success
corner and you’re playing at some big ones this summer. I recently saw you absolutely rock multiple stages in Napa at BottleRock Music Festival. What’s are you the most pumped about this Festival season?
KML We love music festivals! It’s so fun for us to get to hang out and see some of our favourite bands perform. We always wind up with some wild stories, and we tend to have a lot of fun.
KIND: You’ve ticked off some major firsts in your career and I imagine some bucket list items from when you’ve started out to now. You have just come off a bucket list
EVERYONE HAS EXPERIENCED HEARTBREAK—WE ALL KNOW HOW MUCH IT SUCKS.” “
KM: I think that this song is just so incredibly relatable. Everyone has experienced heartbreak in some form or another, and we all know how much it sucks. I think what sets this song apart is that it talks about a painful thing in a funny way, and by adding that cheeky humour it feels very us.
show at Red Rocks, what’s been the pinnacle so far, and now that you’ve conquered that, what’s the next big thing you want to achieve?
KIND: Festival season is right around the
KM: We’ve definitely accomplished a lot this year by achieving so many of our goals that we had been hoping to hit for a while. We managed to sell out our Canadian, American, European, and Australian tours, which
BEING UNDERREPRESENTED GAVE US THIS INTENSELY COMPETITIVE NATURE TO BE THE TIGHTEST LIVE BAND EVER.”
was mind-blowing. I think the next step is to visit and play more places we haven’t been!
KIND: You’re the booking agent, and you’re curating your dream festival lineup. Who are you putting on that bill?
KM: Chappel Roan, Boy Genius, Us and The Aces.
KIND: Take us back to some of your earliest memories attending live shows. What’s one show that sticks out that really lit the fire under your passion for music? What inspired you to jump all in on music?
KM: I think we all saw Avril Lavigne in concert at a very young age, and seeing a young woman holding a guitar and rocking out with her friends on stage was such an incredibly powerful thing to witness! It was definitely an inspiration for all of us to want to join a band.
KIND: You grew up together in The Beaches, you’re friends (and siblings) first. Working with friends can be a rollercoaster. How do you keep the peace and maintain that killer dynamic both on and off stage?
KM: I think communication is key! We talk everything through whenever we’re dealing with an issue. After ten years of friendship, we know how to figure things out with one another, but continuing to have love and respect for each other is really the key to getting through anything.
KIND: Speaking of friendship, y’all are a powerhouse female rock group, flipping the script on a traditionally male-dominated arena. What’s the journey been like navigating the industry as women? Who were your biggest influences along the way?
KM: I think for us, being underrepresented
gave us this intensely competitive nature to aim to be the tightest live band ever. We felt like we had something to prove and that we had to be even better than our much older/ male counterparts.
KIND: It’s cool thinking about all the groups that might come up in your wake. What legacy do you hope The Beaches leave on the genre, or even music as a whole?
KM: We’re just so happy that the industry is slowly shifting to become more open and that rock music isn’t as completely dominated by a male perspective. I think for us our goal is to inspire young girls to start bands, because that’s been the greatest thing we’ve ever done in our lives.
To catch the Beaches on tour and stay up to date with their latest news, see TheBeachesBand.com.
I’M TRYING TO TURN MYSELF AND TURN EVERYONE ON
Lenny Kravitz, ahead of a world tour and on the heels of a blistering new soul album, opens his heart and soul to KIND
BY BEN KAPLAN
PHOTOGRAPHS BY MARK SELIGER
LENNY KRAVITZ:
Between 1999 and 2002, Lenny Kravitz won four straight Grammy awards for Best Male Rock Performance. Kravitz has dropped thirteen records and sold more than 40 million albums and why we love him, beyond classic tracks like Let Love Rule, Always on the Run, Fly Away and It Ain’t Over til It’s Over, is that the rock icon always exudes sexuality, soul, kindness and funk. Electric Blue Light, his blazing new record, is a fun mix of groovy rock and R&B bangers that swing like the Bahamian disco near his home where the record was made. At 60 years old, Kravitz appears buff and naked in his video for TK241, smoking a joint and dancing around his mansion in Paris like a warped sex God version of Macaulay Culkin in Home Alone. We caught up with the red-hot Lenny Kravitz while he poked around his closet and chose some new stage clothes to wear.
KIND: Man, the record just sounds like fire. I can picture your state of mind in the studio but tell me—what brought you to take out the guitar just now?
Lenny Kravitz: I’d be curious to hear what you think.
and that’s generally the place I like to play in, so there’s definitely similar of my trademarks, but there’s also elements of production value and songwriting that take me back to high school.
LK: That’s always how it is.
KIND: Smoking weed naked?
LK: Exercising my multi-instrumental self.
KIND: Do you mean that you turned 60 and, to celebrate, you went back to high school?
KIND: I think you don’t have to do this, you made this because you wanted to. Because you felt good and caught the spirit and wanted to party with the world.
LK: I wouldn’t disagree with any of that. I love what I do. I love making music. I love making art and I’m still inspired, still hungry. I’m so grateful for this journey and I found myself in the studio at my home in the Bahamas and just opened myself up, as I always do, and the expression is a reflection of what’s going on and reacting to the world.
KIND: And the vibe?
LK: I just want to feel good, enjoy the time and have fun.
LK: This is sort of the album I didn’t get to make in high school because after high school and after my whole development—my early development anyways, what I was doing at that time completely changed my sound—or it was changed for me.
KIND: Is it really that hard to find someone to play bass?
KIND: Amen, and we can hear it in the tracks.
LK: I think there’s a good balance of celebration, sexuality, sensuality, but also spirituality
KIND: What does that mean?
LK: I was given Let Love Rule and that changed everything for me, that’s great and that’s a gift. But this record Blue Electric Light although it’s right now, there’s shades of the highschool version of me in there, maybe something that people haven’t yet seen.
KIND: I love the video for the 1993 Grammy Awards, which is actually what made us reach out to you. The idea of you naked smoking weed with your guitar in a mansion, playing all the tracks on your album and recording in your home.
LK: Recording this way didn’t start out on purpose. Back then, I couldn’t find or pay for or afford to pay musicians so on my first record, I ended up doing it myself and that’s been my way and my sound ever since. But this record started in the middle of COVID, so I was in the Bahamas and just with Craig Ross, my lead guitarist and my partner who engineered the last couple of records, and it just worked out. We made this record incorporating it into part of our day.
KIND: What’s a studio day with you like in the Bahamas?
LK: Wake up, go for a walk with your dogs. Go onto the beach, go into the water, do some things, check on the garden and go into the studio—spend the whole day in there.
KIND: Then what?
LK: Come out of the studio, eat, jump back in the water, and go back in the studio and record. It’s such a luxury that I have my own studio right there on the beach—it’s a wonderful place to open yourself up to receive whatever it is the creative spirit is offering you.
KIND: Do you still feel the creative spirit, those rock ‘n’ roll tingles, like you did at 16?
“Open yourself up to receive whatever the creative spirit is offering you.”
LK: Nothing like hearing a great piece of music that turns you on—it transforms you, and that feeling is something I strive for—even though I’m being given this music. I’m trying to transcribe what I’m hearing out there floating around, that piece of music.
KIND: You’re a conduit to a frequency you pick up in the cosmos.
LK: I’m ultimately looking to move myself. I make all this music for myself. At first, I’m not thinking about anybody, but then I’m fortunate enough to be able to offer it to the world, it becomes for everybody.
KIND: So how do you describe what you do?
LK: I’m trying to turn myself and turn everybody on.
KIND: That’s so fucking dope and, at 60, you still feel it—twelve records in?
LK: Absolutely. That’s the only reason I would do it. It’s not like people have a contract on me or they owe albums or I have to do it, or just drop something because I’m getting ready to go on tour. For me, if it’s not passionate, I can’t do it. I can’t fake the funk—there’s no fun in that, no purpose.
KIND: I love the idea of FUN. We need more FUN. It’s summertime. There’s wars waging, people are broke. How about a rock record, a party on the beach in the Bahamian sand.
All of my music is centred around love, God, spirituality, unity, and people. That’s been my thing—Let Love Rule—from day one.”
LK: I was in a very inspired place when I did this record and it feels good. It’s really also feeding me. All of my music is centred around love and God and spirituality and unity, and people. That’s been my thing—Let Love Rule from day one.
KIND: And let fun rule. How about making 2024 the Summer of Fun?
LK: I felt like having fun. It needed to be fun. It needed to feel good—to balance out a lot of this nonsense that’s going on. It’s a gift— there’s nothing wrong with fun.
KIND: Fun sometimes can feel like a radical act, like an act of rebellion.
LK: It’s a balance. Take that video you mentioned for TK241. People say, ‘Oh, it’s sexy or whatever,’ but I was completely having fun. Not taking myself seriously, that’s what made it work. Otherwise it could have gone south really quickly, but the director, this Ukrainian director, was so much fun and open and it was her idea and I didn’t quite get it. I was like, ‘Are you sure I’m running around naked, is that what we’re doing?’ But she came to my house and we just started having fun—sensuality and fun.
KIND: How do you transfer your solo studio beach vibe to stadiums all over the world?
LK: Before I go onstage I’m very calm. I let everything go. I don’t want to think about performing or make myself nervous. My attitude is whatever is going to happen is going to happen and that’s part of the live experience—you’re not sure what can happen, and I just want to say: ‘God, do with me what you’re going to do.’ Then I get up there and see what happens and that’s what it is every night—
let’s see what’s going to happen.
KIND: What do you want to do on this tour?
LK: I’m looking to go as deep as I can in the connection between myself and the audience. I want you to feel me, that’s the exercise for me on this upcoming tour.
KIND: I love the video you posted of you jamming to Angry, the lead single from the new album by the Stones.
LK: That had me jumping, too. Such a great single and so inspiring to see these guys who’ve been doing it for so long that still have that thirst.
KIND: Without that spark, there’s nothing.
KIND: I hope young artists read this and get that as a job description for a life in the arts. So what you’re trying to discover is—
LK: How deeply can we penetrate each other, the audience and myself.
KIND: Wow, and are you currently in the setlist grind?
LK: That’s proving to be challenging. I want to represent the new album, but I don’t want to overdo it. I want to play the hits because folks want to hear the hits, but I also want to go into album cuts that I haven’t played in a long time, or ever, so between those three ideas I want to put together the best set I can.
KIND: And of course the best gear.
LK: I’m thinking about that now and almost feel like I don’t have enough time. It all has to start coming together, but it will. I’m just trying to remember to have fun and have faith.
KIND: What’s the last record that made you jump?
LK: Just yesterday my friend Nikka Costa put out a single called Dirty Disco. She has an album coming out, and it’s so funky. That had me jumping yesterday.
LK: It’s definitely about how far you can go. Not in terms of record sales but just that if you retain your passion; like, those guys [the Rolling Stones] didn’t just go in the studio to make a record, they went in there to do something. At this point in their life what I find so inspiring about the Stones is they’re not trying to fill space, they want to do something great. They’re still reaching.
KIND: Do you feel like you’re still reaching?
LK: I feel like I’m just getting warm.
KIND: Dude, 40 million albums?
LK: OK, maybe I’m at the beginning of getting hot: this is the beginning of hot.
KIND: How do you keep yourself prepared?
LK: I had a grandfather who lived to a wonderful old age and he took care of himself. He looked twenty years younger than he was and he was my example. He took care of himself and that’s what I try to do, too.
KIND: How so?
LK: It matters to me what I put in my body
and over the last few years, I’ve taken my training to another level. I sacrifice my flesh every day and there’s things that I’d love to eat and drink but I don’t because I know that I’m looking for a certain level of health and functionality. There’s no shortcut to this, I work at it every day.
KIND: I like that you’re disciplined but also a rockstar and I like that you’re buff and also smoke weed.
LK: Some herb is alright for me.
“Some herb is is alright for me.”
KIND: Was it a conscious decision to be smoking in your video?
LK: My housekeeper who runs my house in Paris just told me onset that I needed to relax because I’d been working all day and she handed me a joint. I was sitting on the side of the bathtub and the director started filming. I wasn’t going to let it go out.
KIND: You don’t want to disrespect the plant
LK: Moderation. I don’t do anything all the time, but I figure if 95% of the time I’m strict and careful, 5% of the time I can do things I don’t normally do.
KIND: We certainly appreciate your time and love the record and just want to sincerely thank you for all the music over the years.
LK: With music, there’s no choice for me in the matter. I’m still passionate and extremely hungry for this and therefore I bring the fresh sounds. You can’t fake it. With me there’s no lying and I’ve been very fortunate that many times in my career, like now, I have that great feeling of getting a fresh start.
Lenny Kravitz is starting his tour in Europe with North American dates, beginning in Las Vegas, starting this fall. Electric Blue Light is out now. To stay updated on everything Kravitz, see LennyKravitz.com.
EDIBLES INSPIRED BY OLD-WORLD TRADITIONS, JUBLEE BRINGS TO MARKET HEALTH-CONSCIOUS CHOICES
Alexandre Poulin, the genius behind Gayonica and Jublee, explains the origins of made-in-Quebec creations
Gayonica is a Quebec-based licensed producer poised this summer to overtake legal weed. Led by Alexandre Poulin, a cannabis executive KIND readers will love—he learned his craft in Morocco and would never sell any product to anyone he wouldn’t personally recommend. In a summertime exclusive alongside their rollout in Ontario, sharing edibles, hash and concentrates that have already ruled Quebec, Alexandre Poulin let us into his process—making great legal weed products that takes the past and the future to twist up something great.
KIND: How long has Gayonica been in your mind before launching and what did you want to build that doesn’t exist?
Alexandre Poulin: As a legacy worker with a chef and sommelier background, I’ve been working with cannabis and flavours for the better part of the last two decades and the values and ethics that animate Gayonica and Jublee are core to my personality and journey.
KIND: Your journey is super dope and exciting. Can you share it with KIND?
AP: For several years, I got the chance to travel to some of the oldest cannabis producing regions in the world and I got to meet and learn from some of the most amazing and knowledgeable individuals. The generosity of my numerous collaborators gave me the tools to understand both the traditional and modern use of this plant that I love so much.
KIND: Tell us about what you do with the plant.
AP: At Gayonica, we’ve developed several products, mostly edibles, topicals, hashish, vapes and elevated dining experiences.
KIND: You have experience in the agro-industry, mainly targeting circular economy practices and innovative technologies. How does that show up in your brand?
AP: I want people to see another side of cannabis edible consumption, natural, well-dosed, healthy and in perfect synergy with the other components of the product. Creating a healthy and tasty alternative to classic sugary edibles is the inspiration behind Jublee’s fruit bites.
KIND: What is it you like about weed?
AP: Cannabis infused me with tranquillity, sharpening my concentration, and quieting the chaos within. However, it began to strain my finances. Thus I’m exploring its commercial potential.
KIND: Sounds like, in English, you sold weed.
AP: Cannabis offered me comfort not just mentally and emotionally, but also financially.
KIND: Tell our readers about your journey.
AP: At 20, I delved into the study of anthropology while refining my culinary expertise. From tending to Beldia hashplants amidst the rugged terrain of northern Morocco to nurturing Oaxaqueno gold in the verdant cloud forests of southern Oaxaca, as I immersed myself in the rich traditional knowl-
edge surrounding the plant, I became aware of the chasm that separated the Western world from these ancient teachings.
use that topic point to get into your approach to Health & Wellness
KIND: What does old school-meets-new school mean in your approach to hash and edibles?
AP: Navigating the complex landscape of the ACMPR markets posed significant challenges. However, these years served as a testing ground where I witnessed a remarkable transformation unfold. Individuals reintroduced traditional wisdom into their lives and discovered methods and ingredients of enhancing their daily well-being.
KIND: And how did this play out after legalization?
AP: I developed products that paid homage to the traditional uses of cannabis while incorporating Nordic influence and educational resources. During this period of reflection, Jublee began to crystallise—an amalgamation of ancient wisdom intertwined with modern scientific insights and intentional design.
KIND: Talk about your ingredients, and your background in agro-industry, and
AP: With a focus on inclusivity, I intentionally designed products to cater to a broad spectrum of dietary preferences and health needs. Thus, Jublee embraced a vegan philosophy, steering clear of animal-derived ingredients, and omitted sugar, making it suitable for those mindful of their sugar intake. Additionally, our products are gluten-free, free of preservatives and artificial chemicals, and meticulously formulated to avoid common allergens. This commitment to purity and transparency exemplified our dedication to creating a brand that welcomed and nurtured all seeking its advantages.
KIND: This is all more than a business, but also extremely personal with you.
AP: Among our prized offerings, the Blueberry and Lavender fruit bites hold a special significance. Handpicked blueberries from the pristine landscapes of Northern Quebec with locally sourced lavender and cannabis. Each element serves a specific purpose. The blueberries, celebrated for their antioxidant properties, imbue the bite with a healthy dose of anthocyanins, the blue-hued antioxidants. Meanwhile, the lavender contributes its calming essence, rich in linalool, while a hint of black pepper adds caryophyllene to further promote relaxation and muscle relief. CBN,
CBD and THC come into play to enhance an already occurring effect. That specific fruit bite holds a special place in my heart, as it is inspired by a blueberry jam my Grandmother used to lovingly craft with lavender and wild blueberries. She often described it as both calming and delicious. I honour her memory through the fusion of food and cannabis.
KIND: Has she tried it?
AP: Today, she relies on it to aid in her sleep and alleviate her pain.
KIND: What does cannabis and Gayonica mean to you, what should legal cannabis consumers know about you and your products, and what are your long-term plans?
AP: Jublee embodies my passion for cannabis and wellness. Our products reflect a commitment to quality and inclusivity. Looking ahead, we aim to continue innovating new products that support the wellbeing of Canadians (and beyond), while contributing positively to the cannabis industry through innovation, advocacy and education.
For more information on Gayonica, Jubilee and everything Alexandre Poulin and his fast-rising LP from Quebec, see Gayonica.ca.
Alexandre Poulin
THE SWEET JUSTICE SUMMER OF LOVE
Behind the launch of two new classic Sweet Justice flavours and an exclusive preview of BAR HOP by Sweet Justice, an entirely new line of hop waters
BY BEN KAPLAN
THC DRINKS ARE OBVIOUSLY THE FUTURE of both cannabis and mood-enhancing social libations and the company leading the charge is Canada’s Sweet Justice, which was created by a group of ex-Coca Cola executives. “What we bring to the world are surprising and delightfully unexpected moments—serendipity meets poetic justice— and the future of modern drinking,” says Jocelyn Tse, who co-founded the cannabis beverage company with Dave Pilchuk, Marc Ross and Eric Frape in 2020. “We’ve collectively been in the drink business for more than four decades and ironically, it was a shared love for tasty mood-lifting products that forged our early friendships— which ultimately turned into our defining ‘Sweet Justice’ story. During a pivotal time when we all parachuted out of corporate life during the pandemic, it brought us full circle from those early days at Coca-Cola, ignited a spark to start our own bevco and then launched Canada’s 1st and best-tasting THC-infused OG Cola. There’s a myth floating around that we stole the ‘secret recipe’ from the big red machine because it tastes so similar to the ‘real thing’. Despite the onerous restrictions and industry shackles we’ve never felt more optimistic about the innovation and commercial leadership that our team at Sweet Justice continues to drive forward —both in Canada and internationally—right now.”
Sweet Justice injects innovative twists on popular drink flavours like OG Cola, Cherry Cola, OG Ginger Ale and OG Root Beer. Each of the (soon to be) ten different flavours in their drink assortment range between 0 to 100 calories, are nostalgic and delicious with no bitterness, metallic or cannabis aftertaste, like some of the earliest entrances of the legal THC drinks. Tse says their company—which recently saw huge upsides in their American business, including a taste of the future in Minnesota, where of-age consumers can buy Sweet Justice and THC drinks at liquor stores, even bars and restaurants —is experiencing huge positive tailwinds normalizing THC to the masses.
Meanwhile, Sweet Justice keeps cruising along the taste trail and just launched two new classic soda flavours in Canada this June.
IT’S A JOY TO KEEP INNOVATING AND MAKING GAME-CHANGING THC DRINKS!” “
A zero-sugar OG Root Beer Free with a hit of smooth vanilla, and a rebooted OG Cola now with a higher dose of THC but keeping the same beloved, great taste to avoid a ‘new Coke’ debacle as seen in the 1980’s.
Additionally, the brand is unveiling BAR HOP by Sweet Justice—an entirely new and exciting drink category launching this summer— Tse says the country is about to experience the Sweet Justice Summer of Love.
“We’re really stoked about launching BAR HOP with 2 new flavours to kick things off, and blowing the doors open on THC-infused ‘hop waters’—a refreshing new drink category to share with our audience. We anticipate most people may not have ever tried or heard of hop waters, but in a nutshell…they are NOT SELTZERS or plain, insipid sparkling waters, or a beer-proxy!
BAR HOP is made with natural hop resin and extracts giving more complex, nuanced and layered notes in their taste profiles. The process is rooted in the craft brewing movement,” says Tse, adding that “this innovation was driven by our fans who kept requesting Sweet Justice add more tasty, zero sugar options to our growing drink assortment.”
The BAR HOP rollout will begin in August, and Tse says the universally citrusy, fruity, floral and earthy beverages with a delicate, balanced hoppiness in the finish are expected to play well in both traditional and the wellness category. In recent years, Hop waters have exploded in popularity across the US.
“Since we launched our first product, we have seven of the top-selling drinks in the Canadian market—different dosages, different flavours, always high on taste and geared to different audiences. It’s an exciting moment in the life of our company. Drinkers have been finding their own Sweet Justice moments and it’s a joy to keep innovating, making game-changing THC-infused drinks that uplift and help fight FOMO in social settings.”
The THC-infused drinks, headlined by the entirely new BAR HOP brand and beverage category—which should appeal to lovers of sparkling waters and also craft beer fans due to the unique, complex flavours and variety of hop extracts—coalesce in an exciting Sweet Justice moment. After a storied career in beverages and culture-forward industries, Jocelyn Tse is experiencing her own Sweet Justice moment, right now.
“Building Sweet Justice brand awareness and equity—ensuring every Sweet Justice product tastes great with consistent and predictable onset and offset times—has been a pleasure and real personal validation to see our baby resonate with so many consumers, both in the alcohol and cannabis space,” says Tse, whose team of co-founders has also become a leading industry advocate for destigmatizing cannabis and easing back on Canada’s repressive marketing laws. “In this social moment where huge swaths of people are choosing to abstain from or reduce alcohol, I love that so many people are finding their own Sweet Justice—choosing their own adventure and discovering their ideal ’sweet spot’, to suit whatever experience they desire.”
For more information on Sweet Justice, Bar Hop and Jocelyn Tse, please see DrinkSweetJustice.com.
RUBY WATERS IS THE DOPEST LITTLE ROCKSTAR OF THE YEAR
She started busking at 12 with her mother and now, 50 million streams and a Juno nomination later, the Métis guitarist drops a new record and takes off on headlining tour
RUBY WATERS IS AS REFRESHING AS A JUMP IN A SUMMERTIME LAKE. She spent a decade on her guitar playing songs to distracted audiences where she learned, oftentimes alongside her mother, the value of endurance and performance. Busking in the TTC and playing farmer’s markets in Orangeville and basement pubs, the
26-year-old says music was always in her home and in her bloodstream. What’s the Point—her brilliant buzzy second album which dropped May 31—has taken her a lifetime to live, then record.
“I feel overwhelmed every morning, but in a good way,” says Waters from Whistler, not
far from the cabin she rented to write the ten tracks that have catapulted her star. “Humility is a big thing for me and I’m trying to acknowledge how dope everything is and I just want to embrace everything and keep it going: this is fucking awesome and if I’m peaking, I’m the happiest girl in the world.”
Her music is frank and genre-wise, all-encompassing. She broke out while opening for City and Colour and she makes clubby alternative music, with guitar, drums and bass. But she’s also influenced by A$AP Rocky, Schoolboy Q and house music and there’s beats beneath her guitar chords that give her a Portisehead-meets-Olivia Rodrigo vibe. It’s relatable bangers with plenty of sexuality drenched in weed and liquor and a turning over of life’s basic questions—but in a fun way!—while also, most importantly, propelling rock.
“When I’m writing, the songs just basically reflect my mood—if I’m drunk, horny and pumped up, that’s what’s showing up on the track,” says Waters, whose mother, Métis from Quebec, performed with the newly anointed rockstar at her album launch party last month in Toronto. Ruby and her mom used to jam together wherever they could and she saw firsthand the effort it takes to live life as a musician. Today, with 50 million streams and a Juno nomination, Waters is still careful to keep her ego in check. “If I find myself ever being too much of a diva, I slap myself in my face and count my blessings,” she says, and cites an old-age adage for musicians who want to come up in her wake: take every gig. “My mom is still putting bread on the table through gigging and busking is how I paid my rent at eighteen. Looking back on it, I really have come a long way.”
The question then becomes, with a headlining tour booked in front of her from now to Christmas, with stops all throughout Canada and the US, what’s next? Streaming numbers are fast to alight a new star system. But enduring musicians need more than Spotify spins to make a life in Canada in the music biz. It’s a job, but it’s the job of her dreams.
“I know people in Canada playing pubs on the weekend eating better than people with 50 million streams,” she says, and let’s out the first of a series of throaty laughs the result, she describes, “of smoking for two million years.” “I want to keep the momentum going, continue being thankful and never forget the days when I was playing for ten people who didn’t give a fuck about some dirty little hippie singing songs at bar gigs for four hours for $200 bucks.”
Ruby Waters’ personality comes across in interviews, but hits that much harder on record and onstage. Her tour is touching down from Winnipeg to Hollywood and she’s playing summer festivals in Europe and, while her star keeps rising, she’s remembering what it was she loved about music when she was young. It’s the essential element of her current live show. “Man, I’d get so drunk back then and it was just Outkast, Jack Johnson or Cage the Elephant covers, no one gave a fuck, but it was fun and that’s still what the point is,” she says. “I can’t believe the amount of love and support these songs are getting and I’m thankful. If I’m able to influence one person in a positive way, that’s the thing that matters to me.”
For tour dates, videos and more on Ruby Waters, see RubyWatersMusic.com.
Flower - 7g Dried Flower - 28g Coming Soon!
Farnesene,
Citrusy, Fruity, Sweet, Savoury
Girl Scout Cookies x Tangie 21
PLEASURE THE SOUNDS OF SUMMER
AcrossCanadaoverthesenextfewmonthstherearemany opportunitiestoseelivemusicoutdoors.Here’salookatsome ofourfavouritesummertimefestivals,who’splaying,their cannabispolicyandalittlebitaboutwho’sheadliningeachjam.
COUNTRY THUNDER
LAKETOWN SHAKEDOWN, (JUNE 28-JUNE 30), LAKE COWICHAN, BRITISH COLUMBIA
Camping is optional at this beautiful festival along Lake Cowichan in British Columbia for an outdoor experience with performers as varied as Gwen Stefani, Busta Rhymes and DJ Nu-Mark. There’s a club stage, day parties and awesome local vendors serving quality food and craft fare. laketownshakedown.com
EDMONTON FOLK MUSIC FESTIVAL, (AUGUST 8AUGUST 11), EDMONTON, ALBERTA
Robert Plant is making a rare Canadian appearance this summer in Edmonton, alongside such heavy hitters as Ben Howard, Black Pumas and Blue Rodeo, the beloved Toronto institution that sounds just right at sunset. What began in 1980 is a proud Canadian tradition with a heavy focus on sustainability and vibes all summer long. edmontonfolkfest.org
ALBERTA 2024, (AUGUST 16 - AUGUST 18), CALGARY, ALBERTA Luke Combs headlines this travelling country circus which also stops down in Saskatchewan on July 11, with Nickelback receiving second billing on that tour date. In Calgary, Canadians Dallas Smith and Meghan Patrick top the bill, and with everyone from Jelly Roll to Beyonce putting country music front and centre, expect this to be one of summer’s rowdiest shows. countrythunder.com
ALL YOUR FRIENDS FEST, (AUGUST 23-24) BURL’S CREEK, ONTARIO
OSHEAGA MUSIC FESTIVAL, (AUGUST 2 - AUGUST 4), MONTREAL, QUEBEC
Whether you bump SZA or Alvvays, Sleater-Kinney, Lil TJAY or Cadence Weapon, there’s something for everyone at one of Canada’s largest, and certainly best, summer festivals. Each day has a slant— indie rock, dance, singer-songwriter—and the ability to move through the days and atmospheres make Osheaga about much more than the tunes. osheaga.com
WINNIPEG FOLK FESTIVAL, (JULY 11 - JULY 14), WINNIPEG, MANITOBA Band of Horses, Choir! Choir! Choir!, Killer Mike, Orville Peck and Lucinda Williams are just some of the major acts appearing at Manitoba’s beloved outdoor music fest, which is three nights long and has a focus on Indigenous grooves. winnipegfolkfestival.ca
As diehard Fefe Dobson fans, she’s all we needed to show up but, also getting Jimmy Eats World, Gym Class Heroes and Dashboard Confessional? Too dope to miss. Good vibes, latenight dance parties and Billy Talent make Burl’s Creek worth the schlep from downtown. AllYourFriendsFestival.com
TALL PINES MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL FOR YOU, (JULY 19-20), GRAVENHURST, ONTARIO
All Canadian lineup this year headlined by City & Colour and July Talk and be sure not to miss JJ Wilde, she’s dope, and you’re likely to find her in the licensed cannabis consumption zone. Also don’t miss Dan Mangan, his song Peaks and Valleys is a favourite at KIND. tallpinesfestival.com
HALIFAX JAZZ FESTIVAL, (JULY 9 - JULY 14) HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA
Emmylou Harris, Charlotte Day Wilson and Matt Anderson and the Big Bottle of Joy topline the long-running Halifax festival, which also features Killer Mike, the former KIND cover star who recently copped three Grammys. halifaxjazzfestival.ca
OMEGA MIGHTY IS ON TOP OF THE WORLD
OMEGA MIGHTY MAKES SPIRITED POP dancehall reggae and her animated live shows bring her Jamaican heritage to the front of the stage. Audiences have responded and Omega Mighty feels like this is the summer of her grandest ascent.
“Winter is not the vibe,” Mighty told KIND recently with a laugh, and rattled off beloved influences like Bob Marley, Brandy and Dennis Brown with inflecting her current vibe. “I just feel like in the warm weather my music sounds extra right and I’m more excited than ever to get out and play.”
Growing up in Toronto to a Jamaican father and British-Bajan mom, Omega played classical piano from the age of four, but she was also influenced by bootleg Jamaican dance DVDs. Early on, she learned the formality and structure of music; later, she felt bass grooves in her soul. She says both building blocks make her into the artist she is today. “I was in dance crews when I was younger, alongside the piano, and like having street battles as a kid, I mean, you didn’t want to see me when I was 13,” she says, adding that the Caribbean culture she found in Toronto gave her reggae
background and classical musicianship a fresh playground to play. Influences, she says, came flying from all around.
“I’ve been performing since 2017 and I did the corporate thing, went to college, but this is my resurgence,” she says. “It’s a brand new era for me.”
The brand new era for Omega Mighty, whose younger sister Haviah Mighty, the rap star, has frequently been featured in KIND, has gotten off with a bang as her record Notorious & Noble scored her a Juno nomination and set her up for larger stages and shows with Fefe Dobson, the Wailers and Shad. The music industry has toughened her in the ensuing years, strengthening her to focus on what matters.
“People try to mould you into what they think you should be and, when I started, it wasn’t celebrated to be a black woman with dark skin,” she says, bemoaning how her industry starts and fits shook her confidence before finding her way back to where she is now. This summer, she says, there’s no holding her back. “I lost trust in myself, but
A dancehall queen travels from hell to back and discovers herself is who she’s meant to be
I know I was ahead of the game when I started and now I’m just completely presenting myself unfiltered—this is who I am, you get it or you don’t, but I’m never going to doubt myself again.”
Her costumes now are big and almost outlandish and you can see in her live show how performers like Busta Rhymes have influenced her recreation to become larger than life. It’s fun, it’s loud, it’s bright and bold and behind bold fashion choices, big beats and microphone breath control, Omega Mighty has emerged as one of Canada’s best new artists to watch. That she’s been in the game for a minute only makes her current popularity so cool.
“Being yourself is the hardest thing—not just for people in the public eye, but everyone has a message and that’s what I’m here to do, share my message with the world,” she says. “You can’t fake this stuff and you see it in my performance and hear it on my record, this is who I am.”
For tour dates and new release information, see OmegaMighty.com.
NEW 0.4 G ALL-IN-ONE VAPE AVAILABLE IN 3 FLAVOURS: TROPIC MINT-TOPIA | PINEAPPLE STRAWNANA GRAPPLE GROVE
SUNLIGHT SERENADES
BY ADAM MCDOWELL
At Oceanic Releaf’s greenhouses on Newfoundland’s remote Burin Peninsula, workers give the cannabis plants everything they’ll need to grow strong and productive: the proper temperature, a carefully calibrated light schedule and levels, and optimal amounts of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus.
Then there’s the secret ingredient: bass. As they depart for the night, workers crank up the sound system and hit play on a custom Spotify playlist that they believe stimulates the plants. It’s “sped-up” music, says Dillon Beck, Oceanic’s master grower, that subjects the plants to a deep and persistent “boom, boom, boom.”
Oceanic is a modern growing operation that mostly takes a scientific approach. “We do a lot of data management here; everything’s data, data, data,” Beck says. Yet the music is something of a tradition passed down from father to son. Beck first learned about growing cannabis from his dad, who was an underground producer in the pre-legalization days.
“He always played music, regardless of whether it was in a basement or a shed — anywhere inside. It was an old-school time, a different era. There wasn’t this Google search where you could check and say, ‘Oh, hey, this is true,’ ” Beck says. The idea that music would grow stronger plants was more of a hunch. “When I got my own space and got my own grow [operation], I guess I found that interesting.” And so Oceanic’s plants rise from the soil to the rhythms of “everything from rock and heavy metal to jazz and classical.”
Music and cannabis cultivation go hand-inhand, at least for some producers who — drawing on reasoning both scientific and, at times, quasi-mystical — believe it powers the plants toward better yields. “Sometimes I thought I was the only one,” Beck says.
In fact, looking beyond cannabis, the notion that music could grow stronger and more productive plants has a history that goes
back at least half a century. The connection may have entered growers’ lore through the success of the 1973 book The Secret Life of Plants. Authors Peter Tompkins and Christopher Bird populated the book (which later became a documentary, with a soundtrack by Stevie Wonder) with esoteric plant research — experiments to see whether humans could transmit their moods into plants, for example. One chapter related how in the 1950s and ’60s, Indian botanist T.C. Singh discovered that he could cause plants to do unusual things when he played music to them. Waterthymes (Hydrilla verticillata), for instance, streamed protoplasm at an exceptionally high speed when Singh’s assistant serenaded them with her violin. (Even earlier than that, Charles Darwin had played his bassoon close to his touch-menots in a bid to stimulate their tiny leaflets to move. They didn’t.)
The earthy 1960s and ’70s birthed many more experiments involving plants and soundwaves. At the University of Ottawa, Mary Measures and Pearl Weinberger spent years and published several papers claiming to prove the beneficial effects of blasting wheat with sound in controlled experiments, finding success with a steady tone at 5,000 hertz (Hz). That frequency may be music to ears of wheat, but it’s a shrill, unmusical whine to ours. Other studies have seen plants thrive under the influence of more pleasant frequencies. In 2012, a team of biologists found that corn grew in the direction of speakers emitting continuous sounds at 200 to 300 Hz — a range that corresponds to the core frequencies of a baritone voice (think Tom Jones).
How do sound and music foster healthier growth in plants? Biologists have put forward several theories, many centred around the underlying idea that sound waves could stimulate natural processes within the plants that cause them to grow hardier. Plants often benefit from their leaves being lightly rustled by the wind, for example; soundwaves can give them a similarly gentle push. In 2014, University of Missouri researchers showed that vibrations caused
by insects chewing on leaves elicited the chemical defences of a weed called thale cress — which suggests that subjecting plants to matching sound frequencies could coax them into similar protective (and growth-promoting) responses.
As well as corn, wheat and balsam, plant scientists have researched the effects of sound on asters, petunias, cosmos, white spider vines, sesame, radishes, sweet potatoes, peanuts, tobacco, sunflowers, spruce, Jack pine and Siberian pea trees. But there is little to no scientific literature on the effects of sound on cannabis.
“Being illegal for most of the last 100 years has made it pretty tough to do any kind of research on it,” says Ken Wilson, a plant biologist at the University of Saskatchewan. “I think even now, to work on cannabis, you [would] need to have fairly strict licensing and stuff like that. And most universities are — unless you’re doing it for pharmaceutical kinds of purposes — are a bit reluctant to get into that.”
Wilson also notes that cannabis “is a pretty complex plant … in terms of its biochemistry and the compounds it makes,” which makes it tricky for conducting controlled research that leads to firm conclusions.
In the absence of scientific certainty, cannabis growers have to undertake their own experiments and draw their own observations.
Beck says the cannabis industry has always taken a trial-and-error approach out of necessity. He’s seen enough positive results from playing music to plants that he’s convinced it’s worth doing. At Oceanic’s propagation rooms, he recalls, “At first we didn’t play music in there [and] it was like a darker, angrier vibe in that room. It just didn’t seem to have that same happiness.”
Nor did the plants grow as well as Beck would have liked.
“So then we started playing music in there too,” which he says improved the results. “Now they’re getting it all the time.”
Mikey Roots, master grower for the Double Jointed, Smokes and FatCat brands, says his experiments have shown that plants grow best to Roots and Culture reggae. He talks about the plants at the brands’ greenhouses in Leamington, Ontario, as if they’re sentient beings — ones that prefer a soundtrack that brings a positive energy rather than an angry or negative one.
Roots believes there’s a spiritual connection and flow between the music and the plants. “It’s a soothing thing. The energy’s
THE PLANTS ARE ALIVE AND FEELING HAPPY ENERGY. EVERYONE IS FULL OF JOY. THEY’RE SINGING AND DANCING. IT MAKES FOR GREAT WEED.” “
happy,” he says. And he believes coddling the plants causes them to thrive, just as it can with livestock. “It’s the same as Kobe beef. Massage it.”
(Playing music in the greenhouse has paid dividends in other ways for Roots. “When I was in Quebec, we had a famous investor come through. He opened the door to the garden and it was Bob Marley blasting, right? They had Bob Marley playing nonstop and right away he said, ‘That’s it.
I’m sold. I’m convinced.’ He obviously knew that that was the energy that was needed. And so that really sealed one of the biggest deals of my life.”)
Cannabis growers say music in the greenhouse brings another benefit: Making trimmers more upbeat and productive when it’s time for them to start snipping buds. Happy trimmers translate to a more wholesome product, Roots believes. Most of his company’s workforce are from India and are living in Canada on student visas. Roots says they often fill the greenhouses with their singing voices while they work. “The plants are still alive while they’re being trimmed. They’re alive for at least a couple days and they’re feeling that happy energy,” Roots says. “Everyone dealing with them is full of joy. They’re singing and dancing. It’s a great environment and that also makes for great weed.”
The CEO of Kaya Herb House, a licensed medical cannabis producer in Jamaica with three retail locations, says playing music in his company’s greenhouses happens organically, given the central role that music plays in his country’s culture. Jamaicans, says Balram “Bali” Vaswani, like to work with loud music playing in the background. Like Roots, Bali says his plants grow to a soundtrack based on positivity. “We play uplifting music—stuff that’s progressive and upbeat. We do play a lot of old-school reggae, and less on the dancehall or anything that has illicit lyrics or anything like that,” he says.
He, too, is convinced that this positive energy is somehow transferred to the cannabis itself. “Sometimes over a period of time you can see a positive reaction to music in the plants,” he says.
But can he prove it? Not scientifically. “I don’t have any physical facts to say, ‘This music under these circumstances would make this plant better,’ ” Vaswani says.
And if he did, it could be a valuable trade secret. “If I had that tracklist, I might not share it.”
FIGR Jungle Fumes
Stop and smell the Jungle Fumes!
These dense Jungle-coloured buds are packed with diesel and chem flavours! The parent strains of Sour Diesel x Chemdawg x Lemon OG create a sativa that comes with a heavy diesel aroma upfront, chem undertones and notes of tropical fruits. Jungle Fumes will take you on a jungle cruise through your senses! FIGR dried flower products are hand selected to ensure dense, highquality buds are in every package.
BEST PRODUCT GUIDE
An exclusive preview of the freshest new products in legal weed
FIGR Mellow Man Chill out with the Mellow Man!
With bright citrusy notes and a down-to-earth finish, this mellow man is bound to be your new best bud! This indica-leaning strain borrows its smooth vanilla taste, and punchy cherry notes from its parent strains Ice Cream Cake and Cherry Pie. FIGR dried flower products are hand selected to ensure dense, high-quality buds are in every package.
FIGR Sunshine Bubble Kush Sunshine Bubble Kush is a balanced hybrid created by crossing the Sunshine State’s Triangle Kush with the dank, bubble hash-esque ‘88 G13 Hashplant. The strain has a sugary, earthy flavour with a gentle, spicy aroma of cloves and pine, followed by a citrusy perfume. The bud is compact and quite dense, with deep purple, almost black sugar leaves. It’s known for producing extremely potent flowers with THC levels ranging from 22% - 28%. FIGR dried flower products are hand selected to ensure dense, highquality buds are in every package.
FIGR Frozen Orchard 510 Vape 1G
It’s always harvest season in the frozen orchard! This vape boasts a rich sweet apple flavour paired with a frosty chill of mint, perfect for chilling out in the summer, or cozying up when things cool down! Every FIGR 510 has a sustainable hemp mouthpiece with a large, barrel air hole to increase airflow and reduce clogging.
FIGR
Endgame Hard Hitters - Blueberry Octane
This liquid diamond 510 cart from Endgame is a game-changer. Our chefs have taken pure THC diamonds and mixed them with the tastiest terp blends to create the hardest hits of flavour. Blueberry Octane has a sweet, fruity, berry flavour profile that packs a proper punch but is easy on the draw. Perfect for on-the-go with some of our highest THC % to date.
Endgame The Rizz Live Resin Endgame’s newest Live Resin is a certified banger with a gassy terp profile that will demand your nose’s attention. The Rizz is extracted from fresh-frozen flower and finished into a slushy, terp-filled, golden finish. The personal choice of Endgame’s in-house chefs.
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Endgame OMG 0.5G Shatter OMG Shatter is a gassy powerhouse expertly extracted at sub-zero temperatures. An instant classic with a golden, glassy, finish that balances potency and flavour. Expect floral, gassy notes with a subtle fruity base. Perfect for a quick dab or to add a little extra fire into whatever you’re rolling.
Endgame Lunch - Frozen Melonade
REFRESHMENT! CRAFTED with natural hop resin and extracts, fruit flavours + carbonated water Deliciously zesty, fruity + a gentle hoppiness Hop into the new bar and
ChillBilly - Triple Berry Truckin’ 1g Vape
Rev up your taste buds with the 1g Triple-Berry Truckin’ cart!
This flavor-packed blend will take you on a joyride, featuring three countryside berries that’ll have you hollerin’ for more on each haul. At 86-92% each ammo shaped metal encased cart offers potency and durability. So, grab a haul and hit the road to flavour town!
Adults Only - Bumpin’ Blue Raspberry 1g Vape
Bumpin’ Blue Raspberry is anything but basic! This high-octane pure liquid diamond extract offers flavour and potency, blending the tart & sweet notes of classic blue raspberry with THC levels of 90-96%. Housed in cutting-edge hardware this 1g cart offers smooth and satisfying pulls leaving you wanting more each time. This cart is bumpin’ and here for a good time.
ChillBilly - Gator Blood 1g Vape
Plunge into the depths of bold, intense flavors with our 1g Gator Blood Vape. Notes of creamy coconut hit you square in the face followed by a kick of strawberry and watermelon. At 86-92 % each ammo shaped metal encased cart hits like a heavyweight fight, revving your senses into overdrive. Hold onto your hats, it’s going to be a wild ride!
Adults Only - Promiscuous Peach Diamond Coated Infused Pre-Rolls Indulge in the tantalizing taste of Promiscuous Peach with NSFW Diamond Coated Pre-Rolls. These aren’t your average rolls—packed with high-potency Indica, each 3 x 0.5g pre-roll delivers a sweet peach flavour and a whopping 42-50% THC. Crafted with premium liquid diamonds and a crushed diamond coating, these rolls are free of fillers for a pure experience. Enhanced with botanical terpenes, for maximized flavour. After all, we’d hit that!
Thumbs Up Indica Pre-Rolls (2x1G) Indica by Thumbs Up is a strain specific 2x1g pre-roll pack featuring ever-changing, high quality strains.
Weed Me Blue Iguana 28G
Blue Iguana is a balanced hybrid crossing Double Dutch and Old Time Moonshine. This strain emits a skunky aroma and sweet flavour with notes of pine and musk, and produces large buds with milky trichomes.
Me Dragon Fruit Vape (1G)
Dragon Fruit is an Indica-dominant 510 Thread Standard Vape Cartridge filled with potent THC distillate. This 1g cartridge tasting of fresh fruit and herbaceous flowers, is sure to create a festival of sensations.
Weed Me Sweet Strawberry Vape (1g)
Sweet Strawberry is a sativa-dominant 510 Thread Standard Vape Cartridge. This 1g distillate cartridge combines the sweet, fruity taste of strawberries with the smooth, creamy flavour of milk.
Weed
Palmetto PEN PALS 0.4 G All-In-One Vape
Introducing all-new Palmetto PEN PALS, where max flavour meets mini compact convenience in a 0.4 G all-in-one vape. At just 3.5 inches tall, Palmetto PEN PALS are packed with 90-95% THC, and a flavour punch coming in three custom blends–Tropic Mint-Topia, Pineapple Strawnana and Grapple Grove–where every puff is a mini-to-max flavour adventure. Whether you’re going for a dog walk, a pre-concert puff, or just need a tasty, high-potency pick-me-up on the fly, Palmetto PEN PALS are your new pocket-sized pal to stay Good To Go.
Palmetto Pink Burst & Melonberry Ice 1 G Dual Chamber All-In-One Vape
Get ready for a choose-your-own flavour adventure with Palmetto’s Pink Burst & Melonberry Ice 1 G Dual Chamber All-In-One Vape at 90-95% THC. Easily switch between juicy flavours — from a sweet strawberry-lemon explosion with Pink Burst, into a cool Melonberry Ice, a chill mix of minty-melon and red berries. Create your very own unique blend by mixing the flavours together with a single pull, delivering a one-of-a-kind flavour every time. Make it a mood. Whether you’re out on a hike in the morning or hitting up a midnight house party, you can stay Good To Go and customize your flavour experience!
1964 Blue Dream FSE Resin Vape
If you’re a fan of hazy Sativa’s, this FSE Resin Vape is for you! The distinct hazy blueberry flavour from our Blue Dream cultivar comes through beautifully in this convenient 510 thread vape format. All 1964 vape carts are made from craft flower for a flavour-forward vaporization experience, with hardware that has been rigorously tested for optimal performance. 100% resin, no fillers, no added terpenes. Just beautiful resin.
SIMPLY BARE VERSUS
Palmetto Infused PALS Pre-rolls
Palmetto INFUSED PALS are your favourite slim pre-rolls that have been amped-up with even more taste, an infused swirl of flavour elevated with even higher THC at 35%. Available in 3 strains - Blue Cheese, Strawberry Cough and Galactic Gas – there is a flavour pal for everyone. Palmetto INFUSED PALS combine a flower base with terpene-infused distillate and come in a convenient pack of five 0.5 G discreet joints, so just like the best of friends, you can take them anywhere. It’s a high-potency pick-me-up on the fly. Just grab ‘em and get Good To Go!
Versus Jumbo Jar of Js BC Purple Kush Pre-rolls
Versus’ high-potency banger strain, BC Purple Kush, has hit the market in a Jumbo Jar of J’s format. This earthy strain presents a sweet hint of grape, born from the cross between Hindu Kush and Afghani strains, and boasts a potency of 20-26% to ensure you’re always getting a maximum hit of value. Stay stocked up for a grab-and-go whenever you need a convenient puff in the park, or barbecuing in the backyard. 60 pre-rolls at 0.35 G per jumbo jar, offer convenience and premium quality in every smoke.
Wildflower Sweet Dreams CBD + THC + CBN Oil
Our Sweet Dreams Oil has 12mg CBD, 6mg THC and 3mg CBN per ml.
This combination of cannabinoids, alongside hemp oil is best for all cannabis consumers looking for a natural solution at the end of the evening. These ingredients combined will be the perfect start to your sweet dreams. Discover the power of plants with Wildflower.
Simply Bare BC Organic Fruit Loopz Gummies
Taking inspiration from our BC Organic Fruit Loopz, we’ve crafted this gummy to mimic the unique citrusy and fruity flavours of this cultivar. With 2.5mg of Organic Live Rosin, each gummy is naturally sweetened with organic fruit purée and is vegan and gluten free. Simply Bare gummies are a perfect complement to our organic BC Organic Fruit Loopz terpene rich flower.
WILDFLOWER
Teapot CBD Lemon Black Tea
All of the chill, none of the buzz. TeaPot’s first hemp-derived iced tea contains 20mg of CBD and less than 0.5mg of THC. The recipe is based on TeaPot’s award winning THC iced tea and contains 100 calories, naturally occurring caffeine, and no carbonation. TeaPot CBD Lemon Black iced tea is currently available in dispensaries across Ontario and Quebec with plans for further expansion.
Teapot Lemonade Iced Tea
TeaPot’s Lemonade Iced Tea is a classic half-and-half recipe, combining real black tea with lemonade, expertly infused with 5mg of THC. Each 355mL can of Lemonade Iced Tea contains 130 calories and is non-carbonated. Available in dispensaries across Ontario and Quebec with further expansion planned throughout the year.
Move Over Seltzer! Let’s Hop into the future of social sessions… Liberate, refresh and wake-up your tastebuds with BAR HOP by Sweet Justice, an intentionally-crafted assortment of Canada’s 1st infused Hop Waters!
WTF is HOP WATER??
• Deliciously crisp, refreshing, subtly juicy with zesty citrus notes
• BUT more complex with secondary flavours: earthy, yeasty, savoury, & soft, delicate floral or sweet notes like honey, orange blossom + a gentle ‘hoppiness’
• Made with natural hop resin and extracts, fruit flavours + carbonated water
• Zero Sugar
• Zero or low calorie
• Hydrating and free of Hangxiety
• NOT seltzers or de-alc beer
Natural harmony
Products created and designed to gently harmonize with any lifestyle.
Forget about those watered-down excuses of tinny-tasting, fizzed out, wispy, fruit-flavoured bong-waters!
Hop into the new bar and raise a glass of BAR HOP this summer!
This small-batch hash o ers unique, dry sift kief from rotating cultivars, curated from local growers in Quebec, Canada.
Jublee’s Montreal-Style Aged Hash is carefully developed in the traditional way
This old-school approach, with minimum three months of aging, o ers flavours, aromas and texture for a trip down memory lane with every inhale.
Jublee products are available in Ontario, Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan & Newfoundland
DOWN A DREAM RUNNING
BY BEN KAPLAN
The most accessible sport in the world finds a comfy home in the cannabis community and fuels high-flying consumers like Emma Andrews, CEO of Nextleaf Solutions, a BC based cannabis processor
EMMA ANDREWS IS A MOTHER OF TWO, marathon runner, registered nutritionist, and advocate for conscious cannabis consumption. She is the Chief Executive Officer of Nextleaf Solutions, home of Glacial Gold, best known for their high purity extracts. Andrews, at the helm of a publicly traded company making big moves in the cannabis extraction space, knows that being a high-performing executive goes hand in hand with her approach to health and wellness, both mentally and physically. She attributes her success and resilience, in part, to a philosophy of “conscious consumption”, using cannabis as a natural health product, prioritizing alternative methods of cannabis consumption (such as non-combustible), focusing on whole food nutrition, the mindbody connection, and her longtime love affair with running. As the sport explodes across the country and, indeed, around the world—Canada will have more marathon finishers in 2024 than any previous year and, for example, over 500,000 runners applied for 45,000 bibs at the London Marathon— Emma Andrews believes summer 2024 is the perfect time for cannabis consumers to get out and run.
“Running helps me feel like me.”
her feel vibrant and alive. Like myself, she’s one of many runners across the country who are finding purpose, structure and community in sport. Additionally, what makes Andrews’ approach special, especially for the readers of KIND, is that she finds her running stimulated by and enhanced with consistent, high quality weed.
“Cannabis, I find, can get you out of your ‘monkey mind’—overthinking or obsessing about the physical experience—helping you get lost in the colour of nature or the freedom of movement,” says Andrews, adding that running has an additional incentive in that the more that you do it, the easier it becomes and the better it feels. It’s hard to get started as a runner. But once you do, says Andrews, it’s easy to become hooked: cannabis can help create a sense of ease in the process.
“It’s simple. We will repeat what we enjoy. Sometimes a well timed ingestible extract
like a cannabis softgel, oil drops, or even a high potency vape helps me to get comfortable in the rhythm and amplifies the soulfulness of the process,” Andrews told KIND.
“Cannabis helps me relax into the journey, I can let go and enjoy being fully present and grounded in my body, a rare gift with day-today demands on our time and attention.”
The running journey can be accentuated by many different things: running with a group, for instance, or else by tracking your workouts. By keeping track of how far and how fast you run over a period of time, the experience becomes that much more rewarding as you improve quickly—especially when just starting out. The other thing that can add to the experience is participating in running events, like the Royal Victoria Marathon in October, which has events in the marathon, half marathon and 5 and eight kilometre distances and is expected to sell out this year. There are events all over Can-
ada this summer and fall, including the Waterfront Marathon in Toronto, September’s Montreal Marathon in Quebec, the Army Run this September in Ottawa and Puma’s Toronto Women’s Race Series, which offers women’s only runs in August and October. Cory Freedman, the long-time race director of the series, cannabis consumer and great friend, believes events are less about setting records, and more about having fun.
“The majority of people running today don’t care about their finishing time, they want to get out there in a group and feel part of a community,” says Freedman, a 35-year veteran of the industry who also puts on Toronto’s iconic Sporting Life 10K event with 20,000 runners. “Running events offer a sense of accomplishment and you look around, see all different shapes and sizes, ages and abilities, and just by participating in an event you become part of something that changes people’s lives—mind, body and spirit.”
Freedman also brings up another point that can add to a new runner’s overall experience, and that’s using the vehicle to fundraise for worthwhile charities. The Sporting Life 10K—in its twenty-fourth year—has now raised over $25-million for Campfire Circle, which supports camps for children with cancer or serious illness and also supports their families. Having a close friend who’s seen her life change from the work done by Campfire Circle always makes this event beyond special for me, every year I participate with my whole family.
“I think when you tie a charity aspect
to your running the entire experience becomes more fulfilling—it’s no longer just about you,” Freedman says. “Of course you feel good when you cross that finish line but, when you do that in tangent with helping someone else, it collectively lifts your city and even your broader community— you’re making the world a better place.”
Making the world a better place often begins with making yourself the best version of you that you can possibly be. That often begins with a healthy, refreshed version of you that shows up in your personal and professional life feeling calm and tuned in.
“Cannabis helps me relax into the journey, let go and enjoy being present in a specific, pleasant moment of time.”
Rest, nutrition and exercise are well known health and wellness benefits and running is a quick, easy, approachable summertime pastime for good health, good cannabis and good vibes.
Emma Andrews plans on running all summer long,and not just enjoying her first marathon back after taking a hiatus for early motherhood, but also the ripple effect of her training, spilling into her personal and professional life in preparation for her next race.
“Today I feel as if I’m truly expressing the most honest and authentic version of who I am, across every facet of my life,” Andrews says. “I want to show up as my best self for my family and at work.Both cannabis and running are a powerful catalyst in the process of embodying my best self. I wouldn’t trade it for the world.”
TAKING HER TIME: Emma Andrews at work, explaining healthy cannabis consumption, to a rapt audience, as she loves to do.
Infused drinks go well with infused tunes
ROCKS CONCERT
COCKTAIL RECIPES BY ADRIAN STEIN, DOPE COCKTAILS / PHOTOGRAPHS BY URSHA
LAVA GUAVA, INSPIRED BY BOSSA NOVA, 1960S ERA
Bossa nova is a relaxed style of samba developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil. It is mainly characterized by a “different beat” that altered the harmonies with the introduction of unconventional chords and an innovative syncopation of traditional samba. The phrase bossa nova means literally “new trend” or “new wave” in Portuguese. The exact origin of the term bossa nova remained unclear for many decades, according to some authors. Within the artistic beach culture of the late 1950s in Rio De Janeiro the term bossa was used to refer to any new “trend” or “fashionable wave”. LAVA GUAVA: Coconut Water / Guava Nectar / Guava Alginates / Habanero Tincture / Effervescence. Tall and tan and young and lovely… The girl from Ipanema goes walking.
AND WHEN SHE PASSES, EACH ONE SHE PASSES GOES: EXCUSE ME, CAN I HAVE A LAVA GUAVA?
BLUEBERRY THRILL, INSPIRED BY JAZZ, 1950’S ERA
A style of modern jazz emerged in the US shortly after World War II, cool jazz was created in contrast to the bebop movement and is more laidback, featuring slow or moderate tempos and arrangements, as well as certain elements of classical music.
BLUEBERRY THRILL: Blueberry Kombucha / Thai Basil Lychee Shrub / Cucumber / Fresh Mint / Paired with: The Authentic 3g Blunt by Chronic Relief.
IS THERE ANYTHING COOLER THAN A 3G BLUNT, ICE COLD BLUEBERRY THRILL, AND SOME MILES DAVIS?
RAJAH
HIP HOPPED (AKA MALT N PEPA)
INSPIRED BY EAST COAST HIP HOP, 1980S ERA
East Coast hip hop is a regional subgenre of hip hop music that originated in New York City during the 1970s. Hip hop is recognized to have originated and evolved first in The Bronx, New York City. In contrast to other styles, East Coast hip hop music prioritizes complex lyrics for attentive listening rather than beats for dancing. HIP
HOPPED (AKA MALT N PEPA): Jelly
King Non Alcholic Dry Hopped Sour / Walter’s Caesar Mix / Fresh Lime / Worcestershire Sauce
Green Cholula Hot Sauce / Dope
Mocktails Mad Silly Chili Oil 5mg THC & CBG.
EAST COAST HIP HOP IS OCCASIONALLY REFERRED TO AS NEW YORK RAP DUE TO ITS ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENT AT BLOCK PARTIES THROWN IN NEW YORK CITY DURING THE 1970S.
SEX PISTIL PUNCH , INSPIRED BY AMERICAN PUNK ROCK1970S ERA
Punk rock (also known as simply punk) is music genre that emerged in the mid-1970s. Rooted in 1950s rock and roll and 1960 garage rock, punk bands rejected the corporate nature of mainstream 1970s rock music. They typically produced short, fast-paced songs with hard-edged melodies and singing styles with stripped-down instrumentation. Lyricism in punk typically revolves around anti establishment anti-authoritarian themes. Punk embraces a DIY ethic; many bands self-produce recordings and distribute them through independent labels.
SEX PISTIL PUNCH: Blue Spirulina Elderflower water / Ginger Rice
Vinegar Shrub 10mg / Green Apple
Yuzu Foam 10mg CBG (shoutout CBGB) / Nori Mohawk / Mini Leather Jacket Garnish.
PUNK ROCK IS BEING HONEST, BELIEVING IN YOURSELF AND DOING WHAT YOU GOTTA, ESPECIALLY A SEX PISTIL PUNCH!
FUN FACT: The entire Dope Cocktails brand was inspired by 1980s - 1990s East Coast Hip Hop. My mother is from New York City, I grew up travelling to NYC and discovering Rap new artists and albums. The Dope Cocktails Original branding was inspired by Nervous Records and CBGB, both out of NYC.
JASON SKROBAR GETS CREATIVE ON THE GREATEST THING SINCE SLICED BREAD
THEBOOK OF SANDWICHES
Jason Skrobar comes to his kitchen credentials honestly: he spent fifteen years in the trade before he began crafting recipes. Today, a food stylist and recipe developer, Skrobar is much in-demand for his whimsy and wit.
PASTRAMI MONTE CRISTO
INGREDIENTS
ASSEMBLY
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
4 slices egg bread
2 tbsp mayonnaise
12 slices pastrami
4 slices Gruyère
4 tbsp black cherry jam
2 large eggs
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
4 tbsp unsalted butter
Excerpted from The Book of Sandwiches by Jason Skrobar. Copyright © 2024 Jason Skrobar. Photographs by Sébastian DuboisDidcock. Published by Appetite by Random House®, a division of Penguin Random House Canada Limited. Reproduced by arrangement with the Publisher. All rights reserved.
MAKES 2 SANDWICHES
Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Spread mustard over one side of two slices of the bread and mayonnaise over one side of the other two. Divide the pastrami between the two mustard-slathered slices and top each with two slices of Gruyère. Evenly spread a few tablespoons of black cherry jam over each and then top with the other slice of bread mayo side down.
Crack the eggs into a large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.
Melt the butter in a cast-iron pan over medium heat. Carefully dip each sandwich into the egg mixture, letting each side soak for a minute or so, and then fry until the bottom is nicely golden brown, about 1–2 minutes. Flip and continue to cook for another 1–2 minutes.
Transfer the sandwiches to the prepared baking sheet and into the oven to melt the cheese, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let the sandwiches rest for 5 minutes before digging in and enjoying!
THE PRETTY ONE
INGREDIENTS
CITRUS BBQ SAUCE
1½ cups ketchup
Zest and juice of 1 lime
Zest and juice of 1 orange
¼ cup dark molasses
3 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp sriracha (optional)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp liquid smoke (optional)
LEMON GARLIC AIOLI
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
3 cloves garlic, finely grated
1½ tsp Dijon mustard
Juice of ½ lemon
½ cup extra-virgin olive oil
½ tsp kosher salt
SALMON
4 (4–6 oz/115–170 g) skin-on salmon fillets
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
ASSEMBLY
4 ciabatta buns, sliced in half and toasted
8–12 slices pancetta, crisped
1 cucumber, shaved into thin ribbons
INSTRUCTIONS
MAKES 4 SANDWICHES
Let’s begin by making the BBQ sauce. In a medium pot over medium heat, combine the ketchup, lime and orange juices (not the zest quite yet!), molasses, vinegar, sriracha (if using), Worcestershire, Dijon, paprika, onion powder, salt, garlic powder, and liquid smoke (if using). Mix well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and let the sauce simmer for about 20–25 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the lime and orange zest. Set aside.
Next up is the aioli. Place the egg yolks, garlic, Dijon, and lemon juice in a large mason jar or the container of your immersion blender. To make the aioli, you need to emulsify it. Emulsifying is taking two liquids that do not usually mix— in this case, the oil and the egg yolks (yolks are 50% water)— and turning them into a semi-stable mixture. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil and use your immersion blender to blend, moving it up and down until the aioli has thickened. Add the lemon juice, blend for a few seconds more to combine and season with salt and set aside.
Now it’s time for the salmon. Crispy skin is what we’re looking for here. Pat the salmon fillets with a paper towel, ensuring all sides are nice and dry. Rub a bit of oil on both sides and season with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil in the pan begins to shimmer, place two salmon fillets skin side down in the pan, pressing them down firmly, and cook undisturbed for about 4 minutes; you want to make sure that the skin is crispy and releases from the pan easily.
THE BIG DIPPPER
INGREDIENTS
MUSHROOM JUS
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
2 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tbsp tomato paste
7 oz (200 g) cremini mushrooms, sliced
1 oz (15 g) dried shiitake mushrooms
1 sprig fresh sage
5 cups of water
SHALLOT CHILI BUTTER
½ cup unsalted butter, softened
1 shallot, finely minced
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp cracked black pepper
½–1 tsp chili flakes
(depending on your spice preference)
2 tbsp finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
CRISPY FRIED MUSHROOMS
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1½ cups buttermilk
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder
½ tsp sweet paprika
½ tsp cracked black pepper
8 cups neutral oil for frying, such as grapeseed or sunflower
10½ oz (300 g) oyster mushrooms
Flaky salt
MAKES 6 SANDWICHES 1 2 3 4 INSTRUCTIONS 6 7
We’re going to start by making the mushroom jus. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the carrots and onion, season with salt and pepper, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and tomato paste and continue to sauté for 1 minute. Add the fresh and dried mushrooms, sage, and water and bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 45 minutes.
Remove from the heat and strain the liquid, discarding the vegetables and herbs. Return the liquid to the pot, adjust the seasoning if needed, and turn the heat to low to keep warm while you make the mushrooms and butter. The simmering jus will envelop your kitchen with the warmest of hugs— enjoy it.
Next is the shallot chili butter. Mix all the ingredients in a small bowl until well combined. Set aside but do not refrigerate. Any leftover butter can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a few weeks.
Next up, the crispy fried mushrooms. Line a baking sheet with paper towels and place a wire rack on top.
Place 1 cup flour in a bowl, pour in the buttermilk, and whisk to combine until no lumps remain. In a second bowl, combine the remaining flour, cornstarch, oregano, salt, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, and pepper and whisk to combine.
Heat the oil to 350°F in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Coat the mushrooms in the dry flour mixture and then dip them in the buttermilk mixture, ensuring the whole mushroom is covered. 5
ON A YACHT
Can’t do Greece without sailing. For those wanting to embrace the ancient Greek seafaring tradition, The Cyclades, in the Wake of Le Ponant sailing on Le Ponant (the first Relais & Châteaux sailing yacht) is a week-long sailing expedition that goes from Lavrio, through the cyclades, to the tip of the Peloponnese and back (hitting Tinos, the uninhabited Polyaigos, Serifos, Monemvasia, Kythnos, and Spetses). The ship sets sail June 23, 30 and July 7, 14, and 21; starting at $12,200 per person it ain’t cheap, but how can you put a price tag on joy?
IS THE WORD GREECE
In February, after a seven year battle, Greece finally legalised medical cannabis and there’s now a production facility in Corinthia. Everyone knows Greece is awesome. But new hotels, art galleries, spas and weed laws have given Europe’s friendliest coastal country even more reason to explore
BOUTIQUE HOTEL IN ATHENS. Most people start off in Athens, and the best way to get in step with the city’s cultural pulse is a visit to NEW Hotel. Owned by Cyprus-born industrialist Dakis Joannou (ranked as one of the world’s leading collectors of contemporary art) and designed by powerhouse Brazilian duo Fernando and Humberto Campana, the property lets guests immerse themselves into the arts by borrowing from their library of over 2,000 artbooks at the rooftop restaurant. Artworks by heavyweights such as Jenny Holzer and Barbara Kruger appear alongside the Campana Brothers’ iconic furniture designs (including their famed Favela chair), making New Hotel an essential stop on any art lover’s itinerary.
SUMMER PLEASURE A DREAM HIGH-SPEED FERRY TO SANTORINI
Santorini’s largest resort, Nous, is located in the village of Mesaria—away from the heavy traffic of the caldera. Inspired by the island’s Cycladic architecture and designed to resemble a whitewashed village, the 119-room property is filled with paintings, photographs, sculptural objects and even AR (augmented reality) works created exclusively for NOŪS by 15 Greek artists, along with light fixtures fashioned out of volcanic stone and design motifs themed after the island’s famous Akrotiri mural. Most rooms have their own private pools and large private gardens for relaxing; there’s also a sprawling spa with Greek-made Korres treatments.
PARTY FOR YOUR RIGHT TO FIGHT
Snotty Nose Rez Kids Make Dance Music for the Revolution
BY ALEX NINO GHECIU
Everything’s coming up Snotty Nose Rez Kids. The Juno-nominated hip-hop duo from B.C.’s Haisla First Nation have their own CBC TV show in production, a major label debut album on the way and a mosh pit-ready swarm of fans around the world. But Darren “Young D” Metz and Quinton “Yung Trybez” Nyce won’t soon forget the perilous path they took—the countless nights sleeping on floors, the crowdless open mic spots, the discriminatory barriers they had to overcome— to get here.
“We’ve had to work twice as hard to get half as far as we should’ve been,” says Nyce.
“We’ve had to bust through doors and pave a
Summer-ready melodic bop “Kaleidoscope” hears the duo spit about beating the odds to actualize their dreams, while on the stirring, anthemic “Red Future,” they share their empowering vision of Indigenous futurism.“We’re celebrating excellence—appreciating the now, appreciating the past and appreciating where we’re going,” says Nyce about the follow-up to 2022’s Polaris Music Prize-shortlisted album, I’m Good, HBU? “You need the past, present and future to be here today. You need to understand how our ancestors worked—and you need to have a vision to make it to the future.”
Metz and Nyce also explore their pothole-ridden road to success in “Snotty Nose Rez Kids,” their upcoming CBC comedy. They intended to make a documentary about their rise, but after sharing their story with filmmaker Michael Tanko Grand, he encouraged them to pitch it as a scripted series. The show will tell the “not even true, real life story” of the Rez Kids, the triumphant highs, the catastrophic lows. Metz and Nyce are the creators, executive producers and story consultants, and will also write the tunes. “We’ve been making fun of ourselves for years. We’re able to laugh at the bullshit that happens,” says Nyce. “For native people, we use humour as a healing tool. It’s the same thing for us, being able to laugh at our stories. All the crazy shit that’s happened.”
way in uncharted territory for native artists.”
Metz says, “When we started, there were a lot of people who never understood Indigenous culture,” he says. “So we had that chip on our shoulders, like, ‘Okay, you may not understand now, but we’re going to make you understand eventually.’”
Song by song, album by album, the Rez Kids have been doing just that, challenging racist stereotypes and flipping them into points of pride. On their sixth album RED FUTURE, due this fall, they contemplate the road ahead while acknowledging the journey that brought them here—not just as a rap duo, but as a culture.
Despite the trials, often by fire, the Rez Kids are stoked about 2024. Nyce says RED FUTURE had an “apocalyptic” feel when they began writing, but it turned into a “futuristic piece” when they started thinking about all the wins Indigenous creators were experiencing. “We’re seeing a lot of change for the good for native people, at least within the arts scene,” he says. “Seeing people thrive shifted the energy of the album.”
Nyce says he’s noticed a “major shift” in the wider culture since the discovery of 215 unmarked graves at a residential school site in Kamloops in 2021. “It was a moment where time just stood still, traumatic for native people, eye-opening for non-native people,” he says. “They realized what it’s like to live in our shoes and since then, the doors kind
